The Claiming

Chapter Eight

The questions made absolutely no sense. It seemed like some kind of interest inventory with a little bit of math and science thrown in there. I wasn't sure what was going on. But once I finished, I bolted out of the room, relieved it was over.

Because I was the first of my friends to test, I sit alone on one of the stone benches along the grand wall. The palace is gorgeous with golden ceilings that arch over us like a dome. The entrance hallway is where we all gather. Two large staircases curve around the sides of the room up to the next floor that gazes down on us. When I glance up there, my heart jumps into my throat when I see the one and only prince standing alone at the stone railing watching everyone below him.

Does no one see him?

Suddenly, I lock eyes with him, and I feel a shudder run down my spine. And not the good kind. I've never been more uncomfortable in my life as he stares me down, not a single bone in his body flinching. I swear he sees into my soul.

"You ready to go?" Alec's voice says, breaking the silence that fell when I noticed the royal son.

I flinch at my husband's voice. "Oh, gosh! You scared me! Yeah, I'm ready," I say, standing up and reaching quickly for his hand.

With a quick glance, my eyes avert back to the prince at the top of the stairs.

He's still watching me with those soul-swallowing eyes.

***

"It was weird, you know?" I say in the car. "I don't think he even blinked!"

Alec chuckles. "Maybe he doesn't know that staring is rude? I mean, he grew up in the palace with parents that probably didn't raise him as well as they should have. He probably had nannies or something."

I shake my head. "No, it was like he knew who I was. I can't shake the feeling of... of weirdness!"

"Weirdness?" Alec laughs.

"Weirdness!" I confirm. "I guess it was more awkward than anything. It was like smiling at a stranger in the grocery store when you're trying to get something and they're in the way, and you're trying to be polite, but they don't realize that you—"

"Calm down, Belle!" Alec says, reaching over for my hand.

I said all of that in one breath, and I start to take in large amounts of air to make up for it. "I just want to forget about it. It was weird," I say.

Let's just start counting the number of times I say, "Weird", shall we?

Alec nods. "Well, lunch will make it all better! Maybe we can talk to Riah and Chance about the ring idea! I'm sure they'd love to hear it."

I nod, plastering a smile back onto my face.

***

We arrive at a restaurant that Alec and Chance decided on while Riah and I were already testing. It's a sit-down Mexican restaurant called "Crema de Cacahuete de los Amigos".

As Alec opens the car door for me, I step out studying the sign over the double doors into the restaurant. "You know what that means, right?"

"What?" Alec says, turning his head to follow my gaze.

"Crema de Cacahuete de los amigos. Do you know what that translates to?"

Alec shrugs. "Nope. But they have good food!" He offers me his arm and we begin towards the doors.

I giggle. "It means 'peanut butter of friends'. I don't think the owners are Hispanic at all..."

Alec bursts into laughter. "I don't think they are either!"