Status: Has been on Hiatus due to the huge rush of uni life, but now first year is over, I'm going to do my best to give you lovelies the ending you deserve! =)
Diary of a Reluctant Ruler
Pretty Green
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“Would you like to see the Palace grounds?” I asked, after a moment’s awkward silence.
“Sounds good,” Nick nodded.
“Certainly,” Philippe said.
I nodded, leading the way through the parlour and morning room to the terrace at the back of the palace, which overlooked the gardens.
“Pretty green,” Nick commented.
“Sure,” James laughed, “Like Phil’s dress.”
Oh! Nice one.
I like my dress.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked in a tone accidentally more acidic than joking.
“Just a comment on the shade of your dress,” James replied innocently.
I narrowed my eyes at him.
“I think your dress incredibly pretty, Meredith,” said Philippe stiffly.
“Well, thank you,” I said, “Shall we?”
I motioned towards the main path.
“Certainly,” Philippe said.
No, no, not certainly.
Then what?
We shall! It’s we shall.
Makes sense.
Philippe took my arm, and led the way down the path towards the ornamental shrubs.
“Beautiful,” Philippe remarked as we walked through.
I always thought they looked like deformed jellies…
“The gardeners certainly do a brilliant job,” I answered, uncomfortable with the whole arm-holding thing.
“Oh, yes,” Philippe replied after a moment.
I looked back to see Nick and James walking a distance behind us, chatting, Jade following a short distance in behind them. James looked wonderfully casual, his shirt having worked its way out of its tucked-in state, his hands in his trouser pockets.
“Can I hear water?” Philippe asked, trying to regain my attention.
“There’s a little fountain this way,” I replied.
“May we see it?” he asked.
“Certainly,” I said, nicking his repetitive phrases.
“So, Meredith…”
“Please, it’s Phil.”
“Well, that’ll get rather confusing don’t you think? You being Phil and me Philippe.”
“Well,” I mumbled.
“Tell me about yourself,” Philippe asked.
Can you get a more awkward question?
How about… what did you do with my rubber duck?
*blinks* What?
You heard me! What did you do with my rubber duck?!
I – I…
“Um, I’m 17, just finished doing my second year of Standards at Keats Academy, and I’m planning on doing a third at a college in Rous,” I babbled.
“Subjects?”
“English Literature, Geography, Economics and Psychology,” I replied, “Plus exams in several languages.”
“French?”
“Of course,” I smiled.
“You play an instrument?”
“Piano.”
“Grade?”
“Oh, I can’t do them. Examiners would always be biased.”
Philippe shrugged off the joke.
“Sing?”
“Badly.”
“Draw?”
“Again, badly.”
You’re telling me.
Eh? I didn’t tell you anything.
Please just lock your lips and throw away the key.
“Ride?”
“A lot.”
“Dressage or show jumping?”
“Show jumping, definitely.”
I tried to avoid the sensation that I was being examined.
“Speeches?”
“Only when forced.”
“Politics?”
“Dreadful.”
“Dance?”
“Decent.”
“Ballroom?”
“Waltz.”
“Music?”
“Late romantic period.”
“Literature?”
“Everything.”
“E-”
“What about you?” I interrupted, sick of the sound of my own voice.
Philippe looked startled for a moment, then regained his composure. He began to talk in depth about horses and several competitions. Dressage… the dullest sport ever.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
“Would you like to see the Palace grounds?” I asked, after a moment’s awkward silence.
“Sounds good,” Nick nodded.
“Certainly,” Philippe said.
I nodded, leading the way through the parlour and morning room to the terrace at the back of the palace, which overlooked the gardens.
“Pretty green,” Nick commented.
“Sure,” James laughed, “Like Phil’s dress.”
Oh! Nice one.
I like my dress.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked in a tone accidentally more acidic than joking.
“Just a comment on the shade of your dress,” James replied innocently.
I narrowed my eyes at him.
“I think your dress incredibly pretty, Meredith,” said Philippe stiffly.
“Well, thank you,” I said, “Shall we?”
I motioned towards the main path.
“Certainly,” Philippe said.
No, no, not certainly.
Then what?
We shall! It’s we shall.
Makes sense.
Philippe took my arm, and led the way down the path towards the ornamental shrubs.
“Beautiful,” Philippe remarked as we walked through.
I always thought they looked like deformed jellies…
“The gardeners certainly do a brilliant job,” I answered, uncomfortable with the whole arm-holding thing.
“Oh, yes,” Philippe replied after a moment.
I looked back to see Nick and James walking a distance behind us, chatting, Jade following a short distance in behind them. James looked wonderfully casual, his shirt having worked its way out of its tucked-in state, his hands in his trouser pockets.
“Can I hear water?” Philippe asked, trying to regain my attention.
“There’s a little fountain this way,” I replied.
“May we see it?” he asked.
“Certainly,” I said, nicking his repetitive phrases.
“So, Meredith…”
“Please, it’s Phil.”
“Well, that’ll get rather confusing don’t you think? You being Phil and me Philippe.”
“Well,” I mumbled.
“Tell me about yourself,” Philippe asked.
Can you get a more awkward question?
How about… what did you do with my rubber duck?
*blinks* What?
You heard me! What did you do with my rubber duck?!
I – I…
“Um, I’m 17, just finished doing my second year of Standards at Keats Academy, and I’m planning on doing a third at a college in Rous,” I babbled.
“Subjects?”
“English Literature, Geography, Economics and Psychology,” I replied, “Plus exams in several languages.”
“French?”
“Of course,” I smiled.
“You play an instrument?”
“Piano.”
“Grade?”
“Oh, I can’t do them. Examiners would always be biased.”
Philippe shrugged off the joke.
“Sing?”
“Badly.”
“Draw?”
“Again, badly.”
You’re telling me.
Eh? I didn’t tell you anything.
Please just lock your lips and throw away the key.
“Ride?”
“A lot.”
“Dressage or show jumping?”
“Show jumping, definitely.”
I tried to avoid the sensation that I was being examined.
“Speeches?”
“Only when forced.”
“Politics?”
“Dreadful.”
“Dance?”
“Decent.”
“Ballroom?”
“Waltz.”
“Music?”
“Late romantic period.”
“Literature?”
“Everything.”
“E-”
“What about you?” I interrupted, sick of the sound of my own voice.
Philippe looked startled for a moment, then regained his composure. He began to talk in depth about horses and several competitions. Dressage… the dullest sport ever.
♠ ♠ ♠
Thank you for your marvellous comments and patience!Hope all your Christmas's were great...
I'm going to see Twilight tomorrow!!!!!!!!!! FINALLY.
I have a guilty secret... can you keep it?... *looks left and right then whispers*; I got the "Complete Illustrated Twilight Movie Companion" for Christmas, and I absolutely adore it. I've read the thing cover-to-cover twice.
Momentary pause for major celebrations!!!!!! WOOT! We hit 200 READERS whilst I was away! And hit EIGHT STARS!!!!!
And my sincere consolations to Dorian Gray who isn't getting her email updates!!!
THANK YOU all you lovely readers! Stay tuned for more Phil/James action!!
Ivy, xXGreyWingsXx (c) 2008
I've just realised I'll soon have to change the (c) 2008 to a (c) 2009...