The Royal Trip

Fourteen

Ainsley stuck to her words for a couple of days, but the more that she avoided him, the more she wanted to see him. Ainsley stood next to Katie in the back of the foyer while members of the royal family walked into the castle. "Nervous?" Ainsley asked leaning towards Katie.

"Oh yeah." Katie whispered.

"Just checking." Ainsley said, letting out a deep breath.

Most said hello to the girls and some even made small talk but that was the extent of their interactions. Nice, but brief. Ainsley was grateful. She tried really hard to hide in the shadows while being surrounded by rich and elegant people. Katie walked away from her sneaking off to talk with one of the royals. Ainsley admired her openness and how good she was with people. A young man, not far from around Ainsley's age, walked over to Ainsley. "Duke Kyle Hensen." He said, holding out his hand.

Ainsley took his hand. "Ainsley Pierce."

"Very nice to meet you." Kyle lifted her hand pressing a kiss against the back of her hand.

"Nice to meet you too."

"I have to say," He said, looking Ainsley up and down, smiling at her. "I didn't think that contest would find someone as beautiful as you."

Ainsley slid her hand out of his. "Thank you." She had to fight the urge to hide the disgusted look she wanted to give him. Ainsley looked around hoping to find an excuse to walk away. "Um, I should-"

"Why don't we go for a walk? It's a beautiful day where anything can happen." He suggested and Ainsley fought the laugh hitting her throat.

"I would, but I can't. Helga has me on lockdown." Ainsley said, slightly shaking her head. "I should go." Ainsley couldn't help but slightly bow before nervously walking away from him. Wow. Ainsley mouthed to herself as she walked away..

Ainsley stood in an empty room decorated with beautiful art. She looked over to see one she recognized. One she picked out. Ainsley smiled to herself as she pulled out her phone facetiming her dad listening to it ring a couple times before he picked up. The background showed he was in his living room. "Hi, daddy." Ainsley said, waving at the camera.

He smiled waving back at her. "Hi, sweetheart, how's your trip?" He asked.

"Good."

"Is that Ainsley?!" Ainsley cringed at how loud her sister's voice seemed to be as it traveled through the phone from the background.

"Hi, Astrid." Ainsley said and her sister took the phone from her dad.

"How's the Prince?" Astrid asked with a wink and Ainsley looked around still seeing no one around.

"Could you not be so loud?" Ainsley asked seeing the background moving behind her sister..

"You have a Prince into you and you aren't doing anything about it?" Astrid asked and Ainsley sighed. "Ainsley." Astrid scolded her.

"Don't 'Ainsley' me. First of all, he has a name and his name is Richard. Second, " Ainsley glanced over to see Blake leaning against the doorway. "Gotta go." Ainsley quickly hung up the phone looking over at him.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to interrupt." Blake said and Ainsley shook her head.

"Oh, it's no problem."

Blake pushed off the doorway walking over to her. "I'm sorry about Kyle."

Ainsley looked at him confused. "Are you forgetting you flirted with me too when we first met?"

"Well, I'm sorry for that too then." Blake chuckled.

Ainsley noticed the way he moved. The smile that replaced the usual smirk. The way he slowly made his way closer and closer over to her. His glances to the floor like he was nervous. "What are you up to?" Ainsley asked, skeptical of his motives.

"I have to be up to something to apologize?" Blake asked and Ainsley crossed her arms.

"I know a con when I see one."

"I don't know." Blake looked down shaking his head. "When I saw Kyle flirting with you, I just, I don't know, I got jealous." He looked back up at her with a shy smile on her face. "I've never gotten jealous over a woman before."

Ainsley stared at him for a moment. "Oh my god." She said in utter shock. "Does that actually work?" Ainsley asked and Blake sighed.

"Really? Nothing?" Blake asked and Ainsley couldn't help but chuckle.

"If I didn't hook up with you when I was drunk, do you really think i'm going to do it when i'm sober?"

"He couldn't have flirted with Katie." Blake said more to himself as he walked over sitting on the ottoman sitting against the wall.

"That's really what this is about? You want to get an up on Kyle and you think flirting with me will get you that?" Ainsley asked looking over at Blake with her arms crossed.

"Don't judge me. He just drives me insane." Blake admitted and Ainsley nodded walking over sitting down next to him.

"And this was your best idea?"

Blake chuckled, shaking his head. "It would have worked if you just went with it."

"If I was here for a hookup, it would have happened by now." Ainsley stated pausing as she thought about how true her own statement was. She shook her head pushing the thoughts out of her head. "Why does he bother you so much? I mean, it's not like you guys are even on the same playing field."

Blake paused rubbing his hands together. "He's always gotten everything he wanted. Even the people that I was dating." Blake lightly shook his head letting out a deep breath.

Ainsley let out a deep breath looking over at Blake. "Well, I don't want to be that person, but the more you compete with him, the more he's going to push your buttons."

Blake nodded. "You're probably right."

Ainsley proudly nodded her head. "I am right. I'm always right. If it's not my problem, I always have a solution." Ainsley stated before standing up and walking out of the room.

Ainsley walked down the castle halls on her way to her bedroom. She stopped dead in her tracks, unable to clear one thought out of her head. She closed her eyes fighting every bone in her body. Ainsley turned around back back into a different direction. Then she stopped herself again. She couldn't let herself be weak. She looked up letting out a deep breath. She shook her head, turning to leave when a sight crossed her eyes. Blue eyes looked back at her. Every wall she had started to crumble as tension filled the air. She doesn't even know when she started walking towards him, or when he started walking towards her. His lips crashed against his and Ainsley's fingers ran through his brown curls. In that moment she wanted nothing more than to be close to him.