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- Story Listed as: Fiction For Adults
- Theme: Love stories / Romance
- Subject: Community / Home
- Published: 05/06/2023
The Maiden of Choice
Born 1997, F, from MO, United StatesChapter 1
It was late. The time was drawing near for King Thelonius to choose a wife. The council was pressuring him greatly. They said he needs a wife to rule in his absence when he was at war and his five daughters need a mother as well as a governess to watch over them. It was two and a half years since his last wife died suddenly. King Thelonius called for the captain of the guard and ordered him to find two maidens; one will be his new wife and the other will be the royal children’s governess. When the captain asked the king which maidens, the king told him to choose and choose well. The captain knew just the right two maidens.
Quickly, he sent four guards out to get the maidens and bring them to the castle. The guards split into two groups; one will find one maiden while the other group will find the other. When one of the two guards arrived at one home, they knocked loudly and said loud enough for the people inside to hear, “Open up! In the name of the king!” A few seconds pass by and an older man opened the door to let them in. The guards came in and one asked, “Where is she? Is she in this room?”
The older man looked confused as he asked, “Who?” Then the other said, “Your niece. Where is she?” “Why,” asked the older man. “Because,” one of the guards said, “She is needed at the castle.” The older man began to protest, “You can’t come in here demanding her when it’s midnight! She’s probably asleep!” The other guard narrowed his eyes and said fiercely, “If that is your response then we have the right to arrest you for trying to hold back an official order.” The man thought for a minute then pointed to a room behind him saying, “She might be in there. That’s her room.”
The two guards went into the room and it was obvious that no one, besides them, was in there. They went back to the other room and one said to the older man, “No one is in there. Are you playing us for fools?” The older man’s eyes widened, and he said, “I would never do that! If she is not in there then I don’t know where she is!” Before the guards could say something, a young woman walked into the room wearing a nightgown and she froze with her eyes wide. The men turned and one guard said, “She’s coming with us.”
The young woman looked scared as the guards approached her, but slightly relaxed when one said trying to sound friendly, “Hello. Is it alright that we ask you to come with us to the castle? Your assistance is most needed.” “That’s alright,” she said. That one guard smiled and said, “Then we must leave at once! The captain expects us back in half an hour.” The young woman looked
surprised, but she nodded, and they left. Later on the walk, they met up with the other two guards and the other maiden.
Katherine, the first maiden, happened to know the other maiden, Elizabeth. “I hate being out here not properly dressed,” Elizabeth complained. Katherine looked at her and said, “At least you’re better dressed than I am.” Elizabeth looked at Katherine and said, “That’s true, but I wish they had given us time to get ready.” The maidens were quiet the rest of the way to the castle. Once they arrived, the captain guard met them and said while pointing to four servants in turn, “Lily will show you where you’ll sleep and Kacy will wake you up tomorrow and from now on. Jessie will help one of you get ready while Mary will help the other. What are your names?”
The maidens looked at each other then the blonde one said, “My name is Elizabeth.” Then the brunette said, “My name is Katherine.” The captain guard gave a nod and said, “You two are dismissed. Goodnight.” The servant called Lily led the maidens to their rooms and soon both were asleep. The next day, the servant called Kacy walked into Katherine’s room and saw no one there. She checked everywhere in the room and no one was in there. There was hardly any evidence that someone stayed in the room because the bed was made, and the room was so neat.
Chapter 2
Kacy quickly left and got Mary. When Mary went into the kitchen, she smelled a mouth-watering aroma. “What is that wonderful smell,” she asked then out walked Katherine. In her hands, which were covered by hot pads, was a delicious-looking pan full of food that seemed fresh. Katherine smiled and asked, “Would you like some? This is a fresh batch.” “Sure,” Mary said with a smile, “Thank you, ma’am.” Katherine chuckled and said, “You don’t have to call me that.”
As she took some of the food on a plate, Mary said, “Actually, I do because you’re higher up than me.” “Actually,” Katherine said, “I see you as an equal. No one is lower or higher in my mind.” Mary’s face brightened; she smiled at Katherine and said, “Well, let’s just say I was being polite. That sounds good?” Katherine smiled back, “Sure, that sounds fine to me.” Then Mary asked, “So what are you doing in the kitchen?”
“Making breakfast for the staff here.”
“Don’t you know what you’re supposed to do?”
“I was told my assistance was needed so I’m trying to help in any way I can.”
Mary sighed and shook her head saying, “You’re supposed to take care of the king's children, but I understand if you did not know that. The captain probably didn’t tell you, but you’re supposed to meet the royal children today.” Katherine looked surprised as she said, “No, I didn’t know that, but when am I supposed to meet them?” Mary looked at her watch and said, “In about less than ten minutes. If we leave now then we will make it there in time. Come, we must hurry.”
Before Katherine knew it, she was at the royal children’s room door and before she opened it, she took a deep breath and then let it out. After trying to calm her nervousness, she opened the door and went in after Mary introduced her. There, in a nice straight row, were the royal children. The eldest was fourteen and she stepped out of the line. She curtsied and said, “Greetings ma’am. My name is Dalia.” The second eldest was twelve and she was next to introduce herself. She stepped out, curtsied, and said copying her sister, “Hello ma’am. My name is Elise.”
The third daughter was next, and she stepped out to follow her sisters’ movements. She curtsied and said, “Hello ma’am. My name is Millia and I’m eight years old.” Then the fourth daughter was next, and she was six. She stepped out, curtsied, and said, “Greetin’ ma’am. My name is Leema.” Finally, the last daughter was left to introduce herself and she was four. She stepped out then fell down, but got back up and said, “My name's Mia. I’m four. Hello.” She quickly went back into the line then it was Katherine’s turn to introduce herself.
She stepped forward, curtsied, and said, “Good day princesses. My name is Katherine and I will be your governess. If you ever need any help, just let me know and I will help you in any way I can, you have my word on it.” She smiled at them kindly and asked, “Well now, what do you want to do first? Do you have a schedule you go by?” Princess Dalia stepped out of the line and said, “Not today, we don’t. Today, we are supposed to get to know you.” Katherine gave a nod and then asked, “Well, what do you want to know? I’m an open person to some things.”
Princess Millia stepped forward and asked, “Can you sing? Our last governess couldn’t sing very well.” “I suppose I can sing good as I am told,” Katherine said modestly. Mia and Leema looked at each other excitedly. Elise caught on and asked, “Can you sing for us?” Katherine smiled and said, “Sure. What song? I know a lot.” The princesses went into a whispering conversation then Dalia said, “I want you to sing a romantic song.” The other girls nodded in excitement. Katherine took a breath and began.
The princesses giggled and Leema asked, “So he got the girl?” Katherine nodded and said, “Indeed he did. He promised to love her and do all the things she wanted in a man.” Mia stepped forward and asked, “Can I ask you someting?” Katherine smiled and said, “Of course, you can ask me anything.” Mia looked at her sisters devilishly then back at Katherine and asked, “Are you ticklish?” Katherine was taken aback by her question and said, “Well, I am a little bit… why?” Mia looked back at her sisters and they caught her drift. They smiled and then Leema yelled, “Get her!” Katherine widened her eyes and said pretending to be in despair, “Oh no! Spare me!”
The girls laughed and tried to get her. Dalia stayed back and laughed as Katherine was tickled. Once the girls stopped, they were all sitting on the floor laughing. When there was a knock at the door, the girls stood up and straightened their hair along with their dresses. Katherine stood up and brushed herself off, but who came in surprised her greatly; it made her nervous. It was King Thelonius who came in. He looked at his daughters and asked, “What’s going on in here?” Elise stepped forward, curtsied, and said, “Father, we were getting to know Katherine and we found out that she’s great fun.” Her father raised an eyebrow and asked, “Oh?” Elise stepped back and Mia stepped forward saying, “We found she’s a gweat singa.”
Katherine lowered her gaze, embarrassed by the praise from the young girls. The king looked at her and noticed her reaction but didn’t say anything to her besides to his daughters, “I’m sure she’ll be great for you. The captain guard chose well.” Then he did say something to her, “I heard from Mary that you don’t believe anyone is higher or lower. Is that true?” Katherine looked up at him and said, “Everyone has a place in life, so no one is higher or lower because I see everyone as an equal. They only get respect when they have earned it and you have earned my respect over and over. I may not look like it, but I pay attention to what happens in the village and I never believe gossip.”
This surprised King Thelonius and he said, “Seems like you have a very strong opinion.” She nodded and said, “If it is somewhat of a free country like it was in the olden days then everyone has the right to have an opinion and a say. It is only fair because of various reasons.” “Well, then,” he said, “Have fun getting to know each other.” Then he bowed his head in a sort of dismissal of himself and left. Katherine was quiet for a little bit till Princess Dalia asked, “Do you like us?” Katherine looked at her and asked, “Do you want my honest opinion?” She nodded and suddenly, the girls were nervous. Katherine smiled and said, “I really like you all like you are friends to me.”
The princesses smiled back then Mia asked, “Do you like Daddy?” Katherine looked at her and said, “I’m not sure if he likes me or not, but I can see why people like him.” While they got to know each other, a certain question came up. “Do you have a momma and daddy,” asked Mia. Katherine looked sad when she said, “No, my mother died years ago, and my father disappeared soon after that so I don’t know if he is alive or not. That’s why my uncle raised me.” She cheerfully changed the subject, “Well now, it’s getting late so I suppose you should go to bed soon.” Millia stood up and said, “Not until you sing for us a lullaby we’ve always been sung to since we were really little by at least someone after mother died.”
Katherine smiled and said, “Of course. What lullaby do you want me to sing?” The princesses answered as one, “The Candle Burning!” Katherine gave a nod and thought of the notes then began to sing.
Chapter 3
Katherine smiled at the sleeping girls and quietly left the room. Once she closed the door, she heard a voice say, “You did a good job with them.” Katherine’s hands flew to her mouth in surprise and she gasped in fright quickly turning around to see the king standing there. “Oh,” she said still frightened, “Your Highness. You startled me.” King Thelonius smiled and said, “I’m told I’m good at that.” Confused, Katherine asked, “Do you mean scaring people or being what?” “Being dead quiet,” he said, “My apologizes for scaring you.” She gave a nod and said, “It’s alright. I don’t mind.”
King Thelonius gave a little smile and asked, “I suppose you are heading to bed?” Katherine smiled and nodded. Then she asked, “Are you doing the same?” He shook his head and said, “No, I have four more meetings with my counsel, general, and others before I can rest.” She was surprised so she said, “They should know that you need to rest. They can’t work you like this.” Surprised by her response, he said, “Well, they know I need to rest sometime, I’m sure, but I don’t know if there is going to be a war or not. That’s why the council pressured me to remarry so the new queen can rule in my absence.” All this information dawned on her, so she said, “Okay, so let me get this straight: Elizabeth’s going to be the new queen?”
The king nodded and then said, “Well, I probably have to go so I’m not late to my meeting. Goodnight.” Katherine smiled and said, “Goodnight, your highness.” Enchanted by her smile, King Thelonius left feeling happy. Katherine went to bed thinking about the king and how much pressure he was under. It must be hard being king. Days passed by without barely a notice. When King Thelonius had time, he was getting to know Elizabeth, but something felt wrong and he didn’t know what it was. Katherine helped the princesses with their classes when she was needed, and they were beginning to love her.
For some strange reason, the king felt drawn to Katherine, like he wanted to know about her, so he was listening in when she was telling about herself to his daughters. Of course, Katherine didn’t know that, but she liked the king anyway. King Thelonius’ advisor noticed something was going on but didn’t say anything till one day, the king was late to one of his meetings with him. “Where were you, sire,” he asked the king. King Thelonius hesitated then said, “I was talking to Katherine.” Confused at first then the advisor asked, “Why was that?” Feeling confused, he admitted, “Because I was wondering how she was doing and how my daughters were doing with her. Then I asked her if she was comfortable here in the castle.”
His advisor smiled once he realized what was going on. “I think I know what’s happening here,” he said. Further confused, King Thelonius asked, “What do you mean? What’s going on?” His advisor’s smile got bigger as he said, “I think you might be falling for her.” Then the king asked, “You think so? As in ‘like’ falling for her? Or more intense?” His advisor lightly shrugged and said, “I’m not sure, but it may be actually love. At least that’s my thinking.” Embarrassed, King Thelonius turned slightly red and asked, “Are you positive?” His advisor smiled kindly and said, “I’m fifty percent sure about this, but we can switch the maidens so she will be the one you marry. If you want to that is.”
“I’m not sure what to do,” said the king, “but I might have to think about that. It might be for the best.” The advisor agreed, but what either of them didn’t know was that Elizabeth was right outside the door, listening in to every word they said getting more and more jealous. After Katherine sang to the princesses and they were asleep, she stepped out closing the door. She glanced behind her to see if the king was there, but he wasn’t so she assumed he was still in a meeting. Katherine calmly walked to her room, changed into her nightgown, and was soon asleep in her bed. In the next room, which was Elizabeth’s, she was sharpening something hoping she wouldn’t wake or disturb anyone.
Chapter 4
It was almost midnight when the hidden door to Katherine’s room creaked open and a stranger in a dark cloak and hood stepped in. They walked over to her bed, pulled back the covers, and raised a dagger. Just as this was happening, King Thelonius was getting close to her room with three guards, his advisor, and the general. Suddenly, they heard a scream and the king knew who it was. He raced to Katherine’s room, threw open the door, and saw the dark figure pull the dagger out of her. “Guards,” he yelled, and his company quickly came by his side then Thelonius said, “Arrest them!”
The dark figure ran through the hidden door trying to escape, but the three guards got them. King Thelonius turned on a light and ran over to Katherine’s side. She was bleeding badly from a stab wound in her stomach, but she was still conscious, and she was terrified. Tears were running down her face as she fought to breathe.
King Thelonius gently picked her up and let her lay her head on his chest while trying to keep her calm. He looked at his advisor and ordered, “Quickly, get a healer and bring them here. Go now!” The man quickly left, and the king went back to trying to keep Katherine calm. Soon enough the healer came rushing in, but Thelonius refused to leave Katherine’s side while the healer tended to her. “You might want to look away,” the healer said to him. “Why is that,” he asked her. She then said, “Because I am going lift up her nightgown and I doubt she would like it if you were looking.”
The king thought for a minute then said, “That sounds like a good idea.” He looked away while the healer did her thing and soon enough, Katherine’s injury was taken care of. Later, he found out that the person who did it was the woman he was supposed to marry. Elizabeth.
While he evaluated the situation, Katherine had been given an herb to help her sleep. In the morning, Katherine woke up and shifted slightly only to gasp in pain. King Thelonius looked down at her worriedly and asked, “How do you feel?” She raised her eyes to look at him and said with a small smile, “I think I feel better than last night.” He gave a small smile back at her and was about to say something when she asked, “What happened to them?” He looked at her confused and asked, “Who?” “The person who did this,” she clarified. “She is currently sitting in a jail cell till the counsel and I decide what to do with her,” he told her. Katherine thought about this and then asked, “Who did it?” “Do you really want to know,” he asked her and she nodded so he said, “It was Elizabeth.”
Katherine was silent for a while till he asked her, “Are you feeling okay?” She looked up at him and said, “I’m fine. Just worried.” King Thelonius smiled and said, “There’s no need to be worried. You’ll be just fine if you rest.” She sighed and said, “I’m not worried about myself. I’m worried about Elizabeth. I hope they aren’t too harsh with her.” “I’m sure she’ll be fine,” he said trying to reassure her, “but she will get what’s coming to her for hurting you.”
Katherine gasped and asked starting to panic, “She’s not going to die, is she? I don’t want her to die! Yes, she stabbed me, but she shouldn’t get that!” “Easy Katherine,” he said soothingly, “If it means that much to you then I promise that I will make sure she doesn’t die.” He said that so soothingly that Katherine couldn’t help but calm back down. “Thank you, sire,” she said sounding relieved.
King Thelonius smiled at her and said, “You can call me Thelonius.” She looked up at him sharply in astonishment then said finally, “Okay Thelonius.” The princess came in later after their duties were done and Mia made a special request. “Can you… sing for me,” she asked then she quickly added, “Please.” Katherine smiled and said, “I can certainly try, but just a warning I may sound like a magpie. What song would you like for me to sing?” Dalia looked at her little sister and knew what she wanted so she said, “One that your mom sang to you.” Katherine thought for a moment then said, “Okay. I remember that one well.” She took a breath and then began.
After she finished singing that song, little Mia was fast asleep on the bed since she crawled up there during it. Dalia shook her head and picked up her littlest sister then walked out of the room. Elise grabbed her other sisters’ hands and then led them out, but Leema came back in and asked, “When will you be better?” “Probably not for a while,” Katherine said, but when the little princess looked sad she said, “But you can visit me anytime you want because I will always love to see you.” Leema smiled and said, “Okay. Goodnight Katherine.” Then she left the room.
Katherine looked up at Thelonius and he looked like he was in deep thought. “You should probably call it a day too,” she said to him. He looked down at her and asked, “You want me to leave?” “NO,” she said too quickly and loudly then blushed, “Well, you have to get some sleep sometime so it’s for the best and… well… yeah you get the point.”
Thelonius smiled and gently hugged her saying, “I will go, but I will be back soon.” Katherine smiled, but before he left the healer came to check on her and then gave her some herbs that made her fall asleep. It took about two weeks for Katherine to heal fully and during those weeks, King Thelonius worked on convincing the council to drop the charges against Elizabeth. After a while of talking, he finally convinced them, and they agreed to do it for Katherine. Elizabeth felt she had the need to make it up to Katherine and Thelonius so she asked his daughters what she should do.
They told her that their father probably is falling in love with Katherine and might need a little help. She went to talk to the king, and he was surprised that she was asking him about it. “Well, if you want to, you can ask Katherine how she feels about me, but don’t let her know I asked you to do that,” he said then he excused himself to go to a meeting.
Chapter 5
Later, she went to see Katherine and she was in her room reading a book. “Hello Elizabeth,” she said once she looked up, “What can I do for you?” “Well,” Elizabeth said walking over to her, “I wanted to say thank you for helping me and I was also wondering about something.” Confused, Katherine asked, “What would that be?” Elizabeth then asked, “Do you promise to be honest with me?” “Yes,” said Katherine, still confused. “I was wondering how you felt about the king,” said Elizabeth and her friend looked at her surprised, “I noticed that you two had something going on and I wanted to be sure.” “Well,” said Katherine slowly, “my feelings for him are strong, stronger than they were when I first met him, but I’m not sure what is going on between us. For example, when it was late and he had to leave to go to bed, I didn’t want him to go. Does that help?” Elizabeth smiled and said, “It sure did. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have someone to talk to.”
“Would that someone be Thelonius,” Katherine asked. “Nope,” Elizabeth replied calmly, “Someone else. See you later Katherine.” Then she left to find the princesses and they were out in the gardens playing a game. “Your Highnesses,” she called, and they looked at her, “Come here, I need your help for something very important.” Confused, they walked over to her and then looked very excited once she explained her plan quietly. A few days passed by while they planned away, but one day, Thelonius asked her, “Where is Katherine?” Elizabeth smiled and said, “Getting ready for a special thing this evening.” “Oh,” he said sounding deflated, “With who?”
She grinned and said, “With you, of course. Now I suggest that you go start getting ready or she’ll be ready before you.” Thelonius left while looking stunned then Elizabeth went to see how Katherine was doing. Katherine had just gotten out of the bathtub and was drying off when the bathroom door started to open. Startled, she quickly covered herself with her towel, but was relieved when Elizabeth came in.
“Oh, it’s just you,” she said then she sighed and asked, “Do you know who I’m going to this event with? I don’t like blind dating.” Elizabeth smiled and said, “You’ll like the person, don’t worry about it. Come on, since you’re dry now, it’s time for your dress. I had a little help when designing it.” Katherine wrapped the towel around herself and followed her friend to her room. “Now, close your eyes and drop the towel,” Elizabeth commanded. Surprised, Katherine said, “What, and stand here naked? No!” Her friend smiled and said, “Just do it. Trust me. You will like the surprise or even love it.” Katherine hesitated, then she obeyed.
Once her eyes were closed, the dressing came and soon enough, she heard Elizabeth say, “Okay, it’s not time for you to open your eyes, but now follow my voice and try to find a chair. It’s time for doing your hair and facial stuff.” With her eyes still closed, Katherine did as she was told and sat in a chair. She felt gentle pulling on her hair and something soft touched all over her face then she heard, “Okay, that’s it for that. Now hold out your arms and, please, keep your fingers straight.”
Confused, Katherine obeyed while wondering what was being done to her and she felt something go over her whole hands up to her elbows, which covered her entire arm till that point. Then she felt something go over her right wrist all the way around. “Alright,” said Elizabeth, “Now stand up and hold on to me. It’s time for the shoes.” Katherine reached out blindly and grabbed onto her friend’s shoulder as she slipped her bare feet into some shoes that were just the right height for her. “Now,” said Elizabeth at last, “let me make sure everything is good. Hmmm… I approve. Open your eyes and look at yourself in a full-length mirror. Wait, the princesses want to see you before you see yourself. Come on in girls!”
The door opened while Katherine opened her eyes and she saw the young princesses come in. Once they saw her, Leema said, “Wow. You look really pretty.” Dalia smiled and said, “She looks like a masterpiece.” Elise grinned and said, “I agree all the way. Katherine, you look amazing… no, beautiful.” Katherine looked at her friend and asked, “Can I see myself now?” “Hmmm,” said Elizabeth as if she was pulled out of a thought, “I suppose that’s alright. Go on ahead.”
Katherine walked over to her full-length mirror and saw herself. She was wearing the most elegant dress she had ever thought of wearing before and on it were patterns dazzled with sparkles. On her arms were gloves that matched the dress and on her right wrist was a beautiful bracelet that matched the whole outfit. She looked at her shoes and they were sparkly like the dress, but somewhat see-through like glass. “Oops,” said Elizabeth then walked over to Katherine and she pulled out a small blue box, “I forgot the last detail.”
She opened it while her friend looked at it and inside was a diamond necklace with matching earrings. Elizabeth put them on Katherine and then asked, “So? What do you think?” Katherine looked at her reflection again then back at her friends and said with a smile, “I never thought I could look like this. Thank you. I really love it.” Elizabeth smiled back and then said, “It’s time to meet your date. Come on.” She led her friend to the gardens where there was a table with a white tablecloth set for two and it was surrounded by a circle of candles.
“Oh Elizabeth,” said Katherine. Elizabeth smiled and asked, “What do you think? I had some help, so it wasn’t all me.” “I have to admit, I’m speechless,” replied Katherine, and Elizabeth’s smile grew. “Go check it out,” she said giving her friend a gentle shove. Katherine walked out towards it while Thelonius showed up beside Elizabeth. “You going to go out there with her,” Elizabeth asked him. He looked at her and admitted, “I’m scared too.” She smiled at him and said, “Go on before she gets bored. Go.” She gave him a gentle shove and he walked out towards Katherine.
Katherine looked behind her since she heard something and saw him. Smiling at him, she said, “Hello.” He smiled back and said, “Hello. Wow, Elizabeth did do a good job.” Katherine chuckled and said, “She had some help.” “I suppose so,” Thelonius said then said, “Wait a second… do you think I helped?” She smiled and nodded then he said, “I didn’t. I found out about it not long ago.” “So she got to you, too,” Katherine asked. “In a way,” Thelonius said, “though I found a note in the pocket of this coat from my daughters that said they helped.”
Katherine smiled then looked around saying, “They knew what to do, it seems like.” He watched her smiling then looked away because he felt, for the first time in a while, a blush coming on. She looked at him and noticed that then asked, “Shall we sit down?” Thelonius looked at her and nodded then they went to sit down in the two chairs. While they were talking, they heard a piano playing romantic music and Katherine looked at Thelonius surprised. He looked at her and said, “I had nothing to do with that.” She smiled and looked down then she said, “You know… you look very handsome tonight.”
Then she blushed after saying that and he looked down while saying, “And you look very beautiful.” Katherine looked up at him surprised then smiled because she saw him, also, blushing a deep red. “Do you want to dance,” she asked him. He looked up and gave a nod. They danced to the music till it ended then they walked over to the blanket on the ground a ways from the candles and laid down next to each other while looking at the stars.
Chapter 6
Watching in the shadows quite a ways away, Millia asked, “Is he gonna kiss her yet?” “Shhh,” whispered Elise, “This is their first date so don’t expect a kiss yet.” Leema peered at the two adults talking together quietly then asked in a whisper, “Do you think she’ll be our new momma?” Dalia looked at her and then whispered, “It’s possible because they really like each other.” Katherine sat up and Thelonius did the same then asked, “Are you okay?” She looked at him and
said with a smile, “I’m sure this made the top ten best evenings of my life.” He smiled and said, “I’m glad because it made my list, too.” “I guess there is one thing that could make it even better,” Katherine said looking away.
Thelonius looked at her confused and asked, “What would that be?” She looked back at him with a smile then he got it. He leaned in and so did she then they kissed. They broke apart then Dalia whispered to her sisters, “Come on. We need to leave them alone now.” The girls left then Mia came back and saw them kiss again, but more passionately. The next morning was peaceful, but when the girls went to see if Katherine was in her room, she wasn’t there. They went to their father’s room and what they saw made them force down a giggle. On the bed were Thelonius and Katherine, still sound asleep. Katherine had her head on Thelonius’ chest with her arms around his waist and his arms were around her.
Katherine shifted slightly then sighed quietly and smiled in her sleep. Leema saw them together and tried not to start laughing in delight, but a loud giggle came out. Her sisters looked at her and then ran for it with her behind them. Thelonius opened his eyes slightly then blinked and stretched a little, but his movement woke Katherine. She sat up blinking while looking around confused. He sat up after her and asked, “Is it morning already?” Katherine looked at him and replied, “I guess so. We must’ve fallen asleep here.” “I suppose we did,” he said.
She stood up and suggested, “We should probably get ready for the day.” Thelonius stood up and agreed, “We should probably do that.” Katherine went to her room and quickly changed into one of her maiden dresses, but she couldn’t focus the whole day because her thoughts were on Thelonius. Meanwhile, that was happening with her, Thelonius couldn’t focus either because his thoughts were on her. They went on other dates when they could and had fun each time. They seemed to be growing closer and everyone in the kingdom knew of it. Finally, they realized that they had fallen in love with each other and after a while, Thelonius’ daughters came up to him.
“Well,” Elise demanded. He looked at her confused and asked, “What?” “Are you going to do it or not,” she asked. Their father looked at them and asked, “Do what?” Dalia looked at her other sisters then back at him and asked, “Are you going to propose soon or not?” The king looked down, embarrassed at the subject, and said, “I don’t know when is the right time to do that.” The young princesses gathered in a circle and began to talk in very quiet whispers then the Dalia said, “All those in favor say ‘Aye’.” The other girls said as one, “Aye.” “Okay,” Dalia said then she turned back to her father and told him, “We all agree that we can help you choose a day and Katherine’s attire, but the rest is on you. Okay?” Thelonius looked at her nervously and said, “Okay. Well, we have to get planning if it’s going to be soon but don’t let Katherine know what’s going to happen or that’ll spoil it. Deal?” His daughters looked at each other then at him giggling and said, “Deal!” While he planned the day with his daughters, Katherine was completely oblivious to what was going on since the girls did a good job of keeping it a secret.
Chapter 7
One evening (the evening of the event), Elizabeth came into Katherine’s room and said, “Okay, time to change your attire.” Katherine looked up confused and asked, “What?” “Up,” Elizabeth ordered, “Get up!” Katherine did as she was told and soon she was dressed in an elegant blue dress with shoes to match. “Elizabeth, what’s going on,” Katherine asked still confused. “Shhh,” her friend replied, “You’ll see. I’m not allowed to say anything about what’s going to happen, but I’m sure you’ll love it. Now go down to the garden. There is someone waiting for you.” Eager to find out what was going on, Katherine quickly went down to where she was told but made herself go a reasonable pace so she didn’t get her dress dirty from falling down.
Soon, she was at the entrance of the garden, but the entrance was not like it normally was. This time, the arch was decorated in red roses and a path was outlined in the same flower. Curious now, she walked the pathway and found it leading her to an elegantly, but romantic, set table. The plates were a rare china outlined in gold paint, the silverware had been freshly polished and looked almost sparkly. She heard a noise behind her and turned to see Thelonius standing there just watching her with a smile on his face. “Do you like it,” he asked. Katherine smiled and said, “Yes, it’s amazing. Well, I don’t think any words I can think of can completely cover this.”
His smile grew after she said that then he asked, “Shall we sit down?” She nodded and they sat across from each other. They had their meal with some talking and laughing while some music played. “I’m just curious, but who planned this,” Katherine asked. Thelonius looked down and asked, “Do you really want to know?” She thought about it for a few seconds then said with a smile, “Yes.” He looked up and replied, “I planned it. My daughters helped me pick the date, but I did the rest.” He looked at her nervously, but then her smile grew, and she asked, “Okay, now what are you up to?”
Thelonius looked down, his nervousness getting more intense then he heard an inner voice say, “You can do it! You planned and rehearsed this and have been waiting for this moment since you first fell in love with her.” Feeling more confident, he pushed back his chair, stood up, and walked over to her. “Katherine,” he said, “ we’ve known each other for quite some time now and I have been wanting to tell you something that I don’t know if you’ve already guessed it or not.” She waited patiently as he took a breath then said, “Katherine, I love you with all my heart, mind, and soul.” Katherine’s smile grew very big then she said, “I love you, too. I love you just as much. From the moon and back a million times.”
His smile also grew then he said, “I guess there’s one thing left to do.” He knelt down on one knee then pulled out a small box, opened it, and asked, “Katherine… will you marry me?” With joyful tears in her eyes, Katherine nodded and said, “Yes. Yes! Yes!” He put the ring on her ring finger then they both stood up and kissed. In the shadows, they heard cheering coming from his daughters, Elizabeth, the counsel, his advisor, and the palace servants. Over the next few months, they planned for the wedding, and on the day of it, Katherine walked up the aisle in a beautiful white wedding dress with a not-very-long train and a veil over her face. They said their vows then Katherine said, “I do.” “I do,” said Thelonius.
Then the priest announced, “I now pronounce you man and wife!” The priest looked at Thelonius and said, “You may kiss the bride.” Thelonius looked at his new wife and they kissed while everyone in the crowd cheered, but they weren’t as loud as the young princesses. After the wedding, was a big party while everyone wanted to congratulate the new couple, but while that was going on, a man with a lot of grey hair walked up to Katherine with a woman (she also had grey hair) by his side. “Remember me,” he asked.
Katherine looked at him stunned then a smile grew on her face and she threw herself into his arms saying, “Of course I do! You’re my father!” Thelonius looked at them and smiled. The young princesses walked over to them and Leema asked, “Who is he?” Katherine and the man released each other then Katherine said to them, “This is your grandfather, my father. Dad, I want you to meet your new granddaughters. This is Dalia, Elise, Leema, Millia and Mia. This man is my husband, Thelonius.”
Thelonius walked over to her father and shook his hand. Katherine’s father smiled and said, “Well, I’m glad my daughter found plenty of people to be happy with and Katherine, this is your stepmother: Tia. I ran into her while I was wandering, and she helped me come back from madness to realize that I needed to come home after so many years. I’ll explain everything that happened while I was away if you’ll let me. I know I missed out on… well, a lot of things, but I want to make it up to you if that’s okay and I’m sorry we didn’t get any wedding present.” Katherine held up her hand and her father went quiet then she said, “Coming home was the best present you could ever give me and I forgive you for being gone so long, but all I ask is to stay in my life and be my father.”
She hugged him and he hugged her saying, “You’re a good girl… well, now woman, but you’re still a good person.” Then he said to Thelonius, “Be good to each other. That’s all I ask.” Thelonius smiled and was about to say something when Mia said, “Ah’ll make sure they do that.” They all looked at her and then laughed. That’s where this story ends and a new one begins so now all there is left is to say these final words and they are: The End.
The Maiden of Choice(Odette Rivers)
Chapter 1
It was late. The time was drawing near for King Thelonius to choose a wife. The council was pressuring him greatly. They said he needs a wife to rule in his absence when he was at war and his five daughters need a mother as well as a governess to watch over them. It was two and a half years since his last wife died suddenly. King Thelonius called for the captain of the guard and ordered him to find two maidens; one will be his new wife and the other will be the royal children’s governess. When the captain asked the king which maidens, the king told him to choose and choose well. The captain knew just the right two maidens.
Quickly, he sent four guards out to get the maidens and bring them to the castle. The guards split into two groups; one will find one maiden while the other group will find the other. When one of the two guards arrived at one home, they knocked loudly and said loud enough for the people inside to hear, “Open up! In the name of the king!” A few seconds pass by and an older man opened the door to let them in. The guards came in and one asked, “Where is she? Is she in this room?”
The older man looked confused as he asked, “Who?” Then the other said, “Your niece. Where is she?” “Why,” asked the older man. “Because,” one of the guards said, “She is needed at the castle.” The older man began to protest, “You can’t come in here demanding her when it’s midnight! She’s probably asleep!” The other guard narrowed his eyes and said fiercely, “If that is your response then we have the right to arrest you for trying to hold back an official order.” The man thought for a minute then pointed to a room behind him saying, “She might be in there. That’s her room.”
The two guards went into the room and it was obvious that no one, besides them, was in there. They went back to the other room and one said to the older man, “No one is in there. Are you playing us for fools?” The older man’s eyes widened, and he said, “I would never do that! If she is not in there then I don’t know where she is!” Before the guards could say something, a young woman walked into the room wearing a nightgown and she froze with her eyes wide. The men turned and one guard said, “She’s coming with us.”
The young woman looked scared as the guards approached her, but slightly relaxed when one said trying to sound friendly, “Hello. Is it alright that we ask you to come with us to the castle? Your assistance is most needed.” “That’s alright,” she said. That one guard smiled and said, “Then we must leave at once! The captain expects us back in half an hour.” The young woman looked
surprised, but she nodded, and they left. Later on the walk, they met up with the other two guards and the other maiden.
Katherine, the first maiden, happened to know the other maiden, Elizabeth. “I hate being out here not properly dressed,” Elizabeth complained. Katherine looked at her and said, “At least you’re better dressed than I am.” Elizabeth looked at Katherine and said, “That’s true, but I wish they had given us time to get ready.” The maidens were quiet the rest of the way to the castle. Once they arrived, the captain guard met them and said while pointing to four servants in turn, “Lily will show you where you’ll sleep and Kacy will wake you up tomorrow and from now on. Jessie will help one of you get ready while Mary will help the other. What are your names?”
The maidens looked at each other then the blonde one said, “My name is Elizabeth.” Then the brunette said, “My name is Katherine.” The captain guard gave a nod and said, “You two are dismissed. Goodnight.” The servant called Lily led the maidens to their rooms and soon both were asleep. The next day, the servant called Kacy walked into Katherine’s room and saw no one there. She checked everywhere in the room and no one was in there. There was hardly any evidence that someone stayed in the room because the bed was made, and the room was so neat.
Chapter 2
Kacy quickly left and got Mary. When Mary went into the kitchen, she smelled a mouth-watering aroma. “What is that wonderful smell,” she asked then out walked Katherine. In her hands, which were covered by hot pads, was a delicious-looking pan full of food that seemed fresh. Katherine smiled and asked, “Would you like some? This is a fresh batch.” “Sure,” Mary said with a smile, “Thank you, ma’am.” Katherine chuckled and said, “You don’t have to call me that.”
As she took some of the food on a plate, Mary said, “Actually, I do because you’re higher up than me.” “Actually,” Katherine said, “I see you as an equal. No one is lower or higher in my mind.” Mary’s face brightened; she smiled at Katherine and said, “Well, let’s just say I was being polite. That sounds good?” Katherine smiled back, “Sure, that sounds fine to me.” Then Mary asked, “So what are you doing in the kitchen?”
“Making breakfast for the staff here.”
“Don’t you know what you’re supposed to do?”
“I was told my assistance was needed so I’m trying to help in any way I can.”
Mary sighed and shook her head saying, “You’re supposed to take care of the king's children, but I understand if you did not know that. The captain probably didn’t tell you, but you’re supposed to meet the royal children today.” Katherine looked surprised as she said, “No, I didn’t know that, but when am I supposed to meet them?” Mary looked at her watch and said, “In about less than ten minutes. If we leave now then we will make it there in time. Come, we must hurry.”
Before Katherine knew it, she was at the royal children’s room door and before she opened it, she took a deep breath and then let it out. After trying to calm her nervousness, she opened the door and went in after Mary introduced her. There, in a nice straight row, were the royal children. The eldest was fourteen and she stepped out of the line. She curtsied and said, “Greetings ma’am. My name is Dalia.” The second eldest was twelve and she was next to introduce herself. She stepped out, curtsied, and said copying her sister, “Hello ma’am. My name is Elise.”
The third daughter was next, and she stepped out to follow her sisters’ movements. She curtsied and said, “Hello ma’am. My name is Millia and I’m eight years old.” Then the fourth daughter was next, and she was six. She stepped out, curtsied, and said, “Greetin’ ma’am. My name is Leema.” Finally, the last daughter was left to introduce herself and she was four. She stepped out then fell down, but got back up and said, “My name's Mia. I’m four. Hello.” She quickly went back into the line then it was Katherine’s turn to introduce herself.
She stepped forward, curtsied, and said, “Good day princesses. My name is Katherine and I will be your governess. If you ever need any help, just let me know and I will help you in any way I can, you have my word on it.” She smiled at them kindly and asked, “Well now, what do you want to do first? Do you have a schedule you go by?” Princess Dalia stepped out of the line and said, “Not today, we don’t. Today, we are supposed to get to know you.” Katherine gave a nod and then asked, “Well, what do you want to know? I’m an open person to some things.”
Princess Millia stepped forward and asked, “Can you sing? Our last governess couldn’t sing very well.” “I suppose I can sing good as I am told,” Katherine said modestly. Mia and Leema looked at each other excitedly. Elise caught on and asked, “Can you sing for us?” Katherine smiled and said, “Sure. What song? I know a lot.” The princesses went into a whispering conversation then Dalia said, “I want you to sing a romantic song.” The other girls nodded in excitement. Katherine took a breath and began.
The princesses giggled and Leema asked, “So he got the girl?” Katherine nodded and said, “Indeed he did. He promised to love her and do all the things she wanted in a man.” Mia stepped forward and asked, “Can I ask you someting?” Katherine smiled and said, “Of course, you can ask me anything.” Mia looked at her sisters devilishly then back at Katherine and asked, “Are you ticklish?” Katherine was taken aback by her question and said, “Well, I am a little bit… why?” Mia looked back at her sisters and they caught her drift. They smiled and then Leema yelled, “Get her!” Katherine widened her eyes and said pretending to be in despair, “Oh no! Spare me!”
The girls laughed and tried to get her. Dalia stayed back and laughed as Katherine was tickled. Once the girls stopped, they were all sitting on the floor laughing. When there was a knock at the door, the girls stood up and straightened their hair along with their dresses. Katherine stood up and brushed herself off, but who came in surprised her greatly; it made her nervous. It was King Thelonius who came in. He looked at his daughters and asked, “What’s going on in here?” Elise stepped forward, curtsied, and said, “Father, we were getting to know Katherine and we found out that she’s great fun.” Her father raised an eyebrow and asked, “Oh?” Elise stepped back and Mia stepped forward saying, “We found she’s a gweat singa.”
Katherine lowered her gaze, embarrassed by the praise from the young girls. The king looked at her and noticed her reaction but didn’t say anything to her besides to his daughters, “I’m sure she’ll be great for you. The captain guard chose well.” Then he did say something to her, “I heard from Mary that you don’t believe anyone is higher or lower. Is that true?” Katherine looked up at him and said, “Everyone has a place in life, so no one is higher or lower because I see everyone as an equal. They only get respect when they have earned it and you have earned my respect over and over. I may not look like it, but I pay attention to what happens in the village and I never believe gossip.”
This surprised King Thelonius and he said, “Seems like you have a very strong opinion.” She nodded and said, “If it is somewhat of a free country like it was in the olden days then everyone has the right to have an opinion and a say. It is only fair because of various reasons.” “Well, then,” he said, “Have fun getting to know each other.” Then he bowed his head in a sort of dismissal of himself and left. Katherine was quiet for a little bit till Princess Dalia asked, “Do you like us?” Katherine looked at her and asked, “Do you want my honest opinion?” She nodded and suddenly, the girls were nervous. Katherine smiled and said, “I really like you all like you are friends to me.”
The princesses smiled back then Mia asked, “Do you like Daddy?” Katherine looked at her and said, “I’m not sure if he likes me or not, but I can see why people like him.” While they got to know each other, a certain question came up. “Do you have a momma and daddy,” asked Mia. Katherine looked sad when she said, “No, my mother died years ago, and my father disappeared soon after that so I don’t know if he is alive or not. That’s why my uncle raised me.” She cheerfully changed the subject, “Well now, it’s getting late so I suppose you should go to bed soon.” Millia stood up and said, “Not until you sing for us a lullaby we’ve always been sung to since we were really little by at least someone after mother died.”
Katherine smiled and said, “Of course. What lullaby do you want me to sing?” The princesses answered as one, “The Candle Burning!” Katherine gave a nod and thought of the notes then began to sing.
Chapter 3
Katherine smiled at the sleeping girls and quietly left the room. Once she closed the door, she heard a voice say, “You did a good job with them.” Katherine’s hands flew to her mouth in surprise and she gasped in fright quickly turning around to see the king standing there. “Oh,” she said still frightened, “Your Highness. You startled me.” King Thelonius smiled and said, “I’m told I’m good at that.” Confused, Katherine asked, “Do you mean scaring people or being what?” “Being dead quiet,” he said, “My apologizes for scaring you.” She gave a nod and said, “It’s alright. I don’t mind.”
King Thelonius gave a little smile and asked, “I suppose you are heading to bed?” Katherine smiled and nodded. Then she asked, “Are you doing the same?” He shook his head and said, “No, I have four more meetings with my counsel, general, and others before I can rest.” She was surprised so she said, “They should know that you need to rest. They can’t work you like this.” Surprised by her response, he said, “Well, they know I need to rest sometime, I’m sure, but I don’t know if there is going to be a war or not. That’s why the council pressured me to remarry so the new queen can rule in my absence.” All this information dawned on her, so she said, “Okay, so let me get this straight: Elizabeth’s going to be the new queen?”
The king nodded and then said, “Well, I probably have to go so I’m not late to my meeting. Goodnight.” Katherine smiled and said, “Goodnight, your highness.” Enchanted by her smile, King Thelonius left feeling happy. Katherine went to bed thinking about the king and how much pressure he was under. It must be hard being king. Days passed by without barely a notice. When King Thelonius had time, he was getting to know Elizabeth, but something felt wrong and he didn’t know what it was. Katherine helped the princesses with their classes when she was needed, and they were beginning to love her.
For some strange reason, the king felt drawn to Katherine, like he wanted to know about her, so he was listening in when she was telling about herself to his daughters. Of course, Katherine didn’t know that, but she liked the king anyway. King Thelonius’ advisor noticed something was going on but didn’t say anything till one day, the king was late to one of his meetings with him. “Where were you, sire,” he asked the king. King Thelonius hesitated then said, “I was talking to Katherine.” Confused at first then the advisor asked, “Why was that?” Feeling confused, he admitted, “Because I was wondering how she was doing and how my daughters were doing with her. Then I asked her if she was comfortable here in the castle.”
His advisor smiled once he realized what was going on. “I think I know what’s happening here,” he said. Further confused, King Thelonius asked, “What do you mean? What’s going on?” His advisor’s smile got bigger as he said, “I think you might be falling for her.” Then the king asked, “You think so? As in ‘like’ falling for her? Or more intense?” His advisor lightly shrugged and said, “I’m not sure, but it may be actually love. At least that’s my thinking.” Embarrassed, King Thelonius turned slightly red and asked, “Are you positive?” His advisor smiled kindly and said, “I’m fifty percent sure about this, but we can switch the maidens so she will be the one you marry. If you want to that is.”
“I’m not sure what to do,” said the king, “but I might have to think about that. It might be for the best.” The advisor agreed, but what either of them didn’t know was that Elizabeth was right outside the door, listening in to every word they said getting more and more jealous. After Katherine sang to the princesses and they were asleep, she stepped out closing the door. She glanced behind her to see if the king was there, but he wasn’t so she assumed he was still in a meeting. Katherine calmly walked to her room, changed into her nightgown, and was soon asleep in her bed. In the next room, which was Elizabeth’s, she was sharpening something hoping she wouldn’t wake or disturb anyone.
Chapter 4
It was almost midnight when the hidden door to Katherine’s room creaked open and a stranger in a dark cloak and hood stepped in. They walked over to her bed, pulled back the covers, and raised a dagger. Just as this was happening, King Thelonius was getting close to her room with three guards, his advisor, and the general. Suddenly, they heard a scream and the king knew who it was. He raced to Katherine’s room, threw open the door, and saw the dark figure pull the dagger out of her. “Guards,” he yelled, and his company quickly came by his side then Thelonius said, “Arrest them!”
The dark figure ran through the hidden door trying to escape, but the three guards got them. King Thelonius turned on a light and ran over to Katherine’s side. She was bleeding badly from a stab wound in her stomach, but she was still conscious, and she was terrified. Tears were running down her face as she fought to breathe.
King Thelonius gently picked her up and let her lay her head on his chest while trying to keep her calm. He looked at his advisor and ordered, “Quickly, get a healer and bring them here. Go now!” The man quickly left, and the king went back to trying to keep Katherine calm. Soon enough the healer came rushing in, but Thelonius refused to leave Katherine’s side while the healer tended to her. “You might want to look away,” the healer said to him. “Why is that,” he asked her. She then said, “Because I am going lift up her nightgown and I doubt she would like it if you were looking.”
The king thought for a minute then said, “That sounds like a good idea.” He looked away while the healer did her thing and soon enough, Katherine’s injury was taken care of. Later, he found out that the person who did it was the woman he was supposed to marry. Elizabeth.
While he evaluated the situation, Katherine had been given an herb to help her sleep. In the morning, Katherine woke up and shifted slightly only to gasp in pain. King Thelonius looked down at her worriedly and asked, “How do you feel?” She raised her eyes to look at him and said with a small smile, “I think I feel better than last night.” He gave a small smile back at her and was about to say something when she asked, “What happened to them?” He looked at her confused and asked, “Who?” “The person who did this,” she clarified. “She is currently sitting in a jail cell till the counsel and I decide what to do with her,” he told her. Katherine thought about this and then asked, “Who did it?” “Do you really want to know,” he asked her and she nodded so he said, “It was Elizabeth.”
Katherine was silent for a while till he asked her, “Are you feeling okay?” She looked up at him and said, “I’m fine. Just worried.” King Thelonius smiled and said, “There’s no need to be worried. You’ll be just fine if you rest.” She sighed and said, “I’m not worried about myself. I’m worried about Elizabeth. I hope they aren’t too harsh with her.” “I’m sure she’ll be fine,” he said trying to reassure her, “but she will get what’s coming to her for hurting you.”
Katherine gasped and asked starting to panic, “She’s not going to die, is she? I don’t want her to die! Yes, she stabbed me, but she shouldn’t get that!” “Easy Katherine,” he said soothingly, “If it means that much to you then I promise that I will make sure she doesn’t die.” He said that so soothingly that Katherine couldn’t help but calm back down. “Thank you, sire,” she said sounding relieved.
King Thelonius smiled at her and said, “You can call me Thelonius.” She looked up at him sharply in astonishment then said finally, “Okay Thelonius.” The princess came in later after their duties were done and Mia made a special request. “Can you… sing for me,” she asked then she quickly added, “Please.” Katherine smiled and said, “I can certainly try, but just a warning I may sound like a magpie. What song would you like for me to sing?” Dalia looked at her little sister and knew what she wanted so she said, “One that your mom sang to you.” Katherine thought for a moment then said, “Okay. I remember that one well.” She took a breath and then began.
After she finished singing that song, little Mia was fast asleep on the bed since she crawled up there during it. Dalia shook her head and picked up her littlest sister then walked out of the room. Elise grabbed her other sisters’ hands and then led them out, but Leema came back in and asked, “When will you be better?” “Probably not for a while,” Katherine said, but when the little princess looked sad she said, “But you can visit me anytime you want because I will always love to see you.” Leema smiled and said, “Okay. Goodnight Katherine.” Then she left the room.
Katherine looked up at Thelonius and he looked like he was in deep thought. “You should probably call it a day too,” she said to him. He looked down at her and asked, “You want me to leave?” “NO,” she said too quickly and loudly then blushed, “Well, you have to get some sleep sometime so it’s for the best and… well… yeah you get the point.”
Thelonius smiled and gently hugged her saying, “I will go, but I will be back soon.” Katherine smiled, but before he left the healer came to check on her and then gave her some herbs that made her fall asleep. It took about two weeks for Katherine to heal fully and during those weeks, King Thelonius worked on convincing the council to drop the charges against Elizabeth. After a while of talking, he finally convinced them, and they agreed to do it for Katherine. Elizabeth felt she had the need to make it up to Katherine and Thelonius so she asked his daughters what she should do.
They told her that their father probably is falling in love with Katherine and might need a little help. She went to talk to the king, and he was surprised that she was asking him about it. “Well, if you want to, you can ask Katherine how she feels about me, but don’t let her know I asked you to do that,” he said then he excused himself to go to a meeting.
Chapter 5
Later, she went to see Katherine and she was in her room reading a book. “Hello Elizabeth,” she said once she looked up, “What can I do for you?” “Well,” Elizabeth said walking over to her, “I wanted to say thank you for helping me and I was also wondering about something.” Confused, Katherine asked, “What would that be?” Elizabeth then asked, “Do you promise to be honest with me?” “Yes,” said Katherine, still confused. “I was wondering how you felt about the king,” said Elizabeth and her friend looked at her surprised, “I noticed that you two had something going on and I wanted to be sure.” “Well,” said Katherine slowly, “my feelings for him are strong, stronger than they were when I first met him, but I’m not sure what is going on between us. For example, when it was late and he had to leave to go to bed, I didn’t want him to go. Does that help?” Elizabeth smiled and said, “It sure did. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have someone to talk to.”
“Would that someone be Thelonius,” Katherine asked. “Nope,” Elizabeth replied calmly, “Someone else. See you later Katherine.” Then she left to find the princesses and they were out in the gardens playing a game. “Your Highnesses,” she called, and they looked at her, “Come here, I need your help for something very important.” Confused, they walked over to her and then looked very excited once she explained her plan quietly. A few days passed by while they planned away, but one day, Thelonius asked her, “Where is Katherine?” Elizabeth smiled and said, “Getting ready for a special thing this evening.” “Oh,” he said sounding deflated, “With who?”
She grinned and said, “With you, of course. Now I suggest that you go start getting ready or she’ll be ready before you.” Thelonius left while looking stunned then Elizabeth went to see how Katherine was doing. Katherine had just gotten out of the bathtub and was drying off when the bathroom door started to open. Startled, she quickly covered herself with her towel, but was relieved when Elizabeth came in.
“Oh, it’s just you,” she said then she sighed and asked, “Do you know who I’m going to this event with? I don’t like blind dating.” Elizabeth smiled and said, “You’ll like the person, don’t worry about it. Come on, since you’re dry now, it’s time for your dress. I had a little help when designing it.” Katherine wrapped the towel around herself and followed her friend to her room. “Now, close your eyes and drop the towel,” Elizabeth commanded. Surprised, Katherine said, “What, and stand here naked? No!” Her friend smiled and said, “Just do it. Trust me. You will like the surprise or even love it.” Katherine hesitated, then she obeyed.
Once her eyes were closed, the dressing came and soon enough, she heard Elizabeth say, “Okay, it’s not time for you to open your eyes, but now follow my voice and try to find a chair. It’s time for doing your hair and facial stuff.” With her eyes still closed, Katherine did as she was told and sat in a chair. She felt gentle pulling on her hair and something soft touched all over her face then she heard, “Okay, that’s it for that. Now hold out your arms and, please, keep your fingers straight.”
Confused, Katherine obeyed while wondering what was being done to her and she felt something go over her whole hands up to her elbows, which covered her entire arm till that point. Then she felt something go over her right wrist all the way around. “Alright,” said Elizabeth, “Now stand up and hold on to me. It’s time for the shoes.” Katherine reached out blindly and grabbed onto her friend’s shoulder as she slipped her bare feet into some shoes that were just the right height for her. “Now,” said Elizabeth at last, “let me make sure everything is good. Hmmm… I approve. Open your eyes and look at yourself in a full-length mirror. Wait, the princesses want to see you before you see yourself. Come on in girls!”
The door opened while Katherine opened her eyes and she saw the young princesses come in. Once they saw her, Leema said, “Wow. You look really pretty.” Dalia smiled and said, “She looks like a masterpiece.” Elise grinned and said, “I agree all the way. Katherine, you look amazing… no, beautiful.” Katherine looked at her friend and asked, “Can I see myself now?” “Hmmm,” said Elizabeth as if she was pulled out of a thought, “I suppose that’s alright. Go on ahead.”
Katherine walked over to her full-length mirror and saw herself. She was wearing the most elegant dress she had ever thought of wearing before and on it were patterns dazzled with sparkles. On her arms were gloves that matched the dress and on her right wrist was a beautiful bracelet that matched the whole outfit. She looked at her shoes and they were sparkly like the dress, but somewhat see-through like glass. “Oops,” said Elizabeth then walked over to Katherine and she pulled out a small blue box, “I forgot the last detail.”
She opened it while her friend looked at it and inside was a diamond necklace with matching earrings. Elizabeth put them on Katherine and then asked, “So? What do you think?” Katherine looked at her reflection again then back at her friends and said with a smile, “I never thought I could look like this. Thank you. I really love it.” Elizabeth smiled back and then said, “It’s time to meet your date. Come on.” She led her friend to the gardens where there was a table with a white tablecloth set for two and it was surrounded by a circle of candles.
“Oh Elizabeth,” said Katherine. Elizabeth smiled and asked, “What do you think? I had some help, so it wasn’t all me.” “I have to admit, I’m speechless,” replied Katherine, and Elizabeth’s smile grew. “Go check it out,” she said giving her friend a gentle shove. Katherine walked out towards it while Thelonius showed up beside Elizabeth. “You going to go out there with her,” Elizabeth asked him. He looked at her and admitted, “I’m scared too.” She smiled at him and said, “Go on before she gets bored. Go.” She gave him a gentle shove and he walked out towards Katherine.
Katherine looked behind her since she heard something and saw him. Smiling at him, she said, “Hello.” He smiled back and said, “Hello. Wow, Elizabeth did do a good job.” Katherine chuckled and said, “She had some help.” “I suppose so,” Thelonius said then said, “Wait a second… do you think I helped?” She smiled and nodded then he said, “I didn’t. I found out about it not long ago.” “So she got to you, too,” Katherine asked. “In a way,” Thelonius said, “though I found a note in the pocket of this coat from my daughters that said they helped.”
Katherine smiled then looked around saying, “They knew what to do, it seems like.” He watched her smiling then looked away because he felt, for the first time in a while, a blush coming on. She looked at him and noticed that then asked, “Shall we sit down?” Thelonius looked at her and nodded then they went to sit down in the two chairs. While they were talking, they heard a piano playing romantic music and Katherine looked at Thelonius surprised. He looked at her and said, “I had nothing to do with that.” She smiled and looked down then she said, “You know… you look very handsome tonight.”
Then she blushed after saying that and he looked down while saying, “And you look very beautiful.” Katherine looked up at him surprised then smiled because she saw him, also, blushing a deep red. “Do you want to dance,” she asked him. He looked up and gave a nod. They danced to the music till it ended then they walked over to the blanket on the ground a ways from the candles and laid down next to each other while looking at the stars.
Chapter 6
Watching in the shadows quite a ways away, Millia asked, “Is he gonna kiss her yet?” “Shhh,” whispered Elise, “This is their first date so don’t expect a kiss yet.” Leema peered at the two adults talking together quietly then asked in a whisper, “Do you think she’ll be our new momma?” Dalia looked at her and then whispered, “It’s possible because they really like each other.” Katherine sat up and Thelonius did the same then asked, “Are you okay?” She looked at him and
said with a smile, “I’m sure this made the top ten best evenings of my life.” He smiled and said, “I’m glad because it made my list, too.” “I guess there is one thing that could make it even better,” Katherine said looking away.
Thelonius looked at her confused and asked, “What would that be?” She looked back at him with a smile then he got it. He leaned in and so did she then they kissed. They broke apart then Dalia whispered to her sisters, “Come on. We need to leave them alone now.” The girls left then Mia came back and saw them kiss again, but more passionately. The next morning was peaceful, but when the girls went to see if Katherine was in her room, she wasn’t there. They went to their father’s room and what they saw made them force down a giggle. On the bed were Thelonius and Katherine, still sound asleep. Katherine had her head on Thelonius’ chest with her arms around his waist and his arms were around her.
Katherine shifted slightly then sighed quietly and smiled in her sleep. Leema saw them together and tried not to start laughing in delight, but a loud giggle came out. Her sisters looked at her and then ran for it with her behind them. Thelonius opened his eyes slightly then blinked and stretched a little, but his movement woke Katherine. She sat up blinking while looking around confused. He sat up after her and asked, “Is it morning already?” Katherine looked at him and replied, “I guess so. We must’ve fallen asleep here.” “I suppose we did,” he said.
She stood up and suggested, “We should probably get ready for the day.” Thelonius stood up and agreed, “We should probably do that.” Katherine went to her room and quickly changed into one of her maiden dresses, but she couldn’t focus the whole day because her thoughts were on Thelonius. Meanwhile, that was happening with her, Thelonius couldn’t focus either because his thoughts were on her. They went on other dates when they could and had fun each time. They seemed to be growing closer and everyone in the kingdom knew of it. Finally, they realized that they had fallen in love with each other and after a while, Thelonius’ daughters came up to him.
“Well,” Elise demanded. He looked at her confused and asked, “What?” “Are you going to do it or not,” she asked. Their father looked at them and asked, “Do what?” Dalia looked at her other sisters then back at him and asked, “Are you going to propose soon or not?” The king looked down, embarrassed at the subject, and said, “I don’t know when is the right time to do that.” The young princesses gathered in a circle and began to talk in very quiet whispers then the Dalia said, “All those in favor say ‘Aye’.” The other girls said as one, “Aye.” “Okay,” Dalia said then she turned back to her father and told him, “We all agree that we can help you choose a day and Katherine’s attire, but the rest is on you. Okay?” Thelonius looked at her nervously and said, “Okay. Well, we have to get planning if it’s going to be soon but don’t let Katherine know what’s going to happen or that’ll spoil it. Deal?” His daughters looked at each other then at him giggling and said, “Deal!” While he planned the day with his daughters, Katherine was completely oblivious to what was going on since the girls did a good job of keeping it a secret.
Chapter 7
One evening (the evening of the event), Elizabeth came into Katherine’s room and said, “Okay, time to change your attire.” Katherine looked up confused and asked, “What?” “Up,” Elizabeth ordered, “Get up!” Katherine did as she was told and soon she was dressed in an elegant blue dress with shoes to match. “Elizabeth, what’s going on,” Katherine asked still confused. “Shhh,” her friend replied, “You’ll see. I’m not allowed to say anything about what’s going to happen, but I’m sure you’ll love it. Now go down to the garden. There is someone waiting for you.” Eager to find out what was going on, Katherine quickly went down to where she was told but made herself go a reasonable pace so she didn’t get her dress dirty from falling down.
Soon, she was at the entrance of the garden, but the entrance was not like it normally was. This time, the arch was decorated in red roses and a path was outlined in the same flower. Curious now, she walked the pathway and found it leading her to an elegantly, but romantic, set table. The plates were a rare china outlined in gold paint, the silverware had been freshly polished and looked almost sparkly. She heard a noise behind her and turned to see Thelonius standing there just watching her with a smile on his face. “Do you like it,” he asked. Katherine smiled and said, “Yes, it’s amazing. Well, I don’t think any words I can think of can completely cover this.”
His smile grew after she said that then he asked, “Shall we sit down?” She nodded and they sat across from each other. They had their meal with some talking and laughing while some music played. “I’m just curious, but who planned this,” Katherine asked. Thelonius looked down and asked, “Do you really want to know?” She thought about it for a few seconds then said with a smile, “Yes.” He looked up and replied, “I planned it. My daughters helped me pick the date, but I did the rest.” He looked at her nervously, but then her smile grew, and she asked, “Okay, now what are you up to?”
Thelonius looked down, his nervousness getting more intense then he heard an inner voice say, “You can do it! You planned and rehearsed this and have been waiting for this moment since you first fell in love with her.” Feeling more confident, he pushed back his chair, stood up, and walked over to her. “Katherine,” he said, “ we’ve known each other for quite some time now and I have been wanting to tell you something that I don’t know if you’ve already guessed it or not.” She waited patiently as he took a breath then said, “Katherine, I love you with all my heart, mind, and soul.” Katherine’s smile grew very big then she said, “I love you, too. I love you just as much. From the moon and back a million times.”
His smile also grew then he said, “I guess there’s one thing left to do.” He knelt down on one knee then pulled out a small box, opened it, and asked, “Katherine… will you marry me?” With joyful tears in her eyes, Katherine nodded and said, “Yes. Yes! Yes!” He put the ring on her ring finger then they both stood up and kissed. In the shadows, they heard cheering coming from his daughters, Elizabeth, the counsel, his advisor, and the palace servants. Over the next few months, they planned for the wedding, and on the day of it, Katherine walked up the aisle in a beautiful white wedding dress with a not-very-long train and a veil over her face. They said their vows then Katherine said, “I do.” “I do,” said Thelonius.
Then the priest announced, “I now pronounce you man and wife!” The priest looked at Thelonius and said, “You may kiss the bride.” Thelonius looked at his new wife and they kissed while everyone in the crowd cheered, but they weren’t as loud as the young princesses. After the wedding, was a big party while everyone wanted to congratulate the new couple, but while that was going on, a man with a lot of grey hair walked up to Katherine with a woman (she also had grey hair) by his side. “Remember me,” he asked.
Katherine looked at him stunned then a smile grew on her face and she threw herself into his arms saying, “Of course I do! You’re my father!” Thelonius looked at them and smiled. The young princesses walked over to them and Leema asked, “Who is he?” Katherine and the man released each other then Katherine said to them, “This is your grandfather, my father. Dad, I want you to meet your new granddaughters. This is Dalia, Elise, Leema, Millia and Mia. This man is my husband, Thelonius.”
Thelonius walked over to her father and shook his hand. Katherine’s father smiled and said, “Well, I’m glad my daughter found plenty of people to be happy with and Katherine, this is your stepmother: Tia. I ran into her while I was wandering, and she helped me come back from madness to realize that I needed to come home after so many years. I’ll explain everything that happened while I was away if you’ll let me. I know I missed out on… well, a lot of things, but I want to make it up to you if that’s okay and I’m sorry we didn’t get any wedding present.” Katherine held up her hand and her father went quiet then she said, “Coming home was the best present you could ever give me and I forgive you for being gone so long, but all I ask is to stay in my life and be my father.”
She hugged him and he hugged her saying, “You’re a good girl… well, now woman, but you’re still a good person.” Then he said to Thelonius, “Be good to each other. That’s all I ask.” Thelonius smiled and was about to say something when Mia said, “Ah’ll make sure they do that.” They all looked at her and then laughed. That’s where this story ends and a new one begins so now all there is left is to say these final words and they are: The End.
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