Chapter 5. Friends

"Princess Cybele, Talia is here to see you," said the servant.

I tore my eyes from the book I was reading and smiled to her. "Very well," I said. "Let me see her."

The maid quickly went back to where she came from while I sat idly against the huge tree in the garden. I've always loved sitting here to read a book. The peacefulness of the place plus the sounds of birds chirping completely relaxes me. I heard footsteps on the grass and saw Talia approaching.

Though it was early morning, the sunlight touched her honey-colored hair, making her look more like a mid-summer dream than my childhood friend. She ran as she came nearer and tackled me on the grass.

"Cybele!" she shrieked in delight. "I keep pestering my parents to visit so they finally gave in." I stifled a smile. Her voice was always cute. How could it not be? She was only 6 years old while I was 10.

I blinked up at her. We were sprawled on the grass and she was practically pinning me down. The end of her beautiful hair that was styled in a half crown braid was tickling my cheek. I was enjoying it until I saw someone yank Talia away from me.

"Miss Talia, please don't do that. You might hurt the princess," scolded a servant. I frowned at her. "Leave us," I commanded. "Talia is just playing. Let us be."

"But princess," the servant objected. "Your mother the queen will get frighteningly mad if she sees you like that."

I went to a sitting position and grabbed Talia's hands away from the maid. Talia was more than happy to sit beside me on the grass. "We're just playing," I told the servant. "Besides, mother will not object because she was the one who told me to befriend Talia. Now please don't bother us. I want some alone time with her."

The servant didn't argue further. With a bow, she walked away and gave me the peace I was hoping for. Talia giggled when the maid disappeared. "What a meanie," she said in her cute voice.

"Don't mind her," I said and took a fallen leaf that has wedged itself in Talia's beautiful hair. "She's just nervous because I'm the princess."

"Yes you are," she chuckled. "And I'm going to be your bride someday."

I lowered my hands and kept it at my side. She always told me that. When I first met her when her parents presented her to me at 3 years of age, she touched my face and told me that I was beautiful and she wanted to marry me. How could that be when we were both girls?

Surely someday I would be wed to a prince that I didn't feel anything for. Talia whom I have loved dearly since I was 7 was only to be a support, a best friend. She would never ever be my bride, even if we both wanted to. But I had a plan. When I become the queen of this country after I hit the age of 21, I would change the laws so I could marry Talia.

No one would object with me since I would be the ruler. If anyone does, I'd make sure that they receive the death penalty. Talia was very important for me. I would not let anyone take her or marry her. She was mine. Her family only came in second to mine. Whilst my father and mother were the king and queen, her mother belonged to the nobles.

If mother and father were to die, or if I did, her mother would be the next queen. But that would never happen. My parents were very healthy, and I would be around for a very long time. After all, how could I marry Talia if I was dead?

"What are you reading?" she asked when she saw my book on the grass. She picked it up and scrunched her face as she tried to make sense of the words. I stared at her for a long time. She would be a very beautiful woman when we grow up. I couldn't wait when she was 18. She'd be a heartbreaker. Like the ones I read in books.

"That's a book about etiquette Talia," I said patiently. "As a princess, I have to learn good manners and the right attitude so I could rule the country perfectly when we grow older."

I watched in fascination as she stood up from the grass and gave me a courtesy, fluttering her dress as she did so. "I know etiquette too," she said.

"I'm sure you do. You're a noble so I'm confident that they train you too. But not as much as me," I added. "My training is a wee bit different." I tried to search for the right term. "It's harder."

Talia plopped down on the grass and gave a frown. "I know what's hard," she said. "That book you were reading a month ago. I couldn't understand the words. It's for grown-ups isn't it?"

"It was Leonardo Da Vinci's biography. He's my favorite so I wanted to read it."

"I don't really understand," she mumbled. "But someday I'm going to read those books with you, I promise."

"Yes you are," I said with a smile. "So what do you want to do today?"

"Can we play hide-and-seek?" she asked. "Or maybe you can play me the harp. I haven't heard you play the harp for a long time Cybele."

I stood up from my position and dusted my dress for any dirt. "Tell you what," I said. "Let's play hide-and-seek first, then I'm going to play you the harp after. We can also go to the pond and rest there if we have the time."

"Really?" she asked with wide eyes. "You'll do all that with me?" She suddenly had this disappointed look in her face and looked down. "But the servants may scold you."

I reached for her hand and helped her up to her feet. "No one can scold me except my father and mother. I'm the princess, I can do what I want." When she turned around, I helped dust her dress from bits of dirt and grass. "And of course I'll do all that with you. There's nothing I want more."

She jumped up and down while raising her hands to the heavens. "Yay! That's why I love you Cybele!" she screamed. I quickly took her arms and turned her to me. "Shhh! Don't say it out loud Talia. If the servants hear that, they'll report it to our parents and they may never allow you to come here again."

"Sorry," she whispered. "I'm just really excited."

"I know you are. But hold it in. You do want to be my bride someday right? Until then, just keep mum about it."

"I promise," she said while raising her right hand. "But you're IT Cybele!" She touched my arm and ran gleefully away from me. I shook my head at her but still smiled inside. She always had that energy in her. We were both children but she was always running around whenever she had the chance. I wonder how she'd be when we grow up.

I could just imagine her beautiful face. I bet we'd be really sweet to each other and she'd say good things to me. She was always the one who was clingy to me and kept repeating she was in love. Ha! As if 6 years olds could be in love already. She might always change her mind in the future, but I intend to keep her hooked to me.

After counting to ten and leaning to the tree, I went in search for her. The garden was more like a forest. We only called it the garden because it was more appropriate. But I was confident that she wouldn't get lost. That girl had a knack for directions. Besides, lots of guards were scattered here. For all we know, they could be staring at as right now.

I ran behind the bushes to see if she was there, but she wasn't. My feet carried me further away and I kept on looking everywhere but she was nowhere in sight. When I was about to give up, I decided to head to the pond and saw her next to the water.

Her eyes were closed and she was lying with her arms and feet spread wide. It seemed that she fell asleep while waiting for me to find her. It was so typical of her. I walked to her and sat gracefully on her left.

She was snoring and her mouth was open but she still looked cute. From the moment I gazed at her since way back then, I knew there was something wrong with me. Girls were not supposed to think girls are lovely, but I still thought that with her. For lack of better terms, I wanted us to get together when we grow old. I wanted her to be my princess.

But I knew it was not natural. The books I've read told me so. Girls were supposed to end up with boys, and vice versa. Girls with other girls would be very weird. But what could I do? I liked Talia very very much. More than I liked the flowers in the garden or the lollipop the maids would sneak in for me.

If she asked me for the lollipop, I would gladly give her my share. The books that I loved could be hers too, and so were the dresses that my mother gave me. The only thing I couldn't offer was the queen position. That was my birthright and I couldn't give it to anyone else. Even Talia whom I'd offer a thousand lollipops to.

She stirred a little when I leaned down to her and stopped inches from her face. I didn't know why I did it, but I found her very fascinating and beautiful. She opened her eyes and smiled widely before saying, "Kiss!" After, she pulled my head to her and I fell down, kissing her on the lips.

It was a very quick one but my knees trembled because of it. I rolled to her side and quickly got up, but her soft lips and lavender scent was forever ingrained in my mind. I'd think of it in every waking moment.

"You shouldn't have done that Talia," I scolded. But I felt my cheeks heat up nonetheless. Sometimes our body betrays us. We say one thing and our faces expose what we really feel.

"I'm not going to say sorry," she said with a grin. "Brides kiss. I saw it on TV."

"If the guards see us, we'd be in big trouble," I sighed. She was really a handful kid. I didn't know what to do with her. If I take my eyes off her, she'd be in big trouble.

Instead of answering, she kneeled on the grass and leaned to the pond. "What are you doing Talia?" I asked curiously. "I'm checking my reflection," she answered. "I should hurry and grow-up so we'd be married already. I should also turn pretty."

I smiled to myself and kneeled beside her. "You're already pretty," I murmured while leaning to the pound and looking at our reflection. My toffee colored hair and green eyes were in contrast with her honey hair and gray eyes.

She surprised me by splashing water in my face. This little kid was very naughty. I splashed her back and giggled as her hair got wet. In the end, both of us got a scolding from the head maid. I just let the servant rant while she changes our dress. I was in a very good mood and I wouldn't allow anything to destroy it.

That soon changed when Talia's mother came for her. The woman was a carbon copy of her daughter. But she was older, not to mention stricter. She was never rude to me since I was the princess, but I never liked her. Perhaps it was the way she'd look at Talia. It was belittling and bothered the hell out of me. I'd change all that when I claim Talia. No one would look at her like that again. Not even her mother.

"I don't want to go home," Talia bawled and clung to me. "I don't want you to go home too," I murmured while prying her away from my body. "But you have to. I'll see you again next time okay?"

"Okay," she sniffled. It was always like this whenever she'd visit. We'd really have a hard time letting her go. I had a hard time letting her go. There was never a day when I didn't miss her.

"Next time, I'll bring you the flowers you love Cybele," she said and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "I'd love that," I said. "I already turned the one you gave me into a bookmark. I just wasn't able to show it to you because we were busy. But next time, we'll both look at it."

"Don't fall in love with another girl while I'm gone," she said in a whisper. The adults were looking at us curiously. But we were children and children had secrets. Ours were just a bit different.

"I promise you're the only one in my heart Talia. No one else will steal that."

"Then I can go home now," she said with evident relief.

"Yeah. . ."

I watched as her mother took her away. With one last glance, she gave me a parting smile. It was a combination of sadness and happiness. She was very sad to go, but my promise gave her hope.

With a sigh, I went back to the garden and resumed with my book. This was my life in the palace. A life of a princess. It was a never ending wait for her. I closed the book with a heavy heart. Concentrating on it while Talia was on my mind would be very difficult.

I placed the book down and lay on the grass. The sun was about to set in the horizon and the sky was an amazing color of blue and orange. It was a perfect day. I just wish that Talia didn't have to go home.

Oh well. . . I'd see her next month, and the month after that. I'd see her forever until she became mine. Until then, I have to be a very patient princess waiting for her own princess charming.