The princess is in the library studying with a professional who's supposed to help her with her future queen duties. I don't bother moving from outside the door because if she doesn't want to talk to me, then she won't.
It's painfully quiet without her voice, but then I suddenly hear two other voices coming from down the hallway. One of them is the king's loud and powerful voice, but the other goes unrecognized. It's high-pitched and haughty, with a slight nasal quality that adds to the sense of pompousness and self-importance.
That princess from the party.
If the king is walking in this particular area of the palace, then he certainly must need something. Something that I probably won't be willing to give to him.
I look at the library door one more time before making the decision to walk away. Only for five minutes—nothing could possibly go wrong with the princess. Especially if there's a professional in there with her.
As the king's loud voice and heavy footsteps near, I try to dash out of the hallway to avoid him, but unfortunately, he notices me. "West!"
Wincing, I take a deep breath and turn around with my arms behind my back. My eyebrow simply lifts in response. "Yes, Your Majesty?"
Standing beside him is the ever-so-bitchy daughter of the Emperor of Austria. I forgot her actual name, and I don't care enough to ask for it again. The only thing noteworthy about her is that she's an entitled brat who thinks she's above everyone else in this godforsaken world.
Her nose is in the air with a degree of snobbiness, and she wears a silk dress in a light baby blue color. It looks hideous on her. Her heavily fried hair is tied back into a bun, with loose tendrils falling to frame her face.
"Princess Ava von Habsburg will be staying in the palace for quite a bit." The king waves a hand dismissively. "It's just that I need someone to show her around, and I don't know anyone else more trustworthy than you. She's quite the handful."
The spoiled princess rolls her eyes and mutters something that doesn't sound very nice about King Victor, but I don't say anything about it. The last thing any of us needs is for more trouble to be stirred.
Forcing a polite nod, I sigh and gesture for the princess to walk over to my side. "Of course, Your Majesty. I'm more than happy to be of service." The sarcasm in my voice is so subtle that none of them seem to notice it.
"Ah!" The king claps his hands and lightly shoves Princess Ava in my direction. "Excellent. You can start when you want. She's your responsibility now." He seems almost relieved as he walks away—not that I can blame him for that.
Now I have to deal with the brat standing in front of me with a grin on her face. And what's even worse is that, unlike Princess Elena, Ava knows no boundaries and seems to value herself above others.
"Lead the way, Mr. West," the girl teases, winking at me. Her voice sounds more high-pitched now that it's just us, and it's annoying the shit out of me.
I should have stayed inside that damn library.
"With pleasure." My voice is dry as I offer her my elbow to hold on to as I start walking. "If you don't mind, I'll take you through a tour of the palace."
My body stiffens as she takes my elbow and leans on me like we're best friends. I can see the way she looks around like she owns this place, and it's not sitting well with me.
We turn a corner, and in the distance, I can see a small group of servant girls giggling together. I know a few of them, and they're known to be the more gossipy types. I've always stayed far away from them, not wanting to get involved in their scandals.
Princess Ava chuckles condescendingly. "Oh, look. The servants." Her head is now cocked to the side, as if she's trying to look down on me.
"Yes, the servants," I respond flatly. "They're our personal staff. They keep the palace tidy, tend to the garden, and prepare meals for the royals."
"I'm aware of what they are, Mr. West," she retorts, rolling her eyes. "I just wanted to inform you that I have servants of my own back home."
What the hell does she want? A reward?
I try not to let her attitude get to me, and we continue the tour. I lead her to the dining hall, where she sees the servants preparing a lavish meal for the royals.
"Your Highness, these are our royal cooks. They prepare the finest meals for the royals to enjoy," I explain, gesturing to the team of chefs and assistants around us.
"Oh, how quaint," she says with a smirk. "In our palace, we have a dozen or so chefs, and we can choose whatever we want to eat. And they serve us at the table, not just on a... buffet line like this."
My jaw is taut in frustration. This girl clearly likes to make everything a competition—it's like she has to prove that she's superior. It's sickening.
"That sounds very interesting," I reply, trying to keep my cool. "However, I do have to inform you that the menu is determined by the palace officials and not by the royals. The servants do their best to provide a wide range of dishes to accommodate everyone's preferences."
"I see," she says, looking around the room with a bored expression. "This is quite dull. Can we move on to something more entertaining?"
I nod and lead her up the stairs to the royal family's living quarters. As we walk down the hall, we pass by a group of servants who quickly bow to me and the princess.
"Oh, goodness, what is it with these people and bowing?" Princess Ava complains, rolling her eyes. "We don't do that in our palace. We are equals to our servants."
I bite my tongue and hurry her along, trying my best to ignore her rude behavior. We reach the main hall, where the royal family's living quarters are located. I show her the different areas, including the sitting room, the courtyard, and the dining room.
"And here is the royal guest bedroom," I say, opening the door to the magnificent room with decorations that reflect the royal family's love of elegance and style.
The room features a richly appointed four-poster bed covered in silk blankets and pillows, as well as a private ensuite bathroom with a luxurious shower and bathtub. Other amenities include a seating area with comfortable chairs and sofas. There's also a coffee table with a selection of magazines and books.
The walls feature fine artwork and textiles, while the flooring is made from expensive and luxurious marble. The windows are designed to allow sunlight to filter into the room while still providing privacy, and the curtains or blinds are made from satin.
"Oh, very nice," Princess Ava utters with a fake smile. "It's a bit small compared to mine, but I guess it will do."
The princess's constant criticism of everything I show her is starting to wear on my patience. I can see the way she looks around, like she expects more, as if the palace isn't enough for her.
"Your room should be ready for you soon," I tell her, feeling glad that I don't have to deal with her for the rest of the day. "If there's anything you need, feel free to call for the servants. It's what they're there for." I look back at the maids who have gathered in the hallway and are waiting patiently for the princess's attention. "You may leave us," I add in a clipped tone.
The maids quickly bow and back out of the room, leaving me alone with the princess. She turns to me with a mocking smirk on her face. "Now that we're alone, I can finally get to know you, Mr. West."
I cross my arms over my chest and tilt my head to the side. "Why do you want to get to know me?" I ask.
"All you servants are such boring and mysterious creatures. I want to know who you are, really." The princess's voice is soft and almost sweet, but her eyes are hard and calculating.
A flicker of unease goes off in my brain due to her presence. There's something off about her—something that tells me she's hiding something beneath her entitled and bitchy demeanor.
"I am not here to entertain you," I remind her in a low voice. "I'm here to show you around the palace and make sure your stay here goes smoothly."
"Surely, a handsome and intelligent man like you can do more," Ava teases, walking over to me and standing alarmingly close. Her hand brushes against my chest, and my mind races for an escape route.
"Don't touch me," I snap angrily, keeping my eyes locked on hers.
Princess Ava's smile doesn't falter, and her fingers remain pressed against my skin. "You see, that's why I like to know my servants more," she whispers, leaning in closer. "So I can get what I want from them."
The silence between us stretches on, and I can feel the tension in the room slowly reaching its peak. Suddenly, the princess's eyes flash with a dark and dangerous spark, and her voice becomes low and menacing.
"I'm going to give you one more chance to impress me," she says, her grip on my chest tightening. "If you fail to meet my expectations, I promise you, that'll be the last thing you ever do."
Princess Ava's words echo in the empty room as I realize that I'm trapped in a dangerous game with the most narcissistic princess in existence. Little does she know, she's not going to be the one winning.
I take a deep breath, trying to keep calm instead of threatening her back. "What do you want from me, Your Highness?"
The princess releases her grip, and I step away from her. Her smile returns, making her look like a lion playing with its prey. "That's better," she purrs. "You're much more charming when you're obedient."
"And what do you want me to do?" I inquire, playing along with whatever her motive is.
To my discomfort, the girl leans closer to me, her face only inches from mine. Her head tilts to the side, studying me with a sly smirk on her face. "I want you to entertain me, and not just with a tour of this boring palace," she replies, her voice dripping with seduction.
I open my mouth to respond, but I'm cut off by a voice I've been missing all day long. "What's this?"
Princess Elena stands in the doorway, and her beauty can't even be put into words. But I soon realize the rather compromising position she caught me and Ava in, and I quickly step back. She might have gotten the wrong idea, though.
"Elena!" Ava's personality changes in a way that almost concerns me. She's gone from a seductive, calculating bitch to an innocent and shallow princess.
Elena doesn't return the overly sweet smile Princess Ava gives her, instead shooting her a full-on death stare. "You have something that belongs to me. I want it back."
Is she talking about me?
The brat feigns innocence before turning back to me and yanking my arm, pulling me toward her. "Mr. West was just showing me around. Surely you wouldn't mind me taking him for a few more hours," she says with a high-pitched sound in between a giggle and a squeal.
"I don't like sharing my things," Elena bites back, her tone humorless and serious.
I cock an eyebrow when she refers to me as one of her things, but I don't question it. What I do wonder, though, is why she seems to be acting jealous when she's the one avoiding me. I could pay her back for that, but that would be an asshole move. I can't do that to her.
The three of us stood in tense silence for a long time. Ava seems to have been caught off guard by Elena's sudden aggression, but it's the brunette princess who breaks the stillness first, directing her gaze at me.
"Let's go," Elena says, turning on her heel and gesturing for me to follow her out of the room.
Anything to get away from Ava.
The princess leads me down the now dimly lit hallway. The moon shines outside through the windows, and that's when I finally begin to realize just how long I have been giving Princess Ava a tour. Five hours.
We make it to her bedroom without talking to each other, and I lean against the doorframe while she walks over to her bed and plops onto it. It's like she's ready to go to sleep after a day of exhausting activities.
No words are spoken still, and Elena glares at me as if she's mad at me for something. I guess she really did get the wrong idea. Not that I can get it out of her head, though, since she refuses to talk to me.
Finally, she speaks. "Goodnight, asshole." Her tone is bordering on dismissive, and it almost sets me off. But I keep my calm and remember what I was trained for.
With a sigh, I tell her something that I never tell her. "Goodnight, Princess." My voice comes out soft in comparison to hers, and my hand switches off the lights for her.
I close the door behind me as I walk out into the hallway to take my place outside her room. Now that I don't have any princesses to worry about, I can finally be at peace. But as I think quietly to myself, something crosses my mind. A lightbulb flickers in my head.
Princess Ava is blonde.
.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.・。.・゜✭・.・
authors note: first of all a bit of a slow chapter sorry everyone </3 i've been focusing on getting the other chapters done but i also dont wanna leave everyone hanging for too long. also guys idk if yk this but i love being a tease 😞 but for my smut lovers i have a surprise for you on chapters 38 and 39