…Castle…
Prologue; Four Years Previous:
We were both young, when I first saw you
I gazed around the playground in awe. Nearly a hundred fourth graders crowded around slides and swings, impatiently shoving kids in front of them. I hated to admit it, but I missed grammar school. I missed being a normal child.
“Anna?”
Whipping my head around to find the owner of the voice, my eyes laid upon one of the most gorgeous boys I’d seen. Shaggy brown hair covered his matching chocolate eyes, and his cupid bow lips curved upward into a small grin. He somehow looked familiar, but I couldn’t quite place my finger on where I’d seen him before.
“Wow, Anna Jenkins. I never guessed that I would’ve found you here.”
I co.cked my head to the side, praying that he would smack some sense into me so I could at least remember his name.
He rocked back and forth on the heels of his feet, looking rather awkward. “I’m Joseph…I’m sure you don’t remember though,” he said as he shyly looked down to the rocky road.
“Wait, Joseph from Ms. Lind’s classroom?”
He nodded, a grin crawling back up to his pale lips.
And it hit me - all of the times we didn’t share together in third grade. I’d ask him if he would like to do a small activity with me, and he’d always say no. I had been convinced that he hated me, but the teacher told me otherwise. She’d always say the same thing to me: “Boys will be boys, Anna. You’ll have to find someone else to work with today.” Never able to admit it, I had a small crush on him. I guess I had a soft spot for bad boys who played hard to get. Joe – as everyone else called him – would flirt harmlessly with the other girls in our class, even though he was two years older. He had a knack for not doing well in school, and he paid for it two years in a row by not being able to move up to the next grade.
I crossed my arms across my flat chest and smirked to lighten the mood. “Did you really hate me then?”
“Hate you? I don’t see how anyone ever could.” He ran his fingers through his dark hair and chuckled. “After all, you are a princess…literally.”
Looking down at my gown, I blushed. Everyone thought I had it easy; having maids, butlers, and a wardrobe of beautiful dresses. It wasn’t all that great being a princess back in the late 1800’s though. I certainly had duties to fulfill. “Well, most people hate me exactly for that.”
“But is it all that bad? I’ve never hated you, Anna.” He gripped my hand in his and kissed the top of it. “I was just about to ask you if—“
“Ms. Jenkins!” a shrill woman called at the top of her voice.
“Yes, Marie?” I turned to the entrance of the palace, silently thanking her for interrupting him.
“You’re wanted in the dining room to help your father.” She pulled the door open wider, allowing me to slip in without any issues.
“Alright.” Facing him, I pulled my hand away from his. “I have to go, but I’ll see you soon, Joseph?”
Joe nodded briefly, his smile quickly fading.
I rushed inside to see what my father needed, and when I went back to the front entryway, Joseph was gone.
Maybe it was for the best though. My father would have my head if he knew I’d once been crushing on a peasant.
