Author's Note:

Aphi72- She isn't going to really be talking to Michael very much. If you read AML then you would remember that they hadn't spoken very much in the years before they got together. They caught up with one another when he showed up in Genovia.

Fizzie-Lizzie- Love Lucie while you can insert evil laugh right here She has a few things up her sleeve

Robtaymattlouned- No. I told you this was a loooong story. We have at least one more Christmas. She gets with him her Junior year remember? She's only a sophomore. Plus the story basically goes right up until before the other story picks up.

I escorted him to the airport the next afternoon. "Time for school," I teased. "How are you enjoying law school?"
He rolled his eyes, "I'm not sure if I want it anymore, but don't let my mum hear that. Jonas is a doctor now with doctors without borders. Now she wants a lawyer in the family."
I nodded. "I know what it's like, Joshua. Unlike you, however, I cannot simply decide not do it. You have that choice," I said softly, tugging on his tie.
He tapped my nose, "Breathe...just breathe," he said just as softly. "And you do have a choice. You are your own person. If you woke up one day and decided you didn't want to be a princess anymore you could. Just give me a call and I'll wisk you away. We'll tour around the world and then face reality."

I smiled.Yeah right. Like Grandmere and Dad would ever let me do something like that.
We were both wearing glasses and hats to cover our identities. I was wearing, what he dubbed, my Jackie O glasses. Papparazzi were always looking to see us together. Looking for another sign that we were together. He kissed my forehead.
"Have a safe trip," I said softly, wishing I got more than just a brotherly kiss on the forehead.
"Will do. Study for your finals, got it?"
I nodded, "Of course. Go, you'll miss the flight."
He squeezed my hand, "Right. We don't want that, do we?"
I winked, "Behave over there. Keep your end of the deal."
"You got it, darling girl."

"Your posture has improved so much since you came here," Grandmere commented at my Holiday Ball dress fitting. "And your shoulders are rather seemly. All the time you have been spending outdoors has made your skin just the right shade of brown."
I smiled. For the past three months I had been behaving myself perfectly. Like the girl she wanted me to be. "Thank you, Grandmere."
"I have selected an escort for you to bring to the ball."
"Oh?" I asked. I wanted to scream and yell and tell her I could handle these things on my own, but that wouldn't be the right thing to do.
"A young noble man from England," she said with a wink.
I squinted.
"Do not squint, Amelia. You'll get wrinkles."
"Sorry," I quickly apologized.
"I decided to invite Joshua," she started. I knew better than to say something then. "Because I know how you are around strangers."
"Beg pardon?" I asked. The seamstress poked me in the stomach with a pin.
"You get all flustered and worry about what you can talk about. I know you can at least carry a conversation with this Joshua."
Gee, no I could not. "Very well," then I said simply, holding my excitement inside.
"I am going to leave the room and allow you to release your excitement."
I giggled as she left. "I'm going to the ball with Joshua Bloom," I said excitedly to the seamstress.
She looked up at me like I was crazy. Then I realized she only spoke French. I was too excited to speak French. Grandmere was actually condoning a visit with Joshua.

Two weeks later I was done with finals (and passed my killer Philosophy exam!), and was staring into my vanity. Joshua was going to wait downstairs for me. He was staying in a hotel in the center of the city. He had only arrived that afternoon while I was at my hair appointment.
"Javier! This zit will NOT allow anything to cover it up!"
My wonderful assistant, who is talented in just so many ways, came and did his magic to my face. "Javier, have I told you how much I love you?" I said with a grin.
"This gentleman will be sure to fall for you."
I tried not to smile. "Who says I want him to?"
He rolled his eyes. "Every person who works within this palace," he replied. "Who can't see that you are crazy for him?"
My eyes opened wide, "Um, I wasn't aware....oh crap, do you think he knows?"
He laughed at my words, "Princess, don't worry. I am sure things will turn out for the best."
I sighed. Great. I was probably making a fool of myself in front of him. I had to start acting cool in front of him.
I went down the main staircase and saw Joshua talking to the Prime Minister. He looked...smart. He could talk to those kinds of people. I definitely could not. Yet another reason to love him.
"....I'm in room four thirty two!" he said, finishing a joke.
I tapped him on the shoulder, "I highly doubt that joke is appropriate in this forum," I said with a serious face.
He turned and looked worried for only a moment.
"Your highness," the Prime minister said, genuflecting.
I nodded and smiled, "Prime Minister," I said with a curtsy. "Joshua."
He winked as the Prime Minister left. "Princess," he said, bowing. "It is the greatest of honors."
I giggled. "Come on Joshua-"
"Mia!" Lucie called over, waving her arm in the air.
I looked over from where her voice came. Normally I would wave right back, but I had to behave. I took Joshua's hand and pulled him over to her. "Hello Lucille," I greeted.
She looked at Joshua. "Oh, hi there handsome," she said with a wink.
Stop flirting with him!- I screamed with my eyes.
"Hey gorgeous," he said kissing her cheek. "Who, may I ask, is escorting you?"
Okay, here is a good time to mention that I still have no idea if they had ever been together. Everytime I asked one of them they dodged the question by saying, 'Does it matter?'.
"Flying solo," she replied.
"Last I read you were dating some American singer-"
"I'm over that, Rivers is a drama queen," she said hastily. "I started working on the early part of the book though. I have a lot done actually."
"Which stage are you at now?" I asked, linking my arm with Joshua's possessively. So much for me acting cool in front of him. He MUST know I am crazy for him now, right?
 "I just started the chapter where you learned of your royal status. Some girl named Lana heard about me writing this and contacted me. She said you were old high school friends?"
I burst out laughing. I quickly covered my mouth with both hands. "Weinberger?"
"That was her maiden name."
"Who is she married to?" I asked. We were a little young still to be married off already. "Josh Richter?" I guessed.
"No, Samuels. She said you were friends? I knew I was seeing you tonight so I thought I'd clear it by you before I talked to her."
I shook my head, "Can't say I know her," I said with a wink.
"That's just fine," she replied. "Oh, hottie alert over there, at five o'clock."
I looked casually at 'five o'clock'. "That's Rene, my questionable cousin."
"Hot," she replied. "I always saw him...never knew who he was though."
"We don't like advertising that he is related to us."
She winked at me, "Have you talked to Michael lately?"
I made a polite face when I really wanted to squish it up in Lilly's patented pug face. "No."
"Why would she call Michael?" Joshua asked, pulling his hand away from my waist.
"Because she's in love with him, of course."
He looked at me with a smile, "Oh yeah? Then why are her eyes the size of baseballs?"
Lucie smirked, "That is a wonderful query, Joshua. Why don't you ask her?"
They stared at me. I grabbed a glass of champagne from a waiter, "What?" I asked innocently, hoping they would simply drop the topic.
"Michael?" Joshua asked, tapping his finger on his chin. "Michael Mosovitch?"
"Moscovitz," I corrected automatically.
He laughed, "Mia, Mia, Mia! You still are..."
"No. Lucie has been severely misinformed. She heard that I ONCE was in love with him. I am not anymore though. I don't think I really ever was." I hate lying. Maybe I would be a politican though because he believed me.
I could swear a smile crept on Joshua's face, but he looked away too quickly. "Lucille, care for a dance?"
Okay, don't ask your date or anything. He was definitely NOT acting proper. I stayed off to the side of the room while they enjoyed themselves on the dance floor.

Joshua probably liked Lucie. Who wouldn't? She was gorgeous. Long wavy strawberry blonde hair. Big brown eyes. Perfect cheek bones. Big smile. Big...uh, big teeth. Damn I wish I had teeth like those.
He came back to me much later, "Hey there Princess," he whispered, coming up from behind me.
I glared at him. It was much easier to pretend not to like him when he was being kind of a jerk. When I had spent the evening watching him and Lucie flirting. Watching her throw back her head in laughter. "Hello, Joshua."
"What's that for?" he asked.
Is he socially retarded when it comes to me? I mean, hello, I'm the princess of this country and he left me all alone. He was invited so he could keep me company, not Lucie.
"Princess, may I have this dance?" a man asked, coming up to me.
I put on my 'I am only smiling because I have to' smile. "Certainly, sir," I said with a curtsy. "Joshua, you can go back with Lucie now."
He looked confused and hurt. As I started dancing with the man I saw that Joshua had a bottle of my favourite wine in his hands. I looked away quickly before he could notice I had seen it. Serves him right. Now he and Lucie can go get smashed and then he could sleep with her. Just like he did with Kate.
Okay, so I'm still bitter about what I had seen that night. Who wouldn't be though? Seeing the guy that you had ALMOST kissed only days before having sex in the ever so cliché woods would make a person bitter. Especially if you were still liking the guy.
I only saw Joshua later as I made my way to the residential part of the palace. "Hey there stranger," he mumbled. He was sitting on a bench next to the stairs.
"Hello Joshua. I was looking for you inside."
"Yeah, right," he garbled. I saw an empty wine bottle next to him.
"Where's Lucie?"
"Rene," he replied.
I glanced toward the garden and saw Lucie using her womanly wiles to fool Rene. I rolled my eyes. "Are you drunk?"
"No...yes...a little, is that bad?"
I took pity on him right then as he tried to stumble off the bench. "No...yes...a little," I replied with a smile. "Come on, you can stay the night," I said putting his arm around my neck.
I decided to ignore the fact that he was probably drunk because Lucie was now blowing him off in favour of a man of higher status.
"Thanks Mia. I know this isn't being r-r-r" he tried to say before he tossed into a potted plant. I looked up at the ceiling. Why was I in this position? Does God really hate me or something?
Lars came by with a woman and winked at me, "Need some help?"
I nodded, thankful for such a dutiful body guard. "Put I him in the guest room of my wing, please."
"Certainly, princess."
Lars lifted Joshua over his shoulder. I was left with Lars's date. "Hello, I'm sorry we haven't met. My name is Mia."
"Y-You're the Princess of Genovia..." the woman stammered. "I wanted to meet you, but Lars didn't want to mix..."
"That's just Lars being Lars. What was your name?" I asked as we started up the stairs.
"Terribly sorry. Roberta LaChance. I'm from the northern regions."
I tried not to laugh. She did have a slight French accent that was common in the northern part of our country. "So how did you meet my Lars?" I asked as we reached Lars's bedroom.
"You were doing a speech last September in my village. Lars had to use the bathroom and I offered to let him cut in line."
"This has been going on since last September?" I demanded.
She nodded nervously.
"That little rat never told me about this...he knows everything that goes on in my life but he won't ever share with me."
"He is rather private," she agreed softly.
I realized that I was talking quickly and not being princessy. I didn't know this girl. What if she was a tabloid spy using Lars as a way to get to me? And he knew so that was why he wasn't allowing her to meet me? "I must go to sleep now. Good night," I said briskly. "I hope you enjoy your stay here in the palace."

Joshua stayed for Christmas He was terribly embarrassed about the ball, so we never discussed it. "I have your present upstairs," he said softly after I exchanged presents with my father and grandmother. I looked at him oddly.
"Why is it upstairs?" I asked.
I know he was holding back a crack at that last statement. He was probably thinking I can't exactly make love to you in front of your dad and grandmother. OR something equally as sarcastic. He looked over at my family who was more interested in their new prizes to bother with what we were talking about.
"It's sort of private," he said, not looking at my eyes.
I placed the book my father gave me on the floor. "Okay. Let's go," I said standing up. I put my hand out for him to take. "Come on."
He smiled and let me help him up. We walked up the stairs in silence. It was comfortable though. I never felt like those silences needed to be filled.
We went to his bedroom. I plopped down on his bed. "So? Come on with it."
"Mia, we're really good friends, right?"
I nodded, trying to figure out where he would hide a private gift.
"And we're really close, right?" he asked, pacing.

Did he forget where he put it?
"Of course," I replied simply. I didn't need a big monologue before a present. But whatever. It was Joshua. He liked to talk.
He stopped pacing and kneeled in front of me.
"What?" I asked with wide eyes. He was being so damn dramatic.
"The other night I...I wanted to...um, tell you-"