The Five Princesses of Eblus

Chapter Two

chantelle

friday night

"You shouldn't be here," I whisper. My smile, however, suggests otherwise. 

"Or maybe I should." He jumps through the window and I see his full frame: his slender, but muscular arms, his strong torso, his dirty blond hair. He has these amazing turquoise eyes. Like when he looks at me, he can see through me.

I fumble with the back of my neck – a nervous habit. A lock of dark red hair escapes my previously thick braid. I suck in a breath when Jothan tucks it behind my ear. "Did I ever tell you how much I love your hair?" I blush.

"Thanks–" I start.

Suddenly, I hear a voice yell, "Chantelle! Can you– hold on, I'm coming." It's Vi. 

"Shit," I mutter. "Okay, Jothan, um, hide in my closet!" Jothan raises his eyebrows but smiles. He leaves a kiss on my hair before ducking into my closet.

Violet bursts through the door. "Hey Chantelle–" she cuts herself off at the wide open window and muddy footprints. I flush. "It isn't what it looks like–"

"You snuck in?" Vi asks, incredulously. I nod furiously.

"Yeah. I was... at a party." I'm nineteen, so it's pretty likely. Vi seems to accept the lie.

"Wow... I guess I never pegged you as that type. Did you meet any guys?" She wiggles her eyebrows. I let out a laugh.

"No. I was just with some friends. Don't tell Mother or Father." Vi looks disappointed, but agrees to keep my secret.

"Anyway, was there something you needed?" I ask, hoping to get her out of here. Vi nods.

"Do you have a concealer?" She asks.

I laugh again. "I don't think we're the same shade." My brown skin is much darker than her lighter brown skin. 

"I know. Can I please just have it?" I'm curious now. But I let it go. There are more important things at stake.

"Yeah, sure." I rummage around in my vanity for a few minutes and finally find a good one. I hand it to her and she leaves.

"You can come out now," I whisper to the closet. Jothan comes out. His hair is slightly mussed from being in there. I stand on my tiptoes and move it back to the swoop it was in before. 

"That was kind of weird," he says, walking around my room. "She wants a concealer that isn't even her shade?"

It was weird. But I want to move on. Jothan can tell. He presses a kiss to my lips. I smile and he hoists me up, carrying me by my thighs. He pushes me onto my bed, and that's that.

. . .

saturday morning

I don't expect it, but when I wake up in the morning, Jothan still lies by my side, one arm sprawled on my chest. I accidentally move, waking him up.

" 'Mornin, sweetie," he mumbles. It's really cute. Suddenly, it all sinks in.

Jothan is sleeping in my room and the housekeeper is about to wake me up.

"Oh my God, Jothan, you have to go!" I whisper-scream. Jothan is up.

"Oh my God. I need to go." He quickly puts on his clothes and jumps out the window. But as I peer down at him, he smirks, winks, and blows a kiss at me. I laugh and do the same. And then he runs off.

I guess I should probably explain. Jothan is a farmer in one of the tiny villages nearby. We met a year ago, while I was trying to find this really specific fabric that Mother wanted. I could only find it in that village, and he helped me find it. We spent the day hunting it down, and by the end, we became friends.

Needless to say, we became more than friends a few months ago.

But no one can know about us. My parents would kill me if they found out I was seeing non-royalty. Especially a farmer. 

Today is the day of the dinner. We're meeting a couple other families in the area for dinner and a dance, or a D&D. I'm friends with some of the boys, but it ends at friends. None of them are Jothan.

This morning, we're prettying ourselves up for dinner. We start off at a spa for an hour, and then we're picking up our dresses.

I change into a white robe and cleanse my face. I have a lot of desirable traits, at least that's what people say. But my favorite are my eyes. I have clear, dark blue eyes without a hint of gray. I'm about to dry my face when I hear a knock at the door. I grab my towel, drying my face as I answer it. 

"Cherity! Hi, how are you?" I ask, smiling. Although I fake many smiles, this one is genuine. Cherity is the kindest person I know. She's my favorite person who works in the castle. She smiles back. "Your sister is asking for your presence at the spa." She raises her eyebrows. "Sounds like you're meeting some men tonight."

I roll my eyes, but laugh. "All that glitters isn't gold, Cher. The princes are snobs." She waves my words away. "I doubt it."

"I doubt you doubt it," I reply,  patting my face down. "I'll be there in a minute. Thanks!" Cher nods and wheels her cart of cleaning supplies down the hall and turns a corner.

I take a deep breath and prepare myself for what I know is going to be an awful day.