Page 57 - RotalTutor

Highness”. She knew that was what her father meant when he said Alexander needed to learn his place, but somehow it was all wrong. For weeks he had ridden with her - had been there to escort her, even though she had harassed him. Yet he almost always called her Louise, and had since they were children. “Louise” sounded so warm and friendly when he said it, and she had not realized how much she liked it. But “Princess”, or “Your Highness”, sounded so cold and detached. But wasn’t that what she wanted? Hadn’t she tried all these years to crush him, to destroy his confidence; to, in essence, turn him into nothing but a lowly servant? Her heart quivered at the realization that, in that moment, what her father had accomplished with Alexander was what she had been truly trying to do for years. And now she didn’t want it. She wondered if she would ever hear him address her by her name again. She shed her dirty clothes and filled a wash basin. She scrubbed thoroughly, rinsing her hair twice to get all of the grime out. She had no sooner donned a new dress, than there was a knock at the door. She opened it just a crack. There stood Alexander. Opening the door wider, she motioned him in. He still would not look at her directly, but kept his eyes lowered and averted. He again bowed and pulled from his coat a flask and a small, stuffed pillowcase. “I got you some food, Your Highness.” His bowing and calling her “Your Highness” made 55