12
"Archery. Horse riding. Something exhilarating and new," Cecilia ferociously tugged at her braid.
"You are fiercely scary when you get this competitive," Isabella remarked hiding a smile.
"I do not. I merely like a bit of sport," Cecilia answered tartly.
"We could race. We could play catch," Mary tried again.
"I have a ball," Prudence pulled out a golden ball from her satchel conveniently.
"Well, that settles it. But first we must set up camp," Delilah clapped her hands decisively.
"Yes, we must find a good place to preen in the outdoors," Prudence smiled archly looking perfect even after the horse ride in the sun. Delilah was slightly bitter that she probably looked completely deranged with her disheveled hair.
"That place near the lake looks vacant," Mary whispered urgently, "It even has the shadows of the trees nearby.”
"Hurry, before someone gets it," Cecilia ordered.
"Run, run," Isabella motioned for her friends to follow her lead. They swiftly raced between the occupied areas, avoiding the chaos. Their designated servants also sped behind them and Delilah couldn't help but laugh at the image they probably made. The girls reached their preferred spot and had their picnic blanket laid out by the dutiful servants. The girls then added special touches to their small picnic spot; Mary brought out cushions while Isabella scented the area with sweet rose water.
They eventually unanimously decided to play around before they had their packed lunch.
Prudence gave a shot at her golden ball and narrowly missing Isabella, Cecilia slammed it right back. Mary intercepted it and gave a feeble hit throw towards Delilah which Cecilia blocked with a swoop of the hand. Isabella finally caught the ball and strongly threw it and unfortunately it bounced away towards a shady copse of trees.
Delilah spoke before Prudence could berate Isabella for her aim, "I shall look for it." Delilah then raced after the golden ball ignoring glares from her neighbouring groups who were annoyed by the break in their serenity by the enthusiastic game.
Delilah eased through the thick shrubbery and walked into a clearing completely unaware she had company. Prince Damian, the Rossi brothers and a few other men and women were sitting under the tree. What surprised her most was that the Prince was leaning against the shoulder of a stunning, blonde woman.
"Err, I apologize for intruding," Delilah whispered, feeling awkward.
Damian lifted his head up from Beatrix's shoulder jolted by the girl's presence. She blinked at him like a deer facing his bow and arrow.
"Wait, Miss, would you not like to join our party. We smuggled food from our foreign chef," Agapito insisted smiling widely.
Delilah darting gaze between the friends and gave a hesitant smile.
"I would be honoured to but my quest for now is for a small golden ball."
"This one that crawled up near us a few moments ago," A sandy haired man said bringing the ball up. He threw it at Delilah, who caught it instantly. Delilah thanked him gratefully.
"The offer still stands, Lady Winsham."
"You are all kindness but I have friends who will be very worried if I don't return soon," Delilah shook her head sadly.
"And they're at it again." Damian whispered to his partner.
"What?" Beatrix whispered back.
"Kindness. I am beginning to hate that word. Both of them seem to love throwing it at each other."
"She does seem like the type of girl who requires kindness in every area of her attire."
"Unkindness makes you look petty, Bea," Damian chanted softly though his eyes were fixed at the conversation between his friend and that girl.
"You cannot think she does not need improvement. Too peasant like," Beatrix's voice was completely disdainful as she watched the girl bow and take her leave.
"She is no peasant. Her manners are very refined," Agapito interrupted coldly.
"Exactly, Lady Delilah posses no airs or affected graces. I think that is an admirable trait," Damian muttered thoughtfully.
The entire languidly lying group went ram rod straight at his words.
"This has to be a record of some kind," One Rossi brother whispered.
"Truly, I sense a miracle in this," The other one replied.
"What is wrong with you?" Damian was baffled by their behaviour.
"How do you even know her name? You have the memory of a newt," Beatrix interrogated him. The people behind her nodded.
"My memory is selective. I only bother to remember the names of people I need to know and how do you even know what kind of memory a newt possesses?"
"Never mind," Beatrix brushed of his words, "So you selectively know her name," She insinuated craftily.
"I have had a couple of missteps with her. She was the girl I insulted the other night at the dance. She finally accepted my apology though I thought I would scare her off every time I tried."
Beatrix leaned forwards as if mulling his words but Damian shrugged the feeling off. Beatrix tended to view everything with a fine magnifying glass.
"Oh so that's the girl you insulted. I did wonder why you were being so attentive," Adriano raised his eyebrow.
"How is it that you know of that event? You weren't even here," Damian demanded.
"Gossip travels fast," Adriano stated bluntly.
"She is a tolerable girl with the good decency to not mob us like a common peasant; that is all. I would wish everyone wasn't quite so excited at such plain news."
"I actually thought you were in pursuit of someone. Thankfully it isn't her. She is below your usual standards and I am quite relieved," Beatrix piped her own opinion being derogatory like she usually was about everyone.
"You are right about my standards. Even you couldn't match them," Damian replied smarmily.
"Now, now, look who is being petty. You're just jealous I'm prettier than you," Beatrix flipped her hair as she spoke.
"Why would I be jealous when I know you don't even come any close to my good looks and charm," Damian fluttered his eye lashes mockingly.
"You are insufferable, Damian," Beatrix shook her fist in mock anger.
"I know," Damian replied as his other friends laughed uproariously.
"You haven't been nearly killed by any ferocious noble lady recently?" Beatrix changed the subject still looking sullen.
"No, infiltrated the Majesty's spy services, have you?" Damian replied.
"Almost, you know what my mother in law is like. I obtained information from her that the girl you rejected in that last ball is back."
"She is?"
"I thought it better to warn you before the women scorned can descend her hellfire on you. I almost regret not attending the ball. At least I would have known what she looked like," Beatrix twirled her hair.
"Honestly, I do too. It is bizarre to be joined in name with a person without even knowing what they look like or even know their name," Damian sighed. "I know why I wasn't at the Ball but why weren't you there? Your mother would have never missed the opportunity."
"I was invited by Prince Shahzad's betrothed to help her with her engagement clothes. I can't believe such a straightforward man like him was ensnared by such a conniving woman. My cunning is nothing compared to her and my wit is quite well known," Beatrix replied, looking worried.
"Even I have had a talk about it but he is too much in love to see what is obvious as the sun in the cloudless sky. My friend will regret his decision one day," Damian said looking mournful.
_+_+_
"Who is that, with the Prince?" Delilah asked curiously. Mary wheezed nearly choking on her apple and Cecilia thumped her on her back.
"I don't know; I haven't seen her before. She seems very familiar with the Prince," Prudence balefully eyed the group of people that emerged from an opening from a dense portion of trees. The lady in question was whispering to the Prince intimately.
"Umm... believe it or not but that is my Sister in Law," Mary muttered feebly.
"What!?" Their group of friends spoke in union. Their neighboring group of ladies gave them impolite glares for the umpteenth time.
Mary lowered her voice even further, "That's Lady Beatrix. My brother married her two years ago. They say she was favourite to be the new queen because she was one of the few ladies in the Prince's circle of friends. Her mother would tell everyone around her how her daughter had snatched the crown prince. Then, I don't know what happened but she began courting my brother instead."
"My mother abhors her free spirited ways but I admire her for her freedom. Even when she is married she is not constrained to the demands of society," Mary sighed wistfully.
"But the impropriety of associating still with a man after her marriage-" Prudence protested.
"Society can go hang itself. I would rather do what I want to rather than follow archaic rules," Cecilia was adamant.
"But we cannot forget every rule in the book. These rules are what differs us from a common farm animal," Delilah tried to be sensible.
"Let's continue with our play. I am stuffed from these tasty sandwiches but I would like to resume our fun," Isabella cut off any further debate immediately, her dislike for serious topics shining in her face.
The girls got up again and from the corner of her eye Delilah noticed the Royal party settle down under a tree nearby.
"Catch," Isabella threw the ball again and even though it completely wrongly aimed Cecilia managed to catch the ball because of her great speed. She threw the ball in the air and Prudence caught it but not before hitting her head with Mary. Prudence swung the ball wildly and it went extremely high. It was directed at Delilah but she predicted that it would land behind her so Delilah moved backwards hoping to catch it. The ball was nearly in her hand when she went a step too far and tripped. The ball hit her head.
Her foot turned and she felt herself lose balance and she went straight into the lake with a giant splash. Many ladies walking nearby screamed because they were splattered with mud and algae. The amount fallen onto them was not quite as much as it was on Delilah who ended up sitting in the water. Her foot throbbed gently.
Mary ran towards her feeling hysterical but stopped short at the edge of the lake. Delilah looked down at herself morosely and realized her clothes were ruined.
The tangle of hair that escaped her bun was hanging around her face in lanky drapes. Her dress was dark with the seeping dampness. Cecilia looked mortified for the both of them and for some reason Delilah found that incredibly funny.
She started laughing in full abandon.
Cecilia who was hovering around her, still in shallower waters lost her composure as well, and joined in the laughter but she did not capture the Prince's attention. Delilah's face shone under the gleaming sun.
And Damian felt like he could not stop staring.
