Chapter 12 - Childhood Friends

Chapter 1-12: Childhood Friends
Though my body was falling into a deep sleep my mind was wide awake. I was having a vision, a flashback, in fact. I was having dreams of forgotten memories. As soon as sleep claimed me I had traveled to another time and place where there was no jousting tournament and life was easy.
* * * *
I was in the garden next to the throne room and it was midmorning. My reflection in one of the windows informed me that I had shrunken down to around the age of twelve or thirteen. There were three boys, whom I deemed Prince Joe, Prince Kyle, and Prince Jesse, standing in the garden before me.
I couldn’t hear what they were saying, so I came up closer. A twig snapped beneath my feet and each prince turned toward me. All three of them smiled and Prince Joe waved like a crazy person. Prince Jesse walked up and put his arm around me. The moment he touched me I remembered the content of the memory.
I knew exactly what would happen next and each thing happened exactly as I had predicted. Prince Kyle would say that I mustn’t trust Prince Jesse, and that he loved me dearly. He and Prince Jesse would start shouting at each other and Prince Joe would come between then when they were almost at blows. Then I would propose a nice, safe game of chess. I decided that the winner would receive my heart and my hand. (as you can see I was quite a bit more enthusiastic about such things than I am now)
In the end, Prince Kyle ended up winning. He promised me that he would do everything in his power to keep us together and I was glad of it. That was the day I realized that Prince Kyle was the only one I wanted to be with. We had been together since we were very young and I had never noticed the way he looked at me and smiled sweetly until that moment. I was in love.
Then my mind flashed to a new memory. It was one that occurred a few months before the previous memory. I was sitting alone with Prince Kyle in the same garden. This was my memory of our first kiss. I realized now that we hadn’t chosen the best place to be alone. I fought with all my might to wake myself before my sweet dream turned to a nightmare but it was to no avail. We were caught and I was forced to watch my father give Prince Kyle a harsh beating.
I was sure that tears were rolling down my face as my father forbade him from seeing me in the near future. ‘Until he has better manners and a sense of honor,’ is what my father said. That was the reason my father wasn’t exactly “overjoyed” to see that Prince Kyle had entered the tournament.* * * *
I woke up confused and crying. I had forgotten all about the previous night. I had no idea where I was or who I was with. The only things I knew where that I wasn’t wearing any clothes and that my heart was filled with love for Prince Kyle. I felt another presence in the room and noticed the man lying on the bed beside me. He was looking straight at me with worry in his eyes. His hands softly dried away my tears.
“Are you alright, Princess Kel?” he asked with confusion.
“I’m fine, it was only a bad dream,” I answered still a bit confused.
“Ah, how are you then.” His arms wrapped around me and he held me protectively.
“Oh! I almost forgot about last night. How could i?” I set my head on his chest and looked up into his eyes.
“Well, how are you?”
I smiled at him. “I am absolutely wonderful. I truly believe that last night was one of the greatest of my life.”
“Mine as well. That was amazing.” He smiled and kissed me softly.
“You know, I really don’t see the point of this jousting tournament.”
“Wouldn’t it be so I can win over your parents?”
“Father must have forgotten that I was already promised to you. He must have thought it was a joke.”
“Fathers always think of things as jokes, but I don’t think that is the reason. Your father seems to dislike me a great deal.” He lowered his head a bit.
“That’s why you have to win. Hey, what are you looking at?” I was a bit shocked.
“Oh, sorry. Yeah, and for you.”
“Oh no.” I started to panic and he held me tightly.
“What is it?”
“Someone is going to be coming to wake me soon. I don’t even want to think of what they will do if they find you here.” (Actually I did think. I knew that they would kill Prince Kyle if they caught him there)
“Is there somewhere I can hide?”
“We still have time. If you get dressed quickly you can make it back to your camp before the guards make their rounds. I can meet you there after I get dressed.”
“Alright.” Prince Kyle started to put on his clothes.
I slipped back into my dress and went around to the other side of the bed where Prince Kyle was lacing his boots.
“I have something to give you before you go,” I said as he stood up.
“What is it?”
I handed him the handkerchief. “I now bestow upon you, Prince Kyle, my favor.”
He took my handkerchief, kissed it, and grinned at me. “Did I not have your favor before now?”
“Oh, you had it before now. You had that and many other things belonging to me, including my heart.”
He gave me a passionate kiss and let his arms fall out of our embrace. “Thank you, my princess. I will go now.”
I put my hand on the side of his face. “I will be there very soon, I promise.”
“I’ll be waiting.”

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