A/N: On Chapter 11, I promised I'd post chapter 12 when I get my hands on the computer again, and I have... anyways.. This episode will be of the in-between kind. Mostly thoughts of Kadaj on Natalie and vice versa. You get the drill. Have a nice reading, people. :D

Chapter 12: A Variety of Dilemmas

"Where is our dear princess?" The king crooned fondly, sitting on the dining table next to his wife, the food already laid out before them.

"I have not seen her since three this afternoon. I have no idea as to her whereabouts inside the palace." The queen remarked, looking worried.

The king frowned a bit. "Have you tried her means of communication?"

"I have, my lord. It seems she is unreachable for the time being." The queen explained, pursing her lips.

"Have you tried her personal attendant?" The king asked thoughtfully, striving for much needed patience.

"Not yet, I suppose," she muttered hurriedly, reaching for her phone and dialing Josie's number.

She was getting impatient with each annoying ring knowing full well that no one was actually heeding her phone call. Maybe she would need to work on a replacement? Before she could further those thoughts though, Josie had picked up.

"Have you spoken to Princess Natalie?"

"I have my lady... She is confined in her quarters, refusing to come down and sup for she doesn't feel well."

The queen blinked and glanced at her husband. What could it have been that caused such a sickness in her daughter? Maybe she had flu?

"Is she all right?" The queen questioned almost frantically.

"She tells me she shall be fine your majesty. I tried persuading her, but she wouldn't open her door, not even to me..."

"I shall go to her..." The queen declared, almost an exclamation.

"Your majesty!" Came the loud outburst. "She very much prefers to be left alone. The poor dear must really need her rest. I did not bother her for much longer."

"What exactly did the girl tell you?" The queen mused, raising a refined eyebrow, ignoring the king who was practically on edge in his seat.

"She wanted to be alone, your majesty, and promptly told me through the phone that she would gladly see you all in the morning..."

The queen frowned. Natalie didn't sound like the type to say those things? Was Josie...telling the truth? She blinked and took a deep breath. Natalie could be feeling sick. The idea was inevitable, so maybe she just needed rest, and should she even let this go?

"I shall check on her first thing in the morning," the queen declared, not even giving Josie a chance to reply before snapping her phone shut and tucking it away.

Frederick stared at Adriana. The queen sighed slightly and daintily picked up her utensils.

"Shall we dine, my lord?" She murmured, eyes downcast out of respect.

"Of course my queen," he smiled slightly, nodding once at his wife and picking up a spoon for some soup.

vVvVv

It was nearing ten in the evening when Kadaj and Natalie had arrived discreetly back at the palace—the grand estate littered with bright security lights. There was only one way to get passed without the guards noticing Natalie, and that would mean she'd have to tug that stuffy bag above her head to blend in the backseat of Kadaj's luxurious car. Lowering the speed limit once they neared the winding driveway to the estate, he turned back around and tilted his head at the princess whose head was poking out of the 'stuffy' bag. She stared at him expectantly.

"You gonna be okay?" He whispered, smiling slightly.

She gave a martyr's sigh. "I'll be fine. Should I hide now?"

"You probably should. I'm gonna speed all the way to the gates," he smirked shifting the gear and stepping on the accelerator and the clutch at the same time.

Inhaling deeply, Natalie pulled the cover up over her head. The guards wouldn't really check Kadaj's car, but it was better to be safe than sorry, hence the scheme was required. Darkness enveloped her and she could practically feel the vehicle speeding almost crazily and then halting to a slow stop as he stepped on the brake and then Kadaj's and the security guard's low voices before they were moving again. Soon enough, the car lurched to a halt and then the engine died.

"You can get out now," came the soft murmur of his voice.

Natalie huffed slightly impatient as she wriggled out of the uncomfortable dark sheet. Kadaj stared at her with amusement glimmering in his eyes. She actually looked pretty cute, her hairdo had been ruined from lying on the stupid backseat, but she was still beautiful nonetheless. His mouth twitched at the look of frustration on her face as she tugged the mini-skirt lower on her legs. Kadaj just sighed and opened the door quietly to the driver's side before moving on to open her door for her.

"It's time to move on, your highness..." He whispered with an indecipherable gleam in his cat's eyes as he held out his hand for her to take.

She placed a hand in his before stepping out of the car and shutting the door quietly. The enormous garage that held several royalty cars and other vehicles looked creepy in the gloom, and just a single light to illuminate the entire garage. Kadaj decided not to turn all of them on since it might draw some attention, and the cars covered in giant sheets really didn't help the dingy atmosphere. She felt queasy, but somehow, Kadaj's presence seemed to be...comforting. Silently, they walked to the exit and he switched the lights off. They came out into a yet another dimly lit hallway that most probably led to the palace kitchen.

"You know any secret passages?" He whispered, releasing her hand.

She removed her sunglasses and clutched the monkey tighter to her chest as she and Kadaj paused halfway to the kitchen doorway.

"Hmm... Employees are required to rest at ten-thirty. By that time, most of the lights will be closed except the kitchen, and the grand hallway. Let's take the elevator," she mused, pressing a finger to her lip thoughtfully.

"Won't someone be assigned there?" He questioned, frowning slightly.

"I don't think so... Not at this hour at least," she murmured, grabbing his arm and checking his wrist watch. "Like I said... It's bed time."

"Shall we?" He droned, and she nodded once.

vVvVv

The hallways leading to the private quarters were deathly silent, and...dimly lit. It could've been a grotesque image of a haunted hallway if she didn't know the place so much, and if it weren't her home and shell for fifteen years—until now. The royal guestrooms were located in the opposite wing, a few doors down. They quietly walked to her room and once inside, she dug out a key and slipped it into the keyhole, listening to the quiet click as it unlocked and she pushed it open a bit. It was a good thing the hinges weren't creaky, or it might have made her tenser than she already was. She was breaking every single rule put up for crying out loud.

The sound of a throat being cleared brought her back to her senses and she whirled around—half of her body already inside the room—to face the silver-haired teen standing near the doorway, looking rather stoic.

"I should probably head for my room," he mumbled, catching her eye.

"Yes... You really should," she muttered, gripping the edge of the door.

He sighed. "Alright." He stepped away from her, hands hidden inside his jacket pockets and swiftly turned on his heel to catch some sleep.

"Kadaj," she called out in a loud whisper.

"Yeah?" He stopped walking, didn't turn back but acknowledged her voice when she called his name.

"Thank you...for everything. And...this," she said, holding the monkey close to her stomach.

Unbeknownst to the blonde princess, Kadaj smiled. "No problem, Princess... I guess I'll see you in the morning."

She watched and waited as he began walking away and she remained stuck to the doorway until his quiet footsteps faded away into the light buzzing of crickets that were no doubt lurking in the mini-forest just outside of the walled structure. Biting her lip, she silently closed the door and walked to her bed, not even bothering to change into comfy bedtime clothes first. It was extremely lucky that they weren't caught. Although, she had to admit that the thrill and the adrenaline of sneaking out was exhilarating—almost thought of doing it again.

Plopping down into the cool cream-colored mattress, she fumbled inside her purse and took out the photos taken that evening. The first photo showed her clutching at Kadaj's arm with a huge grin on her face, and him smiling hesitantly at the camera. The second photo depicted the same smiles with her holding up two of her fingers. The third photo reflected an image of her hugging Kadaj's side, his arm slipped across her shoulders as he stared expressionlessly. The fourth and the fifth showed the same depiction. Kadaj was staring at her as she smiled at the camera. Not that it was surprising. It was kind of unavoidable.

What had captured her attention was the look in his eyes. She couldn't be really sure what he was thinking back then, but just looking at the photo with her hugging him—pressed to his side, and his arm around her shoulders, they looked almost as if they were a...couple. Kadaj was looking at her, almost confused, but his eyes held an unmistakable amount of warmth and...contentment—like she occupied his line of vision: his world. Maybe she was just overreacting? She wasn't exactly sure.

She put the photos down on the bed, staring into empty space inside her room, her hands clutching the stuffed-monkey closer to her. Did he...? Does he...? She shook her head, unable to complete those broken train of thoughts. Was it even possible? Just the idea left her almost senseless. Not even bothering to delve deeper into that dilemma, she bit her lip, fingering the edges of the photo before letting herself fall back onto her comfortable mattress.

She gasped, sitting up and making a mad dash for her closet. "I have to change," she mumbled to herself.

The process had been quick and a bit messy...to say the least, but she managed to put away all her discarded clothes into the laundry basket to be taken away in the morning. Her boots and other accessories had been put away neatly too. Now, she wore a form fitting night dress, sky blue, spaghetti-strapped, and more criss-crossing straps across the back, the hem ten inches above the knee. She stared at herself in the mirror, not really surprised that she looked a bit haggard but couldn't stop noticing that her clothing was a bit too skimpy. But it wasn't like she was coming out in the morning looking like this.

Grabbing a brush that lay idly on her vanity table, she faced herself in the mirror and took down her slightly wavy blonde hair from its side-ponytail. As she languidly ran the brush through her golden locks, she couldn't help the images playing into her mind. Images of Kadaj slowly running his fingers through her hair in a lazy stroking manner, and she shivered, almost as if he was standing behind her and doing the action himself, but of course there was no one, and she was alone. With a slight shiver, she slowly put the object back and whirled around, switching the lights off and heading back into her moonlit room.

Climbing onto her bed, she pulled the covers over her exposed legs and taking the photos, tucked them under her pillows. She spotted the stuffed-monkey Kadaj had given her and grabbed it, hugging the object to herself. As far as her mother was aware, she was supposed to be sick and stuck in bed, so that meant she had to be ready in the morning for the queen's arrival. And before she gave herself to sleep though, she couldn't stop herself from thinking of her small escapade this afternoon. She broke the rules. There was no point in feeling guilty about it now, was there?

vVvVv

He sighed, running a hand through his water heavy hair and stared at himself blankly in the private restroom's mirror. Water dripped from the strands of his silver hair. He watched, transfixed as he eyed the droplet of water dripping from the ends of his hair, landing on his shoulder, and creating a wet trail down the side of his chest. Shaking his head, he broke out of his useless reverie, and brought the dry and warm towel to wipe his face dry.

Wrapping a towel around his waist, he padded quietly to his room in Ceres's palace. The lamps on his bedsides were still active and it cast a comforting glow across the room as Kadaj dressed himself silently for bed. After putting on black sleep pants, he swiftly got under the warm bed sheets and stared up at the same canopy ceiling of the four-post bed, noticing yet again the patterns that swirled and mixed into awkward images, waves, and curves. Without his expressed written permission, his mind drifted to the princess. He vaguely remembered the soft waves on her partially straight and partially wavy blonde hair, almost as if it were a golden waterfall. He couldn't stop himself from picturing her in his mind before he drifted off. That beautiful and innocent face and those petal pink lips; those slim arms, and that fragile build.

She was so...vulnerable.

He shuddered at the thought, rolling over onto his side before giving a heavy sigh and falling asleep, almost feeling the comfortable weight against his side just like that moment inside the photo booth when she clung to him.

vVvVv

Knock knock...

Her eyelids fluttered slightly, having been awakened by the loud sound of knocking that assaulted her ears in the wee hours of the morning—the stuffed animal still clutched tightly in her arms. Opening her eyes, Natalie stared up at the woodwork on her four-post bed, and slid the little monkey under another one of her many pillows yet again. Sluggishly, she pulled herself up to part the thin veil that curtained her bed.

"Please, do come in," she called out in a weak voice that sounded convincing enough if it were her mother coming to check on her.

One of the double doors opened, and the queen entered in her private cherry red silk bathrobe. Natalie rubbed her eyes, feeling chilly and regretting her present attire.

"Good morning, dear. Might I ask how you're feeling?" She said in that strange motherly voice stained with sweetness and concern as she made her way to her daughter's mattress.

"Better than yesterday, mother..." Natalie replied with a nod, lying through her teeth.

Her mother put a hand to her forehead. "Oh you feel so clammy," the queen gasped. "Are you sure you are doing fine?"

"Yes, mother. I feel not pain. A good night's sleep was what I needed after all," the princess smiled, folding her hands on her lap.

"Well, dear... I rejoice at knowing that you are well," the queen grinned at her daughter who was staring at her hands.

"I share in your happiness, mother." Natalie mused, happy that her mother decided not to bring up last night's missing hours. If only they had known her true whereabouts. She wouldn't live long enough to even regret it.

"Will you be fine or should I send someone for some breakfast?" The queen asked with evident concern in her eyes.

"I am not in the best of moods to have breakfast in bed like the usual," the princess murmured. "I shall have a trip to the dining hall."

"All right then," Queen Adriana smiled, and stood up, clutching her robe tighter around herself. "I should be present when your father awakes. I'll see you in a few hours, my daughter..." She gave Natalie a kiss on the cheek before exiting the room.

The princess waited until her mother's footsteps faded to nothing and she was once again left alone to the sound of chirping birds that flitted about her balcony. After fifteen minutes, she stood up, grabbed a white robe, put it on and made haste for the breakfast hall, where an abundance of food was sure to be served.

vVvVv

The breakfast hall was located next to the dining hall, separated only by a normal food counter that served as the breakfast bar. Arriving, Natalie nonchalantly took a seat on one of the high stools, her furry slippers sweeping across the metal railing.

"Good morning, your highness..." One of the workers greeted, bowed graciously upon recognition.

Natalie nodded. "Three servings of pancakes please, with extra butter and maple syrup, and maybe a bit of whipped cream to. Some hot chocolate would be nice—lukewarm preferably."

"Would that be all, your highness?" The woman asked politely with a smile on her face.

"Yes, that would be all..."

Natalie was left alone again after the woman disappeared in the direction of the kitchen, no doubt to place the princess' specific orders. The room seemed a bit warm, and her furry white robe didn't help...at all. The sun shone brightly through the ceiling-to-floor windows and the air conditioning unit wasn't turned on. The morning was cool and warm at the same time. Sighing to herself, she shrugged off her white robe and draped it across her arm, hugging the item to herself.

It would be at this exact moment that Kadaj had to enter the scene too, dressed in casual dark jeans, a gray polo shirt that had a few buttons undone to reveal a bit of his pale chest, and black sneakers. He paused in his ever so quiet gait at the sight of the lady seated on one of the bar stools with her back to him. He raised an eyebrow, unable to stop his eyes from raking over her slim figure. A lot of creamy skin was exposed, specifically the portion on her shoulders, a bit on her back where straps criss-crossed, her slender arms, and her smooth legs. Kadaj blinked, transfixed. Okay, he wasn't supposed to think like that—to be filled with curiosity to actually feel that smooth skin against his own.

One word came to mind: Wow... She really had no idea what she was doing to him. He squeezed his eyes shut, pinched the bridge of his nose, and sighed through his nostrils heavily before making his way toward her.

"Good morning, princess. I didn't think to see you so soon," he smirked when she flinched, keeping her balance when she gripped the edge of the counter at the sound of his collected voice.

She gasped slightly, and whirled around, aware of how short her attire was. "M-My lord... I mean, Kadaj... Good morning," she gave up, mumbled a greeting in reply.

He chuckled, seating himself on one of the stools on the breakfast bar to face her. "Breakfast done?"

She shook her head, veils of gold framing her face. "Not yet... Pancakes haven't arrived."

"I see," Kadaj replied, reaching out and tinkering with a salt shaker. "So... How was yesterday's escapade?" He whispered.

"I had a great time," she whispered in return, holding her head high.

"Glad to hear that," he smirked slightly.

"Kadaj..." She shouldn't do this... "I... I was wondering..." She broke off, bit her lip.

"Wondering...?" He prodded, urging her to continue.

"If... If I could...do it again. Somehow." She mumbled, peeking from the fringe across her forehead.

"You mean... sneak out?" He whispered in an amused tone, placing the salt shaker firmly back on the table.

"Well, yes... I'm curious, and I want to see the beach," she blurted out.

Kadaj was about to reply when the lady who'd taken Natalie's order arrived, carrying a plate of delicious smelling pancakes and hot chocolate on a mug set atop a luxurious tray. He smirked as she stared at the food set before her, almost ashamed. Natalie looked up and smiled politely.

"Get me some bacon and eggs would you? And some coffee with the foam on top and the chocolate sprinkles," Kadaj remarked lazily, flicking a strand of hair from his face not bothering to be courteous.

"Of course, my lord," the woman bowed and briskly disappeared once more. Kadaj stared as Natalie picked at her food with a fork and a knife. "You were saying?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Um... Right... The beach. I'm just curious," she shrugged, taking a dainty little bite off the piece of pancake impaled on the fork.

"Don't you have a sandbox somewhere in your titanic backyard?" He joked, and laughed silently as her face flushed.

"That's different!" She screeched and covered her mouth instantly. "A sandbox is different from a mass of land covered in sand...with the crystal clear sea," she hissed, taking a sip off the hot chocolate while her gaze fixated on Kadaj's face.

"You're going to need a few days' planning if you really want to go," he droned, rubbing the tips of his fingers against the counter top.

"Aren't you coming with me?" She asked curiously, her fork pausing in midair.

"Oh, you want me along?" He teased with a lazy chuckle.

"Who else would take the risk?"

"Your... friends?" He raised an eyebrow, twirling around on his stool before coming to face her again.

"Tifa and Aerith...won't exactly approve," she murmured sounding almost disappointed. "And besides...Tifa and her family are away on a...vacation, so is Aerith."

"Poor you," he drawled just as his ordered food arrived. He nodded once at the lady and she disappeared once more, perhaps to give the conversing teens some privacy.

Natalie glared exasperatedly as Kadaj ate with obvious delight. The food was really good after all. She picked at the pancakes some more, watching as the syrup dripped down the edges of her food.

"I thought I could count on you," she muttered under her breath, refusing to meet his gaze.

Kadaj smirked. "I was only joking. I'll come with you, though once was clearly enough. You should be more patient."

"You're one to talk," she told him, quite smug as she stared back.

"Yeah, I am... And I'm proud of it." He winked at her before shoveling a forkful of eggs into his mouth and chewing his food silently.

"So when are we going?" She asked, already on the edge of her seat as she finished the last pieces of her pancake stack.

"In two or three days. I'll let you know," he replied, never looking up from his food as he concentrated on playing the bacon around on his plate.

"Okay," she agreed, downing her hot chocolate in one enormous gulp before setting her drink down on the counter.

"And...you might want to...cover up more." He whispered huskily, eyes peeking out from underneath the veil of perfect silver hair hanging across his face.

She flushed at his words, and straightened herself as she stood up, putting her furry robe back on. "Library at two?" She whispered.

"Mhmm... I'll see ya there," he smiled his winning smile before he let her exit his presence in peace.

Inside, Natalie was downright confused. Did she just...arrange a private meeting with the trouble making monarch? Blinking, she hurriedly went out of the breakfast hall, unaware of a certain silver-haired teen's intense gaze fixed on her, watching her move.

A/N: Natalie finally makes it out of the palace and she loves it. Now she wants more. And there shall be a REAL culture shock on its way after the beach trip. I'm really in the mood. :D