Once Upon A Princess

20: Offenses

The knocks on the princess' bedroom door certainly were loud. Who could need her so badly right away?

"Could you answer that for me, Jackson?" Amelia asked. She was sitting in front of the vanity in her new room, trying to adjust to the sense of vertigo she felt being in a strange place. Even the bench underneath her felt different, as if Gell used completely different materials for their furniture.

At least all had gone smoothly with the first meeting, even if Amelia was sure she was about to vomit the entire time. She had this sinking feeling that she'd feel that way all while she was here. Out of place, senses completely turned around. It was disheartening.

"Of course, princess," Jackson responded without hesitation. He moved from his spot by the bed, a tad taller and firmer than her own bed back home, and walked across the room to the doors. Leesil was standing by the alcoved window, and Brand had taken up residence in the bathroom. Apparently being ambushed in a bathroom was a worry amongst her guards.

From the reflection in the mirror the princess saw Jackson open the door and then step back with alarm, letting out a little gasp.

"Oh, um, highness, I uh — we weren't expecting you!"

"Oh save it," the voice said. Amelia slightly turned around to see Theolon, pushing aside Jackson rather rudely to get into the room. His eyes were blazing. He finally stopped in the middle of her room, feet away from her current sitting position. His legs were spread slightly apart, hands in fists at his sides. His nostrils were slightly flared, lips scrunched together. He looked positively infuriated, which only made Amelia smile.

"What was that little act back there, princess?" he enunciated the last word as if to mock her, but she wasn't going to take the bait.

She turned around fully in her chair, facing him completely. She sighed, and then threw up her hands in a shrug.

"What little act?"

He scowled, his thick eyebrows lacing together. "You know what I mean, and it's dumb of you to even try playing coy. It doesn't suit you."

She twirled around again to face the mirror. She could see his still angry reflection as she leaned closer, touching her face softly as if to find any blemishes.

"I didn't feel like saying hello, that's all."

He put his hands on his hips, rather uncharacteristic for a royal to be doing. He raised his brows.

"Oh, right, yes. I forgot that part in the lessons. The part where you ignore a member of the royal family because you just didn't feel like saying hello." He threw his hands up then, a frustrated sigh escaping his lips. "My family thinks I've done something to offend you."

She cocked an eyebrow at him through the mirror. "And who says you haven't?"

Brand had come out of the bathroom at the commotion, and all three guards looked tense at their engagement. Amelia sighed.

"Would you three leave us alone for a bit? You can wait right outside the door."

They seemed hesitant, but they did as she said. Jackson shot the prince a vicious glare behind his back as he walked out. He definitely did not appreciate getting pushed.

"What? You haven't told anyone about our kiss?" Theolon asked as soon as the door closed.

Amelia spun in her chair again, and she leaned forward, hands on knees. The reappearance of Theolon's trademark smirk told her that he knew he got to her.

"It wasn't a kiss. Not a real one, anyway."

"You're right. A real kiss would have been far more enjoyable."

She blew a strand of hair out of her face, standing up. "Do you want something else or are you just going to yell at me some more?"

He folded his arms, taking a defensive position. "I'm not yelling at you."

"You're not having a pleasant conversation with me, either," she replied. "So what if I didn't greet you? I was just annoyed with you, that's all."

"Or you wanted to annoy me."

She smiled. "Clearly it worked."

He just shook his head. "Whatever. My family thinks I'm going to ruin this whole trip because I did something back in Avenor. Try to be a little more cordial with me in the future. It suits us both."

She folded her arms, cocking a hip to the side. "How did you know that the kiss was what I was thinking about?"

He smiled. "Because you are supremely embarrassed about it for reasons I haven't figured out yet." He stepped closer to her, putting a hand out and poking her in the forehead, to which she stepped back. The cocky grin was back, and she wished she could punch it off of him. "I was the one that was under a curse — as a frog of all things — and yet you are the one ashamed of what you did."

She hung her head, letting her hair fall into her face. "I'm not ashamed I saved you," she whispered. She peeked out through the waterfall of her hair, watching as Theolon's face changed from superior to surprised. "It was just a weird situation. I didn't even get a proper thank you."

As she raised her head he raised his arms, letting out a grunt. "Really? Where did I have time to thank you? One second I'm finally human again, and the next I'm being surrounded by guards. If that's what this whole thing is about, well, then that's just childish."

She pursed her lips; an expectant smile played in the corners of her mouth. "I still don't hear a thank you."

Theolon sighed. His shoulders sagged, defeated. "Thank you, Princess Amelia, for breaking the curse."

She straightened up to her full height, puffing out her chest. "You're welcome. I'd do it again in a heartbeat."

His eyes lit up. "Really?"

She shrugged. "Probably not. Now, could you get out? I'd like to change before dinner." She turned at a small angle, heading to her trunk on the bed.

"Why? What you've got on seems fine," Theolon replied. "It looks rather nice, actually. It's even clean. I don't remember ever seeing you in a clean dress before."

Leave it to Theolon to compliment her and then retract it with a condescending statement. "Could you just leave already?" she asked, trying to keep her voice light. She unclipped the trunk and let it fall open.

"Fine, fine." She heard his footsteps on the soft ground as he walked backwards towards the door. He pulled on the handle, still facing Amelia. The door opened a crack, and he leaned a foot out. "But I still think you should be my friend, rather than be snobby about it."

She turned to look at him, watching as he inched ever farther away from her. "Why?" was all she asked.

He grinned, his incisors showing and making him look rather mischievous. "There's always benefits to being my friend, you'll learn that soon enough."

She couldn't even snap out a retort before he was gone, and only then did she realize all the things she had wanted to say when she confronted him again. She hadn't even asked him about her ball! She shouldn't even give him the courtesy of pretended friendship until he at least held up his end of their little bargain. He'd put it in a good hiding place, because she'd spent a good chunk of her summer looking for it.

Leesil popped her head back in before the princess could stew too long, her face a much more welcome one than the one she'd just been rowing with.

"Everything alright, princess? Are we allowed back in?" Her eyes were crinkled with worry. Amelia just sighed.

"Just you, Leesil. I need to change."