The Blindfolded Prince

It starts as a game... A night like any other and Prince Nathaniel Greyward is merely ten years old. He's simply playing with a train set his father gifted him, the first time he feels a silk scarf covering his eyes. He stands up, reaching for it, when a girls voice calls out. "Don't!" "We can't play together if you take it off."

He hesitates, his hands in mid air as he drops them, his curiosity peaking. All he's known is lengthy, thorough classes that prepare him to be King of the America's and two hours of play time for when he's free from duty. This situation has his heart thumping loudly in his ears and his palms sweating. He hasn't felt this kind of excitement since the first gift his father gave him, a toy car. That was before he understood toys are and always will be bribes for him to take on his position as the crowned prince.

His frown from playing with a feeble train lifts as the girl laughs lightly. "I thought you'd throw me out." "Why, should I?" Nathaniel questions as Arabella twirls in her faded pink dress. Her mother would bend her over with a wooden spoon in her hand if she were to ever know of this but Arabella was born to break all the rules, though she thinks it isn't quite breaking them if she nit picks some ones words and goes around them.

Her mother said... "Do not let the prince see you, you are of low class, a hand maiden's daughter." "We are not to be noticed by the royals as I serve as you will one day serve." The words etched inside Arabella's mind and now here she is, not allowing the prince to see her at her mothers request.

"Well... throwing me out would be the right thing to do." "Why?" "My mother says so." Arabella giggles and while it should frighten Nathaniel, instead he feels his heart jump. It's only a second as it thumps and his palms sweat. "Why does she think these things?" "Something about status." Arabella shrugs as she sits down, her dress fanning out as she looks up at Nathaniel.
"Sit down."

Nathaniel feels a tug on his shirt as he carefully sits. His hands move around himself as he bends down to sit, feeling the cold stone on his palms. "Tell me why you've come." Nathaniel demands, suddenly feeling the authority of his position. "Tell me why you've come!" Arabella mocks, trying to deepen her voice and Nathaniel purses his lips, annoyed by her attitude.

"I've come to play."

"Play?" "Well the kids I'm allowed to play with aren't very nice, especially this one boy who my mother plans to set me off with..." Arabella goes quiet, yet Nathaniel is interested. "Who?" "Forget about that." "How about we get to know each other?"

This is the start of when Nathaniel learns Arabella is stubborn and she'll always chase after what she wants, yet never letting you know enough about het to truly get close. "Well, you already know me." Nathaniel says but Arabella scoffs. "I know of your future position, not your favorite color or animal."

"Color?" "Animal?"
"I've never been asked such questions." "Really, they're quite common." Arabella learns with two basic questions, how far their worlds are apart. "Tell me." Arabella hates the cold stone, so while she waits, she grabs a pillow off the couch in the room.

"I've got to say while I don't see a lot of color, always being kept inside... I love the color green." "Green..." Arabella is reminded of her green eyes and feels her cheeks heat up. Could he know it is her? "Like the color of the trees when they're vibrant in spring."
She rolls her eyes. She thought too much of it. "Mine is blue." Arabella tells him as she looks at his curly black hair as it raises, as if to ask why. Arabella will not shy away as she reveals something sacred to her, a secret she's never told anyone.

"The color of your eyes."
She says softly as she hears Nathaniel suck in a breath of air. Now he knows... her biggest secret is the crush she has on a boy she cannot have. "Why?" He asks after a few seconds. "They're the perfect shade of blue." Is all she says as Nathaniel keeps the conversation going. "Animal, well I'd have to say birds."

"Boring."
"I'd say a butterfly." "Butterfly?" "Well they don't live long but while they do they are admired for their beauty." "I've only ever seen birds fly outside my window." "My father says I'll see the world in a few more years, when I've been trained in combat but not before."

It's the first time Arabella understands her freedom isn't something given to everyone. She may have her duties but she's allowed to walk freely and if she chooses to, she could even run away. No one would look for her, since she can be replaced by someone else.
"I always assumed you had the best toys, the most fun and got to explore outside these stone walls." Arabella says, standing as she leisurely grazes the wall with her fingertips. "You assume you know me, when in fact you do not."

He states as Arabella realizes perhaps he is right. She had simply been captivated by his eyes and thought she knew him, his heart but a heart is who you are. "You may be right..." Arabella's smile slips as she walks in circles around Nathaniel.

"Well tell me something no one knows, a secret between us." The room is quiet but Nathaniel finally says his biggest worry. "I do not wish to marry." "Marriage?" Arabella repeats as she mulls over what he's said. "Why not?" "My bride has already been chosen and I'll be forced to love this person, how can I?"
"If I could have no thing with all the other duties I'll have, it's to have a choice in marriage." Arabella does not tell him but she wishes for the same. Royals, like him may not even realize that even the lowly maids have suitors picked out, mostly because servants here are often the children of the parents and being with a maids son or even a farmer is ideal to sort the children out.

Arabella understands, just like Nathaniel but unlike him, she's stubborn and will not stand for such a choice to be taken away from her. "Tell me a secret." Nathaniel says after she went quiet. "I want to be with you." She says effortlessly as Nathaniel tenses before a knock is heard.

"Your highness, dinner is served." A man walks in as Arabella rushes behind a curtain. "Sir, what are you wearing!?" He removes his blindfold as Nathaniel spots pink spotted white shoes underneath one of his curtains. He knows it is her as he takes the food.
The door the closes as Nathaniel turns away. "I'm turned around now, so you can...." His door closes and before he can even say goodbye, she's gone.