♚ Zayn's POV ♚

Being king isn't all it's cut out to be, especially since you aren't even allowed to sleep in late in the mornings.

I was woken up early by the harsh pulling of curtains, bright light hitting my eyes painfully.

I had to blink several times before they adjusted, focusing on the beautiful girl next to me, her pink nightdress sleeve starting to fall off her tiny shoulder. Her mouth was slightly open, soft snores escaping even though she claimed she never snored when she slept. Her long lashes fanned out on top of her cheeks, already so long I didn't understand why she even wore mascara. Her hair was a bit ruffled up, but that was to be expected since Odette was quite the toss-and-turner when she just started to fall asleep. She was perfect.

I think I liked Odette when she slept so much because she couldn't hide everything she would when she's awake. She could claim she never snored, but night after night I would hear the same heavy breathing and surprisingly soft snores leave her weakened body. She might try to fix her hair perfectly to the last strand, but it all came loose and wild from constantly rolling over and moving her pillow.

I kissed her exposed shoulder before pulling her nightdress sleeve back up, watching as Odette stirred slightly before falling back into a deep sleep.

"Your Majesty, it's time to get ready." Falene announced as she bowed customarily to me before grabbing my arm and yanking me out of bed.

I barely had time to kiss my little swan goodbye before I was dragged to my closet by Falene, who was so excited and hurried getting me dressed that it felt like I had barely blinked before I was ready for the day.

I was dressed in a red military uniform, which probably meant a military meeting that I needed to be at was today. Falene kept humming obsessively, never pausing as she fixed my hair and uniform until it was picture perfect.

"Your Majesty is very busy today. First you have a medal awarding ceremony for a brave soldier at 8:00, then a military meeting to discuss Revolutionary activity with your generals at 10:00, then Ivy wants to speak with you at 11:30, then lunch with Odette at 12:00, free time from 12:00 to 2:00, then another military meeting at 3:30." Falene quickly rambled off, but I was only paying half-attention to everything. I was still mostly asleep, my mind only registering that I got to eat lunch with Odette today.

"And now for the exciting part," Falene clapped her hands together and bounced around in excitement. "Your Majesty, do you know what day it is?"

It took me a little while to remember. "Uh, October 15th I think. Why?"

"I just got off the phone last night with someone who told me something interesting. Apparently a special someone's seventeenth birthday happens to be on October 22nd." Falene told me, giving me a sly look. Someone was turning seventeen? It wasn't any family members, I'm the only one who's seventeen. Maybe Ivy? At least, I was pretty sure she was still sixteen...

Falene huffed in annoyance before lightly slapping me on the arm.

"It's Odette's seventeenth birthday on the 22nd dummy!" Falene scolded me, and I rubbed my eyes in exhaustion. Of course it would be Odette's, Ivy's was in the spring.

"She'll be turning seventeen?" I yawned.

Falene nodded. "Her mother called me to tell you that Odette's birthday is approaching. She claims Odette was always very shy growing up, and never really cared for extravagant birthday parties. However, she was never one to not invite people, often allowing her guests' siblings and friends to come as well." I smiled at this before peeking out at my personal Sleeping Beauty, now hugging my pillow for warmth now that I was missing from our bed. That seemed like Odette, so nice she considered everyone else's feelings, even on her own birthday.

"She also said Odette started dreading her birthday around the age of thirteen, and that she was worried about Odette not telling any of us when it was." Falene spoke quietly now, as if the smallest sound would wake the girl laying in bed.

"Is she one of those girls who started worrying about aging on their birthdays way too soon?" I joked, but the look in Falene's eyes told me this was a serious matter.

"Mrs. Carlton told me Odette never told her why she suddenly hated her birthday, but she has her suspicions that a loss in the family two weeks before her thirteenth may have something to do with it." Falene spoke, her eyes downcast. A loss in the family? It had to be someone close to her for Odette to suddenly hate her own birthday. It hurt to just think about Odette hiding such an important secret from me, but I had to believe she had a good reason to.

"So I was wondering, your Majesty, if you wanted to plan a party for her? Here, in the Manor?" Falene offered, and I didn't hesitate to nod.

"I think a party will do us all some good."

Falene happily skipped out of the room, and I took my tiny chance of seeing Odette again before the meeting. I walked over to her side of the bed, taking her warm hand in mine. I kissed the back of it before whispering her name to her, waking her up in a much better fashion than I had been.

Her eyes finally opened slowly, a small smile being given to me before she gripped my hand tighter. I pulled her in for a kiss to the cheek, Odette pouting when she didn't get her desired kiss on the lips. I laughed at her adorable reaction.

"Don't worry, you'll get that one at lunch." I assured her, watching as she processed my information and my uniform. She was a bright one, I had to admit that.

"You have a meeting?" She asked groggily, and I nodded sadly.

"Yeah, it's a pretty busy day for me. But don't worry, Falene made sure we got some time together." I hated disappointing her, and as I saw the frown forming on her perfect lips, I immediately thought of something to cheer her up.

I saw her nightdress sleeve beginning to fall back down her arms as she shifted around in bed, I was really going to have to get her one that fit better. Then again, I was starting to like the small girl in her oversized pajamas, the image burned into my brain as adorable. I reached to fix her sleeve again, a soft thank you being uttered by my little swan.

"Hey, cheer up. I have something that we can do together later."

She definitely perked up at that. "What?"

I gave her a long kiss on her neck, feeling her delicate pulse increase, her heart already starting to race even this early in the morning.

"You'll have to wait to find out, little swan." I gave her a wink, and she smiled.

"Alright. Can't wait."

***

I suppose when one is in a military meeting, they are supposed to focus on certain things like maybe war and weapons.

I was focusing on how General Howe still hadn't shaved off his goatee yet, that thing was starting to look like mountaineer's. You couldn't really blame me, this meeting had been going on for over an hour and still no progress had been made. General Howe wanted to kill the Revolutionaries right now, while General Daniels wanted to try and compromise with them. Needless to say, I had been doodling on my paper for the last ten minutes. I had almost finished a drawing of some pretty cool future tattoos when Ivy shook my shoulder, messing up my concentration.

"Zayn, we need to expand the military immediately. I have a feeling the Revolutionaries are planning to attack soon." She said hurriedly. She seemed a bit more frazzled than normal, eyes dark with small bags under them. I had noticed that she had been coming back home late at night, sometimes even in the early hours of the morning, but I had never questioned her about it.

"And how would you know the Revolution is planning another attack?" General Howe interrogated the poor girl, who only gave him a glare.

"That doesn't matter. They caught us off guard at the coronation. They have the offensive, why not attack now?" Ivy snapped, General Howe becoming quiet.

I groaned in boredom, stealthily checking the clock to see what time it was (and to ultimately determine how much longer I had left in this meeting). The meeting had run long, the clock reading 11:45. I sighed in relief when I realized I had only fifteen more minutes before I could see Odette again, my body practically jumping out of my seat when the clock struck twelve.

"Your Majesty, may we discuss-" General Howe had started, but I was already out the door, a special girl on my mind.

I had been notified that Odette was in the gardens waiting for me, and I hurried in changing from my uncomfortable uniform to something more comfortable. After changing into some jeans I had searched my closet three times over, but for some reason couldn't find my favorite ivory sweater. I settled on a grey one instead, wasting no time as I ran out to meet Odette for our little picnic.

I discovered why I couldn't find my sweater once I saw Odette, the ivory sweater much too big for her. Her skinny jeans seemed painted on, leading into little boots. Falene must have curled her hair today, the long dark length pretty against the paleness of her skin. Hazel eyes met my own as I rushed out to meet her.

The servants had laid out a picnic for us two since the weather was getting cooler and soon it would be too cold for anything outdoors. The chefs had had a bit too much fun with the food, a bunch of sandwiches and desserts galore.

"You're late." Odette noticed, a her lips set in a pout.

"I was trying to find my sweater, but it appears someone else found it first." I replied, a small smile replacing the pout now.

"It's so soft and it smells like you." She mumbled, already reaching into the picnic basket for some food.

"Please tell me I smell good otherwise all those colognes I get are going to waste." I joked.

"You do, don't worry." Odette smiled playfully. She dug into the little picnic basket, the oversized sleeves of my sweater rising up just enough so I could see the shining silver of my anchor ring on her slim finger.

***

After eating our lunch it was time for my little surprise activity for both of us to do. I had had the servants pick out two pumpkins precisely for this.

"What's your favorite holiday?" I asked, watching as Odette nibbled away at a chocolate chip cookie.

"Christmas." She wasted no time in answering.

"Well one of mine is Halloween, and I was thinking we could do a little Halloween tradition." I offered, Odette nodding in agreement.

I couldn't help my excitement as I hurried to grab the two pumpkins by the porch of the back gardens and two markers. Odette started laughing as she realized what I had planned, eagerly reaching for the marker to start drawing her design. Once she uncapped it, however, she froze, her face scrunched in thought.

"What's wrong?" I asked, watching as her funny face turned into another pout.

"I don't know what to draw. I'm not very artistic like you." Odette gestured to my pumpkin, which already been covered in swirling black marker in minutes.

"Just pick something, anything." I encouraged, and Odette began drawing. A servant had brought out a knife to cut the designs with, and when Odette reached her hand out for it, I snatched it and looked at her like she must be crazy.

"Come on, can I at least cut the top?" She asked, and I shook my head no furiously.

"The last thing I need is for you to cut a finger off trying to carve a pumpkin. I'll do it." I grabbed her pumpkin, snickering at the design drawn on. It looked like a fat chicken with a stretched neck.

"What's it supposed to be? A fat chicken?" I teased, Odette blushing in embarrassment. She grabbed her pumpkin from my hands and the marker.

"It was supposed to be a swan." She gushed, uncapping the marker to change her design. "Don't judge my drawing, I did the best swan I could."

I still couldn't help my laughter as I took her pumpkin in my hands and cut the top so Odette could get started cleaning out the inside. After popping the top out and setting it to the side, I handed the pumpkin back to Odette, along with a spoon to aid her. I watched out of the corner of my eye as she rolled up her sleeves and grabbed the spoon, scrunching her face in disgust as some of the pumpkin guts got on her hands and arms. I chuckled to myself before cutting the top of my pumpkin, setting it to the side and starting to pull out seeds and insides. We made a little pile in between us, the scent of pumpkin spreading through the air.

Our little pumpkin carving session had turned into a pumpkin guts war after I had accidentally tossed some seeds and goo in Odette's hair. Soon I became the victim of a full on pumpkin assault, seeds flying and orange insides everywhere.

I don't know how we ended up finishing our pumpkins, but we did. Odette's fat chicken/swan looked funny and my demon pumpkin was perfect. After setting two candles inside and lighting them up, we admired our handiwork. Odette pressed a sweet kiss to my pumpkin covered cheek and I finally gave her the kiss she had wanted when she woke up,  the servants who were sent to get me to my next meeting catching us in quite the make out session as a result.

A/N: YES I KNOW HALLOWEEN IS OVER BUT THIS CHAPTER WAS MEANT TO BE POSTED EARLIER AND JUST BEAR WITH ME CUZ I DONT FEEL LIKE CHANGING THE DATES AND STUFF OKAY PLEASE AND THANK YOU

Phew, now that that's over, please vote and comment! Also, be sure to check out my November NaNoWriMo story: The Wanderer's Daughter! Next update should be coming soon! -M