kind of a ride?" the king asked.
"I would like you to ride with us to a village in the mountains and
meet some people - just the three of us."
The king looked at his daughter thoughtfully. She glanced at
Alexander and could see him shaking his head. She glanced at Lady
Margaret, Duke Reginald, and her mother. All had the same expression, an
expression of concern as to what she was up to.
"Would it be safe?" the king asked.
She turned back to her father. "Yes, Father. Perfectly safe."
"All right, then. I think it might be nice to see what you've been up
to all summer."
She smiled. "Thank you. I'll talk to you more about it later."
They had no sooner finished the banquet than she took her father
aside. She convinced him to go with them as a friend, not as king, so he
could see what the people here were really like. In her heart she knew what
she really wanted was for him to see Alexander as she saw him.
As she approached her living quarters, she could see Alexander
nervously pacing back and forth. When he saw her, he ran to her. "Your
Highness, what are you doing?"
Louise felt a chill run down her back as he addressed her so. "Your
Highness?"
Alexander looked down, but not before she could see the same hurt
look in his eyes she had seen the night of her birthday ball.
"You know I must call you that."
She agreed he must - for now. But she knew she couldn't let him
forever, though she didn't say that to him. He looked at her and, again, his
eyes had that hurt in them that tore at her heart. "Princess, why did you ask
your father to go riding with us?"
She took his hand and looked directly at him. "I want my father to
know the Alexander I know."
"But what am I to do?" he asked.
She smiled encouragingly at him. "Just do what you always do.
Visit with the people, trade plants and knowledge, give the children candy."
"But he'll think I'm stupid - that I'm being less than noble. I mean,
he already feels I'm not worthy of..." He stopped, as if saying it was too
painful, and he looked away.
She squeezed his hand. "He won't think you're stupid or less noble,
and we can work to change his feelings."
Alexander still said nothing. She squeezed his hand tighter. "For
me. Won't you do it for me? Take us to the village in the mountains. Let's
do just like the time you took me."
Alexander swallowed hard and smiled a weak smile. "Minus the
chicken?"
She grinned at him. "Minus the chicken."
Alexander took a deep breath, but finally nodded. She smiled. "I
told Father we would leave just before dawn, so we better get some rest.
We will want to be up to join him for breakfast."
Alexander nodded, and, as he turned to leave, she called after him.
"And don't forget the lunch and the candy."
Everything was ready before they even sat down to breakfast.
Louise chatted happily with her father at breakfast. Alexander ate quietly.
Alexander's horse was heavy-laden as they left. He decided to take some
corn seed as gifts to find out how it would grow on the mountain.
Once they were on their way, Louise was afraid Alexander's silence
would be misunderstood by her father. In an effort to get Alexander to open
up she asked him questions about different mountains, rivers, and streams -
the many things she knew he knew so much about. Soon he was sharing
insights on different places and events. Even though he was still slightly
reserved, he was more like the Alexander she wanted her father to
"I would like you to ride with us to a village in the mountains and
meet some people - just the three of us."
The king looked at his daughter thoughtfully. She glanced at
Alexander and could see him shaking his head. She glanced at Lady
Margaret, Duke Reginald, and her mother. All had the same expression, an
expression of concern as to what she was up to.
"Would it be safe?" the king asked.
She turned back to her father. "Yes, Father. Perfectly safe."
"All right, then. I think it might be nice to see what you've been up
to all summer."
She smiled. "Thank you. I'll talk to you more about it later."
They had no sooner finished the banquet than she took her father
aside. She convinced him to go with them as a friend, not as king, so he
could see what the people here were really like. In her heart she knew what
she really wanted was for him to see Alexander as she saw him.
As she approached her living quarters, she could see Alexander
nervously pacing back and forth. When he saw her, he ran to her. "Your
Highness, what are you doing?"
Louise felt a chill run down her back as he addressed her so. "Your
Highness?"
Alexander looked down, but not before she could see the same hurt
look in his eyes she had seen the night of her birthday ball.
"You know I must call you that."
She agreed he must - for now. But she knew she couldn't let him
forever, though she didn't say that to him. He looked at her and, again, his
eyes had that hurt in them that tore at her heart. "Princess, why did you ask
your father to go riding with us?"
She took his hand and looked directly at him. "I want my father to
know the Alexander I know."
"But what am I to do?" he asked.
She smiled encouragingly at him. "Just do what you always do.
Visit with the people, trade plants and knowledge, give the children candy."
"But he'll think I'm stupid - that I'm being less than noble. I mean,
he already feels I'm not worthy of..." He stopped, as if saying it was too
painful, and he looked away.
She squeezed his hand. "He won't think you're stupid or less noble,
and we can work to change his feelings."
Alexander still said nothing. She squeezed his hand tighter. "For
me. Won't you do it for me? Take us to the village in the mountains. Let's
do just like the time you took me."
Alexander swallowed hard and smiled a weak smile. "Minus the
chicken?"
She grinned at him. "Minus the chicken."
Alexander took a deep breath, but finally nodded. She smiled. "I
told Father we would leave just before dawn, so we better get some rest.
We will want to be up to join him for breakfast."
Alexander nodded, and, as he turned to leave, she called after him.
"And don't forget the lunch and the candy."
Everything was ready before they even sat down to breakfast.
Louise chatted happily with her father at breakfast. Alexander ate quietly.
Alexander's horse was heavy-laden as they left. He decided to take some
corn seed as gifts to find out how it would grow on the mountain.
Once they were on their way, Louise was afraid Alexander's silence
would be misunderstood by her father. In an effort to get Alexander to open
up she asked him questions about different mountains, rivers, and streams -
the many things she knew he knew so much about. Soon he was sharing
insights on different places and events. Even though he was still slightly
reserved, he was more like the Alexander she wanted her father to
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