America's Pov
"Mommy, I like the roses."
"I love roses," I agreed, ruffling Kendallyn hair. "It's my middle name."
"Mines Maxine," Kendallyn smiled, showing her missing front tooth. "Kendallyn Maxine Celeste Singer."
"Beautiful," I laughed. "These ones are Daisy's. And these are carnations."
"Their so frilly," Kendal said, wrinkling her nose.
"Hey! Those are my favorite flower!"
She shrugged. "I like roses."
I shook my head, laughing softly. "We're walking in a garden full of flowers, and you like the roses? You could see roses anywhere."
"I like the roses," Kendallyn repeated.
I laughed, shaking my head.
"I happen to enjoy roses too," a voice spoke from somewhere. I turned my head to see Maxon sitting on a bench in another secluded part of the garden. "Especially red ones."
I tried not to think anything of it. Red like the color of romance. Red like my hair.
"Good morning, Prince Maxon," I said, dipping into the curtsy I know he hates.
Kendallyn did the same but I still don't think she understands why she's doing it.
"Good morning, America. Good morning, Princess," He greeted.
I blanched. Did he know? Why is he calling her that! That's such a specific name that you do not call a little girl that you have met one time. Especially when that little girl was actually his daughter and technically a princess. I composed myself though before anyone even realized there had been a problem.
"Do you walk in the gardens a lot?" I asked, mentally noting to never walk in them again. Not because of Maxon but because of who Maxon was. Kendallyns father. The prince of Illea. I couldn't let myself get close to him. I can't let myself be friends with him. It's for my protection. His protection. And most importantly Kendallyns protection. I can't put her through having a father abandon her.
"I do. They're the prettiest place I know," he sighed.
"They are quite beautiful," I agreed.
"When do you think we can meet to finish the composition?" He asked.
I pursed my lips. "I..I already did. I thought it would be easier that way...for you. Your a prince and you have a busy schedule." In all reality, I was just trying to minimize the amount of time we spent together. No matter how much I felt like it was right, like there's a reason I got this job. And maybe that reason is Maxon. But my reason for everything is Kendallyn and one drastically out weighed the other.
"Can we meet up so I may listen to it?" He inquired.
I frowned. I couldn't think of any reason why he couldn't. Dang. "Uh sure."
"I listened to it already. It's very pretty," Kendallyn confirmed.
"I'm positive it is. I don't imagine you could compose anything that wasn't amazing," He said.
I looked down at my shoes, something I always seemed to do when he was around. He probably thought I was some crazy person who stared at shoes all the time. Nice going America. Great! Now I'm talking to myself. Maybe I am crazy.
"Thank you," I said, ignoring my inner monologue.
His eyes flashed and he was suddenly squatting next to the rose bush, some how having picked two perfectly thornless flowers. I stared at him calculatingly as he faced Kendallyn.
"A flower for a princess," He said, tucking a rose into her strawberry blonde curls. He stood up so that he was at my level, and held out the other rose. "And I guess that makes you the queen."
I stared at him, somehow conflicted between hitting him and hugging him. How can one man be so conflicting? I have to keep my distance, but do I really want to?
I compromised, by plucking the rose from his hand and dropping into a curtsy. I'm not sure why but I felt like we both understood what the curtsy meant. He was royalty, I was not. He was going to keep his distance, and so was I.
"I'll see you in the music room at...3:00?" I said politely, trying to show some sort of respect to my crown prince. Even though I'm one hundred percent sure it's way too late for that
"Of course," he nodded.
I grabbed Kendallyns hand and got as far from the gardens as possible.
~oOo~
So it turns out Prince Maxon is like really cool. I learned this when he showed up at the music room today, in casual clothes and full of jokes and laughs. He's actually really funny and sarcastic. And honestly really chill. Which is making it really difficult for me to keep this whole meeting strictly professional. Because I wanna laugh and I wanna tease him and I wanna have fun, but I can't! Because he's the prince and Kendallyns father, and ugh!
I laughed so hard, I almost started crying. "We are not adding drums to my classical composition!"
"Oh come on!" He chuckled. "It would add some pizazz!"
"It would also get me fired!"
He rolled his eyes. "You would not be fired. I'm your boss technically and I'm not firing you."
"That's besides the point. No drums."
"Fine," He said pouting. "Um...do you like elephants?"
"Yeah...." I trailed off, looking at him in confusion.
"So can we talk about the elephant in this room?"
My eyes flashed from the piano to his face. "What?"
"How long are we going to ignore the fact that we were together on that night?"
"Forever?" I squeaked, cheeks burning red.
"We can't just ignore it," He said. "I know it was you."
"That was 6 years ago, how are you supposed to know it was me? People's looks change in 6 years," I said, busying myself with arranging the sheet music.
"How would you know it was 6 years ago, if it wasn't you?"
Damn
"Fine!" I sighed in exasperation. "It was just a silly teenage mistake! What do you want from me? A contract? I'll sign whatever you want. I understand there is like legal things cause your basically the property of Illea...."
"Woah, woah, woah! America, stop. There's no contract. Or legal obligations. I know your not gonna proclaim it from the rooftops, or else you already would have. I just didn't want to pretend like it didn't happen," He said defensively.
I looked up at him. "Really? That's it? Your not gonna fire me or force my silence or something like that?"
"Of course not!"He exclaimed, them his mood shifted. "Can I ask you a question about Kendallyn?"
Oh no! He knows! He knows it's her! I'm gonna have to—
"Is she your exes?"
The whole world seemed to freeze and take a gigantic sigh.
But it didn't click.
"I don't remember telling you about my ex," I said, looking at him suspiciously.
He chucked softly. "You were pretty drunk. I don't think you remember much of anything from that night."
I looked up at him and down at my shoes. And the whole world seemed to be closing in. It was like the sky was shifting, or I was falling. Talking about this, that moment, that ruined and made my life at the same time...I just couldn't do it. Because of that night, I lost my family, my life, my everything. And I gained my daughter, my best friend, my future. It was like I couldn't breathe. The room was spinning.
"I-I-I have to go," I choked out before fleeing the room.