Chapter 12

"Look at your hands Richard." I muttered as I placed a ball of cotton wool that has been soaked with spirit on his bloody hand. 

"Ouch!" he yelped. "That hurts!"

"Well, if pick up fights with people, then this is bound to happen." I chided. 

"Fighting with a dickhead is a good thing Annabelle." he gnashed his teeth to hold back the pain he felt. 

"Richard, you need to have self-control." I muttered. "What will Victoria say after she sees this?" 

"How do you expect me to watch that fool talk about you and Faoiltiama anyhow?" he asked in an angry tone. 

"Richard calm down." I whispered into his ears. "Do you think Faoiltiama will happy seeing this? Seeing her friend wanting his time on an asshole?" I inquired as I applied an antibiotic ointment and a sterile bandage on both hands.

"No." He muttered as I wrapped the bandage around the other hand. "But I'm not sorry for what I did." 

"George, what and why was Amoux here?" I inquired. 

"I've got no idea, Annabelle." George muttered, scratching his brown hair to show me he had no idea. "Maybe he saw me taken Richard to the garden and decide to frustrate him." 

"Well, he got the beating of a lifetime." Richard growled. 

"Shhh!" I sibilated at him. "Don't say a word, young man." 

George muffled a laugh because of Richard's glare. "Hey man don't blame me for laughing it's just funny to see another person aside from Victoria sibilating you." he said. 

"And I will do it again and again." I said. 

"Anna." Richard muttered. "I know you are mad at me but I just couldn't control myself he was trash-talking two friends of mine. I couldn't hold myself back." he sighed before looking at his injured hands. "Victoria will freak out." 

"You can say that again." I said. 

"Richard!" a voice called out. 

"Victoria is here." George whispered. "Richard, you are dead." 

"Annabelle, George and Richard, what are you all doing here?" she asked before her eyes scanned Richard's body and they noted the injuries he sustained on his body. 

"Richard, what happened?" she asked as she walked towards us to observe Richard. "Who did you pick a fight with?" she asked. 

"Victoria I..." Richard stated. "I fought with Amoux." 

"Why did you do that? What led to this Richard?" she grilled. "Look at your wounds." 

"Victoria, I'm so sorry." I said. "This is all my fault." 

"No, it is not your fault at all Annabelle." Richard muttered. "You didn't cause the fight besides, why would you say such a thing?" 

"It's my fault, Richard, if I didn't inquire about Faoiltiama then you won't have lost your cool then George won't have taken you outside and then Amoux won't have seen you leaving the hall." I said. "Amoux won't have gotten that chance to say anything to you." 

"It's not your fault Annabelle even if you didn't inquire about Faoiltiama I know that I will have still beaten the hell out of that dickhead." Richard hissed. 

"Shhh!" Victoria sibilated at Richard. "Look at you and please stop talking about beating Amoux up."

"I'm sorry Victoria, I'm really sorry." Richard whispered. 

"Annabelle, please don't feel like as if you caused anything." Victoria said before wiping away the tears I didn't know had fallen out. "I know Richard to well. He would have trashed Amoux eventually, but this." she pointed at Richard's injuries. "Is too bad." 

"Will, the alpha do anything to us?" I inquired. 

"Nah, he is too scared of us to do anything." Richard assured me. "I'm sorry everyone and the person I should apologize to the most to is you, Annabelle." 

"Me? Why me?" I asked.

"Today is your coronation party you are not should tender my wounds on your big day. I turned you into my helper today and I feel kind of awful about it." he sighed, running his injured hands through his hair. "I'm so sorry." 

"Sometimes you need to shut up." I chuckled, playing with my hair. "You are my friend and I don't think if I tender your wounds my day will become spoilt but you must promise me something." 

"What?" 

"I want you to promise me you won't pick up a fight with anyone again." I said. "Do you promise?" 

"Yeah." he said, but I know he didn't mean it.

"You know what I want you to pinky swear." I said showing off my pinky in his face. 

"I swear." he chuckled, locking his pinky with mine.

"Thank you, Annabelle, for taking care of my son." Victoria hugged Richard and I together. "But young man, you know that the king will deal with you when he sees this." 

"Yeah, but I don't want to talk about his reaction now." Richard whimpered with a notable sigh. 

"Come, let's go inside and get you something to eat so your wounds can heal faster." Victoria said. 

"You know my wounds will heal in two days." Richard smirked. "So you don't need to worry about mummy." 

"I know that but if Annabelle's grandfather who is also your king gives you a punishment, those injuries will take a week or more to heal so don't count your chicks before they hatch." Victoria said with a gigantic smile on her face. 

"I think Victoria is quite right, Richard." George said. "You know the way the king is." 

"George, you are a wonderful friend, you didn't say a word when these two ladies were sibilating me." Richard glared at his friend, who only had smiles on his face.

"I think the two of you should do two things." I advised. 

"And they are?" Richard prodded. 

"Shut up and come inside." I said before dragging Richard by the ear. "Come on, you." 

"Ouch, my ear hurts now!" he pouted. 

"Come on, Richard let's go back in." I laughed before following Victoria while Richard and George tugged behind. 

********

"My grandfather was quite mad at you." I said locking eyes with Richard who just placed the last stack of gifts in my closet. 

"Yeah, he let me off the hook, but he gave me a firm warning." Richard chuckled before letting out a heavy sigh. "Men these gifts are heavy I'm injured but still carrying these heavy loads." 

"It's your punishment for fighting." I said. "I hope your hands are not hurt or sore." 

"Nah, there are okay besides why won't they be?" he smirked. "The princess tended to them." 

"Shut up!" 

"Go to bed Princess because tomorrow I'm taken you on an exclusive tour around your kingdom." Richard announced. 

"Does my grandfather?.."

"Yeah, he agreed." he said. "Good night, your majesty." he winked at me before leaving the room.