The Royal Invitation
Chapter 4
Alex’s POV:
This wasn't exactly the first time I was in this situation. Call me a play-boy but there had been more than one account where someone–mainly the other members of my band–had walked in on me during one of my one-night-stands. It was like an annual event, only it happened more than once a week. Aerowyn, however, was not going to let me off as easily as they did. Maybe it was her sudden use of profanities, or the way she stormed out of the room with her lips turned in disgust and her eyebrows arched in disbelief, but it seemed I had offended her a little more than the boys.
I tugged at the golden door knob, closing the door to my room behind me as I made my way down the corridor in hope of finding one man in particular. From what I had gathered, he was due to be doing his rounds downstairs anytime now and that's where I was aimlessly heading to, hopefully avoiding the royal family in the process.
The task itself wasn't too difficult. Half way into the first room I found him tucked away in a corner, scribbling down random notes and rearranging the schedules of each member of the family. With more royals here than usual, his work amount had almost doubled making me glad I only had Princess Aerowyn's schedule to worry about.
"Garry, hey." I mumbled, taking a seat beside him as he glanced up at me with a weak smile.
"What's up?" He replied, for the first time since I had gotten here he spoke to me in something of a casual manner. Every word muttered in this castle had to be clear and filtered, making me stand out from the crowd even more than I already did. I'm not exactly a prince, or a duke, more like an irresponsible singer, well-rounded to some extent.
"I was wondering if I could get a look at Aerowyn's schedule for today. Just so I can get ahead of all the responsibilities and whatnot." I replied with something resembling a smile, attempting to make this seem as reputable as possible.
"Sure," he handed me a tattered sheet, peppered in scribbles and crossing-outs. "That's everything you need to know. The time, the place, how she's getting there, who she's with." I nodded slowly, skimming through for today's date and time. Apparently my luck was on point because she had just left the castle in order to visit one of the local schools, and wasn't due to be back for another hour at the most. I jumped up, thanking Garry for his help before departing.
I detoured to the kitchen on my way to Aerowyn's library, grabbing a bucket and sponge as I did. I figured the one way I could apologise was by doing something I had yet to do in my twenty five years of living…
The library was empty, as expected, allowing me to plug my phone into the speakers system set up in the corner. I pulled the stool over to the desk, placing the bucket of lukewarm water down before plunging the sponge inside.
Running the damp sponge over the polished oak surface, I spotted a small crevice indented deep into the corner of the desk. The item itself was evidently old, and most likely held its own history within its cracks and faults, creating a certain enigma around the story it told. Whether it be due to the excitement of that bubbly little girl and her wild adventures with her grandfather, or that mellow artist and her mass of canvases and equipment, I questioned its history.
"And here I was thinking you got the hint the first time around," she scoffed. I dropped the sponge in the water, turning to face her as she stood, towering over me with her arms crossed over her chest. Her lips were turned at the sight of me–her eyes watching meticulously.
All the hatred aside, she was a princess. Her dress was of the deepest green, embroidered with silver patterns and swirls, and her hair perfectly curled, each section having been deliberately pulled back into a clip.
"You look good," I repeated cautiously.
She dropped her gaze, turning her attention to the bucket beside my feet. Her eyes trailed back to the desk, observing the streaks of light as the sun reflected against the remaining water–anyone could put two and two together.
"Are you trying to make a point?" Her voice was clear, demanding. I winced at the lack of emotion.
"No." I answered instantly, and frankly more suspicious than I was already behaving. "Can we take a walk?"
"And why would I take a walk with you?" She asked bitterly.
"Please?" There was a certain desperation to my word. A need, rather than a want.
She rolled her eyes, turning on her heel as she marched out of the room. I grabbed my jacket from the chair, pulling it on as I slipped out of the heavy doors closing behind her. She looked at me impatiently, as though I was the one who had been raised in this palace and not the other way around. It wasn't long before she took the hint, leading the two of us to the end of the corridor where the south balcony stood. With the landscape of the garden in all its glory, the view of the sun setting each evening was just a bonus.
"If you're here to give some half-assed apology, save it," she murmured, continuing to stare out at the garden. "I don't need your pity."
"I don't pity you," I chuckled lightly, "I'm an idiot. I didn't realise how much the library meant to you. I figured it had been passed down through the generations but I saw it as just another quiet space-"
"It is another quiet space," she interrupted sardonically.
"Yes, your quiet space. It was wrong of me to use it for that reason." She turned towards me, narrowing her eyes as she attempted to depict my expression.
"So you're apologising?" She asked, her voice mellow yet bleak.
"I'm making amends, assuming you don't want to spend two months with someone you hate."
"I don't hate you, Alex." I raised an eyebrow and she giggling lightly. "I'm in slight annoyance with you. The library was my grandfather's. You really infuriated me."
"Like I said, I'm an idiot. But I get it. We all have things that are sentimental to us."
"Exactly. The library is like a room of memories. I kind of need them more than ever recently," she mumbled under her breath – I nodded in reply. We turned back at the view, the sun beaming down on us as we stood in silence.
The palace itself was as modern as 17th century buildings got. With updated fountains and slick cut hedges, it could easily be mistaken as new. Occasionally someone walked passed, moving from building to building or just watering the plants, but aside from that it was deserted. I assumed there was usually a community within the grounds due to the way Garry spoke about it from day to day, but it happened to be on hold due to the recent tragedy.
"So do you forgive me?" I asked bluntly; Aerowyn turning again to look me in the eye.
"As you said, I don't want to spend two months with someone I hate, so I suppose I can tolerate you. But no more sex in the library, or anywhere I could walk in on you. That's gross." She scrunched her nose slightly, smiling weakly as her eyes met my own.
"I promise you'll never have to see me even partially naked again." I replied with a smirk.
"But who am I going to paint on?" Her lips curled into a pout–the genuine disappointment gleaming in her eyes. I laughed ostentatiously, somewhat thankful for the friendzone.
Soon enough Augustus, the brother I had somehow managed to avoid this entire time, appeared, asking for Aerowyn's help with something above my pay grade. She, of course, said yes, saying her goodbyes before leaving me on the balcony alone. I soon made my way back to my room, pulling my vibrating phone from my back pocket as the eleventh call came through in the space of an hour.
"You do realise if I don't answer I'm ignoring you, right?" I asked, pushing the phone to my ear as the scream of 'finally' rang through the speakers.
"Yes, I do, but it's urgent." He explained, his voice laced in sarcasm like the ten missed calls didn't already tell me that. For Jack, the mass of missed calls wasn't unusual, though this time he seemed more eager than usual.
"What's up?" I asked, partially expecting some stupid reply that was bound to come out of Jack's mouth at some point or another.
"We just got an email from Mark, as in Mark Hoppus, as in Blink-182, as in the best band ever," he ranted at speed. "Their support act dropped out and they want us to cover."
"Shit, really?"
"Yes! The guys are all in, it's just down to you. What d'ya say?"
"You've already emailed back, haven't you?" I asked, already knowing the reply.
"Of course."
I could picture the lopsided smile painted against his lips as he uttered those simple words, and now, thanks to his impatience, I had something else to deal with other than keeping Aerowyn on my good side.
"Why did I even question it?" I asked, shaking my head as I fell down into the chair that just happened to come with the room I had been acquainted with during my stay.
"I really don't know. Either way you gotta start packing. We need to be on the west coast, with a singer, in two weeks time."
"I'll sort it."
The call ended and I leaned back into the leather chair. For an opportunity like this I figured I would be slightly more buzzed by the chance, only I was somewhat unexcited. I guess the royal life was officially rubbing off on me… or maybe it's just the girl.
This wasn't exactly the first time I was in this situation. Call me a play-boy but there had been more than one account where someone–mainly the other members of my band–had walked in on me during one of my one-night-stands. It was like an annual event, only it happened more than once a week. Aerowyn, however, was not going to let me off as easily as they did. Maybe it was her sudden use of profanities, or the way she stormed out of the room with her lips turned in disgust and her eyebrows arched in disbelief, but it seemed I had offended her a little more than the boys.
I tugged at the golden door knob, closing the door to my room behind me as I made my way down the corridor in hope of finding one man in particular. From what I had gathered, he was due to be doing his rounds downstairs anytime now and that's where I was aimlessly heading to, hopefully avoiding the royal family in the process.
The task itself wasn't too difficult. Half way into the first room I found him tucked away in a corner, scribbling down random notes and rearranging the schedules of each member of the family. With more royals here than usual, his work amount had almost doubled making me glad I only had Princess Aerowyn's schedule to worry about.
"Garry, hey." I mumbled, taking a seat beside him as he glanced up at me with a weak smile.
"What's up?" He replied, for the first time since I had gotten here he spoke to me in something of a casual manner. Every word muttered in this castle had to be clear and filtered, making me stand out from the crowd even more than I already did. I'm not exactly a prince, or a duke, more like an irresponsible singer, well-rounded to some extent.
"I was wondering if I could get a look at Aerowyn's schedule for today. Just so I can get ahead of all the responsibilities and whatnot." I replied with something resembling a smile, attempting to make this seem as reputable as possible.
"Sure," he handed me a tattered sheet, peppered in scribbles and crossing-outs. "That's everything you need to know. The time, the place, how she's getting there, who she's with." I nodded slowly, skimming through for today's date and time. Apparently my luck was on point because she had just left the castle in order to visit one of the local schools, and wasn't due to be back for another hour at the most. I jumped up, thanking Garry for his help before departing.
I detoured to the kitchen on my way to Aerowyn's library, grabbing a bucket and sponge as I did. I figured the one way I could apologise was by doing something I had yet to do in my twenty five years of living…
The library was empty, as expected, allowing me to plug my phone into the speakers system set up in the corner. I pulled the stool over to the desk, placing the bucket of lukewarm water down before plunging the sponge inside.
Running the damp sponge over the polished oak surface, I spotted a small crevice indented deep into the corner of the desk. The item itself was evidently old, and most likely held its own history within its cracks and faults, creating a certain enigma around the story it told. Whether it be due to the excitement of that bubbly little girl and her wild adventures with her grandfather, or that mellow artist and her mass of canvases and equipment, I questioned its history.
"And here I was thinking you got the hint the first time around," she scoffed. I dropped the sponge in the water, turning to face her as she stood, towering over me with her arms crossed over her chest. Her lips were turned at the sight of me–her eyes watching meticulously.
All the hatred aside, she was a princess. Her dress was of the deepest green, embroidered with silver patterns and swirls, and her hair perfectly curled, each section having been deliberately pulled back into a clip.
"You look good," I repeated cautiously.
She dropped her gaze, turning her attention to the bucket beside my feet. Her eyes trailed back to the desk, observing the streaks of light as the sun reflected against the remaining water–anyone could put two and two together.
"Are you trying to make a point?" Her voice was clear, demanding. I winced at the lack of emotion.
"No." I answered instantly, and frankly more suspicious than I was already behaving. "Can we take a walk?"
"And why would I take a walk with you?" She asked bitterly.
"Please?" There was a certain desperation to my word. A need, rather than a want.
She rolled her eyes, turning on her heel as she marched out of the room. I grabbed my jacket from the chair, pulling it on as I slipped out of the heavy doors closing behind her. She looked at me impatiently, as though I was the one who had been raised in this palace and not the other way around. It wasn't long before she took the hint, leading the two of us to the end of the corridor where the south balcony stood. With the landscape of the garden in all its glory, the view of the sun setting each evening was just a bonus.
"If you're here to give some half-assed apology, save it," she murmured, continuing to stare out at the garden. "I don't need your pity."
"I don't pity you," I chuckled lightly, "I'm an idiot. I didn't realise how much the library meant to you. I figured it had been passed down through the generations but I saw it as just another quiet space-"
"It is another quiet space," she interrupted sardonically.
"Yes, your quiet space. It was wrong of me to use it for that reason." She turned towards me, narrowing her eyes as she attempted to depict my expression.
"So you're apologising?" She asked, her voice mellow yet bleak.
"I'm making amends, assuming you don't want to spend two months with someone you hate."
"I don't hate you, Alex." I raised an eyebrow and she giggling lightly. "I'm in slight annoyance with you. The library was my grandfather's. You really infuriated me."
"Like I said, I'm an idiot. But I get it. We all have things that are sentimental to us."
"Exactly. The library is like a room of memories. I kind of need them more than ever recently," she mumbled under her breath – I nodded in reply. We turned back at the view, the sun beaming down on us as we stood in silence.
The palace itself was as modern as 17th century buildings got. With updated fountains and slick cut hedges, it could easily be mistaken as new. Occasionally someone walked passed, moving from building to building or just watering the plants, but aside from that it was deserted. I assumed there was usually a community within the grounds due to the way Garry spoke about it from day to day, but it happened to be on hold due to the recent tragedy.
"So do you forgive me?" I asked bluntly; Aerowyn turning again to look me in the eye.
"As you said, I don't want to spend two months with someone I hate, so I suppose I can tolerate you. But no more sex in the library, or anywhere I could walk in on you. That's gross." She scrunched her nose slightly, smiling weakly as her eyes met my own.
"I promise you'll never have to see me even partially naked again." I replied with a smirk.
"But who am I going to paint on?" Her lips curled into a pout–the genuine disappointment gleaming in her eyes. I laughed ostentatiously, somewhat thankful for the friendzone.
Soon enough Augustus, the brother I had somehow managed to avoid this entire time, appeared, asking for Aerowyn's help with something above my pay grade. She, of course, said yes, saying her goodbyes before leaving me on the balcony alone. I soon made my way back to my room, pulling my vibrating phone from my back pocket as the eleventh call came through in the space of an hour.
"You do realise if I don't answer I'm ignoring you, right?" I asked, pushing the phone to my ear as the scream of 'finally' rang through the speakers.
"Yes, I do, but it's urgent." He explained, his voice laced in sarcasm like the ten missed calls didn't already tell me that. For Jack, the mass of missed calls wasn't unusual, though this time he seemed more eager than usual.
"What's up?" I asked, partially expecting some stupid reply that was bound to come out of Jack's mouth at some point or another.
"We just got an email from Mark, as in Mark Hoppus, as in Blink-182, as in the best band ever," he ranted at speed. "Their support act dropped out and they want us to cover."
"Shit, really?"
"Yes! The guys are all in, it's just down to you. What d'ya say?"
"You've already emailed back, haven't you?" I asked, already knowing the reply.
"Of course."
I could picture the lopsided smile painted against his lips as he uttered those simple words, and now, thanks to his impatience, I had something else to deal with other than keeping Aerowyn on my good side.
"Why did I even question it?" I asked, shaking my head as I fell down into the chair that just happened to come with the room I had been acquainted with during my stay.
"I really don't know. Either way you gotta start packing. We need to be on the west coast, with a singer, in two weeks time."
"I'll sort it."
The call ended and I leaned back into the leather chair. For an opportunity like this I figured I would be slightly more buzzed by the chance, only I was somewhat unexcited. I guess the royal life was officially rubbing off on me… or maybe it's just the girl.