24th ♕

"Be honest with me, what else did you tell him?" I confronted Jack, after Pete left for his class.

"Take a look at the headline, Princess." Jack handed me another newspaper.

"The First Royal Kiss," I read aloud, before handing it back to Jack. "You didn't answer my question."

"I like this one the most." Jack placed the newspapers he had finished reading inside the open glove compartment beside me. Then he read the headline of the one he was holding, "Prince Art Is Still In Love With The Princess-In-Training."

I adjusted my position on the passenger seat. "The TV shows guestings? Did you tell him that I kept on watching them?"

Jack shook his head. "I didn't, Princess. Look at this one. It said that you two shared a daring and passionate kiss. It said that you kissed for half an hour."

"We did?" I echoed back. "Wait, that's one a tabloid. It doesn't count. What about the crying that one time in the car? Did you also tell him that?"

"No, Princess. I'd also chosen what to say and not to say to Prince Art," Jack assured me. I exhaled in relief. Scratching the back of his neck, he continued, "I just told him the basic things happening around you. Your class schedules, for example. Although, I must admit that I had included the people whom you had spent time with, or if you were being bothered by other boys. He had specifically asked for those."

"That's unfair."

"But like what your friend, Peter, said, you hardly attracted any attention with the clothes you like wearing," Jack told me, briefly glancing at my usual get-up. "And we're not supposed to talk about—"

"Don't use that one with me," I threatened him. "You have to be fair, Jack. If you tell him things, you will also tell me things."

"Being a double agent is hard," Jack commented.

"If it's so much against your conscience, I'll text him." I pulled out my phone from the pocket of my jeans.

Then I sent a message to Art.

jack will tell me everything too.. this needs to be a fair game..

Art's reply was quick as always.

Sure, my love.

what's with the endearments? I noticed that you've been doing that a lot lately

Nothing, my love. :)

fiiiiinnnnneee

What are you doing today?

Jack kept on reading the newspapers, as I ended up texting Art.

the dean wants to see me... do you think it's about what happened last saturday?

Maybe. But I've never heard of anyone being called to the Dean's office for that reason.

unless all tabloids break loose..

We'll find out. Are you heading to the Dean's office now? Have you watched the news earlier?

no, haven't got the chance. we arrived at school early because of pete. he has a seven oclock class and he picked me up way too early..

How's Pete?

he's fine.. oh, and he said hi

Tell him I said hi back.

will do.. now jack's into reading the newspapers and i'm pressing him to tell me what he told you.. can you believe that he excused himself early after bringing me home last saturday, saying that he got a yoga class for four straight hours and he would sleep early after?

He must have been so afraid of you.

& then he asked for a sub for the rest of the weekend, claiming that he got a headache.

Ha-ha! Jack hates conflict. He's a calm and composed guy. Don't torture him, my love. :)

because of yoga! that's why he's like that. i've been skipping yoga classes lately (because i couldn't afford it anymore lol).. which is why i'm not calm nowadays.. so im picking on Jack.. he has to tell me everything he told you..

Whatever you wish for, my princess. :)

you are so happy with your life right now, aren't you?

I presume that you are as well, no? :)

:) text me ok.. i'll show it to Jack..

Ok, my love. :)

He just wouldn't let go of the endearments, and his happiness was contagious. I found myself smiling, even if I tried to suppress it. Showing my phone to Jack, "Okay, here you go. Art said ok."

Jack had no choice but to tell me. With a long sigh, Jack finally gave in, "Let me hear your inquisitions, Princess."

"Let's pick up from where we left off. Tell me what he said when you told him that I hardly attract any attention with my clothes."

"He said that I shouldn't let you wear any other clothes," Jack, as-a-matter-of-fact, told me.

"He did?"

"Of course, he was only kidding, Princess. He said that you should wear any clothes you were comfortable with," said Jack.

I pointed out, "I like these clothes."

"That is your style, Princess. And Prince Art once told me that he got intrigued at first because of the way you carried yourself," Jack said to me.

"Really?" I got curious once again. "When was that? When we first met?"

Jack smiled. "He went to find me first thing when he had arrived at the Royal Assembly Hall, and then he said that he met the most interesting girl in the world. And what got him excited was when he went back to confess to you that he wasn't blind, he saw that you were really getting an application. He said that you looked like you were being tortured just by holding the envelope."

"Wait." I held a hand up.

"Yes, Princess?"

"Then that means, right from the very start, he knew and he acted as if he hadn't got a clue and there was this great sequence of coincidences going around us."

"I probably shouldn't have told you this..."

"Forget it. I just didn't know that part of the story, that's all."

"We make stories everywhere we go, Princess. This part of the story, he never told anyone, except for me. This was my earliest story of you, Princess."

"Bridge told me that Art also convinced everyone to pick me," I said, recalling the story. "So does that mean..."

"He knew it would be you from the very first day," Jack finished for me.

"How?" I skeptically asked.

Jack placed a hand over his heart. "Because you have to believe in what you're feeling. You have to trust your heart to lead you to places where you will be happy. And you fight for it."

"That's an odd answer. But what if it won't work out, no matter how much you fight for it?"

"You fight for something not because you know you will get what you want. You fight because you have to let the world know what you're fighting for," Jack said to me.

"And why would he do that? For a stranger?"

"Because he trusted what he felt."

With disbelief in my voice, I asked, "From the very first day?"

"From the very first day, Princess. From the very moment he saw you," Jack said to me.

I shrugged. "What if I turned out to be an arsonist? I badly wanted to burn that store. I presume you also heard this story?"

"There's much more to a person than what comes out of his mouth during moments of anger. One shouldn't rightly judge someone for all the wrong traits he possessed. You have to consider the bad with the good. You have to see him at his best, too. That's when you decide if you could take his good sides with his bad ones. This is where the choice lies," Jack explained.

I smiled, defeated once again. One could never win a verbal argument with Jack. "You have a deep faith in humanity, don't you?"

"You need to have faith in order to live, Princess," answered Jack.

"Hmm... so now, I trust that the Dean isn't calling me to his office because of what happened last Saturday," I said slowly, imitating Jack's calmness.

"That is right, Princess. It's already ten minutes before eight and you're expected to be in the office by eight," said Jack, unmoved. Would I ever get another reaction from this guy?

I looked at his watch. "You should have mentioned it sooner."

"We were having a great discussion, Princess," Jack replied, getting out of the car. He checked the place first, before opening my car door. As I was about to go out, he added, "Don't forget your cell phone, Princess."

I didn't notice that my ancient phone had fell to the floor. Picking it up, I put it in my bag and got out of the car. "What's the Dean like again? I forgot his face."

"Mr. Hayes. He's also..." Jack pointed to his receding hairline.

I couldn't help but laugh. "Now I remember him."

"Let's go then."

♔~♕

We arrived at the Dean's office five minutes before eight. The office secretary greeted me with a quick smile, before telling me to wait for a while. I took a seat and looked around.

Uneasiness slowly sunk in. The office secretary kept typing on the computer, and I could clearly hear every sound her fingers made on the keyboard. It was those clacking sounds, or I was counting the seconds by the sound of the analog clock on my right.

Why was I here for? The only reason I could think of was the commotion we'd caused last Saturday. However, Art was probably right. That couldn't possibly be the reason.

After several minutes, another student exited from Mr. Hayes' office. She looked like she was in trouble. Her sighs were deep enough to resound across the room. This made me even more nervous.

"Ms. McAlden, Mr. Hayes is waiting for you," the office secretary called my attention.

"Okay." I stood up and straightened my clothes, heading to Mr. Hayes' table. He got a private office, and I apprehensively opened the door.

Mr. Hayes stood up when he saw me, extending a quick hand. "Good morning, Ms. McAlden."

"Good morning, sir," I said back. Mr. Hayes looked cordial and he didn't seem to be angry with me. "I received a message earlier. You wanted to talk to me, sir?"

"Yes, I did ask Greta to give you a message. I received your request to take a leave from school," Mr. Hayes said, taking out some papers from a brown envelope on his desk.

"I did?"

"We processed it early this morning. I just wanted to formally see you before you leave," Mr. Hayes told me.

"Was the scholarship taken back? Did I do something wrong?" I fumbled with the words.

"You were informed, right?" Mr. Hayes threw me a questioning look. I wasn't sure how to respond to that. Mr. Hayes tried again, "You did watch the news this morning, right?"

"I'm sorry, sir. I didn't," I hesitantly answered. So was this really about the kiss? Art had also asked me if I had watched the news. Did I sleepwalk around town and they got it on film?

"How could this be possible? Your royal secretary was the one who handed me the papers yesterday afternoon. She said it was urgent and you have to be back to the palace this morning," Mr. Hayes said.

"My royal... secretary?"

"Ms. Bridgette Kingsburry," he answered.

"Oh, Bridge," I said. Mr. Hayes finally smiled, perhaps thinking that I finally got it. However, I hadn't talked to Bridge for a long time now. "She really did that?"

Mr. Hayes chuckled in response. "Well, I expected you to be more thrilled. It was announced this morning that your suspension had been lifted. It seemed like you were the only one uninformed."

"Nobody told me anything."

"Maybe they wanted to surprise you," Mr. Hayes suggested, handing me the brown envelope. "The school had approved your leave of absence. We're eager to have you back after the coronation event."

"The coronation?" I should stop repeating Mr. Hayes' words, but what he was saying made my head spin.

"Your coronation as the new princess, of course," Mr. Hayes patiently added.

"So does that mean..." I gave up on composing myself and leaned against his table for support. "I have to... ask someone about this. Can I make a call, sir?"

"You can just take the envelope and you're good to go. I know you have a lot of things scheduled for this morning. Good luck, Ms. McAlden. Or should I start addressing you as Your Highness?" Mr. Hayes said, with a hint of humor.

"Oh, please, no. This is hardly sinking in," I told him, tucking the brown envelope under my arm.

"Well then, see you again soon, Ms. McAlden. You deserved this more than anyone else. That as much we know. So until then," Mr. Hayes said, extending his right arm to point to the door.

"Thanks. Will be back before you know it. I'll go ahead, sir. Thanks for, um, this." I shook his hand, lifting the brown envelope with my free hand. He probably didn't mean a handshake with his arm fully extended, but he went along and warmly shook my hand.

"You go along, Ms. McAlden." Mr. Hayes softly nodded, leading me to the door.

"Bye," I finally said to Mr. Hayes, as pushed the door and finally figured the way out.

When I was in the hallway, my face was frozen to a smile, and I pinched my arm. Just to make sure I wasn't imagining all this. It was either I felt the pain or I was good at imagining pain as well.

I somehow made my way to Jack, who was waiting for me outside the office. His expression didn't change when he saw me, even if I was stumbling my way to him and looked as if I just heard that it was the end of the world.

"How did it go, Princess?" Jack quietly asked.

"Mr. Hayes said something funny," I replied, as if trying to remember. "He said that my suspension got lifted and it was announced this morning."

"It was announced during the seven o'clock news."

"So it was true?" I said in a high-pitched yelp.

Jack picked up the brown envelope from the floor. "Your leave of absence folder looks true enough, Princess."

I didn't even notice that the brown envelope fell. "Mr. Hayes said it was for the coronation."

"Ms. Kingsburry insisted on delivering the request to his home. Mr. Hayes is a hard-working man," Jack added.

"Figures. Yesterday was Sunday. Wait, by any chance, you weren't..." My eyes narrowed suspiciously.

Jack cleared his throat. "I accompanied Ms. Kingsburry yesterday. We had an early briefing about the coronation next week, and she wanted to get you back to the palace as soon as possible this morning."

"And the headache?"

"I'm very sorry to have said that to you, Princess. Ms. Kingsburry was also hushed about getting your papers approved in the blink of an eye," Jack said.

"I could understand Bridge. She always has the perfect plan, and she rarely tells me about it. What I can't comprehend is that you and Art haven't mentioned anything about the news that my suspension got lifted."

"I apologize, Princess. We were just wondering how you would get hold of the news yourself," Jack said, hiding an obscured smile. "Prince Art and I had a bet."

"Right. Why didn't I think of that?"

"We liked betting about things ever since he was young."

I heard that Jack used to be one of Art's bodyguards. "What's the price?"

"He owes me an all-expenses paid vacation," Jack admitted.

"That's for..."

"You would hear the news from the principal himself."

"And you've won, my friend."

Jack nodded. "It was mostly because I knew Peter would pick you up early this morning."

"You didn't talk him into it, did you?" I asked.

"Of course not. But it was what he usually did during Monday mornings," Jack replied.

"And what's Art's?"

"That you would see it on the news."

"And his price if he did win?"

Jack answered, "I would pay for an exclusive dinner date for two."

"I see. He did mention the news a few minutes ago. I should be mad, but I know very well that you deserve that vacation," I told him, giving up. "Make sure Art would have to work hard for it. Go to the most expensive place you could think of."

"I'm planning to go to a beach before summer ends," Jack said.

"That doesn't sound costly enough."

"A man should learn how to live in a simple manner," Jack went on.

I understandingly nodded. "There goes the catch phrase."

"Shall we go?" Jack asked.

"Where?"

"Home. Princess, you have to pack your suitcases again, I'm afraid."

"So does that mean that this is all true?" I paused, thinking. I did read into it that Art had planned to use the media to convince everyone that we were madly in love with each other. And it did work.

I took a deep breath. What if I forgot everything Bridge educated me with weeks ago? The coronation was only a week away. Should I practice walking again? The last time I'd seen Lenora's heels was ages ago. They'd already been fossilized by now.

"You could ask anyone here, Princess. I have a feeling that they all know."

I subtly scanned the hall, and every person I looked at gave me a smile. Some of them even said congratulations. I muttered a quick thank you, and dragged Jack out of the place, before they would ask me for a gracious wave of the hand.

"Are you excited to pack your clothes, Princess?" Jack asked, as I was holding him by the wrist and hauling a six foot guy with me.

"There's nothing to pack. Almost all of the suitcases are still untouched," I told him, getting a clear sight of the parking lot.

"Great then. We won't consume much time getting your things. We'll get back to the palace ahead of schedule," Jack replied, composedly opening the car door and letting me in.

As Jack drove me back home, I took out my cell phone. There was no text from Art. He should have guessed by now that the meeting was over. Or he should have heard it from his double agent.

I contemplated on pouring out the betrayal I felt to Art. But I changed mind and decided that I'd just tell him personally later. I sent out a text to Pete instead, telling him that I had missed the big news and was about to go back to the palace at this point. And that if he knew and didn't tell me about it, I would never speak a word to him again.

Pete innocently replied:

I had no idea. Serious. Swear. Hahahahahahahahaha congratulations, by d way, Princess Georgiette Elise McAlden Chateaubriand. Hahahahahahahhahhhahaha remember when you used to write your name with his? Look who's getting married.

shut up. we're not getting married.

Oh, just betrothed. I know. ;)

Have you heard about what happened to your good friend Robin?

no... what's?

He's in the hospital. Got hit by train... haha a car. Okay, I'm not supposed to laugh about that.

no!

Yup. Now we don't have to dirty our hands

hope he's recovering well.. he owes me a punch or two or three or four..

You'll make an interesting princess hahahahaha. Are you nervous about the wedding?

for the nth time, we're not getting married.....!

No! Just say yes! And then run away together!

There was no use on replying. Arguing with Pete right now was also a losing battle. He got so much of an upper hand to even think of backing down. He might even pass on this story to his great grandchildren for all I knew, and had a great time doing so.

"Jack!" I exclaimed, after I saw who was ringing my phone.

"What is it, Princess?" Jack asked, alarmed.

I showed him my phone. "Bridge is calling!"

"I could see that. Good timing. We've arrived at your house." Jack pointed at our front