1 CHAPTER ONE

*

''Annalisa-Jane Jacob, come down from that tree at once!!!!!'' Her mother who had been passing the garden with her maidens bellows.

Annalisa-Jane laughs, ''A minute mother, I am trying to get that fruit, it is so high up there and your servants are such klutz, dancing around like unfed chicks. Just give me a minute and I will be--''

''Annalisa, I will not repeat myself!!''

Annalisa ignores her mother and continues to climb the tree, all dressed up in her long gown and her hair packed in a shimmering bun. She reaches for the red apple lying on the side of the tree, dangling and glowing with the red sun. It was the only one left. The others were lying scattered on the grass bed like disjointed army guards. Her maidens were stuffing them into a basket. She reaches for it but can't get to it. ''Oh Blimey!!''She exclaims.

''Annalisa, if your father catches you up there he is going to be furious with you!!''

She chuckles ''Oh mother, you are such a drama queen, father is in his chambers having a meeting with some lords, he wouldn't catch me let alone see me. I just need to get that apple that keeps evading my reach like a shy girl not wanting to be touched by her lover''

''Annalisa!!! What have you been reading?'' Her mother gasps

The maidens giggle underneath Annalisa, the guards hide a chuckle.

''Books Mother, Mills and Bones, Harlequins, you know boy meets girl and...Argh!! Blimey!!! Someone get me a bloody rock!!'' she screams down.

A guard rushes to her, having picked a rock from the rocks pilled under the tree.

'''Oh Goodness!!'' Her mother holds her cheeks ''Annalisa-Jane, I order you to come down right now. Are you forgetting your place? If you want apples, we have the chef and the gardeners, they can give you everything you want, why must you go ahead and act like a little--''

''Monkey?'' Annalisa smiles down at her mother, who is aghast ''I know mother; do you know that climbing is good exercise and--whoooaaaa!!'' she missed a footing.

Everyone gasps, her mother's scream is the loudest. ''Mary Mother of God!!'' she holds her chest as she sees Annalisa balance back on the tree branch.

''Phew!!'' Annalisa wipes her brow. ''That was a narrow one. Don't worry mother, I am okay'' She waves. ''Give me that rock Castly or I will have your head!! Okay, I won't have your head I was just trying to sound like father. Come on, throw it up and I will catch it!!''

He does, a few times but it keeps missing her. ''Oh blimey!! You lot are useless!'' She looks away from him and back to the other tree ''I just have to jump to the other side and I will get it...'' Then she looks down at the small crowd below her ''say a prayer for me? Don't miss me if I die. But run away because my father would get a large casket and stuff you lot in if I don't make it alive''

They gasp. She laughs shaking her head ''Oh you lot scare too easily.'' She laughs again.

''Annalisa-Jane Jacobs!! I swear to God...Argh!! You fools! what are you doing looking at her climbing that tree? Go and get her down..carefully..go go go!!'' She screams at them clapping her hands together. She looks behind her hoping her husband hasn't begun to leave his chambers. He was in a foul mood this morning; she wouldn't want to add to it, nor would she want Annalisa with her silly childish behavior to cause him to get angrier. He always hated that she behaved like this, especially knowing her status.

''I said go and get her down, Now!!!''

Four of them, drop their guard weapons and makes to climb the trees, but they are struggling clumsily.

Annalisa is laughing ''Oh mother, even monkeys are better guards, look at them falling over themselves like deranged animals. Klutz I say!!'' She laughs, the maidens join her, Her mother throws them a look and they suddenly shut up.

She stares at her daughter angrily..''Do not make me angry Annalisa-Jane!!!''

Annalisa-Jane stops smiling when she sees her mother's face, but she knew that was just a bluff-angry face. She sighs ''Fine Mother, just give me a second and I will...1, 2, 3456..okay..Phew! 1, 2...3'' She jumps to the other tree without warning.

Another gasp and bout of screaming from her mother. If she didn't know better she would have figured her mother just had a heart attack.

But as always, her mother was the original drama queen.

She smiles turning and staring down at her.

''Psst!! Hey Mother, you can open your eyes now!'' She whistles to her with her hand curved to her lips so that it can echo.

Her mother who had her hands closing her eyes suddenly opens them to find that Annalisa had jumped to the other tree and she is smiling. She also had the apple in her hands, one that she had begun eating it while she is dangling on the tree having sat down as she would dangle on a swing, the way she used to do when she was a tinny-wee younger.

Her mother shakes her head ''You will not be the death of me child'' She points upwards to her at the foot of the tree now.

''Oh God forbid mother!! You would live up to a ripe good ol' age. Infact, with your strong genes, you can outlive me and father both, even Granny Cecilia. '' She chuckles as her Mother gasps. ''It is a wonder she is still alive '' She continues ''...and kicking while her companions have since kicked the bucket. Poor woman left with the likes of you, father.. and me, especially who give her so much to talk about..

''Annalisa-Jane, come back you scrawny child!!'' She mocked ''Annalisa-Jane Jacob!! I will tie you up and toss you in the bin to teach you some girl manners!!'' She bellows mockingly, squeezing her face and talking through her nose, ''Annalisa-Jane, My goodness gracious what in the heavens are you wearing? that is no way a girl should dress, come back here and wear a corset and make it tight '' She waves her hand. By now everyone but her mother is laughing

'' oh, goodness Annalisa-Jane'' She covers her eyes with one hand ''Put down your dress, you do realize you are a lady, prim and proper and you shouldn't be showing your inner showers to every tom, dick, and harry.?'' She speaks, then she giggles ''And me? I go, 'Oh granny Cecil, these drawers?'' She raises up her dress.

Her mother and the maidens gasps, the guards close their eyes.

Annalisa-Jane bursts out in loud laughter, almost falling off she holds on to the tree and goes back to laughing, ''Oh you lot are so silly! I am wearing two drawers and long pants...so stop acting all modest as though I am going to show my womanly glory to the lot of you.!!'' She throws her head back in laughter. ''My Mother would literally kill me, and we would have a grand funeral..and my tomb would read ''Annalisa-Jane Jacob, the most rebellious child lays here.'' She laughs.

''Get down now!!!'' Right, this minute!!'' Her Mother bellows. She shuus the guards away ''Clumsy lot can't even climb up a tree my daughter did in a few minutes, Shuu go away!!'' she claps them away, they pick themselves up scurry back to their post, picking up their weapons. She turns back to look up at her rebellious tomboy daughter '' Annalisa-Jane, please, come down..''

''Oh mother, you are no fun. Okay, move away Mother''

''Phew!!'' Her mother sighs wiping her brow as she moves away and watches as she is about to make her way down, stuffing the apple into her mother ..

''Annalisa-Jane Jacob, what in the name are you doing up there?''

All eyes turn to see the owner of the thunderous voice.

''Oh blimey!!"' Annalisa-Jane muffles within with the apple stuffed in her mouth as she raises her head in shock to see her father, in a company of six lords and their entourage.

''Dear Husband, I-'' Her mother began, he raises a finger to her.

''Come down from that tree and act like the lady you are born to be right this instant!!!''

Annalisa-Jane swallows still with the apple in her mouth, she nods and begins to make her way down.

The lords are muttering, Jacobs frowns, His wife moves away and come to him, he ignores her.

Then it happened, she missed a footing and then the screams began as she began to fall to the ground.

Her mother screams, her father shouts for someone to catch her, the maidens are screaming, the guards are a2far off running to reach her, but Annalisa-Jane is falling and falling.

Her heart catches in her chest as she was nearing the green grass. She closes her eyes and waits for impact, her screams have since seized with the air.

Then suddenly the screaming stops. Everywhere is quiet, for a few seconds.

Annalisa-Jane leaves her eyes closed. But she doesn't feel the hard earth to her back, neither does she feel pain.

Was she dead? Like dead dead? Or...she was a ghost already?

Or she wasn't dead and she didn't fall..but she did fall, from the high tree all the way to the ground ..or so she thought. Why wasn't anyone screaming anymore?

She opens one of her eyes, and then the other one, and looks at the reason why she isn't broken into a thousand pieces and her body dismembered to so many different places in the garden.

Blue eyes is staring down at her, then she felt it, his arms, strong arms under her.

Oh, she was levitating.

She smiles. It is not every day one gets to open one's eyes to such blue heavenly goodness.

Wait!! She didn't die and go to heaven right and he was stationed as her personal angel and stuff, right? Well not that she is complaining but...hmmm

''Are you okay Princess?'' His brows crease with a slight frown.

''Your eyes, so blue. '' She smiles

He smiles back at her.

''Annalisa-Jane Jacob!!!'' That thunderous voice again.

The blue eyes suddenly look away from her and then drops her down.

Her mother rushes to her and wraps her in a hug ''Oh Ann, don't you ever, ever do that again. I forbid you. You almost died..if he, oh God! My poor heart'' Her mother touches her heart to calm herself down as she takes huge breathes in and out.

The maidens are thankful she didn't die, that bit she is sure off, the guards are wondering why they are stuck with a rebellious daughter like her and there is the Lords, mutterings nonsensical under their breaths. She can bet they are wondering why she didn't come as a boy, words like ''Not fit for a princess, the crown, and bla bla bla'' can be made out as they muttered.

And there is her Father..his looks dimmed, anger in his eyes and she could picture his thoughts..

''You keep embarrassing me Annalisa-Jacob!!!'' she summarized that his look.

While her mother gushed over the fact that she didn't die and everyone sucking up to her to make sure she isn't hurt, the Lords turn up their noses while her father angrily continues walking away with their entourage.

''Look how upset you have made him Annalisa'' Her mother frowns at her.

Annalisa pouts ''I am not a child Mother; I should be allowed to do what I want.'' She pulls her dress down.

She raises her head to see four guards walking towards her ''What now?''

'His Majesty asks that we escort you back to the palace''

''And if I refuse?''

''Please don't Princess Annalisa-Jane, His Majesty will have our heads.''

She blows hot air ''Fine!! '' She turns around angrily and begins to walk away, then she turns abruptly and stares at the stranger ''Hey Blue eyes, thank you. You saved Mother the wailing part in my funeral. Too bad Father wasn't so happy about the save''

He smiles.

''Annalisa!!'' Her mother exclaims.

Annalisa turns away while the guards escort her away, with her maidens following behind her.

Once she leaves her mother gathers her dress and begins to make her way with her maids towards the courtyard.

Blue eyes watch Annalisa fade into the castle, then he turns and makes his way to join the entourage following the king.

*

Donna watches him from across the table.

''Jacob? You can't possibly be angry with me for the whole of today, can you? I didn't put her up the tree, she has legs and hands to do her own climbing Jacob and-'' she was cut off.

There were seated in the royal dining room and served dinner. It is a large room and a long table, with him at the edge and she at the other edge, courses of food line up the table.

The servants and guards line up the wall and watch while they eat.

''You are supposed to stop her and put her in line Donna. The Lords had plenty to talk about and to think my daughter would have a little sense to behave in the presence of guests, No!! She goes around climbing trees and going to the mountain tops like she is just another child. She is a Princess, and she very well should act like one. But you stood there and watched her embarrass the crown. She is a lady Donna, a princess of the Worcestershire Castle, not the maiden of the yards. She should behave or else I will make her. How does she plan on ruling? With rocks and teaching her people how to climb trees and have an apple while seating on a branch?''

Someone chuckles.

He throws a look above his wife's head to see the culprit.

Annalisa clears her throat as she makes her way to the table; a servant pulls out a chair for her to take a seat and begins to serve her.

Donna, her mother, who is seated at the other end of the table, shakes her head. ''Of course not Jacob but-''

''No buts Donna. '' Jacob says leaning back and staring at his daughter.

She stares up at him.

''Do you have any apology to make Annalisa?''

''No father!!''

''No father?'' He raises an eyebrow.

''Jacob-?''

He raises up his finger to Donna who sighs, she bites her lips.

''Yes Father, I was just trying to get apples and it is not as though apples are not healthy but I do not understand the fuzz father and-''

''You fell and was caught by-''

''Oh blue eyes, you should call him blue eyes, there were so heavenly and'-- She says touching her eyes and smiling.

''ANNALISA -JANE JACOBS!!'' Her Father thunders. The servants pull back, her mother flinches, Annalisa drops her cutleries, and then stares at her father.

''Yes, Father!''

''I forbid you to go climbing trees, you are a Princess and you better start behaving like one. My goodness! The lords were here and we were talking about the future of the kingdom and if you were a-'' he trails off angrily hitting the table.

''You can say it, father. A boy? I would be in those meetings and talking strategies with you lot, and planning what to do right? Yes?''

''Look-''

''No Father, every time you make it sound as though you don't even want me, as a daughter. If I were a boy you wouldn't have minded me climbing trees and riding the horses without the gear, or ..or going to climb the rocks and playing around the courtyard with a bow or drinking beer!''

''Annalisa?'' Her mother calls her name.

''No Mother, Father likes to point it out that he had always wanted a boy!''

''No, that is not what I am saying. I am saying that you should behave like a princess. Your behavior is not befitting the throne. All the fair maidens in the castles should look up to her and want to be you but all you do is show them nothing befitting a royal princess. ''

''Well maybe because I find it boring. Annalisa, you have courtesy classes, Annalisa you need to come for your piano lessons. Annalisa, you need to seat up straight, don't slouch, and have a straight back, and oh..Annalisa..do not cough because coughing isn't lady-like. It is boring Father. I have always wanted to be wild and free and--''

''No child of mine would be wild!!'' He hits the table.

''I want to be able to do anything I want''

''You will do everything as it suits the crown. And the crown forbids your behavior since you are a lady'' He states angrily.

''But I do not want the crown!!'' Annalisa states hitting the table. ''Now can I be left alone to do what I want father?. I can't have you breathing down my neck, let alone have your guards escort me to the palace as though I was going to the slaughterhouse. Please Father, enough!'' Without another word, she gets up angrily leaving her unfinished food and walking away.

He stares at her, his eyes hard. ''What would I do with her Donna, she gets stubborn by the day. ''

''We should just talk to her and make her understand ''

''We have been doing that but nothing sets her straight. She is becoming worse. Soon we would see her in the Square giving out apples and volunteering to go in the ships and be their cook just because she can. There is no limit to the surprises she gives us on a daily'' He sighs.

''So, what do we do?''

''I would be meeting with Lord Middletons tomorrow, I would discuss on the possibilities of arranging an alliance with the east''

''What for?''

''Annalisa''

''Marry her off?'' Her mother gasps.

''Yes!'' He rubs his jaw.

''But she is still a child!'' Donna places a hand on their chest.

He is shaking his head ''She is over twenty-three Donna, hardly a child she is. If she refuses to listen to us, maybe marriage can give her a sense of duty''

''Marriage?'' Annalisa-Jane exclaims behind them. She had just walked back into the dining hall.

They turn to look at her face in shock.

**