CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Saturday, October 15

"Hi." I whispered, looking down and nervously playing with my fingers.

"Hi." Marcus muttered and I knew without looking that he wasn't looking at me either. We were sitting on a bench outside in the grounds despite the cool weather. It was getting colder as the days went by, as it stood it was almost one in the afternoon and we could see out breath in the air it was so cold. I'd been sitting out here for twenty minutes when Marcus came and he'd been here for five minutes before we sadi anything.

"I'm sorry." I finally said and I felt him turn to look at me.

"What for?" He questioned, I could hear the confussion in his voice, the aprehension, he didn't want to know as much as I didn't want to say. But, I had to.

"I kissed Shane." I mumbled, finally looking up after I said it and Marcus looked drawn, like he refused to let his emotions out. "The first time was on October second." I sighed, that was before we were dating. "And-and again... On Tuesday, I kissed him again." Marcus sighed as well.

"Why?" He grumbled out and I frowned. "Why did you kiss him on Tuesday?" He wanted a correct answer from me, but I didn't know what it was.

"I don't know." I shook my head slightly. "I could say it was because I was upset, but that wasn't it... He was there... I wanted to kiss him." I saw Marcus wince when I spoke and I looked down guiltily.

"Will you do it again?" Marcus asked and I snapped my head up to look at him. "Would kiss him again? If the opportunity arose?"

"I-" I so depserately wanted to say no, that I'd be faithful to Marcus this time, that I'd be faithful to the right boy. My non-answer spoke volumes though and we both knew it. "I don't know." I eventually forced myself to say. "I don't want to want to kiss him." That didn't stop me wanting him though. "Shane is a jerk who keeps playing with my emotions, Marcus, and I like you, I really do. I like seeing you smile and that look you get in your eyes when you're happy and... And it was at the trial that I realised I wanted to be the one to give you that look in your eyes, no-one else." I said honestly, telling him what I was thinking at the trial. "I like you Marcus, and I want to be with you, but-but I don't want to hurt you."

"No offence, Princess-" I smiled a little when he said it in a teasing way. "-but why don't you let me worry about getting hurt."

"Because you deserve better than this." I replied even though I knew he didn't want one.

"Well, I think I know what I deserve a little better, and I like you, Miley." He sighed and rubbed a hand through his hair. "I don't-I don't like that you kissed him, that you like him, that he has power over you... I don't like it, I hate it actually... But, I do like you, and I do know that people make mistakes and no matter the title you have or will have you are still just a person." Marcus smiled at me and I smiled weakly back, this all felt like a dream. A confusing dream. "Just-just please promise me it won't happen again?" Marcus requested, his voice slightly begging. Promise that I wouldn't kiss Shane again? For some reason that made my heart thump painfully and my breath catch.

"I promise." I whispered despite the pain I suddenly felt. I didn't want another girl to make Marcus happy. It was selfish of me, but I wanted to be the one to make his eyes sparkle happily, like they were now.

"Can I kiss you?" Marcus asked and I looked at him in surprise. "Please, Miley, give me a chance to win your heart over him?" I moved my hands out and took his, marvelling at the difference in sizes. I stepped closer to him and looked up, batting my lashes.

"Kiss me!" I all-but demanded, leaning up to him. Marcus grinned before he swooped down and I felt his soft lips on mine.

Marcus' kiss was soft and sweet and he didn't press his tongue against me, not wanting to rush me. Shane had been my first tongue kiss and it had made me light-headed and giddy. I wanted that with Marcus, I made the first move and opened my mouth against him. I felt Marcus' surprise, but he let me in all the same, he tasted sweet, and there was something undectable. It didn't take long for Marcus to take control of the kiss and I felt myself moan into him as we kissed.

Princess Miley

Monday, October 24

I sighed when I saw Shane walk into class right before the bell rang. Marcus and I were good. We were good now; we'd talked and walked and even had a date in the cinema room at the palace yesterday. I promised Marcus I wouldn't kiss Shane again, and I hadn't all last week. And I wouldn't this week either. But, Shane was confusing.
It hadn't taken long for news of Marcus and I to get out to the public and rumoredly a photo of us kissing was going for enough to buy a couple of beachfront houses in Malibu. Shane had been reading an article about Marcus and I on Friday when I saw him last and he had looked at me with those begging hazel eyes of his from across the hall, but he hadn't said or done anything. Now, as he looked at me his eyes were sad, but that was the only indication that he cared; his jaw was set, his stance was guarded, and his fists were clenched as he walked past me. A piece of paper dropped onto my desk as he passed and I looked up at him in confussion, is he avoiding me or not? Him avoiding me had actually worked quite well towards my goal of not kissing him. I looked down at the paper and then back at Shane, but he was looking down at his desk with a deep frown.

"Good morning, Class." The teacher greeted and I sighed again and slipped the paper into my English book before I glanced back at Shane to see him staring at me with those sad eyes again. I couldn't stand those eyes. He looked so broken. I just wanted to fix him, my heart ached for him to smile.

8:30
please

I read the note when I got out of English and I frowned. What did that mean? 8:30 tonight? Where? It struck me; the tree. Shane wanted me to go to the tree at 8:30 tonight. I felt a hand brush over mine when I sat down in Science and I looked up to see Shane on his way to his seat. If I went I probably wouldn't be able to stop myself from kissing him. I promised Marcus I wouldn't kiss him.

Come eight o'clock I heard Shane's door open and close and his footsteps pause for a second before he started walking, probably looking at my door trying to figure out if I was here or not. How long would he wait out there? Why did he want me out there? He's the one who said we couldn't mix, that it wasn't safe for him to be around me as if I was putting him in danger when he's the one who was arrested for terrorism.

In a snap decision I was up and grabbed my school jacket, running out of the room and not even paying attention to the guards calling and running after me. I sprinted out to the tree and I looked back; the guards had stopped running when they saw where I was going, they knew I liked to be here alone. Except this time I wasn't alone. I sighed and looked up; Shane was sitting in the tree as I caught my breath.

I climbed up and sat opposite Shane, as far away as I could.

"Princess." Shane seemed to coo, and suddenly he was hovering over me in the way that I loved so much.

"Stop." I whispered, barely audible, squeezing my eyes shut and I felt Shane freeze before he moved off of me, leaving me feeling cold and empty. Marcus. I reminded myself, I was with Marcus. When I opened my eyes Shane was back on the other side where he was to begin with.

"Princess?" Shane frowned, his eyes full of that agonizing pain again.

"Why did you want me here?" I asked, looked down, left, right, anywhere but those eyes.

"I-..." Shane frowned to himself.

"I'm dating Marcus." I told him, reminding myself at the same time.

"I-I know." Shane seemed to hunch in on himself a little. Shane moved on top of me again and my breath caught. "You're beautiful." I felt myself blush as Shane brushed a piece of hair behind my ear, lingering for a second longer. "He's a lucky dude." I was sure he could feel my heart beating it was thumping so hard.

"I-I... I promised Marcus I wouldn't kiss you." I stuttered, myy eyes settled on his oh-so-kissable lips. Shane tastes like Heaven.

"Can-can I just... Hold you?" Shane asked in barely a whisper. "Please?... Just for a couple of minutes?" He was begging, I actually think he would have gotten down on his knees if the tree allowed for it. I response I reached for him and slipped my arms around him, inhaling his hypnotizing scent when He pressed himself closer to me and held me gently, yet tightly at the same time.

Shane held me and I felt him start to shake, at first I thought it was becuase it was so cold out, but then I felt the hot, wet tears touch my cheek. I swear I actually felt my heart break when I realised Shane was crying. I tried to pull away to look at him, but Shane held to me tightly as he sobbed so the only thing I could do was trace my fingers gently through his short dark hair and massage his scalp. I felt Shanes lips on my neck, mouthing words I didn't know as he cried.

After an agonizingly long time Shane finally stopped crying and just stayed there, holding me tightly and mouthing unknown words into my skin. When he let go and pulled away I could see through the moonlight in the leaves that his eyes were red and wet and I couldn't stop myself as I followed him as he moved back to his spot and I was practically straddling him. Then I leaned up and touched my lips to his skin, tasting his salty tears as I kissed them away, soft little kisses all over his cheeks to hide his tears. To make him better. Shane held me as I kissed away his tears and then I held him a little longer, just holding him. After a while Shane's watch beeped and I looked up.

"I-" We both started and stopped at the same time. I smiled weakly and brushed my finger through his hair, tousling it a little. I leaned forward and kissed his forehead before I pulled away.

"Goodbye, Shane." I whispered before I slinked down the tree and I swear I left half of my heart behind as I walked away from him.

Princess Miley

Tuesday, October 25

When I saw Shane again his eyes were still red and he looked like he hadn't slept at all. I ached to hold him again, to hold him until he was better, kiss his tears away and never let him cry again. But, I couldn't, I woudn't. I told him goodbye last night and when I got back to my room I swore it really was goodbye. Shane was looking down as he passed me and when I knew he wasn't going to look at me I sighed and looked away. I said goodbye, I reminded myself. I was dating Marcus. I actually do like Marcus.

Everytime I looked at Shane that day he was looking somewhere else, anywhere else. When I saw him at lunch he was sitting with Ecklestien and his group of friends. I don't know why that disapointed me so much, he was better than them. And I was sitting alone with my three guards.

Before anything else could happen my phone started blaring and I hurried to answer it as people started to look.

"Marcus?" I glanced at the caller ID.

"Hey, Miley." I could hear him grinning through the phone. "You're-you're not in class are you?" He asked nervously and I laughed.

"No." I smiled and I felt eyes on me, but I refused to look up. "What are you doin', Marc?" I asked, picturing his perfect baby blues and his smile and his chiseled features.

"Thinking about you... So I thought I'd call and see how you're doing." Marcus replied and I smiled and bit my bottom lip shyly.

"I'm better now." I answered truthfully, Marcus could always make me feel better no matter what. "School is so boring." At least it was when Shane wasn't messing with my head and my heart. "You're lucky you're older."

"Yeah, lucky, I don't get to see your beautiful face during the day, how lucky can I be?" I just knew he was pouting and that made me laugh.

"Well, we always have the weekends." I reminded him. "All weekend, just you and me, what do you say?" I grinned, a weekend with just us would be good. King Altiyan was great and all, but he just doesn't understand being a 21st Century teenager.

"I think I could work with that." Marcus agreed and I couldn't help but blush at the tone he used.

"I-" I started to say, but the bell rang for the end of lunch and I sighed. "I have to go." I pouted myself as I grabbed my book bag and got up. I could still feel those glaring hazel eyes on me. "I'll call you when classes are finished."

"Okay." Marcus sighed, "I guess I don't want you to get in trouble, they put you on weekend detention at Prince Arthurs." I shuddered at the thought, the weekends were my only escape, despite the constant lessons and the fact that my grandfather is dying they're my only escape from this place. From the people here.

"Bye... I guess." I frowned, Shane was already in class. "I miss you." I murmured before I hung up and when I put my phone away I looked up and saw Shane glaring at me. His eyes were a mix of hurt and anger that tore at my Soul. I quickly looked away and sat in my seat, trying with all my might to focus on the teacher.

Bad, Shaney, bad! :(

You know, unnamed readers out there, my stats say that 33 unique people have read chapter 13 so far, with some of them returning to make up 50 hits in total... Yet, I only have 2 reviews... My math just doesn't add up somehow. :/

I keep having that cowboy Joe Jonas dream; I wonder what it means? The only other reacurring dream I've ever had is this nightmare I every now and then where I'm playing a skill-tester game to get a stuffed animal, but I can't get the one I want and my brother is laughing at me. Then, somehow I'm inside the machine and my parents and my brother are laughing at me, and I can't breathe and I'm begging them to get me out of there, but they just ignore me and walk away... I prefer the Joe Jonas cowboy dream...

Any Aussies out there psyched for the Melbourne Cup? I'm going Niwot, #23... I picked Niwot at complete random and then I realise it was 23; got Miley :)
My Mom had a dream last night about the Melbourne cup; horse number 10 and the letter M, then when I checked the field she decided that without a doubt number 10 Mourayan is going to win... It's a little eerie.

Also; HAPPY HALLOWEEN! It's not really big over here, but still; I'm into the whole ghosts and All Hallows Eve and Day of the Dead thing. I'm a horror/supernatural kid.

23 DAYS UNTIL MILEY CYRUS' 19TH BIRTHDAY!
55 DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS!
65 DAYS UNTIL MY 19TH BIRTHDAY!

Please review!

XOXO
Peace, Love, Happy Halloween