Chapter Five—Flipped

I couldn’t be happier with what just happened today. Finally, a confirmation that I wasn’t the only one feeling a certain way whenever I’m with Laura. All this time, I’ve been battling with my demons, thinking that for her to feel the same way is impossible. Now, I don’t have to worry too much over it, knowing we have mutual feelings.

In honor of my achievement today, I’ve decided to celebrate my happiness over tea while enjoying some peace in the garden. However, the silence was interrupted when someone spoke from behind me, “Robert.”

I turned around and saw James walking towards me. I don’t want anything to ruin my peace any further so I’m keeping all of my thoughts inside me and have an attempt at a decent conversation with him.

“James,” I greeted, standing up as I put my cup down on the table beside me.

“Please, sit down. There’s no need for formal ceremonies,” James stopped me, putting one hand in front of him and the other behind his back.

I nodded and took a seat whilst he sat across from me. “Would you like some tea?” I offered, holding the pot up.

“Yes, thank you,” he smiled, making himself comfortable in his chair as I poured him a cup. “I didn’t know you like having tea in the garden. Only your mother and sister do this daily,” he continued, resting an arm on the table.

I put the pot down. “I’ve decided to give it a try. It is quite a beautiful day to have tea,” I said, giving him his cup. “Clouds have been gracious enough today to make it the perfect weather for tea outside.”

“Well, you’re correct about that,” James agreed. “I’m going to be trying this every once in a while, and hopefully, I’ll get to do this with you,” he added with a smile. “How’s your day, so far?” he asked after taking a sip.

“Everything is just as it is. Reports and royal duties,” I replied, taking a sip from my own. “I’m still thinking of what I’m going to do today because I’ve finished almost half of the documents currently sitting in my study.”

We stayed quiet for a few seconds when James suddenly said, “How about we go on our fishing trip right now?”

I turned to him, eyes wide open out of surprise. “Right now? Aren’t you busy during this time of the day?”

“Robert, if I was busy, I wouldn’t be joining you for tea right now,” he smirked. “I have no other responsibilities today. I was supposed to have a meeting with my advisers, but they weren’t able to arrive on time, so I asked Gonzalo to tell them the meeting is moved to tomorrow,” he continued.

I nodded before taking another sip.

“Come,” he quickly settled his cup down on the table, standing up. “Let’s go fishing.”

I looked up at him, still shocked. “Are you sure we won’t be any hindrance to your work today?”

“I promised to make time for our fishing trip after you arrive from Middle Earth, remember?” he smiled.

With a bit of hesitation, I put my cup down on the table and walked with him.

“Don’t worry about those, I will have some of the maids take care of it,” he added as we headed back to the castle.

I’m not going to lie; I’m both shocked and amazed at how dedicated James is to spend time with me. Mostly, this time of the day when he’s at his busiest: handling meetings from one to the other. But for him to act as a father does make me happy.

Perhaps, this could be the beginning of a new relationship between James and me. I still have my doubts regarding his actions but as I promised Mother, Elizabeth, and Nana, I have to give James a chance.

♔♔♔

It was a good day for fishing. There’s nothing to hear but the gentle current of the river, the wind gently blowing around us. There were frogs close by, a few of them croaking loudly. The sun was out but it wasn’t that hot as the clouds slowly passed under its light, giving us shade every once in a while.

James and I have been sitting on a rock for quite some time, waiting for something to bite. The guards are having their own time together, not far but close enough to keep an eye on us and to make sure of our security.

The silence between us is so thick, you can pierce a sword through it and it will bleed. But for the first time in such a long time, the silence doesn’t feel hostile. We are spending time together but not in the way where we need to talk. Somewhere, we understood one another, read each other’s minds that it’s better if we keep our words to ourselves.

My thoughts were interrupted when James finally spoke, “I trust that you have taken care of all the needed work for today.”

My inner thoughts groaned, irritated that we’re talking about royal duties during our time together, but I’m not surprised as well. James has occupied himself with everything about responsibilities towards the crown. However, I did hope that he would talk about something different.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” I said, not wasting my time to even look in his direction. “Before I do anything else, I make sure that my duties come first.”

“You have learned a lot, Robert. You don’t know how proud I am of you,” he replied with pride. “Every kingdom in our realm has been raving about you. If only you could hear their praises, you’d be glad that I chose you as heir and I raised you the way a future king should be raised.”

My mouth turned into a firm line on what he just said. I didn’t know neglect and making sure a child is stripped off of relationships is the best way to rear a child, especially a monarch that will soon take the throne.

“I’ve also made the arrangements for our celebration for your victory over the pirates on the Sea of Gliss,” he added. “The kingdom has been very pleased with your heroic gestures during your voyage.”

“James, what happened at the Sea of Gliss was your success and my failure,” I answered, trying not to sound irritated. “I put Mother’s life in danger and almost got myself killed. I don’t think that’s considered to be my victory.”

“Don’t be so harsh on yourself, Robert,” he adjusted his posture, putting his right knee close to his chest. “Leading men to battle and in such an unexpected situation isn’t an easy feat for any princess of your age to achieve. What you did was worth celebrating.”

I kept silent, biting my cheeks to prevent myself from saying anything. It isn’t worth it to fight about. I should be more thankful that James is finally giving me some kind of recognition for my efforts. It’s something that I’ve been asking for and it has arrived. Or maybe I should just let him do what he thinks is necessary and let this conversation end here.

“Have you planned your celebration with them?” he asked, changing the topic.

I cleared my throat. “I’m yet to get into the details. I have so many things to take care of, too many aspects to consider. I want that day to be special, not only for the crew but also for their families,” I explained.

“If you like, we can hold both celebrations on the same day. Therefore, we can plan everything in one go,” he suggested.

“That won’t be necessary,” I quickly protested. “I want them to have their day of celebration, a day where they’re the ones who are honored, praised.”

“I completely understand,” he nodded. “Everyone deserves their own time to be in the spotlight. Have you decided when you will be holding the event?”

“Having it before mine would be a good idea,” I said as I adjusted my fishing rod. “The captain and his crew are the true heroes of the battle. They have fought valiantly, and they deserve the recognition for their bravery and loyalty to the kingdom.”

“I will inform you once we have made the final decision on when your knighthood celebration will be held,” he smiled.

Contented on what we agreed on, I let out a light smile. The thrill of excitement and relief flowed throughout my entire body. These emotions are foreign whenever I’m with James, even if we’re just a few inches away. We’ve always been hostile to one another. But to be able to spend time with him without us holding each other by the neck and to be able to feel comfortable around him is both bizarre and something to look forward to starting today.

“Oh!” he shouted as something started tugging on his bait. “I think I caught something!”

♔♔♔

“The advisors said that the orphanage was very thankful for the approved proposal, James,” Elizabeth smiled, slicing through her piece of fish.

James caught a big fish during our fishing trip and Mother decided that the best way to celebrate his catch is to have the fish for dinner. It was surprising enough to please all four of us and the way the fish was cooked: amazing.

“They shouldn’t thank me. They should thank Robert,” James said, looking in my direction.

I stopped with my actions, looking at all of them with wide eyes. “My apologies, my mind was somewhere else when I heard my name.”

James chuckled and put a hand on my shoulder. “I sent the proposal you approved to the orphanage and Elizabeth said that they were very pleased with the decision,” James explained.

My brows furrowed as I felt even more baffled by what James just told me. Approved proposal? He hated that decision. He said it’s not right to send it back to the orphanage. How come he’s all of a sudden telling me that the orphanage is thankful for their request being approved by the crown?

“I don’t understand,” is all I can say at this point.

“Robert,” Mother called, making me turn in her direction. “I saw that you approved their request for additional support with their finances. Although it wasn’t a smart decision to make in regard to our economy, I’m proud that you’re willing to give them what they need to make sure everything that they need will be provided for,” she continued.

Turning back to James, I answered, “When you received that report, you said it couldn’t be sent back and it shouldn’t be approved. Why did you go through with my decision if you were opposing it in the first place?”

“I thought about what you told me, and I realized that you were indeed right,” he pulled his hand back slowly. “They are our people. As much as we’re taking care of them, they are taking care of us by being loyal to the crown. Your mother is correct about one thing: if we always approve of everyone’s request for additional income, the economy might turn upside down,” he explained, “But our advisors are currently looking for ways to give everyone what they need without sacrificing the economy.”

I am still confused about what just happened. I wasn’t expecting that James would even consider going through with that approved proposal. But I’m satisfied and relieved that he did because the orphanage has been one of the most loyal people to the monarchy. And they have been giving all of their time and effort to children with no families, something I’ve always admired since I was little.

“Now, enough about that. Let’s discuss Robert’s knighthood,” James started a new topic as he returned to his food. “I would like to discuss it with the three of you, especially Robert since this is such an important step for the prince.”

“Indeed, it is,” Elizabeth nodded with an excited smile.

“Have you thought of what you want for your celebration, dear one?” Mother quickly asked.

“Um, I haven’t given it any thought yet. James and I agreed that he will be the one to take care of the knighthood ceremony as I handle the one for the crew,” I explained.

“Celebration for the crew?” Mother asked, turning to James for answers.

“Haven’t I mentioned it to you, Amelia?” James replied, puzzled. “Robert believes that the ones who should be celebrated and decorated with honors are the captain and his crew. He wants to make sure that they receive their respectful rewards for their bravery and loyalty.”

Mother and Elizabeth looked at me, amazed and astounded. I lowered my head to avoid their stares, trying to keep all of my focus on the fish in front of me. My hands began to shake in embarrassment. I don’t want to be seen as such a kind and perfect human being, but the captain and his crew deserve all the praise for what they did for my mother and me.

“I would be more than happy to help Robert with the preparations for the crew,” Elizabeth replied, enthusiasm radiating from her. “I would like to extend my gratitude for making sure my mother and my brother returned safely from their voyage.”

“Would that be okay with you, Robert?” James asked, turning his head to me.

I nodded with a smile.

“Then it’s settled,” James remarked, happy that everyone got along with one single decision.

♔♔♔

It’s been a couple of hours after lunch and all I did was look out the window and admire the view of the garden. Although there’s nothing new about the view, the undying beauty of nature is refreshing and relaxing. I should be doing other princely duties, but my mother did say she preferred that I do nothing today. I decided that having some peace all to myself would be the best way to pass the time. My peace, however, was disrupted by a sudden knock on my door.

“Enter,” I slowly faced the door, crossing my legs.

As the door opened, my page entered and quickly bowed. “My deepest apologies, Your Highness, for disturbing you. Mallory is here, she wants to have a word with you.”

I groaned as my face landed on my hand. The only time of the day where I don’t want to be bothered by anything, but Mallory managed to make it worse. I’m not surprised at this point because she’s been doing this consistently ever since we had our agreement.

“Please don’t be angry at me, Your Highness,” my page knelt, humbling himself in a panic. “I tried telling her that you don’t want to be disturbed but she insisted.”

“Let her in, please,” I said along with a sigh.

He stood up in haste and left the room. Mallory quickly entered and closed the door, doing a curtsey after.

“Mallory, I have the utmost confidence that my page told you that I didn’t want to be disturbed right now,” I began the conversation with an agitated tone.

“Yes, he did,” she quickly replied.

“Why would you still insist on bothering me?” I continued. “I still need time to rest and instead of being an understanding person, you insisted on disturbing my only time of peace for today. Are you that inconsiderate?” my teeth gritted as I grew even more frustrated.

“I’m sorry if I’m bothering you but I have to talk to you about something,” she began walking towards me, her hands in front of her.

“Can’t this conversation wait for another day?” I complained.

“This is very important. It’s about something you agreed to,” she quickly answered.

“What do you mean?” I raised an eyebrow, tilting my head to the right.

She stood in front of me, quiet with her eyes looking in every direction. She was thinking of something, in a bit of a panic.

“Mallory, please stop with the theatrics and tell me the reason why you’re here,” I groaned, patience growing thinner and thinner by the minute.

“Do you remember the promise you made before leaving for Middle Earth?” she stuttered, cautious with her words. She wasn’t showing her usual confident side which was odd.

“I don’t recall any promises made before my voyage,” I bluntly replied, my brows creased out of confusion.

She looked at me with shock which turned to disappointment in a matter of seconds. “Robert, are you deliberately doing this to make me angry?”

“Mallory, if I want to make you angry, I would do more than just tease you about a small matter,” I chuckled. “But in all honesty, I don’t remember making any promises with you before I left.”

She sighed. “Do you remember that conversation we had in the garden?”

Oh, how could I forget, Mallory? Playing the whole conversation in my head makes me even more irritated with her. She doesn’t respect my boundaries and the conditions I made for the relationship that we have. My blood continued to boil to the point that I couldn't control it anymore.

“What about that conversation?” I asked, doing my best to keep myself calm.

“You agreed that I can introduce my friend after your voyage,” she answered without letting me finish the last word of my question.

My mind froze as she said that. I suddenly remembered agreeing to that and now that she’s asking me about it, I am beyond terrified. Inside, I began to tremble, my heart raced as I tried to find my way out of this situation. On the outside, it may seem like I have everything under control but on the outside, I am in turmoil.

“Why are you bringing up this topic?” I asked, sounding unbothered as much as possible. She mustn’t see that I’m secretly in a panic.

“Do you remember it now?” she asked victoriously.

“Yes, I remember it well, Mallory,” I gruntled. “How can I forget the day that you did not consider the agreement we made before this relationship?”

My snarky remark caught her off guard, making her take a step back.

“Now, please answer the question: why bring up this matter?” I repeated.

She played with her hands for a brief moment then took a deep breath before continuing, “I brought my friend here. She’s waiting downstairs at the stables.”

“What?!” my hands gripped onto the armrest as I leaned forward, removing my legs from their previous position.

“You said I can introduce you after your trip—”

“That doesn’t mean that you can just decide on your own,” I started walking towards her, scolding her as if she was a child. She’s completely acting like one right now. “What made you think that you can simply make such a decision without asking me first?” my hands on my waist as I stood in front of her.

“I didn’t get the chance to ask you because I was immediately sent to the Mortal Realm to find some kind of herb—”

“Mortal Realm?” I interrupted. “Are you telling me that you brought a mortal being here?!”

“I told you she was from—”

“I know where she’s from!” I shouted, my hands in the air out of frustration. “All I’m asking is why would you bring someone from the mortal realm here?!”

“Because you said I can introduce you to her!” she replied, her voice in a panic, fear painted across her entire face.

Unbelievable.

My mouth hung from my face in utter contempt. Not for a second will, I believe that Mallory is this idiotic to even think that what she did is close to acceptable. I would have thrown her to the dungeons immediately if I wasn’t involved in what she did. I can’t hurt her because it’s not something I stand for. But she continued to push me to my absolute limit since we started whatever this is that we started.

“Mallory,” I scratched my forehead as I struggled to find the proper way to say what I needed to say. “I’m not sure what kind of food you’ve eaten today… but were you even using half of your brain when you made this decision?”

She stood there, unmoving. She just stared at me, looking at me with confusion.

“You disobeyed the rules that I set for this relationship,” I continued, trying to be as calm as possible, “Now, you disobeyed the rules of this realm, which is punishable by death.”

“I am well-aware that bringing a mortal to our realm is an unforgivable crime—”

“Then why would you do it?!” I screamed up to the top of my lungs. “You know what’s right and what’s wrong. Why are you making everything worse?”

“Because I’m trying to show you how much I love you, Robert!” she replied, desperation evident in her voice.

I stared at her, not knowing what to say.

She continued, her composure is slowly failing her, “Can’t you see? I’m willing to break all the rules just so I could show you how much you mean to me.”

I scoffed in disbelief, turning around as I’ve had enough of this conversation. We’ve been going around in circles regarding this matter. It has become tiring and annoying to repeat what I told her numerous times.

“Robert,” she called as she rushed over to me. She stood in front of me, blocking my path, “You always say that the rules of this kingdom will never permit us to be together. Well, this is my way of showing you that I’m willing to die for you just to be with you. No woman can do that for you but for me.”

“Mallory, stop! Enough with these delusions!” I answered, raising my voice as I gripped her arms tightly, giving her a bit of a shake. “No matter what you do, whether I’m a prince or a lowly peasant, I will never be yours,” I emphasized. “How many times do I have to tell you that? How long must we dance around this matter?”

Her eyes widened as they began to water. She stood frozen, stunned. “Why are you like this?” she spoke after staying silent for a while. Her voice began to crack. She shook my hands off as she continued, “Every time I do something to prove my love for you, you would always say you will never be mine, that we’ll never be together. Why are you this heartless?”

“It’s not called being heartless, Mallory. It’s called being honest, realistic,” I said after a groan. “From the very beginning of this pretentious relationship, I warned you about being too attached and wishing for too much. I told you, I agreed to this just so you can tell yourself that somehow, we had something more other than being friends. But you should never expect that my true feelings for you will change.”

“Robert,” she gently called, holding onto my hand. “My love for you is stronger than the storms your father can do. Isn’t it powerful enough to change your mind? To change your heart?”

To hear the desperation in Mallory’s voice, to see that she’s putting all of these efforts into something that will never lead to anything is heart-breaking for me. I didn’t want to do this to her because I know how much pain she’ll be having. But she did ask for this, she has her share of fault in this situation.

I let out a sigh as I looked away from her. I can’t bear to see her in tears, especially because of me. “Let’s go and meet your friend,” I changed the topic, slowly pulling my hand away from her grip. “Making your guest wait is rude and improper.” I began walking to the door, but I was quickly pulled back. This time, she’s holding onto my arm.

“You haven’t answered my question yet,” she said as I slowly turned back to look at her. “Isn’t my love powerful enough to make you love me?” she repeated with desperation this time.

The silence was again present within the room… but it wasn’t because of peace. It was silent because of pain and denial. It was loud enough to be heard across all kingdoms.

I sighed as I swallowed a big gulp, slowly removing her hand from my arm. “Mallory,” I began, not having the strength to face her. Seeing her in tears isn’t something my heart and my conscience can bear. “I will never love you in the way you love me. But you will always have a place in my heart… as my sister.”

She took a few steps back as she heard my response. She said nothing, did nothing but wept behind me. The very thought of tears streaming down her face is heart-breaking. I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath in as guilt started to wash all over me.

I’m fully aware that we wouldn’t be in this situation if I didn’t agree to what she wanted. She wouldn’t be begging for the entirety of my affections. She wouldn’t be crying because of heartbreak if I stood my ground. The day I allowed this arrangement between the two of us… was the ultimate push for us to be acting this way towards each other.

I cleared my throat, looking down on my hands as I rubbed them together, a failed attempt to compose myself and to get some strength to turn the conversation into a different one. “Come,” I said, breaking the agonizing silence. “We mustn’t keep your friend waiting.”

I began walking towards the door when Mallory suddenly remarked, “Why bother?”

I turned around, baffled. “What do you mean?”

She slid her arm across her nose, wiping it dry as she continued to sniff. “What’s the point of introducing you if you keep on reminding me that our relationship isn’t real?”

I groaned. Now, she’s saying there’s no need for this? I’m not the one who told her to make this decision in the first place.

I walked back to her, my hands behind my back. “Mallory, you brought your friend here for a reason. For sure, she still has other things to do but she chose to accompany you today,” I explained, trying to reason with her. “Also, I did agree to this and I’m not going to leave you alone in this.”

She continued to keep her head down, sometimes looking away as she avoided my gaze. Observing her face and actions, I could tell that she wasn’t convinced. I fear for Mallory and her friend. She mentioned she left her friend to wait at the stables. If one of the servants discovered her, Mallory will be punished, and her friend will lose her life.

Mortals aren’t allowed to know the existence of immortals, more so step foot in our realm. Those who did lose their eyes or the worst care for that is death. Only the ones who survived that punishment requested for their memories to be washed away. And not many immortals have that power. Thankfully, Gonzalo has that ability and took care of the situation in the mortal realm.

“Mallory, if you’re willing to accept punishment for your actions, I will not stop you,” I warned. “But I don’t think your friend deserves to pay with her life because of your actions.”

Her head quickly turned to me. Fear has dominated her previously weeping face. “Are you going to tell His Majesty?” she quickly asked, her eyes wide open.

“I won’t but if one of the servants finds her there, they may tell the king,” I added.

She was suddenly torn. She’s too broken to proceed with it but I can see her genuine concern for her friend.

I offered her my hand, causing her to look at me with a confused look on her face. “Come, now. You don’t want to be seen as a rude friend.”

She looked at my hand before looking back at me again.

“We don’t have time for this, Mallory,” I added, trying not to sound as demanding as possible. “You have to make a decision right now. Her life is absolutely in peril right now.”

After hesitating for a few more seconds, she finally held onto my hand and we made our way to the stables.

♔♔♔

As we arrived at the stables, no one was waiting for us. I looked around once more, making sure that I’m not missing anything or anyone.

“I thought you said your friend’s here,” I said, turning to her.

“I hid her somewhere here. I’ll go ahead and get her,” she replied as she walked away.

“This won’t take long, right?” I asked, putting my hands behind my back.

She didn’t answer and began checking each empty stable. When there was no sign of someone hiding inside the stables, she went back to where she started and began knocking three times on the wooden gates.

“Mallory?” a voice suddenly came from the very last stable, one where Elizabeth’s horse was being kept.

Mallory rushed over to that stable. As she looked over the gate, she said to someone I can’t see, “What are you doing in there?” Mallory quickly opened the gate, careful not to let the horse escape. I started to hear shuffling where Mallory was.

“You told me to hide,” a faint voice replied as I heard more shuffling from the stable.

I turned around, giving them privacy to speak with one another.

“I told you to hide but not in an occupied stable,” Mallory scolded.

“I’m very sorry,” her friend answered, her voice still fainted, almost like a whisper.

I finally heard footsteps coming towards me after they stopped talking and the wooden gate was closed. As their footsteps started to come closer, my heart began to beat faster. Sweat started to form in my hands as they remained closed behind my back.

“Is this him?” I heard her friend whisper.

“Yes, this is him. Should you find him a bit distant, that’s just the way he is,” Mallory responded, chuckling nervously after.

I scoffed at what I just heard. Being distant isn’t the way I am. Being distant is just something I use to prevent myself from getting embroiled in trouble. For Mallory to tell her friend that this is how I normally act is a bit annoying.

They finally stopped behind me and Mallory stood in front of me. She whispered as she moved closer, “What am I supposed to say? How are we supposed to act?”

As I looked into her eyes, there was a glint of hope while some part of her was lost within the situation. But I could tell that she’s hoping that we would act like a real couple in front of her friend. It may not be the best thing to do but it’s what’s right and I can’t embarrass her.

I grabbed her hands, slowly bringing them closer to my lips. “The least I could do,” I said after laying a soft peck on her hands. “The very least I could do is treat you as my beloved.”

She began to smile, her eyes started to water out of happiness.

“But after this, don’t expect that I will be doing it for the rest of our time together. Do you understand?” I added.

Her smile quickly turned into a firm line as she nodded.

I gently put her hand on my arm as I slowly turned around to face her friend. But turning around… was the biggest mistake I’ve ever made.