Feathered Dreams: Book One Read online

  Karen helps me into the waiting car and the driver loads my bags. My ankle is on fire and I’m sweating with pain. I lean my head against the cool, leather seats and let my eyes close.

  Christian hammers on the car door.

  “What are you doing? I said to leave after you heal. This is senseless, and a perfect example to what I said about your demeanor. Lady Ann. For goodness sake, stop having to be the center of attention and get back inside immediately.”

  “No, thank you. I’m leaving and going home where I fit the mold of farm girl. You can drop the lady title. I’m not in the running to be your wife.”

  “Ann, you’re being irrational. Please, come back inside on your own. Or I’ll carry you up those stairs.”

  “Don’t you dare touch me.”

  He slams the door shut and I’ve won.

  Ryan opens it again and hands me tissues. When I dab my eyes and blow my nose, he tells me.

  “Christian asked me to find someone to carry you up. Ann, what do you want me to do? You can’t travel like this.”

  “Please Ryan. I don’t belong here. Help me keep my dignity and let me go home to my dad.”

  “Ann, you need medical attention and rest, look at you. How about a compromise? I’ll carry you inside through a side entrance and no one will see. I’ll get you a temporary room downstairs. Just for a few days, until you can walk out of here on your own with your head held high. And you can stick two fingers up at me, Christian and all the other girls as you go. How’s that? And what about our poor, caged chickens? Are you going to abandon them and leave them to their fate—Lady Ann, I’m surprised at you.”

  “Fine, but you tell his weenieness, that I’m doing this for the chickens not because he told me to.”

  He laughs and repeats, “Weenieness?”

  “Two days and that’s it. I’ll write the report and submit it, then I leave, good enough?”

  “Thank you, Ann. I’m sorry he dismissed you. I think you would make a perfect queen and an even better sister in law.”

  He smiles and I can’t help but return it. Ryan offers to carry me, but I bite my lip and shake my head. I walk with my crutches to my new room. It’s smaller than my last room with no windows. It has a small desk, bathroom, two dressers, beds, and nightstands.

  Ryan says, “Karen offered to share her room with you, and she can help you until you leave.”

  I lower myself onto the bed. Karen and a guard bring my bags in. Ryan gives my hand a squeeze and leaves.

  I smile at Karen and the guard. “Thank you, both for carrying my things in.”

  The tall guard replies, “It’s not a problem, Lady Ann. My name is Vinny. If you need any more help let me know.”

  “Thank you, Vinny, but it is just Ann.”

  Vinny puts my mountain of books on the desk.

  “I owe both of you a lunch or something. Thank you so much for your help and hospitality.”

  Karen smiles. “Just get well and stay strong, Ann.”

  Vinny agrees. “I would love a lunch date.” And he winks as Karen swats him playfully.

  “Give her some recovery time.”

  He laughs and pauses as he leaves. “Ann. I’m sorry Prince Christian doesn’t see your potential.”

  I yawn and curl into a ball wishing this was all a bad dream.

  Bouncing Back

  When I wake up my stomach growls. Karen puts her book down. “Finally, I thought you were going to sleep forever, do you have an appetite?”

  “Yes, I’m starving.”

  As Karen gets breakfast, my thoughts drift to Christian. I could have pretended to be what he wanted and faked it to make it work. I mean most of the girls surrounding him act like that. But that’s not me, I have to be true to myself. I’m not letting one man make me question myself and who I am.

  Karen pulls me back to reality with the smell of minestrone soup, garlic bread sticks, iced tea, and a grilled cheese sandwich. I devour everything.

  “Thank you again, Karen. I feel better after eating. Could you pass me my books please?”

  “I’m glad you are feeling better. You were looking pretty rough last night.”

  I grab my pencil and tap it against my lips. “Karen, what happens now? I mean with you. What will you do once I leave?”

  “When you leave, I’ll just be a regular maid doing this and that unless the Queen or princess needs me, specifically.”

  “Do you like your job?”

  “I like what I do. I don’t have any complaints.”

  “I’m not sure what I want to do with my life. I mean I thought I knew before I came here.”

  “You are a farmer. That is your passion. Do what you love, Ann. Or something related to what you love. That way you can be happy doing it. Otherwise you will be miserable.”

  We spend a pleasant afternoon together reading and I make a start on my report. I spend a few hours reading and taking notes. My book pile dwindles as I take what I need from them. Pleased with what I’ve achieved, I put my books down and drift off to sleep.

  Later, I try putting weight on my ankle. Pain shoots up my leg, but not as intense as it was yesterday. I stare at the ceiling and think about what Karen said about doing what I love.

  The day passes and Karen is by my side with breakfast, coffee, and medicine. “Karen, thank you, you are too good to me.”

  “Stop stroking my ego, Ann I’m just doing my job.”

  I shake my head between bites of egg. “It's more than that. Karen, you are passionate about what you do, and you make me feel like I belong.”

  “Thank you, Ann. I appreciate that. How’s your work going?”

  “Great. I just have to type it up, hand it in, and cross my fingers. Is there a computer and printer I can use?”

  “The servants have a break room that I can show you to when you’re done with breakfast.”

  We make it to a busy room with computers, television, tables, fridge, coffee maker, and a small library with red, bean bags.

  “This is amazing, Karen. I can see why you like your job and the benefits that go along with it.”

  I log into one of the computers and set to work.

  Karen makes coffee for us and sits on the couch, watching the news on the television. Palace workers trickle in and out of the room all day. I finish my report and stretch out my sore muscles. I rub my eyes and blink the burned image of the screen out from the back of my eye lids. Karen retrieves my papers from the printer as Vinny comes in for his afternoon break. He grabs the papers from Karen’s hands before she can stop him.

  “Well, well, well. What is this?” His eyes scan the pages. He is in jeans and a white t-shirt and his hair is ruffled.

  I hold my breath, waiting for his opinion even though he didn’t ask my permission to read my work, he turns to Karen.

  “Wow Karen, beauty and brains. This is great. I didn’t know you could write like this.”

  Karen snatches the papers and hands them to me.

  “I didn’t write it, Ann did.”

  “That report is very well written, Ann.” He winks and goes to the coffee maker.

  I read through the report twice and edit what I can, and I ask Karen to skim it too, just to see if any glaring errors leap out.

  Even with Karen editing, I don’t feel confident in my writing. I would be humiliated if the Queen feels it is juvenile when she reads through it.

  “Vinny, could you please edit it too?”

  He gets up and sits next to me in an empty chair.

  “Are you sure, Ann? I don’t know if I have the brains and muscle.”

  “I’m sure there is more to you than meets the eye, Vinny.”

  “It’s great, Ann. I fixed a few minor details.” I get Karen’s vote of approval.

  “Thank you, Karen. I appreciate your help.”

  “I’m going to grab our laundry and make some food. See you in a bit, Ann.”

  I wait for Vinny to finish. He’s smarter than he lets people think and helps m
e reorganize some paragraphs to make the composition better. It read well, as I type in the changes, reread it, and reprint it. He looks it over and hands it back to me.

  “Thank you, Vinny. It reads a lot better and flows well.”

  “I’m always willing to help a lady in need.”

  Karen rushes in and she’s breathless, “Ann, I forgot the doctor was coming to check on your ankle. He’s looking for you.”

  “Karen, these crutches aren’t very fast, but I’ll do my best to get there as quickly as possible.”

  I get up and hobble towards her room. Vinny scoops me up in his arms and I squeal, as my crutches crash to the floor.

  “Vinny this is completely unnecessary. Put me down.”

  “Karen, grab her stuff and meet us there.”

  He shouts over his shoulder as he carries me.

  “It will be faster. Don’t worry. I won’t drop you.”

  “My hero.” I laugh.

  “You are right, all soldiers are heroes, Ann.” Vinny sets me down while nodding towards the doctor. “Good luck with this one, doc.”

  Vinny winks at me and speaks to the figure lurking in the dark corner of the room.

  “Good afternoon, Prince Christian.”

  The doctor checks the progress of my healing ankle.

  “The swelling has gone down, Lady Ann. You should be ready for regular duty in no time.”

  “I’m eager to leave as soon as possible. When can I travel home?”

  The doctor turns to Christian.

  “I see no reason why you couldn’t travel now. Just take it slow and try not to reinjure it.”

  He packs his stuff up and nods towards Christian. “Is there anything else I can do for you, Prince Christian?”

  Christian thanks him for his time. Karen comes in after the doctor has gone and sees Prince Christian in the background.

  “Oh, Prince Christian, can I get you something?”

  Before Christian can respond I ask Karen, “Can you please hand me my crutches?”

  Karen hands them to me and I get up to leave.

  “Are you ready for lunch?” I ask her.

  Christian speaks up, “Lady Ann.”

  I feel frozen in place by that simple word rolling off his lips. Karen squeezes my hand before she walks off.

  “How about we have lunch together, Lady Ann?”

  “I would rather not have lunch with you.”

  “I thought you were making plans to eat with your maid a second ago?”

  “No, I was going to have lunch with my friend.”

  “And the guard? Are you planning on meeting him too?”

  I try not to notice a loose strand of blonde hair falling over his forehead. He rubs his temples and pushes back the stray hair.

  “I came all this way to check on you, Lady Ann. Only to find you in another man’s arms.”

  My jaw drops.

  “Correct me if I’m wrong, Prince Christian.” I spit. “But you sent me home because you were absolutely sure I wasn’t what you were looking for. Does it surprise you that another man may want what you don’t?”

  He frowns down at me.

  “Just because I don’t want you as my wife doesn’t mean I don’t want you at all.”

  “Prince Christian, that makes no sense to me.”

  “Ann.” Karen calls as she runs towards me in the hallway.

  “Karen, slow down, what happened?” I ask as Christian comes behind me.

  “Your dad, he’s in the hospital.” She says out of breath.

  I absorb her words. My knees go weak and I feel myself falling in slow motion. Christian catches me.

  “Ann. Are you okay?”

  His concerned voice seems far off as images of my past haunt me. I remember my mother’s death bed and saying goodbye to her. I can still feel her cold hand in mine. I shiver and shake my head.

  Karen moves closer to me. “Ann, they said he’s in stable condition. Try not to worry too much, I’m sure he’ll be okay.”

  “I need to leave and go to him.”

  Karen helps me pack up my things and there is a car waiting for us. Christian is talking to the driver. We pile everything into the trunk, and tears blur my vision. I hug Karen tight before turning to Christian.

  I give him a hug and hold tight, willing his strength and composure to seep into my weary soul. He tickles my neck as he whispers to me. “Don’t give up on us, Ann. Please try and be patient. I’ll figure something out. Can we try and be friends, for now?”

  “After everything that’s happened here, I don’t know if I can.”

  The car pulls away. I watch his somber face as he watches the taillights fade away.

  The rain patters, obscuring my view of the town and mirroring my mood. What a mess my life is. It’s filled with enormous amounts of pain with brief, intermittent sprinkles of joy.

  Home

  I decide to drop my bags off at home before going to the hospital to see my dad. As much as I want to see my dad, I want to avoid the inevitable attention I would receive at the hospital when I pull up in a Palace vehicle. The driver pulls my bags out and helps me in the door. I try turning on the lights, but they aren’t working.

  “It must be a tripped breaker. I can fix it easily. Thank you for all your help. I hope you have a safe drive back.”

  I wave as I watch the driver pull away.

  I growl and toss the crutches aside, done trying to maneuver around the house in the dark with them. I feel around as I limp towards the breaker box in the garage. I chew my lip as I tap the metal box. All the breakers are in the correct position.

  The phone rings pulling me out of my stupor.

  “Hello?”

  “Ann, did you make it home safely?” It was the all confusing, Christian.

  “I didn’t expect you to call.” I rub my face as I sit on the bar stool.

  “Why not? I was making sure that my friend made it home safely. That’s acceptable isn’t it?”

  “I’m not sure about being your friend, but I am home.”

  There is silence on the line, and he says, “Ann, you sound tense. Are you alright?”

  “You mean other than being worried sick about my dad in the hospital?”

  “Now, on top of everything else my power is out, and I’m not sure why.” I rub my tense neck. “This isn’t your fault, I’m sorry. Thank you for checking up on me. But I need to go.”

  “Well, let me help. I will call the power company while you get ready to see your dad. How about we meet back on the phone in fifteen minutes?”

  “Christian, you’d do that for me? That is very considerate of you. Thanks.”

  With fifteen minutes to kill, I do what I always do in times of crisis or when I’m feeling low. I go outside to talk to my chickens. When I call them, they run over, and you don’t need to be Doctor Doolittle to know that they are complaining bitterly. They have no food or water.

  I say a quick hello to them and try to fill their water, but nothing comes out of the hose.

  “What’s going on here?” I ask Pecker as she waits by my side. Suddenly, the security and porch lights turn on. Water shoots out of the hose, scaring Pecker and soaking me. She pecks at the spilled water on the ground. All thirty hens fight to get water as I collect the neglected eggs in the hen house. I kneel to stroke the girl’s colorful feathers and they look at my empty hands.

  Hearing the phone, I run inside, tripping over Pecker.

  “Hello?”

  “Ann? Why are you out of breath? Is everything okay?” Christian asks.

  “Yeah, no, I don’t know Christian. I’m totally confused. The power and water weren’t working and then they came on a few minutes ago, just like that. The ladies have no food or water. I’m not sure how long they have been like this and this isn’t like my dad.”

  “I’m sorry, Ann. That does sound odd. How many people live in your house?”

  “Just me and my dad live here.”

  “So what ladies are you worri
ed about?”

  “Oh, I’m sorry. I know it’s silly, but I call the chickens ladies.”

  “Thank you for your help, Christian. Did the power company say what was wrong?”

  “Well, Ann. It’s a bit awkward, but your dad may have forgotten to pay the bill. But, don’t worry I paid them, and we have everything back on for you.”

  “I’m so embarrassed, Christian. I’ll figure out what happened and pay you back.”

  He laughs. “Don’t worry about it. I’m a prince, I can manage to pay for it.”

  “No, Christian. I’m serious.”

  “Fine, but I don’t want your money. How about dinner or lunch?”

  I imagine him smiling his confident smile on the other end of the phone.

  “Fine, if I’m ever in the neighborhood, I will take you to dinner.”

  “No. I want a nice meal, just you and me.” He replies softly.

  I aim to change the conversation while trying not to rush him off after all of his assistance.

  “Okay, if I’m in the neighborhood, I’ll have a meal with you. How are you?”

  “I’m doing well, thank you for asking. I’m going to let some of the ladies go home tonight and I’m working on my speech.” He says in his best business voice.

  I grin. “Oh, you mean your chickens?”

  “No, Ann I don’t mean chickens.”

  I clear my throat. “So, how’s your family?”

  “Mom and dad are fine. Ryan went to go visit his fiancé Cherie because they got into a fight.”

  “Oh, that’s not good. Nothing serious I hope?”

  “Don’t worry yourself, Ann. I am sure Ryan and Cherie can work it out.”

  “That’s good. Well, it’s getting late. I should get to the hospital before visiting hours are over.”

  “I can call you later if it’s not too late, Ann?”

  “Okay, I’ll speak to you later. And Christian? Thank you again for fixing this mess for me. I don’t think I would’ve been able to figure it out as fast as you did.”

  “Of course, I miss you, Ann.”

  “Christian please don’t. It’s not fair.”

  “I’ll talk to you soon.”

  I go to check in at the front desk of the hospital with sweaty palms and a racing heart remembering the outcome of the last time I was here. Nothing has changed. The short haired nurse smiles at me and directs me to my dad’s room.