The Prince is my Guardian (part 3)

The garden was magnificent, it was beyond anything I have ever seen. If I thought that the garden was splendid the Archer Manor itself is no joke. It was a romantic Victorian-inspired Mansion with its blue colored pitched roof, inviting and enormous wrap around porch that you don't see in ordinary mansions. I guess it makes sense if you have such a grand garden in front of you. I know I would love to stay here in this porch all day because of this view. Along the side of the house is a lone turret which really anchors this entire Manor into the Victorian Era. One would think that a Mansion should not have a wraparound porch because it can make the entire state look cheap but this design works for this little piece of Victorian paradise.

I was speechless walking all the way to the enormous front door where a man on a sleek black suit stood waiting, he did not smile, nor talk. He simply gestures towards the door he just opened as if to tell me to come in. We were standing face to face although the man in the black suit was significantly taller than I am but our eyes briefly met when he was raising his head from bowing and I was looking at him intently there I saw a look in his eyes. He looked like he saw a ghost standing in front of him but as quickly as it happened it went away as if to recover himself.I can say for sure that he had a look that both had me curious and scared at the same time. Does he know something that might have triggered that look. I smiled at him gently and he was taken aback again there was that look in his eyes. Hmmm. . . This is certainly interesting.

All along he moved forward and did not look at me, he simply cast his eyes down. Now this is making me more curious than ever. He spoke with a certain low tone when he informed me the areas of the house, where I can go and where I am not allowed into. Generally I was allowed to use the garden and everything in it, the porch, the lounge, the dining, the kitchen, my room of course, the library but I am not allowed to to the studies of Lord Alfred and Henry, naturally of course private studies are where most of the business deals for the Archer family is being done and so nobody would be allowed in there. The black suited man walked in a well-mannered pace, not so slow and not to fast he patiently walked along my pace. He then showed the room where I was supposed to stay in and for the first time he looked at me eye to eye and talked to me.

"My lady, this is where you shall be staying, I hope it is to your liking."

"Oh, Mr? What do I call you?"

"You can call me Reniel."

"Okay, Mr. Reniel, this room is splendid indeed. Thank you for letting me stay here."

"My lady, that is a matter that's not on my hands."

"Yes, yes, it isn't I guess. My apologies."

He gently smiled, "Supper will be served at 9:00 tonight, my lady."

"Okay, thank you Reniel but could you call me Christie instead of my lady?"

"My apologies my lady but as of today you are part of the Archer household being the ward of young master Henry." (Sounding a little disinterested)

"Oh that. . . I can assure you that I do not want to be his ward more than you do, so don't worry. I also want things to straighten out."

"Very well my lady, I shall take my leave." He walked silently along the empty corridors.

I took a quick tour of my new room and I find that all my belongings have been put into their respective places. This room is not quite big and not quite small but compared to my previous room at the girls dormitory this room is huge. There is a massive bed big enough to fit at least three people, a small vanity chair facing the wall opposite the bed, one spacious bathroom, a closet with my clothes in it. I don't have that many clothes and besides we are always in uniform in Graceland so I don't need to have such an extensive selection of wardrobe anyway. I immediately took my uniform of and set out for the bathroom after which I took my books out and did a few of my homework until it was dark outside but it was only 8 in the evening so I decided to take a night stroll in the garden I saw this morning. Walking along the halls of this beautiful Victorian Manor really gives me a nostalgic feeling. When I was so little I had fragments of memories of being in houses this big and with unique architecture as this but I was never sure if it was a real memory or just something made up by a three year old girl. I strolled along the dimly lit halls and saw that there were oil painting portraits decorating the halls, I guess I was too focused on Mr. Reniel that I wasn't paying much attention to what's around me. There were portraits of different people all looking regal and astute. There were also portraits of scenic places. By the end of the hall leading towards the living room hanged a large oil painting of a man, a woman and two boys smiling. The smallest of the two boys looked like Henry, and the woman looked like Madame Natalia Monet so that means the man must be Lord Alfred Archer and the other boy must be Henry's big brother. Its funny how siblings could look so different with just the color of their eyes. Henry inherited his mother's eyes those cool grey colored eyes that make them both look so cold and distant and then there is Henry's big brother and Lord Archer who have warm brown eyes.

In Astoria most of the people either have, light brown eyes, dark brown eyes, or black and then there are the exemptions, the children of Astorian people with foreigners who have unique eye colors that Astorians do not have like the coveted blue and those cold cool grey of the Monets. Some hazel and amber but of course top of the list with only 5% of people in the world having this eye color, the faint olive green color of the Astorian Royal family. History would tell you that most royal families before would not and could not marry below them, meaning commoners, or people with no royal blood in them. They only married in their class and sometimes within the family. You hear of stories that cousins marry each other and back then it was not an issue since there was the struggle to preserve the purity of the royal bloodline but ever since then times have changed and the royals of this day and age allow the happiness of the royal rather than the blood line itself. Royal families now are viewed also as people same with everyone else in the world. But going back to the Astorian Royal family, it was a trademark of theirs to carry the genes that produce those. There is no denying that they are the only ones who have those in Astoria but like how they were wiped out also those lovely faint olive green eyes were lost. The remaining royals left who are far from the line of succession no longer bare them and now no one remembers or cares about those signature colored eyes . It's a sad fate but it happened, history was written and now here we are to live it out.

Running with my thoughts again, I was too busy staring at the lovely family portrait, focusing on Henry's distant yet innocent look. How intriguing to have known that innocent boy versus the arrogant and perverted one I now call my guardian. A silent whisper startled me and when I turned around I was met with those cold grey eyes.

"I was just about to go get you, I would've love to come inside your room before supper." He spoke in such a low and seductive manner.

"Well, I guess I saved you the time and trouble, you're welcome sir." I sarcastically said.

"Sir? Why are you calling me sir?"

"I am your ward am I not? Therefore it merits a little respect in this manner."

"Ha ha ha!" He heartily laughs then switches back to a sultry look. "Does that mean, your mine?"

"Oh no, sir don't confuse politeness with other things, it'll make you look like a fool."

"But I am a fool, a fool for you. . . "

"That's way to cringe worthy it makes me sick."

"Ahem! good evening young master Henry."

"Oh Reniel it's you. Is supper ready?

"Yes, young master, supper is served."

"Then shall we my dear ward. . ."

I acknowledged his invitation with a slight nod and went with him towards the dining table where a scrumptious meal was laid out for us. Henry was seated as the head of the household and I was seated on the left side one chair away from him.

"I apologize dear ward for being seated far away from me, but they must've thought that I would mind if you took a seat on this chair seeing that it belonged to the lady of the house, my mother. These old fools and their unwarranted sentiments."

"On the contrary sir, I welcome this distance from you, it gives me comfort. By the way I admire people who can stand with their sentiments. Too many people take for granted their own sentiments but great countries are built on the sentiments of its people and to call a person's sentiment as foolishness is a fool for not having one"

"Well, my, my my, Reniel I guess I owe you an apology as my ward has so passionately pointed out to me."

"No need for such a thing young master."

We silently ate our fill,. I would've been more satisfied and comfortable if Henry hadn't been looking at me from time to time focusing on my lips and then smiling with that mischievous smile of his. I will not pretend that I don't know what he was thinking because I was thinking about it too. I know I said I am not attracted to Henry but there is just this force drawing me into him more and more. Now, I find myself reminiscing the way his lips taste and how soft they were the first time he kissed me, a sudden blush comes over me and he seems to have noticed.

"Is the soup hot my dear ward? You face is flushed red right now."

"It is a little hot but I'm okay." I lie through my teeth.

"If you say so." He says but then winks.

He caught my unguarded thoughts as my body betray me, this must never happen again. I can't give in to him, I just can't pull him into my world.

When we both finish our supper he asked for permission to escort me to my room, I obliged since this is his house after all. Our walk was quite while i kept a little distance from Henry. I do not trust myself today. This is the first time I am feeling, thinking and acting like this and I don't want to fall if he's just playing. I don't want to fall. . . No, I can't fall for him . . . The walk was short and we were already right in front of my room. He stood right up to me and put his hand on my cheek.

"You are really flushed red. . . I wonder what you were thinking that made you blush this hard? Is it perhaps me?" He lowers his hand from my cheek to my hand and kisses the top of my hand.

No, Christie do not fall for him. I silently tell myself. No, don't Christie.