The Prince and The Rogue

10: Slowly

|Prince Theo|

We were all done for the day with the integrations and it was now lunch. We got through half of the rogues today that we have arrested. I truly didn't enjoy it and Dad's strategies are a little outdated and cruel. Yet, they get the job done, so there is that. I can't argue with something that works and switch it out for a technique that may not work as well.

I am assuming Samantha had settled into her room and hopefully got a tour of the palace from Mom. We climbed the winding stairs from the cells to the main floor of the palace. Behind us the guard locks the door once we are all cleared out.

When we got to the dining hall they had yet to arrive, so I am assuming they took her on a lengthy tour of the palace. Knowing my mom she loves history and this palace holds a lot of that. One can only assume she is telling Samantha all about the palace's history.

Dad and I sat down and picked at the bread and other little things on the table until they arrived. We don't eat unless everyone is present.

"Finally," Dad grumbles when mom enters with her little party.

"Hi," Rosabella greets with her signature bright smile.

"Hello, sweetheart. How was class today," dad asks.

"Good," she says and sits down and sets a napkin in her lap.

Samantha in other words looked drained and tired. I couldn't feel her emotions as her wolf was gone therefore the bond was gone, but I could tell by her face.

Once the butlers saw we all had arrived the lunch was brought out and the table was filled with platters and pitchers.

"How was the tour," I ask, glancing at Samantha.

"Fine," Samantha lies.

"Is your room to your liking?"

She nods. "Yes. It is beautiful."

I was upset how she was only giving me short answers and not looking at me when she responded. She truly didn't seem happy here yet, and that broke my heart. I was happy she was here.

"Good, you know if you need anything you can come to any of us."

Rosabella smiles with a nod. "Yes, please!"

I could tell she was genuinely happy to have another female in the palace besides my mother and the maids. If you haven't noticed how sheltered she is by my father then you haven't been paying attention. She isn't even allowed to leave the palace without an escort. She can't even hang out with the little friends she has without one. That is quite awkward if you want to hang out at their home or at the mall. You know girl shit. You can't do girl shit with a male guard constantly with you. So this must be refreshing for her. I hope they become friends and hopefully she can help her through this aletering life change.

Samantha simply nods at my over eager sister. I laugh at my little sister, she truly was something else.

"Now, Samantha. What are your plans," dad asks bluntly.

"Plans," she asks nervously.

"Like we offer tutoring, are you interested in that? We can help you and get you an education if you wish."

She sits and ponders for a moment. "Can I get back to you on that? I think I want to be educated, but I want to take things slowly. I want to get used to all of this first."

"Which is completely understandable," I tell before Dad breathes a word, glaring at him.

I know he means well, but he doesn't have a filter and doesn't know when to stop. He doesn't think before he talks, but that's the perks that come with being Alpha and King. For anything my mother is the brains of this operation. She is the one to think things over before presenting them to the council. She is the one to make decisions. Dad would be screwed if he didn't have her. He'd probably be dead.

Lunch is cleared and I catch Samantha's hand before she can escape. She turns around and gasps. A little spark, a very small one, but at least it's something.

"Hey," I whisper softly.

"Hi," she mumbles.

"Can we talk and walk?"

"I guess."

I guided us to my mother's garden. It's a beautiful little garden with a small but tall fountain in the middle. She stands stared for a moment.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"It's my mother's, she tends to it herself and all during her free time. She needed a hobby, so Dad found an open and enclosed area for her to garden."

"I see and how much free time does she exactly have?"

"Not as much as she would hope for. Now enough about me, I'd like to get to know you a little more."

She sits down on the edge of the fountain and shrugs. "I'm not that interesting, to be honest."

I could tell she didn't want to share a lot about herself because she didn't trust me.

"That is a lie. Surely you have stories about your adventures and life of living in the wilderness."

Truly I was intrigued by that. Sure, I've gone camping, but that's about it. I didn't have to live off the land and survive off of her natural resources. I think I'd go crazy living like that. No relief on a hot summer day, no warmth during a cold winter's night. Sleeping on the ground and having to bathe in a local water source. That's probably because I'm a civilized human, but Samantha. That is normal to her.

She shuffles uncomfortably under my gaze. "To me it's not truly interesting. It's my life. I didn't find it interesting. For anything it was normal to me. This is going to be an adventure in itself, getting used to the royal life."

I nod. "It will be quite the ride. Once you get the hang of it, it will be easy."

She nods. "Hopefully."

We both look up to see the dark skies overhead and the sudden rain pelting down on us.

"Come on, it is starting to rain. You don't want to catch a cold."

I cover us with my jacket and we both run into the palace. We got a little wet but my jacket was heavy from how soaked it got.

For the first time since Samantha arrived here she had a genuine smile on her face and a genuine laugh left her mouth. I reminisced in the moment. Truly wondering if we would have more stolen moments like this.

~~~

Oof, hello everyone! I had a little bit of writers block with this chapter.

I have started my second year of college and oof. I am doing one class in person and just my luck on the first day Hurricane Ida hit. Since Wednesday I've been out of school since all the roads to the college to are blocked due to down trees and flooding.

I hope everyone has a wonderful and safe weekend!

~Becca, The Queen of Beans