The Prince's Maid

Chapter 5 - The Kiss

"What is it father?" Dominic asked, the irritation evident in his voice.

"Have you seen the headlines?"

"No I have not, I have been in my room all morning."

"The press seems to have taken a photo of you at the parade yesterday. They seem to think that there is a future queen in the midst."

"What are you talking about?" Dominic questioned.

The king handed him the newspaper. Curious, I scooted a tad closer to Dominic so that I too could see the paper. I was shocked to see a large picture on the front page that showed Dominic and I getting out of the carriage. It showed my hand in his as I stepped out. The part that caught my eye, however; was the way in which he was looking at me and the way that I was looking at him. The photo showed the prince looking at me in a way that the newspaper writer described as: "A look of love and admiration." I blushed at the thought that he may love me in some way, but quickly pushed the thought out of my mind.

I peeked a glance at Dominic to see him at a loss of words. The prince sat on the foot of his bed completely frozen. The silence in the room soon disappeared when the king started laughing loudly.

"I do not see what is so funny father," the prince finally spoke.

"Did you read the part about Isabelle being a mystery woman?" the king asked.

The prince smiled at his father before replying, "She is a bit mysterious, isn't she?"

Realizing that the king was not mad about the picture and the article, I allowed myself to laugh. It was funny when you thought about it. The tabloids were convinced that I was some mystery woman that the prince was dating, when really, I was just his maid. Anyone who had been at the parade would have known that I was there to hold the umbrella.

Soon the king had left and it was just the prince and I in his room. We still had twenty minutes before he would have to be in the limo to leave for the orphanage, so we decided to sit in his room for a bit. As time went on, we soon found ourselves arguing over which movie we should watch tonight.

Glancing at the clock, I nudged Dominic with my elbow and gestured to the door, signaling that it was time to leave for the orphanage. Dominic smiled and pulled me up from the bed so that I was standing beside him.

"Shall I escort my mystery woman," Dominic joked and holding his arm out.

I laughed a little to myself and linked my arm with his. Together we walked down to the main foyer and out to the limo.

The ride to the orphanage was long and Dominic had fallen asleep shortly after we had left the palace grounds. With nothing to do but look out the window, my mind soon began to wander.

My eyes rolled as I thought about the article that was in the newspaper this morning. I couldn't help but think about the way that Dominic was looking at me in the picture. I knew that it was just a captured moment, that must have just been a coincidence. There was no way that Dominic could ever feel that way about, no matter what I felt toward him. As the days went on and the more time that I spent with him, the more I found myself falling for him. Part of me wished that he liked me back, but I knew that even if he did, our relationship would never be approved by his parents and likely the kingdom. He was a prince, he was destined to marry some princess from another nation. I was a maid, I hardly leave the palace, unless I am accompanying Dominic somewhere. I doubt that I will ever meet someone and get married. If I did, it would likely be to another person in the palace, but if I am honest, there is no other man in the palace that I desire besides Dominic.

I quickly snapped back to reality when I heard Dominic shifting and yawning from a few seats over in the limo.

"Are we there yet?" I heard the prince ask, still sounding like he was asleep.