To Be A Princess (ON HIATUS)

CHAPTER 9 - I Finally Meet My Match... And I Have No Idea Who He Is

ROYAL BALLS WERE DEFINITELY not my thing. Royal masquerade balls even more so. I had been waiting all morning and most of the afternoon to meet with the Erawynthian mask maker. I still couldn't believe he would have enough time to make so many masks.

Jackie and I spent our time waiting with Izzy, Addie, and Cecily in a hidden garden pavilion. It was near the back of the gardens so none of the other debutantes would dare venture there. They were too scared of getting their dresses dirty.

"So, what do you want your mask to look like?" Izzy asked Jackie and I.

"I'm not really sure, I've never been to a masquerade ball before," Jackie replied while I just shrugged.

We sat in an awkward silence. I fiddled with the hem of my sleeve, pulling at a loose thread. I gave a silent sigh of relief when Cecily finally broke the silence.

"So, now what?" she asked.

"We could have some tea," Addie suggested.

"Then we'll have to go all the way inside and get it and then come back," I groaned.

"We could have a servant bring some," she said.

"But we have to find one first," Izzy replied. "Let's go in, it's kind of hot out here anyway."

We all walked back to the palace and ended up going our separate ways. I wandered aimlessly around the palace, waiting until it was my turn to meet with the Erawynthian mask maker. I was just about to head towards the library when I ran into Xavier.

"Hello sweetheart, fancy seeing you here," Xavier drawled and joined me as I walked down the hall towards the library.

"Hello idiot, fancy seeing you here too," I replied smoothly.

"A new nickname, huh?" he asked with an amused expression. "With all these nicknames we could even be considered, dare I say it, friends."

"We are not friends Xavier," I deadpanned.

"You wound me sweetheart," he replied dramatically with a hand over his heart.

"Enough of your dramatics, it's unbecoming of the mighty Crown Prince of Aucelon," I mocked. "And my name is Skylar, not sweetheart."

"Well as the mighty Crown Prince of Aucelon, I shall call you whatever I like," he said.

"Whatever, just leave me alone," I replied.

"What if I don't want to leave you alone?" he asked.

"Why do you like bothering me so much?" I asked.

"You're easy to bother," he said.

"Ugh, you're insufferable!" I yelled and threw my hands up in the air. "Why do you take a sudden interest in me the moment I become a debutante?"

"I've always had an interest in you," he said seriously.

"Okay," I said nervously. "You're creepy and I'm leaving. Bye!"

I quickened my pace, trying to escape from Xavier being an annoying idiot. To my dismay, I heard his footsteps behind me.

"What about leave me alone do you not understand?" I asked without turning around.

"Come with me," he said. He grabbed my hand and dragged me towards the gardens.

"Xavier, slow down!" I shouted and tried to wrench my hand from his grip. Unfortunately for me, he was way stronger than me.