New 1-1 with Soph x

*I was thinking, maybe after a few years, Petale starts to fancy Conrad *

EDIT - Seven years later

Lyon went down to eat breakfast. The table was laid, as usual, but it seemed that The King and his advisers had already eaten. Skyrah explained that Lyon's cousin, Conrad, would be taking them riding instead, to Lyon and Petale. Cristal would be able to play in the playroom with Polly while they were out.
'It's just that Rory is so busy. We've had foreigners attacking villages.' She whispered to Clazak and Eve.

'See, I told you we could go riding. Conrad is very fun. He hangs around with with me when he and his father, my uncle, come to visit. I think he's eighteen now. Look, he's over there.' Lyon whispered to Petale, pointing at a medium height boy, with spiky, jet black hair, the same shade as Rory and Lyon's, and bright blue eyes. He had a cute, quite long face, which was slightly narrow, and sophisticated.

*Whos Conrad Again?*

Petale looked over at Conrad
'Wow he's beautiful' Petale thought to herself

*Lyon's cousin. Hes taking them riding.*

'Are you ready to go riding, guys?' Conrad asked them, coming over while eating an apple. 'My Father told me I should take you.' He smiled and finished his apple. 'I'm guessing you're Princess Petale? You ever been riding?'

*Okay*

Petale was staring into Conrad eyes
"Urr, Yes I am and you must be... Prince Conrad?" said Petale.

*Theres gonna be some competition here:P*

Conrad pulled a face. 'Please, just call me Conrad, only the servents call me Prince. Although,' He said smiling as he thought. 'I did just call you Princess, didn't I?' His sophisticated face pulled up into a grin. 'You don't mind if my Fiancee, Jenna comes too do you?'

"Ok, and yes you did call me Princess Petale, but everyone calls me Petale" said Petale to Conrad.
'He has a fiancee' thought Petale and knodded.

'Thanks.' Conrad smiled warmly. 'She's a bit shy, so I thought she could come socialize.' He turned away from Petale to call to a woman standing in the corner. She came over, obvious that she was bored. 'Jenna,' Conrad said to her. 'This is my cousin, Lyon, and Princess Eve's daughter, Petale.'
Jenna gave them sulky looks while Lyon nodded happily.
'Shall we be off?' Conrad asked, taking Jenna by her waist, and starting to lead her outside.

"Sure" said Petale and did a fake smile at him.
"I didn't know that he had a Fiancee!" said Petale to Lyon.
Petale got on her horse and started to ride a bit...

Lyon laughed, riding next to her on Oracle, who was like his toy horse Dapple. 'They've only recently become engaged. Shes the daughter of a Lord, and so my uncle agreed that they could get married. I guess you never knew because he was staying with her, not at the castle.' Lyon sighed. 'Its odd. In a few years I'll have to find a future Queen as a wife... I'll race you!' He gave her a cheeky grin, and started a gallop, following the forest path, gaining speed at every second, leaving Petale far behind him.

Petale had a frown on her face but soonly enlighted when Lyon asked her to a race
"Sure" said Petale.
"3...2...1...GO!" shouted Petale and off they went.

Lyon saw that Petale was not behind him anymore. Ah ha, I've beaten her, he thought. But then again, this didn't seem right. Where was he? He must of taken a wrong turning somewhere. He turned Oracle around, trying to see where he had come from.
A hand came out from no-where and hit Lyon hard on the forehead, it knocked him clean out, and the attacker tied him up, and dragged him off Oracle, taking him into the depths of the wood.

Conrad watched the two start a race. He was always wary whenever they went into the wood. The King had made it quite clear to him as a young lad, to take care of the future King or else. He trotted to where Petale was, and asked her where Lyon had got to.

Petale finished the race.
"Yes! I won!" said Petale in exitement.
Petale turned her head and looked behind her.
'Where is he?'
'He's probabily ahead, or hiding' thought Petale

Petale saw that Conrad was behind her.
"No, I haven't seen Lyon since he started the race, I was first and he was lacking abit and at the end I looked around and he wasn't there!" said Petale worried now.

Conrad thought rapidly to where he might have gotten too. 'Jenna,' He said, looking behind him at her. 'Can you take Petale in while I look for Lyon?'
She nodded sulkily and took Petale's reigns and lead her out of the forest, and onto the lawn.

Conrad dismounted, and tied his stallion to a tree while he searched the forest paths. No-where, not a trace of his cousin, the future King.

Petale was scared that Lyon was lost and didnt know where he was.
She also felt worrried because she is left with Jenna who Petale didnt like that much...

It was silent all the way to the lawn

'You don't like me, do you?' Jenna said it more like a statement than a question. 'I can tell. Why don't you like me, Petale?' They were halfway across the lawn now.She tossed her midnight black, hip length hair over her shoulder, and turned to look at Petale with her hazel eyes.

Petale was shocked at what Jenna sayed.
"How do you know you dont like me?" said Petale staring into Jenna's eyes.
"I just don't know you that well, and well im jelous of you" said Petale looking at the floor.

'Why are you jealous of me? Your the Princess here, I'd do anything to be like you. Anything.' Jenna murmured the last words. 'What Is it that makes you want to be like me?'

Lyon awoke in a hazy, golden wheat field. Where was he? He'd never seen this place before... He sat up, looking for a gap where he could find his way back to the castle. After a while of searching through the crop, he found Oracle, grazing on the golden grass.
Behind him lay a beautiful, angelic spring. It looked warm and refreshing to Lyon, so he moved closer. It was then that he spotted a young girl, with long flaxen curls, and deep blue eyes, like the ocean. She was singing, a soft melodic voice came out from her red lips.

'Long live the little prince,
He needs to rule the world,
What would we do without him,
Long Live the prince.'

Lyon recognized the song as one his mother used to sing to him. At that moment, the girl looked up.
'You're awake, brother.'

Petale wanted to say about she was jelous about her and Conrad but said:
"Because you are free you can do what you want you dont have to do all of the orders!" said Petale looking at the floor.

A carriage drew up towards the gate.
"Who's that?" asked Petale and started getting closer to Jenna with a scared face.

'You think I am free? I've worked my whole life to make my father proud, to make Conrad love me. At first he wasn't interested, said there was someone else...' Jenna sighed and looked over. 'Looks like Conrad's friend Nelson.' She said wearily.

'Brother?'
'Yes, Brother. My name is Sheidi' The girl had a very northern accent, and she smiled, showing her perfect teeth as she spoke.
'I'm Ly-'
'I know what your name is, Brother.' Her words were sharp.
'I'm not your brother. My only sister is Princess Leanne.' Lyon stared at her intently for a moment.

"Really!" said Petale shocked.
"Do you know who this other person is?" said Petale thinking it was her.

Petale saw the man walking up across the fields.
Petale looked on the floor around 50 yards away and saw the horse that looked like the horse that Lyon was riding on.

Jenna sighed. 'I really can't remember, It was Sun, Sen, Sal? No I can't remember.' She looked at where Petale's gaze was fixed. 'I guess the Prince made his way back alright. I'll go and find Conrad.' Jenna spurred her horse around and cantered back towards the wood.

'My father, my real father is King Rory. My mother was being courted by him for some time, he was sixteen, and she fifteen. When my Mother realized that she was pregnant, he didn't want to know, he had been told that he was betrothed to a foreign Princess. She married a close friend to him, instead.' Sheidi looked deep into Lyon.
Lyon looked back, slightly puzzled. 'I've never seen you before. You must be eighteen then?' He asked. She looked a lot younger.
Sheidi nodded. 'Eighteen tomorrow.' She sighed. 'I live in a mansion, just two miles away.'
'But Father has dark hair, like myself.'
'My mother's mother came from a foreign land, similar to the one The Queen came from. The native people have almost white hair.' The girl looked around. 'My father's here to collect me. I'm not really allowed here, but I wanted to speak to you.' She smiled kindly, and followed the man who had attacked Lyon away into the woods.
'Here, Oracle.' Lyon called to his horse.

Petale was suprised, she thought it was going to be her.
"Oh" said Petale in disapointment.

The man was getting closer now only a few feet away.
"Who is that man?" asked Petale

'Lord Nelson lives in a mansion a few miles south. His wife, Lady Catrina is from a similar land to the queen, and their daughter is like a dream woman. Her name is Sheidi. Look there she is, just a little behind him. I think they're here to settle the girls marriage.' Jenna whispered as the two came closer, out of the shade of the woods.
'Lady Jenna?' The man called to her.
'Morning Lord Nelson and Lady Sheidi.' Jenna replied in turn. 'This is Princess Petale. I don't think you've made acquaintances?'

Conrad rode out of the wood, to find Lyon in the field beyond. 'I thought we lost you. Jenna and Petale have already set out back to the castle. We mustn't be late, Lady Sheidi's future depends on whether you turn up to the meeting of the lords. Come on.' He told the Prince and they started to ride back to the castle.
'Who's Lady Sheidi?' Lyon asked innocently.
'Lord Nelson's daughter.'

Petale soon saw Lord Nelson puzzled who he was. But after a few minutes she realised who it was.
Petale looked in the convosation that they were having.
When Petale heard about arrangements to marriage, Petale was left heart-broken.
After a while she started to look at Sheidi. Petale was jelous of Sheidi and frowned at her.
Petale started to have a tear in her eye. "I thought Lyon loved me". thought Petale. "Must not anymore if he loves that Sheidi now". she thought again.

'No, I have not had the pleasure, Princess.' Lord Nelson told Petale, bowing. 'This is my daughter, Sheidi.' He said, gesturing to the girl, who curtsied, her curls bouncing angelically on her small shoulders.
'Tis fine weather, Princess. Would you like to walk with me for awhile before the council begins?' Sheidi asked, smiling friendly.