•unedited•

•Chapter Ten•

I let out a yawn smiling to myself, I blink my eyes open and spin around in my bed. I notice right away that the empty space on the bed beside me has a slight dent in it making it seem that someone heavier than me had slept there. My mind returns back to the night before when I had imagined Xander in my house. That's insane!

I chuckle to myself and repeat over and over again that beyond how real last night felt it was only a dream nothing more. I hop out of my bed realizing that I still have work today, I grumble and step into the steaming hot shower. It's streaming down my back the warmth spreading electric shocks throughout my body.

Once done I exit and brush through my brown hair with my brush letting it rest on my shoulders, I then brush my teeth and dab some makeup onto my face trying my hardest to get rid of the bluish-black bags under my eyes.

I leave the bathroom and head towards my closet, once there I sift through my closet scanning the dresses and skirts hung up, I eventually find what seemed appropriate, I pull out a black skirt with flowers littered along the front then a black tight fitted shirt the sleeves reaching to about my elbows.

I spin in the mirror feeling slightly more self-conscious today then yesterday, I can't tell if it was because of the dream I had last night of just nerves... it's just nerves I tell myself.

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"I'll give you a ride before I drive up to the castle" I glance up at my grandfather and take a sip out of the mug in which holds my earl grey tea, the sweet aroma wafts up to my nostrils filling my head with a delicious scent, so good I almost forget what we were currently talking about.

"No, you should just get to work I'll be fine, maybe take a street cart down there," he says, I roll my eyes placing my mug down on the table then cross my arms over my chest.

"I said I'd drive you... now let me!" I chastise glaring playfully into his soft green eyes, after some time he smiles and nods.

We make out way to the car and hop in, I drive on the road leading down to the town where my grandfather would go to the hospital to get a check-up. I park in front of the hospital and give my grandpa a peck on the cheek, "you'll be good to get back?" I ask, fear rolling through me.

He chuckles and opens the door, "stop worrying my love I'll be fine" and with that, he steps out shutting the car door behind me, I take a peek at his retreating form one last time before restarting the car and taking off down the road making my way back to the castle.

I park in the mandatory parking area I was told to park in, I step out and rush to the main doors, a different butler stands outside and he eyes me suspiciously, I smile kindly, my anxiety rising in my chest it tightens and the air leaves my chest slowly, I'm not good with confrontations and it feels like this is where it's going.

I open my mouth to speak but the door opens and a woman steps out I recognize her to be Melanie, I let out a sigh of relief and walk towards her, she gives the butler a knowing stare "don't worry Dezra she works for the prince" he nods, giving me an apologetic but knowing smile then opens the door wider for me, An odd feeling passes through me like they all know something about me that I don't know.

Melanie motions for me to walk in quickly, I hurry in the doors closing behind me, "you're late!" She hisses her eyes narrowing, "The A-Prince won't be happy" she stammers her eyes flicker down to the floor not meeting my eyes.

"Let's go then!" I urge, she nods frantically then leads me down several hallways that look, all the same, I don't understand how anyone knows how to get anywhere.

"So Prince Meier needs your assistance for a board meeting that is being held in-" she checks her to watch her frantic eyes looking back up, "1 minute" she sighs and tugs at my arm urging me forward quickly.

She knocks at Xander's office door impatiently I get slightly nervous at the thought of him getting even madder at her for being so forward. The door eventually opens, "what!" Xander yells, his eyes narrow at Melanie but quickly shift to me, his features soften but his hard icy glare still evident. "You're late." He states opening the door up wider letting me in, Melanie gives me a sympathetic smile mouthing 'good luck'. Xander closes the door blocking my view of Melanie.

My gaze shifts up to Xander's blue-grey stare, his large hand comes up and moves a mass of hair away from my neck, his eyes survey it than pulling the bandage. "Looks better... it should be healed sooner than I thought," he says moving my hair back in place, his hand grazes across my cheek ever so slightly but the feeling still sends an abundance of warmth flowing through my chilled body.

I purr but immediately stop when I feel his eyes on me, I clear my throat glancing at the ground shifting my body weight onto my right foot.

"Do you have a reason as to why you were late?" He leans against his dark oak wood desk his strong arms crossed firmly over his chest.

"I w-was dropping my grandfather off... at the hospital," I say my eyes flickering up to meet his.

He nods once then drops the subject switching to the meeting, he hands me a folder containing many different sheets for the topic of the meeting, giving me the files he leaves the office, I follow behind him afraid to overstep my boundaries. I soon find myself staring at his back muscles ripple through his white dress shirt.

"I know you are staring at me," he says, I freeze mid-step my cheeks flooding red at he thought of his feeling my gaze on him and his teasing smirk unseen from me and he lets me stare.

He clears his throat, my head snaps up at the sound my cheeks turning a crimson red color, I quicken my pace to match his and soon I find myself in front of two large wood doors, Xander pushes them open and steps inside holding the door open for me I step inside, my eyes scanning the room I notice pretty quickly that everyone is currently bowing for the prince, I facepalm mentally and turn to face Xander. I bow curtsying.

A deep chuckle comes from him, his arms pull me up beside him everyone still bowing, I glance up at him with a curious look, the laugh resonating off every one of my bones and lacing its self deep in my core it was a beautiful sound and made my heart beat a little bit faster and make my cheeks redden ever so slightly.

"You can all stand up now," he says in German, I've become very good and can now understand both English and German, my speaking is still a problem though.

Everyone crowded in the room stands up their eyes focused on me, I cower away from all the immediate attention and stand closer to Xander, this begins to whisper eye eyeing me wearily.

"That's enough everyone please sit down and let's get started" he finishes saying, almost automatically everyone sits in their seats opening their binders.

Xander sits down and pulls the seat out beside him, I sit down quickly handing him the files, he gives me an authentic smile and I look away. We are about to get started when the door burst opens and Nico-Xander's cousin stalks in glaring angrily towards Xander. His eyes move to me and a smirk is replaced onto his lips, his eyes narrow at the bandage covering my cut in full view to anyone who looked in my direction.

That's probably why everyone was staring at me earlier.

I pull my hair over my shoulder to cover the bandage and look down, he sits down in front of me and beside Xander who's is currently situated at the head of the table.

The meeting starts, Xander addresses different topics and things he'd like to change when he becomes king I nod along to some of the things he says, then other times I am completely lost since his German is so fluent and good that I cant understand some things he says.

I glance up at Nico who hasn't said one single word this whole time, I avert my eyes when I meet his eyes which were already focused on me, I slump in my chair slightly trying to avoid his penetrating gaze, something told me that Nico and Xander have had bad blood between them before I arrived and I only caused it to get worse, so I decided to stay away from trouble around here and hope that their relationship gets better.

The meeting comes and goes and Xander stays around to chat with a few other people who stayed around to have a word with him, I stand near the exit leaning against the wall waiting for Xander to be done so I could hide away back in the office.

I look around the room my eyes meet with Nico's he smirks sinisterly and stalks towards me his larger body enclosing closer to my smaller one, he stops directly in front of me his eyes filled with amusement and mischief.

"I think I've found my date for the ball this Friday"

Kill me now!

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Here's another update for you wonderful people, I hope you enjoyed it, I know it was kind of really boring I tried to make it more fun but failed miserably, anyways it was sort of a filler anyways leading into what I have planned for the next few chapters.

But I want to know what you guys want to happen in this story, what would you like to see happen to my characters? I would really enjoy reading all your wonderful responses.

Anyways, ignore spelling and grammar mistakes, and I'll talk to you all later ;)

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~TJ ♥️