K01 ‖ The Princes' Alliance: Social Etiquette
𝕽𝖊𝖆𝖉𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝕲𝖚𝖎𝖉𝖊:
Italic words — the thoughts of a character / a foreign language is spoken
Bold and italic words — a lie, only when Princess Caitlyn's around
Bold, italic and underlined words — the timeline of memories, past, hallucinations etc.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
Year 2039
Top Floor Dormitories, Momos Academy. [03:00]
Prince Liam knew that eavesdropping on someone was bad but here he was, dressed in his pajamas standing outside his half open room door, listening in on the American prince's phone call.
He knew that his bodily system would wake him up at the most ungodly of all hours therefore, it was a habit of his to retrieve a glass of water from the kitchen of the Canberra Royal Residence back in Australia before going back to sleep. Liam always liked the silence of the night as he would walk down the dark hallways of the royal residence at twilight.
Much to his misfortune, he was not the only one awake in the dormitory at 3 a.m. in the morning, for as soon as he opened his room door, the sound of Prince Charles having a heated argument on the phone was heard.
Liam knew that going out would mean a full awkwardness of explaining that he did not mean to eavesdrop but, going back into his room and waiting until Charles had gone back to sleep, would mean that he needs to close his room door. Ten years of friendship with the Norwegian princess taught him that both her and her brother are extremely hypersensitive, especially to sounds.
Liam hesitated.
He pulled his door close but not fully closed, leaving a small gap between it and the doorframe.
Prince Charles's sudden shout made the Aussie flinch, tightening his grip on the door knob. Liam could hear what the American prince said but he managed to catch him saying, "The reception is bad here. I'll call you back. Bye, dad."
Liam panicked, his heartbeat drowning out the sound of Charles's footsteps —or does Charles walk silently all the time. Either way, Liam immediately pulled the door open.
Prince Charles jumped back in shock at the sudden noise, accidentally letting loose a couple of curse words. He saw Prince Liam standing at the doorway looking equally petrified. Charles let out a breath of relief.
"Sorry," said the American boy. "Did I wake you up?"
Liam shook his head, rubbing his eyes with his hand. "No," he said thickly. "Why? Were you watching the television?"
Charles nodded, turning away. "Yeah," he said, keeping his hands in his pockets. "It's a bad habit of mine."
From his peripheral vision, Liam saw that Charles was angling his body away from him. Princess Caitlyn's words entered his mind.
. . . that's an obvious tell-tale sign that someone's lying.
Liam cleared his throat. "You should get some sleep," he told the American boy. "Tomorrow's our first day of school." He started making his way to the living area, heading towards the kitchen.
"Yeah," Charles said. He too started making his way back to his own room. "See you in the morning!"
Prince Liam did not know he was holding his breath until Charles had really returned to his own room, and Liam let out a sigh. He was breathing quicker than before, hearing the drumming in his ears.
As he poured himself a glass of water, he wondered why the American prince did not make the call in his own room, then realized that he could have woken up his neighbor, Prince Albert. By then, it would be a much messier situation for Charles to get out of. Or, Charles could really be telling the truth that he was watching the television before picking up the call from his father.
Prince Liam sighed.
He could never be fully sure unless Princess Caitlyn was around as she never failed to spot a lie. It was always a mystery that Liam could not put his hands on.
Glancing over to the living area enveloped in darkness, its emptiness seemed to reflect the Aussie's current sentiments. With a quick shake of his head, Liam decided to not dwell on it as he rinsed the glass he drank from. After keeping the glass and making sure to turn off the kitchen lights, Liam returned to his room. Multiple thoughts raced in his mind, faster than a bullet train.
Seems like sleep will not come any time soon.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
Year 2039
Queen's Study, Royal Palace Oslo, Norway [13:00]
"HOW DARE HE HANG UP ON ME?!" Caesarius Exley, the longest serving president of the United States of America, shouted at the darkened screen of his phone. "ME! HIS OWN FATHER! HE HASN'T BEEN DISCIPLINED ENOUGH!"
While the man continued to look as if he was picking a fight with his own phone, his wife sighed softly.
Queen Cassandra of Norway sat behind her table, looking away from the laptop screen and stared at her beloved husband. "Discipline?" she asked. "What good will it make? He's at a stage of life where he will do his absolute best to disobey his parents and pick fights with his siblings. It's too late to try and change him."
"Cassandra," Caesarius said. "This is plain disrespect. What happened to filial piety? What happened to manners? They're all gone the moment he decides that his friends are more important. I knew I shouldn't have allowed the construction of the school to take place! That nasty snake Fo—"
"Caesarius, my love," his wife called out to him. Obediently, he walked over to her side and took her outstretched hand. He got on one knee and enclosed her hand with both of his. Feeling her warmth, he visibly calmed down a little.
Staring up at his wife like she was the most beautiful person in the world, Caesarius started, "This has gone too far, darling. I know you're hurt. I can see it in your eyes when you read that email of his." He brought her hand close to his chest. "My wife, he needs to be taught a lesson," his blue eyes of the summer sky met her ice-blue gaze, staring into her soul. "Please, allow me to do my part as a father."
Cassandra brought her other hand and gently cradled her husband's face. "Min elskede [My love]," she said, smiling softly at her beloved. "It's obvious that he does not wish to hear about his argument with his sister. He's trying to escape. Scolding or forcing him will push him further away from us."
"By lying to us? Assuming that we're so stupid to believe him?" asked Caesarius indignantly.
"He didn't . . . cut contact with us, did he?" Cassandra raised an eyebrow.
"No, he didn't."
"Exactly," said the Queen of Norway, using her thumb to caress Caesarius's cheek. "He said he will stay in touch through emails. I think that's the only way he will contact us now. He's out of our reach at the moment, not lost yet. I certainly hope it does not come to that."
"Cassandra . . ." Caesarius sighed, leaning into her touch.
The Norwegian Queen let out a soft chuckle at the sight of her pouting husband. She wondered if that was where her sons, Caesar and Claudius, got their puppy-like antics from. She leaned down and gave him a peck on the nose.
"Let him enjoy his new-found freedom," she said, caressing his cheek, her hot breath fanning his face. "Sooner or later, he will miss home —if he has a conscience. We should focus on covering up his absence and spend more time with the other children." Cassandra gave her husband a sweet smile but his frown and worried expression did not cease at all.
"I know, my love," he said, placing a long kiss at the back of her hand that was held in his grip the entire time. He let out another mournful sigh. "Carmen has been asking to go on a picnic with the two of us but—"
"But what, min elskede [my love]?"
"My darling, it's you I'm worried about," he said. "You're so young and precious, but the stress..."
"I'll be fine," Cassandra assured her husband. "I'm just like any modern woman trying to have it all. Loving husband, a beautiful family. What we have right now is more than I could ever wish for, min elskede [my love]. Thank you for being by my side, supporting and loving me."
The couple shared a kiss. Their love was as strong and passionate as it was two decades ago when they were in their teenage years, accepting their feelings for each other.
"As I always do," said Caesarius, placing another kiss on her hand again, "and I always will. Till the end of time and beyond." He vowed.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
1425 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚍𝚜
𝐚/𝐧: a shorter chapter but it seems like the stakes are getting higher. life isn't all rainbows and cupcakes after all.