I stomped my way all the way to the Women's Room. I needed solitude, and I knew I'd get it there. The Women's Room would be empty at this time of day. Mom would be in the garden and Miss Marlee would, of course, accompany her. My mind was clouded in fury. But it wasn't the worst that I felt, it was the shame.

I could hardly believe it. I, the most powerful woman in Illea, was stood up by one of the males who was supposed to be here for my hand in marriage. All because he was too busy designing buildings!

What was he thinking? I hardly ever showed my interest to anyone, and there he was, being the one lucky guy, and he stood me up! All right, maybe it was my fault to disturb him while he was busy, but I was queen. He was supposed to do what I said.

Stop it, Eadlyn. You're being a brat.

I refrained myself from slamming the door of the Women's Room and quickly marched in. Leaning myself on the door, I slowed down my breath and tried to refocus. I needed to start contemplating what had gone wrong.

What was it, really?

His frustrated face came rushing back into my already chaotic mind and I found myself getting madder and madder at him. I couldn't keep being like this. I needed to distract myself. I looked around the Women's Room and saw Mom's piano standing untouched. It had been a while since I last played. Maybe I should refresh my memory.

I went to sit on the stool and started playing an easy piece Mom once taught me. She said it helped her clear her mind whenever she and Dad had a fight. But I've never seen them having any kinds of fights, save their constant bickerings.

"I know you asked for a date, but I need time, okay? I just—I just got this idea in my head that I really need to put into drawings immediately."

I shook my head, hoping it would get his voice off my head. What had gone wrong, honestly?

It was a rather fine day at the palace. I just woke up and got dressed when I suddenly remembered that I had a date with Kile just after breakfast. I tried hard not to skip my way to breakfast and created a very unladylike gesture I knew Lady Brice wouldn't approve of. But I failed in every two steps. My body was giddy with excitement and I couldn't get stop smiling.

Throughout the meal, I was hoping maybe I could catch him staring and winking at me like usual. But he had this really focused and serious expression on his face. I swallowed back my disappointment, trying to be positive since the date was just minutes away. But when breakfast was really finished and I stood up to summon him, he had already gone.

I found him in his old room after asking several guards. Him. On his chair. Drawing.

I walked up beside his table and noticed that he was drawing some lines I failed to care about.

"What are you doing, Sir Woodwork?" I tried to keep irritation from my voice.

"Not now, Eady."

"What. Are. You. Doing. Kile?" I didn't know whether he was messing with me or if he truly forgot we had a date this morning.

"Can't you see?" He still got his hands on a ruler and a drawing pen. That did it. I checked first to make sure he hadn't made too much progress on his drawing and snatched the paper away from the table.

"Could you shut up for a second?! I'm trying to draw here!" He looked up at me and I could see the glint of anger in his eyes. Did he really have to be that cruel? I was just asking for an explanation. If he wanted to delay our date, he could've just asked.

"Oh, of course, I could. But I was just trying to remind one of the Elites that I was supposed to have a date with him after breakfast." Realization dawned his eyes. I could see that his body went rigid after I finished my sentence. So he did forget. "Could you tell him that? He's the blonde one with really bad taste in fashion." I started to turn my heels, then stopped, "He also has a knack for yelling at royalties. Perhaps I'd have him hanged soon."

I walked quickly towards the door, but then I heard he called my name. It was just the barest of a whisper, and then he said, "I know you asked for a date, but I need time, okay? I just—I just got this idea in my head that I really need to put into drawings immediately."

"Make sure you told me that before you stood me up next time."

I just finished playing that piece Mom taught me when I finally realized how selfish I had been. He was drawing, for god's sake! He had an idea and of course he would want to draw it immediately. I of all people should understand that clearly. I acted the same way every time I had a new dress or gown idea that struck me in a middle of a meeting. I'd sneak drawing designs, feigning attention and pretending I was writing something important. His idea just happened to strike him when he was going to have a date with me, thus making him forget about the date.

I had to apologize. All I had to do was apologize and it would be as if nothing had happened. We could go on to the date and nothing could have been more perfect.

I stood up and walked to the door. What I didn't expect were the blue eyes that I met right after I opened it. He tensed went he saw me.

"Hey—uh—I figured you'd be here." I could see the regret in his eyes and decided to play him a little bit.

"Oh, how so?" My arms are folded now. I tried to put the most menacing expression I could muster.

"I heard the piano."

I raised an eyebrow. "How could you be so sure it wasn't the Queen playing?"

"I saw her in the garden when I was looking for you," gone was the regretful eyes, he was now smiling mischievously at me, "besides, it was terrible."

My walls broke and a small smile escaped my lips. I dropped my hands and started to say my apologies,

"Listen, I—"

"Eady, I'm—"

We stopped abruptly and I almost laughed at the silliness of it. He opened his mouth to say something, but it was my fault, so I beat him to it. "Listen, I'm sorry for what I did—and said—back in your room. I should've understood. I mean, I know what it feels like to have an idea in your head and not being able to put it on papers. I was—am—selfish, I know that. But I thought maybe that has changed since the Selection started. Apparently," I let out a resigned breath, "It hasn't."

There was an awkward silence. I was going to say something to fill it when he suddenly spoke.

"You shouldn't be sorry. It's not your fault. I should've put you first. It was really stupid of me to even forget we were supposed to have a date this morning. And no, you're not selfish. You even thinking about this at all proves that you're no longer a selfish and obnoxious girl you once were, Eady." His blue eyes were piercing into mine. It was like he was begging me to forgive him while also trying to make his way into my heart. Why should I forgive him? He wasn't even at fault.

"Do you still have that design of mine? I saw you left the room with it crumpled in your hand. It wasn't finished, but I've done the rough sketches." I hadn't even noticed leaving his room with it. Turned out, I had subconsciously put it inside my trousers' pocket on the way to the Women's Room. It was nothing more than a sad crumpled ball of paper now. He took it and began to unfold it slowly and carefully. He pressed it to the Women's Room door and began ironing it with his hands. He kept the paper there with his hands and I began to notice his design. I could see rough squares and lines.

"Can you see what it is?" I shook my head.

He chuckled and my heart fluttered a little bit, "It's a swimming pool." I gaped him. I couldn't believe it. "Remember when I said that somehow, everything that I designed lately is always revolved around you?" I nodded, remembering his words when we were walking through the garden at night two weeks ago. It felt like a lifetime ago. "Well, I just remembered that you've been wanting to go to the beach for ages, yet it has never come true. So, I had this idea on breakfast, why bother going to the beach, when you could just bring the beach here?" I must be smiling like an idiot because he chuckled for the second time.

He motioned me closer to see the design and he started pointing things to emphasize what he said, "See this big square? It's the main pool, I'm going to design it so it'll have this slide-like floor that goes further down when you get in, just like the beach." Somewhere during his explanation about waves and sand, I was no longer paying attention to his words. I kept looking at him, he was so passionate and focused he didn't even notice me not noticing. It was endearing.

Somehow, somewhere during his lecture about that pool of his, we had become extremely close. The air between us was filled with a pleasant kind of electricity. He slowly folded the paper and put it in his pocket. When he was done, he turned to me and reached out to brush a stray lock of hair behind my ear. I smiled up at him when he pinched the tip of my nose teasingly. "You weren't listening, were you?"

"I was!" He raised an eyebrow, clearly not believing what I said, I pouted, "Fine, I wasn't." He chuckled.

Kile's left hand had made its way to my lower back and now he was pulling me into him. I closed my eyes, waiting for the kiss that was bound to come. Instead, I heard him whisper in my left ear, "Do you forgive me, then?"

I smirked, leaned back, and looked at his hopeful eyes. This guy really had a talent for bringing the mischievous Eadlyn out of me. I snaked my arms around his neck. He instinctively used both hands to shorten the gap between us. I leaned in and stopped just before our lips met, his lips parted and I could see the torture I've put him in. I kissed his jaw, his neck, all the way to the skin under his right ear, where I knew would put him into complete misery. I could feel his heart beating so hard on my chest and the occasional moans and groans every time my lips touched his skin. Then, I whispered huskily into his ear, "Depends on how you behave on our date tonight. In my room."

He groaned in frustration and I let him kiss me until my body is heated with delight and joy and all fond feelings that I had toward this blonde boy.