Chapter 2

"Miss Janie!� Suparn shook her, �Miss Janie it�s time for breakfast�please wake up!�

"Uh�� Janie rolled around and flung the comforter at Suparn.

"Ah! Miss Janie if you don�t wake up I�ll have no choice but to call Salinee, and you know how she doesn�t like it when you are being lazy!� Suparn began to head for the door.

"No! Suparn I�m up, I�m up!� Janie sat up quickly. After what happened last night, she didn�t want to be scolded anymore by Salinee.

"I knew that trick would work, my Missus has always been afraid of Salinee.� Suparn tried to cover her laughter.

"You know how she is like! And you are still trying to scare me�� Janie picked up her robe and headed towards the washroom.

"I�ll be seeing you downstairs then Miss Janie.� Suparn left and shut the door.

Just as Janie was getting out of the washroom, she noticed a carriage heading towards the castle.

"I wonder�� She quickly went out to the balcony to see who it was. The carriage pulled up the castle, and stopped and to let out two passengers. One was young woman, probably in her early twenties. She wore a white gown adorned with baby blue ribbons. The other passenger was a man, from what Janie could make out, but he was on the other side of the carriage and she couldn�t see him very well from where she was.

"I wonder if that�s him�� she peered over the balcony, making careful not to fall.

The woman then took the man�s arm and was led inside. But Janie couldn�t see anymore for the woman�s hair was quite large and blocked the man�s face.

"Darn it!� Janie snapped her fingers.

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"What is it Duke?� the woman asked as to what the Duke was looking at.

"Oh�I thought I saw someone in the balcony over there,� he pointed in the direction of Janie�s room, �Must�ve been my imagination��

The woman looked also but by that time Janie had retreated back into her room.

"I don�t see anything,� she said as she craned her neck around.

"It�s nothing,� the Duke reassured, �Come, I believe we�re late��

The pair walked inside castle.

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"Salinee!� Janie ran down to the kitchen to have her breakfast.

"Stop right there Miss Janie!� Salinee scolded. Janie came to a quick stop. �How many times have I told you not to run in the castle? It�s dangerous! What if I were holding a sharp object? You would have gotten seriously hurt!�

"Salinee�� Janie used her baby voice as she ran up to Salinee and gave her a big hug. �I know you would never hurt me�� she smiled.

"I don�t know about that. My Missus has become more and more rowdy nowadays�has she forgotten all the manners I have taught her?�

"Ahhh�Salinee I never forgot anything, I just choose not to follow them!�

"Why what a rowdy child! This is deserving of a beating!� Salinee held up her ladle as to hit Janie.

"Ah! Maroot please help me!� She ran over to Salinee�s husband.

"Now now Salinee�� he warned.

"You are always spoiling that child, it�s no wonder she�s become more and more like a boy each day. I�m trying to teach her to be a lady!�

"But our Missus likes this lifestyle,� Maroot defended Janie, who smiled to mock Salinee.

"I give up!� Salinee said and went back to her cooking.

"Salinee�� Janie hugged her from behind, �It�s only because I love you sooo much!� She gave Salinee and kiss on the cheek and saw the smile on her face.

"Come come child,� Salinee shooed Janie away, �Your breakfast is going to get cold.�

"It looks delicious!� Janie sat down at the kitchen table and savored Salinee�s cooking.

Salinee looked over to Janie and smiled, and gave out a little sigh. She knew her Missus well, for she was the one to raise her after her Majesty passed away. She knew Janie tried to keep up her tough exterior to hide the loneliness and devastation she felt from her Majesty�s death.

After her Majesty befell the horrible fate, Janie was raised up by Salinee and Maroot, the head cook and the stable keeper. Salinee knew that the new Queen could not love Janie as she loved her own daughter Tookta, as most mothers favored their own children. Janie�s father was devastated by his wife�s death, locked himself up in his room and would not come out. Janie could not be raised up by her father, so Salinee took it upon herself to take care of her little Missus. Janie never had many of the luxuries that were endowed on Tookta, but surprisingly, the two grew very close�relying on each other. Janie wanted to fend for her own life, and to be strong unlike her father, learned to ride a horse, and shoot from the other servants who were reluctant in teaching a young girl such rugged activities. But from it, Janie became stronger, and tried to forget the injustice that killed her mother.

"Miss Janie�� a servant girl came up to Janie.

"What is it?�

"Did you see the handsome Duke that is to wed Miss Tookta? He�s so charming!�

"What did I say about gossiping?� Salinee walked up to the girl.

"That I shouldn�t meddle with the affairs of others�� the girl looked down and seemed ashamed. She then left to get the desert for breakfast to serve.

"So it was him�� Janie spoke softly as she had a mischievous look on her face, �I�m done Salinee! I�ll be going to the stables now!� Janie got up and ran out the door.

"Miss!� Salinee yelled after her. She stood and watched Janie while shaking her head, �Nothing like the princess she should be��

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"Good morning my lady,� the stable hands greeted Janie.

"What�s all the noise?� Janie asked.

"Oh�we�ve gotten a new stallion and seems none of the other hands can calm him down�Maroot has been trying for quite some time but no luck��

"Let me see�� Janie followed as the boy led her to the midnight black stallion that was neighing and causing a ruckus in the stable.

"We�ve been trying to put the reins on him for quite some time, but it seems an impossible task��

Janie took the reins from the boy and walked over to where Maroot was.

"Miss�� Maroot spoke as Janie walked up, �He seems a feisty one�I don�t know if I can��

"Can I try?� Janie offered. Maroot stepped out of the way for her.

Janie walked up slowly to the creature and spoke soft soothing words to him. She tried to calm him down by looking into his eyes and patting him gently as she slowly put the reins on him. She didn�t stop using a soothing voice, which calmed the creature down and allowed Janie to put the reins on. She then asked for the saddle, and after getting it on his back, she climbed up and petted him.

"Impressive�� a man�s voice spoke out.

Janie, startled as to where it came from, noticed that the Duke had been watching her all along.

"You have to be gentle when it comes to animals, they can sense your emotions�� Janie replied and tugged the reins and the creature started walking.

"Maroot,� Janie yelled back, �I�m going for a little ride!� She galloped away to the tracks.

The Duke just stood smiling as he watched Janie gallop away into the woods.

"I wonder who she is�� he thought to himself just as a woman�s voice called for him.

"Jessadaporn!� the woman shouted and ran up to him trying to hold her skirt.

"You know you�re not suppose to run in that dress�� He scolded, �Mother would not like to see that you�ve ruined another expensive dress she�s picked out for you.�

"Well, if she knows how her daughter is, then she should stop buying these bulky things for me�she knows how uncomfortable they make me!� She pouted.

"Okay okay, that will have to go up with mother,� Tik laughed at his sister, �Oh, what is it that caused you to run in such a hurry?�

"Oh�Queen Apiradee would like to invite us back inside so she can show off her beautiful castle�� Khuntima spoke mockingly.

"Now now, Mother would not like to have known you using this tone of voice to imitate one of her closest friends, come, let�s go inside now�� Tik tugged at her elbow.

As they were walking back towards the castle, Khuntima asked Tik who the girl on the horse was.

"Oh�her?� Tik referred to woman he saw a moment ago, �I don�t know��

"Really?� Khuntima teased, �From the way you looked at her�seemed like you already knew her�� she laughed.

Tik threw her a displeased look and she quieted down. But he got to thinking that he would like to find who exactly she was.

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"Is Khun Thana here?� Janie asked one of the stable boys.

"He�s gone out riding on the tracks over there,� the boy pointed and Janie nodded her head as she led her new horse out to the tracks.

"Oil!� Janie waved as she galloped up to him.

"Oh hello Janie!� Oil responded back and gave her the signal that he wanted one more round before going out to meet her.

"What brings you here?�

"He�s here�� Janie looked up at him.

"Him who?� Oil was confused.

"Your competitor�the Duke.�

"What? Already? How is it so fast?� Oil was surprised.

"I don�t know either but we�re going to have to work fast if we want him to withdraw his engagement to Tookta. From what I saw, he seems the pompous type, he also came with a young woman.�

"Do you know who she is?� He asked. Janie shook her head.

"I don�t know what we can do to get rid of him, and what guarantee do we have that the Queen will not try to sell Tookta off to another man?� Oil felt worried about his future with Tookta.

"I�m not going to let that happen!� Janie spoke, �No one has the right to control another person�s fate, and that�s what I believe in. Even if it means disobeying the Queen�s wishes.� Janie rode away towards her home.

"What are we going to do?!� Oil yelled after her.

"Leave it all up to me!� She waved to him.

Oil was afraid of what might happen. He grew up with Janie and Tookta, and knew how Janie could be when she set her mind to do something. But he wanted to be part of it, he wanted to help his beloved. She was his responsibility, and he would not stand by and see her be married off to somebody else."

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