More Sky/Zed passion is on its way.. stay tuned!

'You were great today.' Seb said on the drive back to the palace late that evening. 'They loved you.'

'No one should feel unwanted.' I told him with a sad smile. My heart ached for those girls, but I hoped that having a nice, new, warm home might raise their spirits at least for a bit. And then the press coverage had to be good for them, didn't it?

'I completely agree.' His hand reached out for mine and he intertwined our fingers. 'And if Norway didn't love you before, they definitely will now.' He smiled, the smile reaching his eyes. 'Today you reminded me what being royalty is all about... helping others and helping them reach their dreams.' The car pulled into the garage and parked, the driver opening the door for me first. I stepped out, thanking him in Norwegian, and Seb walked beside me as we headed towards the stairs that led to the house. 'Your Norwegian is definitely getting better.' He added with a smile.

'Kan du si jeg har øvd?' I said, showing off a little.

He chuckled. 'I can tell you've practised, yes.' He lowered his voice. 'I have to say, it's quite attractive hearing you speak my home language.'

I blushed and looked down at my feet, hidden by the black court shoes I was wearing. Then I thought back to the feeling of his lips on mine and I blushed again.

'Sky!' Lolly practically tackled me as I reached my bedroom door after a quick dinner with Seb, as we'd missed the family dinner.

'Did you miss me?' She laughed.

'I was hoping you could hang out with Kar and Anna and I before they went but your guards said you'd gone into the city with Seb.' She frowned. 'I see my brother has taken my place.' It was a teasing comment I realised when she started to smile. 'Does this mean you're no longer avoiding each other?'

I opened my door and she followed me inside, closing the door behind us. 'Of course not.'

She practically skipped across my room, perching on my bed and turning on the laptop. 'I have to show you last night's pictures.' Then she froze and I cursed. The photobooth images sat on my bedside table and she'd spotted them. Busted. She picked them up, examining them, and her eyes widened at the last one. 'Something you want to tell me?'

'Erm... I...'

'I'm not mad, Sky, relax.' She said, a playful grin on her face. 'I've been waiting for it to happen! So what does this mean? Are you two an item?'

I shook my head. 'Nothing has happened since, Lolly. It was just a single kiss.' I bit my lip and she frowned.

'Because you don't want anything to happen or...?'

'We've not spoken about it.' I shrugged. 'So I don't know. But I'm not sure I want to ruin our friendship, you know?'

'You won't.' She said, softly. She held out my laptop and I typed in the password, letting her log onto Facebook. 'Do you like my brother?'

'He's a good friend.' I smiled.

'But as more than a friend?'

'I don't know.' I sighed. 'I guess until last night I'd not considered anything else.'

She looked thoughtful for a moment and glanced back at the picture. 'You two have always made a cute couple. Just give it time and then maybe you'll realise it.' I sank down beside her and saw that she'd opened up her photo album. She flicked through the photos the professional photographer had taken and I had to admit, the photos were good. There were photos of us posing together, just Lolly and I and then some with her other friends in. And of course, there was a picture of Seb and I dancing together before Kat had shown up. I looked at the picture, at the happiness on our faces and I sighed. Seb made me happy but was it enough to take a risk?

Lavine woke me up the following morning, letting me know that the tutor wasn't coming because he was unwell, so it would be a great day to study. But as she opened the curtains, letting in the sunlight, I wasn't so sure I wanted to study. I walked over to the window, as she laid out the newspapers, and admired the palace garden as it started coming into bloom. Today, a group of tourists walked around, photographing, signalling that parts of the palace were open again to the public again. Spring was here.

'Your highness, have you heard, you're a headline on the news?' Lavine said and I looked at her in surprise as she turned on the television. Sure enough, I was there, talking to the girls at the children's home the previous day and then singing with them. I caught bits of Norwegian, but not enough to work out what was being said. 'They like you, miss.' Lavine said, looking at my puzzled face. 'They've called you a delight, an English Rose, even. Said you are a perfect princess...' She paused. 'They're also trying to work out if you and Prince Sebastien are a couple.' She gave a sly smile and I raised my eyebrows. 'Breakfast is in the dining hall with the King and Queen this morning.' She told me. 'You have thirty minutes.'

I got to the dining hall just in time, hoping that it was okay to be wearing jeans and a blouse, as I desperately wanted to go for comfort after a few days of formality. I slid into my seat, opposite my brother and next to Seb, the King and Queen heads of the table. I greeted them good morning, in Norwegian, and they smiled before replying. The conversation was relaxed over dinner and I was praised for my appearance the previous day, being told that my parents and England would be very proud. Lolly left the dining hall first, heading to a library event in the city before studying that afternoon, and my brother went off to complete some jobs in the office, as he was trying to keep updated on his work back in England. The King and the Queen left shortly after and then it was just Seb and I left.

'Somehow I've made front page news again.' I said to him with raised eyebrows as I stood up from the table. At least I was front page in the papers that Lavine had left out for me.

'I'm not surprised. You were wonderful yesterday.' He gave a shy smile. 'What are your plans today?'

'Studying, I think.' I wrinkled my nose. 'Not hugely exciting, I know.'

'I might have a better offer.'

'Oh?'

His eyes twinkled as they met mine. 'Let's get away from the city for the day... make the most of the sunshine.'

My heart thumped in my chest. 'Just the two of us?'

'Other than a few members of security... yes.' He looked nervous, looping his thumbs through the belt loop of his slim-fit blue jeans.

I bit my lip and I tried to ignore his gaze shifting to look at my mouth before looking back into my eyes. Was it a date? Or just as friends? Lucy's voice rang in my ears... telling me to take a risk. Life was full of risks, wasn't it? I nodded. 'Sounds good.'

'Great.' He smiled. 'Wear some comfy shoes and a warm coat. It's still cool out there.'

So I dressed in comfy, warm clothing, packed a light bag and twenty minutes later we were getting into Seb's other car. This one, which was parked in the garage, was a white BMW X1, a bit like a landrover or 4x4 but not quite. I climbed into the passenger seat and he closed the door, before moving round to the driver's side and sliding in. He turned his keys in the ignition and turned on his iPod, selecting Lady Antebellum. I looked at him in surprise and he smiled.

'They're pretty good.' He said. 'I enjoyed them at your fundraising event.'

'They're great.' I said, returning the smile, as the security guards separated between two cars; half to go in one in front of us and half to go behind. I fastened my seatbelt at the same time as Seb and he reversed out of the large garage, following a blacked out car towards the garage door. He paused, slipping on his Rayban sunglasses and I did the same, before we were out in the sunlight. We drove along the private road until we reached the gate at the front of the palace, where tourists moved around, taking pictures of the palace. A few turned our way and snapped pictures and I understood why Seb had insisted we took sunglasses with us; to hide our faces (sort of) in the pictures, as his windscreen wasn't blacked out. 'So where are we going?' I asked as we moved away from the palace and up through Oslo, passing the University and the football stadium.

'Somewhere I think you'll like a lot.'

The drive through the city and towards wherever we were going took about twenty minutes and I looked around, puzzled, as we pulled into a carpark, which only had a few other cars in it. From the signs, I worked out it was a national park or somewhere else naturey, and I glanced at the people walking their dogs as we pulled into a parking space. He turned off the ignition and smiled across at me before climbing out of the car and opening the door to me. He helped me out of the raised seat and I buttoned up my coat, feeling the cool wind. I slipped on my gloves as Seb grabbed a backpack from the car and his security guards walked over to join us. He said something to them in Norwegian, something I couldn't comprehend, and then he held out his hand for me. 'Ready?'

'Sure.'

Seb had brought me to the perfect place for a walk or a picnic. There was a large lake, surrounded by green woodland and the lake seemed to reflect the trees in the beautiful sunlight. The large lake was flat and peaceful and so was the surrounding area, I noticed as I stood on a dock, looking out across the water. On the mountains surrounding the lake, I spotted snow and I smiled. Spring might be arriving, but there was still a little bit of winter dotted around.

'My father says that your father is coming this weekend on his way back from Australia.' Seb said to me as we walked along the path next to the lake, our hands at our sides.

I nodded. I'd tried not to think about it. I'd been enjoying Norway and I was afraid he'd send me back to England earlier. He'd originally said I had a month, so that was another two weeks and then it was Easter so I hoped maybe I could persuade him to let me stay longer... but then, I missed Sally, Simon and my friends back home, so maybe I wanted to go home.

'I hope you don't go home early.' Seb said, his thoughts reflecting mine. He gave a sad smile and I mirrored it.

'Me too.' I frowned. 'I'd like to stay a little longer. I love it here.'

His smile lifted. 'You do?'

'Norway is very beautiful.' I told him. 'And I like spending time with you and Lolly... plus I'm just starting to get the hang of Norwegian.'

He chuckled softly, nudging me with his arm. 'I like spending time with you too.'

Our eyes met for a moment and I swallowed, knowing that last time he'd given me that look, we'd kissed. I stumbled, not looking where I was going, and he grabbed me, stopping me from falling. 'Eugh, I am so clumsy.' I groaned.

'It's one of the thinks I like about you.' He said, shyly, and I blushed, looking at the path to avoid embarassing myself again. We stopped next to a small waterfall and Seb passed me a bottle of water. I sipped it carefully, before tucking it back in his backpack as he pulled out his Nikon camera, snapping photos of the little trickling waterfall and then of the lake. I perched myself on a picnic bench and I blushed as he snapped a few photos of me.

'I look awful today.' I said, shielding my face, but he pulled my hand away.

'You could never look awful.'

'What about when I've just woken up?' I cocked my head to the side, thankful that the security guards were facing away from us, giving us our privacy.

His face was close to mine and my breath caught. 'You look adorable when you've just woken up.' I bit my lip, wondering if he was going to kiss me again. Did I want him to? I wasn't sure. His eyes searched mine and then he pulled me to my feet. 'Ready to carry on exploring?'

I nodded. 'Sure.'

Some of the undergrowth was thick and I was thankful I'd worn jeans and boots that ressembled hiking boots as we walked along through the greenery and across uneven pathways, past dog walkers and cyclists. Some people greeted us, but very few seemed to be aware of who we were. The sun disappeared behind the clouds after a while and Seb and I took off our sunglasses, our identities now perfectly clear, as if security guards following us hadn't made it clear in the first place. We reached a house which had grass on the top and I looked at it, curiously.

'It's called a torvtak.' Seb said, as if reading my thoughts again. 'It means turf roof.'

'Why do houses here have them?' I asked.

'Lots of reasons.' He said, tucking his hands into his pockets. 'Mainly though because they provide good insulation and they keep the wooden walls straight because it compresses the logs and keeps the walls drought-proof.'

'I wondered if it was just part of camouflage.' I chuckled at my silly idea.

'That would be a good idea too.' He smiled. 'Sometimes they have moss or grass like these ones and then sometimes they have flowers and trees on them.'

'It's like a cottage for the dwarves in Snow White.' I said, thoughtfully.

'Very fairytale-like.' He agreed.

We continued walking up the hillside, away from the lake, for a little longer and then we stopped and I understood why. The view below was breathtaking. The lake was below us and beyond that you could see buildings across the horizon, dotted between fir trees and over evergreens. I stood up on a picnic bench, snapping a photo and admiring the perfect view.

'Whenever I've got a big event coming up and I need to relax or write a speech, this is my favourite spot.' Seb told me with a smile. The comment reminded me of something similar Zed had said when we were in Morzine and it made my heart flutter.

'It's gorgeous.' I whispered, taking in my surroundings. It really was. And other than the tweeting of birds, you couldn't hear a thing.

'Sometimes you can see the Aurora from up here.' He told me with a smile.

'Wow.' I stepped down from the bench, beside him before I fell off, and I stood behind him as he took some pictures on his Nikon. 'Do you think you'd take photos professionally if you weren't heir to the throne?'

He looked thoughtful for a moment and he smiled. 'Probably... I just love it... it's relaxing and you can capture such beauty, such detail.'

'Until I crack your camera lens.' I wrinkled my nose and he put away his camera before turning to face me.

'Stop saying such awful things.' He said, his voice stern.

'They're true, though. I'm short and stumpy and my eyes are out of proportion with my face.'

He sighed, his hand moving to hold my cheek, gently. 'Sky, you're not stumpy, you're petite and your eyes are beautiful and add to your beauty.' He whispered and I swallowed, aware of how close he was stood to me. 'I wish you could see how wonderful you are, inside and out.' His tongue ran across his bottom lip and I quickly looked up to his eyes. 'I really want to kiss you.' He whispered and my heart leapt in my chest. A palpitation. 'May I?' I realised he was asking because he said he should have asked my permission before. Did I want to kiss him again? His kiss had be nice and gentle and so different to Zed's kisses... but then did I want to ruin our friendship? But then risks... I was so puzzled, yet my mouth spoke before I could continue to ponder over the question.

'Yes.' I whispered back. He tilted his head to the left and gently touched his lips to mine, a gentle kiss like the one in the photobooth. His lips moved against mine, like butterfly wings, and then he moved back, leaning his forehead against mine.

'I know you don't want to ruin our friendship.' He whispered, his breaths tickling my lips where he had just kissed me. 'And I don't want that either... but I also don't want to spend my life wondering what would have happened if we'd risked being more than friends.'

There was that R word again; risks. I didn't say anything in response. I just looped my arms around his neck and pressed my lips to his again.

By the time that we had eaten dinner and walked back down the hillside, it getting late and we didn't arrive back into the city until it was dark, after everyone else had enjoyed dinner. Seb headed off to a meeting with his father, kissing me on the forehead before he disappeared, and I was walking back to my room. But I paused outside the reception room with its piano. I missed the feel of the keys under my fingers. I missed the melodic sound of the music. I walked into the room and sat down on the piano stool, carefully lifting the lid. The piano looked like it hadn't been touched for a long time. I ran my fingers over the keys, sighing with content at the sound.

'Moon river, wider than a mile

I'm crossin' you in style some day

Old dream maker, you heartbreaker

Wherever you're goin', I'm goin' your way.'

I paused when I saw my brother stood, watching me with his arms folded across his chest and a small smile on his face. 'You shouldn't do that.' I told him. 'It's creepy.'

'Part of winding up your sister, isn't it?' He smirked and I rolled my eyes. 'Good day?'

'Yes.' I said with a smile.

'Where did Seb take you?'

'To a lake outside of town. Lots of walking. I think my legs will pay for it in the morning.'

'Just walking?' He raised an eyebrow and I blushed, not wanting to have this conversation with my brother.

'Phil, really?' I groaned and he smiled. 'You're enjoying this aren't you?'

'Having a sister to make squirm? Always.' He chuckled. 'But seriously, if you like Seb then go for it. He's a pretty cool guy.'

'Dad would be happy.' I said, closing the lid of the piano. 'He wanted me to meet a decent suitor.'

'Dad would be happy, yes, but you should date someone because you want to... not because dad would approve.'

So I'd kissed Seb three times now. What did that mean? I pondered over it as I sat in my room, reading Pride and Prejudice before bed. A knock on the door caught me by surprise and I wondered if it was Seb, sneaking into my room so we could curl up beside each other and fall asleep. But it was Phillip. All happy and teasing expressions from just a few hours earlier were gone and the creases on his forehead and watery eyes suggested something awful had happened.

'What is it?' I whispered, my heart hammering in my chest. Had there been another attack? Was Ezra here?

'Grandfather's had a heartattack.' He replied, his voice hoarsed. I stood up, my legs wobbling. The man who had told me the truth, taken me under his wing and changed my life had had a heartattack. The one who still called every week without fail, the one who had invited me over for cups of tea every now and then when his busy schedule allowed.

'Is he...?' I couldn't say the word as a tear rolled down my cheek.

'No, he's in hospital, but we need to get back there. Father and mother are on their way but it's a long flight.'

I grabbed my bag, shoving in some clothes, as I was in my pyjamas, my phone and a few other necessities. Then I pulled on my coat and boots. 'Then let's go.'

The two hour flight from Oslo to London felt like it lasted a lifetime and Phillip and I sat side-by-side, holding onto each other. He'd only been my grandfather for six months, but it already seemed like a lifetime and the thought of losing him was awful. The press were waiting at the airport, of course, as we left the jet and headed into the waiting car, going straight for the hospital.

I hated hospitals. They were white and smelt of cleanliness and antisceptic and other smells that just reminded me that it was a place where often people died. Doctors and nurses hurried around, pagers buzzing, as we made our way to Intensive Care, where our grandfather was.

'For now he's stable, but these first twenty four hours are critical.' The doctor said to us and we both nodded.

'When did it happen?' Phillip asked.

'One of his maids found him unconscious just after dinner time.' The doctor replied. 'He could have been lying there for up to an hour as no one had checked on him until then.' Phillip's face crumpled and I squeezed his hand, feeling numb. 'He's still unconscious, but he can hear you if you'd like to see him.'

'Thank you.' He gave the doctor a small smile and we walked inside.

The old gentleman who often wore suits and crazy patterned shirts lay in a hospital bed, plugged into a heart monitor with tubes and wires coming out of him. I felt sick and dizzy and I sat in the chair beside him as Phillip squeezed our grandfather's hand.

'Granpops, it's me, Phillip.' He said, his voice hoarse and heartbroken. 'You always were one to cause a scene, weren't you?' He let out a small laugh and I gave him a small smile as I took our grandfather's other hand. 'Sky's here too. We both wanted to see you.'

'Hey grandfather.' I said, tears filling my eyes. 'Please hang on in there. I've only known you six months and there's still so much we need to know about each other.'

'Sky's been hanging out with the crown prince of Norway and he's totally besotted with her.' Phillip said and I glared at him. 'Maybe she'll be more than a princess one day.'

'Is... that...so.' His voice was croaky and our eyes widened as his eyelids started to flutter. He opened his eyes a little, pained. 'Were you... sick... on him... Sky?'

I blushed and laughed softly. 'Of course not.'

'I'm glad... you're both... here.'

Phillip squeezed our grandfather's hand and smiled. 'There's no place else we'd rather be.'

We didn't leave the hospital, didn't want to. We spent the time with our grandfather or in the family room, turning down the food that doctors and nurses offered us but accepting the coffee, desperate to keep awake and not miss anything. He spent the day drifting in and out of consciousness and I spotted something in my brother's eyes that I'd seen before; hope. The King and Queen arrived at the hospital at 2am the following morning and it was clear that my father had also not slept. His eyes were red and dark circles were under his eyes. He didn't look like England's King. He looked like a son concerned that his father was going to die. He greeted us both with a hug and a kiss on the cheek, before disappearing to see his father in Intensive Care. The Queen then sent us back to the palace to get some rest, and I was thankful for it.

I felt groggy when I woke up and it was hard to believe that just forty-eight hours previously, I'd woken up in bed next to Seb and then he'd taken me out for the day into the beautiful Norwegian countryside.

'Good morning miss.' Hannah and Clara, my chambermaids walked into the room and opened the curtains and turned on the heating for me. Clara put down a teapot and teacup for me.

'How are you feeling?' Clara asked, her face worried.

'I've been better.' I sighed, my head throbbing. 'Have we got any paracetmol?'

'I'll get some.' She went into my ensuite bathroom and rummaged around in the cupboard.

'Will you eat something, your highness?' Hannah asked, perching on the edge of my bed. She reached for my hand and squeezed it with reassurance. 'You've lost weight since we last saw you and I don't want you to lose anymore.'

'What about pancakes?' Clara asked as she brought in a glass of water and some painkillers. 'You love pancakes.'

'I'll try to eat some.' I said with a small smile.

'Good. I'll head down to the kitchen and fetch you some.' She stood up and disappeared.

'Your friends called last night.' Hannah said. 'They wanted to see you today. I told them I'd call them back if you were feeling better.'

'I'd like to see them.' I said. 'Where's Phillip?'

'He's working in the office. I think he's trying to distract himself.'

I nodded in understanding. 'That's a good idea. Send a car for my friends, will you? I'd love to see them.'

She smiled. 'Absolutely.'

I climbed out of bed and walked over to the window, looking out at the palace gardens which looked so very different to those in Norway. Rain fell from the sky, making the grounds look wet and muddy. Pathetic fallacy was what they called it, wasn't it? When a character felt a certain way and the weather reflected their mood. I was surprised there weren't storm clouds. I sighed, grabbed a comfy jumper and pair of jeans from my closet and walked into the bathroom, trying to make myself look more like Sky.

It didn't take long for my friends to arrive, the journey from school in a car not taking long. They'd ditched school for me, but I didn't care and I doubted the school would have much to say either. Friends stuck together, and my family was in a position of power. I finished my pancakes, just about, when they arrived, and they ran through my bedroom door, smothering me in a hug. We stayed like that for a minute, just four friends holding each other, letting out any emotions that any of us might have, and I realised just how much I had missed them. We'd been through a lot together and they knew me. I felt guilty when I realised that there was stuff about me that I'd held back from Tina and Zoe, but then I knew there were probably things that they hadn't told me either.

'It's good to see you but the circumstances are awful.' Lucy said, softly, pushing me down into the sofa. She sat beside me and Tina and Zoe sat themselves in the comfy armchairs. 'How are you holding up?'

'Okay I guess.' I sighed. 'My father doesn't want Phillip and I to visit grandfather today because they're thinking of moving him to a ward.'

'Well that's a good thing.' Tina said, encouragingly. 'It means he's well enough to get out of intensive care.'

'It is.' I nodded. 'But there's still a high chance that there will be other complications after his heartattack.' I closed my eyes and sighed. 'I've never seen someone looking so fragile, so small.' A tear rolled down my cheek and Lucy wrapped her arms around me, pulling my head onto her shoulder. 'Can we talk about something else?'

'Like you and Prince yummy?' Tina suggested and I blushed.

'Really?' I said in disbelief. 'You've been here less than five minutes.'

She shrugged. 'I've never been to Norway. Tell us about your adventures.'

So I did. I told them about Bergen and the Fjords and the incredible Northern Lights dancing overhead. I told them about the vibrant city of Oslo with its good shops I'd visited with Lolly one day and it's Freedom festival and the children's home I'd visited. Then I told them about the lake and how Prince Sebastien and I had kissed. Again. I missed out the fact that we'd shared a bed almost every night since the kidnapping.

'So are you two dating now?' Zoe asked, excitedly.

'I don't know.' I shrugged. 'Everything just went downhill after that.' I frowned and turned to Lucy. 'How are you and Nate?'

'Totally vom-worthy.' Tina chuckled. 'They are just sickeningly adorable.'

'Thanks for that!' Lucy said with raised eyebrows.

'Sorry, we're just jealous that we're single pringles and you have dreamboats.' Zoe sighed. 'You're both so lucky.'

'Am I?' I said, looking over at her. 'I wouldn't call what's happened over the past month lucky.'

'That's not what I meant.' Zoe blushed. 'I meant that you're both lucky to have nice guys that seem to be crazy about you.'

'Well I don't even know if I will ever see Seb again.' I sighed. 'Because Norway seems an awfully long way away right now.'

On Saturday, grandfather was finally released from hospital, but he was still expected to rest so he moved into the palace, where their doctors could keep a close eye on him and ensure he recieved the rest treatment until he had fully recovered. There was still a risk he could have another heartattack or other health issues, following the heartattack, but he seemed to be more himself, moaning at people to stop fussing over him and having regained some colour in his cheeks. That day, I'd made a decision.

My father was in his office and he closed his laptop as I walked in after being announced by his guards. 'Sky, what can I do for you?' He asked, cheerily.

'You're in a good mood.' I commented.

'Your grandfather seems a lot better and he's back here where he is safe and then the papers are speculating over whether Princess Sky is dating the crown Prince of Norway. Of course I'm in a mood.'

'They are?' My eyebrows shot up. I hadn't been seen with him since Monday. My father pushed a newspaper across his desk towards me.

The new romantics?

Her Royal Highness Prince Sky and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince of Norway, Sebastien, seem to have been spending a lot of time together since they were kidnapped and held hostage last month by terrorists. The two met at a Benefit in Paris in January and seem to have been enjoying each other's company ever since. Most recently, it was announced that Princess Sky and her brother, heir to the English throne, Prince Phillip, were spending time in Norway whilst their father was on his Royal tour of Australia. The two were spotted on Monday enjoying the sunshine and beautiful Norwegian scenery and Prince Sebastien's Instagram photos confirm this.

There were pictures from Seb's Instagram of the lake and then a selfie of the two of us from the spot we'd kissed at. I swallowed.

Princess Sky won the hearts of millions on Sunday with a surprise appearance at Oslo's new Children's Home for Girls, where she gave an inspirational speech and sang songs from Frozen with the young orphans. If you doubted Princess Sky even for a moment, then wash away these horrible thoughts- she's here to stay!

'You've done well for yourself.' My father said with a smile and I blushed. 'I'm proud of you. Dating Prince Sebastien is an excellent publicity stunt and it will do well for both Norway and England.'

'It isn't a publicity stunt.' I frowned. 'I wouldn't play with someone's feelings just because it's good for a country.'

He smiled, a creepy smile, and he leaned back in his chair. 'Of course not. What can I do for you?'

He didn't believe me. I frowned, but then I remembered why I was there. 'I want to go back to school.'

'With two weeks until the Easter holidays? Why would you want to do that?'

'I miss my friends and I like school.' I said with a shrug. 'I don't want a tutor. I want to sit in a class with my classmates and forget that anything bad ever happened.' Even if I had a small scar on my head to remind me that it had.

'Okay.' He nodded. 'I will give the school a call and then I will organise a driver to take you to school and back every day.'

'I want to move back into the dorm.' I said, folding my arms across my chest. 'I like living there with my friends and having the full private school experience.'

'I'm not sure it's safe for you to do that. Ezra is still out there.'

'So send me with a few more guards, bar my windows, I don't care... but don't lock me up here like I'm Rapunzel. I want my life back. I don't want to be afraid anymore.' I looked into his eyes until he broke my gaze.

'I don't think that's a good idea.'

'I do.' The Queen had entered and I'd not even realised. 'If we're holding Sky here then Ezra had won. Send some more guards, have them patrol outside the building at night, but let her go back to school Edward. Let her live her life.'

He narrowed his eyes, clearly irritated his wife had intervened but then he sighed. 'You'll have two guards outside your door at all times. Three guards will take you to classes and four if you go off-site at any time. I will call the school about having security outside the building, checking the area at all times. Do you understand?'

'Yes.' I said with a small smile, grateful I had won and that things were going to go back to normal. Sort of.

The girls were ecstatic when I moved back in the following day and we had a girls night, watcing Reign and wearing face-masks and painting each other's finger and toe nails. Despite not having Seb beside me, I slept well that night. I woke up early the next day, to the sound of my alarm, but I didn't groan like Lucy did. Instead, I got up, showered and washed my hair, dried it and styled it, choosing to straighten it for a change and I applied my make-up before throwing on the plaid skirt, shirt and jumper I wore for school. I slipped on court shoes too, wanting to be a little taller and bolder. Re-inventing myself for my first day back at school in over a month. My phone buzzed and I grabbed it, opening the text message.

I miss waking up next to you and I miss your voice. Can we talk later? I know we've texted all week but that's not satisfying enough. Good luck at your first day back at school Elsa, Seb xx

I smiled at the nickname that liked back with our visit to the Children's Home and I sent a quick reply.

Thank you- I'm sure the teachers won't have missed me and I've definitely not missed P.E. Swimming today- ick! Yes would love to talk later, Elsa xx

'You seem cheery.' Lucy commented as we left the dorm and headed to breakfast, my security following us.

'Because I'm back in my routine.' I smiled. 'I don't even mind that we have swimming last lesson... sort of.'

Lucy wrinkled her nose. 'It's awful, especially when Savannah and Zed are all over each other.'

'Speak of the devils.' Zoe said and I glanced up to see Zed and Savannah making out against the wall opposite us, near the entrance to the dining hall. I blinked and frowned.

'Argh, my eyes!' I said playfully and my friends laughed as Lucy looped her arm through mine. We walked inside, finding our usual table. A few classmates greeted me with a smile and asked how I was, which was nice, and then Nate, Yves and Nelson made their way to our table.

'Sky, how are you?' Yves said cheerily as I tucked into my cereal.

'I'm good thanks.' I replied with a smile. 'It's nice to be home.'

'Did you see the Northern lights in Norway?' Nelson asked, interested.

'I did.' I nodded. 'And they are really spectacular. Definitely worth seeing.'

'I've been to the fjords twice and never seen them!' He groaned. 'Your first time there and you see them. Not fair!'

'It's all down to luck.' I smiled.

'You're telling me.'

'My brother is vile.' Yves sighed as Zed and Savannah walked in, hand-in hand. They stopped at our table and I bit my lip, nervously, not sure what to say.

'Oh Sky, you're back. I heard about your granddad. How awful.' Savannah said and I knew she didn't mean it. I met her eyes and I scowled at her.

'Yes, because you've been so concerned about my welfare.' I replied, bitterly, and she looked taken aback.

'We all have.' She said and she frowned as I rolled my eyes.

'Of course, you especially.' I folded my arms across my chest. 'Which is why you told the papers I was in Norway when you knew my kidnapper is still out there.'

'Sky.' Zed scolded, looking irritated. 'Savannah did nothing of the sort.'

'Really? Because I told four people I was in Norway and I know it wasn't Tina, Zoe or Lucy.' I stood up now, feeling angry. 'So it was either you or you told Savannah where I was.'

Savannah smiled. A smirk. One I wanted to wipe off her pretty little face. 'We've been so busy... if you know what I mean. Savannah said, flirtaciously, rubbing Zed's chest and Yves spat out his drink, shuddering. 'It couldn't possibly have been either of us.'

'Of course not.' I glared, a death glare, at both of them. They made me sick.

'You should get your facts straight before accusing someone.' Zed said and it took everything in me not to slap one of them. Or pour the rest of my breakfast over them. I was seething as they turned and left and I sank back into my seat, my fists clenched.

'Woah, I like this new Sky.' Nelson commented with a chuckle. 'She's fiesty.'

'It isn't a new Sky.' I told him. 'It was always there, I'm just no longer afraid to show it.'

My friends smiled across at me as Lucy high-fived me and said. 'Damn girl, you're fearless.'

I felt fearless all day and I was confident in English Literature, able to comment on where we had got up to in Pride and Prejudice as I'd read it in Norway, and I did well in mathematics soon, even though the problem-solving made my head hurt. I was even happy in English Language, although it felt weird learning about root words and not Norwegian, as I had been learning in its place. Then swimming came around.

Bikinis weren't allowed for swimming at school, but that didn't mean I wasn't going to look fashionable. I tied my hair in a braid, using the technique Lolly had taught me, and changed into my new swimsuit; it was turquoise with pink flowers, a curved neckline and a halterneck top that worked my figure well. I was thankful I'd bought a new one, as I had lost weight and this way it was a perfect fit. Lucy wolf-whistled when she saw me and we grabbed our towels, walking onto the poolside, where our classmates stood. Savannah, of course, was showing off as much cleavage as she could get away with and some of the guys were busy ogling her until Zed came out of the male changing room. He grinned at his girlfriend and I cringed at their exchange. Then, as instructed by our swimming teacher, we took turns to dive in. I'd not swam in ages, but thankfully I got going pretty quickly. It was the one sport I was pretty good at and I was confident swimming lengths. I had the stamina to do so. I raced Savannah and won, but then, as the competitiveness died down, I swam straight into Zed.

'Would you watch it?' He hissed and it was clear old, arrogant Zed was back.

'You're so full of it.' I said back and he frowned at me.

'What is your problem?'

'What's my problem? You.' I gritted my teeth.

'Sky! Zed!' The swimming teacher interrupted. 'This is not the time to be fighting.'

I glanced over at Savannah, who was giving me her best impression of a death glare. I wanted to say something, but Lucy tapped my shoulder. 'Believe me, it isn't worth it.'

I stayed in the pool longer than everyone else as it was the last lesson of the day. There was something relaxing about swimming different strokes at a relaxed pace, for leisure, whilst the speedometer circled on the wall overhead. Eventually, I got out and showered and dried myself, changing back into my uniform. Then, as the guards met me outside the changing room, I decided to call Seb on my way to dinner.

'Good evening.' He answered on the second ring and his voice sounded cheery. It made me smile.

'God kveld.' I replied in Norwegian.

'I do love hearing you speak my language.' He said into the phone, his voice relaxed. 'How are you?'

'I'm okay thanks, you?'

'I am okay too. Would be better if you were still here.' He sounded sad and I felt sad too.

'I'd like to be in Norway too.' I replied. 'But then I also think I needed to get back to reality too, you know? It's been kinda nice being back in normal classes today and I really missed the girls.'

'I understand.' He said and I knew he was being honest. 'So your first day back was okay?'

'Other then Savannah the bitch, yes it was, but I'm starting to think he can't help it.' I paused. 'Sorry that wasn't very princessy of me.'

'It's okay.' He chuckled. 'I can't expect you to be princessy all of the time.'

'She just gets on my nerves, you know?'

'I'm sure.'

'I can't believe she's in charge of the dance next Friday.' I wrinkled my nose as I saw another poster for the Spring Fling dance organised for the following week, marking the start of the Easter holidays. Unfortunately, Savannah was on the school events committee, which was probably why the party was named after her American roots.

'You have a dance next Friday?'

'Yeah. We have them termly.' I paused. 'I'm not sure I want to go to this one though... the Winter Ball kinda blew up in my face as I got dumped there.' I wrinkled my nose.

'Lord Marcus?'

'Yeah.' I sighed, surprised he actually remembered what I'd told him at the charity fundraiser ball. 'Maybe I can persuade the girls to have a night in. Might be more fun.'

'Or you can hold your head high and go out anyway?' He suggested. 'And show Zed Benedict what he lost.'

I laughed, softly. 'I don't want to show him what he lost, I couldn't care less and I think his head is too far in Savannah's boobs to see anyway.' I cringed. 'Sorry, that wasn't very princessy either, was it?'

'Feeling feisty?'

'My friends said that earlier. Maybe I am or maybe it's because I'm learning to stand up for myself.'

'That's a good thing.' He said and I knew he didn't disapprove of my language.

'Sorry, I've done a lot of talking.' I apologised. 'How was your day?'

'It was okay... I have been thinking of some promotional ideas for the children's home actually. You inspired me last week.'

'I did?' I was surprised as I reached the entrance to the dining hall. I leaned against the wall outside and Zed walked past, eyeballing me as he went. I rolled my eyes, irritated.

'I want to have a princess tea party fundraiser for the girls and they get to be a princess for the day.' He said, happily. 'I've proposed the idea to the children's home today and I'm waiting to hear back from them.'

'It's a lovely idea.' I said with a smile as I spotted Lucy, Tina and Zoe waving at me as they approached.

'There you are!' Lucy said, cheerfully.

'I'll let you go.' Seb said, his voice sad. 'I miss you and say hello to the girls for me.'

'I miss you too.' I said with a frown. He was far too far away. 'I'll tell them you say hi.'

The week raced on by and it was the weekend before we knew it. I returned to the palace for the weekend, wanting to make the most of the time with my grandfather and we played chess and caught up from his bedside, although we managed to wheel him around the gardens in a wheelchair too. The weekend flew by too quickly and I found myself sat on Sunday night, looking at pictures from Norway and missing it. I couldn't win, could I? I either missed England or I missed Norway? What did that mean? Did I have a home anymore? I just wasn't sure.