5,781 Miles Apart

Chapter Five

Adalheida's POV 

I eagerly run back to my room and push the button beside my door that calls for Gaelle.

Not even two minutes later, Gaelle comes storming through the door. "What is it?" She questions, "What's happened?"

"Nothing, nothing. I promise."

Her shoulders slump. "Good. You hardly ever call, so I was worried. What is it then?"

"Oh," I pause. "I have until the end of the night to be packed for the trip. Will you help?"

"Well I kind of have to, I am your personal maid." She replies. "I'll go get your bags, you start picking things out."

She leaves the room and I turn to my closet and stare at all of my options. The first thing I reach for are my jeans and t-shirt. I wouldn't last a week without them. Then I reach for my favorite yellow dress and decide that I'll let Gaelle pick out the rest.

She comes back in with two suitcases and a few garment bags. "Have you picked everything out yet?"

"No." I say and she sighs. "I figured I would let you. You have much better taste than me."

She rolls her eyes and walks over to my closet. "Fine, you go pick put jewelry and anything else you'll need."

"Do I even need makeup and jewelry?" I complain.

"Yes. You need to look presentable to the public eye and to the Illéans." She says.

"But what's more presentable than my natural face?" I ask.

"Your face with makeup on it." She says, zipping up a full garment bag.

I sigh. "Fine. If I have to." I walk into the bathroom and put all of my makeup into the case Gaelle brought up as well as a bunch of jewelry in another case. I bring them out and set them on the bed with all of the dresses Gaelle has taken out of the closet.

"Get anything else you want to take with you and put them in that suitcase." She says pointing to one laying open on the bed.

I walk over and look inside it. It's halfway full of shoes. Shoes. "Gaelle, I really don't need twelve pairs of shoes for a ten day trip."

"Yes you do. One for everyday and two extra just in case." She explains.

"Here, I'll reduce that. Leave the black heels and the white ones, the sneakers, the flats, and the sandals. There. I'll put the rest back in the closet."

"Are you sure?" She asks.

"Positive. And if I do need more, I'm sure there will be someone at the palace in Illéa willing to share."

She still looks unsure. "Gaelle, it will be fine. They're just shoes."

"Fine. I just have to put these dresses in the garment bag and then we're done." She says, sliding two dresses into one and zipping it up.

"Thank you, Gaelle. Now you go pack up your things." I say, dismissing her.

"Are you sure? You don't need anymore help getting all of your other things together?" She asks.

"If I desperately need your help packing a journal or two and some books, I'll ring for you. Now you go do what you need to do."

"Fine." She says, and I rush her out the door.

I walk over to my bookcase and pick out my two favorite books as well as my journal and walk to my desk to get my pen. I put the makeup, jewelry, and everything else into the suitcase with the shoes and zip it up.

I lift the garment bags and pull the suitcase out into the hallway and take them to the officer standing outside my door. "Officer Hübner, will you please take this to the place where the other luggage is being stored for the trip to Illéa?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Thank you." I say and walk towards Amey's room. I knock on the door.

"Come in!" He calls.

"You should stand up and greet your guests when they knock on the door." I say, trying my best to mock Agatha.

"I know it's you, Adalheida. You sound nothing like Agatha by the way." He says, turning around from where he is sitting at his desk.

"I don't know if Mother told you, but in two days we will be leaving for a trip to Illéa."

His eyes light up, clear with excitement. "Really?" He asks, his voice full of disbelief.

He had been on a mission to touch every continent and Mother almost never let's him travel. Stepping foot on North America is his dream.

I nod. "Do you want me to help you pack, or just your butler?" I ask.

"You." He replies. "I could use the company, and Tretan doesn't talk much."

"Okay," I say, walking to his closet and opening it. "What colors do you want to wear?"

He shrugs. "That's up to you. I'm going to get a suitcase and everything else I need."

I sigh. "Fine. Run along then. I'll just pick pink for every single day."

He glares at me. "Please don't."

"Fine. Just one." I reply.

He rolls his eyes. "Whatever."

I search through his closet pulling out different shirts and ties, deciding which ones he would most likely wear over the others.

I pick everything out and move to his bathroom and search through his case with cufflinks, watches, and tie clips. I grab a few of everything as well as his travel kit and throw them on the bed.

He has been gone now for twenty minutes. What could he be doing that's taking so long.

He walks in maybe three minutes later and is holding a portable phone to his ear and dragging a suitcase behind him. "Yeah," he says, speaking in English. "I'm back to my room. Yes, she is here."

I look at him confused. "I made a stop to say something to Mother and Prince Charming had called."

I nod and mouth Please don't make me talk to him.

He quirks an eyebrow and his face shows of a devilish grin. "Oh yes, she is very excited to talk to you."

I shake my head vigorously and try to run away, but he thrusts the phone into my hands and I am forced to speak to him. "Prince Ainsley. It has been a while since we have last spoken." I say, feigning happiness.

"Now, now, Adalheida," he says with his posh accent. "I thought we would leave the formalities behind us."

"Sorry, Ainsley. This is all rather odd for me." I explain.

"For me as well. Anyway, I was making arrangements previously with your mother for you to come visit a few weeks throughout the summer."

I grimace. "Well that's an..." I struggle for a fitting word. "Idea."

"Yes. I am very excited, but we must find a date first." He says.

In all honesty, I am repulsed by the idea. There wasn't anything wrong with him, as a matter of fact, he was almost a perfect gentleman. But our personalities were different. Too different for a relationship to work.

I sit down in a chair beside Amey's bed and get comfortable. I will be on the phone for a long time.