Once a Princess, always a Princess

Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Being back at school was almost as if I had never left, almost. It was funny how easily I fell back into the monotonous routine of class after boring class. From my time away rumours had rejoined the mill and as I walked down the corridors the whispered gossip weaved through the tightly packed moving crowds. Only this time they had no affect on me because Xavier was by my side.

We had released a statement to the press confirming our marriage and I wasn't surprised when a huddle of intrigued girls formed in the changing rooms before gym to oggle at my ring. Stacia, though she tried to sidle up with Xavier, was well and truly out of the picture. of course you couldn't stop her making bitchy remarks behind my back but they honestly no longer affected me.

When the weather permitted, lunch times were spent out outside under the shade of a big oak tree. Me leaning back against Xavier as we student watched, often coming up with silly scenarios. Bella would sit with us as well and sometimes even Liam joined us. Allthough Xavier had dissed Stacia after she made a particularly rude comment about me, he was still part of the it crowd, though he could rarely be bothered with their immaturities.

Thankfully pictures of my ring now covered the tabloids instead the half dead looking me. The papers were grasping at straws trying to cover the wedding because they had no pictures or any idea as to what happened. All they could say was that we went away and seven we returned we were married. This sadly meant that there were speculations about it happening in Vegas, which I found quite absurd, but luckily the lack of evidence was enough to quell that idea.

My relationship with my dad continued on a more hopeful streak, we still weren't close but we could talk and smile together. My mother on the other hand was still a cold, snobby figure and only now and then when she looked at me and Xavier together would I see a flash of something different in her eyes, a mix between pain and happiness.

Life, you could say, was almost perfect.

***

My stomach turned. I shot out of bed and ran into the ensuite. I reached the toilet just in time as my stomach relieved itself of its content.

"Eurgh" I grabbed some toilet tissue to wipe my mouth.

Xavier came into the bathroom from behind me.

"Everything ok?"

"Yeh, I just felt sick for a minute there." I moved my hair behind my ear.

"You ok now?" he looked at me sceptically.

I nodded. He took my hand and led me back to bed.

Lying with my head against Xaviers chest a trickle of dread ran down my neck. I shook the feeling away and cuddled up to my husband.

***

It was a Saturday today and Xavier and I were visiting a local children's care home. I'd located all my old ball gowns from one of the many guest rooms in th palace and bundled them into the back of Xavier car. Hopefully the girls there would have fun dressing up in them.

After we had been police escorted there we knocked on the red door and waited until a kind but tired looking woman opened it.

She curtsied. "Welcome to east avenue Child care centre, I'm Pam, the 'mother hen' around here." She smiled warmly at us and ushered us in.

"I'm so pleased to have you visit us."

We returned her welcome with politeness and then she led us through to a large living room where all the kids were squashed in waiting to meet us.