Uncharted - A My Sweet Prince Novel (2)

Perfect

I feel like I am walking on air by the time I meet with Asaka for my dress fitting. She is waiting for me when I arrive and I see the strange look she gives me, but I don't bother worrying about it. I am dressed in a gorgeous emerald green gown that is supposed to sweep the floor daintily, but is currently way too long. The seamstress has pins in her mouth and is working on creating a new hem for me.

"What's going on?" Asaka asks suddenly, leaning forward, squinting her eyes at me.

I blink innocently. "What do you mean?" I ask, tilting my head to the side.

"With you," Asaka says, waving her hand in my direction. "It's not a bad thing, it's just...you seem to be in a really good mood. Just wondered why," she says with a shrug.

"Oh," I say, chuckling. "I don't know," I lie. "I guess it could have something to do with the fact that I've thought about your offer."

Asaka's eyes light up. "You're going to stay?" she asks, bouncing in her seat. "Lina! I'm so excited!"

I smile, knowing it would make her happy. "I was just thinking about it and, there really isn't anything for me back home. I don't have any family—just you. Our apartment is trash and I hate my job. So," I muse. "I could just stay here with the only family I have left. I could easily get a job and an apartment, if staying here in the palace wasn't an option." I shrug and feel the seamstress glare at me. "I want to get a job regardless," I say, giving her a stern look. "I won't live off your goodwill, Asaka. Even though I appreciate it."

She is still smiling, and I know my contingencies haven't dulled her spirit any. "Okay!" she exclaims. "We can definitely make that work." She pauses and lifts an eyebrow, a sly smile coming over her face. "So," she says casually. Too casually. "What about dating?"

I give her a dark look. "What about it?" I ask. I know exactly where she is going with this and I just know she's going to drag it out of me, that Chezem and I are sort of together. We haven't said it in so many words, but I can't imagine we are anything but a couple.

"Well," she says, waving her hand through the air. "All the princes are available." She gives a dainty shrug. "Alvah is sweet," she says, watching me carefully.

"Yes," I say. "He is." I don't give her anything else and she pouts.

"Don't make me drag it out of you!" Asaka whines. "Come on," she urges. "You and Chezem? Everyone has seen the way he looks at you."

I blink. "How does he look at me?" I ask.

Asaka shakes her head. "Like...like you're everything he's ever wanted," she says with a wistful sigh.

I laugh. "Okay, sure," I say, but my heart thumps painfully in my chest.

But Asaka knows me better than that and she climbs to her feet, pacing in front of me. "You like him," she says simply. "He likes you."

"Okay," I say. "Let's say you're right. Then what?" I ask.

"Well," Asaka says, tapping a finger to her chin. "You date, obviously. Then you get married, have babies, and live happily ever after!"

I can't help but laugh. "That's a whole lot of something from a whole lot of nothing. Seriously, Asaka. All you're going on is the way he looks at me? I've seen Nagit look at his Japanese sweets the same way."

"Exactly," Asaka says with a giggle. "Because you're a snack!"

I can't help but laugh. "Okay," I say softly. "I don't know what we are," I admit after a long pause. "And this doesn't leave this room." Asaka makes a show of locking her lips and sits in her chair again, expectantly. She motions for me to continue. "I like him. A lot," I admit. "And we've spent a lot of time together the last couple of weeks. He makes me feel...safe and happy." I shake my head. "But sometimes I can't fathom how a relationship between us could work."

Asaka chews her lower lip for a moment. "Well," she begins. "He is a prince, but so was Jun and see how it turned out? I swear this place is magical because it makes fairytales. And I know—don't look at me like that. He's a prince, yes, but very unlikely to become King. That sounds bad, but it's not really. I talked to him about it once and he told me he didn't want to be King." She pushes her hair back and sighs. "So you two dates and it turns pretty serious, and he pops the question—or you do—and you get married. You'd be a Duchess, and you'd have the help of all the other princes and me, every day."

"And if it goes south?" I ask, hating how I feel the need to ask.

"Well," she says thoughtfully. "You said yourself you want to get an apartment. If it goes south, and I don't think it will, you won't have to see him. If it came down to it and it ended so badly that you never wanted to lay eyes on him again, I would just come to you. We could meet outside the palace or even just avoid him. It's a big castle, Lina."

The seamstress stands and blows out a sigh. "You can go ahead and take the dress off," she tells me. "I'll finish up the alterations today and the dress will be ready in time. As for you, your Majesty, your dress is complete if you would like to try it on?"

Asaka waves her hand. "Later," she tells her. "I want it to be a surprise to everyone."

"Very well," the seamstress says, bowing. She helps me out of the gown and I redress in my own clothes.

Asaka comes over and takes my hands in hers. "He makes you happy, Lina. I haven't seen you this happy in so long. I want this for you, but only if you want it too." She leans forward and kisses my cheek affectionately. "No one says you have to marry him, anyway. You two could happily date for the rest of your life, if that's what you want. Just...don't do what I did. Don't push him away because you're scared or you think it can't possibly work. Trust me, if it's meant to, it will work out." She lifts my chin and smiles warmly.

I recall how she had been when she came back home, leaving Jun behind. She had been a mess, and I was there to pick up the pieces. And here she is, trying to stop me from making the same mistakes. She's right. If Chezem weren't a prince, would I be so hesitant to date him officially? No, probably not. I take a deep breath. "He asked me to stay with him in his room tonight."

Asaka's eyes go wide and she makes a startled noise in the back of her throat. "Lina...are you serious?" she asks. "Are you...ready?"

I shake my head. "It's not like that," I say. "He just wants to be with me. To spend time with me. I told him I would," I admit. "I think I'm going to talk to him tonight about...us and what we even are."

Asaka gives me a hug. "Good," she says. "Keep me in the loop, okay? I know we haven't gotten to see much of each other, but trust me. Things will quiet down once the wedding is over. Then there will be the honeymoon, but after that, we should have a girl's weekend. Just the two of us!"

I return the hug and sigh contentedly. Everything seems so perfect.