My Fiance, The Playboy Prince

Chapter Seven: Je Me Sens Seul

• Prince Aspen Castillo •

"Your Highness, dinner is ready to be served. The chef has prepared beef goulash, as you requested. Where would you like to have it?" Giselle asks.

I answer her with a question. "Have you heard from mother and father? Do you know when they'll be back?" I try to keep my voice as nonchalant as possible.

"No, Your Highness. I'm afraid the King and Queen are still in Vera, " she replies quietly, casting her eyes downwards to the marble floor.

There's just something pathetic about having a maid look at a prince with an expression of pity on her face.

I look at my hands. What else is new? What makes me think that asking the same question over and over again would give me a different answer each time? I already know the answer. It's always the same.

My parents are never here, they're only home if need be - if they're under obligation to.

It would seem that I don't fit in any of those obligations.

I feel a heavy weight grow in my chest. Eating me from within.

Sometimes, I wonder what they think of me. Then it hits me, do they even think of me?

I reflect on the times I had myself fake-kidnapped and the fact that they hadn't reacted to any of it, not even the slightest bit.

Most probably not.

And I'd tell myself, maybe, just maybe, the lack of reaction could've been because Levi already informed them of the truth.

I brace one elbow onto my leg, putting a hand under my chin. Drowning in my own thoughts.

I'm a fool - I'm tricking myself into thinking something that's far from the truth.

The cold, hard truth is that they don't care about me. I just don't want to see it.

Year after year, I have the entire palace to myself - save for meetings or visits and the like. I've spent years learning, training - cultivated to become the next perfect king.

And yet, the only thing I've perfected is the art of being truly alone.

"Your highness?" Giselle's voice breaks me from my thoughts, her tone filled with sympathy.

Even so, somewhere inside me, I still ache for something. Anything. To fill this hole.

I stare at the wall, "I'll have dinner here in my room. The dining area has always been too big for one person anyway."

• Colette Eatton •

"So.. what did your boss say? Carter asks.

"He told me to stay home for a while." I mumble in between a mouthful of cheese flavoured puffed snacks.

I called my boss a few minutes ago to explain what had happened this morning and also to ask him for advice on what I should do next.

Sitting beside me, Carter frowns, looking at the bits of Cheetos flying out of my mouth.

I continue talking anyhow, "he also said I could resume work after all this is resolved."

Wait a fucking minute. Does this mean I'm fired if it doesn't?

Carter pretends to brush the crumbs off his shirt. I stuff more Cheetos into my mouth.

"Cool. Have you contacted your family?" He snatches the snack away from me.