Seek

Anastasia didn't know what just happened. One moment, she was on the patio, getting ready to run and find a hiding spot. The next moment, Aubrey had began counting down, and her hand was grabbed as she was lead away to a very secluded and hidden spot. One, that if she was being honest, she didn't know if she had ever even known of within her own garden.

She had been brought to a corner behind several very large bushes that worked as a greenery hallway between her private gardens and the rest of the estate. As she looked around herself, she finally saw who it was that brought her here. Prince Taren barely even winded from their fast run, stood in front of the her, blocking her escape.

Anastasia took in a deep breath, as the situation fully dawned on her. Although she had lowered her voice, a hint of panic made it rise quicker than she liked. "I should find another hiding spot..."

"Shh..." His voice lilted in the air before gracing her ears and cutting her off. He said nothing else, but pointed just past her head towards a small peep hole between the branches of the bushes out into the common area of the garden.

She looked through the hole to see Aubrey already pacing around the garden, haphazardly looking for people. Giggles peppered the air, and so Anastasia knew that the beginnings of her search would be easy. However, this also meant that her escape would ultimately lead to her immediate forfeit.

As squeals of excitement danced through the air, Anastasia knew that she had no other option but to wait where she was. One by one individuals in her party were found. However, when she was found, they would not be finding one, but two.

This thought brought her back to reality. There was almost no room for the two of them where they stood, but she did all she could to make more room. From drawing in her gut by sucking in her breath, to standing rigidly in her spot a mere two feet away from him. However, it was a futile attempt.

Even as she tried to make herself smaller, it didn't keep his body from being only a feet away. So close in fact that his scent hung in the air like a mellow version of her gardens mixed with cinnamon and freshly chopped wood.

She tried to cease her thoughts, but there was no where to turn and go. The peep hole was only large enough for one, and she soon vacated that spot so that Taren took watch. However, this gave her a moment to see him in a new light.

Now graced by the high sun of afternoon, his hair took on hints of gold and bronze. A hint of stubble had began to grow, but not so noticeable that, were she a bit further away, she would have notice. He looked kinder from this distance, that is until his eyes turned from the peep hole to meet her gazing eyes.

His eyes weren't quiet as ominous looking as when she stood next to him on their wedding day, but it wasn't a soft gaze either. This was only heightened by his lips which twitched for a second as if betraying the fact that he found bemusement in her staring.

She was not bemused, but was too taken by the gold flakes in his eyes to turn away in her embarrassment. More squeals abrupted from somewhere else in the garden, soon turning to laughter, but not before making a preoccupied Anastasia jump slightly and open her mouth in a silent gasp.

Prince Taren eyes grew wide in merriment as he nearly laughed at the startled Queen before him. However, his years of training allowed him to seal away his laughter as he turned back to his spot watching the gardens before them.

Her heart had already been racing, but now it was nearly thundering as she heard the others joined in on the search. Daisy and Aubrey cooed her name, but she noticed that everyone in the party forgot to call out for Taren. He seemed not to notice, or at the very least was unbothered by this fact.

However, it made her glad they were hiding together. If he had hid alone he would have won without a doubt. However, the gladness she had felt came crashing down as Taren's arm shot out instinctively and pulled her behind him. She could hear footsteps nearing, but no voice called out. However, the second the face of the person who found her came into view, it might as well have screamed a million things.

It was Phillip. His face quickly falling from its one of joy to something else unreadable. Anastasia quickly emerged from the hedge with a no longer smiling Prince Taren following a few feet behind her.

"You found me!" She exclaimed as she walked to the table leaving Taren to follow behind and Phillip to stand in a confused state. Cora and Bryn, who had already been found, looked on at the scene with a certain look of bemusement crossing their faces as Anastasia took a sip of lemonade praying it would tamp down her rising blush.

It was then that Daisy and Aubrey met up with the rest of the party, oblivious to the raising tensions around them. Daisy, quickly suggested they play another game. One that led to the outer coats of the gentlemen to be disregarded as the sleeves of their shirts were rolled up. In turn, the ladies took of their heels and Anastasia even took of her stockings, before Daisy called out, "Bryn, your it."

And then they were off running away from Bryn like school children. It had been years since Anastasia had last played tag, but it soon came back to her in waves. The burning feeling one gets in their lungs as they run for dear life. The fear that is evident in the expressions of those nearly caught. The look of a deer in a trap as they are tagged and then become the person hunting.

It was terrifying and exciting all at the same time. Anastasia, despite the years of not playing the game, was surprisingly good. Daisy and Aubrey were still growing ad lacked the stride to catch up to their much taller queen. Cora and Bryn were much more conservative in their approaches as it, and the two males in their party were equally as good at keeping away from being it. Or if they were tagged, they used it as an opportunity to tease the others in their party.

Thus leading Anastasia to go relatively unnoticed, until Phillip was tagged. By then, Anastasia was out of breath and much slower than she had been earlier in the game. Seeing his opportunity, she ran after. Despite the rush of adrenaline and attempt at escape, she was caught. He caught her wrapping his arms around her waist from behind. Then before she could keep the next set of actions from taking place, her feet lifted off the ground, and she was being hoisted over his shoulder.

Shocked and surprised, Anastasia quickly began thrashing around, but was too tired to continue her tirade for long. So instead, she opted to vocally make her case, "Set me down! I am a Queen not a sack of potatoes." Gently she pushed on his shoulder, but he did not relent. Instead, he continued his march across the garden.

Anastasia could hear the roars of laughter coming from her sisters and her checks grew red in humiliation and as the blood rushed down to her head. She could feel her skits in a disarray, but fortunately they did not revel too much. Her hair had loosened itself from whatever arrangement it had been in and now cascaded down in an arrangement of gold and red as it nearly touched the ground.

However, he did not stop his marching until he reached the patio where the party had started. Both Anastasia and Phillip took a moment to catch their breath, but as soon as Anastasia had enough breath to speak she did so.

"What is your problem?" She was embarrassed which exasperated her tone to the point of irritation. She had stood from where he placed in a chair and was now standing toe to toe with Phillip, who ashamedly turned his head to look at the ground.

"I'm sorry your majesty. The day must have gotten away from me."

She raised a hand, put quickly lowered it as she saw the regret cross his face. She was suddenly brought back to years before. When they would play garden games just as they did now. However, he was two years older and taller. So, just like how he had done now, he would pick her up when she would be just seconds away from winning and remind her that she wasn't there yet.

Softening, she spoke in a remorseful tone "It's Anastasia, Phillip, and I am the one who is sorry." Now addressing those who stood in shock at the display around them, she spoke allowed, "You all continue on with your play, I need just a moment."

Bryn, the practiced hostess, quickly helped Daisy get her tea party back on track and within a few minutes she could here the party partaking once again in the merriment.

Meanwhile, Cora followed Anastasia into her rooms. Although Cora gave Anastasia a few moments to process, she quickly questioned, "Ana, what's wrong"

Shaking her head in a futile attempt to dispel the girl's inquiry, she spoke, "Nothing, I just got overwhelmed I guess."

Knowing better than that, Cora interceded on behalf of Phillip, "I Just think Phillip got jealous, so don't be too hard on him."

Anastasia let out an exasperated huff, "What is there to be jealous of?"

"It's obvious Anastasia." Cora looked at her sister with care and disbelief when Anastasia next said, "What is?"

"The prince has taken great interest in you. All of the court know that."

"The prince has taken a great interest in Karthia, Cora, not me." Anastasia retorted.

"Then why would he go through all of this?"


"I don't know. But, I will find out." Anastasia felt even more bothered than when she first left the gardens, and the secretary that came to find her because of a troubling break in the Silo case was not helping. She told Cora to return to the party, giving them her condolences at having to leave to tend to business. But, there was no other way.

Be it Duke Phillip or Prince Taren, Karthia would always come first. And Anastasia was willing to set aside her sadness, guilt, and even anger over that fact. She was Queen.