Chapter 10: Scandal
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After the princes left, I showered and changed. I felt refreshed again and ready to work and I must make sure to keep my health in top condition this time round. I went to the library and peaked inside and saw Zain sitting down working away at my paperwork. He looked so different from how he usually was. His legs stretched out under the table, and his face contorted with deep concentration. Occasionally, he would mutter to help him think and come up with a solution.
"Checking him out aren't you?"
I turned round to see Theo leaning against the wall smirking at me.
"I-I was not!", I whispered flushing.
"Why are you whispering? Do you want Zain to do all your work?"
"No! That wasn't what I meant!"
Theo laughed.
"I think you should ask him to help you do the work, I mean, then you won't have to work yourself to death."
I looked bewildered and then looked down.
"He is my butler. To ask him to help with the political matters of my country would be too much...even if I wanted to"
"...I want to help you, your majesty"
I jumped in surprise and turned round to see Zain had come out and faced me. It was the first time in 6 months that we had eye contact. His eyes showed deep concern for me.
"I...can't ask you to do that..."
"I am your butler. I am here to serve you and I have paid close attention on how you attend to your duties. I am capable of doing at least half of your workload and I speak personally, I worry about you. I do not want you to exhaust yourself otherwise how can you serve your country with ill health?"
I went silent and began thinking. I mean all the other princes have butlers that help with their paperwork…so why not? It's not like Zain would ever betray and sign something stupid.
"Very well. Zain, please help me with my royal duties"
He smiled.
"It would be my greatest honour, your majesty"
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After the following days with Zain by my side, we managed to get faster and faster at completing my duties. It was strange seeing him work with me, discussing country matters and coming up with new ideas. In a way, I enjoyed the company that he gave and sometimes I thought that he was the King consort and I was the Queen discussing matters. It was my own secret fantasy and it felt like the only time I got to see the Zain who once loved me. He expressed his opinions so eloquently and they were usually brilliant, I got to see ideas improved and the assistants now had more work than me had.
Tonight, Nobel Michel was holding an Autumn Ball and had invited various nobles and their families. He had told us that it allowed the princes to improve their contacts and meet potential marriage partners. Prince Wilfred and Prince Roberto already had fiancés although they claimed that it was a match of convenience and had not been announced yet to the public.
I finished my work about 5pm and then headed to my room where the maids dressed me. I wore a purple kimono with black roses etched onto the fabric. I had a trail and the dress flowed, my hair was tied up into a bun and pink roses were placed in my hair. It was common in Xerxes to wear a kimono to such parties but it was the first time that I could attend the party as a princess.
As I stood in front of the mirror ensuring my appearance was perfect, there was a gentle knock on the door.
"Come in"
Zain appeared in his usual butler apparel and bowed.
"The party is about to begin. Nobel Michel requests your appearance in the hall. Are you ready?"
I picked up by dress slightly and began to walk to the door.
"Yes, I'll come now. And Zain...?"
"Yes, your majesty?"
"How do I look?"
Zain smiled and for a moment, I saw his real personality and not the butler.
"You look beautiful"
I had not expected such words from him and blushed slightly. I began to walk towards the hall and Zain went off to attend to other duties.
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When I arrived in the hall, it was brimming with 200-300 guests. I spotted the princes as they were apart, each socializing with either nobles or chatting to the noble girls that seemed to be attracted to them like bees to pollen. I gave a small smile as Prince Wilfred walked towards me. He bowed eloquently and gently took my hand lightly kissing it.
"You look beautiful, Princess Anna"
"Thank you, Prince Wilfred. You don't look bad yourself", I joked.
He smiled. Thank God. I looked back at the hall and gazed at the familiar sight. Nobles milling about conversing about useless matters or trying to get the princes attention. Keith occasionally yelling at Luke for knocking over the display of armour for the fifth time this year. Prince Roberto sweet talking some innocent noble until she fainted. Joshua drinking…yeah drinking - that alcoholic prince.
"It's like when we first met, is it not?", commented Prince Wilfred.
"Yes. I remember you asked me and I couldn't because I didn't know how to ballroom dance"
"I find it funny how you know ballet yet don't know how to ballroom dance"
"I guess...living as a commoner...I never got the opportunity to do so. My dancing was pretty awful back then, wasn't it?", I smiled embarrassed.
"I thought it was cute"
I stared back at him surprised trying to absorb what he had just said to me…What did he say? Did he really say what I thought he said?
Before I could even ask, several girls went up to Prince Wilfred and began talking to him. I sighed. The princes are always popular so they can't be in my company tonight. I began talking to several noble families about becoming a princess and customs in Xerxes. A few young nobles ask me to dance with them which I accepted gratefully.
"Perhaps, we could dance again?", said Lord Harvard, a blond aristocrat.
"Even though I was so inexperienced?", I responded lightly. I had stumbled and trodded on his feet a couple of times.
"It's not issue at all, your highness! I would like to dance with the Princess and to get to know you more..."
Another man with black hair came up and kissed my fingertips.
"Surely not! I have been waiting all night to find the time to dance with the Princess"
"Princess! I could be your romantic knight in shining armour, please can I come and whisk you off your feet"
Eventually, more and more men joined and I began to feel a little claustrophobic.
Surely I couldn't be this popular
I could guess the idea of being associated with a princess of Xerxes might be beneficial. But I had no interest in dating somebody who was only interested in my name. As a crowd began to gather, I walked to the food area and they promptly followed asking for dances or a chance to chat. I looked around to see whether I could escape. I saw Prince Wilfred beginning to walk towards me as well as Prince Roberto and Prince Edward with a look of worry.
I can't get them involved. It could lead to bad scandals. I need to do something where it will only affect me.
I spotted Maid Hannah setting down some refreshments on the table and an idea popped into my head.
"I'm do apologize my dear nobles, I have a confession to make..."
The young noble men went quiet and the princes stopped in surprise at my words.
"I have actually someone I really love already...", I said fluttering my eyes and sighing theatrically.
Acting skills. Acting skills.
"Is it one of the princes?" shouted a noble.
"It must be Prince Wilfred. He was the first she went up to"
"Surely not! Prince Edward as he always treats her with such kind words"
"He treats everyone right, what nonsense are you spouting about?"
"Ahem", I coughed.
"It is someone who is so fair and has caught my heart", I sighed theatrically. I grabbed Maid Hannah's hand and looked into her eyes. She looked so bewildered at my expression that I had to bite my tongue not to laugh.
"Y-you can't mean-"
"I don't believe it!"
I whispered into Maid Hannah's ear
"I will make this up to you but I really need these lords to leave me alone".
I cupped her face and kissed her lips. Actually, they were quite soft and the first time I kissed a girl but I was determined not to let the princess get involved. Maid Hannah was in Noble Michel so she would be protected. I could hear the Lords in an uproar and I smiled innocently. At least they would leave me along tonight and stop asking about marriage proposals and whatnots. I spotted in the corner of my eye in the garden at Theo who was pissing himself laughing.
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After the party ended, I took a deep breath in the garden. I felt more relaxed now since most noble families left me alone after the incident. I breathed in the cool air and stared at the luminous moon. The wind felt nice at nights and I could hear the grasshoppers singing their song. To admire views like this was surely a blessing when I wasn't surrounded by work and came close to the time I discussed matters with Zain. It's funny. That man actually ended up making me like work. I thought back to the earlier night, should I perhaps have approached it differently?
"That was rather an impressive way of breaking many of the noblemen's hearts in there..."
I spun around in surprise to see Prince Wilfred looking incredibly amused with me.
"Ack! You scared me Prince Wilfred!"
"I do apologise. May I join you?"
I smiled gently.
"I'm not doing very much. I am just admiring the moon and enjoying the wind"
We fell into a comfortable silence listening to the grasshopper's song.
"I admire you"
I looked at Prince Wilfred surprised and waited for him to continue.
"You have such a large kingdom and even though you are not used to the workload, you worked yourself so hard that you fell ill"
"I-I just want to do the best that I can for my people", I said waveringly.
"...And you always thought about others too. Even in there [he pointed at the hall], you were thinking of the princes and I. You didn't want to cause any scandals"
It was like he was reading my thoughts.
"H-how did you know?"
"You can be easy to read. I know you too well as a friend", smirked Prince Wilfred.
I looked away embarrassed and when my flush went away, I was about to reply to Prince Wilfred to find him inches away from my face.
"I thought I could tell you. That if you so wished...I would so like to be more then friends. I say this not because you are a princess but because I have always liked you from the moment I met you in that hall when Prince Edward brought you..."
I opened my mouth in surprise.
"Prince Wilfred..."
"Let me continue. I know very well about your relationship with Zain and I have no intention of interfering. However I cannot stand by and watch you get hurt again and again each day because he feels unworthy of you. I have spent so much more time with you since we first met and I began to fall more in love with you..."
I said nothing. How could I?
He leaned in and kissed my forehead softly.
"I may not hear your answer today. I will tell you that I am waiting till you are ready or if you decide that you do not want to be alone anymore...Sweet Dreams Princess Anna"
He then turned around and walked back into the castle leaving me in a muddle of my own thoughts. I sighed.
Little did I realise that an unwanted guest had viewed this scene of ours and it was about to bring about storms.