Princess Diaries Chapter 20, a hannah montana fanfic

CHAPTER TWENTY

Saturday, December 24

I hate my life!

For the last nineteen days I'd been flirt-texting and calling with Shane during the day and all through the night, and I'd talk to Marcus on the phone every night. Marcus and I would talk about everything from the weather to homework to the music we liked, we were closer than before, I looked forward to talking to him every night, and our Friday afternoons and Saturdays every week. Whilst Shane and I talked about how neither of us wanted April to come, how much we missed each other... The occassional sext-ing that ended in Shane abruptly stopping or me hot and flushed and with no reply to send back.

Then there had been wedding plans, the dear, sweet, uncaring King, school, etiquette classes, history of Cyrus classes, how to run a country 101. And I talked to my Dad as often as I could with the time differences, but it still wasn't enough for a Daddy's Girl like me, I still missed him like crazy and I'd already spent one birthday without him and Jackson, now I was gonna have to do Christmas alone as well?

I repeat; I hate my life!

"Your Highness, Lord Hawthorne has arrived." One of the doorsmen told me before Marcus walked in. Honestly? I never would have guessed that's who it was.

"Hey, Babe." Marcus came over and I moved so he could sit next to me and I could cuddle him.

"Hey." I smiled as he wrapped his arm around me. I was watching some Christmas carols thing on TV. I wish Hannah was performing, I always loved Christmas songs. But, I guess with the whole Princess-soon-to-be-Queen thing Dad had managed some sort of time out for me.

"You excited for Christmas?" Marcus asked and I shrugged.

"I guess... It's a little different this year." I murmured, moving his arm around me. "It'll be different next year as well." I'll be married, possibly pregnant, Queen. Then the next year I'll have a child.

"I won't make you do anything you don't want to." Marcus told me and I smiled. "It'll be no different than now.

"Except I'll be running a Monarchy and we have to have sex." I burned bright red when I realised what I said and Marcus chuckled.

"We can wait until as late as possible, I don't want to force you, Miley." Marcus assured and I glanced up at him, his blue eyes were a sparkling baby blue, and his smile was soft and comforting.

"Thank-you." I whispered, manouvering around to kiss his jaw. "Is the ball over yet?" I questioned after a few silent minutes. I was techincally supposed to be at the Christmas Eve ball downstairs in one of the ballrooms with all the other social people, but I didn't feel like it tonight so I snuck out to watch carols.

"No... They want you back for some important thing in an hour though." Marcus shrugged and I sighed.

"Think they'll notice if we hang out here till then?" I liked where I was, I liked being with Marcus.

"Well, since the King sent me to find you, I'm pretty sure at least a few people noticed." He reasoned.

"Too bad, I like it here." Marcus chuckled and I stuck my tongue out at him.

"Stay as long as you want." He said and I smiled, cuddling into him a little more. He really was cuddle-able.

"If I stayed as long as I wanted I'd never let you leave." I hummed as Marcus abesntly started playing with the tips of my hair.

"Maybe I don't want to leave." Marcus replied softly and I turned a little to look at him.

"You're really too good to be true." I whispered, stretching out and leaning up to peck his lips softly. It was the first kiss on the lips I'd given anyone since Shane left. It didn't hurt to move on as much as I thought it would. "Let's go back, I wanna dance with you." I decided and Marcus laughed as he got up and held out his hand for me.

"You're really beautiful tonight... I mean even more beautiful than you usually are." Marcus complimented and I blushed as he led me back down to the ballroom.

"Wait." I tugged on his hand when we were in one of the small rooms just off the ballroom and Marcus stopped. We could still hear the music floating through from the ballroom. "Let's dance here, alone." Marcus slinked his arms around my waist and held me closely, I rested my head on his chest. "You're amazing, Marc."

"You're pretty wow yourself."

"What are you doing tomorrow?" I asked, I could feel his heartbeat, strong and steady.

"Family obligation with Kale and our parents." He shrugged and I nodded, I wish I had family obligations with my borther and parents. "But, I'll call first thing in the morning and be the first to wish you Happy Christmas."

"Can't wait." Marcus stroked my hair and tugged on the tips. I looked up at him and he smiled down at me. "You have pretty eyes." I told him, I'd always thought it, but I don't think I ever told him. I stood on my toes and pecked his lips again.

"I can make 'em prettier if you keep doing that." He teased and I laughed and kissed him again.

"They can't get prettier, it'd go against the laws of nature." I shook my head. "We should go in there, shouldn't we?" I sighed, tilting my head at the door to the ballroom. Marcus shrugged one shoulder and we both sighed before he held out his arm and led me back into the ballroom. As soon as I looked around the room I saw the King looking my way and I looked down. I still wasn't happy with him.

Princess Miley

Sunday, December 25

I was in shock. I was hullicanting. I was still dreaming. My body was still starved of oxygen from that dress I wore last night at the ball.

"Princess!" He looked shocked. Why would he be shocked? He was the one standing in my closet, why was it shocking that I'd be in my own closet? "Uh..."

"What are you doing here?" I never expected it would hurt so much to see him again.

"I-I, uh..." He was wide-eyed and he looked a little scared. Marcus' eyes were the prettiest, brightest baby blue, but his were the most gorgeous hazel-brown. "M-Merry Christmas."

"Why are you in my closet?" I re-iterated and he looked nervous.

"Um, I, uh..." He glanced around and I heard a rustling. "I swear I didn't know this was going to happen." He said before a bunch of ballgowns that I never intended to ever wear were pushed to the sides.

"Daddy!" I squeeled, completely putting him out of my mind and running over, jumping into my Daddy's arms. "I missed you, Daddy."

"Missed you too, Bud." I heard a sigh as I hugged Daddy and it brough him back to my mind. I pulled away from Dads hug and turned to him.

"This is your detail, isn't it?" I asked and he nodded sheepishly.

"Jackson would be here too, but on the way up he saw the buffet breakfast and we lost him." Dad said, breaking the awkward silence.

"Jackson's here too?" Family. I had to focus on my family when I still had them. Shane quietly excused himself and I watched him step out slowly before his footsteps quickened.

"Somethin' I should know about that boy, Mile?" Dad asked and I blushed.

"It's complicated." I sighed, hugging Daddy again. "How long are you here?"

"Right through New Year." Dad replied and I grinned. "Now what's so complicated?"

"Tell you later." I shook my head and he sighed. "I love you, Daddy." At least that's one thing that wasn't complicated.

"Love you too, Bud." I held onto my Daddy as we walked out of my closet. "These are some pretty fancy digs you got here." I rolled my eyes and Dad chuckled.

"You should see the school; it's bigger than Hogwarts." As we passed what I'd learned to be the office for the head of the CRS I heard Shane's voice again. I'd been talking to Shane on the phone for almost three weeks, but we both knew we'd been slowly distancing ourselves from each for when we'd have to completely cut each other out of our lives in April.

"Please, I can't do it." Shane was begging and I sighed, looking down as we passed. "I can't be around her, I j-I just can't."

"Just how complicated?" Dad asked and I bit my lip nervously.

"Painfully." I mumbled and thankfully Dad let it go as we continued to the dining room. I got to be with my Dad and big brother during breakfast and I got to listen to Jackson insist that he went on a date witha bikini model and Dad's unfunny food jokes. Then it got majorly awkward when I looked up from my Christmas Tree pancakes to see Shane standing by the door looking miserable. I guess his plea with the head of the CRS failed. Dad looked from me to Shane and back again, I shook my head and looked back down at my pancakes. "'Scuse me." I muttered, pushing my plate away and getting up. I went out the door right next to where Shane was and I waited in the empty hall. The door didn't even close before Shane pushed it back open and quickly closed it.

"I swear I didn't know." He insisted desperately. I slid down the wall so I was sitting on the floor and I stared aimlessly at the opposite wall. "I asked to go as far away as possible, I didn't want to hurt you, I figured if we could and text for a while then we could slowly distance ourselves and you'd fall in love with Hawthorne and you wouldn't be hurt in April." I sighed as Shane slid down next to me.

"It was working." I whispered, Shane's hand was next to mine. I slipped my fingers over so we were touching. "Let's face it though, Shane, even if I do learn to love Marcus I won't be able to stop loving you."

"Mister Lucas won't let me transfer again." He was staying; for at least as long as Dad and Jackson were then so was Shane.

"Don't put your career in danger." I shook my head. "It's just a couple of weeks, then we can go back to before until April."

"I-I made you something." Shane murmured after a couple of silent minutes, looking down. "I wasn't gonna give it to you, what with being on the other side of the planet, but..." He shrugged and pulled a flat, square rectangle from an inside pocket of his jacket. It was wrapped in red paper with little green Christma Trees and little gold hearts and stars with a bow delicately in the top corner. "Merry Christmas."

"Thank-you." I whispered, taking the present and holding it gingerly. "You wanna know the weird thing? I made you a present as well, it's up in my room." I'd recorded a CD of songs I'd written about him on my computer.

"What about Hawthorne?" Shane asked hoarsely and I gulped.

"It's getting better, I'm starting to like him again." I nodded and he sighed. "I gave him his present yesterday at the ball."

"He's one lucky little bastard." Shane shook his head and I sighed this time.

"I tried to talk to the King." I told him, the King and I still weren't exactly on speaking terms after our 'confrontation' earlier in the month. "I know he could do something so we could be together if he wanted, but he refuses." I rested my head on Shanes shoulder and he moved his arm around mine, bringing me closer. "You were wrong when you said he was a good guy."

"Don't fight with him over me, you have Hawthorne." Shane insisted and I nodded. He rested his head on top of mine and we sat there for a few minutes in silence.

"Daddy and Jackson are probably wondering where I am." I mused, but I didn't move. I didn't want to, not just yet.

"My assignment is to protect them, not to take you away from them." Shane said, but he didn't move either.

"Come see me when Dad and Jackson go to sleep?" I requested, I'd be cheating on Marcus... Again. But, I couldn't help it.

"I'm hopeless to stay away." Shane replied, finally getting up and holding out his hands for me. He helped me up and I was looking into his eyes. Shane leaned down and kissed my cheek, right next to my mouth, softly before he let my hands go and stepped away. I smiled weakly at him before I reached for the door back to the dining room.