The Prince's Songbird Slave ✔️

Misunderstandings

Thoughts around time of publishing - Why did I wake up with a scientific calculator in my bed?

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I was woken up by an ache in my shoulder, which was hurting after being kept stationary for a long time - something those romantic films always fail to mention.

I looked down at Evelyn and smiled. She looked peaceful, there was no trace of last night's nightmares on her face. If anything there was a small smile curved at the edge of her lips.

But my hand was disturbingly numb, pins and needles pricking at my fingertips. I pulled a face as I shifted slightly, trying to get blood and feeling back into the limb. Evelyn stirred slightly, rolling off my shoulder, and pulled the covers closer around herself, clearly unwilling to wake up. I was glad that she's moved on her own, because I don't think I'd have the heart to have moved her off myself.

I got off the bed carefully, taking care not to disturb it, the covers or Evelyn, and tiptoed to the door. I took one last quick glance back at Evelyn, making sure she was still sleeping soundly, and slipped out through the door quietly.

With the giddy smile of a fool in love I turned around to lock eyes with my father.

He had a slice of toast in his hand, halfway already to his mouth, as he froze on the spot looking at me.

He looked over to Evelyn's room.

He looked back to me.

Then back to Evelyn's room.

He cleared his through uncomfortably.

"Um," he started, and it was the first time I'd ever heard his voice sounding unsteady. He ran his hand over his jaw slowly, as if contemplating what to say next. "Nate... I think its best we keep this between us men." He told me gently, yet firmly.

"Eh?" was my eloquent reply.

"I think your mother would be very upset by such behavior..." he explained.

I still wasn't getting it.

He signed deeply. "I guess I have been putting this off for a long time, but there's certain... responsibility's we have. As men." He clarified and paused, looking at me seriously with his grey eyes. "Now I don't know how long you and Evelyn have been... doing this sort of thing..."

I got it.

"Dad! No!" I cried, holding my hands up in front of me in horror, as if they were physically capable of to protecting me from the 'birds and the bees' talk he was clearly about to give.

He looked at me, "It is perfectly normal for a boy your age to be interested in... things." He finished lamely.

"I swear you are misunderstanding this all, nothing like that happened." I told him defensively.

He looked at my clothes and raided his eyebrows.

I looked down at my T-shirt and realized it was both inside out, and back to front. When I'd pulled it on in the dark last nigh in a hurry to get to Evelyn I hadn't noticed it. I cursed inwardly.

This was really awkward.

I took a deep breath. "Evelyn was having a nightmare last night - I just went in there to wake her up and then I fell asleep too." I tried to explain.

He nodded slowly, as if understanding, "Nate, my son... You realize that sort of thing only happens in books and films, and not in real life? I understand that you want to keep this quiet, and Evelyn is a very pretty slave and you're-"

Damn it all.

"Dad, I haven't slept with anyone or done anything - ever!" I shouted desperately, realizing too late that as a defence of Evelyn's honour it worked, but it was about the most awkward defence I could have come up with.

I think the confession shocked my father more than finding me sneaking out of Evelyns room early in the morning had.

"Is that... normal in a boy your age?" He asked with a concerned look on his face and opened his mouth to say something more, but decided against it. Instead he settled for shaking his head disparagingly, giving me a sad, consoling, pat on the shoulder as he walked by.

I cringed. That was an awkward event that would probably haunt me for the rest of my long life.

I went to the kitchen and fixed myself some breakfast, contemplating how hard it would be to drown myself in the milk at the bottom of my cereal. A while later the door to Evelyn's room creaked and her face appeared, peering shyly around the door.

"Hi," I greeted her, a bit nervous as to how she would react. Would she remember that I was in her room last night? Would she be the normal Evelyn, or would she be silent and upset like she had been last night? To my relief she smiled her usual cheerful smile to say good morning and the world was ok again.

"Do you want anything to eat?" I asked her. She screwed up her face, not really interested in the food. "You should eat." I nagged her, relived that the relationship between us felt normal again.

She pouted and grabbed my spoon out of my hand, taking a defiant spoonful of my cereal. She chewing on it listlessly, slightly pouting as she swallowed it down and gave me a look that clearly said 'there, you happy now?', and held the spoon out for me.

Of course my dad had to re-enter the room and witness the whole event, pulling a face and backing out again quickly, unseen by Evelyn but further mortifying me.

I felt my cheeks flush slightly from the embarrassment as I rolled my eyes and snatched the spoon back from her and continued with my cereal.

The clock caught my eye, and I started speed eating.

"Shoot - I've got a session starting in under an hour," I quickly explained to her and hurried to my room to get ready.

I had a quick shower, and got dressed into some clean, smart clothes, making sure they were on the right way round, and hurried to the front door. Evelyn was standing there waiting for me, my bag in her arms. I tried to take it from her, but she wouldn't let go.

"Evelyn, I'm not sure you're well enough to come with me, last night...." I trailed off but she protested, and for a moment I relented. Seconds later she lost her balance, tripping over the threshold. I only just managed to catch her in the nick of time.

I put my foot down.

"Look, I'm going to be in a room full of royal's today. You should just stay here and focus on getting better, I promise I'll come straight back." I told her, and she screwed up her face, looking dissatisfied. "There's a party tonight that I'll have to attend," I said, deciding to use it as a bargaining chip. "If you're well enough you can come with me to that?"

She thought about it for a moment, and then grudgingly nodded.

"Ok," I told her. "I promise I won't be long, I'll be back in a few hours."

The urge to kiss her goodbye was nearly overwhelming, but as my dad walked through the room beyond the doorway I kicked that desire into check and said goodby with a smile and a little wave.

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I had so much fun writing this chapter! Hope you enjoyed it too  ^_^

Fun-Fact: I originally wrote 'I looked down at my T-sh*t, and realized it was inside out, and back to front.'  I was quite tempted to leave it in, but I forced myself to put it down here instead!