now a shattered shell of herself. Both of his parents—both of the rocks he could lean upon were gone now—it was he, he was the rock.
He was the rock the kingdom would turn to.
It was nearly three once he was finally able to tuck his Mother into bed and make his way into the bright sunshine to Ella.
How he needed her at this moment.
How he needed any distraction at all.
They had decided not to announce his father’s death for another few more hours at least, to give time for the queen to regain some composure and her strength. Hopefully it would be enough to face the masses again.
He rode his horse swiftly to the orchard. Allowing the breeze and gloriousness of the day to remedy his loss. Sliding down from the animal, he looped its tethers upon the closest branch and looked for the girl who was not there.
Heaving a disappointed sigh, he sat down upon the ground and rested his back against the tree. No doubt she had already waited for him as long as she possibly dared and then headed back in the house. He thought about coming up to the door, but decided it was not worth the complications that may arise from such actions. He could not risk being seen by her family.
Instead, he folded his arms and sighed again—surprised at how truly saddened he was she was not there. He needed a distraction. Something to take his mind off his aching heart. Something to allow hope back in—something he could do himself to repair… something. Just something. He needed something. Yet, he did not know what.
“Forgive me for coming so late.”
Anthony turned around and smiled as Ella approached.
“I am glad you did not give up on me and head home,” she said as she sat next to him.
“Hello.” He was about to explain that he had barely arrived when his gaze traced her worn features. Her eyes were swollen, perhaps as much as his were.
“Hello.” She grinned lopsidedly.
Tenderly, he brought his hand up to brush away the wisps of hair that had escaped her bun. “What is wrong, Ella?”
She turned her head and brushed her lips against his palm, kissing it. “Why would you say something is wrong?”
He let out a short chuckle. “Are we to play this game then?”
Her eyes met his and her jaw dropped. “John! What has happened? You look quite fatigued.”
Closing his eyes, he slid his hand around her head to cup her neck. When he opened them, he replied, “I am fatigued. I feel as though I have lived several lifetimes the past twelve hours or so.”
“What happened?”
Kissing her brow, he said, “You first.”
She shook her head. “I cannot tell you.”
“Why?”
“Because I cannot.” She pulled back. “What ails you?”
“Ella, if someone caused those tears, then I would kindly like to know who did, so that I may throttle them.”
“Which is precisely why I will not tell you.”
He dropped his hand. “Are you jesting me? Someone did something to you so horrid that I would throttle them if I knew what it was?”
Her trusting eyes met his. She took a couple of deep breaths, but still did not speak.
“Ella? What is it?”
She turned her head away.
His heart lurched. “What are you ashamed of? Do not turn from me now. Please, whatever it is, let us work it out together.” He grasped her hands. “Please, I need this—I very much need this right now.”
He watched as her gaze darted to their clasped hands and then to his eyes. “Will you promise me something?” she asked.
“Anything.”
“Promise that no matter what I tell you, you will remain impassive and you will not harm those involved.”
My word! What had the girl suffered? “I promise I will do everything in my power to not react badly to whatever it is you reveal.”
Ella grinned. “That is not good enough.”
“What? ‘Tis the best I can do. Promise to control myself. But, it really depends on what you say—what secret you reveal that will make me decide how to properly respond.
“Jonathan!”
“Eleanoria!”
“You must
He was the rock the kingdom would turn to.
It was nearly three once he was finally able to tuck his Mother into bed and make his way into the bright sunshine to Ella.
How he needed her at this moment.
How he needed any distraction at all.
They had decided not to announce his father’s death for another few more hours at least, to give time for the queen to regain some composure and her strength. Hopefully it would be enough to face the masses again.
He rode his horse swiftly to the orchard. Allowing the breeze and gloriousness of the day to remedy his loss. Sliding down from the animal, he looped its tethers upon the closest branch and looked for the girl who was not there.
Heaving a disappointed sigh, he sat down upon the ground and rested his back against the tree. No doubt she had already waited for him as long as she possibly dared and then headed back in the house. He thought about coming up to the door, but decided it was not worth the complications that may arise from such actions. He could not risk being seen by her family.
Instead, he folded his arms and sighed again—surprised at how truly saddened he was she was not there. He needed a distraction. Something to take his mind off his aching heart. Something to allow hope back in—something he could do himself to repair… something. Just something. He needed something. Yet, he did not know what.
“Forgive me for coming so late.”
Anthony turned around and smiled as Ella approached.
“I am glad you did not give up on me and head home,” she said as she sat next to him.
“Hello.” He was about to explain that he had barely arrived when his gaze traced her worn features. Her eyes were swollen, perhaps as much as his were.
“Hello.” She grinned lopsidedly.
Tenderly, he brought his hand up to brush away the wisps of hair that had escaped her bun. “What is wrong, Ella?”
She turned her head and brushed her lips against his palm, kissing it. “Why would you say something is wrong?”
He let out a short chuckle. “Are we to play this game then?”
Her eyes met his and her jaw dropped. “John! What has happened? You look quite fatigued.”
Closing his eyes, he slid his hand around her head to cup her neck. When he opened them, he replied, “I am fatigued. I feel as though I have lived several lifetimes the past twelve hours or so.”
“What happened?”
Kissing her brow, he said, “You first.”
She shook her head. “I cannot tell you.”
“Why?”
“Because I cannot.” She pulled back. “What ails you?”
“Ella, if someone caused those tears, then I would kindly like to know who did, so that I may throttle them.”
“Which is precisely why I will not tell you.”
He dropped his hand. “Are you jesting me? Someone did something to you so horrid that I would throttle them if I knew what it was?”
Her trusting eyes met his. She took a couple of deep breaths, but still did not speak.
“Ella? What is it?”
She turned her head away.
His heart lurched. “What are you ashamed of? Do not turn from me now. Please, whatever it is, let us work it out together.” He grasped her hands. “Please, I need this—I very much need this right now.”
He watched as her gaze darted to their clasped hands and then to his eyes. “Will you promise me something?” she asked.
“Anything.”
“Promise that no matter what I tell you, you will remain impassive and you will not harm those involved.”
My word! What had the girl suffered? “I promise I will do everything in my power to not react badly to whatever it is you reveal.”
Ella grinned. “That is not good enough.”
“What? ‘Tis the best I can do. Promise to control myself. But, it really depends on what you say—what secret you reveal that will make me decide how to properly respond.
“Jonathan!”
“Eleanoria!”
“You must
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