Status: hiatus

Love, and Other Torture Devices

Tremendous Effort

"How many gardens does the Palace have?" Almira inquires quietly, holding the ivory handle of her parasol with both hands, glancing at Edmund.

The Prince smiles, "five large gardens, like this one. Twenty small gardens, which actually house plants and such."

Almira nods, "are the other large gardens as... large, as this one?"

"Why do you ask?" He smiles.

She shrugs, "we've just been walking for a while, is all."

"The large gardens are made for walking, because we can't exactly go stroll through the town, as commoners would."

"I understand," she nods.

"And the labyrinth design... well, that just keeps things interesting." The Prince smiles.

After a moment of the only noise between them being Almira's heels clicking on the stones beneath their feet, she breaks their silence. "We had gardens like this at the Palace of Augustine."

"Might I give you some advice, Almira?" The Prince speaks slowly, as if choosing his words carefully whilst he speaks.

"If you must," she mutters, continuing to walk slowly.

The Prince sighs before speaking, "the best way to not be homesick is to not think about where you used to be as home."

"Pardon me?" She raises an eyebrow as she looks up at the man strolling next to her.

Edmund blinks, "you're extremely homesick for a place that's no longer your home."

Her jaw tightens. "Who are you to tell me where my home is?"

"Your husband-to-be."

She rolls her eyes, quickening her pace in an attempt to get away from her 'husband-to-be'.

"Where are you going, exactly?"

"I am trying to put as much distance between you and I as possible at the moment."

He follows her, not walking any faster than he did to keep pace with her before.

"Stop following me," she says over her shoulder.

The Prince continues walking, "you'd get lost if I didn't follow you, Lady Almira."

"What did I say about calling me that?!" She yells, spinning around quickly. "Do you look to anger me?"

He smirks, "correct me if I'm wrong, but it is working."

Almira shakes her head, before turning around and continuing to walk again. "Stop following me."

Edmund continues to slowly walk behind the young woman, who ceases to acknowledge his presence.

Almira blinks when she reaches a dead end, slowly sitting down on the concrete bench that sits along the end wall of tall, squared off shrub.

Edmund slowly rounds the corner, stopping suddenly.

"You dragged me out of my room for breakfast this morning and took me on this walk against my will... I don't particularly want to see you right now."

Edmund blinks, shaking his head. "Lady Almira, I'm only going to say this once. So, please listen carefully... I know that you don't enjoy seeing me, but the feeling is quite mutual, if you must know."

Her eyebrow furrows, "what is that supposed to mean?"

"Your attitude toward me is... terrible."

She shakes her head as she shrugs, "you're always around."

"I've been trying to make you feel welcome here, in your new home. My efforts have been in vain, obviously, because you could not care less if you tried."

Almira's lips purse.

"It takes every ounce of my being to not get angry with you." He nods. "I understand that you're homesick, but maybe you should make an effort here... it would help tremendously."

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"He just said some garbage about how it is a tremendous effort for him to not get angry with me on a daily basis."

The fair-haired maid nods, running a brush through Almira's hair gently. "Prince Edmund has a history of difficulty handling his anger."

"I just don't understand why he is so insistent on trying to be nice to me."

The older woman shrugs, "the Prince is a gentleman. You're soon to be his wife, he's just trying to do the right thing, I suppose."

"I don't want him to be nice to me and I don't want to be his wife. I just want to go back to Augustine."

The servant shakes her head, "Lady Almira... every single woman in this country would give everything to be in your place right now."

"Maybe they can find a replacement for me?" Almira smirks.

The servant chuckles as she shakes her head, "you know that isn't possible."

"If I knew my parents would accept me, I would take a horse and leave right now. But they won't."

"Why not?"

"They're in an agreement with Latovia, I suppose. When their children marry, the countries become allies." Almira closes her eyes, feeling the brush run through her hair. "You don't just back out of something like that."
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