Bastiaan walked with his head high whilst his slim and pale fingers went to fix the black tie that caressed his collar. His pitch black leather dress shoes hit the floor at a satisfying tempo, each small 'clack' sounding the exact same to the last. The palace staff whom he walked by couldn't help but turn their heads in awe, as the handsome prince strode down the hallways as though this were his own palace. The warm glow from the decorative wall lights accentuated his fine features. In all his glory, the prince looked somewhat like a moving doll.
Advancing nearer to Princess Stella Hansen's bedroom, he didn't let his anticipation for what were to happen during their private meeting cause him to falter in any sort of way. Instead he continued to walk on unbothered, his face still as emotionless and unreadable as it always were.
He halted in front of a pair of golden double doors at the end of the grand hallway, noticing that these doors were much more ornate than the rest he had walked past. The guards standing at either side could immediately tell who Bastiaan was, as he was well-known and often the topic of many people's conversations far and wide. Many people were curious about the enigma of the handsome and cold-hearted prince.
They proceeded to firmly take hold onto either door handle and pull it open for Bastiaan, as his presence was expected. Entering Stella's private quarters, he could immediately feel the scent of expensive perfume flood his senses, catching him off guard for a brief moment. He hears the doors shut behind him, and his eyes travel around the room, taking in it's features.
The walls were the shade of off-white, their plainness toning down the vast greatness of the golden marble floor beneath his feet. There was underwear, clothes and a variety of small trinkets scattered around the room and particularly on the floor. The curtains were open, yet it was still fairly dark in the room due to the fact it was evening and the sun had already set. The only source of light from her en-suite bathroom, which had it's door left wide open. It's warm light illuminated the messy surroundings yet it was still dim. The bed was unmade, and the desk in the corner incredibly overloaded with paperwork.
"Princess Stella?" He calls out, tapping his foot impatiently. He didn't want to be here, and so refused to waste his time.
"Boo!" She yells into his ear, jumping out from behind the maroon red curtains. Her hands raised and eyes wide, she waited for his reaction. However, he reacted in no sort of way, and didn't flinch a muscle at the sight of her. Her face was caked with makeup and her usual red lipstick, accompanied with jewellery that made her plain red, body-tight dress appear less boring.
"Do you think this is funny? Or did you think you could scare me?" He hisses judgementally at her, crossing his arms and taking a step back to create more distance, clearly already aggravated by her behaviour.
"I just wanted to see if I could make you scared," She confesses, pouting her lips and making her way over to him with a small kick in her step.
"Why did you want to meet me in private, and in your bedroom of all places?" Bastiaan interrogates her, not planning to waste any sort of time talking to her without a proper reason.
"Well, I was hoping you would at least do something with me if you don't want to go all the way. How long have I been pining over you? Don't I deserve a reward?" She asks, coming dangerously close to him. She pats his chest, dusting away particles that did not exist.
"A reward for being a painful bother? I would not like to do anything with you, Princess Stella. I apologise but your attempts to seduce me are useless," He responds, grabbing her wrist and gently taking it off of him. "I suggest that the best thing you could do is keep your distance from me."
"Why don't you like me Prince Bastiaan? At least tell me what your type is," She questions, continuing to pout in his presence.
"I don't have a type," He responds bluntly.
"Are you into men?" She inquires, putting a finger on her chin.
"If I said I was, would you finally leave me alone?"
"No, I'd only try even harder to make you mine."
"Then no," He replies, looking away from her frame, uninterested in her.
"Why are you so uninterested in me? I thought I could seduce just about any man- but you! You're impossible to seduce," She sighs in annoyance, and proceeds to hug him, ensuring to press her chest against his. This way he could feel her breasts, and have a clear view. Nevertheless, she earned no reaction, and he didn't even glance down at her to sneak a peek. She begins to whine and even looks down, noticing that he had not even gotten slightly aroused from the action.
"You will never succeed in seducing me, Princess Stella. If you summoned me here to continue your attempts to seduce me, I shall take my leave right away," Prince Bastiaan replies, pushing her away once again.
"Don't go, D'Aramitz. You can not deny that I have many positives, as does my kingdom. If you didn't know that, you wouldn't even be here, would you? Princess Odile may have failed you with her personality but I certainly won't. I can stop being fickle if that's what you want. Give me a proper chance to prove myself to you, and you will see for yourself that we are truly meant to be together," She says, her hands forming into fists and she attempts to control an outburst of emotion.
"My presence in this palace for this week has been your chance to prove yourself to me. Yet I still see you being fickle, as though you can not even control yourself. You may have impressive qualities but you lack determination and the ability to restrain yourself. Despite it only being the second day, I am already becoming disappointed in your behaviour. You continue to do the things that I do not like, for example, making negative comments about the lower class."
She looks guiltily to the side and clears her throat before responding, "Well, you know that I'm tipsy half the time. But I'm sure that I can control myself and prove myself to you. If I do, will you properly consider the fact that I am able to change?"
"Only when I see it for my own eyes, Princess Stella," He lets out an audible sigh, "This messy room also isn't doing your image very well."
"I knew you would mention that, you neat freak. You always scolded me when we were younger if I ever stepped the slightest bit out of line or made any mess," Stella says, smiling nostalgically.
"Indeed I did. I was hoping you would have grown out of it but it appears not."
"We have known each other since childhood, so why must you still speak so formally with me? Especially since we are in private now. I guess some things never change, like you for example. Still the same stubborn, cold little boy ever since your mother's passing," She complains.
"Was I not that way before she passed?" He inquired, a sparkle of interest now in his eye.
"I remember you were so timid, compared to how you are now. You would always hide behind her leg and actually smiled from time to time. You've always been mature, Prince Bastiaan. I wonder if you ever got to live your childhood, or if that woman had stolen it away from you."
"My mother did not take anything from me, she gave me everything that she had," Bastiaan insists, taking a step away from Stella defensively.
"Well if you say so, I'm not going to try and convince you otherwise. I know the words that I speak will just go into one ear and out of the other," She sighs, walking over to her desk. She pushes several of the papers to the side, causing them to fly onto the floor before she reveals a pitch black fountain pen. Picking it up, she presents it to Bastiaan. "I still have this, the first and only gift you have given me. It is the only pen I use."
"Why do you hold it so dear?"
"Because I hold you dear to me. You know just about everything about me, even if you don't admit it. You have known me since we were so young, and we grew up alongside each other. Yet you still refuse to call me a friend. Ever since that one day, I fell in love you," She confesses, a small blush on her cheeks as her usual air of confidence begins to waver.
"What day are you talking about?" He inquires, not being able to recall.
"My mother was yelling at me for failing my ballet exam, do you remember? It was humiliating. Yet you stood up for me, and my mother was so shocked," She chuckles, "I still remember that look on her face. And then later on that day, I got shouted at once again for breaking the ice sculpture during that garden party, so I ran into the maze and got lost. Yet you insisted to my mother that it was you who had done it, and spent the rest of your evening looking for me. I thought I was going to rot and die in that maze, since I was just a silly little girl back then. So when I saw you come for me, even though you looked like it meant nothing at all, you truly were like my knight in shining armour. I will never forget that moment, and you have been the first man to make my heart swirl."
"Ah yes, I remember that day. The garden party. You got into a lot of trouble as usual, and were being scolded by your mother, as per usual as well. The only reason I went to find you was because you had my favourite handkerchief. I still haven't gotten it back. Do you have any idea where it is? What a silly question, honestly. I'm sure you probably lost it straight after I allowed you to borrow the damn thing," He crosses his arms more firmly, tapping his shoe in thought.
"I still have it actually! It smelled like you, so I wanted to keep it. Whenever I'm sad, I like to hold it. It feels like you are the one comforting me. Do you really need it back, or would you be kind enough to let me keep it?" She asks, putting down the pen once again.
"Keep it if you must. I have no use for it anymore, and my affections for it have long died after it not being in my possession for such a long time. I'm just glad to know where it is after so long of wondering what happened to the damn handkerchief. Please look after it well," He concludes.
"Very well, I shall look after it to the best of my ability!" She exclaims, proceeding to give Bastiaan a warm embrace as a childlike smile erupts on her plump, matte red lips. "Thank you, Prince Bastiaan."
"Do not mention it. I don't care much for it either ways, so don't overthink it. Now, do you not have a party to attend to? I am sure that your guests will be searching for you as of right now," Bastiaan inquires, squirming uncomfortably whilst her arms squeezed his frame snugly.
"I do not care much for the party if it means I can continue to speak with you," She insists, finally pulling away from him on her own will.
"That's quite rude mannerism towards to your guests. You should be welcoming them and participating in the party yourself as well."
"I guess you're right. It can not be helped. I'd rather listen to you now than disobey and push you around like what I usually do. I've decided to prove myself to you, so just you wait. I'll become your perfect wife. Now that that annoying idiot Princess Odile is out of the way, I have a much higher chance. She has always clung onto you as though she's your tail. But now, I have my chance. Just you wait and see what this princess can do!" She exclaims proudly, her eyes closing with glee as a hopeful smile forms on her lips.
"I shall therefore wait and see how you behave in the coming week," He replies, remaining expressionless.
"Alright, but... I'm sure if we did it right now, you wouldn't be able to resist continuing on," She whispers into his ear, getting up on her tiptoes as the height of her shoes wasn't enough.
"I have self control, unlike you," Bastiaan responds bluntly, only to step aback as Stella presses her breasts against his chest once again. He continues to back away, eventually feeling his back hit the door's hard surface.
"Why are you backing away? At least touch me and push me away," She pouts before getting on her knees. Her hands make a beeline for his belt, and immediately begin to meddle with the sheeny leather material, scrambling to unbuckle them. Bastiaan finally looks down at her and immediately grasps onto her wrists, keeping her from proceeding any further.
"Stop this behaviour at once," He commands her, only to see her attempt to break free of his grasp.
"Bastiaan, just let me do it once," She begs, pouting her matte red lips once again. She had pulled the final straw, and Bastiaan finally flung her away, causing her to land on her back a meter or two away from where she initially was. "Ouch," She mutters, rubbing her back in pain as she sat up.
"The conversation we were having just a moment ago made me believe that perhaps there was a type of hope for you, yet I see that it is all a facade. You never will truly change, no matter who or what it is for," Bastiaan announces, now redoing his belt. Stella scrambles forwards to try and grab onto him before he leaves, yet she missed by several inches as he opens the doors himself and strides down the hallway proudly, as if nothing had just happened.
"Bastiaan!" She screeches, still collapsed on the floor from her attempt to lunge at him and prevent him from leaving. She looked insane, and gave the guards a fright as they heard her terrifying voice, echoing throughout the hallway.
In the meantime, you had been cleaning the prince's private chambers. He was neat most of the time so you didn't have much to clean either ways. At times like these you were thankful to be the handmaiden of Bastiaan rather than another royal, as the task was simple. The only times it became difficult was when you were faced with his stubborn attitude from time to time.
You couldn't help but feel your mind wander about the memories that have been coming back to you. You didn't know if you were just fooling yourself or it was just some sort of dream. There was no way you could know for definite, and you were struggling to come to terms with the fact you may be of noble blood. If you truly wanted to know, it seemed as though the only person who you could ask to find out the truth from was Florian, who you now had a distaste for due to your most recent memories resurfacing. Dusting the bookshelves on the far wall, you were interrupted by a butler entering the room without warning.
You jumped slightly from the unexpected entrance, which was soon explained: "Handmaiden [Name] of His Royal Highness Prince Bastiaan?" You nod your head to confirm your identity, and then listen to him continue, "You have received a call on the telephone from a noble back in Ophnosleanade. Please follow me."
"Oh, alright then," You answer in a confused tone, deciding to discover what this was about. Following only several meters behind the unknown butler, you were soon lead into a small office, where several butlers and maids were chattering amongst one another. The interior was traditional and consisted vastly of dark wood matched beautifully with a chestnut leather.
They didn't pay you much mind, and instead were more focused on the butler guiding you, who seemed to have a slightly higher position given the fact he had sat down at the desk, suggesting it was his own, and gestured you to the glossy black telephone to his left. You point at it and he nods, inclining you to pick it up.
"Hello?" You ask after picking it up, feeling the shiny material fit comfortably in your clutches.
"[Name]? Is it you?" A familiar voice asks in a panicked tone, her words stumbling through the phone with great urgency.
"Yes, who is it?"
"It's Abella! [Name], I know I seem like a socialite and all that, but you are the only person I trust enough to tell this to. This is something that's been worrying me for quite some time now and I really need to get if off of my chest. I'm seriously worried and I know I've made a huge mistake and if people find out I'm going to be done for!" She cries out, sounding as though she was on the edge of breaking out into tears.
"Woah, woah, woah. Abella, calm down. First of all, what's wrong? Surely it can't be that bad?" You ask, obviously concerned.
"If I tell you, do you promise and swear on your life not to tell anybody?"
"You make it sound like you've just committed a crime! It depends on what it is, if it's something incredibly bad, I'll have to say something to the police-"
"Please [Name]! I didn't commit a crime but it's still incredibly bad! I'm so ashamed of myself, I just- why did I do this? I'm so stupid!"
"Don't beat yourself up about it. What's the worst that you could have done? You're a very easy person to talk to Abella, and very sweet at that. I'm here if you need somebody to talk to."
"That's why I called you..." She pauses for a moment, taking in a deep breath. "Do not tell this to anybody, whatsoever. Am I clear? If the news of this is to break out, I'm done for. I will be ruined."
"Alright, I promise."
"Thank you," She takes a sigh of relief, "I'll start from the beginning then. Basically, Florian refused to have sexual intercourse with me, no matter how much I asked him for it. Usually it would be the other way around but for some reason he just doesn't want to do it with me! I thought that maybe he was insecure so I tried consoling but he reassured me that that wasn't the reason why. He said he just didn't feel like it but like, come on! What kind of guy just 'doesn't feel like it'? Anyway, it was seriously damaging to my ego! I thought that my figure was attractive! I mean, before I met him guys would always try and hook up with me at all different kinds of social gatherings."
"Have you talked to him properly about this situation before?"
"I tried but he really doesn't seem to care much for it. Despite of that, he's always so sweet and polite to me, but he also seems a little depressed. Like, why can't he cheer up for once? He always looks so sad even though he's smiling, and there's regret in his eyes all the time, or like, some sort of guilt. He's definitely hiding something from me. So, we went to Prince Bastiaan's ball, right?"
"Right."
"And we ended up getting separated cause he said he wanted to ask about your fortune telling services and saw you there! So he spent the whole night away from me. It was upsetting but I still wanted to have a good time, so I went ahead and had a few drinks on my own and before I knew it, I was drunk. After I had gotten drunk, some middle-aged guys came up to me and wouldn't leave me alone! They even offered me a pretty good amount of money, so I went with them. And, uh, well..." She trails off, hesitating.
"Well?" You echo, curious as to what happened next.
"I had sex with them! I cheated on Florian, despite how sweet and loving he is to me. I feel like such a whore! Why did I cheat on my fiancé for money? God, what is wrong with me? I'm so ashamed, people are going to ridicule me for the rest of time if anybody finds out!"
"Wait, seriously? You were unfaithful to him?"
"Yes, seriously! I'm not kidding around right now, [Name], I'm seriously scared! I feel really bad and I really needed to tell somebody. I can't keep it to myself anymore. And not to mention, things have been getting even worse!"
"What, how?" You immediately question, wondering how things could possibly be getting even more terrible for Abella.
She takes a sharp intake of breath before explaining, her voice slightly more calm yet now very strained, "The guys that I had sex with are now threatening to tell Florian if I don't do what they want. They wanna keep doing that kind of thing with me and if I refuse, they want me to give them a large sum of money each month. If I also don't do that, they're going to tell Florian or even some stupid journalist!"
You gasp, "Seriously? I thought that things couldn't get any worse. Which route are you planning to take?"
"I'm planning to just pay the money. As long as Florian doesn't know, I have nothing to worry about. The payment will take a large cut out of my earnings but Florian will financially support me, won't he? You promised not to tell, okay? I'm dead meat if anybody finds out," She confesses.
"Why don't you just tell Florian? That way if they tell him there won't be much effect anyway," You suggest.
"No! I can't do that, or he might leave me! And I want him! Not many nobles my age are as handsome and loving as he is. He's practically my perfect guy!" She insists, her voice growing louder.
"If he's your perfect guy, why were you unfaithful to him in the first place?" You retort, a hint of annoyance in your voice.
She sighs and begins to sob, "I really don't know. It was the alcohol, not me. I just, I really don't know what to do now. I'm literally panicking so much that I feel like I'm about to lose my mind. I really don't want to lose him but this guilt is such a heavy weight on my heart. Whenever I look at him, I feel a lump form in my throat and my heart ache. My chest feels so heavy around him but I'm sure this feeling will go away with time. I just need to be patient and wait it out. Wait, actually. Is there a way that you can make me forget?"
"Make you forget? No, I don't think so. I've never tried anything of the sort and usually just stick with what I'm comfortable with, which is tarot cards."
"Don't you also do witchcraft or something? Are you sure you can't do anything?"
"I haven't delved that deep into witchcraft, so anything that I can do is probably unsafe or uneffective. Look, I think you need to work it out with Florian. Seriously, you need to let him know. It isn't right keeping this piece of information away from him," You insist.
"But I can't do that, [Name]. Florian will leave me and I don't want him to. Being married to him will give me a higher rank, and he's such a catch after all. He's like, a war hero, or something. I'm not too sure about the details, all I know is that he has a lot of medals and that the general is very, very, very fond of him. I really have gotten myself in a twist here, haven't I? I don't know what to do anymore," She cries.
"Why did you cheat on him anyway? Don't you have plenty of money?"
"I do! But I was really craving some sex and I was so drunk! You can't blame me."
"If you're not to blame, why are you not telling your fiancé about this?"
"I..." She pauses, "I'll see you again soon, whenever you come back. Or at least, I'll try to. I'm trying to keep myself busy nowadays so I don't think about it. But when I am able to, I want to talk to you about this one on one and in private. Would that be alright? You're the only person I've told about this. If my parents knew, they would be so ashamed, they might even disown me. I just... I'll see you later. Have a great evening, [Name]," She finishes, not waiting for your response as she places down the phone, leaving you with the beeps following one after another, ringing into your right ear. You shakily place down the telephone, not sure what to do with this information. It didn't involve you whatsoever, and you had promised not to tell anybody.
Unknowing of the fact you had received a telephone call at all, Bastiaan had decided to sneak around the palace. The bustling ballroom of guests was a great distraction, and so he took the chance to sneak into their main library. Upon entry, he noticed the lights were painfully dim and that there was dust scattered everywhere, along with cobwebs forming on the shelves. It seemed somewhat ancient and indicated that this library had not been visited for many years, or possibly even decades.
Taking steps into the dimly lit library, he jumped at the sound of a squeaky voice, "Prince Bastiaan? Only the Royal Family of Intreseon is allowed to use this library, as well as anybody given access by the King in particular. I'm afraid that you mustn't tread any further, or else I may need to call the guards."
Bastiaan looked at her trembling figure, obviously fearing the worst from him. "Very well then," He replies, stepping out of the library.
"Thank you for understanding. If you'll excuse me now, I have an urgent matter to attend to," She explains whilst bowing her head lowly, then dashing off. Once out of sight, Bastiaan proceeds into the library once again, this time shutting the doors behind him. It was dim, and the dark wood that it was made out of didn't help. Colossal bookcases towered over him, all of them being occupied by a plethora of different books.
Dragging his finger along the edge of a nearby shelf, he feels the dust build up on his finger at an alarming rate. "How careless," he mutters under his breath judgementally, before ridding the dust from his hand.
He took note of the different sections of books, noticing that they were well organised with just several out of place here and there. Passing by the different sections, he realised that the library was smaller than he anticipated, but the grandness of the height that the bookshelves had made him overestimate the capacity.
As Bastiaan ventured deeper into the seemingly abandoned library, he couldn't help but snatch several books, which he dusted with his own hands before holding to his chest. He had read a vast amount of books, yet he still had managed to find a good amount that he had not read at this library.
His eyes soon landed upon a rather grand, executive desk at the head of the central area, which held a fairly large hallway filled with desks and desk lamps which were out of use, or even outdated as he noticed the partially melted candles within the glass of some lamps. Making his way to this desk, he could only ponder why this library was not in use. He had not heard about it before and if it was so forgotten about, why not open it to noble visitors, guests or palace staff? Questioning the perplexity of the situation, he stopped behind the desk, examining it's contents.
The filth upon the table ruined the rich, dark colour that the wood had and dimmed the sheen of the chandelier's light on the glossy veneer. He noticed several papers neatly piled upon one another, which had writing in cursive upon them. Upon closer inspection, it was a letter of resignation. When he observed the contents, he could only guess that it was written by somebody who had once worked in the library. The letter contained contents mostly complaining that it was too much of a job for one person, and of such an old age, to look after the library. It also seemed to scold the King in particular, for the atrociously low wage he was giving to the workers, along with a growing tax.
Growing more curious, he looked through the several papers to read through the rest of the letter. It spoke of personal matters, and warning to the King surrounding an upcoming war, or a rebellion forming against the people in secret. She seemed fond of the King, nearly as though she were his own mistress. It appeared that she was attempting to warn him about this rebellion, as the numbers were growing with each day. Overall, it was insisting that Itreseon was bound to fall. It was signed off by a woman named 'Olivia Yu', and with this new information Bastiaan couldn't help but fear the worst.
He started to look through the drawers, wondering if there was anything else he could find. All of the drawers were completely barren and had just simply been collecting dust, except for the bottom right one, which held a necklace torn apart and its golden locket scratched in a purposeful manner. Prying open this metal locket, there was nothing but a rolled up piece of ripped parchment paper.
Unrolling it, he noticed that it was most likely taken from a letter. It read, 'divorce my wife. You will be queen one day, I love you forevermore Olivia.'
Deciding to return to the main area of the palace before anybody realised he was missing, he took it upon himself to only take the ripped piece of paper, as it was the smallest and least noticeable item here in case somebody returned for these things, which seemed unlikely due to the grime built up on them.
Rushing out of the library, he returned to the corridor as though nothing had happened. He stashed this piece of parchment into the chest pocket of his suit, then proceeded back to his private quarters, expecting you. Upon entry, he noticed that the room had been properly cleaned just like he had asked of you, yet you were nowhere to be seen. He couldn't help but panic slightly and begin searching the room. Placing down the several books that he had accumulated during his visit to the library, he began to check whether or not the room had been cleaned properly whilst continuing his search for you.
He stopped in his tracks, realising what he was doing. He hit himself on the forehead with the palm of his pale hand, the meeting of flesh barely sparking any pain on his forehead as he began to mentally scold himself. Why did he care so much that you were away? Why did he care so much about your safety? He bit his thumb angrily at himself, yet with not enough force for it to bleed through. Why did it have to be you? Pulling his thumb out, his crystal clear saliva made the small teeth marks shine.
Before he could grow any more concerned, you nonchalantly entered through the door with a tone of surprise in your voice as you spoke, "Oh, you're back. What happened while you were there?"
"Did I take long?" He asks, feeling a wave of relief wash over him. He wore the same cold expression in despite of this, not wanting you to see this side of him.
"No but I did expect you to be a bit quicker, knowing you," You confess, closing the door behind you.
He sighs with annoyance and rubs his temples, thinking back to what had happened, "She attempted to make more advances on me so that I would participate in sexual intercourse with her, so thankfully I was able to fight her off. She insisted that she would continue trying to be the proper Queen, and announced she'd be proving herself to me during this week. However, those words mean nothing to me as she has said them time and time again before, and yet she is still the same. After saying this, she only continued to try making her advances on me."
You come face to face with Bastiaan, your eyes locking with one another as you both were conversing. You respond to this, "I can't blame you for thinking that way about her if she did that. Seems fairly strange to me. Her personality tends to change so drastically from time to time. Yesterday she was hating my very existence, then proceeded to offer me advice, then flirted with you. She's able to change topics very quickly, I must say that at the very least."
You took a seat upon a velvet cushioned stool, feelings its fabric caress your curves like a mother's welcoming embrace, and begging you not to leave. Despite only being a stool, it was immensely comfortable, so much so that you could barely pay attention to Bastiaan's words: "Indeed so. The reason that I took longer than I would have liked is because of the fact I stopped by the royal library. Funnily enough, it was barren and seemingly abandoned. There was dust and cobwebs in every corner - it was simply atrocious, I must say. I thought that perhaps they wouldn't care much if I took some books, as I did find some I haven't read before. I doubt anybody would notice."
"What books did you get?"
Bastiaan's eyes widen for a moment and his orbs break away from your own, leaving you slightly confused by his reaction. He bit his lip, then explained his behaviour, "Some simple poetry books that have been translated from a foreign language. My apologies, I was quite surprised for a brief moment. Nobody has asked me about books before, so I was quite taken aback there. People these days are typically not all that interested in books, or haven't read with enough interest as I do."
"Well, there is a library quite nearby the town square. If you come and have a look, you might find something you'll like and which you haven't read before."
"I will go there someday then, as long as you assist me. Anyway, back to my point. I continued to explore this library and came across a grimy desk, which had a letter of resignation upon it, which seemed to have never been given in for some peculiar reason. It was written by a member of Itreseon's palace staff, a lady who had written this letter to the King in particular. Despite it being a letter of resignation, she ventured through many other topics. For example, she wrote quite informally and somewhat flirtatiously. The most interesting part however, is the fact that she spoke of a rebellion growing, or a type of revolution if you will. I will have to confirm this information with Princess Stella and if she is unable to, I shall speak to the King myself. Either ways, I do not believe that Princess Stella will be Queen in the end but this has also overthrown the credibility of her kingdom to me, as the people are quite obviously unhappy and yet matters only grow worse."
"I see. I think this really is something to speak to a member of the royal family about, because what this woman has written consists of quite bold accusations," You reply.
"Very well. My curiosity will not let me wait a moment longer, let us look for her right this instant," Bastiaan announces, sticking out his arm, gesturing you to hold onto it. You had rejoiced in the fact that he had forgotten for a short while, yet it seemed that it was only because he hadn't gotten the chance to. Knowing there was no point in arguing with such a stubborn prince, you inevitably link arms with the fine young man.
He guided you out of the bedroom and walked alongside you in the hallway, rather than dragging you along as per usual. You noticed him slowing his steps quite purposefully, as though he took more care in you being able to keep up with him. His behaviour had been changing little by little, and you noticed despite knowing that he thought you would not be able to.
You looked at the tall man, his gentle figure bold and still as handsome as ever. Somehow, his beauty never seemed to falter. It made you feel slightly envious, as it would to anybody, even the purest of heart. The gods truly had crafted him with their own hands, and it showed with each moment you spent. He was seemingly perfect in every way, shape and form, just like all the rumours you had heard. Those women who bothered you with their non-stop chatter now seemed to actually have a point.
The ballroom came into view, and the waltz music grew all the more louder, the orchestra's great playing ringing throughout the hallways and giving the palace life, just like the rest of Itreseon that came to life when the night took over the land.
Peering into the ballroom, he scanned the crowd but could not spot the young woman, which usually would be much easier, considering that she was usually the 'star of the show'. He notices the guard just several meters away and calls out to him, yet is barely audible due to the loud music. "Where is Princess Stella?" Bastiaan interrogates, hoping the guard could hear him.
Being able to make out his words, the guard looks towards him and responds in a yell: "She's down the corridor, last bedroom! Went with some young fellow."
"Not again," He sighs with annoyance, striding down the same very hallway as he had to do once before. You tail behind him, his determination overpowering his concern for you as he now dragged you along as he used to, as though you had only the weight of a rag doll on his arm.
"Do you think she's really doing it again, even after what she said and the fact she was caught last time?" You ask him.
"I have no doubt. I told you that she would never change, she never does," He responds with annoyance in his tone, which was vivid unlike his usual emotionless voice. Reaching the door, the harsh tempo of his footsteps came to a great halt before he swung the door open with a dramatic air in this movement, exposing Princess Stella on her knees in front of a young man. She had her hands on his belt and thankfully was fully dressed this time, unlike the last time you had both caught her. The young man was also fully dressed, and it looked as though you had both caught them right before they had gotten the chance to actually do it.
"Prince- Prince Bastiaan?" She yelps, immediately scrambling to her feet, standing upright once again. The young man by her side stood dumbfounded yet flustered as they were caught in the act, luckily before they were nude.
"Princess Stella, it appears to me that you are unable to keep your word," He responds plainly, crossing his arms strictly. You stay behind him, not wanting to get involved in a situation such as this one once again.
"Prince Bastiaan, I thought you wouldn't be searching for me during the evening. I thought that you would stay away from the party," She explains, voice shaky as she feared what was to come, knowing that perhaps she had now truly ruined her only chance.
"I wanted to speak to you about something, yet it seems I have caught you in the middle of going back on what you said to me. I should not have trusted those words that you spoke to me earlier this evening. It was too good to be true, coming from a lady such as yourself. I have put up with your behaviour for much longer than I would have liked, but you let me down time and time again."
"What- What did you wish to discuss with me? Please Prince Bastiaan, let's forget you even saw this!" She begs before pushing the back of the man beside her, inclining him to leave with great urgency. He rushes past you, not daring to look behind him just like the last one.
"I am afraid that I can not. I am quite disappointed. I put my trust in you, and you have broken that trust. You have only proven yourself to be an untrustworthy, immature and ungrateful brat during my stay here, even despite my presence and me directly telling you myself what I expected from you. Not only that, but I have given you many chances in the past to prove yourself to me, yet then again, you always let me down. I can't believe I would have thought that you could grow up and keep your word for once."
"I can keep my word! Please, let me prove myself to you-"
He interrupts immediately, "That is what you said only earlier tonight. It has only barely even been an hour, and yet you have already gone back on what you said. I thought that you could at least be of use to me and answer these questions I had, and yet here you are. I caught you."
"Please, tell me these questions. I'll do anything to make it up to you, I'm so sorry!" She sobs, falling onto her knees and crawling to his shoes, bowing her head and placing her forehead upon the tips of his leather dress shoes. You had never seen her confidence shatter like this, and you didn't think that she would have ever gotten so desperate.
"Is it true that there is the possibility of a rebellion or revolution in Itreseon? Is the quality of life falling? Are you raising the taxes?" Bastiaan interrogates her, taking advantage of her desperation.
She bit her lip for a moment, before deciding to tell the truth as her last attempt: "I speak nothing but the truth for you, my dear Prince Bastiaan. My father has been raising the taxes little by little for years. Most of the money is going to giving the upper class an even more luxurious lifestyle. Papa says he doesn't care for low-class rats, and insists that it must be done to them. The people have been starting their own rebellious group and have started thrashing the streets from time that it is growing into a large problem. The numbers have been growing and I told papa to stop but he won't no matter how much I tell him to."
"Is that so? And you were trying to keep this from me?"
"Papa said to keep it a secret from everybody who doesn't know. He wants to control them!"
"I've heard all that I need to. Thank you for answering these questions for me, and please tell your father that I will be leaving early in the morning. I am quite done with this place, and want to leave as soon as possible. You are no longer a suitress, Princess Stella Hansen. I hereby banish you from my sight. I never want to see you again in my entire life. What ever we had, is over. Enjoy the rest of your life, and good-night," He states before kicking her off of his feet and turning around swiftly. He slams the door behind him and wakes a beeline for his chambers, still having you on his arm.
"Do you think that was a little bit harsh?" You inquire, looking at the handsome prince.
"Not at all. She deserved it after all. She needs to learn that there are consequences for her actions," He tells you plainly. The only time he stopped his grand strides was when he came face to face with a butler, who immediately jumped upon realising that it was a prince speaking to him directly. "You. Please arrange a carriage for my leave tomorrow morning to take me back home. I'm sick of this place."
"Yes- yes, Your Highness!" He squeaks, watching as you both continue back to the chambers like a juggernaut force.
"What are we going to do now? Does this mean that it's only Princess Lilou Becker remaining?" You ask him, jogging slightly to keep up with him.
"Indeed. I will go home unannounced, even if it gets me in trouble with my father. I just need a break from all these women. I am quite exhausted now," He says, entering his chambers. He immediately heads to the bed, and falls backwards upon it. His eyes close and for one of the first times, he was visibly quite tired. You could tell that he was, as bags had formed during the last several days under his eyes, a sight that you wouldn't have expected but was unnoticeable.
"You deserve some rest, Prince Bastiaan."
Status : Unedited