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AnimePopCircle - Awww haha thanks! He's just totally adorable no matter what. I'm just going to toss in whichever pairings and I'm not sure about what Dexter's going to go through, or whom he has his sights on just yet. You'll just have to wait and see! XD Thanks for reviewing! Written-Anonymously - Thanks, :) Story Lover (Guest) - Hey there! Thank you! I was hoping the prologue, though not long - would draw people in. I'm not really sure what ships are going to be involved as of yet, it may just be part of plot development, whichever. So I guess that would be my warning that there could be ANY kind of ship, as I'm not 100% sure yet. But hang in tight, you'll find out soon enough if you continue to read, which I hope you do! BackBecky - it's 'Huntlynn' xD just for future reference! They are adorable xD and well, of course she'll make an appearance! I can't do a 'Charming' based story without her, ;)

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~ Chapter Two: Too Close ~

I would've stayed out much longer if some random guards didn't drag me home due to 'curfew'. Yanking my arm away from one, I angrily turned to them. "Okay, I'm here now. I don't need to be escorted inside. Pompous morons." I cussed under my breath, the giant gate opening for me as I returned to the palace. Of course I didn't want to, but I suppose life is full of things that I won't have the desire to do. I kicked a pebble.

"Is that abusive behavior?" One of the guards asked me.

I narrowed my eyes, "Get. Lost."

They laughed. They did nothing but laugh at me.

Outraged. I felt outraged but there wasn't a thing I could do but to be their choice of amusement for the evening. I wasn't ready to head into the palace yet. I didn't want to go back into captivity. Just a bit more freedom... I headed northwest towards the back, where my sister Darling was sitting on a nearby chair, under a parasol - nose deep into a book. "Boo."

"Eep!" She swatted at me immediately, her big blue eyes glaring right through my own. "Dexter, you're such a jerk." She cursed me, and I smiled. That's exactly what brothers were for.

"It's actually in a contract that you signed on your way out of the womb," I grinned even wider, if it was possible. "that I, as your older brother-"

She cut me off in mid-sentence. "By barely a few minutes!"

"Ah, ah - I'm still your older brother. Therefore, you signed a contract stating that I had the right to be a bothersome pain in your royal behind, anytime, anywhere I can and will. Many thanks to you, Darling Charming." She narrowed her eyes, but smirked mischievously.

She crossed her arms over her chest, the book clamped in her right hand. "I would smack you with this book, oh lovely brother of mine - but that'd be abusing literature. And it's not in my nature."

"It'd be way less than 'charming'." I mimicked her lovingly. I couldn't explain it, something about just being around my sister calmed me. She understood me and I didn't even have to tell her everything going on (even though I did) for her to know something's wrong, or if I needed to talk. Darling is a better half of me, nearly literally because it's often said that some twins are nearly totally similar, one - in a sense.

"Where were you, my brother?" She asked me softly. Darling always had an innocent demeanor, she lived by it too. It upset me how some folks would assume she's been around the stables a few times just because she's very pretty. Well, I don't personally think so because, she is my sister after all. I mean, she's... nice, looking I guess. But she's my twin, so it's only natural I feel more on the opposed side, I suppose. "Dexter?"

"Oh, uh..." that's right, she was talking to me. Whoops, what'd she ask me?

"Where were you?" She gave me the suspicious eye. "Dexter... it wasn't anything, bad was it?"

"No! No, of course not. I... have something for you." I showed her the box I'd been mindlessly carrying. Come to think of it, that could've been why the guards were laughing at my demise.

"Ooh! How hexcellent! I love surprises, Dexter you're such a sweetheart. Thank you." It was as if I gave her a birthday present or Christmas came early. She opened the box and her mouth dropped, "These are just... stunning! Did you pick them out?" She gave me another suspicious eye. "I never knew you had this much style."

I stopped her before she could go any further with the assumptions. "Ashlynn gave them to me, I stopped by her shoe shop in the Village of Bookend. Kept her company for a bit until she was ready to leave, then we parted ways. I don't have the most fableous style going on, thank you very much for the pre-made assumptions."

She laughed and shook her head, "Oh Dex, relax! It's not a horrid thing for a guy to have a sense of style either. If anything, us girls find it wonderlandiful. Just, great! Nothing like showing off a boyfriend with impeccable style."

I shrugged my shoulders, "I guess."

Her eyes locked on me as they did from time to time. She liked to examine my behaviors. Observe me, so to speak. "Are you interested in anyone?"

I raised an eyebrow, she already knew the answer.

"No."

"Dexxterr, the truth please."

"Maybe."

"I'll accept that answer." She stated, her book set just so on her lap.

My arms were crossed over my chest. "Slightly, but it doesn't matter."

"Of course it matters," she interrupted me, concern on her face. "I cannot comprehend why you'd think your thoughts or more importantly, your feelings 'don't matter'. Where is this coming from?"

'The life I live every single day. That's where it's coming from Darling. . .' I shook the thought out of my mind, or tried to for now. "Nowhere, I guess. It's fine, I'm just - having an off day."

She nodded, "My apologies, did you need to see anyone? Are you feeling ill?"

Ooh, I did use that excuse earlier today, didn't I? Well, it wasn't completely untrue, I had felt under-the-weather. But I was okay now. "I'll be alright with some rest maybe. I'll see you later sis." I waved her off and turned around before she could question me any further. That was much too close for comfort.

The door opened in my bedroom, who didn't knock? Wait, they could've. I could have not responded. "Hello, Dexter?" greeted one of the older maids of the palace. I liked Clara because she was around since Daring was born, before that even - she's watched us grow up along with our parents.

I actually opened my eyes this time, apparently I went to my room and napped for awhile. Well, when you had nothing better to do. . . "hi." I responded softly, I wasn't quite capable of talking in full, or complete sentences after just waking up. I needed a good hour or so before I could get all technical.

She walked into the room, "It's dinner hour, I know you haven't been sleeping for long - but would you like to join your dwelling during this time?"

No. But, whenever I declined Clara always got worried. She would notify the Kingdom doctor and have him make a surprise castle-call to check up on me and everything, I didn't have the energy for that. "Yeah, I'll be down in a bit." I snuggled back into the comfort of my bed, only to have Clara remove the blanket. Ugh, did she have to do that?

"You will be down shortly indeed, if I have to carry you. You're not missing another evening of nutrition. Do you know how long I worked to prepare dinner for everyone this evening?" Uh-oh, the beginning of a guilt trip.

"Okay Clara, okay. Don't start pulling on my heartstrings, I swear I'll be up." I turned over to face her, I half-blindly reached for my glasses on the nightstand. Knocking them on the ground - or so I thought, until Clara held them out in front of me. "Thanks." I mumbled, putting them on and sighing. The last thing I wanted to do was attend dinner with my family.

"You're a young boy, you should be eating the castle out of food. Not barely eating and wrapping up a salad for later." Yeah, I figured she wouldn't let me forget that one anytime soon.

"I'm fine, really Clara. I'm okay." I tried to convince both her and myself. I just didn't want to have dinner with the rest of them. But there's no fooling Clara and I wouldn't put it past her to actually carry me down the stairs if I didn't go. So here went nothing.

I got up, glasses now on and stood on my own two feet. I really didn't want to. I turned to re-make my bed, when Clara already had it done. That. . . didn't take her long at all.

"You seem puzzled," she noted. But laughed. "There's three adolescents in this dwelling, of course I can make a bed quicker than I can get either one of you three out of them."

Point taken. I wasn't quick to rise in the morning, what so ever after.

I wanted to stay here with Clara, I didn't want to leave my room. Any other person could fake sick and just be sent to bed, I'd have the doctor and everyone else on his staff all rushing in to see me immediately.

That's another thing I loathe, the fact that Royalty get better treatment than the townsfolk. I don't get it! We do nothing but sit on our Royal behinds all day - Daring's great at that trust me - where as the townsfolk, they work! There's farmers and blacksmiths and all people do in town is work. Long hours, they don't receive the care that we do and I just don't understand why. They deserve it more than we do!

"Dexter? Dexter!" I snapped out of my enraged thoughts.

"Hmm?"

Clara's hands were on my face. "Are you sure you're alright? Your face went very red."

I nodded softly, "I'm fine, I was just, thinking."

"About a young lady?" She smiled, "Otherwise, I don't see what would get your cheeks so red."

I smiled half-heartedly, if only it were that simple. "Not really Clara, I don't have time for that."

"Mhm, of course not. A teenage boy never has time for girls." I could tell she was teasing me and I didn't mind. Anything to stall going down there for dinner. "Come now, I'm sure everyone's waiting."

I followed Clara out of the room, some of the other maids giggled or stared as I walked by with her, I didn't mind. Girls did weird stuff like that. Why? I have no idea.

"It's about time you showed up," Daring said to me, as soon as he saw my shadow around the corner. "we're all starving. Glad you finally arrived. Darling was here sooner and she had to primp first."

I narrowed my eyes in annoyance already. This would be a long, torturous dinner.

"To join for a Royal dinner, Prince Daring Charming!" The trumpeter did his little introductory song as Daring flashed a big smile all the way down the stairs. I rolled my eyes, did he ever get tired of this crap? Just watching him, I'm exhausted. "To join next, for the Royal dinner Prince," he snickered, "hardly. . . Dexter Charm-" I took the trumpet and threw it down the stairs. The instrument taking a serious beating as it hit and tumbled down every stair. "Not, so 'Charming' ever after all."

Everyone stared at me, astonished.

I turned to him, "How could you not hear how sharp your instrument was playing? It's supposed to be in tune, not sharp or flat. You need lessons."

I felt a hand on my shoulder, I knew it was Darling. I wanted to drink whatever potion Maddie might have lying around to just shrink in size and disappear completely. I felt very embarrassed. I looked back at Clara, who gave me a warning glaze and I knew I had to proceed down the stairs. I couldn't go back, even though I wanted to.

I never should've agreed to be part of dinner. I should've locked my bedroom door after Clara would rush out calling for a doctor, I could've locked them all out, but now. . . I was trapped, with no possible way out.