The Balcony

"One: you must not be a bore. If you are, I shall abandon you in Europe,"she said jokingly and stroked with her hair.

"If I was a bore, your probably wouldn't ask me to join you" he replied before bursting in a soft laugh "Fine. What's more?" he insisted with curiosity.

She shrugged,"I've told you one, now you tell me one."

He thought to her words a moment and then he shrugged "It seems legit" he admitted.
"So..." he started caressing his chin, theatrically pretending he was thinking "I want to stop at Ludlow Castle before leaving England. I know it's nothing interesting, but it is important to me" he asserted seriously.

"Why?"she asked curiously.

Before answering, he looked around. He wanted to be sure that no one was hearing their conversation.
However, even if the hall inside was quite crowded, nobody seemed to care about them outside.
"Because of the Princess Mary" he answered lowly "I need to speak to her. I'm one of the less friend she has. I was planning to ask the King the permission to go there"

"Friends in high places,"she mumbled, rather impressed.

"And...the other?"She asked, tilting her head to the side.

He shrugged and smirked "I would say 'friends in dangerous places'..."

"No,no,no..." he said smiling amused. He pointed her "Your turn. I didn't forget"

She paused and thought for a moment,"There are no others in truth...I am easily pleased Charles."

"Really?" he asked curiously "Then, I'll tell you my second condition" he paused and looked at her for some moments.

"I want to touch your hair"

She laughed heartily. It was a deep and warm sound. She slanted her eyes without realising,"Why?"she asked curiously.

Charles took a step back and his hand left the handrail. He kept a little smile on his lips, but he didn't laugh.

"Because I want to touch them" he replied simply "I want to find out their softness on my own. My hand is jealous of yours: it touches them often and whenever it wishes. It's like a dark wave and my hand wishes nothing more than sink in it. This is my condition."

She giggled and glanced behind her to the sky,"An unusual request but very well Charles. I accept."

"I hope you'll never discover how unusual I can be..."

He tried to smile and make his sentence appear as a joke. But he knew it wasn't.
It was because of his "unusual nature" that he always wore gloves.
His sentence was sincere but he noted a sad mark in the tone of his own voice.

"Very well. Now, close your eyes and never open them until I say so. Don't worry" he laughed "I'm not going to harm you. Just trust me."

She laughed and swung her legs over the balcony so she had her back to him. She arched her back and let her hair drip down. She kept one eye open as she allowed him his innocent sport.

Charles nodded as approval. It was even better than make her close her eyes.

He took a breath and came closer.
He looked back at the hall a moment and turned again.
Slowly, he removed the glove from his right hand. He ensured to hide it as much as he could.
His injured hand seemed to be better but it still had some very visible signs.

Charles' fingers touched lightly the curls of her dark hair. They were thick, but also incredibly soft.
He introduced his hand a little more and caressed them.

"They are beautiful..." he whispered.

She laughed and turned her head, her hair fell away from him and she slid down from the balcony.

"Another condition - you tell me what happened to your hand."

In the same moment he felt her hair elapsing from his hand, he turned and covered his hand again.

He couldn't tell her what really happened. Moreover, that matter annoyed him.

"Archery", he evaded her question.

She tutted and folded her arms,"I'm not a silly little girl. No man gets a mark like that from archery and I have known many men, Charles..."

"Sorry to disappoint you, then" He replied with an annoyed tone that he didn't desire to use with her "But this is not your business. I don't underestimate you. Neither I think you're silly, much the contrary" he got more comfortable in his gloves "But I can't tell you. It's complicated"

She shrugged playfully,"Then I am afraid kind sir that you cannot come on my trip. I dont have friends who keep secrets from me." She smiled and tapped his shoulder,"Good night, Charles."

Charles rolled his eyes. At the moment, he felt really annoyed.

In any case, he wouldn't exchange his secret for a trip. That matter regarded not only himself, but his whole family. He couldn't throw shame on the Brandons and the Staffords because of his... instability.

"Perhaps,you think I'm a silly boy. Do you really think I could be so childish to speak of my secrets with a stranger? And for what? For a trip? I could depart tomorrow, if I would. This is not a game to me. If you think to treat me like a child, you're wrong." he looked at her in the eyes "If you want to have fun with some unconscious and manipulable young boy, do it. But I'm not that boy"

Elizabeth smiled simply and kept quiet. She brushed her slender hands down her skirt and tucked her hair behind her ears. She remained utterly quiet and simply leaned backwards on the balcony, elbows on the rim.

Charles remained steady, without smiling "You say nothing?" he asked coldly "Then I suppose to be right. It's all about having fun for you"

She fumbled with her sleeve, adjusting the smooth and rich fabric.

"What is life without fun. You are too serious for your age. How old are you...eighteen? Twenty? No more than that and yet the head of an old man...If you are so precious about me asking a question,"she continued and walked to stand side by side with him,"Then perhaps I should take my leave..."