The Prince's Tutor

Callie wondered in amazement at the scene before her. Above her hung enormous crystal chandeliers, below her- a sparkling marble floor.

To the side of her- portraits and landscapes were adorned in their gold frames, all gleaming slyly at her from the dim lighting. Satin curtains, silk tablecloths, fine dining, crystal wine glasses, champagne bottles, elegant dresses-

Callie felt a strange feeling overcome her, as if she was somehow not alone. As if someone was sharing her thoughts and emotions in that moment. Her eyes searched for the answer and somehow through the crowd, she saw him.

Callie’s eyes met with Harry’s eccentric blue ones, and she felt her breath escape her throat.

It was too late to run; she would cause too much attention now.

His eyes pierced hers intently, they were hungry and desperate. She saw his gaze trickle down to her dress, and a small smile began to play on his lips.

He strode over to her, a wine glass in his right hand. His hair was specially styled for the evening- she could tell he spent hours lying around in his bed until it reached perfection.

Callie nervously waited for him to come near, she feared if she darted off now she would look like a lunatic.

“Well you look decent for once,” the remark danced smugly around his full lips.

“And I thought you could be nice for once,” Callie snapped back, feeling as if everything between them was just as it had always been- hostile.

Harry brought the rim of the glass to his lips and gulped the wine down in one shot.

A distasteful look appeared on his features as he looked twice at the glass, clearly unsatisfied, and set it down on the table next to him.

“God, what is in this shit? Don’t they have anything stronger…” he muttered to himself.

Callie opened her mouth to correct him smugly. She was quite knowledgeable on French wine, but was suddenly discouraged by Harry’s eyes leaving her and moving to something behind her head.

“Miss Bellhart,” she heard in her right ear. Callie turned in her spot and faced Harry’s family members.

His father, Prince Charles, was the voice that had addressed her. Beside him stood his wife, Camilla, an older lady with neatly styled blonde hair and a nude dress that made her body appear quite square.

“Harry, why didn’t you tell us that Miss Bellhart was your date?” Prince Charles mused, delight shining in his eyes.

Callie’s eyes widened at Charles’ word choice. Immediately, she began to explain the situation; she didn’t want any wrong accusations or assumptions.

“Oh, actually-” Callie began, a soft chuckle in her voice, but was interrupted by Harry.

“Must have forgot,” he mumbled, his words escaping back down his throat.

Charles nodded, and mentioned over to his wife. “Miss Bellhart is Harry’s tutor.”

Camilla turned her attention to Callie now, her eyes kind and welcoming.

“I’m Camilla, dear, it’s a pleasure.”

Callie smiled unsurely, frankly she felt a bit awkward, but she was pleased that everyone had been so friendly. Nothing like she had envisioned.

Harry was much too impatient for all this, and quickly grabbed Callie’s arm, tugging her towards him. Prince Charles had noticed this slight move, and he grimaced apprehensively.

“A pleasure, really,” he emphasized “but we have to go now, there’s something I want to show her,” he concluded.

Swiftly, he pulled her away from his father and further into the crowd. Callie felt as if she was on a leash, being pulled this way and that, without her consent.

Once outside, Callie struggled free from his grasp and faced him, demanding answers.

“I am not your dog!” she exclaimed, “and what was that all about?”

Harry sighed heavily, running a hand through his reddish mane. “What was what?”

“In there. He said I was your date.”

Harry’s features darkened, Callie could tell he was starting to lose his patience with her again.

“And so what if he did? Just play along, I know what I’m doing.”

Stunned, Callie laughed sarcastically, feeling this was all too familiar.

“Of course you do, while everyone else is just a part of the plan,” she continued.

Harry’s eyes pierced hers, the hunger deepening. He looked ravenous, desperate to be heard, to be understood.

Harry swallowed his fears and muttered in a grave voice, “My dad has been very persistent lately…”

“Oh my god. You’re using me so you can upset your father?!” she spat lividly.

“This is so like you," she continued, "Always using people to your advantage. You’re selfish; you haven’t changed a bit,” Callie said, enraged.

“You think you know everything don’t you? I ask you to do one little thing, and you blow it out of proportion-”

“One little thing? What exactly-”

“Bickering like a married couple already?” a sly voice asked from a few feet away, interrupting the pair.

Prince William entered the foyer; his pearly white teeth gleamed as he chuckled lightly.

Instinctively, Harry took a step forward towards Callie, although she didn’t notice.

Callie was star struck. She had dreamed of marrying Prince William as a child and teenager, and now the fact that he was standing before her was almost overwhelming.

She shied away into her turtle shell, blushing slightly at her cheeks. Her anger had faded away and all was forgotten of the argument a few moments ago. Harry had noticed this too.

“You must be Callie,” William smiled, and then looked over at his younger brother who seemed uncertain of himself.

Callie nodded, sheepishly and turned to look at Harry, too.

Sensing the pressure, Harry began feeling embarrassed.

“What are you looking at?” he growled, unhappily.

"What's with you, mate?" William asked, concerned.

"Nothing," Harry said and strode across the room.

Before exiting, William reached over and punched his brother in the arm, demonstrating his authority.

After Harry left, Callie and William were left alone.

“I’m sorry for my brother. He doesn’t realize what he says sometimes,” William began, breaking the tension.

“Oh I know, I’m his tutor. Being nice to me isn’t part of the contract, apparently.”

William chuckled at Callie’s sarcasm. “He’s not a bad guy,” suddenly, raising an eyebrow he asked, “you two aren’t dating then?”

“God, no,” Callie said, shaking away the thought.

“Strange, he told me you two were.”

“Yeah, he says a lot of things.”

“William?” a voice called front the other room. The owner of the voice entered, in a long emerald dress. She was a brunette, with a pair of dark brown eyes that matched her fiancé’s warm smile.

“Callie, this is my fiancée Kate. Kate this is Harry’s tutor, Callie.”

“Pleased to meet you Callie! If you ever need anything, you can come and ask me,” she said, with a friendly grin.

“Thank you,” Callie replied. She was starting to wonder how anyone could ever say anything horrible about this family.

-~*~

Harry stood on the balcony, a cigarette in his mouth. He was aggressively flicking the lighter, attempting for his cigarette to catch flame but the damn thing didn’t work.

“You really shouldn’t smoke,” Callie called shyly from the doorway, “it’s bad for your health.”

Although his back was to her, he could sense that she wanted to talk to him again and although he wouldn’t admit it, he wanted the same.

He laughed sarcastically, and threw the unused cigarette to the floor.

“Are you going to tell me next that I can’t breathe?” he smiled bitterly, but avoided her gaze.

She approached him and let her hands rest upon the railing, “No, breathing’s fine,” she smiled.

Harry stared out into the distance; loneliness was not far away, listening. He felt her presence every time she visited him.

Callie noticed his expression changed, he was not agitated anymore. He had a look of hopelessness on his face, and it scared her.

“Your brother told me about your dad,” she began, “that he wants you to get married.”

Harry looked over at her, cursing his brother mentally for his big mouth.

“That’s why you told your brother we were dating, so that he could tell your father? So that you wouldn't have to be in an arranged marriage?” she confirmed.

Harry remained still; he had practiced this method countless times. He altered his face into his signature expression, forcing his devilish smirk back onto his lips.

“You were right, though. I’m selfish. I only care about myself, and I used you. If you stay here, I will keep using you,” he said calmly, as if nothing in the world mattered.

Callie moved closer to him and looked into his cerulean eyes. Although his expression was blank and his muscles relaxed; she could tell he was scared. The hunger in his eyes beckoned her once more, and this time she obliged.

“You’re pushing me away,” she said softly.

Harry chuckled deeply and turned his attention back to her.

“Don’t get so full of yourself, honey. You’re just a toy to me, something I can take advantage of for my own personal gain.”

Callie didn’t believe it. The hunger in his eyes was growing, and she was going to feed it.

“I don’t believe you,” her voice was unbreakable, “I think that you actually need me.”

Harry was silent for a few moments; he inched closer to her and stared directly in her emerald eyes.

His heart began pounding, her eyes were scaring him. She wasn’t acting like she was supposed to. She wasn’t angry or upset, she was simply determined.

He felt fear and excitement rush through him all at once, contradictory to his exterior. His face continued to show indifference.

Harry held his breath; their noses were practically touching now.

“And why would I need you?”

“Because," she could feel her throat tighten with each word, "I’m the first person that has cared in a long time."

"If you act out, I give you the reaction you want. I’m the only person that gives you the attention you need,” she said, unmoving.

Harry swallowed sharply, the adrenaline rushing through his body. He didn’t know if he wanted to hear the rest.

“Why do you care?” he mustered, his composition falling apart.

“Because,” Callie said, her voice quivering.

It was so hard for her to continue, seeing his expression. In a few moments he had gone from his usual apathetic self to on the verge of breaking everything he had spent years working for.

She felt close to tears looking at him now, but she knew she had to say it. He had to hear that he wasn't alone.

“Underneath everything, there’s someone who desperately wants to be saved. Underneath it all, you’re just like me.”

The words came out in a whisper, and a small tear fell across her cheek. She had said what she had been thinking about for weeks while observing him, arguing with him.

Harry stood, statuesque, a pain throbbing through his chest. He didn’t know whether to be happy or angry.

The adrenaline had built its climax to her very last words and he had finally realized that everything she had said was the truth.

He watched her cry silently in front of him. Harry realized that this was the brave and determined girl as before, but now he saw her for who she was.

She was beautiful, full of flaws and heartaches that troubled her deeply.

She was suffering silently, too.

Although Harry didn’t know what caused this girl such immense pain, Harry became determined to find out what it was.

Reaching out to touch her, he gently placed his fingers on her chin and lifted her head. Tearstained, she looked back at him, speechless.

“Don’t cry anymore.”

Callie felt herself pulled into his chest and she stood motionless as he hugged her tightly.

She was shocked at what was happening, this was never supposed to happen.

Callie didn’t understand everything that was happening just yet, but she felt that if she rejected him now, it would destroy him.

Meekly, she wrapped her slender fingers around his back and she felt his grip tighten. He was holding on to her for his dear life, for his sanity.

Callie allowed herself to stay in his arms, for his sake. If he needed her, than that’s what she would do for him. He needed a friend, who was she to turn him down?

After a few moments, his grip on her loosened and Callie regained her voice.

“You know,” she whispered “this is supposed to be your birthday party. I feel like I’ve ruined your entire birthday now.”

Harry released the girl and looked into her eyes once more, feeling something he hadn’t in a long time.

Peace.

“You couldn't have given me a better birthday, Callie.”