BIRTHRIGHT (complete #Wattys2016)

Chapter 8: Royal Affections

Alexander was happier now, and the queen noticed it. He wasn't smiling, like usual, but the air around him didn't feel thick, it felt light, almost as if a heavy weight was lifted off his shoulder. Isabelle had decided to stay and she didn't send the letter. So, it was safe to say that they both were still engaged. What a relief! Clarisse had no idea what happened that night, but she didn't want to pry between them.

Everyone was seated at the dining table, enjoying breakfast together. Alexander sitting beside Theodore, and Claire next to him. Isabelle sat across from Alexander, Natalia and Nathan beside her. While sipping on his soup, he glanced up at Isabelle who was too engrossed with Natalia. Discretely Alexander stretched his legs under the table, as he touched Isabelle's legs with his shoe. Isabelle glanced up at him from the corner of her eyes and gave him a small smile as his foot traveled up her leg as he smirked at her.

"Jesus Christ!" Theodore yelled out beside Alexander, causing him to retreat his foot, as everyone looked at him in concern. Suddenly Theodore stood up, his chair scraping against the floor with a screeching noise. He then held his foot and bounced up and down.

"Why did you kick me, Talia?!" He yelled out at the princess who sat there glaring at him.

"Why did you touch me with your shoe?!" Natalia yelled back and everyone looked between the two as Alexander realized what was going on. He wasn't caressing Isabelle's leg, but his own sisters and she assumed it to be Theodore and kicked him in response. Before Theo could say anything, Alexander stood from his place and took hold of his friend's arm.

"Come on Theo, let's take you to the nurse," Alexander said hastily before the truth came into light, which would be extremely awkward.

"Wait! But...I!" Theo started but was dragged out by Alexander before anything could happen.

"What was that?" He yelled at his friend as he was dragged off to the nurse with a horrible limp to his side.

"Nothing...why did you scream like that?" Alexander tried to stall the conversation.

"Do you have any idea how much your sister's shoes hurt? Ow! I swear to God, I feel like my foot is broken." He hissed in pain.

"I'm not carrying you." Alexander teased.

"I did nothing to your sister and she suddenly kicked me! Wait a minute...Only you and Claire were beside me. Oh good God! Alexander!" Theodore yelled as he realized."Why would you do that to your sister?!"

"I didn't know it was Natalia! I thought it was Isabelle! She even turned and smiled at me when I did it, so I assumed that it was her!" Alexander defended as the Prince of Monaco shuddered beside him.

"God, I swear..." He trailed off as they reached the nurse. Alexander set Theodore down on a chair as the nurse examined his foot. It end up that Natalia hit him do hard that a few of his fingers were broken, but nonetheless the nurse took care of it, and now the two princes were making their way to Alexander's study while two guards helped Theodore who was grumbling at Alexander for letting this happen to him.

The two now sat in the study, with Theo sitting in front of Alexander who was doing paperwork while he himself was whining about the pain in his foot. Suddenly the doors to his study swung open as the two looked up to find Isabelle and Natalia walking inside.

"Good morning." Isabelle greeted cheerily while Natalia rolled her eyes beside her. Alexander gave an acknowledged nod and turned back to his paperwork.

"How are you, Theodore?" Isabelle asked the prince sitting to her right.

"Oh! I am perfectly fine, it was nothing but slight swelling and now I'm all well." Theodore enthused as he stood from his place.