The Tales of Princess Ana

The week had come and gone, it was now Friday. 
Ana and I spent most of the week together, up until Wednesday.   
She suddenly became very distant and whenever I ran into her she always had somewhere else to be. 
I wonder, what happened between the dinner party and Wednesday that caused her to pull away?
We were getting to know each other, we spent most days in the garden. 
At night we'd wonder around the corridors. 
What happened?
 I'd soon get to the root of, also I needed to get closer to Raul. 
This weekend was going to be a busy one.
Estavaro and I placed our bags in the trunk of the car,  as dawn rose over the palace. 
There was three cars, one for the luggage, one for the queen, her husband.
Another for Estavaro, his lady friend who's name I had not bothered to learn and the royal pup Melody.
The other car was for myself, Princess Ana, her godfather Raul, and Princess Ana's best friend Layla who is visiting from England.
"Don't you look like you're ready to kick ass?" 
I hollered out to Ana.
She wore a leather jacket with tight black jeans, her usually relaxed hair was slicked up into a ponytail.
"I am." 
She said. 
The only words she had spoken to me in two days.
"You look nice." 
"Thanks."
Three whole words. 
She walked past me and headed to the car, her friend Layla close behind. 
Layla was short.
She kind of reminded me of a polly pocket doll, blonde and bouncy.
She waved and introduced herself.
"Oh you're Nicholas?"
"Yes, why do you say it like that?" 
"No reason, just have heard about you."
"Good or bad?"
"Jury's still out on that one, mate."
She patted me on the back and hopped in the back seat with Ana.
"Nicholas, son. Pardon the pun but you have royally pissed her off."
A voice spoke up from behind the truck.
It was Raul.
"Yeah, but I don't really know why."
"None of us do son, women they are always mad about something."
He clapped a hand on my back and formally introduced himself  
"Raul, godfather to the angry girl."
"Nicholas, friend of angry girl also partially a part of your family tree."
He looked at me confusingly.
"Natalia's son's kid."
"Estavaro has a son?"
"No, Emilio."
"Ah, my boy sorry about that, Emilio died so many years ago. Great man he was."
He embraced me.
"Always nice to meet family, let's get on the road! We'll get to know each other better."
He was driving and I sat in the passengers seat, this was exactly what I needed.
"So boy, what do you do?"
"Artist, my grandparents in America sent me to the best art school."
"Ah, any artist! You're like André."
I chuckled.
 "Yeah I guess so."
"What do you do?" 
"I own my own construction company, Devereaux's contracting."
"Oh! Wow."
"It's not that interesting, I know boy. A job is a job. Started when I was twenty worked my way up the ladder."
"It is interesting, not many men have that ambition."
Some snickering came from the backseat.
Ana and Layla were both glued to their cellphones, I'd assume they were texting each other.
Raul looked back at them.
"Girls will be girls. "
He shrugged.
"So you and Ana?"
"What about us?"
"Are you seeing her?" 
I shook my head no.
"No Ana and I are friends."
"Sure you are, my boy."
Raul had been at the palace since Tuesday and he was at the dinner party so I assume he had created a scenario in his mind.
"No we harmlessly flirt, We aren't together."
I stammered my words.
"She's just a good person to talk to."
He ignored my statements. 
"Do you like her like her?"
"What is this kindergarten?"
I chuckled.
But I figured this was the best way to get in with Raul.
"I guess?"
"You guess?"
"I mean I like her, she's a fantastic girl. I've only known her a week, it's impossible to know how I really feel."
"Not impossible son, has anyone told you the story of her mother and father?"
"He loved Anja the first day he met her, Ana told me."
"Exactly. Time is not of essence when feelings come into play."
I looked down at the floor, putting Raul on the back burner for a minute.
"What do you think I should do? You know to get back on Ana's good side."
Loud music blared from the backseat as Ana and Layla both listened to music.
"Let me talk to her. I know my goddaughter like the back of my hand. "
"How did you become her godfather?"
Raul told me the story about how André and him became friends as he tried to win over Anja,  how reckless they were.
"It's a young man's game, to be reckless and free."
He told the story of how one night he helped Anja out of a window just so she could see André before he left.
"Love like there's didn't come around often, I had to do what I could to help it along." 
He drifted off into his own thought.
"Wonderful people, never in my fifty three years have I met anyone like them."
"So naturally they made you Ana's godfather, who is her godmother?" 
"Layla's mother, Anja and her went to the same school in England."
I pondered in silence, still so much I don't know.
Will I have the time to learn it all, and still do what I came here for?
Maybe it was better this way, if we moved any further it would be dangerous for us both.
"My boy, relax. Ana will come back around.
I leaned over the chair and peered into the backseat, Ana and Layla had fallen asleep.
Music still blaring and phones in hand. 
They looked like the poster of some indie flick.
"I advise you of one thing Nicholas, hurt her and I hurt you."
He said half serious and half jokingly or so it seemed.
I didn't say a word, just turned back and watched the sun come up over a passing ocean view.
He clapped a hand over my shoulder.
"The countryside is lovely, my boy. If you'll get her to forgive you anywhere it'll be here."
The rest of our car ride was silent, even though Raul is willing to help me with Ana.
I couldn't forget that he was still on my radar.

We reached the harbor around noon, Ana had already woken up.
She stared out the window, as Layla continued to sleep.
Ana mouthed words to every other song that played in her little world of music.
I leaned over.
"Ana?" 
Nothing but silence, not even a glance in my direction.
I went to tap her leg and she moved it away.
"Ana, I know you hear me."
"I hear you, Nicholas!"
 She snapped.
"We're here!"
Raul interjected before I got to say another word, Ana had her earphones back in. 
The Governor, his wife and three children greeted us. 
"Welcome! Welcome! How is everyone today?"
Everyone let out a disgruntled.
"Good."
"Six hours in a car will do that to you." 
The queen spoke up.
"Six, my it merely felt like an eternity." 
Ana lugged her bag over as she stood next to her grandmother.
"Ana, you brought your bathing suit correct? We are after all spending the day on the boat!"
The governor's wife Marissa cooed. 
"Yes of course Marissa, i'll be changing in the bathroom."
When they said boat I thought they meant a boat, when in fact it was a massive yacht. 
"Wow, this is what a government job gets you?" 
Estavaro removed his sunglasses admiring the incredible luxury house floating on the water.
"Well Nicholas, it's not gonna come to you, you gotta go to it!" 
Raul rushed passed me in a burst as he spoke. 
"The Marionette" was printed on blue letters in the back, two levels of massive ship were toured by all of us.
Apparently their little daughter Marie was ""made"" on this boat, everyone felt that was way to much information.
Four rooms, a living room and a dinning room were all amenities on this boat. 
"Simply gorgeous."
I whispered as we walked around the boat.
"Everyone go get changed! We have all weekend to chat!"
The governor was quite cheery and bouncy as he spoke.
"Excuse me." 
Ana pushed passed me as she walked into the bathroom.
"At least she's still polite." 
Layla snorted back a laugh.
"You really don't know?"
"Know what?"
"Why she's mad at you? No idea, not even the slightest?" 
She pulled out her own swimsuit as she laughed.
"No, I really don't" 
The bathroom door opened and out came Ana in a red bathing suit. 
She leaned down to grab a sarong out of her bag. I really could not help myself.
"Oh Nicholas, at least apologize first before you ogle her goodies!"
Layla had set of yet another round of eye daggers from Ana. 
She slipped on her glasses and headed out to the deck.
"If you just tell me what I did we could move on and have a nice time!" I shouted behind her, to no surprise I got no reply.
Layla went into the bathroom and within a minute she was out
 "Mate, think of what you have done these past couple of days, it'll come to you."
This began to frustrate me more than I thought it would.
I quickly changed and headed out to the dock.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The nerve of him! He's completely utterly brain dead."
 I threw my hands up in exasperation.
"Ana, why don't you just tell him?" 
"No, he should know what we did."
"He didn't know you were there Ana, it's not totally fair."
I sighed knowing that Layla did in fact have a point.
It's not like Nicholas saw me in the darkness of the corridor but still, what I saw stung slightly.
"Ana you like him, I know you do."
"No, honestly."
"Don't lie, Ana."
"Who's lying?" 
I looked down shuffling my feet across the deck floor.
"You like him, you bugger!" 
She shoved me playfully.
"He's just, ugh well you saw his eyes! Come on!"
"Oh love, yes of course I did! I don't even know how you've stayed mad at him this long!"
"It's only been two days."
"Two days too long!"
We both laughed in unison, as the rocking of the yacht had us swaying back and forth.
"You know what makes me mad about it, Layla?"
"Hm?"
"Is that I believed he was more honest than that."
"You don't know both sides Ana. Find out and then determine if he's not the person you thought he was."
"Why are you so voice of reason-y?"
"Because I'm Layla, and sometimes even the princess needs a level head."
I wrapped my arm around her shoulder.
"Let's enjoy this weekend!"
We walked up to the head of the yacht and laid out to sunbathe with Marissa and her daughter's.
"Marissa how do you have three children and still look incredibly young?!" 
Layla spoke in awe.
"Layla, I couldn't be the governors wife and not look this way. "
Layla and Marissa continued in their small talk as Marissa's daughters' Carol and Marie ran up to me.
Carol is 15 and Marie is 8, vastly different in personalities.
Much like Michael, Carol is timid and shy very quiet but when she felt comfortable she was quite the funny girl.
Marie was very much the odd ball, being very loud and rambunctious was first nature to her. 
Marie hopped on my lap. "Anaaaaaaaa, who is that gorgeous boy that came with you today?"
"Why Marie? Are you in love with him?" 
Carol poked her sister.
"Oh, very much so Carol! He's beautiful!"
"Marie, he's too old for you!"
"No he's not, right Ana?"
"Well he's twenty five."
"Seventeen years, Marie give it up." Carol rolled her eyed at her sister's new love.
"No, no love has no age."
"In this case Marie, it does."
I braided her long chestnut hair.
"Ana, don't fall into Carol's route too!"
"I'm not, I'm not. I'm just saying you should think about who you love." 
"Ana, tell me everything you know about love, Carol never tells me anything because she's an old cat lady."
"Meow." Carol purred.
Carol and I burst into laughter.
"How bout we go swimming instead, Marie?" 
I suggested to the love sick child.
She shrugged her shoulders.
"Okay, let's go!"
Her and I hopped off the ladder into the ocean. 
The water was cool and crystal blue, little fishes swam around us.
"Someone bring us down some googles!"
I shouted up to the people who all chatted atop of the deck.
Then, from the tip of the ladder I saw Nicholas peaking from up above. 
He began to make his way down and if I could sweat underwater I would be.
 If I could run I would have.
"Oh my gosh! Look at him Ana!" Marie whispered to me.
"I'd rather not." 
I said more to myself than her.
"Here are the googles, guys." 
He handed me the googles and I took them in my hands.
"Marie, turn around so I can tighten them."
She obliged.
 Nicholas just sat on this little step that was where you got off the ladder and hoped into the water. 
Marie went to "find nemo" and I swam to ledge where he sat.
"Ah princess, you have decided to speak to me?"
"I know what you did, Nicholas."
He took a big gulp and prepared for what I was gonna say next.