This was supposed to be a Chezem chapter, but he hasn't really been cooperating. I tried to be patient with him, but then I finished Lambert's "White Day" side story, so I decided to put Chezem on hold and post a Lambert chapter instead.

Since this was also another one of the first chapters written, it's very long (sorry, couldn't figure out how to break it up!)and an extension of a chapter from Lambert's main story. Obviously, the public relations portion belongs to Solmare, but the rest is mine.

Enjoy!

I wake up with the dawn. It's so early that my body doesn't seem to register that it's awake, and I walk in a zombie-esque way to my closet. I lean against the closet door and stifle a yawn, sleep still calling my name. I should be used to this by now, but I'm not. My job requires it of me too and yet that hasn't made this any easier. I should have just asked for something stupid, like a cheeseburger. He'd think I'm nuts and I'd still be sleeping, seems like a win win situation.

My throat produces some kind of yawn giggle, and I open the closet door. What to wear? I look down at my thin, white satin nightie. Wish I could stay in this, it's comfortable and I look good.

But I can't exactly show up on official royal business looking like I'm trying to get into amateur hour for the Victoria Secret catalogue, so I begin to look through my closet.

The door bursts open. Surprised, I scream and jump away from my closet.

"Hush, that's quite unflattering."

Prince…Mr. Lambert has rushed into my room. I'm wide awake now. Guess today is the day.

He stands in front of me, puts a hand on his hip, and surveys my nightie. "You can't possibly think you can accompany me like that."

I look back down at my nightie. I think about pointing out that I still have a half hour before I'm supposed to meet him, that I'm still getting ready, but if he's going to barge all up in here and start insulting me then he's got another thing coming.

"You're right, what was I thinking? I can't go out like this!" I walk into the closet to the shoe section, grab a pair of white marabou heels (it was a safe bet they were in stock), then walk back out. I set them on the ground and slip them on.

I give a quick clap of my hands. "Okay, I'm ready!"

Immediately, his eyes go downwards. He rubs the back of his head, and for a moment, his cheeks have a hint of rouge on them.

"Well…that's not…exactly…what I meant…" he says, flustered.

I smirk. Oh, this is fun.

Just then, Ivan walks in. He stops when he sees Lambert. "Oh Master Lambert! I thought we were meeting you in the limo." Ivan peeks at me as Lambert snaps out of his trance and turns around to face Ivan. Ivan does not look happy, but I know I don't either.

I throw my hands in the air. "Sure Ivan, come on in! In fact, everyone just come on in! Party up in my room! Don't mind me, I'll just be getting ready for my day!"

Ivan sighs and Mr. Lambert glances back at me. Neither says a word, then Ivan looks over at Mr. Lambert. "Master Lambert, did you come in here without permission?"

Lambert looks annoyed. "And what if I did? She's a commoner."

I glare at him. Not this again. Ivan shakes his head. "This isn't a question of class, it's a question of gender, and it's disrespectful to walk into a woman's room without permission."

I look over at Ivan, shocked. He really took my request to heart! Lambert nods. "You're right, I do tend to be more relaxed around the palace. I should be more careful."

This is him being relaxed? Does he even know what relaxed means?!

Both of them look over and resume staring at me. I slip out of my shoes. "Well if you're just going to stand there, I'm going elsewhere. I'm supposed to be ready to go by 6, right?" I start walking back towards the closet.

Ivan clears his throat. "I'm pleased to see you're already awake Miss."

I pause, and look back at Ivan. "Yes, well, I was told to wake early and so I have." I'm so annoyed I don't even register the fact that he's complimented me.

I glare back at Lambert. "Think of all the sleep I've missed trying to accommodate you! Unlike you, I want to respect everyone's time. Now if you two don't mind, respect mine and leave."

Ivan's eyes widen, and Lambert looks annoyed. "Such impudence. No commoner would dare speak to me as you just have."

I put a hand on my hip and point at myself. "Well, this 'commoner' speaks like that, especially when she's interrupted by men who think they can control her, insult her, then waste her time."

He turns to face me. His eyes could melt an iceberg. "You are insufferable. Did it not occur to you that I might be here for a reason?"

"Of course it did, but…"

"Well, there's no sense in making us late. We'll leave you be."

With that, he turns towards the door and heads out. Ivan watches him leave, then looks back at me.

"It would appear that I am failing in my duties to teach you palace etiquette."

Not this again.

"No Ivan, you're not failing. I just…"

"Yes I am failing, because you can't seem to retain any information I teach you. You continue to be insubordinate, and it's unacceptable."

What?! I'm trying so hard! Why can't he praise me for the good things I've done?

"Ivan, I'm doing my best…"

"You are not. Your best is not speaking to Master Lambert the way you just did, or carrying on in a defensive stance for no reason."

Oh the nerve. "I will not sit idly by and take what he dishes out. Being royal does not give you full reign to treat people however you see fit."

No sooner have the words left my lips when I realize how silly they sound. That's exactly what being royal means in a lot of cases. No wonder Mr. Lambert acts as he does. Although, Mel did say he wasn't always like that, I wonder what happened…

Ivan clears his throat. "I know he can be difficult at times, but this is just as new for him as it is for you. The difference is you are our guest, and while we try to make your stay as comfortable as possible, it is expected that you follows the rules in return. This means treating every host with respect."

He's like a record on skip. I cross my arms. Royal or not, if I am to respect him, he needs to respect me too. "Are you telling me I just need to stand back and take it?"

"No, just find another way to approach the situation that does not involve sarcasm. I know things are different in America and that it can be tough to adjust to life in a new country, so if you start to feel upset, try to think about what it would be like if the shoe were on the other foot."

He'd probably still act like an entitled jerk, but maybe, just maybe, he'd feel like he wasn't up to par. Maybe people would make him feel bad just for being himself.
I chew on this longer. Well, if I can't do it for Mr. Lambert, then I can do it for Ivan. Despite his actions now, he took good care of me yesterday after I got back to the palace; shoot, he even got a little overprotective. He cleaned and redressed my wound, and let me relax. It was sweet, and I owe him.

I nod. "Okay. You're right, I can try harder." I can be sweeter than sugar.

After hastily throwing on a cute, relatively modest outfit (with comfortable but adorable shoes), Ivan escorts me out to the palace front where a limo is waiting. I gasp.

"Is something wrong, Miss?" Ivan asks.

"No sir, I just wasn't expecting to go around in a big limo." Wonder why we're not taking the Rolls Royce?

"It's quite comfortable, I assure you." He opens the door for me. "Make haste, the prince is already inside."

"Thank you." I clamor inside and just kind of plop down. More white, more satin, and I appear to be sitting on white leather seats. The onboard bar could be its own venue. Swanky.

I'm so captivated by the interior that I forget I'm sharing this spacious back area with Mr. Lambert, who is basically sitting right beside me. I'm reminded of his presence when he decides to speak.

"Finally." He surveys me up and down. "Good outfit choice. We shall be busy today, it's good to be comfortable."

He, of course, looks anything but. He's dressed to the nines as usual in his navy suit and white gloves, and he appears to have small diamond studs in his ears. I didn't peg him as a diamond guy, but all the princes seem to have different tastes in jewelry (as Prince Jun so graciously pointed out). He actually wears the studs well, and even his deep scarlet bowtie (or is it a scarf tied in a bow?) is becoming. He can accessorize better than I can.

I survey my outfit. Actually, we kind of match. I'm in a flowy navy dress with a red corduroy cropped jacket over it (it's hot, but I needed to cover my bandage). I wonder if he realizes how similar we look?

"Must you daydream? We'll be at our first stop soon, I suggest paying attention."

I'm about to retort when I remember my promise to Ivan. I'm going to do my best today even if it kills me. I nod. "Yes Mr. Lambert." I smile, though he keeps looking forward. "I'm so excited for today! Where are we going first?"

He looks like he's sitting in church. "You'll see when we get there."

"Oh, okay." I sit back straight and fold my hands in my lap. I am going to be with royalty today in front of crowds, I need to show off what I've learned from etiquette lessons.

"We're in a limo, you may relax. No one is looking at you."

I look back at him. His eyes are still forward. No one at all.

Despite his comment, Lambert is sitting straighter than I am. I'm back to wondering if this man even knows the definition of relax. Oh well, he did say I could relax. I lean back a little. I look at the bar with interest. In the hurry he put me in, I didn't eat anything.

I point to the bar. "May I have a juice box please?"

A puzzled expression comes across his face. "A juice box? You must be joking; I would never carry something so ordinary. Leave it to a commoner to make such a request."

I suppose it did sound a bit silly, but it seemed like an easy and convenient thing to have on hand; it certainly is for me. A juice box would really hit the spot right now. Or, if he insists on talking down to me, perhaps a Bloody Mary.

He leans forward and opens a compartment. He takes out a chilled crystal bottle and tumbler. The bottle contains what looks like honey colored water. He uncorks it and swiftly fills the glass halfway. The bottle is returned, and he extends the glass out to me.

"Here. Try this and see if you'll ever request something as inane as a juice box ever again."

Surprised, I take the glass absentmindedly. "Thank you! You didn't have to do that, I could have gotten it."

"Hmph, have you ever even seen crystal before, let alone touch it? You probably would have dropped them both."

Yeah of course I would. He probably thinks the Jell-O incident was my fault instead of his precious Dania. I bring the glass to my lips and sip. Wow! It's the crispest, sweetest, smoothest white grape juice I've ever tasted. It flows refreshingly over my tongue. Even the crystal tumbler seems to enhance how wonderful it is.

"Mmmm, this is delicious! I love white grape!"

He peers over at me. "Ah, you noticed. This region of the country has world renowned white grapes; we import only the best juice and wine made from them. You're tasting the finest bottle."

World renowned grapes, huh? That must be why wine tasting is a possibility for charm lessons. I smile and sip some more. I want to savor every drop. "I'll never have juice this amazing ever again! I'd love to see the vineyards sometime."

"Well, we'll be passing by them during our events, if you look out the window I'm sure you'll see them."

That wasn't what I meant, but I guess that's just the kind of trip this is. I'm here for business, not pleasure. I sip the juice more.

"There's food too if you're hungry."

I smile a bit too eagerly. "Really? That sounds great!" I lean forward to check.

He puts his arm in front of me. "I'll do it, you'll make a mess."

Yep, it just keeps going. "Right, one doesn't have to pay attention to etiquette when they eat in the palace stables." Oops. He pauses for a moment, then shakily clears his throat. Ha ha, was that his version of a laugh?

He clears his throat with more conviction. "Indeed." He opens another cabinet, takes out a china plate (of course there's china in this limo), then opens a bigger cabinet that turns out to be a mini fridge. There's an abundance of pre-prepared food inside, and he takes out on of the many bowls and puts it on top of the plate. He closes the fridge, and picks up a silver spoon where the plate came from. He hands it over to me.

"Give me your cup, you can have it back when you finish eating."

I hand him the cup and he gives me the plate. I look in awe at this display. Who would have thought one could eat so poshly in a car? The bowl has what appears to be a thick, peach colored soup inside it. It smells sweet. I have no idea what it is.

He looks over at me. "What? That's the most suitable thing for breakfast that's in there."

"I don't know what this is." I haven't the faintest idea.

"It's chilled peach soup."

"Oh sure, I eat that all the time!" I laugh, but he looks serious.

"Do you? Then act like it."

Oh yeah, no sarcasm. This is getting progressively more difficult, and our day has just started. I pick up my spoon and try the soup. I've never had chilled soup before, but once again, it's delicious. I immediately take another spoonful.

"Slowly, you're liable to get a stomachache."

I look over at him. I slowly dip my spoon in the soup, pick it up even more slowly, then take my time putting it in my mouth. After I swallow, I pull it out of my mouth slowly and make sure it's clean. He looks away and brings his hand to his mouth. He's either stifling laughter or a gag, I can't decide which. Either way, it's kinda funny.

"We're almost there."

I look down at my soup. "Okay, where should I put this?"

He waves it off. "You won't be getting out; I'm just going to pop out for a few minutes."

I look out the window. We're in a business district. "Why can't I come? Maybe I can help."

"No, you'll just be in the way. Finish your food while I'm away."

Next thing I know, we're stopping. The door opens, and Mr. Lambert pops right out. I wonder what he's going to do? Where is his bodyguard? Surely people are going to be crazy mad excited to see the prince!

I take advantage of his absence and wolf down the food. I look around for a spot to put it when the driver lowers the window.

"Below the fridge miss, there's a dishwasher."

There's a what what?!

"Oh, thank you!" And, sure enough, the door below the fridge opens into a dishwasher. I don't know how it works, but it's too cool to think about logistics. I put my dishes inside carefully and close the door. It instantly starts a cycle. Will wonders never cease?

I sit back and wait. After some time passes, Mr. Lambert comes back. He's holding two monstrous bags of candy on top of a white box. He sits down, sets the packages on his lap, and the door closes. Once again, we're off.

"That took longer than expected, so many people are out today."

We pull away, and I notice people looking at the limo curiously. "Have to take lots of pictures and sign autographs?"

He glares at me. "You're mistaking me for the British royals you Americans are so fond of. This is a tourist area, so I can essentially hide in plain sight here. No one abroad seems to know my face. Makes outings like these much easier."

I look again at his outfit and think he couldn't possibly hide anywhere, but then again, everyone may have just thought this is a ridiculously good looking man with a huge sweet tooth. I certainly didn't know what the princes looked like until they were in front of me. I can't help but stare at the candy. There's just so much of it.

I start to giggle. He looks at me. "What?"

I motion towards the candy. "Are you planning to eat all of that by yourself?" I start to giggle again. The thought of Mr. Lambert shoveling handfuls of gummy bears and sweet tarts into his mouth is hilarious.

He sighs. "This is not for me, we'll be needing it at our stops. I wanted more but this was all they had."

Well duh, of course it's to share. But still, he looks like a grumpy Willy Wonka right now, and that's pretty funny. I suppress another giggle. I wonder what kind of stop warrants us walking in and making it rain candy.

I continue to study the candy while he stares ahead. "Well, I'm sure it will be plenty. Where are we going?"

He looks down at the candy. "We're going to an orphanage."

An orphanage?! Those still exist in some countries? Well, I guess they kind of do in America too, but I haven't heard that term in forever. I begin to wonder if they do the foster care system here, but it feels too dark to ask, and I feel myself sink into sadness. I feel bad for the kids, but then, I suddenly get super excited. They're going to have such a special day! I wonder if Mr. Lambert sees them often.

I clap my hands. "Kids? Yay! This is going to be so much fun, I love kids!"

He peers over at me. "Do you really?"

"I do, I'm a teacher, remember? It'll be so good to be surrounded by them!"

And then, I get sad again. "The poor little dears," I look at Mr. Lambert, who's studying me. "They must really delight in your visits, you're so kind to do this! It must make them feel so special, and every child deserves to feel that way."

He continues to study me, like he can't decide if I'm lying or not. "That's undeserved flattery. This is just part of my job."

I bow my head. Of course, I can't say anything right. It's depressing to think he's not enjoying this. I enjoy building community, but I guess it's old hat for a prince. Hell, maybe he doesn't even like kids.

Out the corner of my eye, I see him look at the candy, then back at me. "But…maybe you're right, I never thought about it the way you just put it."

I lift my head back up and smile again. The limo stops.

He hands me the box. "Here, take this."

I take it and get out the car with him. The minute we walk out through the front gate, we are surrounded by many smiling, buzzing bodies. They can't get to Mr. Lambert quickly enough.

"Prince Lambert Prince Lambert!" "So good to see you!" "Are all those sweeties for us?!" "Look at me Prince Lambert!"

I realize quickly that they are speaking English. Ah, it's not just the royals, guess this country grows up bilingual, how wonderful!

Mr. Lambert smiles. "It's good to see all of you too. Line up please, there is plenty for all of you."

The kids line up lickity split. Wow, he sure has a way with the kids! Maybe I was wrong. He looks so happy!

As he hands out candy, I look on, smiling. They're all so cute, and even happier than he is.

A little boy approaches me. "You're pretty." He smiles broadly, candy clutched tightly in his hand.

I lean over and smile just as big at him. "Well thank you very much! It's so nice to meet you!"

I extend out my hand, and he shakes with his empty hand. He looks over at Mr. Lambert. "Are you and Prince Lambert married?"

I laugh. Mr. Lambert looks over briefly and keeps smiling. "No honey, Prince Lambert told me how awesome you all are, and I begged to come with him because I wanted to meet you all!"

The boy smiles even bigger, and several other kids surround us. Here come the questions.

"How old are you?" "Do you live in the palace?" "Are you his sister?" "Do you like sweeties too?" "Are you a princess?"

I can't help but laugh and answer them all one at a time while Mr. Lambert continues handing out candy. Before I know it, it's time to go. I'm still holding the white box.

Mr. Lambert looks at it. "Oh yes, how could I forget?" He takes it from me while all the kids run back to their caregiver, all except one little girl he called out to. He opens the box and takes out a little bag.

"I got this especially for you, I hope you like it."

She looks at him like he holds the moon. "You remembered? Thank you so much!"

I remember that I brought along the little camera Ivan gave me. I can't believe I forgot it! I fish it out of my purse and quickly snap a few pictures. My timing was perfect, because she runs away as I finish. I look at the pictures. Reliving the moment melts my heart all over again.

He motions towards the limo. "Come now, we've got more places to visit."

He heads back to the car, box and bag still in tow. He handed out so much, and yet the bags are still pretty full. They're like Mary Poppins bag of infinite size.

I follow him back into the car. We settle in, and off we go.

"Mr. Lambert, that was great! You're so good with kids, they love you so much!"

He shrugs. His smile is gone, and he's back to regular Mr. Lambert. "It's my job to give them things. Public relations is important."

Seeing his usual demeanor is comforting in a way, but also sad to realize it was essentially an act. Did he really not enjoy any of that? I find that hard to believe. It makes me wonder if he ever thinks about what it means to the kids. "Yes, but on the grander scale, you're part of their growing up experience! You give them wonderful memories that they'll keep with them forever. Just think, when they grow up and contribute to this country, they'll think about the men who help rule it, and they'll think fondly of you!"

He looks at me curiously, and it's clear none of this ever occurred to him. "You really enjoyed that, didn't you?"

"How could I not?"

He nods. "The kids were drawn to you and liked you immediately. I suppose commoners feel comfortable around each other, right?"

I can't help but laugh. "Kids just have great intuition; they could probably tell I'm around kids all the time."

"You're probably right. After all, you didn't even have anything for them."

Right, cause commoners only emote for 'things'. "Do you think next time we could bring them books?"

He looks surprised. "Next time?"

"Yes! Oh I know there's a lot of them, so one for every kid might be cumbersome in one trip, but if they have a library you could give them some books to share and maybe even read a story to them and…"

I pause, realizing what he said. "Oh…right." There will be no next time.

He cups a hand under his chin and looks thoughtful. "Why books?"

He's actually interested? "Literacy is important; a strong foundation should be built early on. Besides, the books will be around for a long time…in theory, and are much better for them than candy."

He looks like he's gone deeper in thought. I realize I've insulted him. "Umm, not that there's anything wrong with candy, it's certainly a sure fire way to make a kid happy…"

He holds up a hand. "You know, that's not such a bad idea, I'll have my assistant look more into this." He continues staring out the window.

Wow, he actually liked my idea! Maybe I can get him excited about this, and think of the people as more than a job. I take out my camera. "Do you want to see something adorable?"

He looks over at me. "When a woman says that, it means one has no choice but to look."

I look at the little digital screen as the pictures come to life. "You always have a choice, but in this case the right one would be to look." I bring up the best picture; the little girl is hugging him and he's tenderly patting her head. I hold out the screen for him to see. He gives it a quick, passive glance before looking back at the window. To my surprise, he does a double take and looks at it longer.

"I didn't realize you were taking pictures, it's not proper to do that without permission."

Ah, right, I forgot Ivan said that. "My apologies, I just thought it was a sweet moment." I begin to turn it off.

"I didn't say it wasn't. Give that to Ivan when we get back, I think I should like a hard copy so I can see it better."

Aww, he did like it!

As I put the camera away, I realize he's looking at me again. "Did you have that the other day?"

I hold up my purse. "What, this? This came out of my closet. I've never seen so many clothes and accessories in all my-"

"No, the camera. Did you have that with you the other day?"

I know I look confused. "Ivan gave it to me. He thought I might like to use it if I went sight seeing. You know, since all my stuff was stolen and all. I should take more pictures-"

"So, you didn't take it in the bath room then?"

What is he getting at? "I don't understand."

"You take pictures of me when I'm not looking. If you did so in the bath…"

I'm getting mad. "First of all, you saw everything I had with me," I look down at my chest and realize perhaps he didn't see everything but why get picky? "Second of all, I know you don't think much of me, but I hope you don't think I'd disrespect someone like that!"

He gives me an irritated glance, but he says nothing. He seems to be thinking again. I hope he's thinking about how wrong he was.

"I don't pretend to know why commoners act as they do, so I thought I'd ask." His eyes go soft for a moment. "I was thinking that, perhaps, should I ever need to speak to you again, you can join me again."

I feel myself blush. Nuts, there's not supposed to be anything to blush about. He's making an innocent request, or is it a demand? Or maybe it's not so innocent? I'm not sure. Either way, he wants an answer.

"I thought that was the point of today?"

He shrugs. "Today is your boon, I hope you appreciate it."

I nod. "I do, thank you. I look forward to the rest of the day."

For a moment, it looks like he might smile. It's over in a flash. "I meant if I need to speak with you in the future. You are in charge of picking the future king, I imagine I'll want to talk to you again beyond this. It'd be in my best interest, wouldn't you say?"

"Which part? The bathing or the talking?" I resist the urge to wink. I'm pretty sure he's thinking in platonic terms…pretty sure.

He rolls his eyes. "It's in everyone's best interest to bathe every day. I meant speaking with you; though if every conversation is to be like this, perhaps I'll just forego it." He resumes looking out the window.

I start looking myself; it's the only sightseeing I'll get to do today. "Suit yourself, it's not like I'll have a choice if you summon me."

"That's right. You're a commoner, you're in no place to refuse."

Bah, and we're back to the common thing. It makes me realize he and I haven't discussed why he wants to be king, and I can't believe I only just realized this. "Tell me Mr. Lambert, why do you want to be king?"

He stares at me like I just asked if the sky is blue. "I am a prince, and I was raised to be ready to take my father's place at any moment."

"But so were your brothers, and you all view the crown so differently."

Mr. Lambert dips his head and puts a hand on his forehead. "My brothers…most of them are still too young, they don't need that kind of responsibility upon their shoulders. And Melchiorre…" He glances over at me and I see a darkness in his eyes. "Well, you know how he is. I wish he'd step up more often, stop this frivolous nature of his, but that's just me." He takes his hand down and looks over at me. "You like him a lot though, don't you?"

I do, but by the look in his eyes, I can tell why he thinks that, especially given what he saw at the medal ceremony. I don't want him thinking that. "I'm just starting to get to know all of you, I certainly admire all of you for your service." I stay locked on his eyes, and I get curious about his story; the story Mel wouldn't tell me. "I understand you were on the front lines."

His face transforms, and his eyes grow cold. "I do not want to talk about that, especially not with a commoner."

I should take this as a hint and just shut up, but instead, I continue. "That is your right, I was just curious because Melchiorre said-"

"I am not interested in what my aimless brother told you." He narrows his eyes. "Instead of avoiding the issue, you should have just given a straightforward response to my question, not that the answer isn't obvious now anyway."

I instantly look down at my feet, feeling ashamed for not letting it lie. Crap.

With that, we settle into silence. I don't know what to say. He's clearly upset, and I'd like to make amends, but something tells me that the subject is closed and saying anything else would make it worse.

We make many more stops, and I get out at every one. I smile, I wave, and I help him when he needs help. I'm enjoying myself, but I know he's not, and with every fake smile he gives the more of a burden I feel like I'm being. I also can't tell if he continues to be upset with me. Still, I'm grateful to see him in action.

Our day finally comes to an end. As we sit relaxing in the limo, I notice he looks quite tired. Of course, why shouldn't he? He does stuff like this every day.

"How are you?"

"I'm alright, just another day."

He begins to pull off his gloves. I watch. Big, strong hands seem to run in his family.

I scoot a little closer to him. "You've worked hard today, you must be tired." I put my hand on his shoulder. I don't think he's upset anymore; maybe I can make it better now.

He shoots me yet another annoyed glance. "That's rude."

Or not. "Right," I say, taking my hand down. He probably hates being touched by a "commoner".

He peers at his shoulder then looks back at my hands. "I didn't say to stop."

I look back at him. "Oh?"

"If you wish to help, massage my hands. They're the most tired part of my body." He holds his hands palm up on his thighs. He kind of extends the right one out towards me.

I take his hand in mine. Before I start massaging, I think about what Mel said, how you can learn about someone without saying anything at all. Until we spent time with the children of this nation, I viewed Mr. Lambert as nothing more than a bold, conceited…well, priss isn't the right word but I'm at a loss for a better one. Is that truly what he is, alone or with others, behind a fake smile or genuine solemnity? I gently trace my index finger down his palm. I slowly begin to massage.

"Mmm, that feels good." He says, looking slightly more relaxed. I smile at his hand and keep massaging. I feel him pour into me, like Mel's kindness, Alvah's friendliness, and Jun's assertiveness did. Dynamic, respectful (when it's earned, apparently), diligent…that's the Mr. Lambert I feel and wish I could see more. It also feels like he never takes much time for himself, given how tense these great hands feel.

Soon after, we arrive at the palace. I can't help but feel a little disappointed. I was enjoying the day, seeing his work, and now I'm enjoying seeing another side of him.

Right as the limo stops, he closes his hand around mine. The gesture leaves me surprised and oddly, a little excited. He looks down at our hands. "I like your hands, that was a good massage."

I softly put my other hand on top of ours. "I'm happy to help. Thank you for today Mr. Lambert."

He looks from our hands to me. "Call me Lambert, even Mr. sounds too formal now." He gives my hands a quick squeeze then lets go and gets out. I follow behind. Ivan is there to greet us.

"Good evening, welcome back."

I smile. "Good evening Ivan, good to see you." Lambert gives Ivan a polite nod.

It's night time now, and the sky is crystal clear. I look up. It looks as if the powers that be hung up black velvet and scattered diamonds all over it. It's such a beautiful view.

"What is it?" Lambert asks.

I look back. Lambert and Ivan are watching me. Once again, Lambert looks annoyed, back to normal yet again. I smile at him, I wonder if I can get him to show what I felt. I motion towards the sky.

"Isn't it a gorgeous night? You can see the stars so clearly, it makes the palace come alive with an enchanting sparkle!" I fold my hands together and press them adoringly against my cheek, completely spellbound by the beauty. Lambert raises an eyebrow, and looks up at the sky. He watches for a few seconds before he looks back towards the palace. My smile grows. Does he see what I see?

He looks back at me. "Surely you've seen stars before. If you insist on holding us up over something so mundane, I'm going on without you." He turns to go. The night is too beautiful for me to just let this go. I run up beside him and gently rest my hand on his arm. He looks at me in surprise.

"It's a night of a thousand stars Lambert. Maybe, if we're lucky, stardust will fall from the sky and land in our eyes." I motion back up towards the sky and look upwards. Without thinking, I rest my head against his shoulder. I feel him flinch, but he doesn't pull away.

"You already have too much stardust in your eyes," he says, still walking. "It's late, I'm going to bed. I believe you and I are even now."

I lift my head and hand up. "Almost."

He pauses. "Almost? We just spent the day together, what else could I possibly owe you?"

Maybe it's that I'm spellbound, but suddenly, I grab his hand. I lift our arms up high and twirl beneath his. I laugh, than drop his hand. He looks surprised.

"What was that for?"

"You gave me a wonderful day, the least I could give you was a dance beneath the stars." No matter how brief.

His face stays serious. "This is not an appropriate place to dance. If you want to dance, we can do so at the succession ceremony."

I get more excited than I probably should, but I can't help it. He's speaking once again about us hanging out. How could I not be excited?

"Really?"

"If you can dance like a proper lady by then, I don't see why not. Goodnight."

Off he walks without me. I continue to admire the view of the palace.

"It would appear you two had a good day, did you enjoy yourself?"

I turn around. Of course, Ivan is here! I got so wrapped up I forgot. I smile at him. "Very much, thank you!"

He smiles in return. "I wasn't sure how things would play out. He's never taken someone with him on his royal duties before, at least not someone who wasn't from the palace."

This isn't all so surprising, but it makes me feel special anyway. "Really?"

"Yes. You must be tired, would you like to retire for the evening?"

I smile. "Thank you Ivan. Oh, and before I forget," I take the camera out of my bag. "Lambert told me to give this to you. There's a picture on there he wants printed out, it's the last one to pop up." I hand it over and begin to walk.

Ivan looks at the camera. "As you wish." He walks, but he continues to look at the camera. I look at him. "Is something wrong?"

He shakes his head. "Not at all. It's just a curious thing. I can't think of a time when Master Lambert took an interest in pictures, nor can I think of the last time he had a personal picture taken of him."

"Really?" I know he said the princes aren't obvious to tourists, but surely natives take pictures…or is that rude under all circumstances?

"Indeed."

Guess I'm not getting a further explanation. "What, is he the type that thinks the camera is taking away a piece of his soul? Or perhaps he feels he should only be immortalized on a canvas?" There's got to be a painting of the princes somewhere in the palace, there has to be.

A smile quickly passes over Ivan's lips. "I'll pretend I didn't hear that."