The Tales of Princess Ana

I woke up the next morning with a stretch and a yawn.
"Ana! Come downstairs now!"
My grandmother's voice boomed in the tiny cottage style home.
Did I do something wrong last night?
I only had one glass of wine, I didn't feel odd today. 
I slipped on my shoes and made my way downstairs.
"Yes, grandma?"
She waved the local newspaper franticly.
"Have you seen today's paper?!"
"Well I just woke up so no."
"Now is not the time to get smart, Ana."
"I'm sorry. No grandma I haven't seen the paper, why?"
"You're plastered all over it!"
I stood there, watching grandmother pace back and forth.
"How are we gonna fix this?"
"Well I don't know what you're talking about so I can't offer a suggestion."
She finally threw down the newspaper.
"Princess Ana and her new mystery man!"
The title adorned the front page in big red font.
Under the font, a picture of Nicholas and I in the water yesterday.
I relived the moment he stroked my cheek as I studied the shell.
In tiny letters at the very bottom of the page.
"Coverage by Elsie Penworthy."
"God she's like a hundred, can she die already?"
I asked exasperated. 
"Ana!"
Grandmother snapped.
My grandpa snorted back a laugh, she shot him eye daggers.
"Ana, you know this sort of thing is meant for privacy."
"It's not like I'm making out with him."
"It doesn't matter! You're a Princess not a common city girl. You can't be seen dating a multitude of different men."
"But this has only happened once."
"It better not happen again, you keep intimate moments in private."
"Yes grandma.."
I looked down at the floor, one thing I hated was being scolded.
Yes, I know that quite often whenever we have public outings reporters tend to be around.
I wasn't thinking at that moment.
I just wanted to live in the present time like any other normal girl.
But I wasn't just a normal girl, unfortunately I have an image to uphold. 
"I apologize Grandmother."
She sighed deeply.
"Ana, I only tell you these things because I've been there."
"I know."
"The media is cruel, it is unruly. Alas, it's only out of our control if we let it be."
"If you would like to strategize on how to spin it, I'd like to do so... After breakfast."
"Good, you're taking responsibility Ana."
"It's my duty."
After breakfast Grandma and I sat at the kitchen table for hours. 
We debated on if I was to publicly speak out, or if we were to let it die down.
We decided that soon enough Peaches Geldof would end up creating a bigger storm in less than no time.
"Ana, this can not happen again."
"Grandmother, in all due respect. I don't think it was that big of a deal. "
"Ana, with all due respect. If Nicholas is not your next suitor than it appears as if you are trying different flavors. That's not a look that a future Queen should have."
"Grandma, you know better than anyone that sometimes life doesn't work out that way."
"I sympathize, Ana. I do truly understand, many years ago it was I who had no clue I was even royalty. I learned from my grandmother the ways of the crown."
"As I want to learn from you, but you have to give me room to make mistakes."
"Do you believe Nicholas to be a mistake?"
"No..." 
I paused with hesitance in my tone.
"I do not think he is a mistake, nor do I think that picture is scandalous."
"Ana, if you want to pursue this route. I won't stop you, but I caution you."
I planted my elbows on the table and cradled my face between my palms.
"None of us know him well enough. I have been kind and have extended my hand. Something I don't do often, he seems like a good person but you must be weary of snakes in the grass."
"I don't believe him to be a snake in the grass, you're right he is good, but he is also kind. He is passionate and intelligent, he carries himself with more dignity than any other royal suitor I've met."

I rose from my chair, and began making my way upstairs. 
"And I do not apologize for believing in that."
I reached my room and shut the door.

~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I don't believe him to be a snake in the grass, you're right he is good, but he is also kind. He is passionate and intelligent, he carries himself with more dignity than any other royal suitor I've met."

I heard everything Ana said to her grandmother this morning.
She was starting to believe in me, to trust me.
Was it time to pull out before we dredged any deeper?
I too felt myself growing a connection with the Princess, that is what scared me the most.

"Buzz... Buzz.."
My cell vibrated against the white cotton sheets.
"Hello?"
"Mate! How are you? Your news cover is all we can talk about her' in the office."
My own British friend now making my morning worse.
"That's great Tuck, I just found out myself."
"She sure doesn't have a unibrow, love!"
"No she does not."
"Is she designated for extra intel or extra intel."
He emphasized on the repetition of extra intel.
"Neither."
"Bullocks!!"
"No really, Tuck."
"Oh my god, mate.. Do you actually have feelings? Are feelings what I'm hearin' on the line right now?"
I chuckled but I did not have a straight answer to give.
"Oi! You do than? King Vagina actually just wants to settle down with the Princess?"
"It's not like that."
"Oi! I'm proud of you, Nick!"
The phone call disrupted by someone picking up the other line.
"Nick, you have to stay focused on your mission."
A familiar voice spoke.
"I know Akia, I plan too."
"I get it, she's pretty and young. Set to be ruler of the country in a matter of months. It's why you can't drag her into this mess."
"Why can't anyone just believe that it's not like that?"
"That picture says so much, Nick. You can't even see it."
"She had seaweed on her face."
"No she didn't."
"You weren't there."
"Boss lady has all the proofs from the magazine. It's all there."
"Fuck."
"Nick, focus on the task at hand. It's her godfather, If you get attached to her. You get attach--."
"Are you ridiculous? I have been the best field agent for a multitude of years. Never once have I been distracted or attached. This time isn't gonna be any different."

Silence rung the line for a moment.

"Calm down, Nick. I'm just saying, if you get attached to her you're not gonna want to take her family away from her."
"That's just absurd, Akia. You know me well enough to know, women are the last thing I become attached too."
Even as it left my lips I knew I had formed a lie. 
Though true, I never had become attached to any woman. I felt a sense of that inside of me, a special thing for Ana and I.
Maybe it was just heartburn from last nights meal.
A light knock hit upon the door.
"Bye Grandpa! I love you."
I quickly covered. 
"Remember you're there for one thing only."
"Tell Grandma I love her too."
I hung up. 
"Come in."
I told the mystery guest that lay behind the door.
"Hey Nicholas."
Ana's plaid pants drug against the floor as she walked into my room.
"Good morning, Ana. Rough start?"
She nodded and sat down in a chair in the corner.
"I can only believe you heard the news."
"Well we are the news."
She laughed.
"My grandma is really mad."
"It wasn't your fault."
"She knows, but it's my fault for being unpoised."
"It wasn't a huge deal."
"Did you read the headline?" 
"No, I haven't seen the actual paper."
"You're my mystery man."
"Oh, that sounds sexy though."
She let out a hardy laugh.
"Oh it's very mysterious."
She waved her hands around like mist.
"I've been seeing you for nearly a month, you may be poised for the title of King."
"Are those from their sources?"
I used air quotes.
"Oh but of course."
She curled her knees up to her chest.
"I just don't get it. I like to not have to think about being perfect. Sometimes I just want to be free!"
"You just want to be in the moment."
"Exactly!"
She threw her hands up.
"I understand Ana, but she is your grandma."
"I know but she doesn't have to be so... Olden style."
"She just wants what is best for you."
"She is more worried for me more than I am."
Ana shrugged and rolled her big green eyes.
"I'm slightly unphased, I just know some bigger story will come along."
I pulled the desk chair over to her.
"Ana, I'm sorry I did the right thing by wiping seaweed off your face."
I smiled.
"Sureee."
"What do you mean sure?"
"I didn't really have seaweed on my face."
She grinned and looked down at her plaid covered knees.
"You did!"
"I didn't. You're gonna just have to admit it."
"But you did!" 
"I get it, I get it. You wanted to touch me."
"Look who's cocky now, princess!"
"Not cocky, just the truth."
"It was living in the moment!"
"So it's true! I didn't have seaweed on my face."
"Oh Ana, you gotta get over yourself."
I pinched her cheeks and than got out of the chair.
"Hey! I'm not a child, you do not pinch my cheeks!"
She than grabbed my cheeks and placed mounds of pressure between her index finger and thumb.
"That's abuse!"
She laughed until tears rimmed her eyes.
"I'm sorry, now your cheeks are red!"
"You're a bad person, Ana."
I grabbed her face in the palm of my hands.
She stopped laughing.
My eyes darted across the soft features in her face.
They lingered on what looked to be the softest features, her lips.
The side of her lips curled into a gentle smile.
"Your cheeks are really red."
It was all she said, though I hardly heard.
"I know this may be brash, but I really want to kiss you right now."
She blushed a bright shade of pink.
"I mean... I'm not.. I don't know.."
She stuttered.
I leaned in closer, her smooth breath lingered on my lips.
She began leaning in the rest of the way.
A knock broke us out of this daze.
She took a deep breath and pulled away.
I rubbed the bridge of my nose between my index and thumb. 
"Come in."
I sighed, as Michael entered the room.
"We are going on a tour of the castle's in the country side. We leave in an hour."
"I should go get ready."
Ana looked down at the ground.
"Yeah, I'll see you later."
With that Ana left, Michael looked like a lost puppy.
"Did I interrupt something?"
"No, you didn't."
"Alright."
With that he lurked off into the hallway.
"Holy hell."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"He kissed you?!"
Layla's eyes became the size of a saucers.
"No nearly, nearly kissed me!"
"Oh my god!"
She jumped up and down.
"Ana, he totally fancies you."
I began picking out clothes for the day out. 
"I think it was just a heat of the moment kind of thing."
"Bull!"
"No, no." 
I shook my head with a smile on my face.
"You guys are silly! Why don't you just get on with it?"
"It can't be, Layla."
"Oh why not?!"
She pouted.
"I need to focus, I feel like he's pulling me out of that."
"Don't do that, Ana."
"Do what?"
"You're making excuses."
"No, I am not."
"You are, he's gorgeous, you both seem to have a lot in common. Why would you try to turn him away?"
"It's only been a week."
"Your point?"
"What if I don't really know him?"
"Oh Ana, I heard you defending him to your grandma!"
"It's just, well you know?"
"Elaborate."
"I don't like that she called him a snake. It makes me feel like she's saying I don't have a good judge of character."
"She didn't say that Ana. She said be weary, but you know him better than all of us!"
"For what a week?"
"Well day in and day out, that's practically an eternity!"
"I just can't Layla.."
"You can! Listen to me, today I want you to try and see why you can."
"Why are you so.. reasonable."
I laughed and tossed a dress along with cardigan on the bed.
"Because you're simply hard headed."
She shrugged her shoulders.
"So what should I do?"
"You know Castillo de la Vert?"
"Yes, of course."
"Well it's the last castle on the tour, pull him aside and try to get romantical."
She winked and shoulder bumped me.
"Romantical isn't even a word!"
I bumped her back.
"It doesn't even matter, what you need to do is see where his feelings are laying. Though, by almost laying one on you it seems he has already said."
And with that, Layla left the room.

We visited all the castles that lay abandoned and broken down along the country side.
Château De L'anarchie, Caisleán De Riches D'aois, Kastell  Ta 'Escapism, Palat De Înțelept all came before Castillo de la Vert.
Though each palace stood beautiful in it's ruins, Castillo de la Vert was the most still in tact.
Built entirely in black stone, Castillo de la vert has been abandoned for nearly a hundred years.
It still shined against the sunlight of the shattered roof.
In the middle of where the grand ballroom used to be the floor lay covered in red rubies.
"The owner of 'ze palace used to say, de 'art of 'ze palace is 'ere. Zis' is why he pick 'ze red rubies, many people 'ave tried to pick out 'ze stones to much failure. So now you 'ave about an hour to look around on your own, and zis' will be de last stop of 'ze tour."
I received a hard elbow nudge to the ribcage.
"Go on now, I'll distract the Queen!"
Layla skipped over to my grandmother who was in the midst of speaking to Marissa.
"Ladies, let's go see the..."
Her words trailed off as she grabbed the ladies and headed in the opposite direction.
I walked over to Nicholas, his hands as always were in his pockets as he looked up towards the ceiling.
"It's pretty right?"
I must of startled him, he turned his head so fast it nearly gave him whiplash.
"Oh, absolutely." 
"Wanna explore with me?"
He grabbed my hand in his.
"Let's go, Dora."
"Who is that?"
"You don't know Do- you know what? Never mind."
He smiled.
We walked along the staircase in silence.
We reached the final step and walked into what seemed to be an abandoned child's room.
"About this afternoon."
I began to say.
"Yeah, I wanted to say I'm sorry."
"Why?"
"I shouldn't have been so brash."
"I like that about you."
"That I am brash?"
"Yes, that you're not afraid to tell me what's on your mind. You don't censor yourself like most around me."
"That's just me being an ass."
He looked down at the white marble floors, they carried remains of old painted flowers.
"It's not, it's just being a normal person. One who lives a life of no censors."
"You could do that too."
"I couldn't."
"If you visited me in America you could."
"You would want me to visit you?"
"Absolutely! Than I could show you America's greatest wonder McDonald's."
"What is that?"
"Only the best place ever."
I smiled at him.
"Maybe I could schedule it."
We left the room, and moved into the next. 
It was a library, the books covered in dust. 
Some left open on the desk, with pages so thin you were afraid to turn them.
"I'd really like for you to come, Ana."
"So I can be a pain in a different country?"
He chuckled.
"But you'll be in my country, so I can ship you back."
"You don't have that kind of power."
I ran my fingers over a stack of novels.
"No I don't."
"So I'll be in America as long as I'd like."
"I would hope, until you get tired of me."
"Yes that's true. I'm sure you wear thinner than these papers."
I jokingly said.
"Ouch, that hurt me."
"I'm kidding, I promise."
"No I don't think you are."
He grabbed my hand. 
"Look feel my heart it's broken."
He grinned like a silly sly boy and placed my hand on his chest.
"Oh I don't even need to feel it, I can hear it."
"You heartbreaker."
"I'm lethal."
"That you are."
Much like our positions this morning, we were more than close for comfort.
"Nicholas?"
"Yes, Ana?"
"I like you.."
He pulled away.
Oh how I felt like a fool in this very moment.
Embarrassment left me frozen in place, I had no words.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I like you.."
Ana looked up at me, the sincerity could be seen in her clear green eyes.
I pulled away.
Not because I didn't reciprocate her feelings, but because I did.
What would Ana really think if she knew what I was here for, would she like me then?
Could I let her know that I too liked her?
Or are we foolish for even feeling this way.
I looked over at Ana, her eyes glued to the floor beneath her.
Oh god, what was I thinking. 
She must think I don't feel the same.
"Ana, I --"
She cut me off before I could finish.
"No need to explain Nicholas."
She raised her hand to dismiss it all away.
"Ana, let me finish."
She kept her gaze on the floor.
I placed both palms on her cheeks, focusing her gaze on me.
"Ana, I feel the same way."
"Well than why did you --."
I cut her off.
"I only pulled away because I worry, Ana. What if we are moving too fast too soon?"
"I thought the same.."
She paused.
"But none of us are here forever, at sometime you will return home to America. Why waste time when we can embrace today?"
Those eyes, once more I felt like I understood what André Nikolav meant. The sunlight that entered from a cracked mirror had them sparkling.
"You're right, Ana."
Our faces only centimeters apart, her words trickled upon my lips.
"Well if you're not gonna kiss me this time, I may have to do it first."
A grin played along her lips, they called for mine.
I closed the tiny gap between us, our lips melded together.
Ana wrapped her arms around my neck, her delicate fingers ran through my hair.
As I had guessed, her lips were soft.
I could feel a smile growing, not from her but from myself. 
I couldn't control it nor did I want too, it felt freeing in the moment.
As soon as she sensed it, a gentle smile spread across her face.
We pulled apart.
"God damn, you're a good kisser."
Ana said, she followed with a silly chuckle.
"I meant to say that in my head."
"I'm glad you didn't."
I placed my hand under her chin and kissed her again.
"You're quite the kisser as well."
She blushed.
"So where does this leave us now?"
I asked.
Ana smiled and shrugged her shoulders.
"Wherever we want it to be."