Once upon a time...
I was invited on a date by a boy that I was not interested in whatsoever. He had a special invite to a festival only select few citizens were invited to. I wanted so badly to attend, however I couldn't use him just to go. So as I felt I should, I politely declined.
Later that week I saw the boy, Jermaine, trying to find someone to attend with him. He wasn't a bad looking fellow, but definitely not a highly attractive one. He had light brown hair and blue eyes. His smile was crooked and his skin was pale. His hair stood out in every direction. It didn't lay down like I envisioned a prince charming's would. Therefore he was struggling to find a date.
After consulting with my mother, the queen, we decided I couldn't let him miss out on the festival simply because no one would go with him. I waltzed up to him on the street. He looked down when he saw me coming, so I smiled reassuringly to him. "I am no longer unavailable tomorrow," I said to him. "I would love to come if the offer is still there." He grinned his goofy crooked grin and nodded excitedly.
The next day we rode horses to the festival. I usually ride a carriage, but Jermaine insisted on horses so I agreed. He should have listened to me. On our way, I managed to hit a tree and fall off of my horse. For a princess I am not very graceful. I played it off as well as I could, but he made the situation even more awkward and embarrassing than the fall itself had been.
We continued the ride to the festival, in which he wanted to leave the horses a good mile away from the festival. Had Jermaine forgotten that I was Princess Brailee!?! I do NOT walk a mile. I hardly am required to walk more than a few feet in order to get to a destination. Therefore I through a fit and used my princess status to get us right near the festival.
Between my princess attitude and my ungraceful horseback riding skills, I knew I was not making a good impression. However, it was more of a pity date so I didn't really care. At the end of the day, I knew he would not be my prince charming and I would still be a princess. I was just helping out the citizens of my land, as was my duty.
We took our seats at the festival and it began. Event after event happened, from jousting to fire throwing to dancers. It was incredible! I was having the time of my life! Performers had caught my attention and the music was so phenomenal I found myself losing myself in it. I was dancing and having a good time, so much so that Jermaine told me I should be part of the festival rather than watching it. I took that as a compliment. Afterall, that makes me an awesome date, right?
Apparently I had been mistaken about him complimenting me, because afterwards I was ready to accept a second date from him. But he never called on me again.
And we lived happily never after...
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Chapter Twenty Eight: Ivan
Once upon a time...
I've heard it said time and again that the best relationships start out as friendships. Based on my relationship with Ivan, I'd say that's debatable.
Ivan and I had been somewhat friends for close to a year before I actually decided I was attracted to him. He was tall, blonde haired, blue eyed. A bit scrawny for my taste, but I've also been told "date the herd, marry the nerd." Our group of friends grew really close in the summertime and we attended activities such as shows, play games, attend banquets, have fires in the mountains, etc.
One day Ivan and I were being silly and decided to have a stick pulling contest. He did not let me win, unfortunately. In that moment, when our hands were side by side on the stick, eyes challenging each other, and sitting closer than we ever had, I felt a spark of electricity inside of me. Rather than saying something to him, I of course said something to my best friend. Before I knew it, he and I were cuddling and soon he asked me out on a first date.
For our first date, he picked me up in his carriage and we went to play croquet. "So, let's make this interesting," he bargained. "If I win, you sing for me." I smiled at him. "And if you lose?" I asked. "If I lose, then I will play either the piano for you," he said. I shook his hand. "Done."
Whether or not it was a fair game, I did indeed win and he had to play the piano for me. I watched as his hands flew up and down the keys skillfully. It was the most amazing performance I'd ever heard from a normal person. Let's just say every man should learn how to play the piano, because with that level of attractiveness, even being a princess I knew I was done for.
We went out a few more times after that. We would take romantic walks along the river, we played silly games, ran and danced in the rain, and had picnics. One day he took me to his thinking spot. It was a long ride up the mountain and I was terrified the entire time, clinging to his hand and the carriage for dear life. We made it to the top and he led me to the edge of the mountain where we sat on a giant rock, staring at the stairs and looking at the amazing landscape. It was breathtakingly beautiful.
At his thinking spot, we told each other our secrets and about our pasts. It was so nice to just be able to be me around him. I didn't have to worry about my crown being perfect or my dress getting dirty. I just relaxed and enjoyed my time. We finished talking and he looked at him, leaning in. I knew he was going to kiss me and I got butterflies. Except he didn't. He just sat there for a good five minutes. Finally I rolled my eyes. "Are you going to kiss me or not?" I asked. He grinned and took my head in his hands, kissing me.
Ivan and I saw each other every day after that. We'd sit by the fireplace and talk, holding each other as if we had all the time in the world. We began to work on a puzzle together and that became our tradition. And after time, he told me he loved me.
"What if I more than just care about you?" Ivan had said. Puzzled, I looked at him. "What does that mean?" I asked. He looked nervous so I gently touched his face to reassure him he could tell me anything. "What if I love you?" he whispered. I grinned. "You love me?" I asked happily. He nodded. "Princess Brailee, I'm in love with you," he said softly. I kissed him. "Say it again," I whispered. "I love you," he said and kissed me. I made him repeat it about seventeen times before I finally said, "I love you too."
My family approved of Ivan. They didn't care for him much however. They said he was "stale and boring." I liked that he was safer. My heart felt safer with someone who wasn't better than I. His family unfortunately did not feel the same about me. They loathed me. His mother would make snooty remarks about how I needed to be certain ways and how I wasn't this way or that way. It was no way to talk to a princess and I was extremely upset about it. A few times she'd even tell him it was time for me to go home or would lecture us for being out after the clock struck twelve, as though it was my fault.
I soon felt insecure. I was insecure about his family and I was threatened by how smart he was, how good he was at playing instruments, how quickly he put puzzle pieces together. He felt the same way and one day in his carriage he brought it up.
My heart sank as he told me he wasn't ready to be what I wanted, how he didn't know what he wanted, how he had too many things to work on that he didn't think he could handle a relationship. He told me how I deserved better, etc. "So you're breaking up with me?" I asked angrily. He didn't respond. However, he did stop the carriage to allow me the dignity of walking back to the castle.
When I say that, I say it in all sarcasm. It was close to midnight, dark out, my castle was miles away, and it had begun to rain. Being the stubborn princess I am, I climbed out of the carriage and began to walk.
It was cold and my dress was not long sleeved and I did not have a cloak. The rain was falling lightly. I refused to turn around and look back to see if Ivan's carriage was still there. I prayed it was. I prayed that he didn't really not want me. I prayed that he wouldn't put me in danger this way. And I prayed he'd chase me.
After walking a while, I finally turned around. The carriage was no where in sight. I leaned against a tree that was placed along the pathway and stiffled a sob. I couldn't cry. He couldn't win. He couldn't break me. I was stronger than that. I was a princess. I straightened my posture and adjusted my dress and began to walk towards my castle when I heard a rustling noise.
My heart began to race. Someone was nearby and I couldn't see them. There was no one around to help me if the person meant harm. I began to walk faster. I heard the noise again. Why was Cinderella the only one with a godmother? Could no fairy appear out of nowhere and help me? Seriously.
I heard footsteps and glanced behind me. A man was there dressed in black and carrying a bow and arrow. That was not a good sign. I began to run. So did he. The rain was raining harder now. Perfect timing. He was gaining distance. I tried to run faster, but fell. Rather than being brave and fighting to get up, I had a last minute pity party. My heart was broken, I was soaking wet, and was about to die. There was no Prince Charming for me. No fairy tale ending.
Until Ivan's carriage appeared. It reached me and Ivan leaped out of the carriage, scaring the man away. He held his hand out to me to help me up. I shook my head. "Go away," I said. "Brailee, get in the carriage," he demanded very unlike himself. "I don't want to be near you," I groaned. "It's not safe for you to be out here," he said. I folded my arms, rain falling steadily, sitting on the ground. "Yeah, well you should have thought of that when you let me walk home!" I replied angrily. "I was watching you from a distance to make sure you would be alright," he explained. That made me even more angry. I stood up. "You were watching me walk!? You didn't bother coming after me?! You just watched???" I excalimed. He pulled me into a hug and I began to cry. I tried to push him away, but he wouldn't let me. "I shouldn't have let you walk," he apologized. "No you shouldn't have," I scolded.
After bickering for a few more minutes, I agreed to get in to his carriage and he drove me to the castle. I sobbed the whole way home. When we reached the castle grounds he spoke to me again. "Brailee I didn't break up with you. Why are you so upset?" he asked taking my hand. "Oh really? Cause I've had plenty of break ups and that sounded like one to me," I argued. He consoled me to the point that I finally accepted that we were still together.
I should have just let him go. But I couldn't. I wanted a happily ever after so badly that I was blinded.
We attended the place of worship weekly together, we went out with friends, I finally sang for him, we went to jousting matches, banquets, and everything seemed back to normal.
Ivan's birthday was coming up in a week and I began to frantically plan a party for him. I was so excited to spoil him. Oddly, about that time he began to pull away. It made me nervous, but I didn't worry about it. Men always did that. When he went days without talking to me, however, I knew something was wrong.
He showed up at my castle and asked if we could take a ride in his carriage. I knew he was going to end it and I almost told him I was busy, but I agreed. We got in his carriage and rode off. He wouldn't look at me or touch me. My stomach was turning in knots.
"Brailee, I've been having problems," he began. "What kind of problems?" I asked. Silence. "I gamble and am far in debt. I keep borrowing money from my parents," he said. Well, I was a princess and if he ended up being my prince that didn't seem like a problem to me! I had plenty of money. "Ok. Well are you going to pay it off?" I said in response. He nodded. "Yes, but it will be a while," he said slowly. I shrugged. "Alright, that's fine," I simply said. Stupid of me, I know. "Brailee, there's something else," he said softly. What else could there be? "I have a big problem with going to saloons," he explained. Scantily clad women and whiskey were definitely not a royal trait. I didn't reply. "And I have an obsession with drawing nude women," he finished.
I could practically feel my heart dissolve in my chest. "What?" I asked softly. He ignored my question. "It fogs my mind and makes me not know what I want. When I started dating you, no other woman mattered, but now..." he trailed off. Anger filled me. "What does that mean?" I asked upset. "I just don't see you being long term," he said bluntly. That caught me off guard. "And Brailee, I don't think I have the answers you want me to have," he added. I didn't need answers. "Fine. So that means we are done," I stated emotionless. He replied with a simple, "Yeah."
Even though he started the break up, I felt somewhat dignified in finishing it. As much dignity as a woman could feel after a man tells them he prefers his disgusting obsessions and addictions over them.
And we lived happily never after...
I've heard it said time and again that the best relationships start out as friendships. Based on my relationship with Ivan, I'd say that's debatable.
Ivan and I had been somewhat friends for close to a year before I actually decided I was attracted to him. He was tall, blonde haired, blue eyed. A bit scrawny for my taste, but I've also been told "date the herd, marry the nerd." Our group of friends grew really close in the summertime and we attended activities such as shows, play games, attend banquets, have fires in the mountains, etc.
One day Ivan and I were being silly and decided to have a stick pulling contest. He did not let me win, unfortunately. In that moment, when our hands were side by side on the stick, eyes challenging each other, and sitting closer than we ever had, I felt a spark of electricity inside of me. Rather than saying something to him, I of course said something to my best friend. Before I knew it, he and I were cuddling and soon he asked me out on a first date.
For our first date, he picked me up in his carriage and we went to play croquet. "So, let's make this interesting," he bargained. "If I win, you sing for me." I smiled at him. "And if you lose?" I asked. "If I lose, then I will play either the piano for you," he said. I shook his hand. "Done."
Whether or not it was a fair game, I did indeed win and he had to play the piano for me. I watched as his hands flew up and down the keys skillfully. It was the most amazing performance I'd ever heard from a normal person. Let's just say every man should learn how to play the piano, because with that level of attractiveness, even being a princess I knew I was done for.
We went out a few more times after that. We would take romantic walks along the river, we played silly games, ran and danced in the rain, and had picnics. One day he took me to his thinking spot. It was a long ride up the mountain and I was terrified the entire time, clinging to his hand and the carriage for dear life. We made it to the top and he led me to the edge of the mountain where we sat on a giant rock, staring at the stairs and looking at the amazing landscape. It was breathtakingly beautiful.
At his thinking spot, we told each other our secrets and about our pasts. It was so nice to just be able to be me around him. I didn't have to worry about my crown being perfect or my dress getting dirty. I just relaxed and enjoyed my time. We finished talking and he looked at him, leaning in. I knew he was going to kiss me and I got butterflies. Except he didn't. He just sat there for a good five minutes. Finally I rolled my eyes. "Are you going to kiss me or not?" I asked. He grinned and took my head in his hands, kissing me.
Ivan and I saw each other every day after that. We'd sit by the fireplace and talk, holding each other as if we had all the time in the world. We began to work on a puzzle together and that became our tradition. And after time, he told me he loved me.
"What if I more than just care about you?" Ivan had said. Puzzled, I looked at him. "What does that mean?" I asked. He looked nervous so I gently touched his face to reassure him he could tell me anything. "What if I love you?" he whispered. I grinned. "You love me?" I asked happily. He nodded. "Princess Brailee, I'm in love with you," he said softly. I kissed him. "Say it again," I whispered. "I love you," he said and kissed me. I made him repeat it about seventeen times before I finally said, "I love you too."
My family approved of Ivan. They didn't care for him much however. They said he was "stale and boring." I liked that he was safer. My heart felt safer with someone who wasn't better than I. His family unfortunately did not feel the same about me. They loathed me. His mother would make snooty remarks about how I needed to be certain ways and how I wasn't this way or that way. It was no way to talk to a princess and I was extremely upset about it. A few times she'd even tell him it was time for me to go home or would lecture us for being out after the clock struck twelve, as though it was my fault.
I soon felt insecure. I was insecure about his family and I was threatened by how smart he was, how good he was at playing instruments, how quickly he put puzzle pieces together. He felt the same way and one day in his carriage he brought it up.
My heart sank as he told me he wasn't ready to be what I wanted, how he didn't know what he wanted, how he had too many things to work on that he didn't think he could handle a relationship. He told me how I deserved better, etc. "So you're breaking up with me?" I asked angrily. He didn't respond. However, he did stop the carriage to allow me the dignity of walking back to the castle.
When I say that, I say it in all sarcasm. It was close to midnight, dark out, my castle was miles away, and it had begun to rain. Being the stubborn princess I am, I climbed out of the carriage and began to walk.
It was cold and my dress was not long sleeved and I did not have a cloak. The rain was falling lightly. I refused to turn around and look back to see if Ivan's carriage was still there. I prayed it was. I prayed that he didn't really not want me. I prayed that he wouldn't put me in danger this way. And I prayed he'd chase me.
After walking a while, I finally turned around. The carriage was no where in sight. I leaned against a tree that was placed along the pathway and stiffled a sob. I couldn't cry. He couldn't win. He couldn't break me. I was stronger than that. I was a princess. I straightened my posture and adjusted my dress and began to walk towards my castle when I heard a rustling noise.
My heart began to race. Someone was nearby and I couldn't see them. There was no one around to help me if the person meant harm. I began to walk faster. I heard the noise again. Why was Cinderella the only one with a godmother? Could no fairy appear out of nowhere and help me? Seriously.
I heard footsteps and glanced behind me. A man was there dressed in black and carrying a bow and arrow. That was not a good sign. I began to run. So did he. The rain was raining harder now. Perfect timing. He was gaining distance. I tried to run faster, but fell. Rather than being brave and fighting to get up, I had a last minute pity party. My heart was broken, I was soaking wet, and was about to die. There was no Prince Charming for me. No fairy tale ending.
Until Ivan's carriage appeared. It reached me and Ivan leaped out of the carriage, scaring the man away. He held his hand out to me to help me up. I shook my head. "Go away," I said. "Brailee, get in the carriage," he demanded very unlike himself. "I don't want to be near you," I groaned. "It's not safe for you to be out here," he said. I folded my arms, rain falling steadily, sitting on the ground. "Yeah, well you should have thought of that when you let me walk home!" I replied angrily. "I was watching you from a distance to make sure you would be alright," he explained. That made me even more angry. I stood up. "You were watching me walk!? You didn't bother coming after me?! You just watched???" I excalimed. He pulled me into a hug and I began to cry. I tried to push him away, but he wouldn't let me. "I shouldn't have let you walk," he apologized. "No you shouldn't have," I scolded.
After bickering for a few more minutes, I agreed to get in to his carriage and he drove me to the castle. I sobbed the whole way home. When we reached the castle grounds he spoke to me again. "Brailee I didn't break up with you. Why are you so upset?" he asked taking my hand. "Oh really? Cause I've had plenty of break ups and that sounded like one to me," I argued. He consoled me to the point that I finally accepted that we were still together.
I should have just let him go. But I couldn't. I wanted a happily ever after so badly that I was blinded.
We attended the place of worship weekly together, we went out with friends, I finally sang for him, we went to jousting matches, banquets, and everything seemed back to normal.
Ivan's birthday was coming up in a week and I began to frantically plan a party for him. I was so excited to spoil him. Oddly, about that time he began to pull away. It made me nervous, but I didn't worry about it. Men always did that. When he went days without talking to me, however, I knew something was wrong.
He showed up at my castle and asked if we could take a ride in his carriage. I knew he was going to end it and I almost told him I was busy, but I agreed. We got in his carriage and rode off. He wouldn't look at me or touch me. My stomach was turning in knots.
"Brailee, I've been having problems," he began. "What kind of problems?" I asked. Silence. "I gamble and am far in debt. I keep borrowing money from my parents," he said. Well, I was a princess and if he ended up being my prince that didn't seem like a problem to me! I had plenty of money. "Ok. Well are you going to pay it off?" I said in response. He nodded. "Yes, but it will be a while," he said slowly. I shrugged. "Alright, that's fine," I simply said. Stupid of me, I know. "Brailee, there's something else," he said softly. What else could there be? "I have a big problem with going to saloons," he explained. Scantily clad women and whiskey were definitely not a royal trait. I didn't reply. "And I have an obsession with drawing nude women," he finished.
I could practically feel my heart dissolve in my chest. "What?" I asked softly. He ignored my question. "It fogs my mind and makes me not know what I want. When I started dating you, no other woman mattered, but now..." he trailed off. Anger filled me. "What does that mean?" I asked upset. "I just don't see you being long term," he said bluntly. That caught me off guard. "And Brailee, I don't think I have the answers you want me to have," he added. I didn't need answers. "Fine. So that means we are done," I stated emotionless. He replied with a simple, "Yeah."
Even though he started the break up, I felt somewhat dignified in finishing it. As much dignity as a woman could feel after a man tells them he prefers his disgusting obsessions and addictions over them.
And we lived happily never after...
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