After disposing of our lunch, Joseph drove us to Royal prints. He glanced at us from time to time. If he had something to say, he didn't say it. Alexander didn't seem to notice. He grabbed a book from his backpack and started reading. I leaned against his shoulder and closed my eyes.
Luckily, Violet had agreed to let Alexander continue working on the project. This would keep him from sulking in his room. If he lost everything at once - well, I didn't want to thinking about it.
"We're here," Alexander whispered.
Yawning, I sat up.
"Good nap?" he asked.
Tiredly, I smiled. "Yeah. I needed that."
"Thanks," I said to Joseph. "Same time today too."
He eyed Alexander. "Miss Borek," he began then sighed. "Have a great day."
We grabbed our backpacks and headed inside. Miss Melanie welcomed Alexander at the door. Jesse was there but I didn't see Rachel.
"Welcome," she said. "It's a pleasure to be working directly with a member of the Royal family."
"Thank you for having me," Alexander said. "This will cut the time between meetings. How are we on the promotion?"
Staring at him, taking charge brought a smile to my face. If only he could see himself. Human or vampire, he did what he had to do.
As they talked about the fliers and ads, I took that as a sign to step away. Alexander, however, had different plans. As Miss Melanie walked to the elevator, Alexander grabbed my hand and we followed her.
Stepping into the elevator, I panicked. Miss Melanie didn't know we were dating what if she thought - well, it was too late. She saw our hands but didn't comment. Maybe she was told after all.
Miss Melanie took us into a conference room where Rachel waited with the black client folder. How long had she waited here?
"Take a seat," Miss Melanie said. "We've got the revised design just as it was requested."
At that, Miss Melanie glanced at me. Oh, seems like Noah actually did talk to Rachel back then. At least I hadn't screwed that part up.
I placed my backpack on an empty chair and sat. Alexander sat down beside me. Maybe if I made myself invisible then, they wouldn't notice me and they could talk freely.
"Oh, if you don't mind," Alexander said. "Can you bring me your event portfolio?"
"Sure thing." This was Rachel.
She stood and walked out. Miss Melanie took a seat and opened the black folder.
I frowned. Event portfolio? Why would he need something like that? Was he planning something else?
"I haven't forgotten," Alexander leaned in and said. His ears turned pink. "If you'll still have me."
"Oh. Oh." I hadn't realized he was thinking about our ceremony.
"Yeah,'' I said, heart racing. "Definitely."
Once Rachel returned, we settled in. As they talked about invitations, programs, and the video presentation, I flipped through the event portfolio. There was even a planning check list. Once in a while, I listened in on the consultation. Noah's design had been approved. The invitations and programs were "inviting", "elegant", and "generous". Whatever that meant. Alexander went through the whole list and made changes to fit Noah's design. From what I gathered, the changes were minor so it wouldn't take long to print and have ready. The whole meeting took two hours.
At the end, they set an appointment for last minute checks in a month and a half. Soon after Rachel and Miss Melanie left. The event portfolio was left behind.
"I'm glad Violet let you continue helping," I admitted.
"You helped," he said. "Now, they'll announce my half-brother has decided to help his big brother since we're so close."
Alexander pointed to the portfolio. "Which one did you like?"
I shrugged. "Everything is so pretty," I said, "but nothing too big. Just a small guestlist?
He smiled and patted my head. "So, family, friends, and strangers with cameras."
"Yes?"
"Sounds good."
He looked at his watch. "Let's get out of here. We can decide more on the announcement ceremony. We'll ask Rachel to show us the venues."
"I thought they only handled prints."
He smiled. "They'll handle whatever the need them to."
I shook my head. "It's technically my job so, I'll do everything."
"You sure? I can help."
"Yeah and I'll ask you if I'm not sure about anything."
"Deal."
After the conference, we made ourselves useful by filing away the client folders. To our surprise, we didn't see any of Alexander's fans sneaking a look inside. At least they were professionals.
This time, it was Alexander who napped on the way back. His head rested on my shoulders.
"Can we drop him off first?" I asked. "I'll text my parents so they don't worry."
Joseph hesitated. "I -I know I'm your chauffer and I was employed by the Royal family but with the Prince here. Are we really safe?"
I frowned. "You think someone might attack him?"
"Worried about you too, miss. Right now, you're under the radar but people are bound to notice you two traveling together, you know?"
"Vampires have Allure," I reminded him. "You don't have to worry too much. I appreciate it though."
"Right of course, forget I said anything."
"No," I said. "It's a good point. You've done well keeping me away from the public eye. So, keep up the good work."
"I won't slack off," he assured me.
Anxiety twisted my stomach. I hadn't thought of that. Alexander could no longer hide himself from anyone. The workers at Royal Prints might even post it on social media or tell their family and friends. Soon after, everyone was going to know where he worked.
I took a deep breath. I'm sure Alexander had some online security personnel looking into this sort of thing. Still, I made a mental note to ask him about it.
Unfortunately, the ride didn't last long. I practically had to push him out of the car while he showered me with kisses.
I arrived at home just in time for dinner. I half heard the conversation. My bed called my name but I had so much to do. First and foremost that included the royal announcement. I had the video playing in the background and I worked.
"I'm in no way taking over the Crown Prince," Noah began. His voice was soft, childlike, but serious. "I asked for this opportunity to help my brother. If I can be of some use to him then I'd gladly help.
"Many are confused about why the sudden change. While this is sudden, my brother and I have long talked about it since the land was purchased. We had both agreed to work on the project. I was busy with my schooling and hadn't had the chance to make myself known until now."
Noah talked more about how excited he was and honored to be included. I typed away at my essay and free response questions. I must have been into it because I barely caught what Alexander had said.
"The division of responsibilities," pre-recorded Alexander was saying, "is primarily for giving Prince Rothchester XIV an opportunity to help and connect with society. I'm honored to be his mentor and hope my advice will prove useful in future endeavors. Any questions will be answered by Violet."
I frowned. That was a little short. How much did I miss?
My phone buzzed. I dug it out from under me.
'Think they bought it?'
I shook my head smiling. 'Noah was convincing.' I told Alexander. 'So were you. Besides, people are going to deny anything that doesn't fit their narrative. Don't worry about them.'
'You're right. Thanks,' he sent.
I minimized my work screen and looked at the forums. There were posts everywhere. I did a quick search on 'human' and 'illness'. If there were rumors out there, I wanted to know.
After an hour, I flagged a few accounts. A lot of them didn't buy into the "brotherly love". I clicked on their profiles and searched through their posts. If they had other similar posts, I put them on a list. If they didn't, I kept them tagged but didn't write their name down. This was all I could do. I couldn't investigate any further but the Royal family might. It was worth the shot.
Maybe it was time to have another family dinner. I'm sure I could convince Alexander to give this information to their head of security.
Instead of texting, I called Alexander.
"Hey," he said. "What's going on?"
"I've been doing some searching," I told him quietly. "My parents won't let me visit without a good excuse and I doubt "studying" is going to earn me any points."
"What are you thinking?"
"Dinner," I asked. "This weekend."
"I can arrange that," he said.
"But?"
I heard him chuckle.
"I can't help but wonder if you have a lot on your plate and trying to add more."
"I want to help," I told him. "Besides, I also need to talk to the head of your security."
This time, he did laugh. "Are you trying to take his job?"
"What? No." I paused. "No. I wonder why your will be assassins haven't been caught yet. Aren't you curious? They can give us answers. I want to discuss this with you first."
"Okay," he said, his voice serious. "Let's talk this weekend. Noah is joining us, if that's okay."
"He's part of the family," I told him "See you tomorrow?"
"Bye. Sweet dreams."