𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐁𝐈𝐃𝐃𝐄𝐍 𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐈𝐑𝐄 | ✎

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟒𝟑

It's early in the morning, and I haven't gotten much sleep. I didn't get to drink coffee earlier, so it's no surprise that I'm exhausted. I don't want to go to sleep, though. Whenever my eyes close, the end result is always a nightmare.

Instead, I wait outside the princess's door. It might be 7 AM, but she usually starts getting ready this early. To my surprise, the handmaid doesn't come around at all, but maybe she just woke up earlier than I did.

The door suddenly shoots open, and the princess yanks me inside with all of her strength. Then, she pushes me back against the door so that it closes, and my eyebrows lift in surprise. Elena releases her grip on me and steps back, pacing the room frantically.

If I'm being honest, I don't know whether to feel threatened or turned on. "Princess?" I say cautiously, observing her rather erratic behavior.

"I need you to help me pick out what to wear for the ball today," she blurts out, a hyper-energetic look in her blue-green eyes.

Seriously?

My body relaxes itself once I realize she's fine and she's really just worried about looking good—something she should never even think about because she always looks absolutely gorgeous. "And why me? You have a handmaid for a reason."

Elena sighs exasperatedly, her back turned to me, as she walks to her king-sized bed and goes through a pile of dresses. "Her name is Sofia," the princess clarifies, "and she isn't here today."

With my hands in the pockets of my suit jacket, I lean back comfortably against the door and examine her. "You have other maids," I remind her. "Besides, I don't know anything about dresses."

The princess turns around with a frown on her face. "Those other servants don't give a shit about me. Sofia is the only one who actually cares for me. Everyone else just follows what my father or even Marco says."

She seems truly stressed without her handmaid—to the point where it's making me feel guilty. And as always, I finally give in. "Alright, show me the options," I sigh.

Her eyes light up gratefully, and there's a smile at last on that beautiful face of hers. She continues to sort through the pile of dresses until she eventually holds up two of them for me to see.

The first dress she holds up is an elegant off-the-shoulder gown in midnight black with intricate lace trimming around the bodice and skirt. The long sleeves are fitted at the forearm and flare out at the wrist.

The second dress is a gorgeous silk gown. It is made of a shimmering ruby-red material that is embellished with a delicate lace overlay, which adds a touch of elegance and refinement to the entire ensemble. The top of the dress has a plunging neckline, and the bottom of the dress has a slit up the side.