The Vengeful Princess

Chapter 2: Prince Alexander

A part of me wanted to grab the hilt of my dagger and thrust it into his neck. The rational part of me reminded myself why I was here. I recalled my training and quickly dipped into a curtsy, not only as royal protocol required it but also to hide the tempest of emotions that were warring on my face. My facade was quickly crumbling. I pushed past him and fled, past the rows of greenery, ignoring his surprised shouts behind me. Taking a stray turn, I pressed myself into the shrubbery, holding my breath as his frantic steps rushed past, fading away into the night.

Slowly I made my way back to Aphrodite's statue, descending back into the passageway. As I stepped back into my room, a wave of exhaustion crashed over me. I persisted, drawing up a shallow bath to rid my feet of the stubborn dirt that had clung on, purging myself of any traces left from that unpleasant encounter. Drained of any remaining energy, I collapsed onto my bed and let my fatigue overcome me.

It felt like moments later when Ella and Ivy entered, entranced in their conversation. Ella froze as she saw me, causing Ivy to redirect her focus onto me. What she saw made her to drop the gown she had been carrying. I looked down at myself, confused as to what had elicited such reactions. As I turned to the vanity mirror, I became suddenly aware of the royal blue fabric draped across my shoulder.

I was still wearing the Prince's coat.

♕

Ella set the breakfast tray down in front of me gently, her eyes full of unasked questions. I leant back into the chaise lounge, holding her gaze as I raised the cup of tea to my lips. I wanted to tell her and Ivy all about the crazy night I had, gossip about my encounter with the prince, but I stayed silent as they scurried about the room, making my bed and opening the blinds. I had to keep them at an arms length.

There was an air of disappointment as they did my hair and makeup. Through the vanity mirror, I saw them steal glances at the jacket when they thought I wasn't paying attention and noticed Ella's pointed coughs every time Ivy opened her mouth before shutting it again. I had to stifle a laugh at Ivy's sulky expression as she sat in the corner, working on a brilliant blue gown. She vaguely reminded me of a little sister I never had.

Ella insisted on accompanying me as I explored the newly renovated palace, despite my objections. She persisted with small talk whilst leading me on a small tour of the place, repetitively attempting to discreetly bring up the prince into our conversation whilst  I dodged her remarks with vague responses. Thankfully, she had been called away by Margaret, leaving me the rest of the morning to explore the rest of the palace on my own. One of my favourite places in the building had been the library. It was where Nico and I would sneak off to during the day to be by ourselves, amongst the dusty bookshelves and plush sofas. It was just like how I remembered, with the same musty smell and the calming silence.

However, a young man, about my age, sat slouched into a couch, surrounded by a disarray of books that had been thrown absentmindedly onto the floor.

"Your Highness, please, your father insists that you stay here until you finish your homework." A guard pleaded.

"I can't! These words don't make any sense! Why don't they make sense?" He squirmed in his seat, arming himself with another book to throw. "This is a waste of time."

The guard sighed sympathetically, "Please, maybe if you attempted a different-"

"This is stupid." He raised the book into the air. 

My hand shot out and grabbed his wrist. "These are precious artefacts the previous owner had collected. How could you destroy them so carelessly?" I reprimanded him, snatching the book out of his hand. I read the title and laughed in surprise, "This is a children's book. You're struggling to read a children's book?