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It had been a direct order from his King. It had been made with such certainty that Stan was the best person for the task. There was no one he trusted so much, King Kyle had said. No one who understood the importance of keeping that delicate balance between too soft and too harsh. This wasn’t a normal prisoner.
This was Princess Kenny McCormick of the Kingdom of Kupa Keep.
She had arrived as a diplomatic person, ready to assist with arranging the peace treaty between the two kingdoms, and had quickly become a bargaining chip. The mirror she had brought with her that allowed her to communicate with the Wizard King fell into King Kyle’s possession, and she became a prisoner in his house.
She took it with grace. She took many things with grace, and a hint of humour. It was what made Stan so...wary of her.
Too many times before she became bound to her room was he subjected to her thoughtful gaze and playful words. Now, he was to be subjected to them again.
Stan stood outside the room she was being ‘held’ in; it was a good room, fitting for a Lady, but probably not so glamourous for a Princess. Two guards stood on the door, parting when he approached to allow him entry. He sucked in a deep breath first, mentally preparing himself for the woman before he knocked.
“Enter.”
He took hold of gold plated door handle and pushed.
The room held a queen sized bed, hanging curtains messily drawn around it, with a white dresser to the left with an empty vase. The white tiled floor was covered with a plush red rug at the end of the bed where a chaise was set up, with a table that housed books.
This is where the princess was sat. She had a book in her lap, turning the pages with her long fingers. There was a silken shawl round her shoulders, but beyond that all that protected her modesty was a simple white nightdress.
“Your highness,” he bowed low and kept his eyes pinned to the floor. “My apologies for the intrusion, I was not expecting you to be unprepared for visitors.”
“What, this?” her voice drifted through the room towards him. He glanced up to see her lift her leg into the air as she gestured at the skirt ghosting across her skin. “I decided seeing as I have been put under lock and key, there is no need for me to act like I need to prepare for the day. It has been two days since I have been imprisoned by your king, and I have seen only the most basic of staff for the briefest talks.”
He turned back to the floor. “Still, had I known I would have given you time to prepare.”
“You know in my kingdom, it’s rude not to look at someone while you speak to them.”
He forced his head up and his back to straighten. She still lounged on her chair, keen blue eyes observing his every movement. Her lips pulled up into a smile.
“What can I assist you with, Sir...?”
“Stanley.”
“Of course. How could I forget?”
She had done it to be obtuse. He knew, because before she was locked away, she had used his name plenty of times.
“I have been requested by his majesty the King to ensure you’re stay is comfortable, and that you are kept safe. If there is anything you need, please let me know, and I will do what I can to assist.”
Her smile had turned into pursed lips. Her brows furrowed and her eyes narrowed.
“If you would like, a handmaid can be arranged to come and assist you to dress?”
“I wish to go ice-skating.”
His brows shot up. “Excuse me?”
“When I arrived,” she started as she picked up her book and moved it to the table. “Kyle offered to take me to see your enchanted lake.”
He remembered it. They had been at a welcome dinner, and he had been dutifully standing behind Kyle as he made the offer to his guest.
“Since then I have been robbed of my possessions and locked in a room with no company at all. So much for a romantic day at a magical spot.”
“Princess-?”
She got to her feet and began gliding across the room to where he stood by the door. “I was perfectly ready to be seduced into a elven-heavy deal that my dear friend back home would be horrified I had agreed to, but instead I am alone and bored out of my mind.”
“He means no disrespect, Princess, but his majesty has little trust of your friend back home.”
“I do not blame him, nor do I care,” she announced as she reached him. A smirk began to form on her face. “They can have their little arguments in peace, and I think I should be given what I want, too: a romantic day being sweet talked at your enchanted lake.”
Stan forced himself to remain calm. And rational. “Princess, I was asked to keep you comfortable and safe. I do not think taking you out on a field trip falls into what the king had in mind.”
“Come now, you’re not going to take this away from me, are you?” she asked with a flutter of her lashes and a pout on her face. “The one chance I have to skate on the enchanted elven lake?”
“You realise you are supposed to be a political prisoner?” Stan asked. “You aren’t on holiday.”
“Hm, I can’t quite tell the difference, honestly!” she said with a shrug.
Stan rolled his eyes, his lips twitching upwards against his will. As soon as it happened, she gave a cry of victory and grabbed his hand, pulling him forward towards her chaise lounge as she began to chatter about where she could get skates to fit, and when they could go.
“I have to clear it with his majesty the King first.”
“Oh, what-ever, you don’t know how to break a single rule, do you?”
“I think it could be considered treason if I were to sneak his prisoner out of the Palace without his knowledge. Especially not if he didn’t know where we were going.”
“I think if anyone would convince the glorious King Kyle to allow me to go on an outing to his enchanted lake, it would be the dashing knight Stanley,” a leering grin spread across her lips. “Tell me, how far would you go to get this favour for me? Just out of curiosity.”
“I will ask him, and he will tell me yes or no, and that will be your answer.”
“You’re just going to ask him? How very boring, when there are a myriad of other ways you can convince someone to your side. Why, if you require teaching, I’m exceptionally talented at such persuasions.”
“Thank you for your generous offer, Princess, however I will decline,” he insisted as she let go of his hands to flop back down onto her chair. “Such things are not needed for his majesty.”
“Sit with me,” she gestured to the table where her book was sat as she kicked her feet up onto the end of her chair, looking a little less like dignified royalty and a little more like a lady of the night still in her bed clothes. “Tell me about your lake, so I may best prepare myself for its beauty. And then tell me about how I will discover it is just as beautiful as me.”
“I hate to disappoint you,” he said, voice drawling with a playful sarcasm. “But it could not possibly be as beautiful as you.”
“Oh, Sir Stanley,” she crowed with a laugh. “How you flatter me!”
--
Convincing King Kyle was easy enough. He seemed taken aback by the request, but didn’t refuse. Said that if that is what would make her happy, and Stan was confident he could keep her under control, he could arrange for a retinue to take her ice-skating.
The princess was less than impressed.
She sat opposite him in the carriage with her arms folded across her chest, pout pointed in his direction. On her left sat a guard, dressed in uniform. On Stan’s right sat a handmaid. Stan met her pout with a smile.
“I thought I had specified I wished for a romantic day. Not an outing with half the Palace.”
“You seemed so upset that you didn’t have company, so I got you some.”
“How thoughtful of you,” she turned her nose up at him as she surveyed his outfit. “Why are you not decked out in armour?”
“I can’t skate with a chest plate attached.”
Her eyes lit up at that. “You’re getting on the ice with me?”
“You did say you wanted me to teach you?”
“I didn’t expect you to follow through! Not after you surprised me with these lovely ladies,” she pushed herself up and began to gesture at the handmaid next to Stan. “Swap with me, so I may sit next to my date.”
“Princess-?!”
“It’s fine, she doesn’t mind!”
Annie moved to the opposite side as requested, an amused smile on her face when she looked up to meet Stan’s gaze. He felt like maybe he wanted to jump out the carriage and let her deal with Kenny rather than him.
To her credit, the princess didn’t make much fuss for the rest of the journey. She stared out the window, marvelling at the view as they made their way through the forest. Stan pointed out various things as they moved.
He didn’t realise how casual he’d become with her until she turned to ask him a question and he found he needed to move back to give her space to turn. He hoped their audience wasn’t paying attention to them, even though he knew they would’ve been.
She was barely able to stop herself bursting out the carriage before the footman opened the door on their arrival. Annie followed her dutifully and assisted with her skates, polite in answering questions on how easy it would be, while Stan got ready not far away.
The enchanted lake was a permanently frozen fixture. A thick layer of ice covered the surface, and many of the locals said the whole thing was made of ice after the spell that had caused it to freeze in the first instance. It stretched out across the banks, leaving the foliage dusted in frost, snow decorating the floor around the edge. The effect covered the whole clearing, up until the perimeter of the trees.
“It’s beautiful,” Kenny mused as she stepped up to Stan’s side, with Annie holding her hand. “Thank you, for bringing me.”
“Shall I go first?”
She nodded at his suggestion.
He stepped onto the ice with practiced ease, though he had to fight to keep the relief off his face. He had been a little wary that his time off the ice had left him rusty. It wasn’t often he found time to come here, not like he used to.
He turned to find her standing at the edge of the bank practically bouncing on the spot.
“Here,” Stan reached out for her hand to assist her off the bank and onto the ice. “I’ll keep you steady.”
“Okay,” she took hold of his hand and gave a nod with a smile as she bit down on her lower lip. “Okay, I can do this.”
She took her first step. She shook as she put both feet onto the ice, one hand holding Stan’s and the other arm spread out wide to keep her balance. Her eyes appeared glued to the ice before she looked up with raised brows.
“Now what?”
“You need to move forward.”
“How?”
“Push off with your feet.”
“You’re a terrible teacher.”
“I am not!” he protested. “I’m just – you can do it, come on. Walk towards me.”
He guided her through the steps. One step at a time until she was by his side, both hands now clutching his arm after a particularly rough wobble. She gave a yelp and a laugh as she clung to him.
He helped pull her along as he talked her through her stance. Kept trying to remind her not to look at the ice, and instead to look ahead, which she completely failed to do.
“Keep one arm out,” Stan advised. “You don’t need to hold me with both. It’ll keep you steady.”
“Right,” she outstretched one arm. “Like this?”
“Perfect.”
She looked up at him with a wide smile, blue eyes glittering as the locked with his own. He found his thoughts grind to a halt.
As they continued to move round the lake she began to build up confidence. Her grip on his arm began to loosen, and they steadily got further and further away from the edge. He looked back at one point to spy on what their retinue were doing, finding the group laughing together as they shared a drink on their break.
“I still can’t believe you brought your friends along.”
He gave a scoff and turned his gaze down to her.
“I distinctly remember saying I wanted to be seduced by the enchanted lake. How are you to sweep me off my feet and onto my back with witnesses?”
“You definitely did not say seduced.”
“The word was mentioned.”
“You said you wanted to be sweet talked, not seduced.”
“I said-?”
“That you expected his majesty King Kyle to seduce you, before you got locked up.”
She gave a doubtful hum with narrowed eyes. “I think my point remains. There has been a distinct lack of sweet talking.”
“I’m so very sorry to disappoint you,” Stan apologised with an exaggerated eye roll.
“I may be your prisoner, but I am still royalty, Sir Stanley. Do not be rude to me, else you may find I will not be kind once I have returned to my Kingdom.”
“Forgive me, your highness,” he pulled her to a stop, gaining her full attention. “I do not know what came over me.”
Her lips twitched upwards as she attempted to look down her nose at him.
“Perhaps, it is the location? Such a dazzling place of beauty, knocked me for a spin? Or, it is yourself.”
“How would it be myself?”
He sucked up his nerve, feeling heat prickle the tips of his ears. “Making me feel feverish, and leaving me lightheaded.”
“You compare me to an illness?”
“I compare you to something so stunning that it makes me act foolish.”
She stepped closer, fingers on his chest that walked their way towards the centre. “An illness of the heart, then?”
He fumbled through his embarrassment at her obvious flirting. “I suppose...”
“Or an illness of something a little lower?”
He grasped hold of her fingers when she began to walk them closer to his stomach. “Who’s seducing who, here?”
She smiled wider, tongue poking out between her teeth as she gave a giggle. “I’ve been trying, but I haven’t succeeded yet.”
“No, you haven’t.”
“Would you rather I stopped?” she asked as she started to turn and push off without his support. “I don’t mind if you-?!”
She let out a cry as she lost her balance, and he rushed forward, dropping down to one knee to catch her before she hit the ground. He couldn’t stop her going completely, but he could at least break her fall.
She had the decency to look apologetic.
“Focus more on skating, instead of flirting, maybe?”
“Yes,” she agreed. “Maybe.”
He had to admit, having her in his arms propped up on his leg, blue eyes as endless as the sky looking up through blonde lashes, it made him appreciate just how stunning the Princess was. Even dressed down in borrowed, old clothes had her stealing his breath from his lungs.
She squeezed a hand against his arm. He shook out of his daze and helped her to her feet. He made sure to keep her hand clasped in his own from there, so she didn’t fall again.
The ride back was embarrassing. Kenny fell asleep against his shoulder as the carriage jostled with the uneven road. Annie, the handmaid, tried to act like she wasn’t paying any attention to them, but Wendy their guard blatantly gave him a pointed look when their eyes met.
He woke her up on arrival and escorted her back to her room. The retinue disappeared without prompt and Princess Kenny seemed to wake up on the long walk back to her room, on the highest floor of the palace.
Stan stopped at her door. She turned to him expectantly in a way that reminded him of being a young guard, walking another guard back to her quarters after a date. He reminded himself of his place as a guard as opposed to her royal title.
“Thank you, for such a lovely day out,” he said as he bowed his head low.
“I hope I do not make you uncomfortable.”
He looked up with a crease in his brow. “How...?”
“With my flirting.”
He fought back the embarrassment threatening his face. “It doesn’t make me uncomfortable, your highness. Though if you keep it up, you may get people talking about you.”
“I’ll keep it to private quarters?” she offered. “Would that suffice?”
“Maybe it’s for the best.”
A wicked glint took over her face. “Will you be keeping me company longer?”
“It’s far too late for-?”
“I can’t exactly flirt with you in private if you don’t spend time with only me. And seeing as we had company on our little venture out, I think it’s only fair you give me yourself for one evening.”
“Give you-?!”
“Calm down,” she pinched his burning cheek. “I meant only your company, nothing more. Promise.”
She turned and skipped back into her room, and he heaved out a tired sigh as he closed the door before following her.
--
When it came to say goodbye to their guest, he found himself standing by King Kyle’s side, back in his normal place, with Prince Ike on Kyle’s left. The treaty between the two kingdoms had been finalised, and the Wizard King had sent a lone paladin to collect the Princess and return her to the kingdom.
She was standing in front of King Kyle in the throne room, guards stationed in the room with Paladin Butters waiting by the door for her while she bid her goodbyes.
“Thank you for your hospitality, King Kyle,” she said as she curtsied.
“I hope your stay as not been unpleasant, Princess Kenny.”
“Not at all,” her eyes twinkled with mischief as she looked up. “Your dear knight Stanley has kept me thoroughly entertained.”
Stan felt a heat slam his cheeks as Prince Ike gave a choked cough to cover his laughter.
“I can see why you keep him around. If I had the chance, I’d take him home with me. He’d make a wonderful addition to my chambers.”
“I am pleased to hear it,” King Kyle said. Stan couldn’t see his face, but Kyle’s voice remained steady and kind. “I will make sure if you ever visit again, he is here to welcome you.”
Her eyes flashed to him. “Careful, your majesty. Such generous offers cannot be rescinded, and you may not like how often I’d visit with him on my welcome plate.”
He thought he might die. Of mortification.
She turned on her heel with a flourish as she joined the guards stationed at the door who would be taking her to her carriage along with the Paladin who had been sent to collect her. She turned at the last minute to throw a smile over her shoulder towards him.
He let out a breath of relief when the doors finally shut and provided a barrier between them. A break from the twister that she caused to happen in his insides.
He wasn’t safe from Kyle, though.
“Stan, do I want to ask how it was you managed to keep Princess Kenny in such high spirits?”
Ike’s laughter finally broke. Stan began to mentally prepare himself for the rumours that were about to spread throughout the palace.