Royalty

Rosemary mumbled softly in her sleep as she curled up in a ball on her bed. The sun outside was slowly settling itself into the sky as a new day began. Though her mind was still foggy with sleep, she could feel her bones and joints slowly waking, and a yawn slipped from her mouth as her eyes slowly opened. She thought she was seeing things for a moment when she saw a burst of color on her bed, and she blinked slowly a few more times as she sat up, letting the covers fall around her. Flower petals were sprinkled on top of the bed, and she could see the trail it led from the bed out of the room.

She stood slowly as she brushed her hair out of her face and rubbed the remaining sleep out of her eyes. She could feel her nightgown brush against her legs as she opened the door and walked out of the room. She knew that most of the boys were boarding at the castle, so they wouldn’t have to go in and out of the castle so often. If this was the work of them, she couldn’t help but wonder which one it was. The petals led down the hall, and she could feel a smile appearing on her face and letting it grow as well.

The petals stopped right before a door, and she stood in front of it, staring at it curiously. She had picked up a few petals, rubbing them in between her fingers gently as she breathed in their sweet scent. Rosemary pushed the door opened slowly and stepped in quietly, closing the door gently behind her. The room was a bit smaller than hers, but it was furnished with all the basics. There was a bed against a wall with a dresser across from it on the other wall. There was couch and a door that probably led into the bathroom. Her eyes were traveling everywhere until they landed on the shirtless man before her.

His usually curly brown hair was damp and laid limp against the back of his neck and face. He had a towel hanging around his neck, and she could see his toned muscles clearly now unlike when he was wearing a shirt. She could feel the rush of heart that spread from the back of her neck up to her face and finally her ears. She took a steady step back hitting the door behind her, which made Harry jump and spin around. Her hands instantly went up to her face to hide her deep red blush and see any more of his body.

“Rosemary?” he seemed to question before he looked down at himself and let out a startled noise, “Oh, well, um,” she could hear shuffling, and she peaked through her fingertips for a moment to see him shuffling through his dresser before she covered her eyes again. “Your servants told me you didn’t wake up for an hour or so, so, uh,” he was nervous, flabbergasted, and it was the first time she had ever heard him like that. Usually, he was so confident in the way he held himself, always with that smile on his lips. He was always so smooth and sure of himself when he spoke, and he never ever stuttered. “You can look now. I’m dressed,” Harry seemed to have calmed down, and she slowly pulled her hands away to see him with a shirt on and a hint of pink covering his cheeks.

She was sure her face was still a dark red, though it had cooled just a bit. She pulled a nervous smile on her lips as she pushed her hair away from her face, realizing that she hadn’t even run a brush through it. She must have looked like a mess standing in front of him, and she was horrified at the thought. Silence filled the room, and she nervously patted her hands on her nightgown as she cleared her throat.

“I should, uh, go. I, um, forgotten to get freshen up,” she muttered nervously as her hands reached behind her to search for the doorknob.

“No, it’s alright,” Harry seemed to be back to normal as he reached passed her to keep the door shut. He was only inches away from her, and since he was so tall, she was met with his chest. She could feel the heart radiating off him, and he stood still for just a moment as he looked down at her. His eyes seemed to have darkened, and he pulled away with that usual smile on his lips. “You look beautiful like always,” he stated as he brushed strands of hair away from her face, brushing his knuckles gently against her cheek. She could feel shivers slip down her spine, and she stared wide-eyed up at him before he motioned towards the table he had been standing in front of earlier.

“I was preparing breakfast for you, and I just finished it when you came in,” he smiled, and she couldn’t help but smile back at him. The nervousness was still there. It was always there when she was with Harry, but she could but feel extremely happy and surprised by his efforts.

The table was set with a vase of a single rose in the middle of the wooden table. Two plates were set across from each other, separated only by the flower, with silverware on either side of the plates. There was bread with jam and butter, an egg, and ham along with it. There were two bowls of fruit and a glass of juice to finish it off. Harry seemed pleased by Rosemary’s reaction, and he pulled her chair out for her.

“Thank you,” she said as she sat down, looking up at him, and he sat across from her.

His smile never seemed to slip from his lips as he looked at her, shrugging his shoulders a little. “It’s nothing much, but I wanted to begin the day perfectly since we will be spending it together,” he told her. “I have lots planned,” he nodded, and she had almost forgotten about the competition. Harry was up first for the first round, and Rosemary was quite impressed by how he started it.

“Well, I’m very excited for what you have planned,” she replied with a small smile on her lips as she began to eat. The meal was delicious, and the two talked about almost everything from his country to the weather outside. It was an enjoyable meal, and she was a bit sad to leave. She knew that she had to get dressed and out of her nightgown and she would be seeing Harry for the rest of the day. With a tiny smile on her lips, she thanked Harry once more and planned to meet him downstairs in the foyer, where he would be taking her on his scheduled plan.

Rosemary would be lying if she said she wasn’t extremely excited for the day. Though Harry was very confident in his looks and what he did, he was sweet and planned everything in hopes she would enjoy it. She sucked in her breath as she felt her servants tighten the corset before she slipped into a dress. The dress was of soft material, and it was white. It was a simple dress that almost covered her feet, and it had no patterns on it. Near the end, it had riffles, and she smiled just a little bit as she ran her fingers over it. A simple locket was placed around her neck, and she made sure that her hair was brushed. When she had come back from the room and looked at herself in the mirror, she couldn’t believe that she had walked outside like that. Her hair was in knots and tangled and messy, and she had eye boogers in her eyes. She just couldn’t believe it.

“We’re done, Princess,” a maid said as she stepped away, and Rosemary gave them all a smile as she thanked them before she started out of the room. Harry was waiting patiently by the stairs, and when he heard her shoes softly hitting the stairs, he looked up. He had a tiny smile on his face as he looked up at her, and she smiled back as she stood in front of him.

“Where are we heading first, Prince Harry?” she asked as she raised her eyebrows. She watched as he opened his mouth, but he was interrupted by a soft voice that was very similar to Rosemary’s. She looked up to see her mother, who was as regal as ever. A smile adorned her face as she walked down the remaining steps separating them. She was followed by Niall, who was in his suit and armor, and he gave her a friendly smile as he stood behind her.

The Queen stopped in front of them with a wide smile on her face as she pushed stray strands of hair away from her face. “Harry and Rosemary, I see you two are already starting your day. It’s such a lovely day outside. I hope you two will be able to spend it well,” she glanced out one of the near windows. He could see the bright sunny day and blue skies with few clouds dotting it.

Harry bowed respectfully as he responded, “We are. I was just planning to take Rosemary outside since it’s such a pretty day for such a pretty girl.” He flashed that charming smile at the Princess beside him, who was blushing. A light shade of pink was covering her cheeks, and he chuckled softly as he looked back at the Queen.

“You are very much a charmer, Harry,” the Queen smiled as Harry chuckled softly, nodding his head. Rosemary, you must be careful of him,” she laughed softly as she patted her daughter’s shoulder softly. “Niall, let’s leave them alone now, darling.” She started along, and Niall gave a friendly smile and wave at Rosemary, though she could see a hint of hurt or pain on him. She wasn’t sure what feeling was on his face, but she knew that it wasn’t a good one.

“Are you ready, Rosemary?” Harry asked as he looked down at her with a slight grin. He seemed excited like a child, and she nodded her head and grinned right back at him.

“Of course, I am. Where are we heading?” she asked, but her only reply was him grabbing her hand as he started through the halls. He didn’t seem to give any reply as he continued pulling her along by his hand. She looked down at their joined hands and smiled just a little. His hand was much bigger than hers, but it was soft and smooth against hers. She was led out to the gardens, and she squinted for a moment to adjust to the brightness before glancing around. Her feet were still moving as Harry moved along, seeming not to stop and look at the beautiful flowers surrounding them.

He only seemed focused on what was in front of him, shuffling his feet along as he hurried towards the sheds where the horses were kept. Two horses were already out. Her favorite was Star. Star was a black horse that had a white spot on his nose, which resembled a star, and she had always been fond of him since she was young.

“Are we going horseback riding?” Rosemary asked with a wide smile on her face as she turned to Harry. Her eyes were wide and bright, and she could see Harry’s resemble hers as he chuckled and nodded his head.

“We are,” he said as he led her to the horse. He thanked the servant that had brought them out and went to help Rosemary onto her horse, placing his hand onto her hip and grabbing her hand with the other. The slight blush that heated her cheeks was evident, and Harry only smirked a little as he went to get onto his own horse. His moves were graceful and smooth, and she could see the skin beneath his white shirt, which made her blush just a bit darker in the cheeks. Harry glanced back at her, and he smiled before he started. She followed him with her horse, slowly catching up, so she could move along beside him.

They were taking a trail, and though she was sure she had taken it many times, she couldn’t help but be astounded by the nature around them. The trees were a heavy green color that she loved, and she could hear the lovely chirps of the birds as they sang to each other. Rosemary couldn’t help but let her eyes widen just a bit as she looked everywhere before she glanced over at Harry, who was looking at her. He had a small smile upon his lips, and his eyes were that light green color like grass that was fresh and newly grown. She could see the dimples set in his cheeks as he starred at her, and she smiled back at him.

“You’re prettier than I remembered,” he stated, and he continued to stare as if she was a masterpiece.

“Thank you,” she replied politely with a small smile on her lips, “it has been a few years since you last seen me, though.” He could hear the chuckles softly falling from his lips as he nodded his head at this.

“That is true,” he responded. “You’re reasonable as always.” The smile he gave her was one that came on rare times. One side of his smile was higher than the other, and you could see a glimpse of white teeth between his pink lips. His dimples were slight shown, and his curly brown hair fell into his eyes as he looked at her. The smile came rarely, and it always seemed to warm her heart as she brushed her hair away from her face and glanced around at their scenery.

“Are we heading anywhere specific?” she asked as she saw him start traveling off the pathway. She followed him, of course, since she had trust in him. She was an excellent rider as she followed him through the dead leaves that had fallen from the trees during fall. The cool air tickled her cheeks, and she could feel it brush against the bare skin that showed from beneath her dress.

Harry looked back at her and smiled as he shrugged his shoulders as if he didn’t know at all, which she knew wasn’t true. With a dramatic sigh, she rolled her eyes and shook her head with a small smile playing on her lips. What at first was a soft trickle was growing louder into crashing and falling water, and the waterfall was slowly growing into view. It wasn’t an extremely large waterfall. It was a rather tiny one that was only a few more feet taller than Harry, but it was beautiful nonetheless. Rosemary stopped to the horse as she slipped off of it to walk to the end of the pool of water.

“I can’t believe I’ve never found this,” she said, astounded as she glanced back at him with a slight smile before she walked closer to the water. She kicked off her shoes and pulled up her dress just a bit as she sat down to dip her feet into the water. It was cold, especially with the current weather with winter nearing, but she didn’t mind it too much.

“You’re going to catch a cold,” Harry chuckled as he pulled off his own shoes to dip his feet inside the pool as well.

“You’re doing it too,” she stated with a grin, and he laughed as he nodded his head before he dipped his hands into the water. She looked away to glance at the waterfall before she felt the cool chill of the water hit her the side of her body, including her face. A loud squeal left her mouth as she jumped a little and moved away from where it came from before she widened her eyes and looked at him. Her hands were on her hips, and she scrunched up her face as she puffed her cheeks out.

“Excuse me, Prince Harry,” she huffed, and she watched a laugh spilled from his lips. His head tilted back just a bit, and the sun hit his eyes, making his green eyes lighter than normal. With another huff, she cupped the water into her hands before she splashed it directly in his face.

“Ha!” she giggled herself before she saw his face. She hurried to get up and away from him, giggling as she started away from him. Her feet were wet against the grass, making it just a bit slippery, and when she glanced back to look at Harry, she was falling.

It was sudden, really, being submerged into the cold water, and when she came up, she was coughing just a bit as she pushed her hair away from her face. The curly haired prince had fallen on the grass laughing before he realized he should be helping her. He walked over to the edge of the pool, offering his hand with a slight grin to his face, and she looked up at him, rubbing her face before she took his hand.

“Thank you,” she replied, but with a quick grin on her face, she added, “but you’re coming in too.” She tugged harshly on his hand, and she watched as he went falling into the cold blue water as well. For a moment, he stayed in the water before he came up gasping for air. Giggles were slipping from her mouth, but she could see his skin beneath the white shirt he was wearing as it stuck to his chest. She could see the slight defined lines of muscle, and she quickly glanced away as she felt sudden heat hit her face.

“Well,” Harry said as he pushed his now flat, curly hair away from his face. He had a slight grin on his face, and she swore his smile grew just a bit more when he saw her face, “that was fun.” She giggled a little herself as she slowly started towards the shore, away from the water. “I think we’re really going to catch a cold now,” he told her, and she smiled back as him as she pulled herself out of the water.

He sat next to her again and shook his head like a dog, spraying water all over her. “Prince Styles!” she squealed as she pushed him away with a laugh, and he laughed as well as he shook his head even harder until he was falling into the water again. She burst our laughing as she saw the look on his face as he fell in, and she hurried away from the edge before he could pull her back into the water as well.

They spent some more time there, splashing and pushing water at each other until they saw the sun falling, and they were sneezing and sniffling. When they arrived at the castle, they were slowly sneaking into the castle, so they wouldn’t get caught looking like a mess because a prince and princess must always look their best. Water was dripping behind them as they hurried towards the kitchen, where they were sure hot chocolate could be made for them if they requested, and they hid inside the kitchen with the servants, giggling softly with each other in the corner of the room.

“I can’t believe you just fell into the water, Princess White,” Harry laughed. Earlier, she had thought the sunlight made his eyes look lighter, but they seemed to changed on their own whenever he was laughing. She was amazed by them and the color because her eyes were simply brown and a bit boring, though others always complimented them. “I thought you would be much more graceful,” he teased as he poked her in the shoulder before a servant came over to hand them two cups of hot chocolate.

The feel of the hot liquid entering their mouths was nice since they were freezing, and she could feel the heat radiating off of Harry, not noticing how close he was until then. His leg was practically touching hers, and she stared at it for a moment before she looked over at him.

“Today was nice,” she told him with a light smile curling her lips before she took another sip of her hot chocolate. “Thank you,” she said as she looked over at him, and he smiled at her.

“You’re welcome,” he replied, and for a moment, there was silence before he leaned and pressed his lips against her cheek. “I hope I can spend everyday with you soon,” he whispered softly into her ear, and he pulled away slowly, brushing his brown curls against the side of her face as he went.