The Royal Trip

Eighteen

Ainsley was in her room running a brush through her hair when Katie walked into her bedroom. "Where were you last night? I looked everywhere for you." Katie said with concern in her voice.

"I just got trapped in the rain." Ainsley said, shrugging her shoulders, setting her brush down.

"So, what? You just stayed outside." Katie said crossing her arms and Ainsley looked over at her.

"Don't be cute."

Katie shook her head. "Impossible."

Ainsley sighed slightly smiling at her. "I'm sorry that you worried." Ainsley paused for a moment. "I'm sorry you've been worried."

Katie went over sitting down on Ainsley's bed looking over at her. "You know you can tell me anything."

Ainsley nodded softly, taking in a deep breath. "Can I ask you something?" Ainsley asked, sitting down on the bed. "Do you really think that...your plan is going to work?"

Katie paused for a moment looking away from Ainsley. Ainsley held her breath as she waited for an answer. "I have the perfect plan." Katie looked back at Ainsley with a smile on her face. "I'm going to give him what no man can resist." Katie stood up from the bed and Ainsley held her breath.

"I slept with him." Ainsley blurted out unable to look at Katie. "That's why I didn't come back to my room. I slept with him." Before Ainsley could even look up, a door slammed shut. Ainsley sighed letting her back fall onto the bed.

Ainsley was walking through the dining room at the same time Richard walked in. They both stopped when they saw each other. "Hi." Richard said, smiling at her.

"Hi." Ainsley moved walking towards the table. Richard took the same move but was on the other side of the table. They stood in front of each other and the only thing keeping them apart was the table. "So, I've been thinking about what happened."

Richard nodded. "Me too."

They both walked along the table towards the end. "I don't think it's smart for it to happen again."

"Maybe you're right." Richard said.

"Then why are you following me?"

"Because you're walking away from me."

Ainsley could feel her heart pounding in her chest. "Well, it's a long table."

"Too long." Ainsley watched Richard roll his tongue over his lips.

Ainsley slightly shook her head. "I know what you're thinking."

"You do?" Richard asked trying to play dumb.

Ainsley nodded. "Yeah, it's all over your face. I thought we just agreed it wouldn't happen again."

Richard nodded. "We did."

They both made it to the end of the table staring at each other. "This is the part where you're supposed to walk away." Ainsley pointed out and Richard nodded.

"Maybe you should walk away."

They both stood there each debating rather or not to take a step forward. "One of us has to walk away." Ainsley pointed out again. They heard footsteps making them both snap out of it looking over.

Katie stood in the entrance of the room looking at them with no emotion on her face. "Am I interrupting something?" Katie asked.

"No, excuse me." Richard said before walking out of the room.

Katie walked over to Ainsley crossing her arms. "I thought you weren't talking to me." Ainsley stated.

"Doesn't mean I don't need you. Come on." Katie turned around and Ainsley sighed following her out of the room.

Ainsley followed Katie into a room to see racks of dresses, Sienna already dressed in a dress on the podium, and a woman taking Sienna's measurements. "What is this?" Ainsley asked, confused.

"We are trying on dresses." Katie stated, walking over to one of the racks.

"The castle is hosting a ball before the coronation and you have to have dresses for it." Sienna said, stepping down from the podium.

"When is it?" Ainsley asked, looking at all the fancy dresses.

"It's in a couple of weeks." Sienna said and Ainsley let out a deep breath.

The time was coming to an end and Ainsley couldn't help but dread the idea. "This month moved fast." Ainsley said and Sienna nodded.

"Hey, you know what they say. Time flies when you are having fun." Sienna said grabbing a dress and walking away.

"A lot of fun in some cases." Katie said and Ainsley looked over at her.

Katie didn't even look back at her. She just went through all the dresses. Ainsley sighed walking over to them. Sienna watched both of the girls keeping their distance from each other. Sienna motioned for the seamstress to walk away and she stepped off the podium. "Okay, what is going on with you two?" Sienna asked and Ainsley looked over at her.

"I slept with your brother and, like I predicted, Katie's upset about it." Ainsley stated and Katie looked up at the ceiling frustrated.

"I'm guessing Richard?" Sienna asked and Ainsley sighed just nodding her head.

"I'm not upset that you slept with him!" Katie snapped looking over at Ainsley. "I've been waiting for you to tell me! You've told everyone but me! Do you think I'm stupid?! Do you think I can't tell the sexual tension you can't cut with a knife!"

Ainsley paused for a moment staring at Katie. "You knew." Ainsley stated and Katie sighed.

"Of course. I knew. You didn't come back, so I kept an eye out and I saw you walking back to the castle in the morning."

Ainsley paused for a moment rubbing her forehead. "I don't understand."

"Neither do I." Sienna said just watching them both. "If you aren't made she slept with Richard, why are you mad?"

Katie sighed and Ainsley looked over at her. "I'm not mad you slept with him. I am mad that you didn't tell me. I was there after Zach and I saw how broken you were. I want you to be happy again with someone that deserves youYou're the only family I have and I love you. So if being in love with you is what he wants then I am behind it. I can't believe you thought I was the only one you couldn't tell. I had to put you in a position where you had no other choice but to tell me."

"Awe, that's so sweet." Sienna said, breaking the silence of the room.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you." Ainsley said and Katie smiled at her.

"You're my sister." Katie walked over wrapping her arms around Ainsley. "I just want you to be happy."

Katie's words floated back into Ainsley's mind. "He's not in love with me." Ainsley said, still holding Katie in a hug.

Sienna scoffed. "Yeah, let's keep lying to ourselves." Sienna walked back overstepping onto the podium.