I should really be studying

"The next flight to depart from Gate 4 is the Russian Airlines, flight number RUSXXY-,"

"Are you okay?"

I looked at Alex and glared, he broke my flow, "I am practising my skills as an air hostess," I said.

He gave me a concerned look leaning over to check if I had a fever and I slapped his hand away.

I loved the way they talk, it was so robotic and beautiful. Alex rolled his eyes taking a seat in front of me on the private plane as he tried to relax.

I was surprised we were even going on the same plane as the royal family, but then the king insisted upon it and how could I reject when my best friend was flying.

Speaking of best friend, where was she, ah there she was, Catherina sitting in the corner sulking because I was on the plane.

Well, one thing was good, if she got attacked I would be fast asleep to save her. Or maybe the belt we had to wear was stuck and I couldn't get out. Or maybe I can even feign air sickness and lock myself in the bathroom. 

I kicked my feet out and relaxed looking out at all the lights below us, "That's nice," said Alex nodding to my legs.

I looked down to see the silver anklet glow in the dim light and moved my feet hearing the soft sounds of bells, "I know right, some girl gave it to me as a present" I said leaving out the part it was real silver.

Alex would be concerned it was poisoned or was a detector for someone to hunt me down, he was paranoid.

"Are you sure you didn't steal it," said Catherina scoffing. Jealous b*tch.

Alex sat up straighter like he was ready to stop me from smashing her head against the window but I simple smiled moving my foot so she could see the beautiful simple anklet.

"Unlike some of us we aren't poor and need to marry into royalty to be a gold digger,"

Her face turned a bright shade of pink as she looked away, don't start something if you don't plan on finishing it.

I kicked back and opened the packet of salted peanuts they gave me, I might have nicked a few extra, and popped them into my mouth. This is why I love flying.

*

The sound of something breaking made me sit up and look away from the window. The flight was quiet and everyone was fast asleep seeing as it was just past midnight Russian time. I got up out of my seat walking towards the room.

Even thought I knew nothing was going to happen, something could. The sound of my anklet was the only noise and I swore, maybe wearing it was a bad idea

"Is everything okay?" I asked knocking on the door as I heard more noises. I heard a voice swear and I frowned recognizing it.

"Jax, you okay?"

My hand went immediately to my waist where I could feel my heavy weapon, there surely can't be an intruder in a plane, right, what was this some hijack movie?

Silence, he didn't reply. Just as I placed my hand on the knob the door opened and a flustered looking prince greeted me.

I released my hold on my gun and stepped back, "Is everything okay?" I asked.

He looked around and nodded and I raised an eyebrow.

"It doesn't look like it," I said trying to look over his shoulder but he blocked the view, sometimes I forgot how much taller and how much more built he was than me. His shoulders were the perfect blocking instrument.

"Everything is fine," he said and I nodded pretending to walk away and when he turned to go back into his room I ducked under his arm and slipped through the gap.

Ah being small did wonders.

"Is-," 

Too late.

My mouth opened as I saw chaos in the room and turned to look at him, "How on earth do you break a bed?" I snapped.

"Shhhh." he said shutting the door and closing the distance placing a hand over my mouth and looking around, "Can you say that any louder?"

I can and if he really wants I would.

I shrugged prying his hand away from mine. 

"How?" I said looking at the shattered lamp beside it.

He rubbed the back of his neck, a sight I didn't think I would see on the confident prince and I raised an eyebrow.

"I was looking for something,"

"And did you find it?" I asked looking at the mess he created. I knew the flight attendant weren't going to be pleased tomorrow, even if the royal family owned the plane, it didn't mean they could break it when they want.

"No,"

I shook my head bending down picking up the later glass pieces.

"What are you doing! You'll hurt yourself,"

Oh now he cares. I looked up at him from the ground, he looked even taller from this angle, "I'm doing my job," 

"There are more bedrooms, I can sleep there,"

I shrugged, "Okay but I'm still picking this up, plus it is best if you left, don't want some small piece hurting you now do we?" I said sarcastically and realized what I just said. 

I looked up to see my words did a number on him, and I didn't know why as he grabbed my arm hoisting me off, not so delicately either, "Don't talk down to me," he growled and I raised an eyebrow at his tone.

Prince or not he didn't have a right to talk to me like that. I shrugged out of his grip, which was harder than I first thought, "Don't look down on me then,"

"What?" he said confusion tainting his face. 

"Exactly, one should take their own advice before dishing it out like free ice-cream," I knelt back down picking up the pieces and putting them in the bin while he stood there.

Either help or get out, but I didn't dare say it out loud. Alex would murder me and give me the whole, They are royalty speech. So what if they are royalty, they were human, If I hit them they'll cry, if I shoot them they'll die. What was so special about them and not about us?

It was just another way for someone else to feel shit about themselves.

"What do you mean I look down at you?"

I turned around and placed my hands on my hips staring at me, for a prince he wasn't very smart, "Of course your highness  you don't know anything do you?"

Was I over-acting? Perhaps, did I have a right to? Hell yes.

"Don't call me that, call me Jax,"

"I think you forget sire that I am a mere guard, I call you by your title,"

He narrowed his eyes at me copying my gestures with his hands on hips, however when he did it he looked like a man about to dish out an order, while I looked like some spoiled kid yelling, which I had every right to.

"You aren't just a guard,"

I let out a laugh, "Of course, sorry, I am a someone you kiss and go as you please,"

"Is this still about the other night?"

Still? Still?

"What do you mean still, you had no right kissing me like that," I said taking a step forward and stabbing my finger on his shoulder, I was surprised his shoulder was that hard that I had to stop myself from letting my finger bend, damn strength. 

"What do you mean still, I haven't brought this subject up before and no this is not about "the other night" because nothing happened the other night. This is about you treating a guard like a servant, Excuse me if I think I should get some respect,"

He opened his mouth but I beat him to it again, "And don't say you didn't do anything, You were a by stander which is just as bad as being the person yourself. I don't need to stand up for me, but you do need to pull your socks up and put people in their right places,"

By the end of my rant I felt flustered and annoyed. It was like I opened flood gates that I couldn't close as I stared at him in the eye. I wasn't sure why I was so angry at him, I just was. 

I don't go dance with one girl and then kiss another on the same night. Of course I could be hypocritical since I had dinner with Carter but that wasn't a date and besides I was not the one engaged. 

I suddenly realised how quiet Jax was being, his eyes were darker as he looked down at me, no glared at me, glared like he wanted to strangle me, which he probably did. I was probably one of those rare people who spoke to him like he wasn't a prince and could execute me this second and no one would dare to question him, except for Alex and Dem.

He grabbed the wrist that was somehow still managing to have a finger stabbed at him and pulled me closer and for the first time I felt afraid. He looked scary, murderous could be an appropriate adjective.

The carefree prince looked angry, and it was a sight to behold "You aren't a mere guard,"

The wise thing would be to shut up and nod till he calmed down, but of course I had a mouth that spoke before the brain even thought, "So you say,"

He made an animalistic sound as his hand pulled me up and the other one close around my waist.

"Jax what are you-,"

His lips shoved down onto mine making me lean back as I tried getting away from me, what the hell was he doing?

His hand left me arm and held my waist, his fingers digging into my skin and I realised why he let go, because I wasn't pushing him away. No instead my treacherous body was leaning towards him and this was wrong on so many levels, but felt right on the others. 

It felt like a dominance of war before he pulled away and stared at me, his eyes still glazed, "I'm sorry,"

And in that moment it was the wrong thing to say. I thankfully welcomes the cold bucket of metaphorical water that came crashing down at me and I shook my head. I should be ashamed for what I was doing. I blamed him for kissing me when we were both at fault this time.

"You say you're sorry but you don't know what you are sorry for, do you,"

He frowned and opened his mouth but closed it, exactly. He just wanted to say sorry to make it all okay.

"Unlike you I can't dance with one man and then go kiss another when I know I'm about to get married to the first in a few weeks time,"

And if he still didn't get why I was angry, this should have been clear enough.

Like Alex says, they are royalty. And maybe I wasn't just a commoner, but what was wrong with that. I was majority. And even if I wasn't I was just his guard. Behaving with him like this would get me hanged if this was in the 1500s or whenever King Henry the eight rules.

I could feel the tension between us.

"I kissed you because I wanted to kiss you,"

"We aren't children to get what we want anymore, or to do what we like. We're adults and we both have duties. Yours is to take after your father and mine is to guard you till you get back to the palace and then go my own way. And that is that" I said walking around him to the door. 

Maybe that was a small lie, go my own way but I was sure I could convince Alex to let me go to college like I planned. Even thought I knew nothing was happening between the prince and I, apart from a kiss, there was something in me that wanted him. Something bad.

If I hadn't been attentive and listening to any other sounds to see if someone was awake, I would have missed him saying "What if I don't want to do my duty," as I closed the door, but I pretended that I didn't hear him as I walked back to my seat.

I faltered when I saw Alex was awake reading a novel and he smiled as I sat down, "Where did you go to?"

"Bathroom," I said pretending to yawn and sat back down. He arched an eyebrow.

"For twenty minutes?"

I glared at him before I smiled using his own words the day before on him, "I had to change my pad, happy?"

And the look he had was priceless.

*

"What brought this on?"

"What?" I asked looking from the magazine I was flicking through. I regret not sleeping on the plane, or sleeping on the car journey home. According to Alex, I had slept, which was me faking which only resulted in a painful shoulder.

"You wanting to leave," he said bringing up our conversation on the car ride home. I had suggested maybe it was good for me to take a break and complete my studies and he had given me a look, again.

"Is Demetri putting stuff into your head again?" He asked and I was thankful he thought it was Dem and not the real reason.

"No, the whole world knows that I cannot stand Catherina or more she can't stand me. I really don't want to be here during the wedding preparations,"

"There wedding is three months away, the prince has to get his graduatio-,"

"Exactly, so nothing important is happening, so can I go to college?"

"There is no course that takes you three months to complete,"

I remained silent flipping the page knowing that me not saying anything ticked him off just as much as I talking back. 

"I'll talk to the king, he might need you undercover in a college anyways,"

I nodded, I knew that the king's cousin's son was studying in college. Maybe I would be his guard, especially with the recent reports that he had nearly gotten kidnapped a few months ago as political issues were on rise.

"Thank you,"

I looked out of the window as Alex left the room and I saw the maze frowning as I remembered that day. He told me that he would take me to the middle. I scoffed getting up, I would find the middle myself, I don't need anyone's help.

It was still early morning and no one would really need me till lunch time. Grabbing a jumper I pulled it over my singlet and jeans and grabbed boots to cover the noise my anklet kept making.

As annoying as it was, I loved it. 

How hard could finding the middle be?