Love Letters

by Michelle Leyland

  “Did you ride all the way here?” he asked in disbelief.

  She nodded in answer, feeling proud of herself for doing it. “I had your address from the letter, so I checked a map for Ruddington and hoped I would find you in a forest nearby.”

  He looked at her in awe, “It is amazing that you would do this for me. I am relieved that you made it here safely and did not get lost. It was dangerous for you to ride all the way here alone.”

  “I know, but I was fine,” she reassured him. “I should tend to the horse.”

  She worriedly noticed how tired the poor horse looked after their journey. It was a long way to ride and it had been pulling along the cart as well.

  “You can take it into my stable to rest,” he offered.

  “Thank you.”

  She unattached the horse and led it into the small stable next to the cottage, where it happily drank water and ate straw hungrily. Nicholas moved the cart to the side and carried her luggage into the cottage for her.

  She followed him inside and looked around. It was small and homely; the way Bernadette’s cottage always looked.

  “It is lovely,” she sighed.

  “I feel quite embarrassed since you are used to a lot better than this.”

  “You do not have to worry, I love it,” she reassured him.

  It looked just like the ordinary cottage she always imagined living in if she moved into the village.

  “I would be happy to stay anywhere as long as I could be with you again,” she told him.

  He felt touched and hugged her, feeling better to know that she was content to be here.

  “I do not think I could have gone another day without you,” he said.

  She stroked his handsome face, “Me neither. I was so heartbroken and missing you every second.”

  “I was too,” he was glowing with happiness now and his green eyes were full of love for her. “This last week has been terrible, but it does not matter anymore because we are together now.”

  “Nicholas, I am very sorry for everything that happened,” she said sympathetically. “I feel awful for what I put you through.”

  “Do not worry, it is all in the past,” he reassured her softly. “We can move on from it and finally be happy.”

  She cuddled him, feeling as if she would never stop smiling.

  “You must be tired after your long journey. You should go rest,” he said, feeling concerned. “I will give you my bed to sleep in now that you live here.”

  She noticed he only had one bedroom and felt guilty, “But it is not fair for me to take your bed, especially after those nights you spent in the dungeons.”

  “I am happy to sleep anywhere as long as I never see that prison cell again,” he teased. “I insist you have my bed, so do not try to argue with me.”

  “Thank you, that is very kind,” she said gratefully.

  He took her through to his bedroom and she climbed into bed, feeling exhausted as soon as her head touched the pillow. He brought an extra blanket and covered her with it to keep her warm. She was a little cold after being outside for so long and kissed him gratefully, touched that he was taking care of her.

  “Have a nice rest,” he told her softly. “I hope you sleep well.”

  She closed her eyes and he smiled, admiring how beautiful and peaceful she looked. He kissed her forehead and left the room, while she relaxed and quickly drifted off to sleep.

  Nicholas went to rest on a chair in the living room, thinking how wonderful it was to be with Rosanna again. He couldn’t believe they were now living together and felt so incredibly lucky.

  Chapter 19

  Leonardo and Isabelle awoke at the usual time and met that morning to continue their plan.

  “Act normal and look shocked when Jonathon finds out,” Leonardo advised her. “If we go along with his reaction then hopefully he will not suspect anything. He will probably question us so try not to be nervous.”

  She nodded, worried about lying and hoping she could be convincing enough. She was anxious about how furious Jonathon would be once he found out Rosanna was gone.

  They both waited outside her bedchamber until Jonathon arrived with the key to unlock it. He didn’t realise anything was wrong until he tried to turn the key and found that the door was already unlocked. Leonardo had to leave it that way to make the theory of Rosanna escaping alone more believable.

  Jonathon frowned, “Has either of you unlocked this door?” he asked accusingly.

  Isabelle shook her head and tried to look surprised.

  “No, your Highness,” Leonardo answered. “We assumed it was still locked.”

  Jonathon quickly opened the door and entered, “Rosanna?”

  He noticed that her bed was empty and all that remained was an envelope waiting on her pillow. He strode over and reached for it, knowing that something was wrong. It was addressed to their father so he respectfully didn’t open it.

  He searched the room, hoping that his sister was playing a silly trick and hiding from them, but he could not find her and became worried.

  “When did you last see her?” he questioned Isabelle.

  “Yesterday evening. I brought her a glass of water before she went to bed,” she replied.

  Jonathon knew this was before he had locked the door and was confused by Rosanna’s escape. He didn’t have time to figure out how she had got out yet, he was too busy panicking over her disappearance.

  “We must find her!”

  “I will inform the knights and search the village,” Leonardo offered and urgently left.

  Jonathon rushed off to search around the castle, the garden and the stables in case she was still here. He questioned all the staff hoping that one of them had seen Rosanna. However, every single person he asked hadn’t seen her since yesterday.

  He left the castle to help the knights search the village for her.

  He eventually found Leonardo. “Is there any sign of her yet?” Jonathon asked him impatiently.

  “No, your Highness, but we will keep looking.”

  He obviously had questions about her disappearance and looked stressed.

  “How could my sister get out of a locked room without the key?” he wondered, hoping for some answers.

  “Was there another copy she could have used?” Leonardo asked.

  “No, the only keys to that room were with me.”

  “She must have picked the lock somehow. She probably used one of her hairclips,” he suggested.

  “Or someone helped her by unlocking the door,” Jonathon accused, looking at him.

  Leonardo and Isabelle were already top of his suspect list and he wanted to try and catch them out if they were lying.

  “That would be treason and I do not know anyone who would disobey the king,” Leonardo answered seriously. “I doubt the key had been taken. It was under your protection and you had it this morning so it was not missing.”

  “It could have still been used,” argued Jonathon.

  “You would have noticed if someone broke into your bedchamber, and as far as I know there was nothing reported.”

  Jonathon considered it, knowing he hadn’t heard anyone during the night and his sleep had been uninterrupted.

  He decided to let that idea go, “I suppose you are right. But I will be interrogating people over this, including you.”

  Leonardo nodded understandably. He hoped Isabelle would be able to keep to their story and not get caught out.

  “I want every villager questioned,” Jonathon ordered him. “Someone must have seen her or know where she is.”

  “Yes, your Highness,” Leonardo bowed and left to instruct the rest of the knights.

  Jonathon helped with the search and enquiries, but he still worried about what would happen if they didn’t find Rosanna soon. He dreaded how his father would react, especially as it was three days until her wedding. He felt guilty knowing that it was his responsibility to keep her locked away at night, and his father would feel let do
wn by his failure. He would probably get most of the blame for her disappearance, so he was determined to find her or get some answers.

  * * * * *

  Nicholas awoke at the usual time for work and remembered that Rosanna had arrived earlier. He went to check on her just to make sure it hadn’t been a dream. He knocked on the bedchamber door but there was no answer. He carefully opened it and saw that she was still asleep in bed, her hair spread around the pillow. He smiled and went off to the kitchen to make breakfast.

  Rosanna soon woke up and when she first opened her eyes, she was confused at the unfamiliar surroundings and wondered where she was. She recalled that she was now living with Nicholas at his cottage and smiled happily. It was a huge relief not to wake up at the castle with her usual worries and heartbreak.

  She noticed she was still dressed in the maids clothing she had worn to leave the castle three hours ago. They were a little muddy after her long horse ride and she decided she would change into her own clothes later as soon as she had a bath.

  She went to find Nicholas in the kitchen and put her arms around his waist, “Good morning.”

  He smiled and turned to hug her properly, “Good morning, Rosanna. I have made breakfast for you. I know it is not as fancy as what you are used to, but I hope you like it.”

  “Thank you,” she felt touched but also a little guilty.

  She didn’t want to make him feel as if he had to wait on her like Isabelle had. She was determined to look after herself now and not be so reliant on others doing things for her.

  She sat at the small dining table, feeling hungry as he served her a bowl of porridge. It was the first time she had tried it, but despite its unappealing appearance she liked it.

  He sat opposite her and ate, “If someone told me I would one day be sharing my cottage with a beautiful princess, I would never have believed them,” he joked.

  “Fortunately for you, I am not the arrogant person you assumed I would be,” she teased him with a smile.

  She still remembered their conversation the night they met. He had believed all royalty were stuck up and didn’t care about ordinary people; until he first saw her and noticed how compassionate she was.

  He smiled, “I am so glad I met you and that you proved me wrong.”

  “I am too. I do not think I have ever felt as happy as I am now.”

  She felt relieved and free to be away from the castle and all her problems. Her anxiety and depression had melted away now that she was with Nicholas and no longer forced into an arranged marriage.

  “I really appreciate that you have done all this for me,” he told her seriously. “I understand it must be difficult to leave your home and family and friends. I know that everything here will be so different to what you are used to.”

  He guessed she must be feeling a little strange to live here. The whole cottage was probably the same size as her bedchamber.

  “I have always dreamt of living like this, so I will be fine,” she reassured him.

  “Do you miss your family?” he asked her gently, noticing that she hadn’t said a word about them since she left.

  She considered it, “I suppose I miss my father a little, but I do miss my friends. It was very hard leaving them behind,” she admitted, feeling upset that she wouldn’t see them anymore.

  “I am sorry,” he said, feeling guilty. “I feel awful and I would never have wanted you to leave everyone you cared about.”

  “I would have to leave them eventually, even if I did not run away,” she told him sadly. “I was expected to move away once I was married.”

  “I wish there was a way you could still visit them,” he said, but they both knew that was impossible.

  She couldn’t risk going anywhere near her village again in case she was seen and they could not risk any visitors.

  “Do not worry, I will be here to take care of you and I will do my best to keep you happy,” he comforted her.

  She smiled feeling touched and went over to cuddle him. He held her for a while and kissed her.

  “I need to start working now,” he told her regrettably. “Will you be fine here in the cottage? I will only be outside if you need anything.”

  “Of course,” she replied. “Maybe I could help you?”

  “You do not need to work. I am supposed to provide for you.”

  “Can I at least watch?” she asked eagerly. “I would love to see how you make furniture.”

  He smiled in amusement, “you can watch for a while if you like, but you will get bored easily. It is not as exciting as it seems.” He felt touched that she was taking an interest in his work.

  “I will have to get washed and changed first,” she remembered. “Where is your bath tub?”

  He felt nervous and embarrassed to break the news to her, “I do not have one.”

  She looked confused, “but where do you bathe?”

  “I go down to the lake.”

  She looked shocked at the idea of it and wondered if everyone who wasn’t rich had to wash themselves that way.

  “Do not worry, no one will see you. Hardly anyone enters the forest,” he reassured her. “I could heat up a bucket of water for you instead?”

  This offer appealed to her a lot more. She would rather wash herself in the privacy of the cottage instead of outdoors in cold lake water.

  “Yes, that would be better. Thank you, Nicholas.”

  She felt guilty that he had to go fetch some water and light the fireplace to heat it over. She promised herself that she would have to try the lake soon, because she had to learn to adapt to her new lifestyle, even though it felt strange and overwhelming at first.

  “I am sorry I am not used to a lot of ordinary things,” she apologised, feeling embarrassed.

  “I understand. You had a very different life to mine. I am sure you will get used to it eventually.”

  She nodded determinedly.

  He stroked her hair affectionately, “Rosanna, if you are not happy here or if you ever change your mind, you can tell me. I promise I would get you home safely if you decide you want to leave.”

  The thought of her going back home upset him, yet he didn’t want her to feel as if she was stuck here forever and that staying in his cottage was her only choice. Her happiness would always come first for him because he loved her.

  “I do not want to go home,” she told him honestly. “I want to be here with you and I doubt that will ever change.”

  Chapter 20

  Jonathon felt really stressed and frustrated when there was still no sign of Rosanna before noon. He decided he had to finally tell his father that she was missing, since she had obviously left the village and could be anywhere by now.

  He raked his fingers through his hair as he went to see him, trying to figure out how was best to break the news. He arrived outside the court room, where King Adrian was having a meeting with the council members, and took a deep breath before entering.

  “I am sorry to disturb you, father,” he apologised, “but this is a matter of urgency and I must speak with you.”

  King Adrian got up from his seat and walked over to the doorway to speak with him.

  “What is it?” he demanded, a little annoyed at being interrupted but knowing there must be a good reason for it.

  “I am afraid I have some terrible news. Rosanna is missing.”

  “What?” he asked in shock and anger. “How can she be missing? She was meant to stay inside the castle until the day of her wedding!”

  “I do not know how she managed to leave. All I know is that she was locked in her bedchamber last night; and this morning the door was unlocked and she was missing,” Jonathon told him nervously. “I have been searching the village all morning with the knights. I have questioned everyone but no one has seen her.”

  “We had knights supervising the castle,” he argued infuriated. “They should have stopped her from leaving.”

  “They insist they did not see her while they were on duty.” />
  “Then they are incompetent!” he replied crossly at their failure.

  Jonathon produced the envelope he had kept hold of, “I found this letter on her bed, it is addressed to you.”

  He snatched it from him and strode over to his study to read it in private. Jonathon followed him and watched as his father tore open the envelope and pulled out the letter. He frowned as he read the letter slowly, finding it hard to take in.

  Dear Father,

  I am sorry but I have decided to run away. I could not handle my life anymore and I hated the thought of marrying Prince Ethan and leaving home to live with him. I know that I agreed to go through with the arranged marriage, but it has made me so miserable that I cannot do it.

  I feel guilty that my decision will hurt you but I felt that I had no other choice. I cannot spend the rest of my life with someone I do not love, and it would not feel right to marry Prince Ethan. I love Nicholas and I need to be with him. I could not bear to be kept away from him any longer.

  Please do not worry about me, I will be fine. I will be happy in my new life but I will miss you. I understand that you will be very angry with me so I will accept disinheritance as my punishment. Hopefully this will be enough to settle the matter and Prince Ethan will find another suitor. I really hope that this does not result in war, but if you explain it is my fault and not yours then maybe it will not come to that.

  Please do not come looking for me. I need to live my own life now and make my own choices. I expect once you read this you may be so cross that you never want to see me again anyway. I hope you can forgive me.

  Lots of love,

  Rosanna

  He felt devastated that his daughter had been unhappy enough to run away. He had just dismissed her feelings before but he hadn’t expected her to take such drastic measures. He wished that she was still here but now it was too late. He felt ashamed for putting his duties before her. Rosanna and Jonathon were the most important people in the world to him and now he had lost one of them. He had let her down when she needed him the most and now he only had himself to blame.