"Your Highness, about the party tomorrow..." Jan hesitantly spoke up to Prince Joshua at the breakfast table.
Prince Joshua paid him no special attention as he responded. "Yes."
Halle listened to the two of them speaking as she ate. She had been here for almost a whole week now, and this was the first she had heard of a party. Was there to be another party held at Nobel Michel again or something...?
Jan stopped beating around the bush and got straight to the point. "We need to discuss your outfit so that I may place an order today."
"I see." Prince Joshua nodded firmly with an unchanging expression.
Halle blinked a few times as she looked over at Prince Joshua. "Is there going to be a party?"
Jan's mood seemed to immediately brighten by her innocent question, and he nodded with a smile. "Yes. It's..."
"That's enough, Jan." Prince Joshua looked a little angry as he barked at his butler, and Jan fell silent at his sharp tone. "There will be a large number of guests from other kingdoms coming. They mustn't know we have a commoner staying here." He narrowed his eyes firmly to Halle. "Do you understand?"
"I see." Halle's mood didn't seem to be affected at all by Prince Joshua's curt declaration, and she shoveled a bite of her breakfast into her mouth. "I understand."
She was a little disappointed, but it was a royal affair, after all... Not that she cared too much for parties or anything, but perhaps she could have seen Prince Roberto there. She found it was strange he hadn't called her in awhile or blown up her voicemail box with several worried messages lately. Usually the blubbering prince worried about her whereabouts more than her own mother ever did, and she felt a little strange about not seeing him in so long.
Although that was the last she would hear about the party until later this evening.
Halle sighed in relief as she lifted the finished stack of papers into her arms and handed them over to Jan. It only took her a week to finish filling out all of the departure papers, but she did it.
"Thank you." Jan accepted the paperwork from Halle, and he looked upon her profile with a new-found level of respect he had for the woman. "I'm impressed you managed to finish all of these in such a short time."
Halle was starting to have mixed feelings as Jan spoke. The only reason she got them done so quickly was because she was wanting to go home as soon as possible...
She still did want to go home, despite the fact that she was actually starting to enjoy her stay here in Dres Van. She missed her job, and her little apartment... Halle went from being a workaholic who worked seven days a week to being stuck in a foreign country for seven days and counting, unable to do anything work-related. She was so behind on her cases, and there was nothing she could do about it. She was on track for partner at her firm, and she was worried that if she didn't get back soon, someone else at Garrison and Harper, her law firm, would swipe the opportunity from her.
But she did really like it here in Dres Van, as well...
Jan frowned slightly as he looked down on the stack of papers. "It will take at least three days for these documents to be processed, but it could take up to a week." His calm, resonating voice snapped Halle from her thoughts.
Halle's eyes grew wide as she let that sink in. "Does it really take that long?" Even as she spoke, there was a small part of her that felt relieved. Maybe she would have a chance to get to know Prince Joshua better, then...
Just then, she heard a low voice coming from outside the door. She was fairly certain she heard someone speak her name, and the lawyer's curiosity was peaked considerably.
"What could possibly be going on out there...?" Jan furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, and he began to walk away from Halle. "Please excuse me..." He looked slightly baffled as he bowed his head to her and left the room.
"Did something happen...?" Halle blinked owlishly at the door as she began to wonder what was going on.
Well, she wasn't about to just stand here and do nothing. She would go and find out for herself!
Halle quickly followed after Jan, and at the end of the corridor, she caught sight of Prince Joshua and a couple more familiar faces.
Prince Roberto and Prince Wilfred.
"Halle! You're still here!" Prince Roberto's face lit up in delight as soon as he spotted his friend, and he quickly ran to her and scooped her up in his arms tightly.
"Eep!" Halle couldn't help but girlishly shriek as the prince childishly spun her around in the air, still holding on tight to her. "Robbie...!"
"Did you just...shriek?" Prince Roberto chuckled at her, and he patted her head in awe. "Aww, Halle... You're so cute!"
Halle's whole face lit up red in embarrassment. "W-well you ran at me suddenly, so I panicked... And...put me down this instant!" She demanded as she pounded on Prince Roberto's arm, and he laughed and complied. Halle huffed in defiance, crossing her arms scornfully. "Idiot..."
A strange look came across Prince Joshua's face as he watched their exchange, and then he suddenly buried his face in his hands to cover it up. "You idiot... Don't come out here."
Halle froze as his whispers reached her ears. Oops... Guess she wasn't supposed to come out of her room after all.
"Sorry..." Halle's gaze flickered down to the floor, and she apologetically smiled at Prince Joshua.
Prince Roberto smiled warmly as he hugged Halle tightly from behind. "You don't need to apologize. We were just asking if you were still here."
"Oh." Halle rested her hands on Prince Roberto's arms that were wrapped around her torso. She didn't shy away from the affection, appearing to have dealt with years of this sort of thing from Prince Roberto. "Did you need me for something?"
"Nope." Prince Roberto grinned brightly as he rested his head on hers. "I just wanted to see you."
Halle automatically looked at Prince Joshua, and he quickly turned away. "Well, the cat's out of the bag now..." Prince Joshua immediately began to take his leave of the group, walking away. "I'll leave the rest to you, Jan."
Jan looked a little surprised by his sudden exit, but bowed immediately. "Understood."
They all watched Prince Joshua leave as Prince Roberto clapped a hand to Jan's shoulder. "You have it tough as ever, Jan old buddy."
"Not at all." Jan smiled warmly. "This is my job." He let his gaze linger on Prince Roberto for a moment as it slowly traced its way over to Prince Wilfred. "Now, it's not unusual for Prince Roberto to drop by, but I'm surprised to see you here as well, Prince Wilfred."
Prince Wilfred looked completely unamused as he just deadpanned, "Prince Roberto forced me to come."
Jan smiled as Prince Wilfred spoke without emotion. "Oh... I see."
"Well, there's that party here tomorrow, right?" Prince Roberto shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly with a silly grin on his face. "It's such a pain to have to wake up early and get ready on the day, so I decided to stay the night and bring Wills with me!"
Halle's eyes slightly widened at the sound of that. He must mean the party Jan and Prince Joshua were talking about this morning... It was being held here in Dres Van Manor? Looks like she will be hiding in her room for the night, since she's not allowed to go...
Prince Roberto relaxed a little as he saw the confused look on Halle's face. "The party is just a lead up to the main event."
Halle tilted her head to the side ever so slightly. "The main event?" She whispered that slightly to herself, and Prince Roberto cocked his head at her.
"Oh, don't you know?" His mouth fell open slightly in surprise. "There is a party being held at Nobel Michel the day after tomorrow, and so the party here tomorrow is a kind of before party."
"Oh...a before party, you say?" Halle crossed her arms gently, and she stared off at nothing in particular. "Well, I don't see how this has anything to do with me..."
Prince Roberto smiled strangely at her. Didn't Prince Joshua tell her anything? "Well, it's more like a small gathering to prepare for the next day and have a bit of fun." Prince Roberto swung an arm over the blonde prince's shoulder with a joyful smile on his face. "Right, Wilfred?"
Prince Wilfred nodded slightly. "Yes. We gathered at Philip last year."
Prince Roberto cut in casually, holding up his pointer finger as he butted in. "And it was held at my place the year before that." He turned to look at Jan with a smile. "So it's Josh's turn this time, right, Jan?"
Jan's mood seemed to brighten at the mention of his master, who he took so much pride in. "Yes... If I may, I would like to suggest that rather than standing here to talk, perhaps it would be best if you moved to the dining hall." He posed his suggestion politely. "I shall make preparations for dinner."
"The chef you have here is the best!" Prince Roberto commented happily as he munched on his dinner, satisfied with his meal. "I can't wait for tomorrow's party." His cheerful voice echoed throughout the dining hall that was normally quieter than a mouse.
"Thank you." Jan bowed respectfully in response to such a high compliment. "This chef is a favorite of Prince Joshua's."
Prince Joshua rose an eyebrow in suspicion to Jan. "When did I ever say that this chef was a favorite of mine!?" He spoke in a reproachful tone as Halle stared at him amusedly from where she sat beside him at the table.
Jan simply grinned at him all-knowingly, not even flinching at his brusque comment. "You didn't, but, you have kept the same chef for the last three months or more. Up until then, we could barely keep the same person for a week, right?"
Halle snorted as she chuckled under her breath, staring down at her plate. "Well, he's got you there..." She muttered under her breath loud enough for Prince Joshua to hear her.
Prince Joshua flicked her a quick glare as Prince Roberto and Prince Wilfred exchanged smiles.
"Prince Joshua is a lover of good food." Prince Wilfred quietly commented to the others, smiling bemusedly.
Prince Roberto nodded in agreement with a grin of his own. "That's right." He laughed a little as he looked over at Halle. "You should have heard the complaints he made at my party!"
Prince Joshua frowned a little at these remarks. "I wouldn't go so far to say I made complaints..." His eyes awkwardly darted to look over at the empty side of the room. "It was only for that combination it would have been better to use a carrot-based sauce..."
Prince Roberto half expected him to get defensive like this, and he smiled as he shook his head. "I know. After that, the recipe was adjusted to use a carrot-based sauce, just as master chef Joshua suggested."
Prince Joshua's ego only got bigger after hearing Prince Roberto's silly comment. "It tastes better now, right?"
Prince Roberto shrugged his shoulders as he smiled. "I guess, although I liked it both ways." He gave his opinion freely. "They both have their merits."
Prince Joshua's enthusiasm vanished at this answer. "Your chef will never get any better if you are like that."
"Does that matter?" Prince Wilfred suspiciously rose one of his eyebrows at Prince Joshua. "I liked it the way it was before as well."
Prince Joshua started to look bored and turned his attention back to his meal. "I weep for your taste buds."
"Well, how about tonight, then?" Prince Roberto posed his challenge vaguely before he decided to elaborate further. "There are all kinds of sauces being used here." He looked from plate to plate as he spoke. "Why not test which is the best and settle this?"
Prince Joshua and Halle had gravy on their plates, and Prince Wilfred had sour cream. Prince Roberto seemed to be using some kind of onion sauce.
"Truly." Halle nodded her head in agreement. "The sour cream looks good, too..."
"It's best with gravy." Prince Joshua looked over at her as he spoke his opinion curtly, frowning a little as he did so. He was involuntarily trying to force her to see that he was in the right here.
Halle chuckled quietly to herself as she turned her head down to her plate, shaking it a little. He can be so stubborn sometimes...
Prince Roberto laughed out loud at Prince Joshua. "Haha, you're just as stubborn as ever!" He made the exact same observation as Halle, sharing her reaction as well.
Jan pulled his lips into a small smile as he approached Halle with a side of sour cream and the onion sauce. "Shall we put it to the test, then?" He set them down beside her plate before returning to his post.
Halle looked at the sauces and then back at Jan, growing a little flustered. "W-wait, why am I to be the judge of this!?"
Jan and the other princes chuckled at her, except for Prince Joshua, of course.
"Well, Halle?" Prince Roberto quirked an eyebrow at her, grinning mischievously. "Go ahead and try it!"
Prince Wilfred smiled at her in amusement. "Yes... I am curious to see what she thinks as well."
Halle's cheeks flushed red as she looked at everybody. "Jheeze, no pressure or anything..."
They all chuckled at her lighthearted attitude once more as she finally took a deep breath, then took some of the sour cream and tried a bite of her food with that first. It was pretty good, actually. It gave it a pretty different flavor, and she did like it. Next, Halle dipped her bite in the onion sauce and popped it into her mouth. It had a simple taste to it, and it wasn't as heavy as the gravy.
It was then that she noticed everyone had their eyes on her, and a nervous bead of sweat rolled down her forehead at the sight.
"Well?" Prince Joshua impatiently spoke up, looking over at the woman sitting beside him. "It tastes best with the gravy, right?"
"Well..." Halle's face fell as she folded her hands in her lap. "Actually, I... I can't choose."
Prince Joshua froze at her response. His eyes widened as his mouth opened slightly, and he stared at her in shock. "You can't choose...?"
Prince Roberto grinned mischievously at the purple-haired prince. "Oh dear, Josh. Did you just get rejected?"
Prince Joshua flushed bright red at this teasing. "Why does that mean I got rejected?" Halle was startled by his strong tone of voice, but she kept her eyes on him.
He looked more shocked than angry, and a sharp pain shot through her chest to see it. Maybe she should have worded it differently...
"Different people have different tastes, right?" Prince Wilfred broke the ice with his simple question, pulling Prince Joshua out of his thoughts.
Prince Joshua sighed heavily at the question. "Well, I guess I shouldn't have expected a commoner to have a discerning palate."
"Ouch." Halle bitterly thought to herself as she grimaced from that sharp stab to her heart. She still wanted to get her point across, though...
So, instead of letting him get the last word in or looking at the displeased face Prince Roberto was making as a result of what Prince Joshua had said about his friend, Halle thought she would stand up for herself.
"Excuse me." She folded her arms across her chest as she glared over at Prince Joshua, addressing him bravely.
"What is it?" Prince Joshua didn't notice the look she was giving him as he looked at her.
She rose an eyebrow judgmentally as she pushed her two side sauces over to him. "Will you not try the other two sauces yourself?"
Prince Joshua stared at her in awe, completely thrown off balance. "You want me to try it...?"
"Yes." Halle simply nodded to him. "Rather than getting someone else's opinion, if perhaps you tried it for yourself-"
Prince Joshua's expression hardened as he turned his gaze back down to his plate. "I don't need to try it to know what is best."
Halle pouted adorably at his intense stubbornness, which didn't go unnoticed by Prince Joshua. "Come on, Prince Joshua... Just one bite?"
Prince Joshua hesitantly looked at her face as he slowly felt himself caving, and he visibly sighed as he reached for the two sauces. Halle smiled brightly as she watched him carefully try each of the other two sauces, eating in silence.
A strange look came across his face as he finished trying both, but he seemed to have not changed his mind at all. "The gravy is still the best."
"That's our Josh!" Prince Roberto clapped jokingly. "Never backs down from his convictions!"
Prince Joshua frowned as Prince Roberto continued to tease him airily, but he didn't look away at all as he stared at Halle.
"...what?" Halle looked back into his eyes as her heart began to flutter under his stare.
Prince Joshua's lips slowly began to form words as he had a calm look on his face. "But... It wasn't bad."
Halle blinked several times, because she was sure she misheard him. "...huh?"
"The other sauces weren't bad." He continued to stare at her intensely as he spoke. "I can see how people's opinions can differ depending on their own tastes."
Everyone looked at Prince Joshua with the same shocked expression. Even the always calm and serious Prince Wilfred had widened eyes and a jaw on the floor as he stared at Prince Joshua.
Prince Roberto blinked owlishly at the stubborn hard head he had known for so long. "That's not something I expected to hear our prince of the icy mask to say..."
Prince Joshua smiled at Prince Roberto's words bemusedly. "Really? I'm not acting any different than normal."
Prince Roberto's head fell into his hand as he smiled wryly at Prince Joshua. "Or at least you aren't aware of it yourself."
Prince Joshua's eyebrows twitched as his expression hardened. "What do you mean?"
"Nothing at all." Prince Roberto's eyes fell on Halle for a brief moment before he turned back to Prince Joshua with a smile that suggested nothing was wrong at all. "Anyway, what do you say to going on a drive after dinner?"
"A drive?" Prince Joshua was a little thrown off by the sudden topic change as he stared at Prince Roberto.
Jan politely broke into the conversation at the mention of this. "You wish to take a drive at this time of night?"
"Yes." Prince Roberto nodded his head before he suddenly grew a little worried, backtracking slightly. "Oh, is that against the rules in Dres Van?"
"No, of course not." Jan chuckled at his innocent question, lightening the mood. "Although, I would need to employ the services of a driver, so..."
"You can drive, can't you?" Prince Joshua looked over at Jan curiously, raising a suspicious eyebrow.
"Of course." Jan smiled brightly at his question. "Would it be all right if I were to drive?"
"I don't mind." Prince Joshua shrugged him off easily. "It would certainly be faster that way."
Jan nodded to his master. "Understood. I shall prepare to leave immediately." Prince Roberto and Prince Wilfred smiled warmly as they watched Jan bow his head.
"He's the perfect butler." Prince Roberto rested his head in his hand, staring at Jan admirably. "I need one like him at my place."
Halle just scoffed at Prince Roberto's comment. "Yeah, I don't think so. You need someone like Albie to keep you in check."
Prince Roberto frowned at her sarcastic remark. "Hey, I've gotten better!"
Halle folded her arms on the table as she quirked an amused eyebrow at him. "Oh, really? So Albie no longer finds it necessary to hide tracking devices within all of your clothes so he can find you whenever you skip out on royal duties and take off?"
Prince Roberto looked shocked for a moment as he stared at her before he suddenly started patting himself down. "He still does that!?"
Prince Wilfred chuckled and shook his head. "Prince Roberto, your butler is splendid as well."
Prince Roberto's face visibly fell into a frown. "Yes, I suppose he is. In an overbearing motherly kind of way..."
Halle chuckled at his shy admittance. "Oh hush, Robbie. You love Albie and you know it."
Prince Roberto knitted his eyebrows together as he glared at Halle. "Don't go telling him anything I said tonight, okay?"
Prince Joshua shook his head at Prince Roberto's silliness as he felt it necessary to comment on Jan's competence. "Well, I wouldn't say the butler here is anything special. Right, Jan?"
Jan gave an obviously practiced bow at this comment. "It is as Your Highness says. Please excuse my incompetence."
Halle smiled to herself as she shook her head. At first, shortly after she had first gotten here, Halle thought Jan was just following Prince Joshua's orders because he can be scary. But she could see now that Jan was very good at handling his master, as if the two were old friends but didn't admit it.
"Jan and Prince Joshua have been together since they were quite young." Prince Wilfred observed quietly as he took a sip of his wine. "I think they understand each other quite well because of it."
"That's just what I was thinking..." Halle rested her head in her hand as she thought to herself, allowing a delicate smile to find its way to her lips.
"I guess." Prince Joshua shrugged his shoulders. "We have been together since he came here as an apprentice butler."
Prince Roberto just snickered at what Prince Joshua had to say. "Prince Joshua doesn't have anyone else close to him, so he's pretty much his only confidant."
Prince Roberto's comment seemed to have struck a nerve, but Jan cut in before Prince Joshua could respond. "I will go and ready the car now. Please come to the courtyard when you are finished getting ready." The atmosphere of the room calmed immediately at the sound of Jan's soft voice.
But Prince Joshua seemed a little confused as he looked up at him. "The courtyard?"
"Yes..." Jan backtracked slightly, but his confidence and bright smile didn't waver for a single second. "Is there a problem?"
Prince Joshua paused for a moment before shaking his head. "No. It's fine."
"Please excuse me for now." Jan bowed respectfully to the group as he turned to leave. "I will see you all shortly."
"Later, Jan!" Prince Roberto waved good-bye casually to the butler as he left, being extremely silly.
Halle's eyes couldn't help but find themselves fixed on Prince Joshua as she wondered to herself, "what was that about...?"
Halle, accompanied by both Prince Wilfred and Prince Roberto, had ventured outside onto the castle grounds in attempt to find the courtyard Jan and Prince Joshua had spoken of earlier. They stopped around a grassy area filled with red flowers that had a couple antique benches spread about when Prince Roberto spoke up.
"He did say the courtyard...so around here somewhere?" Prince Roberto looked around at his surroundings, talking more to himself rather than the other two.
Prince Joshua had insisted the others go ahead without him, and Princes Wilfred and Roberto, accompanied by Halle, were all looking around the courtyard in confusion.
"I can't see any cars..." Prince Wilfred mused out loud as he pressed a finger to his lips.
Prince Roberto quirked an eyebrow curiously as he continued to look around the area. "I wonder if this is the wrong place?"
Halle was about to say something when she suddenly heard a soft mewing sound. Something furry brushed up against her leg, and her eyes flew down to the floor so fast in panic. She was relived to see that a cute little kitten had just walked up to her to say hello and demand attention, and the always-serious-and-bitterly-sarcastic Halle had a reaction that neither Princes Wilfred or Roberto would ever forget.
Halle's lips stretched into such a huge smile as she immediately scooped up the kitten into her arms, fawning over its adorably cute face. "Aww! What's wrong, kitty?" She asked as she pet the kitten on the head.
"I doubt he's even a month old." Prince Wilfred walked up to Halle and started to pet the little kitten in her arms.
Prince Roberto smiled as he reached out to pet the kitten too. "Where do you think this little guy came from?"
Prince Wilfred shrugged as he continued to pet the kitten. "Maybe he lives out here in the courtyard?"
They were all busy petting the kitten in Halle's arms when a low voice rang out behind them.
"Hmm? Hasn't he brought the car around yet?"
Halle turned around with the kitten adorably snuggled against her face to see Prince Joshua walking towards them with a cross look on his face. He then immediately stopped and stared at them.
"What are you three doing?" He stared at the kitten in Halle's arms.
"We were..." Halle started to say something when Prince Wilfred cut in.
"We found a kitten." He smiled, now in a better mood having petted the cute baby animal.
"Look!" Prince Roberto pointed at the kitten. "Isn't he cute!?" He fawned over its cute face immensely as he took it from Halle, then held it out to Prince Joshua.
Prince Joshua grew very angry as he recoiled away from the kitten. "S-stop it!" He made a face as he shrank back from Prince Roberto even further.
Halle tilted her head to the side. Was Prince Joshua...?
Prince Roberto seemed to share her thought as he widened his eyes in shock. "Josh...are you scared of cats...?"
Prince Joshua flushed bright red at Prince Roberto's question. "W-what are you talking about!? Of course not!" He shouted, looking up at them this time. "I just remembered I have some work to do! You lot can go by yourselves!" And with those words, he hurried back into the manor.
"Oh, Your Highness!" Halle reached out her hand as if that would stop Prince Joshua from going, and she frowned as she watched him disappear from her sight.
"Hit the nail on the head, did I?" Prince Roberto tried to blink back his surprise as he stared in the direction Prince Joshua had ran in.
Prince Wilfred, who had been silent up until that moment whispered, "but he's so cute..."
"Truly..." Halle took the kitten back in her arms and stared down at his cute little face. "I can't see how anyone could be scared of something this small..."
In the next moment, they were being surrounded by light as a car came towards them.
"Oh, there he is!" Prince Roberto clapped his hands together excitedly. "Hey, Jan!" He waved his arms to the approaching limousine.
The car stopped nearby, and Jan came out to meet them. "I am very sorry to have kept you waiting." His eyes fell upon the kitten Halle was holding, and he smiled faintly. "Where did that cat come from?"
"I found him here in the courtyard..." Halle stared down at its loving face as she scratched his cheek, and the kitten seemed very pleased with the attention.
"Josh took one look at him and ran away." Prince Roberto stifled his laughter, reaching over to pet the cute kitten once more.
Jan gave a wry smile at this information. "Yes... His Highness isn't very good with cats."
"So it seems..." Prince Roberto mused some sort of response to Jan.
"Why?" Prince Wilfred posed his question, unable to understand Prince Joshua's strange fear.
"Excuse me?" Jan looked over at Prince Wilfred, a little confused by his question.
"Why doesn't he like cats?" The blonde prince restated his question more clearly this time, stuffing his hands into his pockets.
Jan looked slightly puzzled by Prince Wilfred's question. "Well... He does seem to like animals as a rule... But with cats, he doesn't seem to like their coquettish manner."
"But whimsicalness is one of their charms." Prince Roberto commented with a tiny smile on his face. "Much like those of a woman. Right, Prince Wilfred?"
Prince Wilfred studied the kitten in Halle's arms. "I don't think that they are whimsical, but rather act based on their instincts. Wouldn't you agree?"
Halle seemed to be the only shining light in their group who really seemed to understand Prince Joshua's feelings at this very moment. "His Highness tends to dislike all things that are not as they seem, or are not truly one thing or another, so I believe he is not comfortable with a creature that appears to act on a whim." She looked down at the kitten with a half smile on her face.
Prince Wilfred laughed airily as he looked at the observant woman next to him. "You must spend a lot of time watching him."
Halle's cheeks slightly flushed at the embarrassing comment. "N-no... Not really. I just have talked with him more often since I have been staying here."
Jan clapped his hands together in attempt to enter the conversation. "What Prince Wilfred says is true. I am not sure if His Highness is aware of it himself, but he has recently been opening up to Miss Halle as well..."
Halle hadn't expected him to say anything like that, and she was at a loss for a response. She hung her head in embarrassment. "T-that's not..."
"Josh did seem to be acting a little different today..." Prince Roberto thoughtfully scratched at his chin, and he slyly slid over to Halle and gave her a teasing look. "You must have infected him with your charm, Halle."
Her face was as red as a tomato from his teasing, and her heart started to beat erratically. "S-shut up, Robbie! I don't know what you are even talking about!" She playfully punched his arm in embarrassment, which he only laughed at.
Prince Joshua, opening up to her? No way... That was just ridiculous. Even if that was true, then...perhaps she got through to him? It would be so nice if they could get along again, and maybe even be friends...
"Well, it is a shame, but shall we retire for the evening?" Prince Roberto looked at the faces of those around him as he asked his question. "Jan has Prince Joshua to worry about as well."
"That would certainly be preferable." Jan nodded to Prince Roberto with a smile, glad he understood the situation. "Thank you."
And so, the plan to take a drive was cancelled, and they all headed back into the manor. Once inside, the two princes escorted Halle back to her room, and before going inside, she remained in the corridor for just a little longer to say good-bye.
"See you tomorrow, then." Prince Roberto grinned as he stuck out his hand and playfully messed up Halle's hair, earning a glare from the brunette.
"Good night, Robbie." She rolled her eyes with a grin on her face, and she turned to Prince Wilfred. "Good night, Prince Wilfred."
"Good night." The blonde prince said his adieus, and both he and Prince Roberto left for their rooms they were staying in for the night.
Halle turned to open the door to her room when she heard footsteps, and she found herself poking her head around the corner just in time to see Prince Joshua heading her way.
"Your Highness..." Halle stepped out to meet him half way, and she greeted him with a tired smile.
"I thought you were going for a drive?" His expression remained unchanging as he looked ever serious.
Halle shook her head. "No, it was cancelled."
He frowned a little, but he didn't inquire any further. Halle wondered if he was maybe worried about what happened earlier with the kitten.
"Anyway, about tomorrow's party..." Prince Joshua reached back and ran a hand through his hair, avoiding her brown eyes. "I don't mind if you attend as well." His tone was unusually kind, and she was a little confused by it.
"Oh." Halle blinked a few times as she stared up at him. "Are you sure that's really okay?"
A bitter smile played upon his lips as she had asked him that. "Well, Prince Roberto and Prince Wilfred already know you are here..."
Halle felt a nervous bead of sweat roll down her forehead as she stared at him embarrassingly. "Oh, right..."
Prince Joshua continued to draw out his sentence. "And...you want to go, right?" His kind voice warmed her heart, and Halle couldn't help but wonder if he was actually doing this for her.
Halle's blank expression twitched slightly at Prince Joshua's kindness, and she felt her lips stretch into a bright smile as she grinned at him happily. "It would be fun if I could go... Thank you very much."
Prince Joshua held something out to her as she spoke. "Here." He handed her some documents, baffling her for a moment. He spoke slowly as she took them from him. "It is your permit to leave the kingdom." Halle's heart began to beat unpleasantly in her chest as Prince Joshua continued to speak to her. "Everything should be finalized by tomorrow, so you should be good to go the morning after."
"I can go home the day after tomorrow...?" Halle thought to herself as she ran her fingers over the pages.
"So, I guess..." Prince Joshua looked downwards as he continued explaining everything to her. "...tomorrow will be your last day here at the manor." His voice sounded distant to her. "So I figured you should go to the party tomorrow and have a good time before you leave." His lips were pressed into a thin line, and he made the serious, unfeeling face he always did.
Halle felt the documents slip between her fingers and fall to the floor as she stared at Prince Joshua in shock.
...
Was that really it? Just like that, it was all over?
DANG. THIS WAS SO LONG.
I actually took the time today to write a bunch XD I feel so accomplished after looking over the progress I've made on this book...
*is already sobbing* this is chapter eight of my book, when in reality I'm only on chapter 4/16 from the actual game in terms of plot, and I still have the three sequels that come after the main story plus whatever fluff chapters I add in from my semi original plot for this story. *banging my head on my desk* this...is going to be so...long.
XD read, review, and enjoy...