The King and I (closed)

[heartofcourage]

Charlie’s cheeks blushed scarlet as Dave raised his eyebrow at her over the silver lidded plates. She shrugged her shoulders and motioned for him to lift the cloche. She truly did know him in very intimate detail and she wanted him to be happy. It was her job after all.

“I just want you to enjoy yourself tonight, Dave.” She said softly, hoping that he really was having a good time.

 

[DeathsKnight]

He wagged his finger at her,

"You better get your dancing shoes on duchess."

He lifted the cloche and grinned like a seven year old who just found the mother load. Arranged around a thick slice of German chocolate cake, of course no cherry and arranged around it chocolate chip cookies. With a final flourish the waiter place a glass of milk next to the plate, Donovan smiled up at Charlotte.

"Well what do you expect from the woman who has known me most of my life? Feed me my childhood favorites to really cheer me up."

 

[heartofcourage]

Charlotte smiled as she watched Dave’s eyes light up at the dessert that had been placed before him. The glass of milk was the cherry on top of the cake. He was happy and that made her happy as well.

“Well, I do have to make my king happy. If a childhood favorite does that, then I guess I’ll have to think of every little thing that you told me as a boy.” She reached across the table and placed her hand upon his, squeezing it tightly. “I just want you to know that there’s someone out there who cares about you, Donovan.”

 

[DeathsKnight]

He squeezed her hand back,

"I know Charlie, you've always been looking out for me, yet it seemed like I never showed that I knew it."

He gave her a smile and peeked at her own plate,

"And as per usual you stole my cherry, you really know me way too well."

 

[heartofcourage]

Charlotte laughed softly and parted her lips to speak when a man clearing his throat interrupted them. She glanced to the side and was surprised to see one of the ship’s attendants beside them.

“I’m sorry to interrupt, but there is a phone call for you, ma’am.” He says, offering her the phone and backing away with a slight bow of his head.

An embarrassed look crossed her face as she looked at Dave and shrugged, bringing the phone to her ear and inquiring who it was. The happy look on her face slowly melted away, first into shock and then into anger. Excusing herself from the table, she stood and stepped a distance away, talking rapidly to whoever was on the other side of the line.

 

[DeathsKnight]

He watched the sudden transformation and leaned back in his chair, rather uncertain of how to take this call, it was very unlike Charlie to take a call during a rather intimate moment like this unless it was very important or an emergency. He pursed his lips and toyed with his spoon, his mind wandering to his two sisters and what he could do about them.

 

[heartofcourage]

As the conversation ends, Charlotte hands the phone back to the butler and moves back to her seat. Sitting down with a tired sigh, it almost seems like she has the weight of the world on her shoulders.

“My brother’s been arrested for breaking and entering into a mate’s flat.” She finally said, taking a drink from a glass next to her plate. The wine made her head buzz, but it was better than the darkly disappointed feeling that was filling her chest. “He doesn’t want to call our father, so I told him he’ll just have to sit it out in jail until I get back.”

 

[DeathsKnight]

He placed his hand on her own,

"Let me tell you something, as your firstly your friend and secondly the prince. Tell your father, it is time that your brother answers for his mistakes."

He gave her hand a gentle squeeze,

"Just like my sisters have been sent away to pay for their own, let's just hope they have learned their lesson in time."

 

[heartofcourage]

“My father is barely able to take care of himself and his estates let alone my headstrong brother.” Charlie admitted bitterly as she felt Dave squeeze her hand gently. “I love him dearly and I can’t stand to see him hurting so much, but I can’t always be the one that bails him out.”

A melancholy mood settles over her body as she slumped slightly in her set. It was rare that she let anyone see her pain and suffering, but with Dave, it felt safe. He wouldn’t judge and he would comfort her.

 

[DeathsKnight]

"Well you are the Dutchess de Leon now, phone Anne and let her sort it out, she will know just how long to let him stew."

He smiled gently at her surprise,

"Yes I did give you a personal aide, you will need one now that you have your own dutchy, part of the package so to speak, you even signed for it."

He held her hand firmly,

"Your family is not who you are, you have proved that to me and to everybody else, I know you wish to do it, but you can't carry the troubles of the world on your shoulders Charlie... I'm trouble enough for you with my failure to adhere to the old ways and my tendency to follow my own head. If you are to make either a husband out of me, or to make me a husband for another, you can't let your brother's nonsense get to you as well. I know you handled my sisters' little indiscretions, now let somebody else handle your brother, maybe it will make him think a bit. You know what a total bitch Anne can be when she think it to be appropriate."

 

[heartofcourage]

Charlie let the words hang in the air for a long moment. He still wanted to be her husband. The thought warmed her heart enough that it made her a little uncomfortable. She gave him a little smile, trying to show him that his words did help.

“The thought of being a Queen is a daunting one. I would get to marry a man that I truly love and care for, but are you so sure that I would be up to the job? After all, I hear that the future king is a little head strong and stubborn.”

She laughed along with him, glad that the tension of the moment was broken as he held her hand tightly in his. He was so incredibly handsome when he smiled and she made a vow to make him do it much more often.

“Dave…” She nervously licked her dry lips as she watched him closely for a moment. “I want you to kiss me. I’m been thinking about that beautiful moment all day long.”

 

[DeathsKnight]

"Oh?"

He arched an eyebrow,

"Is that a request from the duchess or as Charlie? Because I know that my best friend Charlotte Weir would never ask that of me."

He was teasing her of course, he knew it and he knew that she knew it. But it was one of those things that actually drew them closer, not the teasing, the laughter they shared.

 

[heartofcourage]

“No, it all came from me, Donovan. I love you and I want the world to know it.” She said softly, a smile crossing her lips as he teased her. “Which is why I want my prince to kiss me right here, right now, on the deck of this ship.”

 

[DeathsKnight]

He smiled at her and suddenly a slow dance started to play over the PA system of the ship, his smile turned into a grin and he got up from his seat, bowing deeply,

"May I request this dance?"

He held out his hand and added cheekily,

"And of course you don't need the jacket."

He winked at her.

 

[heartofcourage]

Charlie smiled at Dave as he stood and bowed to her, his hand extended as he asked her to dance. He made her heart melt with his simple request and she nodded, shrugging out of her jacket and sliding her hand into his, allowing him to pull her from her seat and onto the deck where they were soon moving in rhythm to the slow music

His hand was warm as it rested against her bare back. She pressed herself against his body, her cheek resting against his shoulder as he twirled them around the wooden deck. If she died right then, she would have been in heaven.

 

[DeathsKnight]

"Charlie"

He whispered her name and when she looked up at him, he lowered his head, capturing her lips with his own in a long, slow kiss. He pulled away slightly and smiled at her,

"Something like that?"

 

[heartofcourage]

The kiss took her breath away and Charlie was left in a daze when it finally broke. Slowly opening her eyes, she stared at her handsome prince and nodded dumbly for a moment.

“Something just like that.” She murmured before she leaned in and kissed him again. This one was short, sweet, and passionate, her lips clinging to his as if he would pull away at any moment.

 

[DeathsKnight]

He smiled and accepted her kiss, allowing it to linger as long as the last notes of the song died out. Unfortunately the end of the song brought to an end the kiss, he smiled at her and lead her back to their seat, helping her to her chair and taking her hand to gently kiss her knuckles. He gazed at her for a few moments,

"I love you Charlie."

He allowed her to have her hand back and then took his seat opposite her, nabbing a cookie and munching it down.

 

[heartofcourage]

The breath caught in her chest as Dave kissed her knuckles, telling her that he loved her. It was a beautiful moment on a beautiful night and Charlie realized that this man was her future. She would marry him, she would be his queen…and the thought terrified her.

“I love you too, Dave.” She said softly, watching as he took a seat opposite her, eating a cookie from his plate. “With all my heart.”

The evening went along much of the same way. It was nice, calm, a break from the normal world around them. When the boat docked again, she leaned against Dave’s shoulder as they walked down to the car that would take them back to the palace. Seated next to her handsome prince, she glanced at him from time to time, noticing just how beautiful he was.

“Donovan…” She said in a husky little voice, her cheeks blushing as he looked at her. “I would like you to kiss me again…but…well, I think that I would like more between us as well.”

 

[DeathsKnight]

He smiled and rested his fingertips under her chin, kissing her gently,

"In time Charlie, let's give ourselves time to get up to speed how we feel first. Don't know about you, but it came as a shock to me."

He winked at her and kissed her again, deeper, more passionately this time, pulling away only as the doors got opened for them. He smiled at her and got out of the car.

 

[heartofcourage]

Charlotte gasped as he kissed her with such an incredibly passion. She curled her fingers into the fabric of his shirt, anchoring herself as he pulled her close. She moaned softly, her lips molding to his in the most perfect way.

When the door opened, the magic was over and he pulled away, smiling at her as he got out of her car. Charlie reached up and touch her lips, the delightfully bruised sensation lingering as she watched his hand reach back into the car to help her out. Sliding out behind him, the looked at Dave with a soft smile and allowed him to escort her back into the palace.

 

[DeathsKnight]

At the door they seperated and he found himself swept away to the king for an emergency meeting, of course he was not in the right mind set for it. But as his father had taught him, stretch out the preliminary and make sure you get into the right mind-set. Soon he was all business and soon they came to a resolution, he made his escape as soon as he can and made it to his appointed room. Stripping off his jacket, he fell onto the bed, a grin came over his face, he had a date with one of the hottest women he knew, of course an airpunch was out of the question, but a chuckle was in order and that he did. The next morning found them in a motorcade winding through the city to the city square where there was a podium set up for the start of a festive week that will start after the opening ceremony which involved a speech from Donovan.

 

[heartofcourage]

Charlie was quiet as she allowed Dave to read over the speech that had been written for him. She read through her newspaper, tucking her long hair behind her ear as the motorcade turned down festive streets, the crying of crowds outside nearly deafening. She had dressed that day in a modest navy blue dress, her tan colored coat cinched tightly around her waist and her nude colored heels were sensible enough for the short walking distance they would have to undertake.

“Think you’re ready?” She asked Donovan, turning her head to look at him in his smart suit.

 

[DeathsKnight]

He glanced at her and smiled,

"You know I'm a slow learner, can we drive around the block a few times?"

He winked at her,

"I'm as ready as I can be. Oh...and thank you."

He turned his attention back to the prepared speech and skipped through the pages again just to make sure he had it all down.

 

[heartofcourage]

“Donovan…” Charlie said, glancing at him over the top of her paper as he joked about driving around the block a few times.

“After you give the speech, you’ll be given a tour through the national gallery of art and then a lunch with the prime minister and the king.” She said, laying out his agenda for the day. “Then we will be boarding a late flight back home.”