Chapter 6

"Miss Waldorf," began Carver St. James, I do hope you don't think I'm being presumptuous, but I'm sure we both know the reason I called you here tonight."

Blair bit her lip nervously and began speaking quickly, "Mr. St. James, I know you think I'm just a distraction for Prince Louis but I care about him very deeply. I want nothing more than to marry him and serve the people alongside him. I know you might feel that I wouldn't be able to handle the royal duties that comes with being a princess and the wife of a future king but I can assure you that I've grown to love this country."

"I am a very good judge of character Miss Waldorf. I think you're more interested in playing dress up rather than taking a serious role in government," St. James snarled back.

"Well you know what, it doesn't really matter what you think. Louis proposed to me, Princess Sophia gave us her blessing, and Louis was granted permission to marry me and STILL be king. So I highly doubt you'll really take you seriously. So I really don't care what you think of me or think you know of me," Blair spewed out with clenched fists.

"Now, now Miss Waldorf. I may have underestimated you, but I still don't think you're worthy of being the future queen of Monaco. But do you truly love His Royal Majesty or do you love the idea of him?" asked St. James in hushed tones.

Blair grew sick to her stomach. It was question she asked herself every day; was just loving Louis enough? Yes, she did love him. But she didn't get any butterflies when he walked into a room. And you know when you are crazy about someone and then someone else mentions their name and you start smiling uncontrollably? She didn't do that. Maybe it was nerves about the wedding. After all, she was making a major change in her life. She wasn't just becoming a wife, she was becoming a princess. She was moving somewhere NOT in America! What she and Louis had was "comfortable." She knew what to expect. Blair noticed St. James staring at her.

"Miss Waldorf? Are you quite all right? You don't look too well" said St. James with his eyebrows raised. Secretly, he was smiling to himself. This girl was having doubts about Louis. It was obvious that with some counseling, this girl would leave Louis on her own.

"Yes, yes Mr. St James. I apologize. I was up late last night until about 3:00 a.m. and I think I've developed a slight headache" responded Blair. Yes, that's what it was. She was thinking irrationally because she was suffering from lack of sleep.

"Staying up until 3:00 in the morning is inappropriate behavior for a princess-to-be. Pray tell, what were you doing?" sniped St. James.

"I am reading a book! What? Are you going to accuse me of treason? Would you like me to fetch Dorota as a witness? I'll happily oblige if that's what it takes to quell your concerns" Blair said back hotly.

St. James scoffed and replied, "You don't strike me as the literate type. What were you reading at that hour? Harry Potter?" St. James burst out into deep belly laughs.

Blair felt like she was losing her mind. St. James was being so insufferable. Couldn't he see that she was Blair Waldorf? It's not like she was Serena. She was actually well-bred AND intelligent. Quickly without realizing it, she quickly blurted out the name of Dan's book. Immediately, her eyes opened wide. She hadn't wanted to bring up Dan and his book. Blair was trying so hard to forget the words she had read.

Silently, she groaned to herself. With her eyes closed, the pages seemed to flash before her eyes. She saw words and phrases like, "she satisfies me completely," "it hurts me when I see in her pain, it hurts when I see her settling with men who cause her pain," "she has completely changed my life," "every other girl, even Sabrina, pales in comparison with her," and "Davis' love for Bethany was a unexpected, yet thrilling journey, a journey that starts at forever and ends at never."

"INSIDE? I loved that novel! It was so beautifully well written! The author captured his characters' emotions so well! Right away I knew from the first chapter that Davis would fall in love with Bethany in the end and see Sabrina as she truly was! My favorite aspect of the book was that he left the ending open-ended. It's quite boring when authors give you a clear painted ending. The way Davis Hunter ended the book was brilliant! It allows the reader to create their own ending," squealed St. James, "and besides, in my head Davis and Bethany end up together in the end" he continued, with a wink.

Blair's eyes widened in surprise. "Hmm," thought Blair, "Princess Sophia was right when he said he was a fanatic of American literature." She was trying not to laugh in his face because he sounded so much like a Twilight-loving middle school girl.

Blair knew this the moment to impress St. James; she would have him eating out of the palm of her hand. She began twirling a piece of her perfectly blow-out hair and leaned forward towards St James. Biting her lip, she whispered, "Do you want to know a little secret? I actually know the author; he's a close personal friend of mine and a former classmate." Seeing a look of admiration flash across St. James' face, Blair knew he had finally warmed up to her.

"B-b-but, how can that be? The author had a pen-name" said St. James.

"Well since the book was basically an expose, my friend Dan Humphrey wanted to publish it anonymously," started Blair. She knew there was nothing better than gossip to cement a newly minted friendship so she continued on, "Dan is brilliant. He's always been a great author but he made the fatal mistake of having his friends and characters' names start with same letter. Get it? Davis Hunter? Dan Humphrey? Sabrina Vivian Wendt? Serena Van Der Woodsen? It's obvious."

St. James scoffed. He can't believe he had allowed himself to be fooled by this snarky little girl who was pretending to play princess. "That sounds like a theory you just made up right now. Do you honestly think I'm that gullible?"

Blair quickly said, "Mr. St. James, I can assure you I would never do that. I happen to know because I knew he was writing the book! And besides, it was all over Gossip Girl that Dan revealed a lot of secrets from the UES." She had lied about knowing about the book but what St. James didn't know wouldn't hurt him.

"What is Gossip Girl? Is that that insipid crude blog that Prince Louis wanted banned here in Monaco because it showcases why you are unfit to be a princess?" said St. James.

Her frustration was growing. She just couldn't win with this guy. Before she could open her mouth, St. James jumped in again.

"Miss Waldorf….I know you've had a past and I'm still going to keep my eye on you but I think you have potential. You're like a rough stone that has to be polished. But, if you have distinguishable friends like Mr. Dan Humphrey, then there's hope for you yet. May I ask you a personal question?" asked St. James.

Blair restrained from rolling her eyes. After a whole night of asking anything he pleased, it was interesting he choose to finally ask permission to ask a question. "Yes," she replied meekly.

"What happened with you and Mr. Humphrey?" asked St. James. Short and to the point.

Blair had definitely not expected that. She choked on her crème brulee and looked up and him in surprise. A lady-in-waiting quickly rushed to her side to offer her a napkin and hand her a glass of water. "What?" she asked in a high pitched voice.

"Well if what you say about the initials is true, then that means Bethany Walden would be Blair Waldorf," St. James sincerely asked without sarcasm.

"In all honestly, Dan never said anything to me about loving me, or even seeing me as more than a friend. I think Dan wrote it just to have well-written ending," said Blair.

"Maybe he tried to tell you but you couldn't hear him," said St. James gently. A wistful look appeared over his face. "Blair," he said, "take it from someone who lost the love of his life due to fear, sometimes it's hard to tell a woman you love and desire her when she is with someone who can offer her everyone the former can't."

"Are you talking about Princess Sophia?" Blair asked gently.

A sorrowful smile passed on St. James' face. He swallowed before he answered and asked Blair how she knew.

"Mr. St. James, I've seen you watch her. I've seen you mesmerized when she runs her fingers through her hair. I've seen you light up when she walks into the room," Blair said.

"I loved –and still love –Sophia. She was my best friend growing up. When King Albert was growing up, he refused to do the traditional home-schooling that a prince of Monaco usually receives. But his protection was in peril if he attended a public –or even private –school. But Albert usually got his way and his parents ending up forming a small school at the palace, with about 10 other children from families from prestigious families. That's how Albert and I grew so close. When he proposed to Sophia, it tore me apart but I couldn't bring myself to tell her how I felt about her. We had never had a courtship. We had never even shared a kiss or held hands. Who was I to tear her away from becoming a princess? She loved Albert, and still does, even though he has passed away" said St. James.

"I'm sorry," Blair started gently, "I know how it is to love someone and not understand why they don't love you in the right way in return."

"Thank you Blair," smiled St. James sadly, "you are a sweet girl."

"Mr. St. James, can I ask you something? When you said that you knew Davis would fall in love with Bethany from the book's first chapter, what made you think that?" Blair asked nervously while tapping her foot.

"Well, I think it was a true love story. I'm not a believer of love at first sight because it seems very superficial to me. That describes Davis' and Sabrina's relationship. I believe true love is something that grows. Davis saw Bethany as everything he hated about high-class New York society epitomized into a single girl but he saw that she didn't become like that because she was naturally a bad person, she became that why because she had a mother who tore her self-esteem apart, a best friend who valued their friendship because she knew Bethany couldn't top her, a first love who didn't value her for who she was, and a great love who tore her apart," said St. James.

"And Blair….don't think he used that ending as entertainment. He just wrote what he wished would have happened," St. James said gently, as if he were speaking to his own daughter.

"It sounds as if you're trying to make me rethink my engagement to Louis," said Blair skeptically.

"Blair…I just don't want you to end me like me; a man married to a woman he doesn't really love because he lost his true love. Whether you end up with Prince Louis, Dan Humphrey, or that dreadful Calvin Buckner, I just want you to choose someone for you, stressed St. James.

Blair and St. James finished their dinner silently. When Blair rose from the table, St. James quietly walked over to her and kissed her gently on the cheek and brushed away a strand of hair off her face and walked quietly out of the room.

After taking a few moments to gather her thoughts, Blair walked to her room. When she entered, she found her bed already turned down and Dorota sitting at the armoire.

"Dorota, you didn't have to wait up for me. I'm sure you want to get back to your husband and baby," said Blair.

"Miss Blair….Dan phoned for you. He is here, in Monaco," started Dorota. Before she could finish, Blair passed out, falling onto her soft and voluminous bed.