Quick note: this story is divided into three main parts. "The Beginning", "The Middle", and "The End", each of which will divided into smaller parts just because I felt like it. :-P It has no title yet.
Enjoy!
The Beginning
-1-
-1-
Henrietta turned to smile beatifically at the assorted members in the sitting room. "Raining again," she said cheerily.
Father moaned. Brianna groaned. Mother kept stitching. It had been raining on and off for almost a week now.
Henrietta walked away from her place at the window and sat down next to Mother to look at her embroidery.
"Must you tell us these things?" Brianna demanded.
"What do you mean? It's raining. You'd find out eventually anyways, and whether I say it or not won't control whether or not it's raining. Which it is," replied Henrietta calmly. She never missed an opportunity to irritate her older sister.
"You just said it again! Twice!"
"Said what?"
"That's it's raining."
Henrietta absently put a runaway lock of golden hair behind her ear. "Well, it is."
"Thrice!" Brianna cried, throwing her hands in the air. Henrietta concealed a grin.
"Four times, actually. If you count the first time."
Brianna glared at her and walked out. Henrietta waited for her sister's dark head to disappear out the door before allowing the grin to come out of hiding.
"Victory," she said smugly.
"You really shouldn't do that to her all the time," Mother reprimanded her.
"It's not entirely Henrietta's fault. It does sort of run in the family," said Father. Mother gave him the "Oh, really?" look and turned once more to Henrietta. "Go get me that pink thread from the sewing closet, please." Mother spent most of her time sitting down those days, which was to be expected, as she was expecting.
"Yes, Mother." Henrietta left the room, a smile still tugging at the corners of her mouth.
Later that day Henrietta took advantage of a brief let-up in the weather to visit a friend. On her way back, it started raining again.
"Oh bother!" she said. She looked accusingly at the sky. "You just had to do it, didn't you?" She shook her fist at a raincloud. It remained insultingly indifferent to her.
"May I offer some assistance?"
Henrietta turned from her tirade and found herself looking at a young man.
****
He had been walking along, enjoying his time away from all the servants and dignitaries and fawning people who seemed to have no real job. Then it started to rain. Again. He opened his umbrella and continued his stroll. A few minutes later, he stopped short. Before him was a young lady of such beauty that he nearly tripped and fell on his face at the sight of her. She didn't notice him, so he took a moment to pull himself together and assume an air of practiced courtesy and suavity.
"May I offer some assistance?" Oops. He hadn't meant to sound so false. He berated himself then stopped, for the lovely creature had turned around. She blinked.
"What?"
"Um," he floundered, "well, I've got this umbrella, and you don't seem to have one, and I wouldn't want you to get wet, so..."
She smiled gracefully. "How very kind of you." Her eyes twinkled. He looked closely at her. Was she laughing at him? She was! Wait, she was speaking again. Her voice was as beautiful as her deep blue eyes...
"Where exactly are you headed? For you see, it wouldn't be fair for me to just take your umbrella. In all practicality, the only way to go about it is for you to escort me home. But if that's out of your way, I don't mind getting wet."
"Oh, I'm not going anywhere in particular. Just enjoying some fresh air. Where do you live?" That was a little better.
"Just a block over."
"Let's go, shall we?" He held out his arm.
****
What a nice boy, thought Henrietta. She waved at him once more before going inside. Brianna descended on her immediately, like a bird of prey.
"Where did you go? Who was that? How old is he? Is he courting you? How long have you known him?"
"I went to Anna's house. I don't know his name or his age. I've known him for about ten minutes. He's a very nice boy and I hope he stops by again sometime."
Henrietta went upstairs with Brianna staring at her, wondering what in the world was wrong with her sister. A handsome boy, rich by the look of his clothes, and she hadn't bothered to get introduced! Brianna herself was actually engaged. Her fiancée, however, had apparently forgotten that little fact. Next time he came by she'd have to remind him. Brianna sighed. She was surrounded by forgetful, careless people.
Henrietta, meanwhile, was in her room reading. After a while she put down her book and said to herself, "What is his name anyway?"
-2-
"Max! Max? Maximilian! Oh, there you are!"
He came across the threshold into her room. "Yes, mother dearest?"
"Don't be smart with me. Where have you been all day?"
He hesitated. "Oh....around..."
"You climbed over the palace wall again, didn't you?" She sighed and sat down, her voluminous silk gown rustling. She waved at herself with a heavily decorated fan. You could tell that she had once been very pretty, but time and sadness had wiped most traces of beauty from her now-melancholy face. "If you don't stop doing that I don't know what we're going to do with you. Princes aren't supposed to run away, you know."
"Well if your life was as boring as mine you'd want to get out too sometimes!" he fumed. He sat down next to her and let out an explosive breath. Life was so....so frustrating!
"I live here too, dear. Sometimes I do want to get out," she sighed. "Ever since your father died people have bombarded me with sympathies and consolations. I've suffered through three years of 'I'll never forgets' and 'May he rest in peaces' and they do absolutely nothing but remind me...of his death."
Max laughed.
"What's so funny?" she asked sharply.
"In pieces," he chortled. "Sorry mother. I didn't mean to be unsympathetic." More gently, he said, "I miss him too." He cleared his throat. "You were saying...?"
"Oh never mind. Just please, don't leave the palace without telling someone first, all right?"
"Yes, mother."
"And try to use the front door like normal people generally do."
He grinned. "Oh, but mother, climbing the wall is so much more fun."
She whacked him with her fan. "Leave, you. Go on! Your stepfather wants to speak to you."
****
Henrietta was in her room practicing Latin verbs (confounded things!) when her mother knocked on her door. Henrietta leaped up and opened it.
"Hello dear, I want to talk with you."
"Of course."
Mother sat down on the bed. Henrietta followed suit. "Yes?"
"You're sixteen."
"Really? What did I miss?" Mother looked irritably at her. Henrietta grinned impudently.
"Anyway," Mother continued, "That means you're of an age to marry." She looked at Henrietta very seriously. "Tell me honestly, dear: are there any young men you are interested in?"
Henrietta looked just as seriously back. "No, mother. Not yet anyway."
"Not yet?"
Henrietta toyed with the edge of her bedspread. "I met a very nice young man today. I don't know his name or anything, but he was very courteous and friendly and I rather liked him. I hope we'll be friends. And maybe later on...." she left it hanging. Her mother smiled slyly. "Courteous, friendly....and handsome?"
Henrietta shoved her playfully and smiled. "Well, I've always thought that's a matter of opinion. He has dark hair and pleasant features. I didn't really take note of the color of his eyes...I think they're green. He looked a little sad for some reason." She frowned thoughtfully.
"Well, dearest, please be careful, and think about what I've mentioned. You're old enough to be married, but I don't want to lose you too soon. Give it some time."
"Don't worry, mother. I wasn't planning on being wed anytime soon. I will be careful, though." They hugged. Mother went downstairs and Henrietta returned to that absurd thing known as the passive voice in Latin.
****
Max stepped hesitatingly into the king's study. This room had once been his father's. Now it belonged to the new king, his stepfather. He liked the man, but still resented him a little for no reason he could express in words. He missed his real father very much, and this man had taken his place too soon. The relationship between the two was shaky, and they stepped around each other rather carefully.
"Come here Max, I won't bite you," said the king.
"Yes, sir," said the crown prince. The new king was a rather ordinary looking man, except for his eyes. Max often felt that under their gaze his thoughts were being read, as though they were written in the air over his head.
"You will not have to become king for a long time yet."
"Yes, sir. Quite frankly I'm glad of that. I'm definitely not ready."
"Hmmph," the king mused. "In any case, your mother and I think it would be wise for you to marry soon. Settle down, establish a family." Good heavens, must the man stare at me so? thought Max.
"Have any girls caught your eye?" the king asked. Max blushed and thought of the nameless girl who had captured his heart in less than ten seconds."Er....well..."
The king laughed (who knew he could sound so merry?).
"You don't have to tell me about it. However, if you choose someone to take to wife, do bring her to dinner or something so we can all meet her. Don't just surprise us." Max smiled a bit shyly. His stepfather smiled back and held out his hand. "Agreed?"
Max shook it firmly. "Agreed."
