Royal Hearts

Harry Christopher Winston

Princess Ophelia Maria St.Clair

Butterflies seemed to fill Aelia's stomach as she looked around the large ballroom. She still had no idea how Alex managed to get them both into such a huge event. Usually, only the wealthy were allowed into the Palace as well as some reporters. Normal people like them were usually left out to watch the announcement at home if they felt like it. Some old man who used to be famous reporting about how it's such an honor for the royal family to allow them to be in their presence and blah blah blah.

To be honest, Lia wasn't really much for all of this royalty sort of stuff. Dressing up in fancy dresses and acting like someone she wasn't. That was just to much work. Oh, how she'd give anything to be at home right now, shoving ice cream into her mouth while lounging in her apartment, watching Supernatural on Netflix. But, she can't do that. Her dweeb of a best friend invited her, saying he got them tickets to see the crowning in person. Those tickets Lia heard were in the thousands, so of course, she wasn't going to be able to say no.

"Where is that ass of a friend?" She mumbled quietly as she pulled her phone out of her pocket. Getting a few unpleasant looks from a few older people. "Sorry," Lia mumbled quietly to them, then looked down at her phone. Ten texts and three calls, it was starting to seem like Alex had stood her up. Putting her phone away, Lia couldn't help but sigh as she glanced around. She really didn't look like she fit in any way, in the dress that she got at a thrift store. an old prom dress it was supposed to be, but Alex said looked fine.

Lia was just about to turn and head out the door when some noise started to be heard by the front of the ballroom.

--

Standing behind the Princess a few feet, Harry kept his cool appearance. His arms to his sides as he allowed for his eyes to shift back and forth every now and again. Looking for anything that was out of the ordinary. Well, besides the amazing looks the little kids were giving them from their seats. This was a yearly thing for the royal family and Harry had become accustomed to attending them to protect the Princess, but he couldn't get over how nice it was to have such a change of pace. These people needed help and it was nice to see them getting it with the help of the royal family.

Static filled Harry's right ear as his earpiece came to life. Slowly, he raised his right hand and pressed a button to clear the static so that the voices could be heard clearly. 'The Princesses limo is ready for her.' The voice said over the earpiece. To which, Harry nodded his head even though he knew that the driver wouldn't be able to see him. 'Copy that. The event is almost over.' He said quietly into the side of his jacket where a microphone was hidden.

As the event ended, Harry slowly took a step closer to the Princess so that she could hear him speak to her. "Your limo is waiting, your grace," Harry said in a calm respectful tone. His gaze momentarily moving towards the crowd of people who seemed to have been quite happy with today's event. The sight of seeing others happy bringing a small smile to Harry's face as well before he looked towards the Princess once more and took a step back to go back to the respectful distance he's been trained to keep. He'd follow the Princess once she was ready to leave, willing to stay if that is what she wished as well.

Alex wiped his hands on the pants of his suit, ignoring the stares from his mother as he did so. He didn't think his palms had ever been so sweaty before, and they shook ferociously as he tried to lift the glass of water from the table to his mouth. The prince was incredibly nervous about being announced as the heir to the throne - he had never really wanted this. He spent his whole life staying out of the spotlight, keeping his head low so he didn't make tabloid news stories. It had worked. He was able to walk around unnoticed like a normal guy yet here he was being thrust front and center.

He thought his sister would have been much better suited for the role,and boy had he begged her to take it. But his parents were in disagreement, stating a kind made for a stronger palace. Of course that only made his younger sister even more opposed to taking his place, stating she refused to be the face of a sexist and misogynistic regime, of course Effie had always erred on the Dramatic side.

"It's time my Lord" he heard one of his father's hands say. He gave a stoic nod and stepped forward toward the double door. His jaw was tense and he was finding it hard to swallow, but all the same he plastered a smile across his face and waited. It felt like an hour as he stood behind that door until he heard a hush falling over the room outside. "Introducing the heir to the throne and the soon to be ruler of the realm. Prince Alexander Caspian St. Clair the third" the doors opened to a loud woosh of air, and as if something had taken over his body he stepped forward in to the room filled with rapturous applause. He gave a wave, his eyes quickly scanning the room for her. His heart sank as he thought perhaps she hadn't come, but t he thought maybe it was better that way. Maybe he would work up the courage to tell her in person, what he had been putting off doing for weeks now.

Just as soon as the thought entered his head, his eyes landed on her. There she was at the back of the room, looking as beautiful as ever. He really hoped she wouldn't be too upset. He could tell just by looking around the room that many had not expected him to step through those doors. Of course they all knew Ophelia and as Alexander had always wanted, many of them did not even know she had an older brother.

***
Ophelia was stood to the far right of the large hall, talking to a group of little girls about what it means to be a princess. She knelt down at that she was on her hunches, not caring so much about getting it dirty as she sat on the ground. She much preffered making these little girls's days than keeping some silly over-expensive dress clean, besides she knew she was going to have to change for her brothers party once she got back to the palace anyway. She chuckled as one of the little girls told her she was going to be a princess when she grew up, which was of course echoed by several sentiments of the same. "I think you would all make some wonderful princesses! You are all certainly smart enough!" She commented with a smile. "Well I want to be a knight" she heard a little boy pipe up from the back of group. She laughed softly but was interrupted by Harry stepping forward to tell her that fit was time to leave. "Just a minute" she told him softly before placing her hand on his shoulder to keep him from walking away for a moment.

"Well your in luck! Because this is my knight in shining armour right here" the princess told the kids, slowly standing up and glancing at Harry. "Harry here, keeps me safe whenever I go anywhere and fights off any bad guys, isn't that right Harry?" She asked, turning to smile at the tall man. "He's basically a super hero" she whispered like it was a secret,smiling brightly. "I bet if you want to ask him some questions he can tell you all about it" she told the kids. Once they were distractedly speaking to Harry, she slipped away to begin doing a round of goodbyes, doling out handshakes and hugs like there was no tomorrow. She knew Harry would lecture her about distracting him from his Job but she really didn't care.

Once she had said goodbye she waved at everyone once more before nodding to Harry that was ready to go. She moved toward the limo in convoy the the palace aids and security, the smile leaving her face as they walked. "How many times do I have to say it, it's embarrassing climbing in to a limo after a day spent with so many people who can barely afford a car.. can't we figure something else out?" She snapped slightly, pulling her hair behind her ear as she sat in. "Sebastian!" She called out, wanting to get the Palace Hands attention before the door was shut. "Can you take an extra 100,000 from my personal account and have it donated to the school library? And can you organise a palace tour for those little girls, I'll give it personally" she instructed before closing the door with a sigh.

@ FallenHope95

@ Aoibhe
Just hearing the name caused Aelia's heart to jump in her chest. Wait no, it couldn't be him. He had always told her his parents were business owners and left him with a nanny most of the time. This has to be a different Alexander. Right? It was a popular name, as was St.Clair. It was just a coincidence. Right? Wrong.

As Aelia turned her body towards the doors at the front of the room, she could feel her body freeze. Her bright green eyes staring in shock at the blues she knew all too well. The same blonde hair that she liked to play with when they were relaxing together. The same stuble that she makes fun of at times. This was definitely her best friend. This was her Alexander. He was the Crown Prince and she had no idea.

A sense of betraying slowly started to take over Lia and she could feel her lips fall. A frown taking over the worry she was feeling. She didn't even take the time to hear the speech that the King was giving, talking about how proud he was that his son was to be taking over after him. She started to turn, wanting to just go home, but stopped as something caught her attention. A look of shock appearing on her face as she heard the King mentioned wanting to betroth him already to secure his son's spot on the throne.

--

The school was too closed off for Harry's liking. He had hope that they could leave as soon as possible, but. The Princess was too pure of heart sometimes. She indulged others a little much sometimes as well. He was ready to leave, but, it seemed that she had other plans and he was not happy about it. Especially when she threw him under the bus to talk to the kids about being a knight.

A tired sigh escaped from Harry as he did his best to offer the kids a small smile. He wasn't very good with kids. He always tried to be nice, but his personality usually didn't match with their overactive energy levels. Making for his anger to raise every now and again. "Oh uh, I'm really not like a superhero." He mumbled nervously, rubbing the side of his neck nervously. Harry glanced towards the Princess for a moment more before sighing and kneeling down to be at the kid's eye level. He did his best to smile at them and answer any simple questions they might have.

Once he was done talking to the kids, Harry moved towards the door and stood quietly before following after the Princess once more. "My apologies Princess. The King must have forgotten your request." He answered, keeping at least two steps behind the Princess. Then, Harry waited for her door to close before he climbed in the other side. "You may go," Harry said into his earpiece before relaxing back in his seat. "Are you excited to attend The Prince's announcement party?" Harry asked after a moment, wanting to break the silence.

Alexander's eyes did not leave Aelia as his dad spoke. He could see her turning to make her way to the door and he began to get antsy as his father spoke, afraid she would leave before he could get a chance to speak with her. He cleared his throat glancing at his parents, hoping they would speed this up. He had been dreading this day for months. He had been trying for so long to break the news to Lia but the timing just never felt right, and he didn't want to ruin anything when they could still just act like normal people.

Alex felt his heart jump in to his mouth when his father mentioned marriage. He thought they had agreed this could wait a few weeks. He looked at his father and shook his head, hoping his father would take the hint. "After Speaking with Alex, we have learned that his heart is just as big as his brain. He has chosen a wonderful young girl from right here in the kingdom!" The king Bagan. Alex clamped his hands hard at his side. He had been stupid to think his parents would actually give him a chance to talk this through with Aelia. He sighed running a hand in to his hair. He just hopped Aelia could see how sorry he was in his eyes.

"If Aelia Genesis would like to come up here?" The king called out, looking out around the audience.

***

Ophelia leaned her head against the window as they pulled away, letting them close for a minute as she tried to maintain her composure. She hated what a big deal was made of getting her from a school to her car. She really doubted anyone would ever want to do something to her, it wasn't like she was that big of a deal. "Hmm?" She asked realising that Harry had spoken to her, but she wasn't paying attention. "Oh uh. No not really. I hate these stupid big parties full of snooty people. Just not my scene" she told him shaking her head softly looking over at him.

"They were all so amazing weren't they?" She asked, perking up a little. "All of those kids... They have so little but they are so grateful for everything they have.. it really makes you think doesn't it?" She commented "some people just don't get the start they deserve in life" she said with a sigh. Effie had gone on to college after her schooling and studied humanitarian law. She was only a year in to her degree but she loved it- much to the chagrin of her parents. They would much prefer she just sit back and be a pretty little socialite. Technically the princess would probably never be able to practice law, but she hoped she may be able to start her own charity.

@ FallenHope95

@ Aoibhe
As the King spoke, Lia could feel the edges of her eyes pricking with tears. He found someone he liked as well? An didn't tell her? What was going to come next? He already lied about being a normal guy their whole lives. Did he lie about her being his best friend as well? Did he lie about wanting to see the world?

The second that Lia heard her name it felt like the world had frozen. The King wanted her to marry him? A commoner, with the royal crown prince? This is insane, this was like some sort of fairy tale. Lia wasn't princess material, she likes to go out with her friends and shop. She liked laying around in her pj's all day. She's never eaten finger sandwiches without the urge to just shove them into her mouth. She was just a normal girl, not some noble girl with a right to marry a prince. He was her best friend for crying out loud!

A murmur took over the crowd as people started to ask about who this Aelia Genesis girl was. Curious as to rather or not she was someone's daughter that they knew or if she was a model. No, no, Lia was just Lia. She was a nobody. An she wanted nothing more right now then to run away and hide, but. She couldn't, because no one says no to a King. That's a rule, right? So, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear that fell out of her braid, Lia made her way to the stage.

"Your Majesties," Lia said quietly, doing her best to do a proper curtsey towards them that she's seen in movies. The King gave her such a lovely smile and ushered her forward a little more and then motioned for her to turn towards the crowd. "An there we have it, the future King and Queen." An with that, the crowd erupted in applause, and through the corner of her eye, Lia sent Alex a look telling him that he was in trouble.

--

A slow nod was Harry's response towards the Princesses reply to his question. It was one that he expected, but he was kinda hoping to hear about what she thought about her older brother who didn't grow up in the castle becoming the next King. "Then what do you consider your scene?" He asked quietly, resting his arm on the windowsill as he looked towards her.

It has been a few years since Harry had been assigned to guard the Princess. He remembered seeing her around quite often when he was a normal guard. Even before he became a royal guard and was just a normal man in the army, the Princess always did her best to appear happy. At least it looked like that from a distance.

"Who?" Harry asked as he shot a confused look towards the Princess. His right eyebrow arching a little bit as he looked at her. Then, his features relaxed a little bit as he understood what she was talking about. A small smile then slowly taking over his features. "People are adaptable." He said calmly, not meaning for it to seem judgmental or not. "It's hard to miss having things when you've never experienced them." His shoulders shrugged slightly. "To be honest, it would be quite nice if there was more leveled out ground in the Kingdom. Not having the lower class be struggling so much."

Looking out the window, Harry noticed that they were arriving at the Palace and sat up straighter. "The party should be nearing the end, you should go change quickly before going to greet everyone, your highness," Harry said calmly, getting ready to step out and open the door for the young lady before escorting her to her room. "Thank you by the way, for doing these events."

Alex watched as she moved through through the room. He could feel his face reddening his ears thumping with his pulse. Everything felt so distant, and strange. He smiled at his friend as she walked on to the stage, although he knew he didn't deserve on in return. He eyed his father warily. He hated that his parents had held him at arms length for so long, but when they needed him again, he was welcomed with open arms. He had never acted how they wanted him to act. He sighed softly, wrapping an arm around Lia delicately "I'm sorry" he whispered, knowing he had a lot of explaining to do.

He knew that Lia must have been surprised, they had never been a romantic couple, they still weren't. The reality was he really didn't want to be married off to some foreign princess he didn't know, this at least bought him some time to think out a better strategy. She was his best friend, he really hoped she would understand. It had taken a lot to convince his parents that marrying a commoner was a good idea, of course his sister had helped greatly. She made some speech about how it bridged the device and made us seem more relatable and therefore adored and their parents had licked it up. He didn't even have to tell her it was all a game.

He gave a wave to the crowd a sense of both relief and fear washed over him as they were once again allowed to move behind the closed doors away from the eyes of the crowd. He sighed loudly, grabbing his friends arm and pulling her away from the king and Queen. "Aelia let me explain, please I'm sorry" he started. He could already see the anger and betrayal growing behind her eyes and it broke his heart.

***

Ophelia watched him as he asked about the new kind, she wondered if he was trying to get information from her. She felt like everyone expected her to dislike her older brother, for swooping in and stealing the crown from her grasp as so many people like to denote. In reality Effie felt pretty unmoved but the whole thing. Unlike a huge proportion of the kingdom, she had obviously always known about her brother, and that he was always the heir of the throne- and she really was much happier not having that weight on her shoulders, although sometimes she did like to think about what it would have been like. "My scene? Hmm dinner with close friends. A glass of wine and a good Netflix series, maybe a nice coffee shop to people watch" she said with a small smile. They weren't lies, but she knew they were basic. The princess didn't really like to discuss her personal details with many people, it why she had always struggled so much with relationships.

She listened as Harry spoke about people being adaptable, nodding her head slowly, wringing her fingers in her lap. She mildly agreed with what he was saying, but felt a sense of guilt washing over her as he spoke. She knew she hadn't chosen to be born in to such privelige but at the end of the day she had been, and it felt like a jab at her. "Peope shouldn't have to adapt" she answered quietly, turning her head to look out the window, wanting to put a stop to that side of the conversation. It began to run through her mind had Harry ever experienced being on that end of the social spectrum. She made a mental note to look in to it.

She rolled her eyes slightly as he told her to hurry getting changed. "Yes yes I know how important it is to network, don't worry" she said with a sigh, rushing up the stairs ahead of him toward her room. She kicked off her heels on the way, picking them up as she walked before slamming the door behind her. She took a minute to sit on the edge of her bed and just take a deep breath and think about everything that had happened today. She would really prefer not to attend this party but knew it was her duty.

Quickly she reached under the bed, pulling out a bottle of wine. She poured a generous helping in to the glass on her bedside table and knocked it back, before quickly topping up her makeup and beginning to change. "Harry!" She called out quickly as she pulled her Dress up around her. She turned to look at him as he opened the door and smiled brightly. "would you mind zipping me up?" She asked him softly, turning so her back was to him.

@ FallenHope95

@ Aoibhe
Everything seemed to happen in a blur. The sound of people cheering, the King, Queen, and the Prince all waving to the crowd. Faces blurred as together and Aelia could feel her heart pounding in her chest. She hated having people stare at her, Alex knew that! She felt faint, she felt like she was going to pass out right there on the stage. In front of hundreds of people and on live television.

Then, silence as she was dragged from the stage and led into a quieter room where she could actually hear once more. Her heart still quickening as she blinked from her trance, her lips set in a frown as she looked from the royal leaders to her best friend. "Alex." She said quietly as she followed after him. Then as soon as she was let go, she did what she always did to him when she was mad at him as kids. Reaching up, Lia pinched his cheek for a moment before letting him go.

Slowly, Rae crossed her arms as she felt her stubborn self coming back from the shock of being on stage and told she was now engaged. "Spill, what is going on? Why didn't you ever tell me you were a Prince?" She hissed out. "I thought you were my best friend, I thought we told each other everything."
Bright green eyes peered up into the blues that Alex possessed, her hard exterior that she tried to pull off all the time easily cracking and showing that she felt like she was about to cry. She had no idea what to think anymore. It seemed that everything that she once knew is no more. Torn apart in minutes. She was no longer a simple girl taking art classes at the local community college.

--

Watching the Princess turn her head away from him caused a hollow feeling to fill Harry's stomach. He didn't mean for his words to hurt her, he was only talking from experience. Growing up with his grandmother after his parents passing, he had to get used to being comfortable to struggling. Then, once she fell ill herself, Harry had to step up his game. Stopping his college classes to join the army so that he could take in better benefits for her.

As they pulled into the spot in front of the palace, Harry took his time getting out. He knew that the Princess needed some space and was being respectful. Although, he made sure to at least keep her slender back in his view. He'd be damned if she got injured while he was watching over her. She was his charge and he didn't plan on ever having that change. Once they got to the Princesses room, Harry took his rightful place in front of her door. Turning his back to it and respectfully having his arms to the side as he guarded her room.

Hearing his name, Harry hesitated for a moment. Normally, he'd never dare to enter her room. Although, today he felt like she could really use some company. "Yes, your highness?" He asked as he opened the door and stepped into her room, closing the door slightly so that the whole palace didn't see her half undressed. An to be honest, he was kinda curious as to what she might look like without it completely.
Blinking his eyes in surprise, Harry's lips parted slightly. Ready to reject her request, but, his body moved without his consent. "Yes ma'am." He said quietly instead, reaching out to gently grasp the zipper. His fingers lightly trailing up along her spine as he pulled the zipper up. His eyes watching the dress as it fit her like a glove. The, once it was on, Harry took a step back, waiting to hear if she had any more requests for him.

Alex reached his hand up to his cheek, rubbing where she had pinched it softly. He looked her over clearly seeing how distressed she was. He rested his hands on her shoulders, giving them a little squeeze. "just take a deep breath... Maybe sit down " he instructed gently, the guilt washing over his face very evidently.

"Lia... You're still my best friend" he started out gently, leading her over to the Chez longue and sitting her down next to him. "Look... I didn't tell you who I was because we'll... I didn't like it. I never wanted to be in this position. And I uh.. I kept trying to tell you it just never felt right" he explained wuickly, having to look away as the tears in his eyes were going to set him off too. " I uh- I just never wanted to be know as the prince. I didn't want it to change anything we had and then I was kind of left without and option.." he said, swallowing hard. Alexander tugged at his shirt collar, which felt very tight on him all of a sudden as he shifted on the sofa.

"The marriage thing..I....Aelia I never expect you to marry me... Just pretend for now. Otherwise they'll marry me off to some foreign princess who'll bring us more power and I just really don't want that.. I needed to buy some time and we'll, your my friend. I figured you could benefit from it" he told her softly, weird going his hands in his lap nervously.

***

Ophelia scoffed as he entered the room, the wine beginning to take over, relaxing her a little bit. "Please don't call me that Harry... Cal me Effie, or just Ophelia if that seems too friendly" she told him, moving her hair out of the way so he could pull up the zipper. She smiled as she felt his hand move delicately up her back, letting her eyes close momentarily as she savoured the touch. Quicly, hoping he hadn't realised she opened them again, not wanting to appear strange. It had been so long since she got any attention of that kind.

"Thank you Harry" she commented, looking herself over in the morrow, trying to pin a smile on her face. She knew that this dress probably cost the same as many people's houses and that made her feel very uncomfortable. She had tried to have a say in that, and re-wore outsits as often as her stylist would allow her but she knew that when her attention was elsewhere they were clearing out her wardrobe and refilling it with labels she did not need. "do I look alright?" She asked Harry, turning to face him with that same bright smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "let's get going then" she stated and began to walk towards the ball room, holding out her hand for his assistance in going down the steps.

@ FallenHope95

@ Aoibhe
Allowing for Alex to lead her towards the chaise, Lia felt her legs give out as soon as she moved to sit. Lia's elbows rested on her knees as she used her hands to cover her face. She had no idea what to think anymore. What can she do in this situation? What can she say? "I feel sick," Lia mumbled quietly as she listened to Alex, taking everything in that he was saying.

"How would I benefit from this Alex?" Lia asked quietly as she moved her hands from her face to look at her charming friend. "I'm going to be in the news and people are going to start stalking me." Her lips slowly turned into a small frown. "Oh god, can I even go back to my apartment? What about school?" She was only a second-year student, she still hadn't picked her major yet.

"Alex, please tell me this is all a dream," Lia said quietly as she turned to look at her friend worriedly. "How can we even act like a couple when we both barely have any experience." Well at least, Lia, she knew that Alex had a few girlfriends before. She, on the other hand, stuck with just watching romance movies and reading books about it. She always felt unattractive to most guys because her best friend was a six foot something guy.

--

"You know I can't do that," Harry said quietly as he watched the young lady in front of him. Of course, he would love to call her by her given name, but. He was a servant, her bodyguard. He wasn't of ranking of being able to call out her name nor was he comfortable doing so. Years of learning about hierarchy etching it into his mind that being addressed properly is the right way to do things. Although, maybe it won't be so bad if they were in private.

A small smile appeared on Harry's lips as he watched the Princess turn to the mirror. His eyes taking in the beauty of the young lady in front of him. It was hard to imagine that she had matured so nicely. When they first met, she was about sixteen, but now a young adult. "As lovely as ever." He told her, careful with his words as he didn't want to give any indication that he did, in fact, find her ravishing in that dress.

Not saying anything, Harry obediently followed Ophelia out of her room and towards the ball. Taking one step in front of her, he turned to his side slightly and accepted her hand as he helped her down the stairs. A small smile gracing his lips as he watched her movements. Years of practice making the young woman's movements seem graceful as ever. Sadly, as they reached the last step, he was forced to let her go once her feet were safely on the level ground.

Alex gently rubbed Aelia's back, hoping to comfort her some bit. He really hated that she had found out like this. He was kicking himself for not telling her sooner, in person.. where they could have talked through it civilly. Now he was left with a heap of shit to smooth out simply because he had been to chicken to just tell her. "Lia I promise you... You'll get used to the changes quickly, I'll make this as easy as possible for you" he said gently,his hand still moving in large circles on her back.

He took in a deep breath, sitting back a little further on the lounger just watching Lia and letting her compose herself. "You will benefit Lia I promise .. you'll have more money, any resources you want. You will be able to meet with people high up in your field, get a head start at everything" he explained gently. Running a hand through his hair nervously. He was convincing himself just as much as her. This was the first time he had been thrust in to the media aswell- but at least he had a pre-warning. "You can still go to college Aelia, and I'll make sure your kept out of the media as much as possible. You can keep your apartment, school everything.. you'll just have to stay here a while while they get it made secure. And with college, well I'm not sure how it'll work.. but Ophelia can do it so why not you" he told her giving her arm a little reassuring squeeze. Ophelia- he realised that Lia would still need to be introduced to her... The woman she had spent her whole life only seeing as the princess.

"Lia we can work all of this out, please... Just give it some time. Please" Alex asked her softly, taking his hand in hers. "I'll help you, we can make this look natural... Royals aren't really meant to show any public displays of affection anyway. That will make things easier" he explained.

***

Effie simply nodded when he said he couldn't call her by her name. She would keep working on it, but she knew how hard it was for the people that worked for her father to break those chains of hierarchy. She really despised that. After she turned to ask him how she looked, a small smirked crossed Ophelia's lips. Was she mistaken, or had he just been watching her from behind as she looked in the mirror. The princess looked him up and down, trying to figure it out for a moment before deciding to leave it be.

As soon as they reached the ballroom, Ophelia grabbed a generously poured glass of champagne from a passing tray and began to drink it fast. "Social lubricant... This shit is painful if you go in dry" she murmered under her breath, knowing that her security guard could hear her. It really was of great importance to her that her staff did not see her as being above them. She knew it was never nice to work for someone,but she really wanted them to think of her as more of a friend. She finished the glass quickly before placing it down and quickly sourcing herself another one. "Mr. Winston, would you please be a dear and accompany me for my first dance? I wouldn't usually ask only I can see the Earl of Canterbury eyeing me up from over there and I really am not drunk enough to ignore his dreadfully crooked teeth when he speaks yet" she commented with a little giggle.

@ FallenHope95

@ Aoibhe
"Alex just stop," Aelia said, finally caving and looking towards her best friend. "You keep talking like we have a choice. Like I have a choice in this." Lia let out a small sigh as she tucked her hair behind her ear. Her bright green eyes were burning to burst with tears, but she wouldn't allow them. Crying wasn't going to help her here.

Slowly, Aelia closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. Then, exhaled slowly as she tried to calm herself, then repeating the motion before she looked towards Alex. He looked just as upset with everything, so she couldn't blame him for this. It wouldn't be fair and she knew it. He was just as much a victim as she was in all of this sudden change in their lives.

"My Prince, Princess. The King and Queen are requesting to see a dance between you two." A servant said, interrupting the two stressed young adults. "I-I can't dance," Lia said quietly, looking worried between the servant and Alex.

--

A small snort escaped from Harry as he listened to Ophelia. His lips tugging lightly into a small smile as he couldn't help but find the dryness in her words amusing. He knew how much she disliked these sort of things, so just hearing her talking about it out loud in the open where the wrong ears could hear. Was actually quite amusing to the bodyguard.

"It would be an honor, Princess," Harry said as he turned towards the Princess. He did a mock bow towards her, offering her his right hand so that he could lead her towards the dance floor. He only stood up once she grabbed his hand with her delicate fingers that he was often scared of breaking if he held onto them too tightly.

"Please excuse my poor ability to dance. I'm not much of a dancer, M'lady." Harry said once they were on the dance floor. A small joking look in his eyes, because they both knew that was a lie. He was quite good at leading but preferred to act badly so that she shined brighter.

Ophelia chuckled softly as she watched Harry bow to her, a genuine smile tugging at her lips. She was really glad that she had been placed under his charge, he was much nicer than the guard she had had before. He was older, and clearly didn't feel like working for the royal family was a decent job. He had treated her like she was a spoilt brat and didn't understand her own priveledge, which Ophelia knew wasn't true, or at least she very much hoped so.

She slipped her hand in to his, feeling very small. Even in her heels she stood at least a foot below him. She smirked at him as he told her that he couldn't dance very well. "now now Mr.Winston. we both know that's a lie, don't make a fool of me" she teased softly, allowing him to lead her around the dance floor. She knew that even if the man was not a great dancer, the woman would always look more graceful if she let him lead. Dancing was on of the very few things where Effie was willing to step back and let the man take charge, she had always quite enjoyed dancing.

She glanced up in to Harry's eyes as they danced, slowly glancing around at the smiles around him. She could tell people thought it sweet of her to dance with the staff, but what saddened Effie was that people saw it as her doing them a favour. "I knew you were good at this" she told him softly, pressing her body against his as they moved around the floor. After a couple of moments she heard a murmur growing across the room and glanced over to see that Her brother and a girl, whom she assumed to be the commoner he was dating joined the floor. "shall we give them their moment?" Ophelia asked Harry, gently unfurling herself from his arms and offering him a graceful curtsy as thanks.

***

Alex tried hard to hide his nervousness as he was rushed on to the dance floor, Aelia by his side. He was greatly aware of all the eyes on him and knew that she owuld be even more so. He gave her ha d a reassuring squeeze before pulling her in close, his hand tightly gripping her waist. "It's a slow one, just follow my lead okay" he told her confidently as the music slowly started up and he began to move her across the floor. He was sure his mother would probably insist she start attending eloquition lessons before they we'd, and he hoped she wouldn't mind this- he tried to avoid argument with his mother when he could.

He took in a deep breath, giving her a little spin before pulling her close again. "you doing okay?" He whispered in her ear, ensuring to keep his face as neutral as possible as they moved. His eyes met with his sister's as she left the floor and he offered her a nervy smile. He knew that she would understand his wariness.

@ FallenHope95

@ Aoibhe
Having people's eyes on her once more caused Aelia's stomach to once again start to twist. She hated this, she hated being the center of attention. She hated that she decided to attend, she hated that she still trusted Alex so much. She hated that she was still leaning on him even though he hid something so big in and never even mentioned it to her once. OR even hinted at it.

Slowly, Lia placed a hand on his shoulder as he held her close. Her heart involuntarily giving a jump at the closeness of there bodies. They may be best friends, but Lia still got nervous being so close to Alex at times. She loved men in suits, and Alex was really working the one he was wearing. "I could really use a tequila sunrise right now." She said quietly so that Alex was the only one who heard her. "Or five," Lia said as she turned her head to look up into Alex's eyes. "Where'd you learn to dance?"

--

A silent smile was Harry's response to Ophelia's words. He knew that she knew his little secret. Years of watching from the sidelines about how people danced at these things had really helped him. He had a photographic memory that responded to the most random things. Like, he could remember dances, information on products in stores and random things about his guns. Ask him a math question or something to do with science though, he'd draw a blank and say it wasn't in his job description to know.

Glancing towards the commotion, Harry couldn't help but let his content smile falter a tad bit. He was quite enjoying the closeness of there bodies. Ophelia really did fit quite well in his embrace. She was petite and cute, while he was tall and buff. A mixture that usually didn't go together. "I think that would be best." He said quietly, allowing his arms to fall from the lady's hand and waist. Then, he motioned for her to lead the way to where ever she wanted to go instead.

Alex could feel the tension radiating off of Lia as he held her close. He wished he knew how to make her feel better about all of this, but he didn't even know how to make himself feel better about this. He sighed softly, swaying with her. Can we please try and put the fact I hadn't told you to the back of our minds right now? I promise we can talk about it later" he whispered so only she could here. He kind of liked have her so close to him, it was certainly helping him to feel more at ease, knowing he had his best friend's right there with him.

He smiled gently as she mentioned needing a cocktail, laughing softly as he looked down at her. "Screw the sunrise, just give me five shots of tequila" he teased back gently. Her green eyes shone as always, they had always caught his attention but they somehow looked even nicer in this light. "I got lesson s growing up.. on dancing, posture, what dorks to use, the correct angle at which to raise my pinky" he joked softly, enjoying that he was at least making her smile a little bit.

***

Ophelia felt a little let down when they had to leave the dance floor, she had been enjoying dancing with Harry. He wasn't self-absorbed like many of the other guys here and actually danced with her to enjoy himself, not for a level of status. She had enjoyed letting him lead as well, he wasnt too forceful and it felt natural moving with him. She cleared her throat softly before knocking back another champagne and taking a seat at a nearby table.

Her eyes wandered to her parents on the platform at the front of the room. It seemed neither of them had even realised she had returned, or if they had they choose not to acknowledge it. Her eyes then fell on her brother and his new lady, the bright smile on her face becoming a wistfully one as she watched them laugh and joke with one another. Ophelia quickly caught on to her facial glitch and quickly painted back on her usual smile. After 10inutes or so, she sighed gently "I think I'm ready to split... I'm gonna get some food," she toold him quietly before standing up.

@ FallenHope95

@ Aoibhe
Nervously, Lia bit her bottom lip as she listened to Alex's plea. She wanted to agree with him, but it was hard to ignore the nagging feeling and peoples stares. "I'll try, but you have to make me dinner," Aelia said quietly back. "I've never had a Prince cook for me before." She couldn't help but slip that jab in, knowing full well that she's cooked for Alex multiple times since they've known each other. It just never happened the other way around.

"OOh. I like the way you're thinking." Aelia said quietly as she looked up into Alex's blue eyes. Grinning a little bit at the idea of taking a few shots. It's been a while since she's actually had any alcohol, she wasn't a big drinker, but when she did she preferred to be at home with some fun stuff.
Then, slowly, a look of shock and amazement filled Aelia's eyes as she lifted her head back and looked at Alex. Not sure what to make of what he just said. "You had to take lessons on how to raise your pinky finger? Really?" She asked, not catching on to the joke til a moment later which caused her cheeks to go a little pink. "You're a meanie." Lia murmured quietly as she slowly moved to rest her head on his shoulder as they danced together.

--

Hazel eyes looked around the room as Harry stood protectively by Ophelia. Looking for any sort of threat. Although, none could be seen at eye level. Harry's earpiece buzzed every once in a while to give updates on partygoers being a little too intoxicated and to watch for them. Or talking about suspicious people who just turned out to be trying to hoard horderves. Nothing too big, most of the attention today wasn't going to be on Ophelia today, so he wasn't too stressed about listening to everything.

Slowly, Harry looked back down towards Ophelia as he heard her speak. His stoic expression momentarily shifting towards one of understanding. "Would you like for me to have something sent to your room? As well as get you a personal bottle of that champagne you've been guzzling down like water?" He asked, adding in a little bit of a teasing poke on how the young Princess had been acting all night.
As the Princess stood up, Harry moved a little bit closer and reached out a hand to help her. He wasn't sure how tipsy she might be from drinking, but he wanted to make sure that she didn't make a fool of herself and fall over. Plus, he was a nice guy and just wanted to be closer to the beautiful Princess at times. Not that it seemed that Ophelia minded at times anyway.

Alex chuckled softly, glad to see she was beginning to calm down a little "How does cheese on toast sound?" He asked with a soft laugh. He continued to move to the music, surprised at how easily she was taking to this. He looked around a little when she mentioned how much she would enjoy a shot. He figured hard alcohol could be a little hard to come by around here, but figured a couple glasses of bubbles would suffice.

He laughed at how he fell for her joke, wrapping his arms a little tighter around her. This didn't feel as awkward as how he thought it might be, and he was really glad to have his best friend here. He smiled as she lay her head on his shoulder, gently kissing the top of her head to add to the effect of all of this. "Your doing good" he whispered to her gently, looking around quickly and seeing that everybody seemed enthralled by them. Once the music ended he took a step back from her and bowed gently, smiling around at everyone before leading her off of the floor.

****

Ophelia shook her head as he offered to have something brought to her room, slowly standing up and gathering the material of her dress around her. Effie's eyes narrowed at him slightly as he mentioned her drinking of the champagne. "Not like anyone's counting" she scoffed at him, reluctantly taking his hand to stand up. She hoped he wasn't going to report everything back to her father like the last guard she had. She let go of his hand, making a quick beeline toward the doors leading back to the palace, really hoping nobody would stop her as she left.

Thanking that she got out of there easily she quickly headed for the palace kitchens, walking as quickly ahead of Harry as she could so that he wouldn't stop her. She opened the door with a smile, heading straight to the fridge and starting to pull some stuff out.

@ FallenHope95

@ Aoibhe
As Alex spoke, Aelia couldn't help but wrinkle her nose. "Maybe I should stick to the cooking." She said quietly. Then stuck her tongue out at the taller man teasingly as she relaxed against his strong shoulder. Her bright green eyes then glancing around slightly as she kept her head on his shoulder. "Thanks, it seems like being an introvert and watching movies all day seems to be paying off."

Once the music ended and Alex started to lead Lia off of the floor, a small sigh escaped from her lips. "Ah, heels are the worst to dance in." She murmured quietly as she allowed for Alex to lead her off of the floor. "I'd kill for a bubble bath right now." Lia murmured quietly.

--

A shrug of his shoulders was Harry's reply to Ophelia's little retort. It wasn't his job to tell her to slow down or to not do something. He was just in charge of making sure that she didn't harm herself or others trying to harm her. So, as she made her grand escape, he kept an even pace until they were out of the ballroom. Then, he allowed for his pace to slow and walked at a leisurely pace into the Kitchen.

As his eyes land on Ophelia going through the rather grand fridge, a small smile appeared on Harry's lips. "Well aren't you full of rebellious behaviors today." He teased as he walked towards the counter and leaned his back against it as he watched her. Not daring to stop her.

Alex chuckled softly, placing his hand on her lower back as he lead her away, pulling out a chair for her to sit on. "I'm afraid you will have to get used to wearing them, or else people will theorise that your pregnant" he teased gently, standing over her protectively as she sat down. He didn't want anybody to come and overwhelm her with questions. "I could have one run for you before we head upstairs if you like?" He offered softly as he smiled at her. He really wanted to make sure she was comfortable and felt as at home as she possibly could in the castle. Even Alexander had to admit he felt he stick out her so he could only imagine how she felt.

He was slightly surprised his sister hadn't approached him tonight, he had thought she would be intrigued by his commoner girlfriend- she had always played to be the princess of the people.

***

Ophelia rolled her eyes at him softly, as she began to put together a sandwich, popping a few grapes in her mouth before holding them out to him. "Only in a life like this could making a sandwich be seen as rebellious" she said with a shake of her head. She had always been jealous of how her older brother got to live like a regular person for so long. That option hadn't even been offered to her. She had always just been princess Emilia, and it's all people ever saw her as.

She sighed gently, looking over at Harry for a moment. She found it difficult to put an age on him. He was definitely older than her but she wcouldnt tell by how much. "Do you have a family?" She asked him gently.

@ FallenHope95

@ Aoibhe
A quiet thank you left Aelia's lips as she took the seat that Alex pulled out for her. A quiet sigh leaving her lips as she felt the pain leaving her feet as she relaxed. Her muscles relaxing had alleviated the pressure of the tight shoes and that thought alone brought huge relief to the young girl. Glancing up towards Alex, a small smile appeared on her lips. "I'd really like that actually." She said, accepting his offer of having a bath drawn for her.

"Having someone draw a bath for me is really making me feel like a Princess," Aelia said quietly and giggled quietly before she took in a deep breath and sighed. "Wait, are we suppose to be sharing a room now?" She asked quietly, her eyes widening slightly. In all the years that they've known each other, Lia had never slept in the same room as Alex or any guy for that matter.

--

A small chuckle escaped from Harry's lips as he listened to the young Princess. His head shaking a little bit in amusement before he settled down. Reaching out, Harry took a few grapes and popped one into his mouth before he decided to speak to the young girl. "Oh, one of the most rebellious." He teased her and offered a small wink before he looked away for a moment as he ate another grape that was in his hand.

"Do I have any family?" Harry repeated, glancing towards Ophelia as he made sure he heard her correctly. "I do." He answered, shrugging his shoulders. "I have a grandmother and cousins somewhere I think." He told her, not really shy about talking about his life with her. "Why do you ask?" He asked, arching an eyebrow as he wondered what could be causing her to ask him such things.