Castle in the Air

The summer ball is an annual charity event where the guest can donate money, books, clothing, or whatever they feel. This organization was created by the Queen of England. It’s not the first time I’ve attended this even but it will be the first time I will be attending with someone outside of my family. I won’t lie and say that I’m not nervous about going with Prince Harry; I’m beyond nervous.

One problem.

I still have to agree to going with the young Prince that was sitting next to me, patiently waiting for an answer. I looked at him as a million thoughts were running through my mind,

“I would be honored to attend the ball with you.” I smiled. I felt a weird fuzzy feeling in my stomach as Harry beamed a bright smile.

I was completely oblivious to the feelings that were starting to form as I Harry and I got up from our seats and walked towards the trash can to discard our trash. I looked at my watch and saw that we had a few more hours before I needed to meet Mother and Father. I looked over at Harry who was staring at me with a far away expression in his eyes. “Harry?” I asked as I turned my body to where I was fully facing him. Harry didn’t respond when I called his name so I walked closer to him, “Harry? Are you alright?” I asked

Harry blinked rapidly as he regained his posture, “Huh? Oh, yeah I’m alright. I apologize for freaking you out if I did.”

I shook my head and smiled, “Not at all. What would you like to do now since it’s not quite time yet for me to leave?”

I turned around and looked to see what rides were around us, nothing that really caught my eye. Suddenly my dream of coming to Disneyland Paris and riding almost every single ride suddenly was not so much of a dream anymore. I felt extremely old to be in a place like this and with the screaming from excited little kids running around, it was very difficult to hear and Harry noticed.

Harry tapped me on my arm and motioned for me to follow him, holding out his hand. I grabbed it, feeling an electric spark, and allowed him to pull me along to where ever he wanted to take me. I wasn’t really watching my footing because the next thing I knew I was falling to the ground. I placed my hands out in front of me, trying to catch my fall. I felt a sharp pain shoot up from my left wrist as I came in contact with the concrete.

I started crying in pain as I clutched my wrist tenderly. Harry kneeled down onto the ground,
“Do you have a cell phone?” He asked frantically.

I shook my head to answer no as a buzzing in my ears started; alerting me that something happened to my hearing aids when I took the fall. I let go of my wrist and yanked both of my hearing aids out, not caring that Harry saw. Harry’s eyes went wide when he saw me pull out my hearing aids, “Please. I’ll explain everything later. Just help me get to my parents.” I begged Harry as I tried standing up.

Harry reached under my arm pits and pulled me, making sure not to touch my wrist as we started walking towards the front of the park where hopefully we would be able to locate my parents. “Are you okay Bella?” Harry asked as he shields my red face from on lookers.

I bit my tongue from crying out so I just nodded my head. Harry nodded as continued to look forward, making sure that one of us did not fall and cause more damage. It didn’t take long for us to get to the front of the park and see that my parents and sister were sitting on a bench in front of the park entrance. I saw through my blurry vision my father notice us walking quickly to them because he shot up out of his seat and over towards us.

“Ariabella, qu’est-ce qui vous est arrive?” (What happened to you?) My father asked as he accepted me into his arms as Harry began explaining what happened.

“Your royal highness, I was leading Ariabella to a more quite part of the park since she didn’t responded to my question about which ride to go on and as we were walking, she tripped and tried to stop her fall using her hands but the result was her breaking her wrist.” Harry explained as he followed my father over towards my mother and sister.

My father nodded his head, “Thank you Prince Harry for helping my daughter to us. You are more than welcome to come with us to the clinic so we can get Ariabella’s wrist checked out.” My father offered.

Harry nodded, “If that is alright with everyone sir.”

My mother nodded as she stood up with my sister and started walking towards the limo that was waiting outside of the park gates. I heard my father softly curse as he and Harry wrapped their arms around me to hide me from the awaiting photographers. Thankfully there were guards on duty as the surrounded our group and lead us towards the limo where the driver was patiently holding the doors open. My father climbed into the limo before softly grabbing my and placing my on his lap as my mother, sister, and Harry climbed into the darkened limo.

“Pour la Clinique médicale s’il vous plaît” (To the medical clinic please) I heard my mother tell the driver and soon we were off.

I looked up off of my father’s chest and saw Harry staring at me, “Ariabella, can I ask a question if it is alright with your Father?” I felt my father nod his head as I continued to look at Harry. “Are you. Hearing impaired?”

I sighed and sniffled as I nodded my head, knowing that my secret was out, “Not one-hundred percent deaf. I’m seventy-five percent deaf in my left ear and forty percent deaf in my right ear which means that I have a sensorial hearing loss. I wear in canal hearing aids to avoid getting unwanted attention and people feeling sorry for me. I’m just like everyone else only I can’t hear very well.” I tried to explain, trying not to sound like a conceited brat.

Harry was silent for a few minutes as he let everything register in his mind. Harry nodded his head before looking me in the eyes, “You’re still the same Ariabella I met and grew fond of. You’re still the same and I will keep this a secret if you would like me to?”

I nodded my head as I laid it back onto my father’s chest, falling asleep while softly holding my broken wrist as we continued to drive to the nearest clinic.

>>>>>>><<<<<<<<

“Ariabella, you should wake up now.” I heard my mother’s velvet voice above me. I stirred and went to stretch as I felt something heavy on my left hand. I opened my eyes and allowed them to adjust to the bright light before looking over to my left hand and seeing a purple cast. I felt my eyes water up and I looked over towards my mother as she sat down onto the bed. I noticed that we were back at home and I gave her a confused expression.

“You slept through the trip to the clinic, the x-rays and when the doctor put on the cast. I have good news though baby girl.” She stated as she went to brush a piece of hair out of my face, “Your wrist is not broken and your cast will be off in time for the summer ball.”

I smiled, “Really? That’s wonderful mother!”

My mother nodded her head as she got up from my bed to move and sit behind me as she pulled out a small box that contained a hairbrush that my grandmother had passed downed to my mother who then passed it down to me. Whenever I was feeling down or just needed some quality time with my mother she would always pull out our hair brush and brush my hair as we talked about anything under the moonlight.

As my mother began to brush my hair she started humming my sister and my favorite lullaby. I smiled as I closed my eyes and listened to my mothers singing. I couldn’t help but think about a certain red haired male as I relaxed in my silk sheets, “Mother?” I asked, slightly upset that I put a pause on her beautiful singing.

“Yes?” she replied as she continued to brush my long brown hair.

I scrunched my nose up, “Where is Prince Harry?” I asked

I could tell my mother was smiling, “He is asleep in the blue guest room dear. He also asked to be woken when you awoke because he enjoyed talking to you and was not ready to go back to England yet.”

“What time is it mother?” I asked even more confused than what I was earlier.

She sighed as she set the brush down on my lap before grabbing my hair and loosely braiding it, “It is the next morning Ariabella.”