393My heart beat frantically as I stepped out of the royal carriage. I hoped I would see the peasant girl again. I didn't know why, but when I first stumbled onto her on my ride, she made a big impression on me.
The day I met her was when I disobeyed my father's orders for the first time. I try to be a good son, but that day the marriage he arranged for me crossed my line of tolerance. My marriage was the biggest event in my life and my father wanted to arrange that as well? He practically controlled my whole life; I couldn't let him think that I would give up choosing my bride.
He had signed a peace agreement with some country up north and I was to be sacrificed. The arrangement was that if I married the king's daughter, then the 2 countries wouldn't go to war. I had met the princess, and her beauty shocked me to nearly being senseless. The key word was nearly.
I knew that any guy would fall for her looks, but I wasn't that shallow. As I got to know her, I saw princess Valerie's true personality, beyond her beauty. She was stuck-up, snobby; there was no other word for it. She was a bitch.
For months, she would be by my side, putting her hands all over me. When my dad had announced the wedding, I couldn't take it anymore. I tried to run away, but seeing the peasant girl reminded me of my responsibility. As I rode through the village she lived in, I saw her carrying the pail of water with great concentration and determination. I realised that there was much more to life than a wedding I didn't want. I was a prince, and I had to live up to being that.
My dad had punished me when I returned. I cringed as I remembered to whippings I received on my back and chest. He had personally used his 'special' whip and I remembered biting my lip until it bled for all 30 whips.
After that, he made sure I received no food for 3 days. I felt like a prisoner, I constantly asked myself how he could treat his son in such a cruel manner. What I didn't expect was after the torture, he went all soft on me.
He had given me a heart to heart talk, telling me that as a prince, my duty was to keep my kingdom safe from attackers. He said that we had no chance if Valerie's country declared war on us. I really pitied my old man. He had never been to war, and the mere prospect of it left him shivering with fright.
I agreed to the wedding.
Afterwards, I cursed myself as being a weakling. Did someone who couldn't even make his own mind about his own wedding deserve to be a prince? I truly didn't know.
The wedding was scheduled to be 6months away. After I agreed, I asked my father to explore. He agreed, so I found myself back in the village making an excuse about choosing servants. Something about the village drew me to it, or more specifically, something about the girl attracted my full attention.
As I turned my head towards the girl, my body jolted a little. I never knew she had such beauty when she tried to look pretty. Last time I saw her, she was in rags and her sleek auburn hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail. It was much different to see her in a petite blue dress and her hair in baby curls.
She wasn't paying much attention until she saw me. I saw her jaw drop in amazement and I panicked a little. Did she recognise me? Last time I saw her was when I rode past the village and the hood I wore covered my entire face. I smiled as I recalled kissing the girl's hand.
I was slightly uncomfortable under her intense gaze and I tried to ignore the way her hazel eyes bore into me. I acted as if I had never met her.
"Fellow citizens, as the prince it is my duty to make sure the people of our country are well looked after. Therefore, I insist that hard labouring young men and women should be given a chance to work in the palace and a better lifestyle."
I smiled slightly as I saw the people before straighten their clothing and flick back their hair. When I caught the girl's eyes, I noticed they had a faraway look on them, and her body was completely motionless.
After speaking some more, I asked my 2 assistants to choose capable young men to work in the palace. I wanted to choose the ladies myself.
I walked up to the girl and asked her name. She hesitated before answering, her cheeks slightly flushed.
"M-My name is Y-Yasmine...your highness"
Yasmine, a name that brought satisfaction to me for reasons I didn't understand.
"I'd like you to work in the palace as a maid...Yasmine" I noticed her discomfort.
She looked back to 2 people, presumably her parents, but she resembled neither one. That left me more confused about her. By her looks, she could've easily surpassed any girl born in nobility.
"Y-Yes your highness" she smiled shyly.
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The trip back to the palace took nearly a week, and at night we set up camp in the forest. Every time I met Yasmine's eyes, I felt my heart skip a beat. What was wrong with me? Was I coming down with something?
Finally, the long trip was over and we arrived in front of my palace. The people chosen from the village were given horses to ride and were travelling behind the coach I rode. I stuck my head out of the window and was not surprised to see Yasmine's face in complete awe.
I consulted my father of the servants I brought back. He agreed without me even finishing my question. He was too excited about my wedding with Valerie. I shuddered at the thought; at least there was still half a year before it was to take place. He was babbling about how much there was plan, how much this wedding was going to affect his country.
The villagers were still waiting outside, and I quickly brought them out of the frosty weather.
"You'll have your jobs assigned to you shortly. For now, you'll be shown to your rooms that you will share with 3 others. After resting properly, everyone will proceed to the kitchen where Gwenyth will tell you what you will be doing. I motioned towards Gwenyth who appeared out of the kitchen."
As I saw her, I felt a wave of respect towards Gwenyth. Even though she was a servant, she had been working for my father for 18 years after he became king. She had also given me countless words of advice.
I was going to turn away when I noticed Yasmine's face twisted into confused concentration as she stared at Gwenyth. As I walked away, her confused expression lingered in my mind. I couldn't help notice how cute she looked like that. I felt as if I was living in a Cinderella fairytale. I dismissed the thought quickly...there was no way I would fall for Yasmine, was there?
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A/N: To tell the truth, I've never read Tessandra's 'Unsuspecting Lady' story. I apologize to everyone who mistook my story to be a copy of hers. Also, if it makes everyone fell better, I'll read her story and make sure mine isn't at all similar. Oh, also, the horror expression on Yasmine's face was when she saw prince Damon's eyes and recognised him to be the rider that had kissed her hand. Thanx to all who reviewed, keep it up~~