Be My Princess (FanFiction): Summer in Altaria

Chapter 17

One day, when I was having my dance lessons with Jan, Roberto paid me a visit.

As odd as this may sound, but I didn't really want to see him. That was probably because he crossed me, multiple times.

"May I?" Roberto asked Jan as he gestured between Jan and I.

Jan bowed respectfully, and silently let Roberto take his place as my dance partner.

"Dance lessons," He murmured as he continued the dance where Jan and I left off. "Who would have thought that you would continue your Princess lessons?"

I was about to roll my eyes, but I stopped myself.

"Like I have a choice," I said instead.

"A choice," He raised an eyebrow.

"Princess lessons are a part of my punishment."

Roberto still looked confused.

"For," He promoted.

That irritated me.

I sighed. "For running away five years ago. My father thought I should continue my Princess lessons while I was confined to my room."

"So, in other words, you're grounded." He laughed.

"If you put it like that, yes, I'm grounded, but I rather think it as being confined-- because that's how I feel."

"At least you're only grounded." He said gently as he ended the dance. "Your father could have chose something much worse for your punishment."

"Yeah, well, I probably wouldn't be confined in the Manor again if I hadn't came back." My tone held accusation, as if I was accusing Roberto for my confinement.

Heck, if you thought about it long enough. If it wasn't for Roberto, or my brother, I wouldn't be confined to the Manor if they hadn't forced me to come back.

So it technically it was Roberto and my brother's-- and all of the other Crown Princes-- fault for my state at the moment.

Then again, that would be me pointing fingers at them, and stinking good intentions.

Roberto caught my tone, which won me an exasperated sigh.

"Katerina, I'm sor--"

"You don't have to apologize, Roberto." I interjected. "I was bound to come back here to Dres Van one way or another."

"Still, I'm sorry," He said as he stared into my eyes sincerely. "I'm sorry that I made you feel like I betrayed you, that all of us had made you feel like we had betrayed you."

"Like I said, you don't have to apologize. None of you don't have to, not even my brother. What's done is done."

Roberto sighed.

"You're not going to accept my apology, or your brother' or the other Princes', are you?"

"That wouldn't be me," I simply said.

He chuckled, shaking his head.

"Are you here to see my brother?" I asked, quickly changing the subject.

Roberto nodded. "I came to have tea with him, along with the other Princes."

"You guys still have tea together as a group?" I teased.

He laughed, "Yes, we still have tea together as a group. What's wrong with that? We're all friends after all."

I shrugged. "I don't know, it's just weird. A bunch of grown men having tea together?" Teasingly, I pretended to shudder from the thought.

"Oh, you," He pinched my nose.

For a moment, I wasn't angry at Roberto. I was happy, but then I remembered how I had ended up back in the Manor.

There was no way around that fact.