III. The Impact of Her

An hour later, we finally arrived at the bakery.

We returned to the castle first to get Lady. It was for Laura’s comfort and mine as well. To be carried on someone’s back for a long time wasn’t comfortable to anyone.

“Laura, we are here,” I whispered. “Laura?” My call was answered by a faint snore. I smiled to myself. She probably fell asleep on the journey back.

“Robert!” Grandpa Ben greeted us as he came out.

“Grandpa Ben,” I smiled.

He immediately noticed Laura sleeping as he walked up to us. “What happened to her?”

My heart quickened as he asked. I had to think of an excuse and fast! I said, “We had a little jog around town and she was exhausted. I didn’t notice that she fell asleep on our way home.”

Grandpa Ben nodded as his lips formed a firm line. “She does have a bit of a faint heart. I will have Ronald bring her to her room,” he replied.

The mere thought of Ronald carrying Laura back to her room didn’t sit right with me. He never treated her kindly whenever I was around. Who knew what he could do if he was left alone with an unconscious woman?

“With all due respect, Grandpa Ben, I want to be the one to bring Laura to her room. I am not keen on having somebody else do that, especially Ronald,” I replied. “I’m not calling him immoral. I just want to make sure that Laura gets her rest safely.”

Grandpa Ben gave it a bit of a thought. After a chuckle, he said, “I understand where your concern is coming from, Robert. And between you and me,” he stepped closer to me, “I don’t trust him around Laura as well. His hostility towards her knows no bounds.”

I smiled, relieved. “Thank you, Grandpa Ben.”

“The stairs to our living quarters are at the back,” Grandpa Ben pointed as he gave instructions. He continued, “When you get to the second floor, her room is the second door to the right. It has a sign that says, ‘No Easy Entry’. And should you be greeted by a cluttered mess, I do apologise.”

“I don’t mind Grandpa Ben. There is nothing wrong with having an untidy room every once in a while,” I answered as I carefully carried Laura down from Lady.

“You may want to put her back on the horse. She can be a bit heavy to be carried all the way there,” Grandpa Ben suggested.

“I can manage, Grandpa Ben. She isn’t that heavy, in my opinion.”

“Well then, I must get back inside. Ronald must be creating another kind of misery for the others,” he smirked. Grandpa Ben nudged at me and returned to the bakery.

~*~*~*~

As Laura’s bedroom door opened, papers were scattered amongst the floor.

Each one of them had a different kind of illustration or writing on it. I headed directly to her bed and gently laid her down. I then pulled the sheets up to her neck, putting her arms on top of her blanket.

For a while, I stayed at her side and marvelled at her simple beauty. Most women in court would go above and beyond to gain my attention. From their faces to their dresses, they exerted extremities in the hopes of impressing me.

However, it came to the point where I thought every court lady did nothing but wait for a prince… who was already betrothed.

But for this lady in front of me, she didn’t do anything.

She didn’t have the most elaborate gown to wear. All her dresses were in the same shades of grey. Some of them even had tiny holes on the skirt. It was probably the effect of too much work.

Her hair wasn’t done in a marvellous fashion. It was always held back by a napkin or any piece of cloth.

Her face would sometimes be covered in sweat because of what she did for a living. She didn’t pay too much attention to herself and yet, her beauty radiated as I spent more time with her.

And even though she was blessed with this sort of beauty, what I loved most about her was her heart.

That was her true beauty.

To find so many good qualities in one’s own heart was rarity in its finest. She was too innocent for the world, both in my realm and hers.

‘She deserved way more than the life she has right now,’ I thought to myself.

I turned around and gave her room a good look. It was in a mess because of all the scattered papers on the floor. I crouched down and picked everything up. Then, one paper caught my attention. It read,

’Eyes that shine like the stars at night,

’A sudden smile gave colour to my dull life,

’How come I was only found now?

‘But still, I am happy I was found.’

Simple words but they were able to make someone smile. I folded the paper and put it inside my pocket. Hopefully, she wouldn’t notice that one of her creations was taken. I walked back to her and laid a gentle peck on her forehead before leaving.

~*~*~*~

Right after I returned from my stroll, I was immediately hit by newly-made reports.

Because of James’ absence, every single report that was in his room was left to my responsibility. Mother already had her hands full with the lords. As for Elizabeth, she took it upon herself to do Mother’s obligations.

Whenever James was away, this was how our royal responsibilities were given out. We had to manage anything that we could within our capabilities.

As I did my part, I enjoyed the ambience of a peaceful atmosphere. I also enjoyed the part where I tamped the royal seal on each report.

I was in the middle of reviewing the trade of fish when a knock landed on my door. My page entered, “Your Highness, Lady Elizabeth is here to see you.”

“Let her in,” I replied as I kept my eyes on the report.

After a brief second, Elizabeth asked, “Am I interrupting anything, my brother?”

I looked up to her with a smile. “Elizabeth, I have told you many times before: you never interrupted anything that I do.”

She smiled as she approached me. “I looked through every single matter that Mother does on a daily basis and I got tired of the silence,” Elizabeth continued as she sat in front of me.

“That is a bit odd, don’t you think?” I smirked as I turned to her. “You spend most of your time in the library and you complain about being alone?” I asked.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes as she scoffed. “Reading a book is different from reading reports. Books are a source of entertainment, reports aren’t,” she replied. She added, “I don’t understand how you manage to contain yourself in such a lonely atmosphere.”

I chuckled as I returned to the report in my hand. “Silence helps me make better decisions. It helps me think everything through. James’ reports are vastly different from Mother’s. I need all the space and time to think,” I explained.

Suddenly, the door burst open as my page ran to me. “Your Highness, there is an emergency in the stables!”

“What do you mean?” I asked as I stood up.

“It is Lady, Your Highness. The servants said she isn’t breathing.”

I ran to the stables, Elizabeth’s voice echoed behind me as he called for my attention.