Chapter 20: The Forgotten Queen And Her Lover, The Enemy 1

Many years ago, a queen was born into the White family. She was born with the most beautiful black eyes, porcelain skin, heart-shaped lips, and hair in the color of of a raven's feather. Her name was Dianne—meaning heavenly and divine. She was a true beauty and charmed all who met her.

On the other side, in the safety of the Cross Fortress, a king was born. His name was Alexander—meaning defender of men. He possessed brown curly hair, ocean-blue eyes, soft lips, and skin as fair as snow. He was the pride and joy of his clan.

Due to the raging war between both houses, tragedy struck. The mother of the princess had died during childbirth, while the prince's father had died in battle. A life was exchanged for a life that day. A daughter lost a mother, and a prince lost a father.

Years have passed and soon, the young prince and princess have turned sixteen. The princess only grew more beautiful and her intelligence became her greatest asset, while the prince turned into a warrior with intelligence worthy of becoming a king.

Princess Dianne was raised by the king, her father. He loved her more than anything and gave her everything she ever asked for. Even after remarrying, he made sure that the princess was never left out. He gave her an education fit for an heir, knowing that she would succeed him one day.

Prince Alexander was brought up by his mother and his uncle. His mother gave him every inch of love she could to make up for the absence of his father. His uncle trained him to become the king everybody deserved. His mother never remarried, and focused only on him, her beloved son.

Due to the tragedies both families have experienced, like every family before them, they raised their children to hate each other. And though both heirs questioned the reason behind it, they still obeyed their parents.

One winter morning, while most people were still asleep, Princess Dianne snuck out of the palace. She ran off to the woods to venture out. She's no innocent girl, but a warrior trained the minute she could walk. And though her father trusted her ability to protect herself, he still preferred her to have a knight by her side. A stubborn teenager, she left on her own to enjoy the great outdoors. She wore a pink dress beneath her thick coat and a pair of leather boots to keep her warm. At sixteen, there is no stopping a girl from getting what she wants.

Dianne sang whilst dancing in the woods. She imagined herself in a fairytale, waiting for her true love to appear before her. And to her surprise, he did.

A boy came to light who had a beautiful mane of curly chestnut hair and the most amazing pair of blue eyes she'd ever seen, wearing a thick coat in the shade of blue. He was a handsome boy who was about her age.

Dianne, at first, thought she was in a dream, but soon came to her senses and withdrew her sword from its sheath. "Don't come any closer," she threatens, holding the sword before her.

The boy laughed, raising his hands. "Please, I'm not going to hurt you," he said with a warm smile. "I was just passing by, and I heard you singing."

The princess blushed, refusing to put away her sword. She kept her guard up, saying, "I am Nicole. I'm not from here. Truthfully, I am here on holiday. And you, sir?" She was not about to tell him who she was. If he were an enemy, he would take her hostage, or worse, kill her right then and there; not that he could.

"I am Cole," he lied, "I am also on holiday. My family is somewhere far down the path. The carriage broke down, so they gave me permission to just roam around. Your singing led me here."

"Ah," the princess said, "I suppose I should put this away." She put her sword back in its sheath, still keeping a safe distance from him.

He stared at her. She was beautiful and brave. She even held a sword, and not a lot of women do so. She captured his heart in an instant, and he didn't know it. Judging by her dress, she must come from a rich household.

"Tell me," he says, "What are you doing out here alone in the woods?"

"I happen to enjoy my independence," she replied. "And what are you doing here?"

"I already told you why," he scratched his head, smiling sheepishly. He came closer, taking her hand and planting a kiss on it.

Dianne blushed, withdrawing her hand. "There's no need to do that," she said, taking a step back.

"It's dangerous beyond these trees," he said, "Please do not go any further."

The two sat down by a log, just chatting away. It seems that both of them feel safe enough with each other's company. Dianne never spoke to a boy freely as she had now. Usually, she had to restrain herself and act properly because she was the princess. But now, with this boy, she didn't have to act like a princess. She got to be herself, and she liked it.

The prince equally enjoyed her company. She was fun and interesting. He admired how different she was from most girls he met in balls. Being just a "commoner" freed him. Today, he was just a boy, and she was just a girl. No formalities and forced conversations.

"Do you know why I followed your voice?" he asked.

"Why?" she said, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"Because it was so awful, I thought someone was dying," he said, laughing hysterically.

Dianne punched him in the abdomen, cussing beneath her breath. Though, what he said was true. She is a horrible singer and she knew it. "You are an absolute ass!" she said, turning to face him. To her surprise, his face was but a breath away from hers. All she could think about was his soft lips, wondering how it would feel to kiss them. Before she knew it, he planted a kiss on her lips. A very sweet and innocent kiss.

He pulled away, ashamed of what he did. He was a gentleman and he ruined her innocence. He felt awful. To his surprise, the girl didn't hit him. Instead, she pulled him back, kissing him too. She was so sweet and innocent. "You have guts," he said, pulling away. "I suppose I am not the first?"

She giggled, shaking her head. "You are, my lord," she replied, touching her lips. "No one will ever know." She stood up ready to bid him farewell when an arrow landed just between her feet. "Run!" she said, taking his hand. Alas, she didn't know that it was the prince's men who were after them.

"Sh," he said, hiding her in one of the bushes. "Please, stay here, alright? I will take care of it."

She nodded, trusting the boy.

Alexander stood up, walking over to the men who were yards away from them. "Stand down," he commanded.

"Prince Alexander!" the guards exclaimed, "We were looking everywhere for you! Please come along. We need to get going." With that said, they left.

Dianne was left in hiding, her heart pounding in her chest. She had just met the Crown Prince of House Cross and she gave him her first kiss. She wanted to feel ashamed of herself, but she didn't. She felt no regrets whatsoever. The prince didn't seem as evil as they painted him to be. In fact, he was fun, charming, and kind. He even saved her from the awful men that attacked them. Still, she wondered how it would've turned out if he had known who she was. Would he have saved her still, or would he have killed her right then and there?

I read the first chapter of the book Damien had left for me. Interesting. It seemed more like a work of fiction instead of facts. How could the princess be so reckless? Moreover, who even wrote this? I won't judge it harshly because it seems to be an interesting book. To think that the forgotten queen gave her first kiss to her enemy.

I see how Damien took an interest in this book. It must have reminded him of us minus the love. The main characters in this book are said to have been in love. A forbidden love... Because of the way they felt, they both met their downfall. This is the very reason why I will never let my heart have control over me. I look forward to reading the next chapter soon, but now I must rest. The baby growing inside me seems to be quite tiresome.

I wonder what Damien's currently doing? He has yet to respond to the letter I wrote him. It's been a week. I suppose I shouldn't make a big deal out of it. He must be busy since he's the one leading the action. The people are still keeping me in the dark for fear that it may cause me distress and therefore put the baby at risk. I suppose I will just have to wait for his response.