Flirting with Destiny (3 page)

Chapter II

The long deserted dusty tunnels seemed to stretch on for miles and he nervously began regretting the decision he had made.  Still he could not turn back now, and was not sure he would remember the way even if he tried.  He was determined to keep going, to find escape and freedom somehow from this nightmare he was living.

He had always thought that he loved Natasha, and felt lucky that he would be able to marry someone he actually did love.  Though since the death of his mother, Natasha just seemed so cold and emotionless.  It had made him wonder if he had ever seen any flicker of emotion in her ever before.  His mother had been his best friend and confidante.  Always it had been her he was closest to.  He did not know how he would survive living in the palace without her.

The wind howled through the stone corridors and Prince Jacob quickened his pace, his heart thumping.  Oh God, now he just really wanted to get out of these corridors.  How long had he been walking now?  It must be at least two hours.  They would be wondering where he was at the palace.  At least they would never find him.  That thought made him feel a little better.  He was free, for now at least.  His face grimaced, as he looked around the corridors, dark and dusty, with no sign of life in sight.  How bad his life must be if he considered this freedom, he thought to himself.  Then suddenly, out of nowhere, a large hole tunnel opened up in the ground before him.  He did not have time to stop himself.  He slipped and fell, down, down deeper into the earth.

“Aaaaargh!” he yelped.

Suddenly he found himself in murky thick dark waters. 

“Parghhh!” he spat out.

Oh no!  He was in the sewers!  Yuk!

Quickly he looked around as a rat scuttled across the side.

“EW!”

He saw a light in the distance and as best as he could make his way toward it.  He pulled himself up on the rocky stonewall and out into the air.  It was dark outside.  Had he been gone that long?  Where was he?

Jacob looked up at the twinkling starlight and the milky white moon.  He seemed to be in a disused car park near a lake and the palace was nowhere in site.  He looked down at himself.   He was filthy.  

Suddenly he heard voices in the distance that seemed to be getting nearer.  He looked around.  Three thuggish looking punks were coming toward him.

“Oh well what have we got here.  Looks like a little fish swam up the wrong river!  Ha ha ha.” Said the tallest punk, who seemed to be the leader of the group.

Another punk, short with a rugged beard chewing on a toothpick came over and pushed Jacob.  Jacob jumped back, into a defence position.

“oooh, oooh, ooooh”

Suddenly all three punks were upon him and kicking and punching him, searching him to rob him.

Jacob fell into a heap on the ground. His lips were bleeding and he could taste blood in his mouth.

“Oh no!  Not this! “  He thought to himself.

“Hey hey hey, what have we got here.” Jacob could feel them taking off his gold medals.

“Come on, let’s fun!” They grabbed the medals, gave Jacob one last kick and then fled off into the distance. Jacob passed out, unconscious.

Chapter III

Natasha frantically twisted the telephone chord around her finger.

‘Ok, ok, well please let me know if you hear from him.  Thank you.” She hung up the receiver.

“Where is he?” she thought to herself.  “It is not like him to disappear like this.”  She paced up and down the thick red carpet of their palace bedroom, and thought back to the moment he had left, how he had just stormed out, and ignored him, very strange behaviour for Jacob, he never acted like that.  She furrowed her brow, trying to think back, wondering where he could be now.  There was no way of contacting him, he had left his mobile behind. 

There was a knock on their bedroom door.

“Come in.” She called.

A palace guard entered.

“Ma’am, this is the last report on His Highness Prince Jacob.”

He passed her an envelope.

Hastily Natasha tore it open.

She read the one line.

“Nothing!” she exclaimed.

“Bloody nothing.  No one knows where he is, and no one has seen him.  Can no one do his or her bloody job around here?  Get out!” She screamed.  The palace guard made a swift retreat.

Chapter IV

Sunlight streamed through the white lace curtains of the small sunny bright room.  Jacob awoke in a soft comfortable bed.  He felt so warm and cosy, in fact warmer and cosier than he had ever felt in his life.   “Mmmm” he murmured softly as he stretched under the big white duvet. 

“Where am I?” he thought to himself.  Suddenly that thought made him sit up with a jolt.  He rubbed his eyes and looked around the room.  He saw a beautiful petite blonde girl sitting on the chair in front of the bed, smiling at him softly.

“Shhh.” She placed a hand on his forehead.  “Don’t rush.” 

She dabbed the wound on his head with some damp cotton wool.  He winced. “Ow”

“It is okay, you are getting better.”

“How long have I been here?” he asked.

“About three days.”

“Who are you?”

“My name is Jemima.”

“Why am I here?  What do you want?’

Jemima smiled confused but did not reply.

“Does anyone else know I am here?”  Jacob asked, tense and agitated.

Jemima tried to reassure him.

“You need rest.  You were badly beaten and hurt.  I found you unconscious on the floor in the parking beside the lake.”

“Oh God.  Yes I remember.”

Slowly memories of the three punks who had robbed him came back to him, the journey through the palace tunnels, the death of his mother.  His heart thumped. He swallowed hard.

“Are you okay?” Jemima asked, tenderly, softly.

“I’m f-f-f-fine” Jacob stammered.

“Does anyone know I am here?  Where are the guards?” 

“What guards?” asked Jemima.

“The pa- p-……” Jacob paused.

“Do you not know who I am?” Jacob asked.

Jemima laughed.

“No, I still do not even know your name.  You have not been too much of a conversationalist the last few days.” She paused as she noticed his concern and confusion.

“I’m sorry,” she continued with compassion.

“No, no one knows you are here.  I just did my best to help you.  I saw those punks running off after beating you.  I could not help it.”

Jacob looked at her with suspicion. 

“Well, what about…” he stopped as he remembered that the royal medals had been stolen from him.  Perhaps she was telling the truth; perhaps she really did not know who he was.  But then why would she help him.”

“Shhhh, you need to rest.”  Jemima put her hand on his forehead again.  It felt so soothing. 

Jacob quickly fell back into a peaceful sleep.

Jemima back on the chair again.  He seemed so sweet, this wounded man, so confused.  So many days now she had sat watching him, nursing him slowly to health, she felt as if she knew him, though she had only just discovered his name.  She shook her head, what was she thinking?

Chapter V

It was dusk the following evening when Jacob woke again.  Jemima was still sat on the chair opposite the bed, though she was curled up asleep with a book on her lap.  She raised her head as she heard him stirring.

Jacob rubbed his eyes.  He saw her smiling at him.

“Hey.”

“Hey” she replied.

“Can I get you some tea?  Maybe some chamomile?”

“That would be lovely.  Thanks.”

Jemima went over to the kitchen counter at the back of the studio flat.  Jacob looked around him.  My, he had never seen a place so small.

“Do you live here?” he asked.

“Yes.  I have been here a few months now.  Originally I am from Sweden, but I had to leave for various reasons, so I chose Denmark.  It is a beautiful country.”

“Yes, yes it is.” Replied Jacob.  He had noted her accent was different and she did not speak the Danish language fluidly.  That would also explain why she did not know who he was.

“Why did you help me”” he asked.

“It’s not that I am not grateful, I am, of course.”

“How could I not help you?” replied Jemima.

“You were unconscious in front of my eyes!”

Jacob looked over at her, she did seem in fact like a genuinely very kind person.

“Really, I do not know how to thank you.”

“I did not do it for your thanks.”

“No, no, of course not.  I wasn’t suggesting,…” his voice trailed off.

Jemima looked over at him and smiled as she brought him his tea.

“So where do you sleep?” asked Jacob.  Jemima laughed and looked at the bed Jacob was lying in.

“Well usually…..” she didn’t finish.

“Oh my!” responded Jacob. “I’m so sorry”

“It is fine.  I have travelled so much I am used to sleeping on floors.”

“Quite. Of course.” Jacob replied, somewhat bewildered.

He sat back, propping himself up on the pillows on the bed.  He felt somewhat confused, he could not remember a time in his life when someone had helped him or shown him kindness unconditionally like this.  Especially in his position, it was always because someone worked for him, or some climbing socialite.  He wondered whether she really did not know who he was.  He felt so confused.  Surely she would have seen his picture in a newspaper or on a magazine.  Though he did try and avoid the press whenever he could.

“Do you not read newspapers?” he asked.

“Ha!  Not a chance!” replied Jemima emphatically.  “They are all bullshit, just designed to control your mind, and keep you like servants to governments or the bloody royals.  I read books!”  She proudly held up the book on the chair. ‘Bertrand Russell’s History of Western Philosophy.’

“I like to read things that make me more intelligent and make me think, not stupid!”

Jacob was stunned and somewhat taken aback.  He looked at her again.  She seemed completely genuine and innocent.  This beautiful little creature had started to amaze him.  He tried to remember the last time he had felt amazed by anything.  He couldn’t.

Chapter VI

Jacob and Jemima spent the next few days just that way, sipping tea, and discussing everything from politics to nature to travel.  Jemima had travelled extensively and her views intrigued him.  She was outspoken and intelligent, she told him what she thought in a defiant and fascinating way, she was passionate and kind. 

Jemima was gentle with Jacob, and nursed him softly.  He had never felt so loved and cared for in his entire life, except perhaps by his mother.  Jacob told her about the death of his mother, it was one of the few things he did tell her about himself.  He did not want her knowing that he was a prince, he felt so relaxed and happy with someone appreciating and enjoying him just for whom he was, without his title, and not agreeing with everything he said.  He had never had that before.

Jemima found him mysterious, somewhat timid and afraid, yet also strong and sure of himself. 

Without realising what was happening, they had found themselves falling in love.

Chapter VII

Over the weeks that followed, Jacob gradually healed.  He found that all he wanted to do was spend time with Jemima.  When she went to work (she told him that she did cleaning for different clients), he missed her terribly.

They were so close, and yet so far, for in reality, neither knew the other.  Jemima had no idea that Jacob was in fact royalty, and he had no idea what she really did for a living.  Yet they were both innocent of those facts, and believed that they were starting to know one another as they were falling in love. 

Jemima had been sleeping on the floor, yet now they shared a bed, yet they did not kiss or touch, or engage in any sexual activity with one another.  Yet they had found themselves waking wrapped in each other’s arms.

So what in fact did Jemima do for a living?  Well, she was a prostitute.  Though she longed for another life, she had found no other way to survive.  And she had a sick brother and elderly mother to take care of.  She made good money doing what she did; yet she sent it all back home to Denmark, to support those who needed her. Oh, how she cried lonely tears wishing for another life.

Jacob filled her days with joy.  She watched him get better, yet still he did not talk of leaving.  She didn’t want him to go.  Yet would he stay if he knew what she really did.  She shook her head in despair.

Chapter VIII

There was something about her smile, thought Jacob as he lay in bed next to her watching her sleeping peacefully.  The way her golden hair framed her angelic face with such beauty and softness.  He had certainly never met a creature so kind and considerate, and her intelligence astounded him.  My, my, he had never met a woman like her.

Jemima stirred beside him, and he got out of bed to make her a tea.  Or at least try to.  She had spent the last weeks caring for him and nursing him, yet now he just wanted to do the same for her.  Yet he didn’t know how.  He scratched his head in the studio kitchen as he wondered where on earth one would possibly keep tea bags in such a small space.  Suddenly he heard Jemima laughing.  He looked over at her.  She was lying in bed watching him with a big smile on her face.

“What are you looking for?” she asked.

“Well, ummm, to be honest…..” he stammered.

“I wanted to wake you with a cup of tea as you so kindly do for me every morning and in fact feel quite stumped and not getting very far in such a simple mission.”

Jemima smiled and pointed to the right hand cupboard.

“Right.  There it is.” Jacob replied as he set about making the tea.  Jemima snuggled back into the pillows, unable to take the smile from her face.