Chapter 10: A Lovely Walk

"Princess Charlotte, I was wondering if you'd like to accompany me for a walk," Ashton whispered, his hand raised to knock on the princess's door. "...that was too formal. Something more casual. Charlotte, I was about to take a walk and wondered if you'd like to come with me," he tried.

"I'd love to." The response came from behind him and the heat rushed to Ashton's cheeks as Charlotte smiled, her eyes twinkling with mirth.

"Shall we?"

Ashton shook away his embarrassment and walked to her side. "So, it's been almost three months since you've arrived. Have you enjoyed it so far?"

Charlotte nodded. "It took a bit of getting used to the rules and schedule, but you and Alther have made this castle feel like home."

"I'm glad to hear it," Ashton smiled. "What was your home like back in Harthington, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Hmm...well, I'm the youngest of five. My brother Camdyn is the oldest and will be crowned next year. He's really smart and talented. I wish I was more like him," Charlotte smiled to herself. "My sister Kaitlyn is next. She's the one who taught me to paint and play piano. She's always been there for all of us. My second sister, Cassidy, is very social. She's great at public speaking and dancing, and she tried helping me be a bit more outspoken but I've definitely got a long way to go. Then there's my sister Krystina. She's very fun and energetic, and she was really good at sword fighting, though mother would never let her show off because 'it's a man's sport', but I'm pretty sure Krystina could beat most of the knight trainees when I left.

"The five of us are really close. We were scared we'd grow apart when my mother started marrying us off, but my sisters would always come ro celebrate every birthday and every holiday at home. I think next month might be the first time we celebrate without the five of us present..," Charlotte trailed off, lost in the memory of her siblings before refocusing and turning to Ashton. "What about you? What was it like before I came here?"

Ashton thought about the question for a second before answering. "It was...pretty much the same really. After my tenth birthday my mother insisted on constant lessons to prepare me for being king. Before that, I'd hang out with Alther or spend time on hobbies. But the situation with the wizards has always been pretty tense so I've never really seen my parents completely at ease."

They both walked in silence for a few moments, unsure what to say after Ashton's response.

"...you said you'd work on your hobbies," Charlotte began carefully. "What are they?"

"My hobbies consist of horseback riding, reading, and playing chess," Ashton responded automatically, like he was reading off of a script.

Charlotte laughed. "That definitely sounded rehearsed."

Ashton laughed too. "I might've practiced it once or twice...mother wanted to make sure I was well-rounded."

"Do you actually like doing any of those things?" Charlotte asked, then immediately regretted it when Ashton looked at her in surprise. It wasn't her place to question his words, even if it was about something as frivolous as hobbies. She desperately tried to backtrack, hoping Ashton wasn't offended. "Please forget I said anything, I forgot my place. I'm sure those are wonderful hobbies." She looked anywhere but at the prince.

"Actually, now that you mention it, I really don't like any of those things," Ashton smiled sheepishly. "I used to like reading, but when my lessons required me to memorize years of history and rules I grew weary of it. Horseback riding is fun but I don't have much time for it, and I hate chess." He let out a chuckle that made Charlotte smile. "However, I do enjoy sword fighting. I broke my arm doing it though."

"How'd you break your arm?" Charlotte asked, imagining him fighting off other boys and one of them accidentally injuring him with their practice swords or something equally heroic.

"I tripped," Ashton admitted, his ears turning red. "I had a very tough instructor. He didn't believe in coddling his students or going easy on them. So for about six months he'd beat me in our practice matches and tell me what I did wrong. I got pretty frustrated one day after a particularly brutal beating and when I got my feet I just charged at him. He didn't even raise his sword to block me or anything. He just sidestepped and I tripped and landed with my full weight on my arm. As punishment, I wasn't allowed to use magic to heal either so I had a broken arm for about two months."

Charlotte squeezed his hand in sympathy. "Yet you still enjoy sword fighting?" She asked in amusement.

"I'm pretty good at it now," Ashton insisted. "I did eventually beat the instructor. Though I'm probably no match for your sister."

"Probably not," Charlotte joked. "But I'm sure you'd try your best."

"You said next month your family would be celebrating a birthday, right? Would you like to go?" Ashton suddenly asked, and Charlotte couldn't stop the smile that appeared on her face.

"Could I really go?"

"I can't think of any reason my parents would say no. I'll tell my mother to help you prepare for the journey if you'd like. You might also want to write to your sisters to tell them you'll be attending," Ashton suggested.

"Thank you. I'll tell them right away," Charlotte said goodbye to Prince Ashton and practically ran to her room, excited to share her good news.