Your eyes crack open as you hear the distant chirping of birds, muffled by the double gazed windows, signaling to you that morning had arrived. You felt incredibly warm upon awakening, as if being held by the touch of angels in the Spring. Slowly regaining your senses and remembering where you were to begin with, this fantasy of a tranquil and calming morning in luxury melted away as you snapped back into reality. Your eyes focus, and you're face to face with a broad chest clothed with silk cloth, and the melodious snoozing of a young man hugging you in his strong, secure embrace.
Alarmed by the close proximity, you immediately attempt to edge yourself away, only to find that despite being asleep, his embrace surrounding you was as stern as iron, not budging by the slightest inch despite of your efforts. You had been caught off guard, especially since you only remembered falling asleep on the complete opposite side of the bed. As you inspected the situation, it soon came to your realisation that perhaps this was your own fault. You appeared to have moved around quite a bit during your slumber, and now you were on his side of the mattress.
Flustered and not knowing what to do, you look up at Bastiaan. You could feel his soft, warm breath hit your cheek as he slept, his coal black locks in disarray and covering up most of his eyelids. He was meant to be completely vulnerable and unknowing of anything currently taking place but for some reason, you still could not overcome him. Despite being asleep, his arms surrounded your body completely, holding you close to his chest.
The only way you could escape was by waking the snoozing man but he looked so peaceful as he slept that you nearly felt guilty just by thinking of doing so. You shook your head and decided to push through with what you desired to do for your freedom once again. You shake Bastiaan as much as you could with your depleted early morning strength, only for him to not give any sort of response or sign of waking up in return.
"Your Highness? It's time to wake up," You say, taking note of the time listed on the clock by the bedside table. You had both slept in by approximately thirty minutes, and your absence from the palace was going to be quite obvious.
You wait several moments, looking up at him impatiently only to receive no response. However after a few more moments, the young man finally showed signs of awakening as he rustled and shifted around slightly in his place.
"I refuse," He utters complainingly in a weak voice that contrasted heavily with his usual tone, not wishing to get up from bed. He shrugs you off, attempting to ignore you as he wished to sleep on for longer.
"You told me that you don't sleep in but that's exactly what we're doing right now. We have to get up, Your Highness," You tell him, trying to break away from his grip on you once again. You move your hand up to his face and gently brush his dark strands away from his eyes. They were still closed, making it clear that he had no intentions of leaving the bed anytime soon.
He groans in response to your bickering, too unbothered to form a proper sentence at this point. You sigh hopelessly, finding that even in the morning he was still the same stubborn prince you knew him to be.
Before you could get a chance to escape by waking up Bastiaan on your own, you hear the doors of the bedroom open and slam. You then hear a single pair of footsteps enter the room and you immediately pull the duvet over your head as you could not move in Bastiaan's tight embrace but also did not wish to be found out. If word got out about you sleeping next to royalty in the same bed, you would get in unspeakable trouble. Remaining as motionless as possible, your ears perked up as you listened in on the unidentified visitor.
"Rise and shine, Your Highness! Why haven't you awaken? It's quite unlike you to sleep in. Since that hopeless handmaiden of yours seems to have run away or disappeared off to somewhere, I'll have to take her place for now," Richard calls out, spreading the curtains to either side of the window with one, large and swift movement. He shakes his head in disappointment as he looks at Bastiaan's sleeping figure that hadn't even reacted to the butler's sudden entrance.
The sunlight comes bouncing into the room full of life, causing Bastiaan to scrunch his eyes up by the sudden and drastic change of intensity in light, nearly like a bear waking from hibernation.
"How dare you interrupt my slumber, what is your business here?" Bastiaan groans, placing his hands over his eyes in an attempt to ease the harshness of the light.
"You usually wake on your own or even earlier than planned but it seems that today you're not yourself, Prince Bastiaan. You have woken thirty minutes later than you usually do, which I find somewhat concerning. Are you unwell?" Richard questions, making his way around the room and fixing any objects that were out of place.
"I am perfectly alright. Do I have important business to attend to? If not, why wake me?" Bastiaan responds, his tone still drunk with fatigue.
"You'll miss your breakfast for starters. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, then afterwards you have several trivial matters to attend to before you're required to meet with Princess Odile. Usually your handmaiden would be the one guiding you throughout the day but she's nowhere to be found. What a troublemaker," Richard informs Bastiaan.
"What are you talking about? She's right here," He yawns out, finally letting you go as he sits up in his bed. His hair was in disarray, the black strands poking in different directions indicating that he had a sweet beauty sleep last night.
"Whatever do you mean? I don't see her here. Don't kid me like that, I nearly got a heart attack," Richard laughs it off as he takes out a new outfit for Bastiaan to wear. He picks out a white and red outfit that seemed more casual and less formal than what Bastiaan would usually wear.
Bastiaan spots this and motions for Richard to leave, shooing him away with a lazy hand motion, "Get out of here. I only wear black," He complains, not taking any liking to the fact that Richard obviously had poor observational skills.
"Why must you always wear black? It's as if you expect somebody to drop dead and have a funeral immediately occur," Richard humours Bastiaan.
"It is nothing that concerns you. I suggest you leave while I am still being polite," Bastiaan warns the butler.
"If I leave, you'll probably just fall right back asleep like Princess Odile," Richard responds, not feeling as intimidated of Bastiaan as he usually did since the prince had just woken up and was most likely still coming to his senses.
Richard edges closer to the bed and with a single, grand movement, he swipes the duvet away and lets it fall onto the waxed, wooden floor. Then, an audible gasp of utter and sheer disbelief escapes his lips as he stumbles aback, blinking repeatedly at the scene in front of him as if he just couldn't believe his eyes.
"Your Highness! The handmaiden! Die Hure! She is in your bed!" Richard cries out, a curse slipping out of his mouth meaning 'the whore'.
"I don't lie. Or at the very least, I rarely do," Bastiaan tells Richard, raising his arms up high and doing a small stretch before finally climbing out of bed, not giving a care in the world about Richard or the current matter at hand as he pushed past the butler to the clothes. Bastiaan throws the clothes on the floor nonchalantly with disgust and picks out a white dress shirt that would have a pick black waistcoat worn over it, along with a matching pair of black dress pants and socks. He changes into these clothes as Richard stands caught off guard, processing the situation. "I'd rather you not curse in the presence of royalty."
You peer up at Richard, whose disbelief melted into rage aimed towards you as he gripped your hair and dragged you out of bed by your scalp, his wrinkly fingers never easing up for a moment as he clutched you tightly in his grasp. The pain seeps through your skull as he drags you across the room with a stronger masculine force than you could fight against.
"What's wrong with you?" You bellow at him, struggling against him as he pulls you towards the doorway. Bastiaan watches you being dragged out of the bed and past him. You look back at him, desperately pleading for help with your [E/C] orbs.
"What's wrong with me? I should be asking you that question! It is absolutely not appropriate and is completely unacceptable for a handmaiden and one of royal blood to share a bed!" He hisses back at you, only to stumble over as Bastiaan suddenly grips the back of his head by the strands. "Who do you think you are? This is atrocious! Sleeping with royalty and a man soon to be engaged at that!"
Bastiaan's fingers swiftly intertwine with Richard's gray hair as he passes by him before proceedIng to pull the butler's head back with a great unforgiving jolt, causing him to yelp out in pain and loosen his grip on you. You take this opportunity to your advantage and break away from his grip in the split second that he eased his hold on your hair. Frightened, you back away into the wall, your head aching terribly.
"Who told you that you could just touch what belongs to me without permission?" Bastiaan whispers aggressively to the butler whose emotions change nearly instantaneously due to the fright that Bastiaan's grave tone burdened him with.
"My apologies, Your Highness! But she was in your bed! And she's wearing your shirt! It's unacceptable!" Richard replies, trying to avoid at least a death sentence at this point, judging by the dark look in the prince's eye that made him feel like a mere bug in his grasp.
Only realising this fact now, your cheeks burn a bright red as you look at yourself, wearing one of the prince's shirts. You immediately cover your body with your hands, as though it was worse than being caught completely nude.
"I let her sleep in my bed," Bastiaan states truthfully, now dragging Richard by his hair towards the door, just like he had attempted to do so to you. He struggles in his grip due to the immense pain before Bastiaan finally approaches the door close enough to open it on his own accord.
"But- But why?" He inquires before Bastiaan tosses him out of his room. Richard completely loses his balance and falls forwards. The knights on either side of Bastiaan's door are caught off guard and jump at the sight of Richard being sent flying out though the door as if he weighed as much as a feather to Bastiaan.
"The rooms you give the maids are atrocious," Bastiaan says emotionlessly before turning around and slamming the door shut behind him, the sound echoing throughout the palace walls, all the way to the opposite end of the building with the juggernaut force Bastiaan contained in his irritated fist.
"Der hat wohl am Blitz geleckt!" Richard exclaims hysterically in his native language, 'That guy's totally mental'! Richard stumbles back onto his feet, cheeks red with embarrassment as the guards and several maids nearby look at him disapprovingly, as if he was the one whom had done something wrong. He storms off, deciding to do more simpler tasks on his agenda for today as he was now greatly agitated.
"I'm sorry, Bastiaan," You whisper, scared that me might give you the same treatment.
"Why are you apologising? Just get dressed, I'm meant to be having breakfast," Bastiaan instructs you. Knowing that you might annoy him further so early in the morning if you didn't comply and that he wouldn't even dare watch you change as he wasn't that type of man. You get onto your feet and do as you're told.
"I feel as though I have burdened you with more trouble once again. You said I might taint your reputation, and if word gets out that this occurred between the two of us, you'll be done for!" You explain, changing as quickly as you could back into your uniform, knowing that he was waiting for you to finish while he stood silently with his back turned to you.
"That's quite true. But who really cares anyway? Let people say what they want. The public forgets about these things so quickly," Bastiaan responds.
"Then why did you make it seem like such a big deal if I ruined your reputation or caused some rumours if you really didn't mind at all in the first place?" You interrogate him, annoyed now that he made you worried over nothing as you tied the back of your apron.
Bastiaan turns around and looks you up and down with his dark orbs. You couldn't help but wish that you could read his mind. He was so unpredictable to you, and to everybody else around him.
"So you would behave," He shrugs before heading towards the door once again. "Let us commence with our day then, [Name]."
"You make it sound like I cause trouble! Well, maybe I do sometimes, but you know that it's not intentional!" You exclaim, tailing the prince as you both began on your daily schedule that had been written on parchment paper for the two of you to follow during your time here.
The Sun neared its peak in the middle of the sky as afternoon approached quickly, the activities of the day seeming to fly by as time was spent under the Sun's guidance. In the hours that had passed since the incident this morning, word spread around the palace like wildfire. And by lunch time, just about everybody had heard about how you had slept in the cold prince's private chambers.
As usual, you were walking behind Bastiaan's perfect stature who seemed not to have a care in the world or give the rumours spreading through the corridors any sort of thought. He seemed overall apathetic, continuing his day as though nothing had happened in the day's morrow. You couldn't be quite as unbothered about the situation on the other hand, noticing how the palace staff's whispers were now much more intense. They seemed to keep it much less secretive. By now, you could hear them clearly but could barely understand as they spoke in a foreign language that you were not educated in.
"Princess Odile wishes to meet with your handmaiden in private, Prince Bastiaan. She says it's quite an urgent matter," A butler states, causing Bastiaan to halt in the middle of the hallway, as if no one else were using it.
Bastiaan thinks for a moment before looking over his shoulder at you with a cold gaze. Was he actually angry at you and you didn't realised? You hadn't a clue what he was feeling unless he said so. "Go with the butler, [Name]. I'll join you and Princess Odile after finishing what we're meant to be doing at the moment by myself," He orders you.
Wanting to keep your identity as his handmaiden and avoiding any conflict, you comply with ease and walk ahead of Bastiaan to follow the butler instead, who now shows you to Odile's bedroom. You disappear from Bastiaan's gaze, not knowing that he was already beginning to miss you presence next to him.
You enter the Princess Odile's bedroom, still quite impressed with the expensive and impressive decor laid around the room despite heaving already been inside before. The butler leaves and closes the door behind you in advance, leaving you in private with the princess. You look around the room, your head stopping when your [E/C] orbs look at the shrunken and hunched over figure of Odile on her window seat, looking out at the window without a cause through the closed curtains.
"You called for me, Your Highness? Why are your curtains still closed when late morning is hastily approaching?" You confirm, a small smile on your lips. After all, Odile was now your friend. Remembering what she had said last time, you grab the pearl necklace from the front pocket of your apron and put it on yourself, waiting for her to acknowledge your presence.
Odile turns around and looks at you with her puffy, red eyes that looked as though they were sore. Her frame was bare of any jewel unlike how you knew her to be decorated with them regularly. You also noticed she hadn't worn her string of pearls. Instead, her once crystal blue eyes that rung full of life were looking at you with a grave detest.
"Bastiaan is never going to be in love with me is he," She begins, hugging her knees close to her chest. "I just don't get it! I've done everything I possibly can," She sobs loudly at the top of her lungs.
You feel yourself tremble at the sound of her screeches piercing your ears. "It really isn't your fault, he is just cold towards everyone. I have been by his side for a while and I still know barely anything about his past, let alone how he feels." You insist.
"Nonsense! I'm just not used to this at all... usually guys at least compliment me or find me cute but he doesn't even act pleased to see me. His expression is always cold and distant as if he's not really listening to me," She claims, digging her face into her hands.
"I thought you only had a little crush on him but seeing this have such an effect on you pains me to see. Odile, if you can't bear it, you must find somebody worth your time. You don't deserve to feel this way," You say in a gentle voice.
"Because I lied! I love Prince Bastiaan so much, more than you know! And I need to marry him, or else my parents will never forgive me!"
"Is this just for your parents or is this really what you want?" You respond, taking steps towards her.
She pauses for a brief moment, pursing her lips before shaking her head in defeat, allowing the diamond-like drops to continue decorating her cheeks. "I just want him to love me or find something good in me, so I can marry him. This is such a good opportunity for my kingdom and as a princess, my whole life has been dedicated to my people. My work is barely acknowledged but I know a royal wedding that strengthens our place in this world... people would really notice that. Maybe I wouldn't be such a letdown if I could have this."
"I know it's difficult-"
"No, it's really not hard to be a princess and serve your country but look, I've made such a big deal out of this. I can't even control my emotions when failure is plainly in front of me."
"Princess Odile, you are one of the finest women I have ever met. Anybody would be lucky to have you and just because your work isn't acknowledged doesn't mean it's not worth being appreciated. I'm sure you've done many great things for your people, even if they don't realise it. That's true dedication to your role and stability, and I think that makes you one of the best."
She looks up at you with her puffy eyes as a small smile cracks onto her lips, "I'm so glad I met you."
"I am very glad to have met you too," You tell her, sitting down at the edge of her bed and giving her a small smile.
"Still, my parents expect me to marry Bastiaan. Since he came here I thought there was a chance but I feel like there is no hope for me at all," She mumbles, tears streaming down her cheeks.
She sobs, her cries echoing against the stone walls, only to be interrupted by the sound of the door being opened by Prince Bastiaan, who now stood in the doorway with a disappointed expression. "I've heard quite enough," He says.
"Prince- Prince Bastiaan? How much did you hear?" She stutters out, her voice immediately much softer and less harsh.
"Only the last part as I was walking down the hallway as your voice is quite loud. Princess Odile, I understand your concerns but I will be honest - I do not wish to marry you, nor anybody for that matter. I have never fallen in love and I am only doing this to please my father as you wish to do. I thought there might be some hope to 'fix' me but I do not wish to lie about my feelings. I apologise for misleading you," Bastiaan states, his usual cold expression barely warming up.
You look at Bastiaan, unable to form words with your tongue, as well as Odile as she sat beside you, motionless.
"You don't need to lie... I'm not actually in love with you anyway, I'm in love with the thought of my parents finally noticing how much I have done," She says, voice stuttering in shame.
"Many of the members of Trodour's lower class come to Ophnosleanade looking for a better home. We do not waste lives away and while we do not have a choice but to accept the roles that class society has given each of us, we ensure that the quality of life that these people have is at least bearable," Bastiaan tells Odile. You purse your lips, knowing this was all true. A lot of foreigners in the lower class of Ophnosleanade are mostly immigrants from Trodour. You had heard their stories but hadn't expected Princess Odile to be part of the issue.
Bastiaan continues: "I recommend you raise this to your parents or try finding something to solve this. I have heard from private word about the commendable work you have done but there is still more. The people you have helped are truly grateful for you and that should be enough even if you do not hear thanks. Please continue to serve your country, and if you could address or help the members of Trodour's lower class I think you will find the people growing in your favour. There is still much you do not know."
"I... thank you and I'm sorry," is all Odile can say, as she has nothing left coming to mind.
"I am not the one who you should be apologising to," He states, now bringing you with him out of Odile's bedroom and leading you down the corridor with him, hand in hand. His grip is firm and tense, signalling that perhaps the prince was less emotionless than you had initially thought.
"I'm surprised that you care about the lower class," You point out, trying your best to keep up with his quick walking tempo.
"I'm just being a decent human being, [Name]. I think the fact that surprises you about somebody from the higher class speaks volumes about how the lower class has been treated," Bastiaan replies.
"But why? Why do you care, unlike most members of the higher class who don't?" You inquire, genuinely curious to his answer.
"It is difficult to escape the poverty cycle especially if not even given the chance to. And most of the time, people are born into a class and have their whole life already planned out for them from that moment. It's not like people have a choice, or that we even give them a chance to prove themselves worthy of that freedom that the lower class is not granted. To be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others," He answers as you're guided back to his bedroom.
"I feel like I've read that somewhere," You whisper to yourself, following Bastiaan to his private quarters. You couldn't help but feel hurt and agitated by Odile's drastic and sudden change in behaviour towards you.
"Are you alright?" He asks through a cough as if he was nearly embarrassed just to ask that basic question.
"Yes, a little shaken, but I'm alright," You pause for a moment and avoid eye contact with him, "I think your words will really help Princess Odile."
"Princess Odile is known to be wild and strong, I am sure she will manage" Bastiaan responds before stopping in front of his room. However unlike all the other times, the man stands to the side and opens the door for you himself, rather than letting the two knights on either side of the double doors to open it for the two of you.
"Has something gotten into you?" You tease Bastiaan, noticing that this was the first time that he'd done something like this for you.
"Ladies first, [Name]. Just go inside already or I'll leave you out here," Bastiaan warns you, looking down with a flustered expression on his face. It was appealing and entertaining for you to see, and brought a slight giggle to yourself, lightening your spirits a little bit.
"Well, if you insist," You reply, making your way into Bastiaan's bedroom. This time on the table by the window was a simple tea set with steam escaping through the spout of the modest tea cup.
"I have some tea that has been prepared for us. You haven't had breakfast after all, so why not have some tea at the very least?" Bastiaan welcomes you, taking his usual seat at the table.
You do the same. Sitting on your seat that was opposite from him, with a smile expressing no emotion at all. You didn't know what to feel at the moment. While you're stuck in your thoughts, Bastiaan himself pours the tea in the teacups placed in front of each of you.
You instead pick up the teacup to distract yourself, inspecting the fragrance and colour before coming to the conclusion that it was green tea. You proceed to take a sip from the contents of the cup and can't help but smile. It was perfectly brewed.
"Are you enjoying the tea?" Bastiaan can't help but ask, a somewhat nervous look hidden in his eye as he watched you take a sip. After all, he was the one who had brewed the tea. He had heard that you drank Odile's tea, so he was determined to show off at least some of his skill to you. Admittedly, he did want you to like him more than her. But now that the time had come for you to drink it, he shied away from telling you that he was the one who had prepared it.
"Yes. It tastes like home," You smile to yourself, thinking of that rickety place that you call 'home'. It may be run down and not exactly 'top of the line' but that didn't change the fact it had been your residence ever since you had awakened.
Bastiaan paused for a moment, thinking to himself if that was a good thing or not. Your home was quite the dump to be honest, and when he was there he feared getting some sort of infection. He continues to think to himself, staring at his tea before you cut off this trail of thought.
"What do you plan to do next?" You question the prince before you, curious as to what would happen next.
He often left you in the dark about what he was plotting in that sharp mind of his, so you found yourself getting caught off guard by his sudden behaviour.
Prince Bastiaan closes his eyes when you ask this, his dark lashes concealing his orbs under the pale skin, immersing himself deeper into his mind. You couldn't help but stare at the handsome man who looked more impressive than the handsome prince illustrated in fairytales you had seen the village children reading.
"I have decided that the best course of action is to leave Trodour tomorrow," Bastiaan replies simply.
"Is Princess Odile no longer a suitress?" You immediately inquire, concerned despite Odile and Bastiaan seeming to come to a mutual agreement not to be engaged.
"Indeed, she is no longer a suitress of mine. Her attitude has always been like that. I believed that in recent years she had grown at least somewhat more mature but I do not think we are the best match. And it's not possible that she could change herself so drastically in the time my father has given me to find a wife, not that I want her to change. She has been a valuable companion and will continue to be, without us having to be married," He tells you, sighing gently.
"You seem quite upset if I may say, Your Highness. I thought you were not very fond of Princess Odile Agnes to begin with?" You ask, noticing his facade cracking slightly.
"Look at you, spouting nonsense out of your mouth once again," Bastiaan states, obviously trying to stray away from the subject yet you still pressed on.
"If anything, I'd be more concerned if you didn't mind at all. Princess Odile told me about how you've known her since childhood," You reassure him.
"Indeed. She's always been quite the pest, following me about all the time. A kleptomaniac as well, might I add. She always tried to steal shiny objects, like trinkets or other silly items she had no use for. Anyway, that's besides the point. Princess Odile does not meet what I look for so she is no longer a suitress. We would not work in marriage and she deserves to find somebody that will make her happy. Simple as that," He tells you before his gaze wanders out the window, his beady black orbs fixated on the garden as he ventured through a maze of ponder.
"I can't really argue with you, now can I? After all, it's your choice. You have to marry them," You respond, a small sigh leaving your lips as you thought about Odile.
"You seem more upset about it than I, [Name]," Bastiaan points out your upset behaviour before sipping his tea smugly.
"Don't be ridiculous. I only knew her for a few days, and we only spoke a few times..." You insist, looking away. You began to remind yourself of Bastiaan who hid his feelings just like how you were doing right now. You continue sipping your tea, enjoying the comfort and tranquility than the warm liquid running down your throat gifted you with.
"Are you interested in women?" Bastiaan interrogates you, causing you to choke on your tea and dribble slightly.
"I-"
"Or are you interested in me?" Bastiaan questions you further, his straightforward attitude becoming the death of you.
"What makes you think I'm interested in you? If anything, it might be the other way around. I mean, you're so clingy now," You shoot back, refusing to back down this time.
"You know I lack the ability of falling in love," Bastiaan responds immediately, not wanting to give your suggestion a second thought. Nevertheless he couldn't help but ponder on the topic. He had read books to do with themes of romance in the past and he couldn't help but notice how you were beginning to make the cold prince warm up. Could it be love? Bastiaan himself chokes on his tea just like you had just done, catching you off guard.
"Are- Are you alright?" You ask him, immediately handing him a napkin. You reach over to help him clean himself up, only for him to snatch the napkin away from you and do it himself. His cheeks were a shade of flustered bright red, only growing brighter as his hand grazed yours.
"I'm perfectly fine, you idiot!" He scolds you over seemingly nothing, confusing you to a great extent.
"Did I do something wrong?"
"No," He states sharply, finally regaining his composure while cleaning up any tea that he had spat out on himself. The prince didn't like the idea of falling love a single bit and convinced himself that it was not true. The reason he was feeling warm must be due to a sort of sickness. "I just feel a bit sickly, is all."
"Are you sure?"
"Very sure," He confirms before dusting off his sleeves and sitting up straight with his usual air of pride. If anything, he should be laughing at himself for thinking it was possible for him to fall in love. He hadn't been able to form a romantic type of love with anybody in all his life, so there was no way it would happen to him all of a sudden.
You noticed Bastiaan deep in thought and decided to press on, not liking it when you couldn't predict his next move. "What are you thinking about?" You can't help but ask, a curious smile stretching from one cheek to the other.
"Nothing."
"I can tell you're thinking about something. You always go silent and look out a window when you think," You point out, a proud look on your face for recognising this common mannerism of his.
Bastiaan remains silent for several moments, thinking about what to say next. There was no possibility at all that he could be falling in love, and with a peasant at that. Just the thought sent chills down his spine.
"I'm just thinking about... bread," Bastiaan responds, not being a very good liar himself. He had barely lied in his entire life, and so was poorly skilled in that field.
"Bread? Why are you thinking about bread so deeply?" You press on, finding it hard to believe.
"Because... I like bread. And I have noticed that I haven't been able to eat bread during my entire stay here," Bastiaan replies, deciding to just flow with his excuse despite how terrible it was. If anything, it made himself cringe.
"Should I get you some bread then?"
"No, I can live without some bread. I was just thinking about it because it's scrumptious," Bastiaan insists, not wanting to make this topic last longer than it had.
"I don't believe you," You tell him, an annoyed expression on your face. "Do you think I'd expect you of all people to think about bread with such intent? When you look like that and go silent, it's quite obvious you're contemplating something serious or are plotting something once again."
Bastiaan clears his throat, a light blush coming to his cheeks. It was the first time that somebody had been able to see through the young prince's facade, and peer over his colossal walls. [Name] truly was something indeed.
Status: Edited
Please leave a note on my Christmas tree! I would really appreciate it and I will be reading the notes on Christmas day. Thank you for reading. I hope you all liked my choice to keep Odile as an ally. https://colormytree.me/2022/01GMJP55VF8TF9GEKEAVF87DP6