13
"Damian, what are you staring at, like a baboon? Ask one of the footmen to help her," Beatrix elbowed him sharply as she got up from their shady spot and brushed off stray grass from her mauve dress.
"Right," Damian finally realized where he was standing. He shook his light, straight head lightly hoping to get his focus back.
"I think we should rescue the damsel in distress," Agapito Rossi said to his brother, Adriano with a pointed look.
"That would be the gentlemanly thing to do," Adriano, replied with a nod.
"But have you forgotten that in stories only the Prince gets to save the Damsel," Damian smirked at his friends who groaned unanimously at Damian's egotism.
"Are you feeling well, Damian? You would be willing to ruin your new boots?" Henry, the resident dandy, asked poking him slightly.
"Not a huge sacrifice. I already have half a dozen new similar ones in my storage closet," Damian grinned at Beatrix whose shoe collection could never exceed the one in his own wardrobe no matter how much she tried. While he didn't care a whit about what he wore his mother and advisors were adamant to expand his wardrobe to gigantic proportions.
Before anyone else could say anything further Damian marched down the sloping area he was reclining on and headed down towards the lake.
Lady Delilah was still laughing joyously even though she was covered in mud and Damian averted his eyes. He had never seen her so open and felt like an intruder in a very private moment.
"Your Highness, I will help the lady out," One servant was pulling his dark trousers up as he informed him but Damian brushed him off with a wave of the hand.
"Stay, this is a matter I can handle," The servant gaped at him with his mouth slightly open.
Damian walked into the water, undeterred by the moss and mud. He felt his dark leather riding boots slowly letting in the water but he really didn't care. He was used to dragging himself back home after mucking about in the mud every day as a young boy. This lake was his own private domain and he liked to think himself as a master of it.
"Excuse me, Lady Delilah, if you are done wading in the water, could I please help you out?" Damian hid his confusion from the strange fluttering in his stomach with a casual smirk.
Delilah looked at him bemused and blinked. Before she could reply he took her hand and pulled her out. She suddenly shivered even though the sun was shining brightly over her head. Damian quickly pulled off his over coat and covered her shoulders to warm her up.
"T-thank you," Delilah coughed out. She pulled a wet strand of hair behind her ear and her mud drenched glove left a curved trail on her cheek.
"I would offer you my handkerchief but I think the situation requires a quilt of a handkerchief instead," Damian remarked.
Delilah looked down at herself and unexpectedly grinned at him, "Indeed. Although I fear even that might not be enough."
She made a move to walk out of the water but stopped as pain hurtled up her leg. To prevent herself from taking another dive in the water her hand gripped the Prince's arm.
"Are you injured gravely?" Damian held her other hand hoping to stabilize her.
"My foot pains a little," Delilah replied exerting great effort in keeping her voice calm.
"A little? It would be safe to say from the look on your face that 'little' does not justify your claims," Damian maneuvered himself so both her hands were in his. Her kid leather gloves were soggy and that permeated into his riding ones. He eased her forward out of the water and she hobbled after him
"Are you all right, Del?" Cecilia wringed her hands with worry after seeing the new complication. Delilah smiled at her bravely trying to look like she wasn't limping.
"Its fine, I might feel better if I rest against some tree," Delilah hoped her voice did not tremble.
"I cannot allow that. You must have someone see to your injuries," Damian insisted.
"I suppose I could take an empty carriage back to the castle."
Cecilia squeezed Delilah's now free hand while Mary trembled next to her.
"That would be wise," Damian insisted. He started to steer Delilah towards where the carriages stood.
"I should come with you," Cecilia declared suddenly making the twosome pause.
"No, no, I refuse to allow you to stop because of me. It is not as if I'm prone on my deathbed. It is just a minor injury which might be as dangerous as a needle prick," Delilah smiled widely, "Now, hurry back. I know you shall find your archers before the day ends."
Isabella tried to protest, but Delilah gave her a firm look indicating how futile the words would be, and stopped to continue to look defeated. The Prince still had his hand around her arm and his strength bolstered her to move forward with more perseverance.
"It just pains to put pressure on it, I am sure it's just a slight injury," Delilah tried to reassure herself more than the prince.
"Or it could have broken in a mass of mangled bones," Damian insisted unhelpfully as he assisted her up into one carriage that the footman had immediately opened doors for. The driver of the carriage quickly started to ready the horses.
Delilah's eyes widened in alarm as she tried to swallow the fact her foot could be irreparably damaged. Her unconscious action made Damian look away instantly. He felt rather foolish for not noticing her bright, grey eyes before. Maybe it was because she was not as careful about adorning her eyes like the other women, he thought.
Delilah’s mind was far away, ruminating on the potential gruesomeness of her limb’s injury so she was startled when Damian hopped into the carriage himself from the other door.
"You need not accompany me, your Highness," She protested belatedly.
He shrugged and presented her with a lazy smile, "It is the Royal duty of a Prince to accompany back the Damsel after he has saved her from distress."
Delilah snorted at his antics.
"I assure you, I am no damsel. I am just the damsel's chaperon," Delilah played back.
"Say that a few more times over and you just might believe it yourself," The Prince gave her an odd look.
Delilah frowned at his comment but chose it ignore it. Her friends waved at her and she waved back hoping their playful mood would not be impeded by this setback.
"This is quite emasculating," Damian muttered after a few ungainly bumps. He threw off his now spoiled gloves on one side.
"What? Sitting in a carriage?" His companion blurted.
"I always lead my party on my horse whether it rains or hails," Damian stated proudly sounding like he was trying to impress her but Delilah knew better.
"Mighty brave of you," Delilah was not impressed by his posturing. She wondered how women who danced around him in delicate social niceties could find someone so arrogant, attractive. He was easy on the eyes though and Delilah was alarmed to find herself observing the man who without his coat looked extremely underdressed. He was wearing a fitted shirt underneath that was loosely knotted in the neck upon which he wore an open waistcoat that left her feeling increasingly embarrassed. In her society a man without his coat and bearings was almost as good as naked and while the Prince seemed to look comfortable Delilah was not.
She instead leaned against the open window to bask in the lovely sunlight filtering through the tree lining the carriages path. She immersed herself in observing the forest and felt disappointed in herself for completely missing the views before. The carriage turned left and the more familiar facade of the castle standing elevated at the edge of a cliff greeted her. The long path they were on would lead them straight to the castle. On her left side was the dense forest they had traveling in and on the other side was the view of the valley. The path's right side was an abrupt cliff face and Delilah trembled to think that she had gone past such a dangerous road on an uncontrollable horse. It was a good thing she was too busy being upset to notice her surroundings
The valley was composed of dark rock mountains with green, thorny shrubbery liberally scattered on them. The sun was currently shining overhead but eventually it would go down straight behind the castle and create a dazzling multicoloured sunset.
Tiring of the view of the forest Delilah wanted to slide over to the side where the mountains were but her impediment was in the form of the Prince who had taken that side liberally. She resigned herself to arching her neck to gain a better vantage point.
"There is much room. The view is better from here," The Prince uttered heavily. She felt like what he said was something with a hidden second meaning but she could not fathom what.
Delilah sighed and shifted sloppily on the leather seats until she sat face to face with the Prince. She tried to content herself by looking out at the blue skies and white clouds that puffed like smoke from an old man's pipe but she was unnerved by something. She soon noticed that Prince was giving her a very direct, unabashed stare from where he was leaning against the leather seats. Her hackles rose at the thought that the man was probably counting down every flaw he could see on her face but she was resolute not to show her anger.
"Is there something on my face?" She finally asked.
