Chapter 9
Haley approached the balcony one morning the next week and was surprised to see Nathan already eating his breakfast. She observed him for a few minutes. He was leaning back in the chair, reading a book while sipping from coffee. He also took the occasional nibble of what was left of his three-egg omelette.
He seemed happy and relaxed. Looking at him appear so comfortable, it was hard for her to believe that this was a man who had just learned that his wife was a foreign spy hired to get close to him and marry him. She took a deep breath, opened a door and walked onto the balcony. She took her seat across from him and after a few seconds, he acknowledged her with a small smile.
"You're up early," she commented. He rolled his eyes and nodded.
"I've never been much of an early riser but for some reason, I woke up before the sun had come up and couldn't get back to sleep. I've been awake ever since," he replied.
"So you were having trouble sleeping?" she asked innocently. He eyed her and held her gaze for a minute. A flicker of uncertainty flashed through his eyes and he looked down at his book again.
"No," he replied a short while after.
"What's wrong, Nathan?" Haley asked, dropping all pretences.
"What makes you think anything's wrong?" he asked. Haley poured herself some water and took a sip.
"Oh, I don't know. Maybe the fact that you just admitted that you haven't slept well. Maybe the fact that you won't meet my gaze," she said. He looked up from his book and pointedly met her gaze. Haley almost laughed at the annoyance he was directing at her. She took a bite of her toast as he returned his attention back to his book. "Perhaps it's the fact that you've been reading the same page in that book since I walked through the door."
He snapped his book shut and put it down on the table. He cleared his throat. "I'm not accustomed to being told what I'm feeling before admitting it," he said.
"I know," she said. He glared at her. She suppressed the smug smile that was tugging at her mouth. "But I know how to read people."
"Well, stop reading me. It's annoying," he ordered. Nathan had been staying in Toraan for almost three weeks now and Haley had come to know him well. She knew about his quirks and also things that annoyed him. He absolutely hated the idea that someone could know when something was bothering him when he was well known for his ability to shield his emotions.
"Maybe you should stop trying to pretend that something isn't bothering you and I won't have to," she said simply. Another glare.
"Nothing is bothering me," he said a few seconds later.
"Highness," Brooke said as she came to the door. She looked at her princess carefully. Haley gave her a slight nod, telling her that it was okay if she entered.
"What is it?" Haley asked. Brooke glanced at Nathan before he lifted his attention to her as well.
"Your parents are hereā¦" she started to tell Nathan but then trailed off. She sighed. "What exactly am I suppose to address you as?"
"Sir, Prince Nathan, whatever," he replied sharply.
"Someone's cranky today," Brooke remarked boldly before averting her gaze away from the glare that she knew Nathan would be throwing her way.
"Did you just say his parents were here?" Haley asked. Brooke nodded.
"I'll be down in about fifteen minutes," he said.
"Aren't you done eating?" Brooke asked. He nodded.
"So why can't you go now?" Haley asked.
"Because I'm going to need another cup of coffee if I'm going to see them," he said, looking only at Haley as he noticed a gleam in her eyes.
"Okay then," Brooke said sarcastically as she left again.
"So that's what's got you so wound up," Haley said.
"Your handmaiden speaks quite freely," Nathan remarked. Haley chuckled.
"Always has," she said in amusement.
"And you just let her get away with it?" Nathan asked. There was a slight hint of disapproval in his voice.
"Brooke has been with me my whole life. Besides my parents, she's been the one constant. She may have a big mouth but she does know when to keep it shut," Haley said.
"All right," he said. Haley leaned forward and looked at him. "What?"
"And you said I was good at avoiding an issue," she said.
"What are you talking about?" he asked.
"The way you dodged my comment about what's bothering you by ridiculing Brooke and my leadership," Haley replied.
"I was not ridiculing your leadership. I was merely stating an observation," he insisted.
"And you were careful to emit enough disapproval so that I would latch onto your attack. I have to congratulate you on such a clever little ruse but don't think for one second that I've forgotten about your obvious discomfort about your parents' sudden visit," she said.
"It's hardly sudden since they called me and asked if I was up to seeing them," he said.
"But you are uncomfortable about seeing them," she stated. He nodded in admittance. "Why?"
"They've probably come to ask why I'm still here and what I found out about Sienna," Nathan said.
"You haven't told them yet?" Haley asked.
"I told them that she wasn't who I thought she was and that's all," Nathan replied.
"And you don't want to tell them that you were duped," Haley said. Another statement.
"My father already lost most of his faith in me after I married a simpleton. He'll never respect me again once he learns that I fell in love with a spy," Nathan said.
"So don't tell him," Haley said.
"I have to," he said.
"Why?" Haley asked.
"Because my father is a king and kings are given the utmost respect in Polar. They are never lied to especially by their own sons," Nathan replied.
"And you really think that your father has always told you the truth?" she asked, arching an eyebrow in scepticism.
"It's not my place to question him," Nathan said.
"There's a 'no' if I've ever heard one," Haley commented.
"It doesn't matter if he's never told me the truth a day in his life. It doesn't give me the right to lie to him," Nathan said.
"What did he lied to you about?" she asked. He looked at her and for a second, he seemed to want to tell her but he quickly shook his head.
"It doesn't matter. It's ancient history," Nathan replied.
"It's something huge, isn't it?" she asked.
"Just drop it," Nathan said, looking at her. She returned his gaze with defiance but then his gaze grew intense and almost pleading. She looked down and nodded.
"Fine," she relented.
"Thanks," he said and smiled in relief.
He got up and exited, leaving a shell shocked Haley sitting at the table, staring at her food in disbelief.
Something's happening, a voice told her. She never backed down from discovering a secret because some prince had asked her to. She had never cared about someone's feelings when it came to uncovering the truth about a scandal.
But when she looked in Nathan's eyes, she could see an overwhelming vulnerability in his gaze that touched her and that never happened. He returned a few seconds later and offered his hand to her.
"Aren't you coming?" he asked. Haley looked at him, instantly forgetting about the revelation she had been so close to realizing.
"Sure," she said without a second thought and accepted her hand. He pulled her up and kept holding her hand as they walked into the throne room to greet his parents.
