Chapter 13: Chapter 13: Back to the Berry Patch
Tiqa looked down, shaking her knee, as Stephen looked at her. He sighed and said, "Are you nervous, Your Highness?" She looked at him, saying, "I'm not nervous, I just want to make sure I don't say anything average." She looked away from him, and he said, "Average? Nothing you say is average. You always have my attention." She said, "Really, Your Highness? Because at dinner you said you had an average day so I must be average to you." He said, "Your Highness, you're not average, you've never been average to me…" She looked at him, saying, "It didn't sound like that to me at dinner when you said our time together was average." Stephen rubbed the back of his neck, saying, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it. It was just… I was just so nervous that my words got all mixed up. I had a perfect day with you yesterday." She looked down, saying, "If you don't like me, Your Highness, it's okay… But don't make me believe that you do." He said, "But Your Highness, I do like you." She looked up, looking into his eyes without saying a word.
They felt the carriage slow down, coming to a complete stop, and heard the carriage driver say, "We're here." The door to the carriage opened, and Stephen smiled at her, got out of the carriage, and turned back around, facing the carriage door. He put his hand out towards her, saying, "Come, Your Highness, I'll help you down." She got up, looking down, saying, "I can get out of the carriage on my own."
She got out of the carriage, tripping on her own dress, falling into Stephen's arms as he caught her, holding her tight. She looked into his eyes as he smiled at her, saying, "You must watch your step. I wouldn't want you hurting yourself." She blushed as she continued to look into his eyes.
"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK,"
They heard the screeching of the girls (Driaka, Jenessa, and Susan) as they (Tiqa and Stephen) turned their heads looking at the girls who were holding baskets in their hands and Cedar standing there, smiling at them (Stephen and Tiqa). Susan said, "You're holding each other," Jenessa said, "So romantic," and Tiqa said, "His Highness was just helping me because I tripped, he was just about to let me go, right Prince Stephen?" Stephen thought, 'Now's your chance… Show Her Highness that you like her,' let go of her, grabbed her hand, and said, "Let's get to berry picking." Cedar said, "Yes, my favorite thing to do," and Stephen walked over to the berry patch, holding on to Tiqa's hand as she followed behind him and the girls followed behind her.
They walked to the berry patch, and Stephen looked at the girls and said, "Alright girls, what are the rules?" Susan said, "Don't leave the berry patch and stay where you can see us, and if we get lost, stay put and yell your name until you come and find us." Stephen said, "Good now, be sure to stay together and only pick the blue ones. Now off, you girls go." Tiqa said, "Wait a minute, Your Highness, we don't have a basket, so we'll have to pick berries with the girls." Susan handed Stephen her basket, saying, "Here's a basket so you and Her Highness can pick berries together." Stephen grabbed the basket from Susan, and Tiqa said, "What about you, Your Highness?" Susan smiled, saying, "Me and Lady Jenessa will share a basket." Jenessa said, "That's right." Tiqa looked at Cedar and said, "What about Nobleman Cedar? He doesn't have a basket." Cedar chuckled, saying, "Don't worry about me. All I want to do is eat the berries." Tiqa said, "Well surely you'll get full and then you'll want to pick berries for the pies," Driaka interrupted, saying, "He can have my basket," and handed her basket over to Cedar as he took it. Tiqa glared at Driaka and said, "What about you, what are you going to do?" Susan said, "She can share a basket with us. I mean, we really only need one." Stephen said, "Now that that's figured out, you girls go have fun."
The girls took off further into the berry patch, and Cedar said, "Well, I'll be going too," and Cedar left further into the berry patch, leaving Tiqa and Stephen by themselves.
Stephen looked at her, saying, "Alright, Your Highness, are you ready to go berry picking?" She looked at him, seeing him smile at her, and said, "Yes."
He continued to hold her hand as he walked with her, trying to find a place in the patch to pick berries. She looked down, saying, "Your Highness," and he responded to her, saying, "Yes, Your Highness?" She said, "Aren't you going to let go of my hand?" He asked, "Why would I do that," and she answered him, saying, "Because you don't have to hold my hand." He looked at her and said, "I know, but I want to." Her eyes widened as she blushed and she thought, 'He wants to hold my hand… He really wants to hold my hand…' She looked down and he said, "Do you not want to hold mine, Your Highness?" She said, "Yes, I mean no, I mean yes, I want to hold your hand." He said, "Then I will never let it go."
She felt her heart begin to race as he led her to a spot in the berry patch. He looked at her, asking, "How about here?" She said, "Here is okay."
They crouched down and began picking berries, putting them into their basket, as they held hands.
As they picked berries, Tiqa smiled softly, and said, "Your Highness, don't you think it'll be faster if we use both our hands to pick berries," and he answered her, saying, "Maybe but then I wouldn't be holding your hand and what's the fun in rushing when I can prolong my alone time with you?" She blushed as she covered her face, saying, "Your Highness is so sweet to me. If you keep on, I'd think you have feelings for me." Stephen said, "And if I did," and Tiqa said, "The feeling would be mutual."
He looked at her, seeing her looking down, smiled, and said, "I do have feelings for you, Your Highness." She looked at him, snatching her hand away, covering her mouth with both of her hands as her face turned red. He said, "Are you alright, Your Highness?" She quickly stood up and said, "Your Highness… You…" He stood up and said, "I what?" She turned away from him, putting her hands down, and he grabbed her hand, saying, "Remember what you promised me." She looked at him, and he said, "I don't want you to run away from me again." She thought, 'God, does he truly like me or is he stringing me along,' and she said, "Your Highness, you can't like me." He grabbed her other hand and said, "Why can't I?" She said, "Because you don't like me… You said our time together was average… How can you like me?" He said, "I know Your Highness… I was horribly tongue tied and nervous… I misspoke, my words came out wrong but I… I do like you Princess Tiqa… I like you a lot… You are the most beautiful, kindest, funniest, most wonderful woman I've ever met. You're everything I've been Praying for and I never want you to think I don't like you, Your Highness and I'll do whatever it takes so you never feel like I don't have feelings for you." She looked deeply into his eyes, thinking, 'I think I just got my conformation… He does like me… I just hope… I want him to be… the man God has for me…'
They heard the sounds of the girls calling their (Tiqa and Stephen's) names as the girls ran towards them. They looked in the girls' direction, still holding hands, as the girls ran up to them with a basket full of berries.
Susan said, "You two are so romantic together," and Tiqa stuttered, "I-I s-see you g-girls filled u-up y-your b-basket." Driaka said, "Uh huh. We're all done." Jenessa looked at Tiqa's and Stephen's basket, saying, "But I see you guys didn't. Your basket isn't even halfway full yet." Susan said, "Probably because they were too busy holding hands." Cedar walked up to them as the girls began giggling, and Stephen said, "What can I say? How could I let the hand of the most beautiful woman on the planet go?" Tiqa looked into Stephen's eyes, blushing as he smiled at her, and the girls screeched. Tiqa looked down and said, "I-I think w-we have enough berries, we should get back to the castle," Stephen kissed her hand as she looked back up at him. She smiled softly, and he said, "Alright, let's get back. I've been eager to try some of your baking, Your Highness." He let go of her hand, and she said, "Come girls, let's walk back to the carriages."
She led the girls back to the carriages as she looked down, smiling, thinking, 'He's such a gentleman, and he's so sweet. I think he's stolen my heart. Thank You, God, for showing me that he really does like me.'
— New chapter is coming soon — Write a review
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone