AUTHOR NOTE: SHORT CHAPTER THIS TIME! BUT STILL ... TENSION!

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DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN ANYTHING (maybe the story and it's plot)

After Mia had escorted Pierre to his suite he went straight to the bathroom and started splashing his face with water, "Now Pierre, you just arrived, you need to act like a proper uncle to your niece, a proper son to your mother and your stepfather. They don't deserve to have you rain on their parade, they deserve so much more … she deserved so much more" he said to himself, he stared at his reflection for the longest moment, he was looking at himself as if he was trying to find something, as if he had lost something. "No" looked away from the mirror, "It was her decision and it was for a good reason. I shouldn't push her to regret that" he continued, drying his face with a towel. He reached for the door handle and stepped out of the bathroom but before he closed the door behind him he said "She meant too much to me to ever do that to her".

He started unpacking his belongings on the bed and he heard a small knock on the door, half of him hoped it was Charlotte but the other half of him wished it wasn't, "Come in" he said turning around to face the door. Shades popped his head in, letting Pierre let out a sigh of relief he didn't know he was holding, "Yes Scott"

"Your Highness, your mother and your stepfather has arrived, they are meeting Her Majesty in her study" Shades said, taking note of the sigh Pierre had let out when he saw him.

"Thank you, I'll meet them in a few moments" Pierre said, hiding a pair of crossed fingers behind him, 'I hope Charlotte will be there, no … no I don't, a bit … just a bit' he thought.

Pierre was outside Mia's study almost at the door, when he turned the corner he noticed a dark silhouette of Charlotte, playing with the ends of skirt 'She only played with the ends of her skirt when she was pensive or nervous' he thought to himself, smiling at the memories they had shared. He faced the door and took a deep breath in and turned the handle, "Mama!".

"Oh, gosh. Is that the time?" Mia asked looking at her wall clock "I've got to go and have lunch with the Motazes soon, I'm sorry"

"Oh that's alright Mia, you have duties to attend to. Anyway I should probably rest from the plane ride" Pierre said lifting himself from the chair and stretching a bit.

"And we'll just take a walk in the gardens. If that's alright with you?" Clarisse asked her husband, smiling as he offered a hand to help her up

"I would be honoured to" Joseph teased

"Well until dinner then" Mia said before they all exited the study.

Pierre walked to his suite very lost in his thoughts, he couldn't stop thinking about Charlotte, even when he was talking to his family which he felt guilty for.

'Did I hurt her? Or did it hurt her seeing me? … I don't blame her; I must be a reminder for such bad memories … or the good ones'