Chapter 2

The next major occurrence in David and the Princess’s relationship came a couple of month’s later. David was out in front of the carpentry shop sweeping the front when he spotted Princess Arabella crossing the street towards him at an angle. She was headed for a fabric store a couple doors down, but when she saw him she waved and smiled.

Just as she did, a horse-drawn cart came around the corner. The horse had been spooked, thrown the driver, and was out of control – and headed right for the Princess! David saw what was going on and what would happen next. He leapt into action, dropping his broom and running full speed in an intercept course with the Princess. He knew he wouldn’t be able to stop the scared horse in time, but he could get her out of the path.

David ran into her none too gently, but tried to absorb as much of the crash himself as he could, rolling with the impact and bringing her along with him. He fell hard on the dirt street and, tucking her into him, they rolled together to a stop. He jumped up and pulled her to her feet, immediately dropping to one knee in respect.

“I’m sorry Your Highness! I’m sorry! But you were about to be run over! I hope you aren’t hurt!”

She brushed off her dress. “No, I’m not hurt, just dirty. Thank you, sir, for saving me. Are you hurt?”

“Nothing that won’t heal in a couple days. I don’t know what happened, you waved to me and then that cart came out of nowhere!”

“Yes, I didn’t even see it! I just saw you running at me yelling like a madman! I didn’t know what was wrong until after you ran into me!”

“Well, I’m glad I didn’t hurt you. And I’m sorry that I ruined your beautiful clothes. Please allow me to walk you across the street, Your Highness. It’s the least I could do.”

Princess Arabella smiled and took the arm he offered her. He walked her across the street and up to the door of the fabric store. He was about to turn to go back to his shop and back to work when she stopped him.

“Please, sir, come to supper tonight with the King and I as my guest. Please, I’m sure the King would like to hear of your bravery and thank you for saving His daughter!” Then she turned to go into the fabric store and David returned to his work sweeping up the front of the carpenter’s shop.

That evening, just as the sun was about to touch the top of the castle wall, David headed for the keep and up to the King’s home. Since there were no clocks and his wristwatch had disappeared when he first came into the castle, he had no way of knowing precisely what time it was. So he learned how to tell what “time” it was by the position of the sun. And he knew that when the sun was about to touch the castle walls on the west side, it was close to suppertime.

As he entered the keep, the first set of guards stopped him. He explained that he had been invited there by the Princess and he was allowed to pass. At the door leading into the throne room, another pair of guards stopped him. This time the Princess herself came to the door and once the guards realized he was there by her invitation, they let him pass.

“I’m so glad you came, David.”

“Well, one doesn’t pass up the opportunity to dine with a beautiful woman ... especially if she is a Princess!”

Princess Arabella giggled. “Thank you, sir. You are most kind.”

She noticed he was favoring one leg a little bit. “You are limping! Oh, I hope you are not badly hurt!”

“No, it’s fine. I just landed on this knee when we first went down and it’s a little sore. But it will be all right in a few days. I just need to keep working it and not let it stiffen up.”

“I’m glad to hear that. You were very brave and I would feel terrible if my inattention caused you to get seriously hurt!”

Just as they reached the corner of the hallway and were about to enter the dining room where the castle servants were setting out the food, the Princess stopped.

“David, while we have a private moment, I want to give you something...” then she leaned forward and softly kissed him on the cheek. “That’s for saving me today. I couldn’t give it to you at the time with all the people around us – it would have caused quite the stir. But I wanted you to know I appreciate your quick thinking and self-sacrifice.”

“Thank you, Your Highness. I am honored. I am just glad I was in the right place at the right time to be able to help.”

“Please, David, when we are alone like this, call me Arabella. I get so tired of the formality all the time!”

“All right ... Arabella.” Arabella smiled and kissed his cheek once more. Then they went into the dining room.

“Ah, Arabella my dear! So is this the hero you have been going on about?”

“Yes, it is, father. David Simmons, this is my father King Breckenridge.”

David knelt and bowed his head. “Your Majesty.”

“Arise, my good man.” The King then waved to the table filled with all sorts of foods “Shall we?”

The three sat down at the huge heavy oak table, the King at the head with Princess Arabella on his left and David sitting across from her on the left.

As the servants dished up the food onto their plates, the King wanted to hear about how he saved the Princess. “Now tell me, David Simmons, how you came to my daughter’s rescue today.”

“Well Your Majesty, I was outside the carpentry shop where I work as an apprentice, learning the trade. I was sweeping the front step when I saw Princess Arabella here crossing the street headed to my side of the street and going to the fabric store two doors down.

“The Princess and I have bumped into each other a few times and we say hello to each other when we do. So it wasn’t unusual for her to wave to me as she crossed the street. But today, as she did, a riderless horse and cart came dashing from around the corner. The horse had been spooked and was out of control. The horse and cart were headed right for the Princess who was unaware at that instant.

“So I jumped into the street and ran for her. I’m afraid I grabbed her pretty roughly, but I had to get her out of the way. We fell into the street and rolled to safety with me trying to protect her until we stopped. Then I apologized for running into her so hard and helped her up. I walked her back across the street to the fabric store and she invited me to come here to have supper with you.”

“I see. Well, that’s pretty much how Arabella here explained things. And I appreciate the fact that you risked your own life to protect and save her. I will think on the matter and come up with a suitable reward for your bravery.”

“You are too kind, Your Majesty.”

They all began to eat and was enjoying the sumptuous foods on the table. There were breads and meats, fruits and vegetables of every description – it was really quite a feast! The wine servant kept their glasses filled as they ate and drank their fill.

They were just about done eating when Princess Arabella innocently asked a very delicate question. “So David, where do you come from? We never get a chance to just sit and talk and I know that you are a new addition to the castle only being here a couple months. So where did you come from?”

David stopped eating and looked over at the King for direction. He had said that he wasn’t to tell anyone who he was and where he came from ... but did “anyone” include the Princess?

The King saw his discomfort – he was between a rock and a hard place. “Why don’t we go into the other room where we can sit and talk more comfortably?” he said, giving David an out for now. They all went into the great room – what we would now call the living room – and sat down in the chairs there.

“Arabella, my dear, David is from a far off land – a land we’ve never heard of. They have some very strange customs and he is trying to learn how to live the life we have here in our castle. He cannot return to his home, so he has asked to become one of us and learn our ways.”

“Where is this far off land, father? What is it called?”

“It is very far to the west, many many days travel. Then once you go as far west as you can by horse, you must get on a great ship and travel many more days by ship to reach my land.”

“It sounds like a great distance, David. How long did it take you to get here?”

David did some quick mathematical calculations in his head before answering. He knew he didn’t have to be too precise – there was no way she could ever figure out where he was from by his calculations. “About three months of traveling, Princess.”

“Oh, my! That is a great distance! Well, I am glad you decided to stay and become one of us, David. Otherwise, I might have been run over today!”

“I’m glad I was here too, Princess. And now that I am, I’m going to see to it that no harm ever comes to you.”

David’s statement gave the King a wonderful idea. “David, I am pleased to hear you say that. But if you are to protect my daughter as you claim you will, you will need to be at her side constantly. That would be impossible with your current job as carpenter’s apprentice at the carpentry shop. So I will have to appoint you as her guardian.

“If you truly wish to be my daughter’s hero and protect from harm, I will appoint you as Princess Arabella’s personal guardian. Your job will be to accompany her everywhere and see to it nothing happens to her. Inside the walls of our home you will not need to accompany her, but when she goes out into the general castle you will be by her side at all times. Does this position interest you David?”

David looked at Princess Arabella who was thrilled with the idea. She practically bounced up and down waiting eagerly for his answer. He didn’t even have to think about it. “Yes! Yes, Your Majesty, I would be honored to be Princess Arabella’s guardian and protector. Thank you for such an esteemed position!”

“Of course you will need to become one of the castle staff and live here in the keep so you can watch over your charge. Where do you live now?”

“I have a small room above the carpentry shop, Sire. As an apprentice, I am also responsible for keeping the shop safe after it closes. So I sleep there at night.”

“Not anymore. You will be given a room here in the keep – one that I’m sure is nicer than living in the attic of a woodshop!”