The Crown's Game

Chapter 15

Oliver

I stayed in the music room for most of the afternoon, the sun was setting by the time my stomach pulled me from the piano. I had played every song I knew, from happy to sad, classical to pop. I felt like a new person by evening, I walked back towards the suite with a small smile on my face. I swayed as I walked recalling each note, I played throughout that afternoon that had gone by like the speed of light. I walked past Addison's office as I went realising the desk lamp was still on. She sat staring out the window up at the moon and stars hanging in the night sky above.

"burning the midnight oil?" I said knocking lightly on the door. She turned from the window, smile spread across her face and then quickly disappeared, it was replaced by a friendly nod as she headed back for her desk.

"it appears I'm not the only one" she stacked the papers up on her desk. Organising them into piles.

"is everything okay?"

"yes, perfect, wonderful" she muttered, throwing the papers down on the desk some fluttering to the floor. She let out a frustrated groan dropping the floor to pick them.

"want to try that again? and I'll see if you're anymore convincing the second time around" I stepped fully into the room and shut the door with my back. She stood and looked into the fire her eyes watering, the stress and fear running through her mind bubbling beneath her skin. She took a deep breath and looked at me.

"thank you"

"sometimes all you need is a minute to breathe" I smiled opening the door once more.

"thank you for playing that piano" she said before I could leave "I used to sit with my Dad while he played. I would leave my bedroom door open sometimes so I could hear the music through the halls" that's why the door had been open.

"no problem" I turned to leave.

"she's pretty" she added, so quickly she nearly tripped over the words. I inwardly smiled, knowing what she meant by that statement.

"bleach blondes aren't really my type"

"right" she chuckled leaning against the desk.

"but girls who work with their doors open to listen to music and who gaze at the stars at night, they're more up my street" I smirked.

"oh" she shook her head, giggling slightly.

"don't stay up to late, or I'll come back here and drag you out by the ear" I chuckled walking out of the office and off down the corridor.

"oi! Prince Charming!" she came flying out into the corridor after me "if you insist on walking in the gardens in the middle of the night, at least wear a coat" she looked down at her feet and then back to me again "I'd hate to have to go out there and get pneumonia with you"

"goodnight"

"goodnight Oli" she was back through the office door before I could say anything else. Oli, I hadn't been called that since I was a child. I liked the nickname, even more because she was the one using it.

Addison

"it's too much leg for a formal ball" Julian lay on my bed upside down looking at the black dress I had in my hand "and anyway, black isn't very cheery"

"you're so helpful" I said motioning to him spread out on the duvet.

"I spend all my day running after you, I deserve a break"

"so, the black one is a no because of too much leg, the green one is a no because it's showing too much upstairs area, the red one is a no because I look like a cake topper"

"you make me sound like one of those awful court ladies running after their daughters" he turned on to his stomach to pout at me "I'm your personal assistant, I'm assisting"

"you sound like a fashion editor" I exclaimed

"I told you" he said posing like a supermodel "I missed my calling" I laughed putting the dress back into the closet, looking at the racks of dresses I hardly ever wore.

"look, I can come back to this later, I can always ware something I've worn before. I need to change" I said looking at my grey tracksuit bottoms and oversized jumper "I don't think my mother would approve of this look at an engagement announcement"

"I know how hard this is" he said standing up and smoothing out the duvet "it's not lost on me what he's really like" I hadn't really spoken to Ren since that day in the kitchen. My skin crawled just thinking about him, thinking what he had said. I only ever saw him at meetings where he was needed and besides that he spent all his time locked up with the Ambassador, which was fine by me.

"it's not important right now" I slipped into the dressing room to change into the light blue dress I had chosen for the occasion.

"any thoughts on a gift for your mother?" good old Julian, always knew when I needed a distraction. We pondered gift ideas for everyone, from Rhodes to my mother, I always had gifts for the staff who worked so hard for me. "Wood?"

"a dictionary?" I snorted, reappearing into the room.

"do I want to know what that means" Julian asked walking to stand behind me at my dressing table. I sat and began pinning up my long hair with silver pins.

"it's just sometimes, people need to know the definition of not interested" I muttered.

"you look stunning" he said squeezing my shoulders. I could feel something rising in my stomach, through my blood. A sick feeling, I had thought, but it felt different, unsettling.

"I feel stupid"

"chin up, Queen, your crown is falling" he said as I stood to look in the mirror once more.

"I don't think that's how that saying goes" I laughed.

"I changed it, in order to be politicallycorrect" he linked his arm in mine, grabbing my white coat from the rail. "comeon, we've a world to wow".