Author's Note: Oh goodness, that was such a ridiculously long break that I took. Please bear with me and see the longer author's note at the end of this (rather short) chapter. I hope you all enjoy this chapter!

Chapter Four:

"Why, it isn't dangerous at all. It's quite a safe sport, people have been doing such thing for ages." Kit exclaimed as he bit into his blushing apple, the sweetness filling his mouth instantly. He watched as she nervously took small bites of her own gorgeously red apple, the cogs in her mind obviously working, turning quickly, as she thought about what he had just told her.

Chewing with some hesitation, her eyes were filled with skepticism but she said nothing in response. Instead, she turned her attention to the small feast before her, busying herself with cutting cheese and slicing the fresh baked bread. Kit watched in silence for a few moments, trying to figure out what was the best way to go about this was. She clearly did not approve of fencing-perhaps it was the supposed danger of it all, or perhaps it was just the idea in general.

He was rather uncomfortable at the idea of having Ella upset, or even mad at him. It was a rather disconcerting thought and made him feel at unease. He rifled through his mind, trying to find a way to appease her without giving up his own stance on the sport. Turning his half eaten apple over in his hands, he spoke slowly:

"It's a sport for the agile, strength hardly matters in the end. You must outwit your opponent-like chess almost, if you will." Kit explained before taking another generous bite of his piece of fruit. He watched as her tense frame relaxed slightly, only ever so slightly, before she offered him a slice of cheese and bread with a generous layer of apple cider butter with it.

As he took the portions from Ella and chewed the still warm slice of bread in silence his thoughts led him to wonder if Ella played chess, and if she did, if she was any good at the game. He of course realized it was a foolish thought to wonder. She was obviously an intelligent young woman, strong willed and passionate. Even if she did not know the game, he had the greatest feeling that she would probably learn quickly and be a worthy opponent to any challenger.

He smiled softly at his evaluation, the corner of his lips tugging upwards.

"Doesn't it hurt though?" she asked, avoiding his gaze by looking towards the grass and then at the towering branches above them. He too glanced upwards towards the rather brilliantly blue shade that covered the sky at present. The delicate branches of the hearty tree that they were currently sitting at the base of swayed only a degree or so from the gentle gust of wind that occurred every so often.

The young man was silent for a moment, thoughts churning inside his head. After a moment he leaned back, allowing the thick base of the tree's trunk to support his weight as he glanced at her, his blue eyes sparkling in the afternoon sun, "Fencing is something that cannot be explained rather well-why, the bouts only last mere seconds sometimes. It would be better if you spectated yourself."

He was met with silence, which made him rather unsure of where he stood, and decided it would be best for the time being to let the subject go. Glancing at her, Kit looked at her in wonder and amazement. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes bright and yet distant-clearly lost in her own world. The young prince desired to know what she was thinking-what thoughts were dancing delicately through her mind. To think that perhaps one day he would be able to be let into her world! To perhaps be a confidant!

He reminded himself to be patient, and to be sensible. It occurred to him that the most precious things took time-to cultivate, to grow, and to bloom. But as he focused back on the young maiden beside him, he felt his heartbeat quicken. Her eyelashes fluttered as she studied her own half eaten apple for a moment before standing up, the apple clutched in the palm of her right hand, "I should return back."

Kit nodded, his stomach feeling rather unwell. Was Ella upset at him? Would she not speak to him, or have lunch with him again? Was this perhaps their first fight? A wave of nausea overcame him and his heart sank. He detested to think that they were going to part ways in such a manner.

"Good day, Mr. Kit," she murmured before hurrying away.

"Wait, Ella!" he exclaimed, his fingers clasping around her small wrist. Her half eaten apple tumbled to the ground as she looked back in amazement or awe (or perhaps it was just alarm-Kit could not tell). He panicked at the thought that she would perhaps hold a grudge against him if did not deal with this current conflict. Registering that he was currently restraining the maiden, he quickly dropped his hand to his side so quickly it was as if he had been burnt.

She looked at him expectantly and he swallowed, his palms suddenly growing sweaty, "Tomorrow is your day off, correct?"

Ella gave a small nod before adding, "Only for until the afternoon. I promised Mrs. Pryor that I would assist her in preparing the evening meal."

Kit licked his lips out of the sheer nervous feeling that shook his body, "Meet me here tomorrow morning." Realizing that it sounded rather demanding of him, as if she had no choice of the matter (while in reality Ella always had the choice to decline his advances), he hastily added a small "please."

She looked at him cautiously for a moment before nodding. She then smiled only so slightly-the corner of her lips tugging upwards, "I will. But now I really must be going or I'll be late."

He let out a small sigh of relief as he watched he figure depart from the garden.

A light drizzle of rain set in the early hours of the morning which was to be suspected since the kingdom had been unusually blessed with a long term of sunny days. It was the type of rain that was light enough to inflict no harm in those caught in it, but heavy enough that a warm thick cloak would protect the wearer from the cold droplets that fell from the sky.

Ella in this case rose from her bed, stretching her limbs as she peered out of the small window in her room. Her spirit was only impaired a little by the turn of weather, but she quickly reminded herself that rain was needed for the farmers who depended on it, and the plants that needed it.

With this satisfying thought, the young maiden quickly got dressed, excited but mostly curious about why Kit wanted to meet her. As she thought, her mind churning with ideas of what Kit was planning (or perhaps he had assumed that they would meet as usual to talk in his secret garden) another figure was also preparing for the day.

Kit was never an ardent fan of mornings, but this particular morning made him grin as he awoke. The thought of spending the day with Ella made him scramble out of bed before the servants dutifully made their morning rounds around the palace to wake such residents, such as himself, up.

When he noticed the rain that was hitting his bedroom's windows, his smiled widened. He silently thanked the heavens for such good luck, and wondered only momentarily what he had ever did to deserve the weather to be on his side.

Usually a valet or male servant would knock and enter at this time to assist him in dressing for the day, but Kit preferred to do such simple tasks independently and had sent notice he had no need for assistance the night before.

What should have been a simple task turned quickly complicated as he was unsure of what to wear. He did not want to arouse suspicion, yet at the same time all of his clothes suggested excellent workmanship in the stitches and details of his clothing articles. At the same time, Kit was conscious of his looks and how he presented himself. He wanted to impress Ella, and wanted to look his best in front of her. With this particular dilemma, Kit grew somewhat frustrated, for he wished he had some simpler clothes.

Sighing, he poured some water in the basin near his bedside, and splashed the cool water on his face.

"You looked troubled, my prince," an amused voice said. Kit looked in the mirror towards the door to see Ingham in good spirits.

"Rightly so, Ingham," Kit spoke, his voice muffled as he patted his face dry with a towel, "It seems I have nothing to wear for today's outing that will not raise suspicion." He paused for a moment as wiped his hands with the towel, "At least today the weather is on my side. The rain will allow me to wear a cloak without anyone become suspicious of me, but I hoped to have worn some less…princely…clothes."

He grimaced at his own words, conflict bubbling up inside of him. The young prince realized he should not be ashamed of his lineage, after all, at some point he was expected to ascend to the throne. Yet he wished that time would have allowed him to protect his status from Ella for a little longer. He wanted to spend time with her as just Kit. She was refreshing, a fresh of breath air to his usual life which was full of restrictions and overbearing advisees.

"Ah yes, I expected that would be a problem," Ingham stated before revealing behind his back a pair of tan trousers, a white cotton shirt, and a worn plain (but comfortable looking) navy blue cloak. Kit found himself becoming rather giddy, as if he was again a child on Christmas. He bounded over to Ingham in only a few steps, and slapped him jovially on the back.

"What a good man you are!" Kit exclaimed as Ingham only laughed.

Ingham face then became peculiarly serious though he still had a glint of humor in his eyes, "I stole these from the male servants' dormitory, so please do get these clothes back to me as quickly as possible. I'd hate to hear an awful rumor that some poor lad is missing their clothes."

Little did Ingham or Kit know that a certain lad named Peter Williams awoke that morning searching frantically for the clothes he had left outside his door due to his understanding that Mrs. Barlow, one of the laundresses, would wash his clothes and set them outside his door that morning.

Offering a reassuring smile to Ella seemed to steel herself, taking his hand. Her fingers brushed against the palm of his hand, sending a warm tingling feeling through his veins. His heart quickened for a few beats, the sparkle in his blue eyes intensifying as he drank in her raw beauty. They then made their way down the path, the trees offering some form of shelter from the insistent rain.

Ella found herself surprised as he took in his attire. This morning he was dressed in rather plainer clothes compared to the type of attire she found him in during their first meeting that occurred in the woods. His navy cloak shielded him, but Ella caught glimpses of his tan trousers and plain white shirt. Yet even with such simple clothes, Ella thought that Kit still looked as handsome as ever. The blonde blushed at the thought and attempted to change such thoughts by inquiring where they were going.

Kit looked at her with a mischievous grin, "I am officially kidnapping you Ella until the afternoon."

Note: I hope you lads and lassies enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. Hopefully I haven't lost my writing skills or style. Now that exams are finally over and university is over for the time being, I will definitely have more time that I can direct towards writing.

I would like to thank you all for your continuous support. When I was in university staying up in the wee hours of the morning and got the occasional notification that someone followed, favorited, or reviewed this story, it warmed my heart. All of your support has motivated me and inspired me to continue this story, and I am so grateful. With that said, I hope to respond to all of your reviews on the last chapter as soon as possible, because I really am thankful and enjoy reading your thoughts and opinions. They really make my day and bring a smile to my face. I am trying to incorporate some of your suggestions in the story!

I know I probably don't deserve it because it's been such a long time since my last update (was that in 2016? Yikes.) but maybe leave some love and review?

Ever thankful,

The Painted Green Door