Fall Into You

22

why do you always leave me achin'
when you were never mine for the takin'?

It was easy. Just sit down, enjoy the lovely dinner, and watch as her entire world shifted into a completely different lifestyle.

Ha.

Nicollette had managed to adapt to being more involved in the royal life. She'd gotten more equipped to know how to speak, bow, and act around everyone of a higher rank than her. She'd gotten used to that, and it wasn't the worst, even if she didn't really enjoy it.

But this was going to change everything. She knew it, and so did Malia as the servant silently brushed her hair, preparing to braid it into whatever hairstyle she thought would be fit for a dinner.

"You're trembling," The brown-haired girl spoke. Her voice was soft, like satin, her eyes nothing but kind. Despite being a servant, one who had at some point stopped being the one to care for Maria and started caring for Nicollette's needs, Malia was probably the kindest person in the kingdom.

"I know," Nicollette said.

Usually, she'd try to hide it. She'd laugh it off, joke about it, or even deny it until it felt like that was the truth. But she couldn't, because she was stuck staring at the diamond ring on her left ring finger.

 She felt nauseous. She felt like the room was spinning, and despite being seated at her vanity, she felt as if she were going to fall onto the floor at any given moment.

Malia stared at her for a moment, her fingers stilling in the blonde's hair. She sighed as she set the brush down, forcing herself to begin braiding her hair into a simple braid. Something she knew Nicollette would like, and wouldn't make her feel even more anxious than before. "Miss Nicollette," She started, trying her hardest not to look at the girl as she focused on her hair. "I'm not one to jump into royal drama or put in my opinion unless asked." She murmured, her touch gentle. "But you don't look like you're very excited to be engaged."

Nicollette's breath caught in her throat. Her first instinct was to tell her the truth - that she wasn't. That she felt that she was moving way too fast, way too soon, despite how long she'd been actively seeing Tobias. But she knew that it wasn't the smartest idea.

Even if Malia was trustworthy. Even if she knew the servant wouldn't tell another soul. The idea of saying the words out loud made her dread the dinner approaching even more, and that made it more real than it already was.

"I'm happy. Just... anxious." She breathed in, finally meeting the servant's eyes in the mirror. "I've never been engaged. To a Prince, at that." She began to spew out whatever her mind could muster, wanting - needing - to make it sound believable. "Tobias is very kind to me, and I'm just... stuck wondering why he'd want to marry... marry someone like me."

There was a tad of truth in that. Tobias was a very kind man (especially for a royal), and part of her did question why he'd wanted her attention of everyone in Aradia and the surrounding kingdoms. He wasn't from Aradia, meaning he felt she was worth traveling from kingdom to kingdom every weekend, and he felt that she was important enough to not only court and take things at her pace but also to marry. 

"Not all royals look for love in other royals," Malia softly said, breaking eye contact to work on her hair some more. "Some don't look for it at all. Some find it in the people most unexpected. And... you know when it's someone you love. That you want to be with."

Her words hit Nicollette hard. She stared at the servant, even as the other girl began to hum while working on her braid. "You're not talking about Tobias, are you?"