The meeting

Venessa walked up the staircase leading to west wing. Her steps were slow and her thoughts so muddled that the only thing she could get her mind to focus on was how much dust seemed to collect on the hem of her red dress when she didn't bother lifting the hem. Tragic that something so beautiful could get so soiled... so quickly. The red reminded her of those who must have died at Tumes Water. Awful! ...and it could very well have been us. “It could have been us...” she breathed in barely a whisper. “Oh Lord, let it never be.” She had reached the top of the landing. She felt herself getting a headache. Absent mindedly, she began tugging at her hair pins, hoping it would relieve some of the pressure; her long dark locks began falling about her shoulders. As she combed through them with her fingers looking for the once perfectly placed braids to unwind, she heard a loud noise as though something or a lot of somethings had crashed upon the floor. She needed to go left, but the noise came from the right. There were two rooms in that direction; both were originally intended for an extension of the royal family, had she had any brothers and sisters. The rooms had stood empty for as long as she could remember...with the exception of family guests. Fearing that her shoes, though leather, would make a scuffing noise, she took them off and laid them by the stairs, then slowly started in the direction of the noise.

Justin had all his books laid out on the desk in his room. His room. That was a laugh...nothing about this room was his...not really. The desk was of adequate size for most, but it did not suit his needs. Somehow he would need to acquire one larger, if at all possible. His room in Tumes Water had a dining table fitted into it...put there especially for his mapping. He walked over to the window and pulled back the curtain. He breathed in the scents of the ocean, and though a little more then a mile away, he could still smell the salt in the air. It helped clear his mind, and he wondered, not for the first time, how his parents and siblings were carrying on. It pained him to be away, though for now, it seemed necessary. He went back to his desk and sat down, but found that he could not concentrate. He pulled out a large sheet of parchment paper and picked up his quill. Perhaps making a map of the area would help to clear his head; he always seemed to think more clearly after losing himself in his drawings. As he attempted to position himself just right for his first stroke, his right elbow hung off of the table and his left hit the bumped into the books he had set aside. Frustrated with his lack of space, and with one sweep of his arm, he flung them aside. They caught hold of the ink well and took that down with them. With a loud crash, the books hit the floor and the ceramic bottle broke, leaving a puddle of ink and broken shards. Justin stood up with a start, his chair falling backwards, and he grabbed his already well tussled hair with both hands in exasperation. “For the love...” he began and then looked up to see the Princess standing in the door way.

“Princess, forgive me, I did not see you there. I was just...ah...I...well, as you can see, I was making a mess of my things. Sort of arranging things to my liking, you might say,” he said with a sheepish grin. He looked up, down, and any other direction but at her.

“I see,” she said taking in the inky mess on the floor. “No need to apologize, I believe I am the one intruding. Venessa took a better look at the young man before her. “I believe I shared a desk with you today. I was wondering who you were.”

Justin's blue eyes came up to meet hers for a moment, “Oh, yes. I remember...er, uh...I remember your dress.”

“My dress?” Venessa said, “What's wrong with my dress?”

“Nothing! Nothing is wrong with it. I just wasn't paying much attention in class. I had a lot on my mind, ...though as I recall there was a whole lot of the color red sitting next to me. I ...I remember thinking that it was odd for the color red to bid me hello, but now that I see you ...well, I suppose I wasn't losing my mind as I had thought, and it was indeed a someone and not a something greeting me.” The prince attempted to laugh at his own humor, but felt too uncomfortable with the situation to do so. “Excuse me...I haven't had enough sleep. I haven't even introduced myself. I'm Justin...Prince of ...of Tumes Water...sort of,” he mumbled as his voice trailed off.

Venessa didn't know what to think of the Prince. She had never met anyone quite like him in her life. He seemed so unsure of himself; not much like a prince at all...at least none that she had come across. And yet, she felt sorry for him, having just discovered the horrific circumstances he had so recently been put through. “Oh.” It's all she could think to say. Oh? For goodness sakes is that all she could think to say. She was as bad as he. “I mean, I know who you are. I just met with my father; not 15 minutes ago we parted ways. I know of your circumstances and I am truly sorry,” she said softly, feeling the hollowness of her words as she said them.

“Sorry? Yes, well, I'm sorry too...I suppose I must look a pathetic site to you. I should have entered the city on horseback with trumpets announcing my entrance, as befits a prince...but... but here I am. Discovered...in a room that's not my own by a princess ...the princess of the castle who only knows I'm here because I lost my temper and flung my books upon the floor. I would replace the ink well, but I have not the funds. Imagine that!” He ran his hands through his hair and immediately regretted his harsh words. “I don't know what came over me...I...”

“Don't worry about the mess...the ink did not land on any of the rugs. May I help you clean it up?”

“No, I'll do it.”

“Really, I don't mind,” Venessa said, sure that her company could perhaps ease his loneliness.

“No, really, I 'll be alright,” he said. “No need to help when it won't come off of stone. If you could just fetch a servant to bring me a rag, I'll get it sopped up as much as possible so as not to spread it further until it dries.”

“Well, I think that if we apply soap and water on a scrub brush it will come off,” the princess said staring at the dark black puddle.

“No, it won't...ink is fairly permanent,” Justin said with a knowing look.

Venessa was getting frustrated. “There you said it, 'fairly'...it may come up if we try.”

“It's fine,” he reiterated looking her full in the face.

“You can say that, but you could at least show more concern over it! After all it is not your room which you have stained...” Venessa's last word trailed off as she realized the effect her words may have had upon him. Why must she always say the wrong thing! She looked to the floor apologetically. Unable to say the words, “I'm sorry,” again fearing for a similar reaction from him, she simply said, “I shall leave you to yourself. I'm sure you will handle the situation correctly.”

Venessa turned to go, her stockinged feet hiding the noise of her retreat as she made her way back the way she had come. She bent down to pick up her shoes. “Think! Think before speak, Venessa.” She could not truly understand what he was feeling, but she could imagine herself in his place and that, in itself, caused her throat to constrict with grief. She should not have argued with him. She threw back her bedroom door, angry with herself for her lack of tact. “Wisdom and discretion, indeed. Oh Father, how am I ever to learn these things before I am queen, when I can barely control myself as Princess.” In one last act of disgust, she flung her shoes across the room, regretting her actions the moment they left her hand...for she had flung them directly at the open window. One shoe landed with a small thud on the floor beneath, but the other... She ran towards the window and looked below. Two stories down, it most likely lay lost amongst the wild blackberry bushes that grew up against the castle walls. Venessa smiled to herself. “I deserved that!”

“Princess?” The sound of Justin's voice startled her. He stood in her doorway. “May I come in?”

“Yes...please sit down.” They both made their way to the sofa. Justin sat down, uncomfortable with the situation, and yet resolute in his purpose. “I know that though my situation is a difficult burden for me to bear at present, that it is not my burden, alone, to bear. I am invading your space, as it were. I am an uninvited guest, with no money and no home, living in this place by the good graces of your father. I do not pretend not to realize that my being here could be a burden to you all. ...I do not share my thoughts easily, and this is difficult for me to say...but I am truly miserable in my present condition.” Venessa looked at his hands, trembling in his lap as he began to pour out his heart to her. “I know that God has brought me here for a purpose...He has...has allowed these things to happen to my home and country for a purpose, but as of yet, I have not seen what that purpose could be. But one thing I do know...is that in my misery, I am not blind to the lives of others, and it is not my wish to draw others into my sorrow. It is not my desire to have you walking on glass, worrying about what you say to me, hoping that I will not take offense at your words. I did not ask to be a part of your life, and yet I am here, and...and though it would be quite easy for us to avoid each other for fear of offending...I would much rather acquire your friendship, as I am in sore need of such. Could I have the pleasure of building one with you...a friendship.”

Venessa sat aghast! She had never had a man speak to her in such a way. Though his hands still trembled, his eyes had held hers throughout his speech, looking directly into hers. They were kind...and more then that, they were honest. Perhaps the most honest eyes she had ever seen. She felt perfectly at home in his presence when just a few short moments ago, she couldn't wait to escape it. The Princess realized that she had not given response, but had been still, staring into his face. “Oh, yes...of course!” she stammered, and then more softly, “I offer it to you freely...please from this day forward, hesitate not, to call me your friend...” She offered her hand with a smile, “...always.” Justin took her hand in his and bowed his head, giving her a show of courtesy not often offered between royalty. “I shall,” he said with a smile. He rose, returning to his room, leaving Venessa to herself. Just as her fathers news had left her feeling that her life would be changed for ever after...her newly acquired friendship left her feeling that this man, Justin, would change her life for even longer.