Chapter 2

MIA

The sun was rising, and I needed to get out early to begin harvesting so that I could sell everything I'd harvested at the market by midday. While my mother was still sleeping, I made her breakfast and placed it by her bedside. I went outside to start harvesting. I gently removed the tender fresh vegetables while wearing gloves. I was fascinated by farm crops and their natural appearance when they were born from the ground. I never give up on them because of their freshness. I had little time after the harvest to prepare the firewood for the evening. I took the ax from the back of its truck and felt its weight on my hand. The wood on the handle was splintering slightly, and the evil piece of metal was detaching itself. The weight of the logs alone made chopping them difficult, but I was determined to cut them for the fire.

"Mia?" From behind, my mother called groggily.

"What are you doing outside of the house, mother? You ought to be sleeping. Have you eaten your breakfast yet? I placed it by your bedside" Panting, I said.

The ax is quite heavy.

The sound of the ax slamming into the wood had to have jolted her awake.

She was silent and just stood there watching me with the ax in my hand and the nearly chopped wood by my side.

"Isn't this a little much, Mia? I mean, you don't even have time for yourself "as her old woolen coat fell to her side slightly, she said

"I have to do it, Mother. It's just you and me." I stated. "And I can't have you do anything," I added, "because I promised Father I'd look after you. I don't have any regrets. So long as you're okay. I'm fine" I cracked a grin.

I could see tears welling up in her eyes as I mentioned Father. She yearned for him. We're all guilty. Surprisingly, she did not bring up the 'husband' issue. I grinned and cut a few more logs.

I ate breakfast and got Taffy ready to go to the market after I finished chopping wood. Today was going to be a long day. All vegetables were tightly packed in the burlap sack. I placed it behind Taffy in the crate.

"Are you all right?" My mother inquired, concerned.

"I'll be fine, mother," I said as I climbed onto Taffy's back.

I was never entirely comfortable leaving my mother at home, but I needed to earn a living. So I don't have much of a choice.

Now that I was ready to leave, I made my way to the derelict dirt trail that led to the kingdom's heart, the village square. Following the ten-mile ride to the market. From the crate behind Taffy, I unpacked my market stall. The burlap sack creaked as I removed it from the crate. The crate was old and worn out, but it was still usable. We couldn't afford anything new right now. But, hopefully, as I earn more money, I'll be able to purchase a new crate and also purchase new items for Mother. Finally, I removed the sack from the crate and placed it on my table, ready to be sold.

The palace guards would sometimes march through the terracotta courtyard as I sold. I loved watching their impenetrable armor gleam in the afternoon sun as they marched in unison.

ALEX

"We're going to regret this," Clint warned for the umpteenth time.

I eventually learned to ignore his nagging.

I changed into my disguise outfit. I recall how I obtained this. Every time Cornelius left the palace, I had to beg him to get me one. We had to make sure Father was completely unaware of what was going on. It was a difficult one.

Clint's jittery demeanor has vanished now that we're outside the palace. I'm curious why he hasn't gotten used to sneaking out by now. We went to the courtyard in the middle of the marketplace because it was closer to the palace. Our outfits consisted of loose-fitting breeches made of an uncomfortable brown yarn-like fabric, with murky-colored cloaks covering the majority of our bodies.

God only knows what would happen if Father discovered me wandering the kingdom despite his promise to marry me. I'd prefer not to have to defend myself against insurgents in my kingdom. But life outside the palace is something I yearn for; its beauty and tranquillity entice me to violate my curfew and restrictions. This is where I can be myself, Alex, rather than Prince Alexander, the next heir to the Kingdom of Scotland. I shuddered. I wished I hadn't been born royal a lot of the time. Maybe I could have done all of the adventures I've been wanting to try.

"Your Highness," Clint said, bringing my attention back to the present.

I realized we had arrived at the village square, where the majority of the peasants live.

I frowned as I realized what Clint had just called me. "Clint," I said sternly. "You may not address me as Your Highness. Remember, we're trying to keep a low profile, so just stick with Alex "I stated

"Please accept my apologies, Your high-"

With my new title or lack thereof, he coughed uncomfortably.

He never grows accustomed to anything.

"I'm sorry, Alex." I smiled as he said this.

I appear to be more at ease with him addressing me as Alex rather than 'your Highness.'

"So, Clint, what did you want?" I inquired.

He smiled and motioned for a slithering serpent with green scales and a loud hiss to appear. How did he have that in him all along?

I despise snakes.

I began to back away from him with caution. Fear glinted in my eyes as I spoke succinctly.

"Clint, you already know how I feel about these things! Place it away!"

He ignored my remark and crept closer to me, the reptile smirking.

"It's Payback Alex, no resentment." With a sheepish grin, he said

Wait, retaliation? Oh, yes, I recall what I did to him. You can't blame me; I was bored and needed to do something enjoyable. I summoned him to my quarters that evening with a cat in it, knowing full well that Clint is terrified of cats, but what could those cute fluffy creatures do? So the fact that he was trapped in my room with the cat for five minutes brightened my day. I laughed so hard that it drew the attention of the guards. But, in the end, we were all laughing. I thought he'd completely forgotten about it, until now.

Before he could bring the reptile any closer to me, I kicked up the dirt behind me and ran away, my cloak trailing behind me. Clint was jogging behind me, the ghastly snake still exposed, and out in front of him, I turned to look over my shoulder. But before I could turn around to see where I was running, I was hit by something – or rather, by someone. As the lady tipped backward, I reached out and took her hand, pulling her tight against my chest and closing the gap between us.

Her skin felt soft against mine, and her body was a perfect fit. But when I looked down to check on her, I was met with the purest green eyes I'd ever seen staring back at me in shock. She took the wind right out of my sails. This blonde-haired angel appeared to be straight out of a fairy tale, minus the ball gown and tiara.

"Hey there," I smirked, attempting to flirt.

She muttered something before sweeping a small hand across my cheek, leaving a red burning mark. The girl was strong. Jeez. The abrupt change in mood left me perplexed as I sat on the courtyard floor, staring up at her.

"Pervert!" She was enraged.

Clint had now arrived on the scene, and I could tell he was eager to say something.

"That wasn't the 'thank you' I was expecting," I muttered as I rose from the ground, dusting my palms against my breeches.

"Are you keeping your eyes in your pocket?" She asked angrily, her hands defiantly on her hips.

I was still dumbfoundedly staring at her. The fire in her eye was something I'd only seen when my father was scolding me. However, on her, it only enhanced her beauty. Except for my father, no one had ever spoken to me like this before.

"Do you know who you're speaking to?" Clint raised an eyebrow, a glum expression on his face.

How could she possibly know? Can she? What happens if she does?

She ignored Clint and turned to leave, picking up her burlap sack.

"I'll still get my thank you," I said, a determined grin on my face.

"Hmph," she said before storming away.

I watched as she threw the sack behind the horse, climbed aboard, and rode away. I chuckled to myself. She was fascinating.

"What a girl," I said to Clint, who was now standing beside me.

"To put it simply," Clint grumbled.

I rolled my eyes as we returned to the castle. That was probably enough adventure for one day.

"But, Clint, what have I told you about revealing our identities? Do you want to get both of us in trouble?" I reminisced about his forthrightness.

He walked ahead of me, huffing at me. Well, he's not a big talker, so I'm not worried.

MIA

"Are you all right, Mia?" As I moved through the doorway of our cottage, mother inquired.

To be honest, I was exhausted, and then there was the drama that had just occurred...

"Yes, mother," I sighed, exhausted. Intending to sound reassuring.

"You don't look it," she pointed out. Unfortunately, her maternal intuition is always aware of how I'm feeling. Regardless of how hard I try to conceal it.

"Nothing," I explained, "just some men in the market today who tried to ruin my day."

"Oh dear," she sighed, wriggling her brows.

She showed no sympathy at all. Great.

"Oh, stop it, mother," I said, trying not to smile.

We got ready for bed later, after dinner. My mind wandered back to the earlier scene as I lay in my cot. How he snatched me and drew me so close to him. He was a very attractive young man. Despite the fact that it was difficult to see through the cloak, and when he fell to the ground and his hood fell off. I caught a glimpse of his perfectly coiffed dark brown hair and stunning blue eyes, which seemed to be trying to swallow me whole. But it was his mischievous grin that got my heart racing. He was desirable. I remember him saying something about receiving a thank you from me. I scoffed and brushed the thought aside.

I'm hoping I never see him again. I had hoped.