8 THE CROWN PRINCE PART VI

Discontent

When they were out of sight, the Crown Prince climbed into the entrance and waited for me on the other side.

Since I was wearing my official robe, I struggled to climb down as my skirt restricted my movement.

The Crown Prince looked at me sat and pondered on the entrance so he came closer and wrapped his hands around my waist and lifted me.

I was brought closer to his body and then he put me slowly to the ground. His hands still on my waist. We were so close that I could hear his breath. At this rate my heart might explode so I slowly pulled away from him.

We didn't say anything as we walked across the field until we reached the tree.

We sat side by side and watched the flowers as they fluttered when the wind blew – their fragrance filled the air around us.

The weather was nice, the air smelled nice, being here with him, just nice.

"Do you have any discontent, Crown Princess?" The Crown Prince asked.

I opened my eyes and breathe slowly. I didn't know what kind of discontent he was referring, to him or to the Palace, so I just settled for the latter. "No, Your Highness, there's nothing to be dissatisfied of, I have everything I need in the residence."

"Not that, but to me," he said. I could see from the corner of my eyes he was looking at me.

"No, Your Highness, why would I?" I laughed nervously.

"Because you haven't look at me since this morning," he sounded upset.

So I looked at his face, "Did I?"

"You did. I was watching you." My face felt hot again at his remarks. So I lowered my gaze again.

"You're doing it again," he said. "Do you dislike me, Crown Princess?"

"No, it's not that," I tried to explain myself but what was there to explain.

"You like me, then," he said. To this I fell silent.

'Is that so, but when?' I thought for a second.

"Do you not like your own husband?" He asked.

"No, I mean yes, no? I don't know," I didn't know what my feeling for the Prince was. I was seventeen and married to a total stranger. I had never fell in love with anyone and when my father asked me to participate as a candidate to be the Crown Prince's bride, I just agreed.

My mother had passed away since I was little and father was a man that careful of his feelings and never showed his affections.

I knew about affection, I had them but I had no one to direct it to. My relationship with my father was more like one of a teacher and a student.

I had no friends since I was mostly home – reading books my father told me to read.

But father had never restricted my freedom, however, since I was comfortable being home – I never bothered going outside.

I was trained to be a scholar than to be a lady. So whenever I did go outside, it was to find books and read it on the green field in our village. I just naturally distanced myself from people more than I intended to.

I didn't know what I felt, maybe it was affection or maybe this marriage forced me to believe I had a feeling for him, it was confusing. So I just looked at the Prince, I had no definite answer.

He gave me a warm smile. "It's alright. We might have been married but the truth is, we still don't know much about each other. We can take it slow," he assured me. "And I will be glad if in the future that you could like me not only because I'm the Prince and your husband, but for the way I am," he added.

I smiled at him. This relationship we had still new and it was just like the flower's seed. I prayed that it will strive to bloom.