Author's notes: So the winner for this round is Lottie x Jack. And for everyone's information, this was planned out and mostly written before the Humpty Dumpty arc, so whatever happens in that arc and up until the ending was not considered when this was made. So if there are any protests to this pairings because of some plots revealed during that time, don't bother pointing it out. This is a fanfic afterall, anything goes.

Aside from that, I hope you enjoy this ^~^

Lottie x Jack - Her Prince

Lottie was always fond of fairy tales.

She loved reading about how Princes on a white horse would ride down from the safety of their home Kingdoms to battle evil witches and fierce monsters, and save their beloved Princesses at the end.

Her prince though, and she loved to think of him as such, was dressed in all black and rode a dark horse. He wasn't an heir to any castle but he was heir to an important title, an important position, and an important name. He also lived in a manor, whose residency she fortunately shared. She thought it was fate.

He was always calm, her Prince, and often he came off as a bit cold, but that was alright. Lottie didn't mind watching him from a distance, and cherishing their brief exchanges regarding matters in the Baskerville household.

Still, she couldn't help but dream every now and then about how he would one day confess his love to her and they would steal away into the night, away from all their troubles. These dreams formed and intersected into different meanings, different whispers of love, and different happy and blissful endings. The one that frequented her mind and heart these days was how she wished that they would rendezvous their secret romance by hiding from prying eyes by the narrow corners of the halls.

So why, she thought angrily, did she end up being pinned to the narrow corner of the hall by that good-for-nothing Jack Vessalius?

Lottie had been on her way to the gardens, when she waved at a few maids and was then violently pulled to the side when she rounded the corner.

Her initial reaction was to scream, but then her own rose colored eyes made contact with a pair of cheerful emerald eyes, and their owner had a gloved finger infront of his lips and his other hand at on the wall at the side of her head.

Blonde hair, green eyes, green suit and an apologetic happy-go-lucky smirk. Not Glen. Not her Prince. It was just the son of the lowest household in the entire country, just Jack. Just a troublemaker who broke into the Baskerville household again.

"How do you keep getting in here?" She scowled.

"It's a secret." He laughed.

"Well, you're not supposed to be here." She retorted and tried to shove him away from her. "I'm going to tell the guards to take you away."

"I can't let you do that." Jack held firm while fending off her barrage on his chest. "Ow, Lottie-"

"Don't call me that." She pushed him roughly and glared at him when he still didn't budge. "I don't even know why Glen tolerates your presence." Lottie didn't deny that there was a hint of jealousy within her, why couldn't Glen give her the same attention that he was giving this lowborn man? The two were complete opposites. Glen was perfect, and Jack was just... Jack.

"Why? It's a cute name." He winked. "Fit for a cute lady."

She felt her face redden at his words and was about to deliver a sharp retort, when they heard loud giggling noise, followed by heated chatter as the shadow of two maids approaching appeared on the wall.

Lottie was about to call out to them with the intention of asking them to tell the guards that there was an intruder, when Jack suddenly grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her towards him.

"Mmph!" Her eyes widened as Jack sealed her lips with his own.

She was too shocked to move and they stood frozen in that position until the maids passed and Jack released her.

Lottie thought that she must have looked stupid and half dazed then with words barely forming and dying on her open lips.

Then she regained her senses and slapped him hard across the face.

He had stolen her first kiss. The one she had been reserving for her Prince, and now this... this plebeian just comes in and takes it from her?

"How dare you!" She half-screams, already feeling the steam rising above her neck.

Jack placed a hand to his swollen cheek, but he still kept his gaze fixed on her. Lottie wanted to hit him again, but then a wide smile spread on his lips. "Don't worry. Just think of it as a substitute kiss from your Prince charming."

She was taken aback and Jack used the opportunity to quickly back away and head towards another direction down the hall.

By the time Lottie realized what was happening, he was already way ahead of her and she was wise enough to know that she couldn't be able to catch up to him. She stomped her feet on the ground and called him names and curses.

Jack turned around, his boyish and ever-cheerful grin still on his face, and waved back at her. "The kiss wasn't that bad, but you need more practice. I'll always be willing to help you if you want." She threw her shoe at him and he ran away in haste, with his laughter following after him.

Lottie stood there for several angry seconds, thinking over what had just happened. That Jack... he's the worst, Lottie thought as she made her way over to her discarded shoe and placed it back. He's different from her Prince, so how dare he claim to suffice for him? He was nobody, he was an idiot, he was... an image of him smiling flashed over Lottie's mind and she found herself blushing furiously.

She shook the thoughts out of her head and resolved to forget the whole event.

Later, as Fang and her were making their usual rounds around the castle, he jokingly asked, "So, did you get to be with your prince lately?"

At the sheer mention of the word 'Prince', Lottie remembered Jack and his smile and his wave and...

"No, I did not!" Lottie broke out into a raging fit and stormed off down the hall immediately afterwards, leaving Fang shocked and baffled as he stared at her furious figure leaving and he wondered if it was something that he said.

Fang then shrugged it off and went back to work.

AN: I know it's been so long, a lot of stuffs came up and well, every writer's enemy, mental block, came to live with me for a while, ^~^ but it's all fine now, hopefully. This time, I'm going to put a poll for the next pairing from one of the stories I've already written a few years back when I just started this. The pairings are:

Oz x Sharon, Echo x Zwei/Noise, Cheshire x Will of the Abyss

The system's still the same ^~^ just vote/ review for your chosen pairing and the one who gets the most votes will be published next.