Escape from the Obstinate Prince ✓

Chapter 15

Jack secretly loves to monologue...

I still love inline comments. *cough cough* *adorable wittle puppy dog eyes* Thank you all for being so patient!

When Ami woke up the next morning, her stomach feeling as if someone had taken it, turned it inside out and then placed it back where it was.

The fact that Jack despised her for agreeing to the picnic made her all the more uneasy. She had experienced his angry side one too many times and she was not looking forward to being at the center of it again.

Nevertheless, she forced herself to get up and got ready for the day, both mentally and figuratively.

"Your Highness," a servant bowed as she exited her bedroom through the double doors. "The Prince requests your presence at the stables."

Ami raised an eyebrow. He couldn't even be bothered to come to my door? she sighed and tried to banish the discouraging thoughts. At least he isn't in bed still, Ami mentally congratulated herself for thinking on the bright side.

She sighed and walked through the castle corridors with the poise of a princess.

"Your Highness." a servant bowed as she hurried past towards the stables. A pair of servants opened the doors for her and she stepped out into the warm, already humid air. She hated to leave the cool interior of the stone castle and resented the fact that it was so hot in Carenthia.

She slowed her pace to deter the heat from penetrating her too deeply.

"Ami, dear," Jack's sarcastic voice met her ears.

Ami found Jack, with two horses on either side of him and Jack standing in the middle, the reins of both horses in his hands.

"Good morning, Jack," Ami forced her tone of voice to be pleasant.

"Is it a good morning?" he handed her the reins to her horse. "I hardly think it's a good morning."

"That is very unfortunate that you think that," Ami smiled despite Jack's scowl, "as I think this is a beautiful morning to go riding. And such company too!"

Jack's scowl intensified. "Isn't it just dandy?"

Ami realized that what she said had been taken sarcastically. "I didn't mean-"

"Get on the horse, please," Jack said curtly and hopped onto his own mount.

She climbed onto her horse without the aid of Jack and sat primly on top. "Might I ask where we're going?"

The Prince gave no reply.

Ami had tried on several occasions to make conversation - failing most of the time as Jack either gave short, clipped answers or else didn't answer at all if he felt the question wasn't worth answering.

After a time she had given up on trying to converse with him and rode silently beside Jack.

He once tried to gallop away from her, presumably to escape her; she had simply galloped along with him. He had not been expecting her to keep up with him, as he looked quite surprised when he saw her lagging only a few yards behind him.

"If you're trying to lose me, I'm afraid to say that I'm not going to be lost."

Jack ignored her.

"Look, Jack. I'm trying my best to make this work. To make this relationship work."

He glanced back at her sharply. "What if I don't want it to work?"

She flinched slightly. "Jack, we are going to spend our lives together whether you wish it to be so or not. We had better make the best of it."