''Flying''

''Be Careful With Him.''

The Ball that night seemed to lack something that Bella couldn't quite put her finger on. She had gone through all the preparations with Mackenzie and was sure that everything was as they had chosen, yet there was this nagging feeling that something was missing.

Bella tries to distract herself by talking to the wife of one of the Lords that are a part of Josh's Private Council when she is interrupted by Josh himself. Asking to speak with her privately, and after she excuses herself from the Lady she had been speaking with, he leads her to a secluded corner of the Great Hall.

-"Is everything alright?"

-"Everything's fine, but I do need to warn you about something. Be careful with Alexander. I'm certain he will try to make an approach to attempt to court you."

-"I thought Lord Roberts was your friend!?"

-"He is, but I know that when he sets his mind onto something, he is like a dog with a bone. Earlier, Alexander made certain comments that make me believe that he will try to convince you to marry him and reject Henry's request."

-"How sure are you? I mean, if I refuse him, maybe he will move on."

-"Alexander won't give up that easily and he will stop at nothing until he gets what he wants, and right now he wants you."

-"I see. Well, I'll make sure that he knows I have no interest in being with him."

-"Does this mean you have decided to accept Henry's request?"

-"I'm considering it." - She smiles softly.

-"Listen, between Henry and Alexander, I would much rather see you with Henry than with Alexander."

-"Even if I decided against King Henry's request, I still wouldn't choose Lord Roberts. The man is a bit too arrogant for his own good."

-"You have no idea."

Josh chuckles and leads her back to the crowd.

Bella smiles, but quickly excuses herself when she sees Henry across the room. This is the first time she has seen him in the last two days where she can actually talk to him and she is not going to miss the opportunity.

She walks through the crowd, her eyes on him, when he spots her and smiles at her. For some unknown reason, her heart fluttered at the sight, making her smile back as wide as he is smiling at her.

However, she is stopped halfway by none other that Lord Roberts. Bella is polite and greets him, her eyes still on Henry, who she can see just over Lord Roberts' shoulder.

-"Lady Arabella, I must congratulate you on such a splendid Ball. And, if I may be so forward, you look absolutely ravishing tonight."

-"Thank you, Lord Roberts. However, it was a joint effort between myself and Princess Mackenzie. I'm sure she will appreciate the compliment just as well."

-"If my Lady would allow me, I wish to have some time to get to know you a little better, since I've been away from the Royal Court for quite some time."

Alexander grabs her hand and kisses it, Bella barely containing a shiver of disgust at the gesture. She quickly excuses herself and makes her way to Henry, asking him if he can get her out of the Great Hall.

Henry, who had been watching the whole interaction, immediately agrees and leads her out of the room, looking over his shoulder, only to see Alexander raising a his glass at him with a smirk on his lips.

"I need to keep an eye on Alexander. Bella and Alexis need to be kept safe from him.", Henry thinks as he leads Bella through the room and out onto the corridor.