Fictional Love

I slowly open my eyes, my body stiff as a board. I smell smoke. I start to panic, then I realise that I'm lying next to a bonfire. I start to sit up. "Careful, My Lady. You took quite a fall earlier."

I fell? I don't remember falling... I straighten to a sitting position and try to locate the voice. "Wait, what did you call me?"

"My Lady, My Lady." His voice almost sounds like he's smirking. Then I see him - a man in armour, sitting on the other side of the fire. He gets up to walk toward me. "Maybe you hit your head harder than I thought you did... “My lady” is how a royal guard addresses the princess." He sits next to me and leans in to get a good look at me.

I flush at his closeness. “Princess?" I move back. "I'm not a princess..."

He raises an eyebrow, then sighs. "Oh bother… Yes, you are Princess Elfie, youngest daughter to the king of Citish Kingdom. I am taking you to wed the prince of the nearby Kingdom."

I look around. "Then why are we alone? Don't royals travel with grand caravans?"

"Well Princess, we were with said grand caravan." He pauses to look at me. "Until someone tried to flee, tripped herself on a tree root, and hit her head.”

I decide it's better to play along. A blush creeps across my face, as I’m still aware of his closeness. "Oh, yes. I remember now."

He sighs again. "Look, My Lady. I know you don't want to marry this man. But your father needs this peace treaty."

I look away. "No one cares about what I want, Sir Jasper." How did I remember his name?

"Ah, so your mind is returning, My Lady." He beams at me, then his smile falls. "Knights and Princesses don't get to choose much, do they?"

I study him closely. "Did Jasper the Prodigy not want to go on this journey?" I tease, trying to lighten both our moods.

"The journey? No, that's not the problem, Princess. It's the fact that I am to return... without you." He lowers his voice as if the trees might hear.

I turn bright red; I can feel my face flush. "Pardon?"

"Sorry, My Lady. I shouldn't have said anything…" He quickly moves away from me.

"Wait!" I grab his hand. "Do you truly mean that?"

"Of course, My Lady!" He takes my hand in his. "I hate to leave you behind.”

"I never wanted to be Father’s bargaining chip." I watch the fire dance in his eyes.

"Had I been a lord I would have fought for you hard," he says quickly.

"I know, My Brave Knight, Sir Jasper the Prodigy." I reach up and touch his face. He catches my hand, so now he's holding them both. I blush.

“What a story we could have had." He gives my hands a squeeze and lets them go, then quickly moves to his original spot across the fire from me.

I stare at the fire for a while, thinking about all the wonderful times Sir Jasper and I had together. He had gone from stable boy to knight in training. He'd stopped a thief from stealing some of the royal treasury. He’d flown up the ranks. He'd been made a knight when we were teens. And then became one of the princess's bodyguards. He didn't get along with my sisters so he was always with me.

I knew it was against the rules, but he was so close to my age that we became friends. Then...something more. That is, before this trip, this treaty. Father had been planning to offer my hand in marriage to the best tonight at the tournament. He simply wanted me wed. We had been sure Jasper would win; he trained all the time.

That all changed when the letter came. A king demanding a treaty or else he would bring war to our Kingdom. So I was offered as a bride-to-be to a king’s spoiled son.

I already know I will not be happy there.

"Jasper?" I ask, my voice faint. He looks up at me but says nothing. "Run away with me?"

"Elfie, don't ask such questions. We will bring war to our land if we do that. And if we are caught, I will hang."

He's right, I know he is. But in my heart, I believe - maybe foolishly - that we can make it work. "So, we don't get caught."

"Elfie... You know this isn't possible." He tosses a rock. "Our fate has been sealed."

"No!" I stand. "I refuse to accept this fate! I love you and will not leave your side!" My face flushes.

"What?" He speaks softly.

"I won't leave your side," I say, too quickly.

"No, before that..." He walks towards me, and I meet him halfway.

"I love you." I whisper. "You knew I did, didn't you?"

"I...I hoped you did. I knew you cared for me, and that you wanted to escape from royal life with me. But…" He takes my hands again. “I feared you only saw me as the safest escape route from your father's house."

"Oh Jasper, you are so much more than an escape route." I want to say more, but I hear a ringing that drowns everything out. I squeeze my eyes shut and the noise stops.

When I open my eyes again I'm staring at the pages of my book. And I can't help but be slightly disappointed.