A Moonlit Conversation In The Garden

<p>Spring, Year 225. Luminous Calendar<br/><br/> Iris walked silently with the Prince by her side. She didn't know if it was because of his long legs or maybe his faster pace but not long after she had walked in front of him he had caught up in a couple of swift steps and then slowed his pace to somewhat match hers. "Tis' a fine night, don't you think Lady Iris?" Prince Regan asked and Iris looked down at the floor, answering in a polite tone, "it is, your Highness." She looked around the corridor and stared at anything that would keep her sight from straying towards the handsome man by her side. The Prince sighed and kept walking next to her as an awkward silence engulfed them before he finally cleared his throat. "You know Lady Iris, I kind of miss the moment we shared in the Library this morning." The Prince said casually and Iris looked at him bewildered as her face turned a beet red. "Your Majesty! Please refrain from making such comments! The way you said it could easily be misunderstood." Iris said and looked him directly in the eyes. For a moment she forgot that this action was considered in the outmost disrespectful and could even be punishable if the Prince found it to his disapproval, he however, didn't find it disagreeable and smiled. This was exactly what he was hoping she would do and she was temporarily lost in the bright icy blue that shone around his deep black pupils. She couldn't quiet place where she had seen these icy blue orbs before but quickly looked away as a cool shiver ran up her spine.<br/> "It's quiet cool tonight, and as beautiful as your gown is, its not suited for this temperature." The Prince said as he easily removed his long velvet black cape and swiftly wrapped it around her shoulders. Iris looked down at the black velvet cape that now hung around her slim frame like a short blanket instead of a cape and felt the heat of a blush creep once again from her cheeks to the tips of her ears. "You are too kind, your Majesty." She said and looked at the floor, hiding her blushing face behind a curtain of her ebony black hair. The Prince scoffed and looked forward again, a scowl on his face. Iris meekly looked up and frowned, thinking that she had said something impolite and readying herself to issue an embarrassed apology before the Prince cut her off with the rise of his hand. "Forgive me Lady Iris. I didn't mean to be rude. I'm just tired of all of the politeness and bum kissing that comes with being the Crowned Prince and Heir to the Throne of Sundome. Just for once, I wished someone would treat me as an equal and not a superior who they have to respect and love above all else. I say wished, because you granted me that wish this morning when you treated me as a common man, even a friend, when you let me comfort you during your moment of sadness." He looked over at Iris and Iris looked back at him, her blush still intact.<br/> "I know it may be a bit much of me to ask this of you My Lady, but if it suits you and only when we are alone, would you treat me as an equal and not a Prince?" She stared at him in shock as he turned to look forward again and they continued to walk silently for a moment while Iris contemplated his request. "If it's alright with you, then I will treat you as an equal, in privacy of course, and not a Prince." Iris finally responded and the Prince turned to look at her with a beaming smile spread on his handsome face. "Of course it will be alright with me, I am the one requesting this of you after all." The Prince said and then stretched his hand out to her. "My name is Regan. Nice to meet you." Iris looked at his hand and then back up at his face. 'Was this really happening' she questioned herself, as she gently placed her hand in his. "My name is Iris, it is a pleasure to meet you Regan." She said and he smiled, pulling her hand up to his lips and gently kissing it before she could pull it away. "It has also been a pleasure to meet you, Iris."<br/> Iris and Prince Regan walked down through corridors, past doors, and archways. Each time they passed a door or an archway Prince Regan would ask Iris where that door or archway lead and each time Iris answered truthfully, taking great pride in the fact that she knew where each door or archway lead. The more they talked the more Iris became comfortable with the Prince's presence. "You sure know alot about this Temple." The Prince pointed out as they finally made their way into the Garden and found a cold grey stoned bench near the centered fountain to sit on. "Of course I do, I grew up in this Temple." Iris said casually, missing the sad look the Prince gave her. "Your parents put you in here at a young age?" He asked while she fussed trying to fix the black velvet cape so that it completely covered her without opening from the front. "I never met my parents." She said in a calm voice as she continued to fuss with the cape. "You're an orphan." He said in a low tone and looked at her while she pulled on one side of the cape only to have it come loose on the other. "You don't have to say it like its a dirty word Regan. Yes, I am an orphan, but it is alright. I never felt the need for parents. I have the High Priestesses and the Sisters to care for me. To be completely honest, I always imagined the High Priestesses as my distance, strict mothers and the Sisters of this Temple as my personal sisters, cousins, aunts and grandmothers." Iris said and then threw the end of the cape she was holding frustrated.<br/> Prince Regan chuckled and stood up, gently motioning for her to get up too and then helped wrap the cape around her. Once he was satisfied with the way it was wrapped, he held onto the side of her arms, helping her sit back down without the cape opening up. He couldn't help but marvel at the innocent blush that creeped up her face every time he touched her. Her marvelous eyes lighting up with clashing hues ranging in dark and light blues to dark greens and then browns, all reflecting the soft moonlight. "I am happy to know that you found love in the people of this Temple." He stated after a moment of comfortable silence. "I did and I still do." Iris responded as she relaxed in the warmth of her velvet cocoon. "If that's true then, how come I found you on the verge of tears this morning?" Prince Regan asked curiously, almost slapping himself when he noticed her demeanor drastically change from content to sad.<br/> Iris stared at the floor for a moment before deciding that it wouldn't hurt to share her pain with someone else. For years she had endured her thoughts and feelings by herself and only began to share these with the Sisters once these became too much for her to handle without someone else's guidance. She had stopped sharing everything with the Sisters though, after finding out that some of the Sisters had began to treat some of the other Ladies, whom had bothered her or mistreated her, with disrespect. The Sisters had even gone so far as to isolate the Ladies who were especially cruel to her. Iris hadn't imagined that this would happen and was very scared that the Sisters would get in trouble for it, thus the reason she decided to stop telling them everything and also make an extra effort to try to get along with all of the other Ladies.<br/> Iris glance at the Prince who sat silently next to her with a glint of sadness in his icy blue eyes before finally deciding it wouldn't hurt to share a bit of her life with him and the reason she had been crying that morning. She drew in a deep breath and slowly began to reveal to him parts about her life. She told him about the sorrows she had endured at the hands of the other Ladies and went on to talk about happy and silly times she had shared with the Sisters. She then continued on by telling him about the incident that had happened several noons ago in the Altar room, how it had affected her and what had happened after she finally awoke, conscience of her surrounding and alert to the subtle change in everyone's demeanor when she walked by. She ended by explaining the reason she had been crying that morning in the hall when he found her and the way High Priestess Asterwood had made her feel after the meeting they had with his father in his temporary office.<br/> The Prince never once spoke up or interrupted her, he simply stared at her silently, his face turning from sad to mad and then happy as she progressed and then morphing into one of thought as she finished her long dialog. Once she was finished though, he still didn't speak up, making Iris feel a bit self conscience. 'Maybe I took advantage of his proposal and having me tell him about my life wasn't what he had meant when he said he wanted to be treated as an equal, even a friend. Maybe, I was the one that was supposed to hear him out.' Iris mused thoughtfully while the Prince cleared his throat. "Well Iris, that was a lot to take in. If it is alright with you, I would love to continue speaking about this with you another time. Right now it seems that my father's men have finally found us and they probably want us to follow them before my father has a fit." The Prince said in a low voice while signalling to the entrance of the Garden where a few men stood. <br/> Prince Regan slowly nodded at them and they walked towards them in a quick pace. "Your Highness, we have been looking all over for you. Your father requested to have Lady Iris and your Highness come to the Dinning Hall as soon as possible." The leading guard said with a tone of exasperation in his voice. "Well, we've been here for a while, I'm not sure why you would look anywhere else." The Prince said calmly and the guards looked between themselves before one of them answered, "after our companion came to the Altar room to deliver a scroll he was told to give to his Majesty, he was told to accompany your Highness and Lady Iris to the Garden but he came back a while later and said he couldn't find either of you." Prince Regan glance over at Lady Iris with a mischievous smile and then back at the guards. <br/> "Oh, I see. That's probably because we took the scenic route. Lady Iris was nice enough to teach me about the routes within the Temple." The Prince said with a blank expression and a serious tone. 'Ah, so that's why he was so keen on having her explain the doors and archways and where they lead, all this time. He knew the guards would be looking for them and had found a way to avoid them just so they could spend some time together.' Iris thought and fought to hide the smile that threatened to erupt on her face at any second.</p>