The days have passed quietly since my passing out in the shower. I had spent the majority of it in bed, Alex wouldn't let me out unless I had to use the bathroom. Tsar had kept me company when Alex had work to do, mostly he slept on the bed beside me. If I got up from the bed he always woke and sat by the window, wanting out. In the few times I had tried to venture from my room, Alex would descend upon me like I was up to no good. Ordering me back to bed. It was like he knew which left me wondering if there was a hidden camera in my room. After a week of protesting that I felt fine, I was finally allowed to leave my room so long as I went to my office and no further. I couldn't understand why he was being so protective. I passed out in the shower, it's not as if I had major surgery or something.
There is a quiet knock on the door and it opens slightly.
"Good morning Stephanie."
"Good morning Gerald, what's on today's agenda?"
"Just the usual." He grins.
A small canvas bag is dumped on my desk.
"The mail, Penny will expect you to open Alexandru seniors mail for her."
"Of course. Thank you Gerald."
"Would you like some morning tea brought in for you?"
"Please."
He nods and departs the room. I open the bag and groan at the amount of mail in here.
"Probably best to sort it first."
I spin around, Alex leans on the window sill, watching me.
"Would you stop sneaking up on me."
"I told you, I don't sneak."
I squint my eyes at him. "You do too."
The door opens and a maid pushes in a trolley.
"Care to join me for a spot of tea?" I say cheekily.
"Sure."
He climbs in the window. The maid quickly curtsies and scurries out of the room.
"Do you find it annoying?"
"Find what annoying?"
"Everyone curtsying and bowing to you."
"Sometimes."
I sort through the mail, finding an interesting envelope, the handwriting in beautiful script.
"Wow." I gasp.
Alex looks at the envelope in my hand and groans, flopping his head on the back of the chair.
"Not again." he mutters.
"What?"
"Stupid balls, I hate them."
"Yeah, I'm not a fan of trampolines. Broke my leg once."
He looks at me bewildered. I cannot help but grin, clearly my joke was beyond him.
"Are you mocking me?"
"Now would I mock the future heir to the throne of Santrina and my employer?"
I try so hard not to giggle.
"Cheeky girl."
He grabs me and I squeal, giggling as he carries me across the room to the bookshelf beside my desk. He presses me against the shelves, kissing me hard. His hands slide up my skirt, lifting it over my hips.
"Alex, someone might walk in." I whisper as he kisses down my neck.
"Do I look like I care? How long has it been?"
"Five days."
He groans. "Way too long."
Alex lifts me back onto his body and touches the underside of one of the shelves. There is a clicking noise and one of the sections of cabinet moves behind the next one revealing a set of hidden stairs.
"How cliché." I mutter.
He grins at me. "You and your naughty mouth. What am I going to do with you?"
I slide off his body and straighten my skirt, beginning to walk up the stairs.
"I'm sure you can figure it out."
As I lay in his arms, I realise that I haven't been in his bedroom previous to this. His room is tranquil, the wind gently blows in, cooling my skin. Alex's skin is always cool; he never seems to be too worried about it. I can hear birds singing in the trees near the house, their songs are beautiful.
"That naughty mouth of yours is going to get you into trouble one day."
"Is this the punishment that you offer? Because if that's the case, I might make it a regular habit."
"Promises, promises." His eyes alive with wicked delight.
"Now, the ball, as I was referring to earlier, before you so cheekily mocked me, is an annual event."
I flutter my eyes at him and he grins.
"So you will need to go through those clothes of yours and find something suitable."
I sit up. "Are you serious? I can't go to a freakin' ball."
"That is part of your duties until I am married."
I groan as I flop back onto the bed. "I can't dance; I don't know the first thing about etiquette or polite conversations."
"Well then, maybe I should stop having sex with you and start teaching you a bit of etiquette."
I pout, giving him wide puppy dog eyes.
"Ok, once more and then we must get on with it."
Gerald has set the table with all of the cutlery and the glasses and instructs me on what to use and when.
"Gerald, I think for dinner tonight we should mimic what would be served at a dinner as a little test to see how she does."
"Of course your highness."
"Could you find someone to play the piano for us?"
"Certainly."
He bows and leaves the room.
"A test? After one lesson?"
"You will be fine, come on, dance lessons now."
Alex takes my hand and drags me out of the dining room, across the entry to a large set of double doors. As he drags them open I see an enormous ball room, the sunlight filters in through the large windows. In the corner of the room is a grand piano, that seems so insignificant in comparison to the rest of the room. The enormous rug has a red and gold pattern, in the centre is the family coat of arms. Three chandeliers hang delicately from the ceiling, tiny little crystals gently cascade into a tear drop shape. Gerald and another man roll the rug back revealing a polished wooden floor, creating a small area for us to dance on.
"Your highness."
One of the maid's curtsies and scurries over to the piano.
"Margareta, how about we start with the waltz?"
"Certainly your highness."
She starts playing the piano, it sounds beautiful, of course I wouldn't have a clue if she hit a bum note, to me it is perfect.
"Every night we will be in here, we will dance many different dances. Every night you will use every single piece of cutlery put in front of you."
I groan loudly.
"And every night you will hold polite conversations with the staff on many subjects, in preparation for holding a conversation."
I begin to pout.
"None of that, I don't want a faux pas."
"Of course your highness."
I politely grin at him.
"There's that naughty mouth of yours."
I look at him from under my eyelashes.
"Are you going to punish me?"
His jaw drops. "I think I might." he whispers with a tiny smirk.
After lunch I open my emails, finding an email from my mother reminding me of the graduation ceremony and telling me that Jake had been looking for me. I sigh as I wonder what to do about Jake. It's not as if anything is going to eventuate with Alex, once they find this girl he will no longer be interested in me. But why would you bother with Jake? All he sees you as is an easy lay.
"What's up?"
I turn to the window, Alex on his usual stroll, not sneaking past my window.
"Email from my mother."
He climbs in through the window.
"Doors not good enough for you?"
"It's a long way to the door."
Alex saunters over to the lounge, grabbing my hand on the way past, pulling me onto his lap.
"Keep going."
"She was reminding me about the official graduation ceremony and that Jake's been looking for me."
"Oh." He says raising an eyebrow.
"Graduation ceremony huh?"
I nod.
"When is it?"
"Friday."
"Excellent. We can stay in town if you like."
"Did you want to go?"
"Of course, unless you would find it embarrassing having the prince of Santrina at your graduation ceremony."
"Don't be ridiculous. I will however have to make a phone call."
I get up from his lap and pick up the phone.
"Crostin Preparatory."
"Could I speak with Mrs Bryson?"
"Who is speaking?"
"Stephanie Collins."
I can hear her breath hitch.
"One moment."
The phone clicks and I get awful hold music.
"Stephanie, how is the job going?"
"Excellent thank you."
I look at how excellent the job is going; he smiles back at me.
"How can I help you?"
"I was hoping to get an extra ticket to the ceremony."
"Oh my dear, I am sorry they are all gone."
Damn it. Ok, Steph, time to drop his name.
"Gee that is a shame, the prince was so looking forward to coming too."
There is silence on the phone.
"The prince?" She gasps. "Wants to come to the ceremony?"
"Of course, why wouldn't he want to see his employee graduate?"
"Oh." She pauses. "Well, I suppose we could find something."
"With my parents would be great too, don't want to leave him with no one to talk to."
"Y-Yes, of course..." She stutters.
"Thank you Mrs Bryson."
"No problems." She whispers.
I hang up the phone, trying so hard not to giggle.
"Did you just name drop?"
"I did."
He gets up and wanders over, wrapping his arms around my waist.
"Well that fits in rather nicely then. The graduation on Friday, dinner with the duke and duchess on Saturday and a weekend of endless sex."
He kisses my neck up to my ear.
"Better get the hotel booked or we will have to stay with your parents."
"Oh dear god no. My father will take a shot gun to you if he knew what you have been doing to his little girl."
"Yes. Somehow I don't think him knowing is a wise idea." He chuckles.