Her Royal Pen Pal

Chapter 29 [The Third Wheel]

“I guess we’ll be on our way, now,” Leonidas said casually, “and we’ll leave you be, grandmother.”

“Oh, I have nothing to do at the moment, why don’t I join the tour,” Accra perked up, “I can offer my services as tour guide, I mean I’ve been in this palace long enough to know more about our family history than you, haven’t I? It should be put to good uses.”

“That’s a wonderful idea,” Elise piqued up, leaving Leonidas’ side-embrace.

Leonidas scowled at his grandmother, his expression clearly showing that it wasn’t that wonderful of an idea. Accra just smiled and took Elise’s hand, leading her out the room. The Crown Prince had no other alternative than to walk behind the two, and watch as they animatedly went through the ground floor, while he silently fumed, and added in his two cents from time to time.

Whilst Elise was examining the portraits of all the past Royals, Leonidas made a discreet move and pulled Accra aside to have a word.

“Grandmother, I think I should continue the tour with Elise, alone, I mean, I wouldn’t want you to have to go through any history that would stir up old, unwanted memories,” he prompted hopefully.

Accra was always quick to pick up on a hint, and Leonidas was hinting heavily at the moment, but she just chose to ignore it.

“I don’t mind, thoughtful Prince,” Accra beamed at him.

Leonidas sighed, “Okay, what do I have to do to spend some time with Elise. Just the two of us?”

“You know what,” Accra pointed out with an arc of her left eye brow.

“I’m not proposing to her today,” he hissed.

“Then you don’t need the privacy,” Accra smiled, as though that settled the matter, “in my days, a boy and a girl, could not be left alone together unless they were formally engaged to be married.”

“You’re going to play that card?” Leonidas asked incredulously.

“Until you propose, yes!” Accra smiled innocently and scampered back to Elise’s side like a watchdog protecting the maiden from the big, bad wolf.

As they explored more and more portraits, Leonidas was becoming more and more irritable with Accra, to which Elise was, (or at least pretending to be) oblivious as she and Accra continued to chat and wander about.

They had finished looking over the portraits and were in the formal ballroom, which took up most of the entire east wing’s ground floor, when Thane sauntered upon them. Leonidas watched as his friend casually strolled in, eating an apple.

“For a Prince, you sure look pitiful,” Thane observed, munching loudly on his apple.

Leonidas didn’t much appreciate his friend’s good mood right now, seeing as he was bordering on hysteria himself. Not even bothering to answer Thane, Leonidas just shrugged and watched as Elise stood in awe under the huge, crystal chandelier that graced the ceiling, above the middle of the dance floor.

But Thane didn’t need an answer. He took one look at Leonidas, and glanced at Accra and Elise, and added one and one together to get three, and decided that a third wheel needed extracting. Taking another bite of his apple, Thane nonchalantly went over to the other two.

Leonidas, accustomed to Thane being his troubleshooter, also sauntered over.

“Hey there, you two,” Thane greeted them.

“Thane, can you believe the size of this chandelier?” Elise asked, still mesmorised by the vast magnificence of it, that she didn’t even spare a glance to Thane.