Crimson {COMPLETED}

CHAPTER VIII

ALICE'S POV

OCTOBER 10
7:51 a.m

I WAKE up the next morning in an unfamiliar bed. I thought it was a dream but no, this is as real as it gets.

Wow.

The door unlocks and I jump, several people bustling into the room.

A man walks up to me and bows. "Good morning Lady Alice. Master Christos informed us of your arrival and we wanted to make sure that your stay was as pleasant as possible."

The others hurry around the room, dusting and cleaning. One of them walks over to the bed and bows, handing me a dark, fluffy robe. The man insists I put it on and get out of bed.

"It's always very busy around here. As the queen always says, 'even with all of eternity, there's no time to waste'." He smiles brighter than the sun.

So I pull myself out of bed and throw the robe on. I pull the hood of it over my head, my hair a mess.

"Master Christos has scheduled an appointment for you at the tailor so that you can be fit for an outfit. We have to hurry if you're to be at breakfast on time." He motions for me to hurry.

"Why do I need to be fit for an outfit?" I rush down the hallway with him.

"Because you'll be dining with the royal family of course." He seems taken aback that I didn't know. "Don't tell me Master Christos didn't formally invite you to breakfast?"

"This is the first I'm hearing of it."

He clicks his tongue and ushers me upstairs.

The tailor speeds around me, too fast to see. They've woven a dress around me in barely sixty seconds. And it's beautiful too. Prettier than anything in my closet.

Someone comes up behind me and fixes my hair in record time.

The man rushes me off the tailor podium and back down to the second floor. We end up back in the same hallways, but he knocks on the door across the hall from mine.

"Master Christos." He chirps. "It's Harrison. Lady Alice is here and ready for breakfast."

The door opens slowly and Christos smiles when he sees me. A big smile that almost looks out of place on his face. Still, I like it.

"Thank you, Harrison." He speaks slowly too. Calmly. "Will you please check in with the kitchen staff and make sure they make a plate for her?"

"Of course your highness." Harrison bows and rushes down the hall.

Christos turns back to me with a grin. He reaches into the room quickly and pulls out a singular rose, handing it to me.

"Thanks." I take it from him, staring at my feet.

He closes his bedroom door behind him, taking my hand and leading me down the grand staircase. We reach a set of double doors, which two people in guard uniforms open.

Sitting at the large table is only three people. They all turn their heads and eye me curiously.

"Well, is this the girl all the staff has been going on about?" A women at the center of the table smiles.

"Are you going to introduce us Christos?" The man next to her speaks.

"This is Alice." He motions to me. "She's a dear friend of mine."

A dear friend? Barely known each other 24 hours.

"I know more about you than you think."

I look over at him and he smiles innocently.

He pulls out a chair for me at the table and we sit down.

"'A dear friend'?" The woman raises an eyebrow at him.

He smiles and nods. The woman nods too, almost as if they've reached an understanding that I don't know about.

"So Alice," a girl on the other end of the table says, her cold voice echoing, "did Christos charm you into coming here?"

"Adalia, shut up." Christos mumbles. I fiddle with the rose.

"I just want to talk to her." Adalia folds her hands in front of her.

"Alice." Her voice rings in my head. "Press a palm flat against the table if he's forcing you to be here."

I can't hold in my chuckle. All heads turn to me but then the door opens as several staff members walk in with trays of food.

Everyone else has goblets of blood while mine is filled with water.

Christos takes a large sip from his goblet while looking me right in the eye.

"So how've you enjoyed getting some time together?" He asks me as the others talk and eat.

"It's been nice." I admit. "We'd make great friends."

He frowns a bit and takes another sip from his goblet.

"I've enjoyed getting to know you better." He speaks.

"Yeah? Do you like the things you're finding out about me?"

I mean it as a joke but his answer is serious. "I do."

After breakfast we stand to leave like the others do. I get ahead of him and he gently grabs my hand.

"Alice. I wanted to ask you something."

"Hm?" I walk alongside him.

"It just, I know things are rough at home and that you're going through a crisis."

"You're awfully nosy, aren't you?" I chuckle.

He laughs. "I'm sorry. But I would love to help you. I thought maybe you could stay here with us."

I eye him and his smile wavers.

"It doesn't have to be like that. You said it yourself, we'd make great friends. I wouldn't mind having a friend around." His fingers skim my skin.

"Not just nosy, a meddler too." I sigh. "I dunno."

"We could provide for you." He suggest. "You wouldn't have to worry about college or a job or money. Ever."

The idea sounds too good to be true. All my stresses just gone. Out of thin air.

But the idea of fully committing to staying here gives me a new kind of stress. The fear of change.

Still, I'd love to spend a little more time here.

"Maybe I should just hang around a few more days. Get a feel for the place and I can get back to you on that."

He smiles widely. "Sounds good to me." He kisses my knuckles and we start towards the staircase. "We should get you to the tailor so they can make more outfits for you."

I nod and fiddle with the rose.