A LITTLE TWIST OF FATE

Chapter 16

Danielle placed the honeycomb on the plate she was carrying and covered the apiary making sure all the bees were safely inside before she raised the netting on her hat. This was usually a two-person job, but the honey was running low and Danielle needed to make a quick stop while Antoinette was serving.

She had decided to get the honey back there as quickly as possible and worry about the hat later, so she headed quickly back to the tea party.

"Hey," a voice called out behind her. "Do you always walk that quickly?"

Danielle stopped and tried not to smile. "Yes, I certainly do and my first name isn't "hey". Remember, hay is for horses."

She turned around to find Prince Henry staring at her with a wide grin on his face. "I'll try to remember that, milady. I seem to have difficulty remembering."

"No, actually, you remember very well," she answered and they both laughed together.

She looked into his big gray eyes. His long dark black hair fell loose over his shoulders and complimented his chiseled facial features. Henry had grown into a beautiful boy.

She couldn't say the same about his manners.

Danielle smile faded as she remembered the honey. "Excuse me," she said, "but I have to get this back to the.."

Henry stopped smiling and stared at the plate in her hand. "Oh, I'm sorry. How rude of me. Here, let me take that plate."

And he grabbed it out of her hand.

"Your Highness, please. There is no need." Henry shook his head. "Please, Danielle. I want to walk with a little. I have seen precious little of you since we were children. You do know my name, do you not?"

"And whose fault is that, Henry Francis," she scolded him playfully.

Henry looked at her. They began to walk toward the chateau. "No, I deserve it. I have been ignoring you, Danielle, deliberately, but I intend to make up for all lost time, if you'll take me back."

Danielle stopped and stared at him. "Do you mean this? Can you honestly say that my status in this province has changed? It will not bother you or your father to accept a "servant girl?"

Henry frowned. "You are not a servant, please stop calling yourself that."

Danielle shook her head. "If you knew that, then why did you stay away so long? I suppose now that Marguerite has up and left you decide to come floating back here and ask me to accept you?"

Henry stared at her. "I never wanted Marguerite," he answered, looking down. "That was my father's idea. My mother always had you in mind when she wanted me to take a wife."

Danielle was growing angrier by the second. "Oh, so now you are doing it because of your mother."

"It has nothing to do with my mother, Danielle. I love you and I want you for my wife."

Danielle quieted down a little. "Will you accept me as I am, Henry?"

Henry nodded. "Of course I do, Danielle, right now, but once you are out of here and inside the castle walls, this servitude will not continue, I will make sure of that."

Danielle crossed her arms. "Oh, so now I am a servant again," she said angrily. "I thought you told me that I wasn't."

Henry couldn't believe this. He was sinking deeper into the muck every time he opened his mouth.

"Danielle, listen to me. My father was the one who.."

"Don't you have any opinions, Henry? Do you always follow what your father tells you to do?"

Henry turned red. She had him there, he did not, but she didn't really know that he was sneaking out day and night to follow her around.

But if he had been more of a man, he wouldn't have to be sneaking around corners to see her, now would he.

"Danielle, please."

Danielle was about to answer when she heard some girlish giggling behind her. She turned around and found Adrienne du Lac pointing at Henry.

"Well," she exclaimed. "It looks as if the Prince has now become the servant."

Danielle brightened. "Well, I can see that you haven't changed any, Adrienne. Still the same spoiled brat that you always were."

"I'll take that plate now, Your Highness, if you don't mind. Now if you two will excuse me."

And she walked away leaving both of them standing there.

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