Chapter Eleven

When Joanna brought Antonio home, she consulted Mrs Isabella and told her what happened and Mrs Isabella was so moved that she asked Antonio to stay as long as he wanted in her home. She also made it clear to Joanna that her prediction about the princess was coming to pass for what would one expect? The princess had been like a lion's cub which was yet to discover its killing instinct, of course she had grown and she had known her true potentials so Joanna must stay away from her or she would get hurt like Antonio one day. Mrs Isabella also advised Joanna to stick to fellow commoners like Antonio.

"Why Antonio?" Joanna asked in perplexity.

"People like Antonio will never let you down." Mrs Isabella advised.

"That young man was the remote reason why the princess handicapped our strong bound." Joanna whispered with a fearful face.

"Yea you told me that a million times already." Mrs Isabella answered. "But he didn't ruin your bound with the princess," She continued, "because its not a crime for a man to fall in love with a woman. Joan the true color of the princess was only revealed to you."

"Yea he told me that already, probably a million times too." Joanna responded slowly for she pondered her foster mother's words.

When the consultation was over, Joanna asked Antonio to go home and get some of his belongings. Antonio did as she said, thus began a new period in the Cathy and Joan's relationship- a period when the tide was turned and it became Joan's turn to come into the love scene. Yes, despite Antonio's ugly experience and Mrs. Isabella's advises, Joanna wasn't in a hurry to terminate her relationship with the princess for they had been friends from childhood. This became the remote reason why the princess later returned to her to lay claim on something she believed was rightfully hers. But Antonio was in a hurry to show his appreciation to Joanna for being there for him when he was hurt. She wasn't a princess, but Antonio treated her like one. She considered it annoying in the beginning for sometimes he would even wash her feet and dry it with a towel when they were dusty. But she didn't showcase her annoyance and she always tried as much as she could to discourage him from being crazily nice to her, and when his real motive finally surfaced, she gave up on him and also found a reason to approve the nick name he gave to her which ran thus, "My guardian Angel."

It was early in the morning, Joanna woke up and stretched her body. She heard a snore and suddenly turned to see who was lying next to her and realizing it was Antonio, she spoke up unhappily,

"Oh my God! Antonio i left my room because of you, here you are again."

Her complaint woke both Antonio and Mrs Isabella from sleep and Mrs Isabella went straight to the point knowing that Joanna would soon come to lay this same complaint again.

"Oh Joan its him again?" Her voice sounded "He didn't interrupt your sleep last night, did he?"

"No mum but he..."

"He didn't bother you last night, did he?"

"Very No, but he..."

"Then let him be! I went to be bed by 11 pm last night, i need more sleep okay?"

"Okay mum."

Joanna frowned a little at Antonio and he took her hand in smiles,

"I think i won." He said playfully and Joanna withdrew her hand for she wasn't ready for playfulness.

"Please lets switch homes." She said with a funny looking worried face and Antonio laughed.

"I am serious and stop laughing, you will wake my mum and put me into trouble." She whispered.

"You sounded too funny, that's why i laughed out loud." Antonio whispered in response and Joanna recalled what she actually said and laughed too for she sounded funny to her self. Then after gazing at Antonio's nice-looking face for a while, she turned her eyes away like she was trying to resist a feeling deep inside her and continued worryingly,

"Antonio why are you doing this to me?"

"What?" Antonio asked.

"You go where ever i go, You sleep where ever i sleep, you wash my feet and always wish to carry me on your back like i am a giant lazy female baby which is very ridiculous." Joanna said.

"Cause you are my guardian angel." Antonio responded calmly.

"What do you want from me?" Joanna asked and gazed at his face again like she was surrendering to that feeling which was deep inside her. "Is this how it feels?" She continued after a brief silence.

"What?" Antonio asked.

"The love." she responded.

"The love?" Antonio asked in perplexity.

"Yea, Cathy told me about the love, she said it makes her feel like she has butterflies in her stomach." Joanna replied.

"butterflies? Why do you ask?" Antonio asked curiously.

"I don't know- maybe cause when i look at your face, something tells me the butterflies are in my stomach too." Joanna replied and Antonio took her hand immediately and kissed it.

"No- don't do that!" She responded and withdrew her hand.

"Please Lets go now." Antonio pleaded.

"Where exactly?" Joanna asked.

"To the love garden, Cathy loved it there." Antonio persuaded and Joanna suddenly broke into silence. Antonio threw his arm round her neck impatiently and she gently removed his arm.

"We will spend a cool time in the garden together and there will be plenty of butterflies in your stomach this time like it happened to Cathy." Antonio continued persuasively and Joanna was downcast and deep in thought. She knew that what ever got Cathy so distracted that she over looked their friendship could be very enchanting and probably enjoyable. He threw his arm round her neck again and this time she didn't object.

"Am sorry Joanna, I think i have fallen in love with you." He said and Joanna raised her eyes to his face in shock.

"This explains why i treat you the way i do. Its like falling in love the Angel sent from heaven to guard you. You left me with no choice: you are too good to me, you are outstandingly beautiful and on-top of that, you saved me from suicide- what do you expect?" He continued, "You are a thousand times more beautiful than Cathy, but the fact that Cathy was a princess of England misdirected me, that was why i took her to the garden instead of you. Now i have learned my lessons, all that glitters is not gold."

Joanna remained calm and speechless. Antonio walked Joanna to her bed room and said to her,

"Get prepared, we will leave soon. leave the morning chores to me, i will take care of them all." He left the room and she sat on the bed speechlessly. He later took her to the garden and she gazed at its beauty in incredulity. She walked from one end of it to the other admiring the splendor of nature. Then Antonio crunched in front of her in smiles and for the first time, she accepted his offer to carry her on his back because she was so enchanted by the beauty of nature. When he was done walking round the garden, Antonio made her stand on her feet and walked her to that very spot in the garden where he had always spent time with Catherine. He sat under the apple tree and made her sit close to him.

"I always brought your friend to this garden and we spent time together right here. I thought she was my missing rib, I never knew she is the devil." He said. "Joan you once said you will like to marry a hunter." He continued with a calm voice.

"When did i say that?" Joanna asked.

"Years ago when we were kids. I talked about the little wolf we caught in the forest and you said it." Antonio responded.

"That was long ago, Cathy told me that things we said when we were kids don't usually count." Joanna responded.

"Joan i am that hunter and i want to kiss you right now- not in your chick, but in your lips." Antonio leaned close to her and asked and after gazing at his face for seconds, she hid her face in timidity for she was very tempted to take a kiss from his cute red lips.

"Please don't." she resisted.

"Come here." Antonio said, took hold of her and made her sit on his thighs like he usually did to Catherine. She tried to resist again but Antonio hugged her and glued his lips to hers. Joanna finally remained calm and watched Antonio for she needed to know what he had to offer which could be so enchanting that it made Cathy break their bound in lost of control. But he didn't go deep, he only kissed her lips. Joanna had never been kissed by a man before, but well, it was kinda cool. The kiss was decorous and it made her feel like she was off the hook. Antonio later took her home and the next day, he brought her back to the garden and they spent time together. Antonio took sit under the apple tree and made her sit on his thighs like a baby and after a brief discussion, Joanna spoke up,

"I can't believe this was why Cathy got so enchanted, a kiss from you?"

Antonio chuckled and responded, "My guardian Angel, i don't want to be fast in going down on you because i cherish and respect you."

"Okay." Joanna said and stayed calm and after a suitable interval, she asked again in curiosity,

"Going down on me?"

"Yea, going down on you like i did to the princess, but i didn't completely went down on her." Antonio replied and Joanna continued,

"But this is what you want from me- isn't it?"

"Not just that, i want your love and attention too. I believe you are my missing rib." Antonio responded.

"Then what shall i do to prove you won my love already?" Joanna asked.

"A kiss from you my guardian Angel." Antonio responded and Joanna closed her eyes and pushed her lips towards his, he took her face at once and glued his lips to hers, and after kissing her briefly, he abandoned her lips and went down to her neck, chest and finally her tits. Joanna groaned passionately for she enjoyed his touches. Yes, she was beginning to realize why her friend got so enchanted and she was beginning to fall in love with Antonio too. When the love birds were done, they returned home holding each other's hands and Mrs Isabella was happy seeing them together. Perhaps, Antonio could be a reason the princess would never come back to her adopted child. At night when Mrs Isabella dozed off, Antonio went to Joanna's room and unlike he did to Catherine, he cut too many words off and made love to her. He made her loose her cherry and they did it three times that night. She groaned in great pleasure and ecstasy for she enjoyed every bit of the night. She gripped Antonio in great pleasure and cried,

"You are mine and i am yours forever!"

Weeks later, Antonio and Joanna went to the market holding each others hands and everybody who saw them knew they were in love. Antonio made Joanna so happy that she smiled and laughed unceasingly. Catherine who was also driven to the market by the royal chariot that same morning was in the other side of the market and from there, she spotted her friend with Antonio and suspected they could be in love because Antonio had his arm round Joanna's waist and Joanna was full of smiles.

"Hmm, if it ain't my little friend." She thought, and as she watched, Antonio leaned and kissed Joanna on the chick and this gave them away. What drew Catherine's attention the most was how happy and confident Joanna was. Catherine finished up what she came to do in the market and drove off without calling the attention of her friend.

Catherine was alone in her room deep in thought. She appeared to be sick and tired of her relationship with Charlie Edwards because he hardly spend time with her. Charlie was an unfaithful partner who was always on a date with other ladies for he was corrupt, rich and famous. The truth was that no other man may be willing to give her so much attention like Antonio did. Yes she was gradually learning her lessons; what a woman needed most from her man was his attention. In addition, Charlie only wanted sex and he had no time for kisses, fondling and other romantic touches which a woman needed to get genuinely excited- he only went straight to the buffet to take what he wanted and when he was done, he would dump his woman and take a hike. Every advantage has disadvantage and it is advisable to first measure the distance between the advantage and the disadvantage of a decision before choosing to make it or not. Catherine was a princess, she was born great and she needed no company of gods and goddesses to be great. The fault was hers and worst of all, if she hadn't seen Joanna and Antonio together, she would have moved forward in search of another male icon like Charlie who could give her the attention she needed, instead of recalling the romantic touches she missed and going back to Joanna to claim Antonio was hers. Seeing her friend and Antonio together brought past memories to her, but first she doubted that mare Antonio could be the best thing that ever happened to her love life and she also doubted that Joanna may have fallen for Antonio and to know if what she saw in the market was real or just a drama, she invited Joanna to the castle in a letter and without much ado, Joanna visited her and they discussed.

"Whats up with you pal?" she spoke up.

"Princess am cool." Joanna responded in broad smiles.

"And what makes you so happy-Antonio?" she asked.

"My benevolence, Cathy i am happy because i made my self happy." Joanna answered.

"Joan am i missing something? tell me." she asked and Joanna's mood changed for she recalled what Catherine did to Antonio.

"Cathy i heard what you did to him." She responded.

"What are you talking about?" Catherine asked.

"He came to me heart broken and wounded." Joanna responded.

"Antonio? He shouldn't have visited the palace without letting me know. Besides, my mum did that to him not me." Catherine said trying to push the blame to Antonio. "And what happened when he came to you," She continued, "you fell in love with him?"

"Jesus! Cathy what are you talking about? Antonio nearly committed suicide." Joanna responded unhappily.

"Oh!" Catherine exclaimed, "That dude really likes me." she continued.

"Cathy i did what i had to do to keep him away from being lonely and troubled." Joanna said sadly.

'What are you trying to say?" Catherine asked in deep curiosity.

"We are in love Cathy, that's what i mean." Joanna responded nervously.

"Joan i didn't tell you i dumped him. You heard his side of the story and you made a conclusion without consulting me to know what actually happened?" Catherine asked with a mean face and Joanna was downcast and after a brief silence, Catherine burst out laughing and continued, "Am kidding pal. All he said was right but he is to blame for coming to the castle to see me. Congratulations Joan, you just met your first love!"

Joanna smiled broadly and hugged Cathy. "Thanks for the compliment." she replied.

"And you will not try to kiss me on the lips again like a lesbian right?" Catherine asked jokingly.

"Yea Princess." Joanna responded.

"Cause those pretty lips of yours now belong to him right?" Catherine asked.

"Yea." Joanna responded and burst into smiles.

"Wait, how many times did he kiss you already?" Catherine asked with a jealous face.

"Uncountable times." Joanna responded.

"Alright, go go go go! he's probably at home and he's missing you." Catherine said with a forced smile and Joanna hugged her good bye and left. Catherine remained in her room deep in thought and by the look on her face, she was up to something nasty. The next day, Catherine was so lonely and idle that the whole castle became boring to her and like saint Paul said, 'An idle mind is the devil's work shop,' she couldn't help feeling insanely Jealous and she suddenly decided to reclaim Antonio's love and attention for she believed Joanna was no match to her and Antonio would definitely choose her over Joanna. Since Antonio was in love, Catherine knew where to possibly locate him for it was summer and the weather was hot, the garden of course. She put on the outfit of a commoner, sneaked out of the Castle without body guards and headed straight for the garden and like she expected, Antonio and Joanna were in the garden when she arrived but they were too busy fondling each other to notice her presence. She stood still and watched them in Jealousy and envy and when she couldn't take it anymore, she coughed in other to draw the attention of the desperate love birds.

"Cathy what are you doing here?" Joanna leaned back in surprise and asked and Antonio frowned in resentment because the presence of the princess who was once his girl friend disgusted him.

Catherine gave a deep breathe and responded with a forced smile,

"Wow, been watching this drama for minutes." Then she diverted her attention to Antonio, waved her hand and greeted, "Hi Antonio!" But Antonio gave her no attention, instead he stood up and walked out of the garden without saying a word.

"Cathy what an unexpected visit!" Joanna said in smile and in response, Catherine frowned and turned her back on Joanna.

"Whats wrong Princess?" Joanna stood up, held her shoulder and asked in curiosity.

"I thought you were my friend Joan, why would you stab me on the back?" Catherine responded in bitterness.

"What-what are you talking about Cathy?" Joanna asked in deep confusion.

"You knew Antonio belonged to me, why would you let him make love to you? He said it a thousand times, I heard him." Catherine responded.

"But-but Cathy you said congratulations to me." Joanna said surprisingly and Catherine turned back to her, held her arm and continued,

"He made love to you Joan, he went a bit far don't you get it."

Hearing this, Joanna became speechless and for the first time in her life, she turned her back on Catherine and tried to walk out on her like Antonio did earlier.

"Are you walking out on me? You have the guts to walk out on me? come back here right now!" Catherine ordered in provocation and Joanna halted and said,

"I should have known."

"know what?" Catherine asked harshly.

"Mum warned me about you." Joanna said.

"Who cares about your mum, all i need is Antonio, he's mine and i am here to take what belongs to me." Catherine responded and Joanna turned to her even more surprisingly.

"Why not let him decide." She said after a short silence and walked away.