PRINCESS FABIANNE

Almost Never Single

THE LADIES HELP dress me in beautiful sky blue gown I'd selected to wear for tonight's dinner. Dining together, all of us on a Monday is unheard of. Father and Adaliz were more often busy with the Parliment and their usual meetings. But with Lady Arianna's arrival, it was practically mandatory. The ladies help me fix up my hair into a gorgeous up-do, and apply light makeup for my face. 

When they're done, I'm left with half an hour left to dinner. I sit down waiting by the vanity, doing my best to not crumple the gown I'm wearing. I look stunning, my hair is done in a half up and half down look, the highlights I'd gotten done in Australia definitely did add some volume on my hair. 

My brown eyes were more prominent. It's nothing crazy as black eyeliner, but a very light dusting of brown eyeshadow was there very natural. Very sophisticated. I love how the ladies do my eyeshadow. It's so chic. I'm still working on getting that same effect without help. 

It's while I'm scrutinizing the makeup, I think of calling Elle. I pick up my phone, calling her. 

"Hey hey," Elle answers my call cheerily.

"Hey Elle, have you seen the papers yet?" I ask. My lip gloss shined as I ask her the question. It's stunning. It made me wish that he was here to see it. He would have loved it.

"Yes, Lady Arianna of Greece is coming to stay with you," Elle replies, not at all bothered that I hadn't told her earlier. I technically wasn't supposed to talk about Arianna to her, but I can't resist. It's all that has been on my mind since she's arrived.

"Yes, and she's a piece of work," I tell her of how she went straight for Laurie. How both Jasper and Laurie couldn't stop staring at her. 

To top things off, Jasper's ridiculous suggestion of Adaliz, the Crown Prince, apologising to her. 

"I can't believe she can't speak french," Elle says at last, "or at least Dutch and German, her dad's Belgian."

"Her dad's Belgian?" I frown. I'm sure if she was we would know. 

"Yes, it is in the papers. He's not Royalty or anything."

"Well, I'm sure our parents knew," I say airily, "She's really strange Elle, you've no idea. The maids were telling me how she only brought all black clothes."

"You'd think the Greek royal colour was black," Elle says in remark, her tone is biting "I saw her picture, she doesn't look like much. It's a pity for Adaliz."

I think back to her face. I thought she was fine. She had big dark lined eyes, a small note and pretty lips. Her makeup wasn't something I favour, it's almost american in how prominent it looks but Elle's standards of beauty have always been high. 

I reply, "I worry for him, what kind of Queen would she be?"

"A good one, if Adaliz would marry her." Elle says, "Have you spoken to her yet?"

"Nope, not alone anyway. Maybe tomorrow since Adaliz asked me to show her around." 

"Can I come?" Elle's voice is eager.

I smile but it's not a large one. Almost rueful. If it were up to me, Elle would be there. Elle had a habit of brightening up the room. Unfortunately, it's not up to me. 

"I'm sorry, Elle, I don't think you can. But when I get the chance, I'll definitely invite you over."

"It's fine," Elle says, "Anyway, I've to go soon. I'm got to start working on my art project for class."

"I've got to go too. I'm having dinner with her tonight," I reply. I glance at the clock. I would be early, but it's not too bad. I rise up, brushing the dress feeling the silk within my fingers. My phone on the vanity vibrates. 

I pick it up. The number isn't one of my saved contacts but I recognise it's from Australia. 

New private phone. I keep missing messages from you.

As I'm drafting a a reply, I get another message.

 I'm going to sleep now. Talk tomorrow. Love you.

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Family dinners were never an event any of us look forward to. We all had to dress up, for one. For another, we often ate in silence save the classical music played. Sometimes by a pianist like today.

The seating arrangements were a little uncomfortable, father sat at the head of the table, and Mother on the other. Beside father, were Adaliz on his right and Lady Arianna on father's left, then next to Adaliz, Daegon and next to Daegon, Jasper. I sit in between Arianna and Laurie. 

It wasn't comfortable, even Laurie disliked the change. I always sat in between Adaliz and Jasper. 

Adaliz and Lady Arianna don't speak to each other, choosing to regard the other in silence. I notice that she has perfect manners at the table, her only fault at present was her black dress. Despite the attempts by Daegan and father, Lady Arianna barely speaks unless spoken to. 

Her mother, the Lady Adalane, sister to the Queen tries to speak french. Her accent is slightly off. It's almost a headache trying to understand what she's saying. I'd rather she spoke in English. 

By the time desert rolls in, I'm thrilled that dinner has come to an end.

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"I'm sorry Prince Adaliz couldn't give you the tour," I tell her in English as we walk around the palace. As expected, I'd taken her on a quick stroll in the palace. I've taken her to several rooms on the second floor. The same floor her room is in. 

We'd progressed to ground floor now.

We start with the indoor bowling alley, her gaze is quiet. She doesn't talk much. I had expected her to say more. "What do you think?" I say giving her one of my dazzling smiles that made girls in school try to please me.

She doesn't try to please me. "It's interesting." She walks towards a room in the large alley, "What's in here?"

"All the balls," I say, "We've got quiet a collection of them here." I open the door. "We can take a look."

"No worries," Lady Arianna says after I've opened the door. "I'm not a big fan of bowling."

It kept getting worse, she's not impressed with the in house theater, nor the indoor swimming pool. I offered to play her the piano in the music studio, but she said she's not a fan of music either, much less art. 

We're walking to the library and I couldn't think of any way to save this tour. I'd been confident enough that we'd get along, now I realise I'm painfully wrong. She expresses little to no interest in getting along that I'm left imagining tearing her dark black hair out. 

"Do you wish Prince Adaliz is here to show you around?" I ask her finally. It's the only conclusion I could come to with her somber expression. She looks like she's grieving in her black blouse, a lighter black skirt and dark black pumps. 

"It's fine, I understand the Crown Prince will be busy."

I still try, if there's anything to be said about me, I did not quit. "How do you find the palace so far?" 

"It's very big," Lady Arianna admits, she tucks a black lock of hair away from her face. Her hair constantly finds it's way to her face. I try to pretend I don't notice it. The ladies escorting us giggles at her remark. 

They stare at Lady Arianna with wide eyes. I wonder how much they know about her.

More than me. 

All I seem to know about her is she lacks passion, excitement or even interest in the Palace or me, her future in law. Did she already think so highly of herself that she's a Queen? Is that why the stiffling conversations and cold airs? 

We walk in silence to the library. As we reach the grand library, I nod at the guards who open the doors for us. "This is our private library." I tell her, as if it isn't obvious from the books that decorate. We step inside. "Do you read, Lady Arianna?"

"Only when I have need to," She replies, looking with little interest in the books. No wonder she can't speak French, I think as we walk around the library. She's so plain and almost boring. 

The library is a big place, as we slowly stroll in. I notice that her eyes are glancing at the books in slight interest. Maybe, she did have an interest in them. 

"We have a lot of limited edition books here," I try. "I can show you the original manuscripts by Hergé and Hans Christian Anderson."'

She glances at me. Her eyes are dark and piercing in the kohl, "Listen, Princess Fabianne. I know you're trying to be nice and to make this tour exciting but I'm really not that interested..." Her voice trails off and she's looking something.

I turn to glance behind me and I spot Adaliz. But as quickly as I spot him, he vanishes. 

"He'll marry you," I say, "and we'll be sisters-in-law, you don't need to worry about getting attached to any of us." 

There's surprise in her eyes. Those brown eyes go back to mine and it's like she's scanning to see how much else I've read. 

"Why are you so confident that he'll marry me?" Her voice is toneless, I don't think she likes being read. She's not used to it. I would bet, that she's the one who prefers to read people.

"I know my brother," I say with a forced grin. I want to win her over. To do that, I need to understand her and for the first time today, I think I'm beginning to. Personal feelings aside, I need to make this work with her. 

And it starts with playing cupid. 

"Do you want to take a look at the gardens?" I suggest.

Her face says otherwise, but she says, "If you want."

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Lady Arianna doesn't warm up at all. Instead she's colder and more reserved with me. I don't know where I went wrong. It makes the back of my head itch. Something's not right. How could my charm have failed me? 

I push those thoughts aside, looking for my father. He needed to make Adaliz spend time with her. She's probably freaking out that he won't marry her. I don't need to be the one taking care of her. Much so, when I still couldn't figure out why she hadn't been eating out of my hand.

I'd never met someone I couldn't charm. 

Father is in his study. Which is neither good or bad. I stand outside the large door and look to the guard. "May I speak to father?"

The guards face is pitiful, "I'm truly sorry, Princess Fabianne, but he does not wish to be disturbed."

That left mother, who was certainly in the gardens. I take a brisk walk to the gardens. Mother wasn't as influential as father but she would certainly see my point that Adaliz should be taking her around and not me. 

I hadn't seen her in the gardens but I hadn't spent much time around mother's favourite part of the garden. Her favourite flowers were the roses. I took a brisk walk around the areas I'd normally find her in. I don't spend time admiring the flowers like she does. I don't catch sight of her there, so she might be with Daegan.

Since Daegan came back, she'd spent a lot of time with him, as though able to bridge the ten years he'd been apart from them. She'd visited him twice in the military. The last time was eight years ago and I had the distinct impression, Daegan kindly told her not to visit him again. 

If she was with Daegan. I didn't want to go near. Daegan would side with Adaliz in a heartbeat, or justify why Adaliz wasn't spending time with Lady Arianna. 

 I turn to one of the maids escorting me. 

"Where is the Queen?" I ask airily. I don't like asking them. It always felt humiliating you can't find your own mother. But I didn't really have the time to look for her. The palace was big enough as it is.

"I'll find her, Princess Fabianne," A maid says, curtsying beforing she walks off in search for my mother. I head to the nearest sofa to sit down and wait.

The other two maids move a little uncomfortable, heading to the back of the room, where I can't see them. I'm almost alone, with as much privacy as I can get. 

I take a glance around me just to be safe. Then, I pull up my phone and send a message. 

I miss you. Can't wait to see you.

Then I close the phone. It'll be 2AM in Australia. There an off chance he's awake and at home. My phone buzzes, and I open it. As I read the message a smile comes on my face.

Me too. Can't stop thinking about you. 

I'm about to send a reply when my phone buzzes with a new message.

I meant to ask, but I haven't received your birthday invitation yet. Maybe check with your team if they're actually sending out invitations? ;)

The smile vanishes off my face. I close my eyes. I should have kept his name on the invitee list. How was I going to explain that I hadn't kept his name in the list? I had actually planned on leaving his name in, but I'd taken it out at the last second. I didn't want to explain or have him watch my parents introduce me to bachelor after bachelor.

I'm  still worrying over what should I say, when Captain Nathaniél walks in. I see him, the same time he sees me. He smiles. I look at my phone. 

"Princess Fabianne," He says with a bow. I force myself to look up. 

I've always felt like the past can't cling on my robes. It barely warrants a thought in my mind, I'm always focusing on the future and what's to come. 

But when I see him, the past doesn't feel so very far behind anymore.

And when his green eyes meet mine, I knew he wasn't even thinking about it anymore. 

"Captain Nathaniél," I return his greeting, forcing a smile on my face.

He stands up straight and tall, "Do you have a moment to spare?" 

I close my phone, he rarely looks for me in passing. Sometimes, I'd like to think he avoids me too. Then again, moments like this makes me feel pathetic for being the one to avoid him.

"Only a few minutes, I'm looking for the Queen." Also, I think I need to explain to my boyfriend why he's not invited to my birthday party.

Nathaniél raises an eyebrow but catches himself, he has no right to ask why. "A few minutes will be enough, Princess Fabianne." He bends down, not sitting in the empty spot beside me. The space in between us is far apart. "On the night, Daegan woke up worrying for an intruder, he found this item in your room."

My face doesn't change when I see the red pocket knife. I keep it as cool as possible. I knew this would have happened sooner of later.

I know what he's going to ask before he asks it, "Have you seen this before?"

I take the familiar pocket knife from Captain Nathaniél's hands. I need time to think of a lie. "I think I've seen a few of them like this," I lie, not meeting his gaze. 

"Really, where?"

"Around," I lie, "It's quiet a common design."

"Is it yours?" He asks.

I should have known this was coming. The question is whether I should say yes, and risk my mother's wrath for not having it registered. "I think I might have accidentally packed it in my bag from when I was travelling. I'm sorry, I should have mentioned this to you sooner, Captain." I meet his gaze, giving my sweetest smile. 

I wish I didn't meet his gaze, his stunning green eyes meet mine and I feel like I did at 19. I move back, my cheeks flaming. His face had been too close to mine. 

But I'm not the same girl I was at nineteen.

And I won't ever go so close to someone who'll break my heart.

"It's fine, I'll register the pocket knife under your name," Captain Nathaniél says. "Do you mind letting me know which country you got the knife from?"

"France," I lie. 

He nods, standing up, "Thank you for your time."

I'm still holding the pocket knife as he leaves. 

AN

It's okay to not like every character I've created, but acknowledge their good attributes and their flaws when it comes down to it. Not everyone's perfect much less in a large family. 

I'm looking forward to your theories with what's going on! Really excited to hear what you have to say and have a good weekend!

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