“Aren’t you coming down, Princess?” Jack was over the edge of the boat, his feet resting on the rope ladder and his arms on the ship’s side.
Ami did her best not to glare at his insolence. “Yes, but I’m waiting for you to get down and avert your eyes. I know that we’re going to be married, but as of right now, we are not. So if you would kindly go down and not look.”
“Why?” Jack hoisted himself up a little higher and leaned close to Ami. “Because if I recall correctly, which I do, you care nothing for being proper as I caught you,” he got even closer and lowered his voice so passersbys wouldn’t hear him, “kissing a strange sailor near the privy.”
Anger flared through Ami. “Look here, Jacques, it was Lars who kissed me! Not the other way around! And you apparently don’t care about being proper either, as you neither sent a letter informing me when you’d be here and you didn’t bring any guards to protect me from your disgusting self. I don’t think you should be reprimanding me, especially since you are not my mother, father or husband!”
The simple smirk on Jack’s face left and contempt clouded it. “Listen, Andromeda Aurora Amélia, you are not here to make eyes at other men! You are going to marry me, not them, and I expect you to act in such a manner!”
Ami was breathing hard through her nose and her jaw was clenched. She wished she could hit him, strike him down with a stick, or something! She looked down at her hands before looking at Jack and placing her hands on his shoulders, pushing as hard as she could do that he would fall off the edge of the ship and down into the water below.
He flailed for a moment, trying to grasp the edge of the ship, the rope, or something, but failed in doing so, resulting in him cascading into the salty sea.
Ami quickly hopped over the ship’s railing and climbed down the rope and into the small boat that would take her to shore.
Meanwhile two of the men in the boat tried to find Jack who had yet to surface. He finally came up sputtering like how she expected he would; helpless.
Jack swam towards the boat and the men helped him into the boat, his clothes drenching the boat with water. “What were you thinking?” he hissed. “I could have died!”
“Perhaps it never crossed your mind that maybe I wanted you to die!” Ami fizzed quietly so the others in the boat wouldn’t hear.
Jack took hold of Ami’s arm and dragged her to the end of the boat. “Excuse us,” Jack forced the rowing men to move, “the Princess and I need to have a little talk.” he waited for the sailor to leave before his top blew. “I know you don’t like me and I don’t like you, so can you just stop? I don’t have time for your - your shenanigans!”
Ami rolled her eyes. “If you weren’t so pig headed I wouldn’t have pushed you!”
He glared. “I was not being pig headed!”
“You were too!” she crossed her arms and plunked down on the wooden seat, purposely not looking at him, implying that the conversation was over.
Jack’s fingers twitched and he sat down in the boat on the same wooden plank as her, but facing the opposite direction. “You will regret that you ever pushed me into the water, Princess.”
“I really don’t think I will.” she shrugged. “When a girl meets someone as annoying as you, she won’t regret pushing him into the sea.”
She saw his teeth clench. “When a man meets a snobby girl such as you, he can’t help but antagonize her.”
She turned sideways very quickly. “Ah-hah! So you admit to antagonizing me! I shall write my parents first thing in the morning and tell them that the Prince is purposely antagonizing me, trying to get me to go home, and so I should just not even bother to stay in Rhone after we’re married, and instead just go back where I came from to please my husband.” she smiled brightly at him.
A strand of wet hair dropped into Jack’s eye and he did nothing to get it out of the way.
I don’t suppose he knows how good he looks when that happens. But then again, he’s very arrogant and haughty and probably does know. He’s probably purposely trying to throw me off track to make me forget what I was saying.
“No.” Jack stated.
“What?” she peered at him cautiously. “Why shouldn’t I?”
“Because. You just shouldn’t. You’re parents wouldn’t like it.” he wrinkled his nose.
“Oh, and I suppose your parents would want you to be antagonizing me.” she raised an eyebrow defiantely before rolling her eyes. “My dear Jacques, I will write to them whether you want me to or not.” she smirked.
“Don’t call me Jacques.” Jack seemed to catch on her teasing tone and his expression hardened. “Listen Ami, I really don’t care whether you go back to Rhone or not, but this alliance is important. Carenthia, Rhone, and even Norcliffe are depending on us and the alliance. You can’t back out just because you can’t put up with your fiancé.”
“Well, well, well,” Ami raised an eyebrow, “I never took you for a philosopher. I didn’t even know you took other peoples’ welfare into consideration.”
He blinked and Ami noticed Jack’s ridiculously long and dark eyelashes framing his gray eyes. “There are many things you don’t know about me, Princess. And yes, I do think of other people besides just myself. Only I chose not to show that side to you.”
She glared, choosing not to say anything more.
“There’s a favor I must ask of you, Princess, although I shan’t be surprised if you refuse.” Jack said. “There’s a girl I met at the inn and she wanted to meet you. Although,” he added as an afterthought, “I’m not sure why she would want to. I told her you were snobbish and boring, but she insisted upon seeing you.”
“You told her that?” Ami flinched. “I am perfectly un-boring and yes I will meet her, thank you very much.”
He looked almost surprised to hear her say yes. “Are we supposed to act like we’re happy together? Or does it matter if we are biting each other’s heads off? Does the public care?”
“I don’t know.” Ami shrugged. “I don’t know if I’d be able to restrain myself from making nasty comments.” she smiled sweetly.
He rolled his eyes. “When you put it that way, yes, I think we should put up a front for the public. They won’t like a foreign Princess that doesn’t like their Prince.”
Her nostrils flared momentarily. “As you say, Jacques.”
A lopsided smirk hung around his face for the rest of the boat ride. Four guards stood on shore, waiting for the Prince to appear. “There he is!” one of them pointed and they all started running towards the boat.
“Ready to act, Princess?” Jack smiled.
“Of course, my dear Jacques.” his smile did not seem to phase her in the slightest.
He lifted her out of the boat so get dressed wouldn’t get wet and patted her backside. Ami let out a small yelp and turned to send him a glare. “Don’t call me Jacques, Princess.” he smiled at her as he stepped out of the boat.
The guards came panting up to Jack. “Your Majesty,” the leader started, “The Valerie is in and we suggest that you go and-” he paused, looked at Ami and then back at Jack. “This is her? She’s it?”
Ami controlled the urge to roll her eyes.
“Yes, that is the Princess of Rhone.” Jack informed the guard and he put a hand around Ami’s waist, drawing her to himself. “Isn’t that right, love?”
Ami looked up into his eyes. Two could play the game. “Yes, darling.” she put a hand on his arm, stealthily moving it up to his neck. She saw Jack giving her a look if confusion as she pulled herself up to his level so her lips rested on his cheek and whispered to him. “You do not pat me and get away with it. Keep in mind that we are still not married and you have absolutely no right to do such.” she lowered herself back down, but not before she made sure she had pinched his neck good and hard.
A high pitched squeal got caught in Jack’s throat and her gave her a quick death glare before he turned back to the guards who had averted their eyes, assuming that the Prince and Princess had shared a precious moment, which was quite the opposite.
“Let’s go.” he grabbed her hand and they took off towards the inn.
“Your Majesty!” a guard came running after him. “Your father wanted the Princess to be transported properly.”
“Yes, dear,” Ami nodded, “do transport me properly. You shouldn’t be galavanting and dragging me away.”
Jack swooped Ami off of her feet. “Is this better?” he called to the guards.
“I think he meant to put me in that carriage.” Ami was grimacing as she tapped his shoulder and pointed to a luxurious carriage adorned with everything expensive.
Jack turned and walked towards the carriage. “I knew that, darling. But can’t I have a little fun with the guards?”
“No.” she answered shortly.
He dropped her in the carriage and glared before hopping inside the carriage.
“Thank you, honey cakes.” Ami said sarcastically. “I couldn’t have made that trip without you carrying me.”
Jack was restrained from replying to get remark as the guards were to close and they took off to the inn.
The ride was fairly short and painful for both Ami and Jack, as they could not make nasty comments to each other.
When the carriage finally came to a halt, Ami spotted a girl waiting outside of the inn. “Is that her?” Ami asked Jack and pointed discreetly.
Jack looked. “Yes, that’s her.”
“She looks older than me. Pretty too. I wonder why she’d be wanting to meet me.”
“Maybe because you’re royalty.” Jack commented mildly. “You’re practically famous.”
Ami rolled her eyes at him and waited for the carriage door to be opened.
When they stepped out, the girl ran to meet them. She quickly bowed down before rising again. “Hello again, Jack.” she breathed.
Ami raised an eyebrow. Since when had this girl been allowed to call him Jack? And why did the girl feel the need to be so flustered?
“Hello Portia.” Jack linked his arm through Ami’s. “This is my future wife, Andromeda Aurora Amélia the Third.”
“That name is quite a mouthful, isn’t it?” Portia asked with wide, innocent eyes.
The indignation of that girl! Ami recoiled slightly and tapped Jack’s arm, trying to get him to defend her honor.
“Yes, isn’t it?” Jack patted Ami’s arm, ignoring her taps, and smiled at Portia.
“Aren’t you supposed to act like my fiance?” Ami leaned near Jack’s ear and whispered angrily. “A real fiance would defend my honor.”
Jack turned his head so he could whisper in her ear. “Portia knows that I don’t like you, so we needn’t act in front of her.”
“Yes,” Ami restrained herself from jabbing him in the gut, “but there are still guards here.”
Jack shook his head and sighed. “What honor do I need to defend?” he smirked before turning back to Portia and the guards. “Do you have her room ready?”
“Aye, Your Majesty.” a guard nodded.
“Take her things up.” Jack nodded towards her trunks. “The Princess, Portia, and I are going to go…” he looked around, “inside the inn and have a cup of tea or something.”
Ami raised an eyebrow at him and whispered. “Don’t you strange people drink coffee?”
“Of course,” he grinned, “but I figured that someone like you would like some nice weak tea. Or maybe you’d like milk.”
She gave him a dull look in response and walked inside the inn without him.
Jack and Portia followed slowly behind Ami; Portia chattered constantly and Ami wondered if she had really wanted to meet her or not. More likely she had wanted to spend more time around Jack, in the form of spending time with Ami.
So obvious, Ami shook her head at Portia. The girl’s name alone, annoyed her half to death.
A servant timidly came up to where Ami sat. “C-can I g-g-get anything for you, Your Majesty?”
Ami glanced up at the terribly nervous boy, who couldn’t have been more than seventeen. She gave him a smile. “Yes please, I’ll have a cup of,” she furrowed her eyebrows - she didn’t want to seem like she couldn’t handle coffee, but at the same time, she didn’t want to let Jack know that his words had swayed her decision, “what do you suggest I have?”
“I-I-I,” the boy stuttered, “we have a l-lot of s-t-t-t-tuff.”
Ami raised an eyebrow. Did he naturally have a stutter? Or was he just that nervous? “Could I have some milk with honey?”
The boy looked at her skeptically, almost as if he were wondering if she was being serious or not. When she did not crack a grin or laugh, he nodded. “Of course, Your Majesty. I’ll be right back.”
Jack and Portia sat down at Ami’s table just as soon as the boy had left. “Why didn’t he stay around and see what I wanted to drink?” Jack raised an eyebrow.
“Maybe you took too long.” Ami sent a glare in Jack’s direction as the guards, at that moment, were not looking her way.
He looked back at her in the same way.
“Was your trip here pleasant?” Portia piped up, choosing to ignore the couple’s silent feud, and directed her question to Ami.
Jack looked curiously in her direction, awaiting her answer.
Ami withheld a smug smile. “Yes, it was quite an enjoyable. As was the company.” she pointed the last comment at Jack.
“Oh?” Portia raised an eyebrow. “You found enjoyable company on a ship? I’m quite surprised to hear that.”
“Oh yes,” Jack’s eyes lit up, “there was this-”
Ami grabbed a chunk of Jack’s leg under the table and clawed it as hard as she could.
“Ahhh!” Jack yelled and swatted Ami’s hand away.
“Are you alright, dear?” Ami asked innocently. “Do you need anything?”
“No,” Jack gritted his teeth and forced a smile, as the guards were on high alert after Jack’s ever-so-royal yell, “I’m fine, honey. Just a leg cramp. That’s all.”
“Oh.” Ami faked pity and patted his hand. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
Portia raised a slightly shocked eyebrow at the Prince and Princess’s banter.
“Here’s your m-m-milk with honey.” the young waiter walked to the table with drink in hand. “Your Majesty.”
If Jack had been drinking, he would have choked on it. “Your what?”
“Milk and honey.” Ami deadpanned. “Is there a problem?”
Jack started guffawing. “Only children drink milk!”
“Don’t mock me, darling.” she squashed his toes with her satin slippers. “And no, older people can still drink milk.”
Portia seemed to be having a time trying to keep her laughter contained as well. “My dear, dear Ami, milk is a child’s drink. At least in Carenthia it is. Men and women who are of age drink more sophisticated things like mead, ale, cider, or something like that.”
“Oh?” Ami tilted her head slightly, daring Portia to say something more. “And I suppose getting woozy and acting like a bumbler is more sophisticated that drinking milk, eh? Well in Rhone, we don’t look up to people who like ale and start acting like dumb children. Even if milk is a child’s drink, it’s still better than anything you’ve got here!” she slammed her mug down on the table and stood up. She aimed her gaze towards Jack, who was starting to feel slightly uncomfortable at the way the conversation had turned. “And you.” her voice was eerily quiet. “If there were not guards present, I would dump all of this milk and honey on your head and smack your face good and hard.”
Jack swallowed and tried his best not to look intimidated, though he was quite frightened at how scary this side of Ami was. Where were the smiles and tears she had stored for Lars?
“Can you please show me to my room? I would like to retire.” Ami purposely turned her head suddenly so Jack would feel the whiplash of her hair.
“Yes, Your Majesty.” the Captain of the Guards bowed and lead her up the staircase and into a grand room, although as grand as her room back in the Palace of Rhone.
Ami turned to the Captain. “Thank you, uh-” she racked her brain for the his name, but was quite sure he had never given it to her.
“Derek.” the guard smiled at her.
He had graying hair, a few wrinkles around his eyes, as if he used to have a reason to smile. He looked like a kindly grandfatherly sort, only with more muscle and agility.
“Thank you, Derek.” she smiled back.
“Just call if you need anything.” he took hold of the door handle and closed the door, leaving Ami alone to contemplate what all had happened that day.
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