I watched at Prince Nikolas's nimble fingers danced across the keys. "You're quite good at playing," I said.

"Of course I am, but I hope you are not trying to avoid the question," he answered.

I smiled wryly. "I just—I just feel so dumb!" I admitted. "Yesterday, last night, he escorted me to my room and...well..."

Prince Nikolas stopped abruptly. "You did not engage in intercourse, did you?"

I blushed. "No! Not at all! He just was really nice to me. And today he just—it's like he wanted nothing to do with me. I don't understand him."

"I cannot pretend to completely understand that man," Prince Nikolas admitted. "But I have known him for most of my life. I see him differently than most do, as I am not an admirer watching him through, as I believe you would put it, rose glasses. If I am to offer any insight, I'm afraid you may have to be more specific."

I wanted to tell Prince Nikolas. I wanted answers. And yet, would it be wise or fair to Prince Coleman to bombard his childhood nemesis with all sorts of stories about him?

Probably not. But oh well.

"Our...relationship or whatever you would call it, is super weird," I started. "We first met in the U.S., actually. I was working at my family's souvenir shop in Washington, D.C. Anyways..."

And so I told Prince Nikolas, of all people, the rundown of my strange relationship with Prince Coleman. From angry insults to witty jests to playful teasing and eventual flirtation. I went from hating the man to actually liking him, despite my best intentions otherwise. Prince Nikolas was a surprisingly good listener, patiently nodding and taking in all I had to tell him.

"And then there's Luke," I said. "Lucas Prescott."

"Coleman's manservant?" Prince Nikolas asked.

"Yes," I said. "I like him a lot. We kind of started going on dates and stuff before I got spooked off."

"How so?"

So of course, I unloaded that story onto Prince Nikolas. About our immediate spark that only grew, the conflict of the "Marstella Incident," and Becca's confrontation warning me that I don't hurt him.

"I was talking to Jonathan about Luke," I was saying. "And he recommended that I steer clear of him."

"Who is Jonathan?" Prince Nikolas rose an eyebrow.

"Oh, sorry! He's the head chef, and we're friends. Well, sort of. I think he hates me now because I'm the Queen Maiden."

"Why would he hate you for that?" Prince Nikolas asked.

"Because he thinks that I got the position because I was having an affair with the Prince—which isn't true!" I made sure to add.

"And Jonathan cares about an alleged affair? He finds it disgraceful?" Prince Nikolas asked.

"Well, probably. I also think he kind of likes me so that could be part of the problem."

"So, the chef also likes you?" Prince Nikolas wore a slightly amused smile.

I blushed. "Well—yeah."

"Then why do you trust his opinion when it comes to the butler, Luke? Surely he is biased against Luke, is he not?" he asked.

I sat there for a moment. "I mean, you're not wrong. Don't worry, I am going to talk to Luke when this whole festival thing is over. Then I'll figure out what to do from there."

"And what about Coleman?" Prince Nikolas asked me. "What will you do about him?"

I looked down at my lap and ran my finger across my scarlet silk skirt. I didn't know what to do about Prince Coleman. "What can I do?" I whispered. "At the end of the day, he's a prince, and I'm his maid."

"That is true," Prince Nikolas conceded. "You cannot ask much from him in your position. I suppose that you have enough charm to become the next, as you say, Marstella, but I do not think you want that."

"No, I certainly don't," I said. I looked up from my lap into his light blue eyes.  "You want to know something kind of strange?"

"Even stranger than you and Coleman?" Prince Nikolas asked with a hint of a smirk.

I chuckled quietly. "Well, I don't know about that."

"What is it?"

I sat very still, suddenly feeling quite dumb. "I've always wanted to get married," I blurted out.

"How is that strange?" Prince Nikolas asked, looking genuinely confused.

"Well, lots of people don't really think about it that much when they are young, I don't think. At least, it didn't feel that way. But I've always wanted to get married and have a family one day." I took a deep breath. "When I was like 14, so just starting high school, I heard a phrase. 'Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?'"

"What does that mean?" Prince Nikolas asked.

"It means, why would you marry a girl when you can already get sex from her? Why make that commitment when you already got what you need? And it's crass and I hate it but I think it's kind of true," I explained. "And I realized that I wasn't going to give that part of myself to anyone until I was married. Which I know is dumb and everything but it's a commitment I made in high school and it's one I've kept to this day."

  "I do not think that is dumb," Prince Nikolas said. "I myself have made a vow of celibacy until marriage. I am Catholic, and I believe it is important to wait. So believe me when I say that I do not think it is dumb."

I smiled. "Thanks."

"Well then," Prince Nikolas began. "Let us see if a couple of virgins can make the Player Prince himself envious."