Another tap and three more followed that one, my will and drive to not let Zander in my room was slowly waning. He was still outside my window waiting for me to open it but after everything that had happened today I really didn't want to face him.

First he basically admitted to loving me out in the garden, a proclamation that made me cringe and regret everything, and then the rebels attacked us and I had been forced to hide in my bathroom for what had seemed like hours. I had been here at the palace, a beautiful place, and was already missing my small run down home. I wanted to be back with Stanton working on the gardens. I missed the routine days where no one judged me, at least not up close to me. I missed the smile on Tonisha's face when I picked her up without her knowing. I hoped the little ones were learning everything they could, and soon money would be sent to them and maybe we could afford more food and more sunblock. I hoped Shane wasn't sunburnt to bad, one time it resulted in a trip to the hospital when his skin broke out in boils. The poor boy was in so much pain, I remember how hard he cried.

Another tap came and my resolve was gone along with my regret of not being home, they could afford sunscreen with me being here, I wrapped the pale blue nightgown across my body. The thin material was not going to keep me warm from the outside chilly air, I was already shaking from the cold and my fears.

I slowly pulled open the curtains which were closed during the attack, Zander wanted to distract me and later laughed at me for closing them. The memory, though it had happened just a few hours ago, hit me hard and made me almost smile to myself. Even under attack he cracked a joke and remained calm.

I realized I had been standing there for not a whole minute, but longer than I should have been. On my balcony the strawberry blond hair boy stuffed his hands in his uniform pockets, all his weight had been shifted on his right foot. His beautiful face stared at me with the slightest grin. He looked like a painting, the man on the balcony.

Reaching over the handle on the huge window doors I unlatched the lock, immediately he pulled it open and stepped inside. Zander closed the door fast behind him so barely a breeze of cold air escaped into my room.

"You look healthy, Miss Arista." He said gentlemanly but still with a smile on his face.

"I am the epitome of health, person who may or may not be Prince Zander." In case he actually was Zander, I gave him a small curtsey. Afraid of what it may look like to him if he truly was the prince. Even after everything that happened today my one main concern still remained the same, who was this mysterious guard? (Oh, I was also concerned that I hadn't met with Aspen. But right now that was far from my mind).

"I guess I should explain to you," Zander sat down on the edge of my bed. Almost lost in thought he added on very quietly to himself, "but then I would be breaking the rules."

"The rules? I swear, if I get in trouble because of you I will-" I stopped, I had no threats. I was a seven. I couldn't ruin a reputation, I couldn't use money or power. What could I possibly threaten him with?

As if he read my mind he began to laugh before he stated, "You will do what? I'm a ticklish person. You could always tickle me to death."

I crossed my arms in front of my chest and looked at him seriously, "I could. I tickle my brother all the time. I am quite the expert."

Zander stood up and got near me, looking me over once before smiling with a larger grin, "You need some rest, Arista. Tomorrow you are going live with an interview, remember?"

A moment of silence passed between the two of us. The moon glowed just outside the balcony door and shined into my room. A few crickets chirped outside and made the mood seem even more mysterious yet enchanting.

"You have yet to explain to me." I finally broke the silence.

"Hmm, well. I suppose I can tell you this," He lifted his head towards the ceiling, obviously thinking about how to word what he was about to say. "I can't break too many rules, but you deserve an explanation. So, here it goes."

And with one deep breath he was about to explain the situation when he started laughing really hard. "There-" Before he could even make a second word he started to laugh again. Crumpling over in his nice guards uniform, his head faced the floor as he held his stomach. "I'm fine, really!" He said before laughing again.

After another minute he met his dark brown eyes to my crystal clear blue eyes, he wiped away a tear that fell from his eye during his laughing fit. "It can't be that funny." I said solemnly. I was started to get annoyed with my mysterious guard.

"Okay, fine." He straightened himself out, "I may or may not be the prince," I opened my mouth to protest but he raised his hand to stop me, "I have a doppelganger, you see. Once upon a time the prince grew up very lonely as an only child. At age 18 a guard started at the palace who kept on getting mistaken to be the prince. When the two met they hatched a plot to be best friends and work together during the Selection."

Arista didn't quite understand what he was saying and it was written plainly on her face.

"To put it. I may or may not be Zander. We set rules together about how our own little game in the Selection would go. And I am not to tell you who exactly I am. I will tell you that I was not the one who pulled you in the garden today. That was the other Zander who thought it would be hysterical. He was kind of messing with you, which I thought was funny except he was posing as me so you think I told you that I loved you."

Arista finally was starting to understand what was happening, but to be clear she decided to ask him some rapid fire questions, "What is the other name of the person involved?"

"I don't want to tell you that."

"And you may or may not be the prince?"

"I could be royalty or I could be the guard. Depends."

"And why are you doing this?"

"So we both find love." Zander answered these last few questions without missing a single beat. The smile on his face didn't even fade now.

"Get out." I heard my own voice saying to Zander. I pointed my index finger towards the window where he would have usually come from.

He stuffed his hands in his guard's coat pockets and stepped towards me even closer than he already was, a more thin smile spread across his face, "Admit it, it's pretty funny." He stepped another inch closer to me and I pulled the pale blue night gown across my body even more, suddenly aware of the little clothing I had on.

"Not funny. You had me believing that you confessed your love to me today! That's way too early to confess! I know I am charming, but-" and suddenly I found myself laughing and so was Zander. It wasn't the normal cute laugh, it was the kind of gut clenching laughing where you have to bend your body forward to hold yourself.

"So, are we good?" He asked after about five minutes of us just laughing at each other. His eyes searched my face for any sign of expression, he was trying to read me.

"It's pretty funny. But, honestly, how can I trust what you say is true?"

In the last five minutes I had learned that there were two people within the palace who looked just like Prince Zander. They had decided to make the process of finding a princess even more interesting by playing their own secret game with their own rules. I could see why he was laughing so hard earlier, not only was it amusing but it was adding another dimension, a secret dimension, to the already ridiculous game of the Selection process. I found it funny myself but still felt very uncomfortable in the presence of the guard Zander, because I had no clue who he truly was.

"Tomorrow night, both of us will visit you wearing a guards uniform. I can promise you won't be able to tell the difference. Then you will have to trust me."

"What happens if one of the girls falls for the guard Zander? It is treason, is it not?" Suddenly their game wasn't funny anymore. In fact, I was terrified. I was starting to gain feelings for the sarcastic side of Zander, though apparently both could be fools and play pranks, but I did not want to commit treason.

"We have our ways. It will be perfectly safe." The smile on his face seemed different now, it was more sly than before. He picked me up off my feet and into his arms, suddenly he flung me to my bed. I landed in the middle of my bed, the sheets ruffling underneath my sudden weight. Before I knew it Zander was heading back towards the window.

"It is time for you to sleep. Tomorrow night you will believe me, without a doubt. I can be assured though that you won't be telling anyone of our secret?"

"You can always count on the seven." I stated as I sat up in bed to watch him go.

"You aren't just a seven, Arista. You are so much more and I can't wait to get to know you. Of course, you need to figure out who you are first."

And with those wise words he slipped outside the door and down the balcony. I racked my brain to think of all the differences I have seen in the Zander's these last few days. The night guard Zander and the first time I met the Prince were two different people, but they looked all too similar. Telling them apart would mean extensive details needed to be taken. Tomorrow I would write down every attribute, mannerism, and smile. I would be the one to tell them apart. I will be the one to play their game in a way they were not expecting.

After all, if I did know one thing about myself, it was that I don't play by rules and I always am an exception to the rules.