The Romantique Times

Chapter 7 - The Save

Chapter 7 - The Save

*Edited* 

Charles' POV  

What a party. But then again, I have never been interested in parties. All those talks and laughs and drinks just don't interest me.

As usual, whenever I have a chance at parties, I quickly left the ballroom and headed for open air in the backyard. Strange, what was that sound? It sounded like splashing.

Oh well, there was a pond here. No doubt some animal was swimming in it now since it was peaceful and quiet.

"Isn't this better? Don't you think this is where you belong now?" I heard the snarky remark, amidst the chirping of crickets.

Filled with curiousity, I walked towards the pond to see an unbelievable sight. A head was bobbing up and down the water surface and I saw Miss Danielle Travensky if I was not mistaken, with her hands on her hips looking disdainfully at the bobbing figure.

Wait, this is a...

My body unknowingly moved forward from where I was standing and plunged into the water, ignoring Miss Danielle's shocked and somewhat disgusted face. I swam to the person who was struggling badly, kicking and punching the air, but before I managed to reach the person, I saw him or her starting to lose energy.

Oh no, I have to get there fast.

With all my might, I swam towards the figure and realized that it was a girl. When I reached her, I pulled her out of the water and made sure that her head stayed above the water, swimming back to shore as I dragged the currently unconscious body.

Once I reached the stone pathway, I pulled the body out and laid her down. However, when I looked up, Miss Natalie was already missing.

I have a life to save here; time for action. 

 Wilfred's POV

"Yes, yes it is," I was busily answering the questions that the people had raised, thinking that this would never end.

I heard the dance song started and some of the crowd dispersed. That was when I remembered Victoria.

"It has been a great chat with all of you tonight. I appreciate your opinions and remarks that you have all shared with me. Thank you for your utmost support and I hope that all of you would enjoy the celebration," I took the chance to excuse myself when the people calmed down a little.

Soon enough, the crowd started to disperse to dance as the music began, and I quickly mademy way through the remaining crowd and started to look around the room in search of Victoria.

I thought I told her to stay with me at all times. For a moment there, anger swept past me, and I wondered why I invited her to the party in the first place. She is a commoner, so she would definitely not be used to such events, and I reprimanded myself in my mind for asking her to come along.

Now that I'd had come to think of it, I never really waited for her reply to the invitation. I felt guilty, but then I became worried. I am the prince after all. What if she had encountered some sort of mishap? 

I have to find her.

I straightened my suit and walked around the room. Though it was an enclosed area, the amount of elaborately dressed people was overwhelming and it made finding Victoria an extremely difficult task.

But as the time went by, the more worried I got. This is no use. There had to be something else I could do...

"Excuse me, may I have your attention please?" I raised my voice, drawing attention to myself.

Silence fell onto the ballroom.

I took in a breath and asked. "I'm sorry to disrupt your night, but I'm looking for my partner, Miss Victoria Williams. She's wearing a turquoise dress. Have anyone of you seen her?" I said, hoping to hear the answer that I was looking for.

Whispers in the room erupted, but many were discussing about things like "Why is the Prince's partner missing?" or "Where is the Prince's partner anyway?" and "That partner of his is causing so much trouble!" and other opinions of that sort.

I was getting annoyed by how people gave no thought to my attempts of finding my partner for the night, but instead insulting were her. When I was going to say something in her defence, I heard a soft voice from behind.

"Excuse me, your highness. I'm afraid Miss Williams has entered the backyard without your approval," a servant spoke up.

The backyard? What was she doing in the backyard?

Soon, I headed to the backyard door in search for my partner, alongside a whole group of people from the party.  

Charles' POV

I pressed onto her nose and opened her mouth slightly. Ignoring my pride, I pressed my lips against her cold ones and blew air into it. I did this a couple of times, but it was not working very well.

I then loosened her corset and pressed hard on her chest, hoping to get the water out of her lungs. I then pressed my lips on hers once more, pumping air in hard. That was when I heard a crowd coming my way.

I pressed hard on her chest once more, and soon, she began spitting water out.

"Victoria!" I heard. It was the Prince.

The Prince knows about this lady here?

"Over here!" I shouted, and soon, Prince Wilfred came running towards our direction. When he reached us, he kneeled down beside the lady and lifted her up, allowing her head to rest on his chest. 

"What happened?" he asked in a cold tone, looking at me as though I was the one who caused the disaster.

"I'm Doctor Charles Harrison, and I saw Miss Victoria drowning in the water and I dived in to save her," I said, trying to clear my name as the Prince looked at me with fierce eyes.

He looked back at Victoria, shaking her lightly and calling her name gently. Soon, she coughed out even more water, and slowly opened her eyes.

"P-Prince Wil-f-fred?" she said in a voice so weak that it hurt just to listen to it.

"I'm here. I'm here," the Prince said hurriedly, hugging her frail body protectively.

"Am I... Am I dead?" she asked, looking around at the people that were now surrounding us.

"No, silly. You're not dead," the Prince chuckled a little and hugged her in her arms even tighter.

"Why are there so many people?" she said, panting after the short sentence.

"Shh... No more. Let's get you back to the palace. Andrew!" The Prince shouted out and a man from the crowd emerged.

"We're going back to the palace," he said, lifting Victoria's body effortlessly in his arms and walking through the crowd that had automatically made way for him.

All I could do was to follow him to his carriage. The Prince handled Victoria's body with care and placed her into the carriage where she continued to lie down in her drenched dress. He then left the carriage and came to face me.

"I want to know what had happened. But since there was no bystander, I had assumed that you were the one who caused this. However, seeing that you had helped Victoria, I have decided to let you go," he said, still, in that awfully cold tone of his.

"I was not alone," I told him, rather annoyed that he was accusing me for something that I did not do.

"Oh really? Then who else was there?" he asked, in a strained voice.

"Miss Danielle Travensky, daughter of War Minister Sir Thomas Travensky," I said.

"Danielle? Are you sure?"

"Absolutely."

"Very well. I would like you to come by the palace two days later. You will tell me everything, including what you know about Danielle," he said, and nodded towards me before disappearing in the carriage. 

What mess have I gotten myself into? This is why I hate attending parties.