The carriage stopped in front of the most luxurious hotel in Brethorn Lake and Madeline went to the reception desk right away but seeing the royal siblings behind her, the receptionist tensed and pushed a nervous smile, giving Madeline the room keys as soon as she spoke up.
"T-These are our finest suites, Miss," the young man stuttered, "I hope they will be to the liking of Their Royal Highnesses."
Madeline nodded and took three keys with linked paper tags on them which had the room numbers printed on them.
"Thank you, Mr. Drewry," she smiled, reading the tag off his chest and the young red-haired man pushed his nervous smile further up.
"Our staff will help you settle," he gestured toward two uniformed bellboys who took the signal and bowed to the siblings before taking their suitcases.
"Thank you for your service, Greg," suddenly a male, accented voice came and Madeline closed her eyes for a second to breathe in. She got a sniff of his sharp cologne and almost gagged but when he touched her hand and discreetly took the keys from her grasp, Madeline opened her eyes to meet the smiling face of a taller man.
His black hair was slicked back and his aftershave was making her nauseous. His thin mustache above his pear-white smile annoyed her, just like his cold stare.
"Good to see you again, Madeline," he chirped, eyeing her face. She tried her best not to frown, clenching her jaw as the anger built up inside her at the sound of her name in his disgusting voice.
"Good morning, Pierre," Madeline nodded her head and he tilted his chin up proudly. He gripped the keys and clicked his tongue, turning on his heel and walking away, approaching the eldest prince.
Madeline politely thanked the nervous receptionist again and went to join the group as Pierre boasted about the hotel to the prince.
After Pierre's short but annoying speech, they started walking up the stairs, following the boys carrying their suitcases. Pierre continued talking about the hotel but no one listened. Two children admired the decoration and tapestry, running their fingers on the shiny wooden railing as they climbed up the stairs, while Prince Christopher walked behind them, his hands in his pockets. Madeline walked behind everyone, keeping her gaze lowered after what happened in the carriage.
She was partially mad at the prince for talking to her like that but she also could've picked her words better. But the anger about the prince was pushed aside as she couldn't block Pierre's annoying voice to focus on something else. Her day was getting worse by the minute...
"As your hotel concierge, you can ask me for whatever you want, Your Highnesses," Pierre smiled big, stopping in front of the closed doors, "Room 0324 is for the young ones," he said and opened it, revealing a large suite with two beds. The kids ran inside excitedly and Pierre's smile seemed to have faded a bit, the corner of his lips twitching once the twins started jumping on the beds.
He cleared his throat and let the bellboy carry the luggage as he moved forward, opening another room, "Room 0325 is for you, Your Highness," he bowed to Christopher, presenting a royal suite with a large bed before moving his attention to the young woman, "And for Madeline..." he unlocked the next door, showing her a neat suite that just breathed class with warm tones of the furniture and queen-sized bed, "I personally picked this one for you," his eyes narrowed as he gazed down at her, making Madeline more annoyed than she previously was. After all the hurt and terror he has brought to her, Pierre still had the audacity to smile and flirt like that.
"Please address me as Miss Simmons further on, Mr. Macon," she raised her chin and glared into his cold silver eyes.
Suddenly, Madeline felt someone glomp her around the waist, almost making her stumble forward and onto stuck-up Pierre. Looking down, she saw the young twins hugging her.
"We want to sleep with Maddie!" Prince Lucas cried out, pouting his lower lip.
"Yes," Princess Hannah joined in, looking up at Madeline with teary eyes. "After we get the book, we want you to read it, tuck us to sleep, and stay. Please~!" She dragged out the last word.
"Yes! Please~!" And Lucas joined in, both of them sounding like two kittens pleading for food.
"Alright, that's enough!"
Prince Christopher stopped the "meowing" of his siblings, his deep, strict voice silencing the children. The twins separated themselves from Madeline, pouting more.
"Miss Simmons will read to you but you're not babies, meaning that you can sleep in a room alone," he talked and the children sniffled, "Now go get ready, we're leaving soon."
The younger siblings obeyed and, with their heads lowered and still sulking, returned to their room.
"What precious little things," Pierre's voice came beside Madeline and she turned back to him, noticing that he stood closer. His gray eyes met her brown ones again. "And they seem to like you so much... Maddie," he almost hissed her name, making Madeline's stomach turn.
She clenched her jaw again to suppress the gag reflex, balling her fists as well. Her breathing picked up again due to annoyance but just as she opened her mouth to speak to this despicable man, Hannah's voice came behind her.
"Maddie! Can you come and help me put on my dress?!" the princess shouted but seeing her older brother's glare, gulped and spoke in a more timid matter. "... please?"
"I'll be right there, Your Highness," Madeline forced a smile, glad that she didn't have to stare at Pierre's grinning face any longer. "Excuse me," she bowed to Christopher and went to Hannah, controlling her walk so that she wouldn't appear nervous and in a rush.
When the twins' room door closed behind Madeline, Christopher turned his head to the tall and slim concierge, glaring at him. He took a step forward and Pierre stiffened, gripping his hands together.
"I've noticed that Miss Simmons had told you to address her by her last name Mr. ..." the prince looked down at the name tag before his piercing eyes returned to Pierre's slim snake-like face, "Macon." He paused and took another step closer to him. "Miss Simmons is our royal tutor and as such, I demand you show her respect. I won't tolerate the next time you disrespect any of our staff, understood?" Christopher's voice was low and threatening and Pierre gulped, being able to respond just by nodding. "I didn't hear you," the prince hissed, his frown deepening.
"Y-yes, Your Highness, I understand," Pierre stuttered, beads of sweat starting to form on his pale forehead.
For a moment longer, Christopher stared at the nervous concierge but then turned on the heel of his boot and went to his room, slamming the door behind him. Pierre was left alone in the hallway, breathing fast and dabbing the sweat from his face as he rushed back down the stairs.
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The royal siblings and Madeline met up in the hotel restaurant for breakfast, all of them dressed in different clothes, ready to go out after their meal. Unlike the twins who ate with delight and huge appetites, Madeline barely chewed the delicious croissant, feeling the tension and hard glare coming from the eldest prince.
Christopher was dressed in a black suit now, his hair elegantly styled, but the frown on his face didn't ease up as he kept his eyes on the tutor, not eating a bite of the rich breakfast that they were served. He felt annoyed ever since last night and the previous events fueled his anger - argument with Madeline in the carriage, annoying and talkative concierge, and his open flirting with Madeline - it all agitated him so much that he lost the appetite, that sandwich he previously ate in the carriage now making him feel nauseous.
When the children were done eating, Madeline went over the plan for the day.
"We're going to visit the lake, where you'll see the surrounding greenery and the famous weeping willow," she talked and the children excitedly clapped, "And then we'll go to Mary's Orphanage where you'll meet my friends and we hopefully get a hold of that desired book," her smile widened when the twins squealed excitedly.
They ran outside and hopped onto the awaiting open carriage, excitedly calling for their brother and Madeline to hurry up and join them.
Madeline chuckled, turning her head to the prince who stood on her left, "They're so passionate and enthusiastic about this whole trip," she moved her gaze back to the smiley children, "It makes me both excited and nervous to show them the place where I grew up."
They started walking and, for a moment, Christopher kept silent. Madeline clutched her purse, smiling at the kids and not noticing his eyes on her again.
"Don't be nervous," the prince spoke up and they halted just at the entryway of the hotel. Madeline turned to him, her smile nowhere to be found as she waited for the continuation of his words. Yet, Christopher's stern face didn't show any positive emotion, "They're clever children, they might know of discrimination and differences between statuses but they are well aware of where we're going. Plus," he paused, seemingly coming closer to the younger woman, "I have talked to them - they won't cause the orphanage children any problems, I promise you that," Christopher nodded and walked away, leaving Madeline to stare behind him.
Her feelings bubbling inside her chest were a mix of honor, pride, admiration, nervousness, and fright. However, she pushed a smile and continued her way to the carriage, having her hope that this excursion might turn out a good rise up higher than that morning.
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Twins jumped out of the carriage as soon as it stopped by the famous still water, running through tall grass and toward the centuries-old willow that, just like the rest of the greens, slowly started changing color from green to golden.
"Hey, Maddie!" Young Hannah turned, letting her brother beat her to a race to the tree. Madeline soon came to the princess, awaiting her question. "Did the town get its name from this lake?" the princess asked and Madeline nodded, smiling bigger.
"That is correct," she answered, looking at the water and then back at the girl, "That's actually another exciting legend story if you want to hear it."
"I wanna hear it too!" Lucas shouted from the distance and ran back, taking Madeline's hand and looking up at her, waiting for the story.
"Well..." Madeline started walking, the twins holding her hands, toward the single bench under the old weeping willow.
When they sat, Madeline continued, "It's actually said that two brothers found this place, the lake, while wandering the land on their travels," the children fixed their gazes on their tutor, fully attentive. Their older brother stopped a bit further away from them but still close enough to hear the story as well.
"But then the younger brother got severely ill," Madeline looked between the children, noticing how their faces contorted in sadness. "The older brother searched his books to find the illness and its cure before his younger brother died. And then he found it - the cure for that mysterious illness was the blood of a young horned elk."
Princess Hannah pursed her lips, frowning, "Well, aren't they usually horned? What's so special about it?"
Madeline smiled more, "This one was not like a normal elk - it only had one horn, its fur white as snow."
"A unicorn?" Lucan asked, tilting his small head, and Madeline chuckled, bopping his nose.
"Not quite," she said and the boy giggled, "This elk was said to be found only in the mountains. It is slimmer than the others and it only lives for two years, meaning that the older brother needed to find a young one, barely one year old."
"Wow..." the children gasped in unison yet Lucas tightened the grip on Madeline's head, getting her attention.
"So, did he find it?!" young prince eagerly asked, his sparkling eyes making the young woman chuckle again.
"The older brother made a small shelter for the younger, promising him the cure," Madeline continued, staring into the distance, at the tall mountains towering over the small town. "He took off for his search and eventually found the animal. Fighting with it, he got terribly injured, but returned to this lake with the elk's severed head."
"Ewww~" the children grimaced and Madeline laughed again.
"Sadly, upon his return, the older brother found the younger already dead. He couldn't save him," her smile dropped, "And due to his injuries, the older brother passed away soon, in one hand holding the elk's head by its horn, and with the other holding his brother's hand so that they join in the afterlife. And that stone over there," she pointed to their far left where a big boulder was, "is where their resting place is," she paused, letting the story sink in.
"Why are most of these stories sad...?" Hannah sighed, coming closer to Madeline and leaning her head on the woman's arm, "They always end with someone dying."
"I know..." Madeline nodded, caressing Hannah's silky black hair, "There are more cheerful stories yet these sad ones mostly teach us about loyalty and bonds between people - be it lovers, friends, or family. They teach us to fight for those who we truly love, keeping them in our hearts even after their passing in the hope of meeting them in the afterlife."
"Is there really an afterlife?" Lucas asked and Madeline gently smiled at him.
"I do believe so," she replied, patting the boy's head, "If the bond is strong, if we keep the memory and love for that person clear in our hearts and minds, I believe we will meet them there... because two connected souls won't wander the universe alone but come together once more and live together for the rest of eternity."
Madeline finished her story and the children snuggled close to her. Prince Christopher stood behind them but heard every word. His previous anger and discomfort seemed to have eased after hearing what Madeline had said and seeing her being gentle with his siblings. His annoyance for her subsided and all he saw was a clever yet caring person who created a close bond with his rowdy siblings in just a week, and something from the last bit of her speech and the sight of them on the bench in front of him made him believe her.
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Madeline was discreetly tapping her foot against the carriage floor, trying to mask her nervousness with the small smiles she gave the royal twins. However, Prince Christopher kept a close eye on her, and the more the carriage approached the orphanage, the more she became uneasy.
Townspeople watched the open carriage in amazement, those who recognized the royals bowing to the passing vehicle. In front of the orphanage house, children along with the adults who worked there, waited for the white open carriage. Madeline's face lit up upon seeing some familiar faces in that crowd.
When the carriage stopped, the orphanage children ran around it, admiring the horses, the coachman, and the vehicle. But the women settled them down and everyone quieted as a tall black-haired woman stepped forward.
"Your Highnesses," she bowed, "My name is Isabella and I'm the current headmaster of our orphanage. I speak in the name of everyone that it is our utmost pleasure to welcome you to Mary's Orphanage house. We are all so delighted to have you here and overjoyed that you've chosen to visit our orphanage."
Prince Christopher stepped out of the coach first, nodding at the woman, his siblings following.
"It is our pleasure," Christopher said, his siblings clinging to his arms, "Young prince and princess looked forward to this visit for days."
"And I know the reason," Isabella looked down at the children smiling big, "Are Their Highnesses excited to hear the... mystery stories?" she put the hand to her mouth to whisper the last part and the children eagerly nodded, big smiles plastered on their faces. "Well, you will have a chance soon. Let us come inside. Welcome."
Isabella gestured toward the entrance of the house, many children streaming inside, before the royals. Another two caregivers welcomed the royal siblings while Isabella stayed behind to welcome her friend. Her eyes filled with tears when they locked gazes.
"Maddie!" Isabella spread her arms.
"Isa!" Madeline almost jumped off the carriage, coming to hug her childhood friend.
"Oh, how I dearly missed you," Isabella spoke, tightening the hug.
"I missed you too," Madeline sniffled but pulled away, "Where's gran-Mary?"
Isabella's smile faded and her eyes spilled tears, "She passed away last week..." she said, and seeing the shock on Madeline's face, continued, "We didn't want to alarm you. We know how important the royal tutor job is for you but granny was ill for a long time now..."
"Yes..." Madeline sighed, a tear dropping on her cheek, "She was bedridden, barely moving, when I was last here..."
"Yes..." Isabella sighed as well, caressing Madeline's arms, "I'll take you to her grave... if we have time," she weakly smiled and hand-in-hand with Madeline entered the big house. "Just so you know that she was very proud of you," Isabella added, squeezing Madeline's hand.
Once they entered the house, two women saw Prince Christopher in the foyer, looking somewhere in the distance with his hands joined on his lower back. Madeline followed his gaze and noticed that the royal twins mingled and played well with the orphanage children, running around and laughing.
"I'll go make some tea," Isabella whispered to Madeline and the brunette nodded, letting go of Isabella's arm.
Madeline stepped closer to the prince, smiling big at the sight of playful children.
"You were right, Your Highness," she spoke up and their gazes met, "They are first and foremost children - innocent and playful. And your talk about discrimination... Do you think it was needed?"
Christopher looked away first, returning his gaze to the children.
"Of course," he replied, "To me, social status doesn't matter much," he shrugged and threw a glance at her, "I'm a simple person - if you respect me, I respect you. If you don't respect me, I don't respect you. It's that simple."
"I see..." she nodded, looking away from him.
"And I think children should be taught that from a very young age," they looked at each other again, "Respect others, be kind, and generous so that people return that respect, kindness, and generosity back to you."
Madeline nodded, her small smile widening, "I agree."
And for a long moment, the prince and the tutor stared into each other's eyes and the more she looked at him, the more details Madeline noticed on the prince's face.
The blond prince wore circular silver earrings on both of his ears. His eyes, sitting under the perfectly defined light brown eyebrows, were of a color resembling dark chocolate turning into a melted one. There was a faint trace of freckles, mostly on the side of his eyes and the bridge of his nose. His nose was straight and a perfect size for his masculine face. But then her eyes lowered and she noticed his lips... Full, plump, rosy, and so soft-looking that she couldn't look away as her mind drifted to the thought of how it would be to touch them... to kiss them...
She was now more aware of the close proximity of their bodies so Madeline's breathing picked up and she got a dash of Christopher's cologne running up her nose. It wasn't sharp like Pierre's but subtle, musky, yet powerful and masculine. And it, honestly, made her mind hazy and her heart rate rise.
"You're staring again, Miss Simmons..."
His husky voice reached her ears and Madeline finally looked up and into his eyes again, noticing that the warm brown turned dark yet she couldn't even flinch as his glare captivated her as if some invisible shackles chained her body. But when she opened her mouth to speak, Christopher's eyes fell to her parted lips and he could use the same adjectives she used for him to describe her lips. And when she subtly licked her lower lip he felt tempted, something in his chest tightening, straining to take over his whole body.
"Tea is ready!"
Isabella's chirping voice broke the spell, broke the shackles that bound both him and her, and all surrounding noise came to their consciousness. Children ran around the house, laughter and screams filling the space around them, on their way to have their noon tea, served in the large living room.
"We... We should join them as well," Madeline stuttered, keeping her head low to hide her blushing face.
"Yes," Christopher replied shortly and they turned to walk behind the children.
As they approached the entrance of the living room Madeline, being so flustered and lost in her swarming thoughts, stumbled upon a wooden doorstep yet she was safe from falling, having a strong hand grab her forearm. Looking up, she saw the eldest prince, and for a moment gave into his strong grip and warm touch of his hand, that warmth seeping through the sleeve of her blouse, before apologizing and yanking her arm away.
"Silly me," Madeline nervously chuckled, looking away from his captivating eyes yet again, "I always forget about this threshold," she laughed again and bowed slightly, "Thank you, Your Highness."
But he only silently nodded, keeping his jaw clenched as he advanced to the living room first, sitting on the big armchair by the fireplace. Madeline was sure that the fire coursing her body could lit up the doused fireplace in an instant.
Madeline straightened up her posture and ran a hand over her skirt and blouse, for a moment feeling her rapid heartbeat. She wanted to believe that her heart thumped due to fear of almost falling but her mind knew that the reason for her heart beating so fast was completely different.
"I found the book," Isabella smiled and the children rejoiced, sitting on the carpet with small cups in their just as small hands. She looked up at the only standing woman, offering the thick book to her, "But, this time, we'll listen to Miss Madeline reading a story of her choosing."
The children rejoiced once again, the royal twins being the most excited of the bunch. Madeline gulped and forced a polite smile, wanting to ease her rushing thoughts and heart with harmless fairy tales. The children clapped as she took the book, sitting in the other armchair by the fireplace, directly across from the blond prince in a black suit.
"Hey, Sir, can I sit in your lap? There's no room on the floor?" a boy approached Christopher and the prince smiled big, taking the child and positioning it on his left thigh.
The boy whispered something to Christopher on which the prince shook his head, making the boy return to drink his warm tea. Madeline watched the whole ordeal with a gentle smile on her face but when Christopher's eyes met hers, she looked down at the book, opening it randomly.
"Okay, who would like to hear a story of a silly badger?" she asked, her gaze traveling across the room and the children raised their little arms, restlessly wanting for Madeline to read to them.
Madeline nodded and straightened in the chair, glancing up at Prince Christopher yet again. Only this time, and for the first time that day, she was met with a gentle smile and shimmering eyes staring directly into hers.
She felt her heart skip a beat and smiled more, a small rosy blush covering her cheeks, as some pleasant feeling occupied her stomach at the thought that his gentle smile and sparkling eyes were directed at her.
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To be continued...
A/N: Our prince, despite his rough exterior and sometimes lashing tongue, is a softie... Especially toward children... and (maybe) Madeline.