𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐁𝐈𝐃𝐃𝐄𝐍 𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐈𝐑𝐄 | ✎

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟖

"Sofia, how do you get away with murder?"

The handmaid drops the brush she was holding, squeaking in surprise. At first, her face is full of disbelief, but then she laughs it off. "Is that a joke, Princess?" she asks, chuckling nervously.

My eyes trailed down to where Sofia had dropped the hairbrush on the floor, watching as she picked it up again with shaky hands and started combing through my hair.

"Joke. Yeah," I say slowly, not wanting to give her a heart attack.

Each day, the wedding grows closer. And now it's in one week. Since the event is coming so quickly, I haven't had the proper amount of time to even try on a wedding dress. That's where my royal status comes into play, meaning it shouldn't take long for me to get one.

Sofia nods, still looking worried. But she quickly returns to the task at hand, braiding my thick, honey-brown hair into a crown of braids that wraps around the top of my head. "There," she says. "Now get up so you can look at yourself in the mirror."

I stand up, examining my reflection in the full-length mirror across from me. The dress she's put me in is plain white, with a high collar and full-length sleeves. Theres a drop-shaped cutout on my chest as well as a square open back. A simple gold belt wraps around my waist, tying everything together nicely.

"You look like a princess," Sofia begins, smiling at me. "You will be the most beautiful woman in the world on your wedding day."

I smile back at her, grateful for her kind words. "Thank you," I reply, turning to her. I guess what they say is true. A little kindness goes a long way.

Sofia rummages through my doors for some makeup brushes, ready to add some extra touches. I sit back down on the fluffy stool, closing my eyes, while she starts applying eyeshadow to me.

After she's finished with the eyeshadow, she begins to apply a tiny amount of concealer under my eyes. "So," the handmaid starts, "we haven't gossiped in a while, Princess. Anything new with your hot bodyguard?"

As she smooths the concealer over my cheekbones, I feel my cheeks burn. "Oh, right, that." Alex starts to flood my thoughts, and not in an innocent way. I shake my head to clear those images out of my brain. "Nothing's happening," I blurt out quickly. Too quickly.

My handmaid nods, still focused on putting on my makeup, but her gaze has turned curious. "Mhm," she hums, the way parents usually do when they know their kids are lying. "Anything else?" she asks, and I can hear the tiny hint of a grin in her voice even as my eyes are shut while she's still touching up my makeup.

I take a breath, trying to calm down. "Nothing," I say finally, opening my eyes and meeting Sofia's gaze in the mirror in front of me.

Sofia raises an unimpressed eyebrow at me. "You're sure?" she pushes.

I nodded, feeling my cheeks burning with embarrassment. I can't believe I just let her believe that Alex and I have something going on. My face must give away my thoughts because Sofia bursts out laughing.

"It's cute that you think you can keep secrets from me," she teases, reaching over to poke my arm. "I know everything about you, Princess. I'm your personal handmaid, after all."

I roll my eyes, pretending to be annoyed, even though I secretly like the attention. "Yeah, yeah," I say, waving a dismissive hand in the air. "Can we get back to the makeup, please?"

"Alright, alright," Sofia chuckles, turning back to her work. "I just wanted to have a little fun."

I take a few deep breaths, enjoying the moment of reprieve. It's not often that I'm able to relax and just be myself around someone. But with Sofia, it feels like I can. She always brings out the best in me, and I feel grateful to have her by my side.

I turn back to the mirror, my breath catching in my throat when I catch a glimpse of myself. I look like a completely different person than the one I was just a few moments ago—more polished and put together.

"Have fun dress shopping," Sofia tells me before giving me a hug. From this proximity, I can smell the coconut-scented perfume she has on. Her hug feels motherly—a warm comfort I never knew I needed.

My arms drop to my side after she releases me, and I head out the door. But as soon as I open the door, I jump at the sight of Alex, almost bumping into him.

My eyes widen when I realize he probably heard everything. How could I forget that he was outside my door? "Alex!" I squeak nervously, my voice sounding breathless. "Hi. Sofia and I were just talking about... things."

We stare at each other for a moment, my face turning beet red as he looks me up and down with an expression that is a mixture of amusement and curiosity. His head tilts slightly to the right, and a sly grin plays on his lips. "Am I one of those things?" he teases, and I feel my cheeks redden even more.

"No!" I protest, feeling my heart pound in my chest. He seems to be enjoying my embarrassment, and I narrow my eyes at him. "Why are you making that face?"

He shrugs, his grin widening slightly. "What face?"

"You know, that face," I reply, trying not to sound as flustered as I feel.

When I first met him, he didn't seem like a very emotional person, and he was very intimidating. But now, I can't help but feel drawn to him, and he certainly has a way of making me blush without even trying.

Alex raises an eyebrow at me, and I can't help but feel even more embarrassed. I don't even realize that I've been glaring at him until he starts laughing. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable," he jokes, a hint of remorse in his voice. "I apologize."

Even though his apology is sincere, my heart is beating so fast that it feels like it's going to jump out of my chest. I clear my throat and look away, unable to meet his eyes anymore.

"Shut up," I mumble, looking down at my feet. I can't see my face right now, but from the way it feels like it's burning, I bet I'm bright red. "Let's go already."

"Of course." His tone switches from teasing to professional and stoic alarmingly fast. With no more words being said, he takes my hand and leads me outside of the palace to the limo.

₊˚ʚ ᗢ₊ ˚✧ ﾟ.

We arrive outside the Provonias Roma wedding dress shop quickly, and Alex opens the door for me, letting me walk out. As soon as I step inside the store, the aroma of fresh flowers and exotic perfumes fills the air. The main showroom features an impressive selection of wedding dresses, with each garment displayed on a mannequin or hanging on a delicate silk screen.

The walls of the shop are adorned with shelves displaying a wide range of bridal accessories, such as veils, gloves, and handbags. A section of the shop is dedicated to the display of wedding rings and jewelry, each piece crafted from precious metals and stones, offering an alluring selection to complement any bridal ensemble.

"Your Highness!" the shop's staff all exclaimed simultaneously, bowing in front of me. I try my hardest not to laugh at them—after all, they are being respectful, but I've never liked it when people bowed in front of me.

One of the staff members step forward, this one being a woman who looks to be in her late twenties. Her hair kept up in a tidy bun with a few red strands poking out in the front. "It is such an honor to have you here at our shop," she says with a smile. "Come. I'll show you all the dresses."

I politely smile back at her, but I can't help but notice the person standing beside her. She looks younger than the other lady—closer to Alex's age, probably—and she looks at him in awe. She's checking him out and can't believe what her eyes are seeing.

Am I jealous?

Swallowing hard, I shake such thoughts out of my brain and follow the lady to the expensive wedding dress section. I take in the luxurious fabric, sparkling jewelry, and sparkling shoes on display. The smell of fresh flowers is overwhelming, and the air feels heavy with anticipation.

While following the staff member, my eyes drift to Alex, who is keeping close to me, his hand constantly resting on the small of my back. Just having him near me brings me a sense of comfort—he's become a part of my everyday life, and I struggle to imagine it without him.

The staff leads me towards a rack of satin and lace wedding dresses, the fabric gleaming in the soft, warm lighting. She tells me about the different types of wedding dresses and the different cuts and styles of the gowns. I can't help but feel overwhelmed by the amount of choice; each dress is more ornate than the last.

Suddenly, my attention is drawn to a dress on a mannequin in front of us. It's a strapless, fitted style with a delicate lace overlay that's almost transparent. The dress is a radiant white color, and there are thin, sparkling beads embellishing the lace. The dress is a perfect balance of simple and intricate, and it makes my heart race.

If I'm going to get married to an asshole, I might as well look good doing it.

"Wow, that's lovely," I murmur, running my fingers over the delicate fabric. I need this dress.

The red-haired woman smiles, delicately grabbing a duplicate from behind on its hanger and folding it neatly onto her arm. "Right this way, please, Your Highness."

I follow her towards a private dressing room, my eyes constantly drifting between the dress in her hands and Alex, who's still standing by the door, his eyes trained on me.

The woman places the dress on a hanger and carefully hangs it up in my room, making sure it's perfect and straight. Once she's ready, she nods at me and closes the door behind her.

I watch myself in the mirror as she helps me into the gown, careful to slide the straps around my shoulders, and then checks the fit, making a few small adjustments here and there. It's so lightweight that it feels like I'm wearing nothing at all.

Looking at myself in the mirror, I feel as though I'm looking at a completely different person. The dress fits me like a glove, and its simplicity allows my natural beauty to shine through. However, even though the dress is beautiful, I feel like it doesn't suit me for some odd reason. Not that it looks tacky on me, but rather that I don't feel like I should be in a wedding dress at my age.

Before I exit the changing room, I take a deep breath, trying to instill confidence in myself. After a few months, I finally walked out, not showing any hints of nervousness. That is, until I see Alex.

His arms drop to his sides, and he remains uncomfortably silent. His lips are parted slightly, but no words are formed at all. It's almost unnerving how surprised he looks—I can't tell if he likes it or hates it. What if he hates it?

I'm not the type of person to be so self-conscious, yet that's how I feel right now. And I don't know why. It's pathetic, really, that I seem to be in desperate need of his approval. I don't know what's happening to me at all.

Anxiously, my hands fidget with the fabric of the dress. "Well? Don't just stare at me." I frown. "Do I really look that bad?"

The bodyguard bites his lip and looks away. "I could look at you for years," he says, turning to face me again, "and still not be able to find the words to describe how beautiful you look." The words that came out of his mouth leave me stunned.

What do I say to that?

All I can do is blush and look down at the ground like a lovesick teenager—which I'm actually not quite far from. "That's nice of you," I utter, trying not to show the fact that he's getting to me.

"I mean every word."

That causes me to look up at him again. His expression is dead serious now, his lips sealed in a tight line. But there's still that hint of admiration in his eyes, and it almost makes me melt.

"Oh, you look stunning, Princess!" the younger woman who was staring at Alex earlier suddenly exclaimed, beaming proudly.

Normally, I would thank her in response. I'm still mad, though. And I have every right. I don't like people looking at my bodyguard. Only I can look at him; I don't care.

When I don't respond to her, she squirms around uncomfortably, as if confused about why I didn't thank her. But that only lasts for a second, as her attention shifts back to the bodyguard standing beside the door. She's practically ogling at him.

I half-expect Alex to look back at her—to notice her, talk to her—something. But his eyes never waver from me, and I'd be lying if I said it didn't make me feel more secure.

What am I thinking? Me? Insecure?

The older woman with the red hair comes up behind me, holding a paper. "Here's the total, Your Highness. There is a 20% discount, since you're the princess!" she exclaims. "Also, we'll have the dress delivered to you by tomorrow."

I nod and take the paper, looking at the price. €332,000. Not bad. After that, I tugged on Alex's arm and led him out of the shop while glaring at the girl staring at him.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.・。.・゜✭・.・

authors note: their first kiss is coming shortly.. slow burn kills me but the tensionnn >>