Halle sat at her little kitchen table early the next morning, quietly drinking a cup of coffee to herself as she read the newspaper at breakfast. She never used to read the newspaper, but after staying with Prince Joshua for two weeks, it just kind of...stuck with her.
Halle sighed and set down the newspaper she was reading, feeling a little lonely by herself in her empty apartment. Living alone never bothered her before, but after having her two house guests over yesterday, she couldn't help but feel a little empty inside as she looked out her open window at the sun rising. It felt so lonely now, even with Sergio by her side.
As if he could read her thoughts, Sergio jumped up onto the table and brushed against Halle's hand, earning a little laugh from her.
"Aww, Sergio..." Halle smiled self-depreciatingly, running her fingers through Sergio's black fur as he purred happily in response. "Thank you for cheering me up. I needed that."
As her wall clock began to chime loudly and reverberate throughout her apartment, Halle looked up and saw that it was already eight in the morning, and she quickly grew alarmed.
"Oh no, I'm running late...!" Halle immediately shot up and rushed to grab her purse and keys, frantically waving to Sergio on her way out. "Bye, kitty! See you later!"
Halle dashed down the hallway and jogged over to the elevator, and she took it all the way down to the bottom floor of her apartment complex. She glanced down at her phone and noticed Prince Roberto had sent her a good morning text message, and as she sent back a quick response, she noticed a familiar limousine parked outside her apartment building right across the street from where she stood.
"That's..." Halle's eyes slowly widened in recognition, and she instantly found herself smiling. Without even giving it a second thought, Halle jogged over to the limousine and gently knocked on the tinted window, which immediately rolled down.
The face she saw was one she knew all too well.
Halle screwed up her face in delighted confusion at the sight of Prince Joshua's typically stern face. "Your Highness...!?"
"You're late." Prince Joshua calmly scolded her, furrowing his brow tensely.
Halle blinked back her shock as she stared at him in bewilderment. "Late for what? And what are you doing here...?" She smiled despite herself, both happy and confused to see him at the same time.
Prince Joshua responded casually without batting an eye. "Don't you realize? Jan!" He craned his neck to look at the person in the driver's seat, only furthering Halle's confusion.
Jan rolled down the window of the driver's seat and popped his head out to smile at Halle. "We have come to collect you."
Halle's jaw fell open as she opened and closed her mouth like a fish. "Wha...?" Her eyes fell back on Prince Joshua as she stared at him accusingly. "What do you mean?"
"Exactly that." Prince Joshua daringly looked at her with a bemused smile, completely unwavering. He didn't look like he was going to explain any further, and Halle narrowed her eyes at him.
"I don't understand..." Halle's eyes flickered between Jan and Prince Joshua in suspicion. She glanced down at her cell phone to check the time, and the hair on the back of her neck stood straight up when she saw that she had only five minutes left to get to the office. "I'm terribly sorry, but I'm running late for work, and I really have to get going to the office..." She bowed her head towards Jan. "Please excuse me..."
Jan continued to smile as she spoke, and he reached out and gently took a hold of her arm to stop her. "Then we can give you a ride." He turned and shot a meaningful glance to Prince Joshua. "Right, Your Highness?"
Prince Joshua wore an ambiguous expression as his eyes suddenly fixated on Halle. "I suppose. Get in."
Halle let out the breath she was holding at that emotionless response. After that awkward good-bye yesterday, this was how he chose to greet her? Well, she supposed it was just like him to do so, and that made her laugh. She felt mixed feelings about accepting the ride as she looked at Prince Joshua's face, but she was running late...
And with that thought, Halle climbed into the limousine.
The door shut with a bang, and the car began to move. Halle looked over at Prince Joshua next to her and frowned when she saw he was completely ignoring her and just staring out the window. She huffed and decided to look out her window as well, and that's when she noticed they were headed in the completely opposite direction of her office.
Halle quizzically turned and looked at Prince Joshua with narrowed eyes. "Sorry, but... Why are we going this way? My office is back..." She paused when she saw a sign that read 'Now Leaving Altaria,' and she hopelessly looked behind her at her kingdom slowly growing further away. "...there."
Prince Joshua started to shake as he covered his mouth with his hand, and Halle glared at him as a small laugh escaped his lips. "You didn't actually think we were going to take you to work, did you?"
"What do you mean...!?" Halle looked from Prince Joshua's face to Jan, who only shrugged in response as he frowned and stared ahead at the road.
"I am very sorry, but could you please accompany us for a while?" Jan looked to her apologetically through the mirror, wearing his usual smile once again.
"What?" Halle glanced back at Prince Joshua with her eyebrows furrowed. "Accompany you where?" Prince Joshua merely smiled with amusement as he watched her silly reactions with a satirical eye. Halle saw the look on his face and immediately grew angry. "...are you abducting me!?"
Prince Joshua looked straight at her with his usual expression...and he just laughed. "Abducting you...?" He had a mysterious look in his eyes as he smirked at her. "Well, I suppose I am."
Halle's heart skipped a beat at the look on his face, and her face twisted into an immeidate scowl as she glared at him.
"Your Highness..." Jan hesitantly spoke, only to be silenced by Prince Joshua by the wave of his hand.
"Wait, about before..." Prince Joshua turned to look at Halle straight into her caramel-brown eyes. "You made that, right?"
"Made what?" Halle narrowed her eyes as she stared at him, trying to understand what he was talking about.
Prince Joshua appeared to be frustrated at her confusion, as if it were completely obvious what he was trying to say. "That thing you gave me at the end there..."
Halle's eyes slowly widened as she recalled their depressing good-bye after the party at Nobel Michel a little over a week ago, and she smiled a little. "You mean the rice ball...?"
Prince Joshua nodded. "That's it." He tilted his head to the side a little as he looked right through her eyes and straight into her soul. "Did you make it at Nobel Michel?"
Halle matched his head tilt and stared at him with a puzzled expression. "Yes, why?"
Prince Joshua's face fell as he quickly looked away from her. "Never mind..."
Halle never looked more perplexed in her life as she rose an eyebrow to the sulking Prince's back. She couldn't help but wonder what the rice ball had to do with any of this...
Halle swallowed her annoyance and tapped on Prince Joshua's shoulder, then scowled at him a little when he turned to glance at her. "So where are you taking me? I do have work today, you know."
"We're..." Prince Joshua started to respond, but he turned his face away from her as she waited patiently for him to continue. "You'll find out."
That was the last straw. Halle didn't even bother to hide her frustration as she leveled the most intense glare at Prince Joshua; a glare she only used in court to intimidate her opposing council. She turned to Jan with that terrifying glare and gripped the car door's handle. "Stop the car."
Prince Joshua immediately turned to look at her in shock as she fiddled with the lock on the door. "What are you...?"
Jan wore the same expression as he matched Prince Joshua's actions. "Miss Halle?"
Halle stopped trying to open the car door long enough to shoot her glare back a the two men. "Well, I don't have a clue what is going on, but I don't think I want any part of it."
Jan shot Prince Joshua a glance and sighed as both his shoulders and face fell. "The truth is..."
Prince Joshua immediately widened his eyes and looked horrified. "Jan." His expression grew angry as he cut across Jan's words, and he glared at him from the back seat.
Halle looked back and forth between the two as her face grew even more puzzled with each passing second. What on earth was going on here!?
Jan returned Halle's gaze, and the air in the car was filled with tension as she held his serious gaze. She got the impression that it wasn't something trivial...
Halle swallowed the lump in her throat as Jan made another attempt to speak, and she snapped her eyes wide open as she saw Jan's lips turn up into the most innocent smile. "The truth is, His Highness wants you to make him some more rice balls!"
...
...what?
Halle's posture slumped as she hung her jaw in shock, replaying Jan's words in her head over and over. She was still unable to grasp what he had just said no matter how many times she replayed it. "Wh...what...?"
All of this...was over some rice balls...?
Prince Joshua looked embarrassed as he covered his reddening face and sunk further back into his car seat, and Jan smiled warmly at Halle with an air of innocence surrounding him. And Halle continued to stare at them wildly as the limousine took them all the way back to the Dres Van kingdom.
In the end, Halle found herself back in Dres Van Manor, and making rice balls. She felt a little strange when the royal chef carefully watched her make them with a serious expression on his face.
Halle tried not to laugh at how strange this situation was as she held out a plate of rice balls for Prince Joshua in the dining hall, muttering under her breath, "well, I guess this is one of those once in a lifetime experiences..." She lightly shook her head at him and smirked. "Here you are, Your Highness..."
Prince Joshua stared at the plate for a while before he slowly reached out to take a rice ball. "I asked the chef, Jan, and the maids to try making them for me, but they didn't taste right..."
Halle's eyes slowly widened as she stared at him in awe. "What...?" She watched him take a bite of the rice ball, and his expression softened immediately.
"This is good." Prince Joshua said with a smile as he continued to demolish the rice ball bite after bite, causing Halle's stomach to do flips.
Halle couldn't help but smile endearingly as she watched him devour each and every rice ball she had made for him. There was something cute about him when he ate like that...
She felt herself relax a little as an amiable atmosphere settled upon the room, and she could see Jan smiling as he stood in attendance nearby.
Halle leaned forward and craned her neck a little to look at Prince Joshua's face. "May I return home now, then...?" She didn't quite know how she felt about being a few hours late to work and coming all this way just to make him rice balls, but she couldn't exactly stay here forever...
Prince Joshua frowned as he immediately stood up from his chair. "You can't."
Halle stared at him in disbelief as she nearly fell over from shock. "What!?"
Prince Joshua turned and leaned very close to her face as he made direct eye contact with her. "I can't allow you to go home." His voice was even lower than usual, and it sent shivers down her spine.
Halle felt her teeth clench as she narrowed her eyes at him, seething her anger through her teeth. "You won't let me...?"
Prince Joshua delicately lifted her chin up with his hand as he gazed directly into her eyes with a soul-piercing stare. "If you want to go home that badly, I suggest you find me someone who can make these as well as you do."
He was meaner than Halle had ever seen him, and she lost her temper as she hardened her glare. "You need someone specifically to make you rice balls!?" She spoke a little forcefully, and he lost a little of his gusto.
"...Of course." Prince Joshua answered that with a straight face, as if it were obvious.
A vein bulged from Halle's forehead as she took a step closer to him, poking him right in the chest as she rose her voice. "What do you mean, of course!?" Her eyes grew deadly cold as she stared him down, and Prince Joshua took a hesitant step back. "Don't tell me you intend to keep me here just so I can make you rice balls!?"
Prince Joshua nodded decisively, thoroughly sure of the fact that he was not in the wrong here. "That was the idea." He curiously stared at her in the eyes, cocking his head to the side slightly as he gazed at her with scrutiny. "Is there a problem with that?"
Halle just scoffed and took a step back, rolling her eyes. "They are just rice balls..." She paused and stared at him accusingly with her narrowed eyes. "Can't you find someone else to make them for you!?" She spoke unthinkingly, and his face fell.
Prince Joshua wore a look that of a kicked puppy as he looked down upon Halle's delicate face before him. "It has to be you..."
Halle felt her heart jump into her throat as he whispered that and showed her a moment of weakness, but he soon returned to his overly-confident self.
Prince Joshua shook his head for a moment, as if to clear his head of thoughts racing through his mind. "Anyway, you can't leave here."
Halle dropped her jaw as she stared at him unbelievably. "What!?"
Prince Joshua looked awfully sure of himself as he wore a smug smile. "You cannot leave the kingdom."
His smile was so out of place that it made Halle even more cross. "What are you saying!?" Halle's hands flew up to her hair as she pulled on it lightly in frustration. "Just because you are a Prince...don't you dare think you can just have your way all the time!" She glared at Prince Joshua before taking her belongings in hand and heading towards the exit.
"Miss Halle...!" Jan called out from behind her, but she didn't dare turn back once as she fled the dining hall.
Halle kept her back to the two men as she stormed out of the dining hall, angrily raising her voice as she jabbed a finger into the air. "You can't stop me from leaving, you'll see!"
As Halle marched out of the castle doors and into the courtyard, she stormed down the front driveway as she made her way towards the colossal gate at the end of it. She hurriedly picked up her cell phone that had been ringing incessantly for the past two hours, only to hear a panicked shriek from her assistant the second she accepted the call.
"Boss!" Carrie squealed worriedly from the other end of the line. "Where are you!? I can only cover you for so long! Garrison and Harper are going to start wondering where you are pretty soon!"
"Carrie, I am so sorry..." Halle frowned as she let out a heavy sigh, massaging her forehead with her free hand as she continued to stomp away from the castle further and further. "Long story short, I was sort of abducted by a...friend. I'm on my way back now."
"You were...WHAT!?" Carrie's deafening scream caused Halle to immediately jerk the phone away from her ear.
Halle winced as she put the receiver back to the side of her face as she glared straight ahead. "Remember my acquaintance from yesterday, Pr-I mean, Joshua?"
"You mean Prince Joshua of Dres Van?"
"Yeah, exactly." Halle nodded her head decisively, then froze immediately when what Carrie had said suddenly dawned on her. "Wait, what!?"
"Boss... It's not that hard to figure out. You've already been friends with Prince Roberto, who's been visiting you all the time for as long as I've had my job. Being friends with Prince Joshua as well didn't seem like much of a stretch." Carrie sighed from her end of the line, causing Halle to frown awkwardly. "Plus, who wouldn't recognize a hottie like that immediately!? Girl, I know my royals and celebrities!"
Halle just chuckled as she felt a huge weight lift from her shoulders, and she felt more relaxed as she now began to calmly walk down the driveway lined with miles of green grass and exquisite landscaping around her. "I'm sorry I didn't say anything about it sooner, Carrie... But, if you could just..."
"Keep it quiet? Yeah, I know."
Halle found herself smiling as she grew closer to the gate. "Thanks, Carrie."
"...so are you going to tell me what going on with you and Prince Joshua or not!?" Carrie girlishly shrieked, getting overly excited in an instant.
Halle felt her cheeks flush as she covered her mouth with her free hand. "Wh...what do you mean? Hah...haha... There's nothing going on with me and...Prince Joshua..."
"Boss, I wasn't born yesterday!" Carrie impatiently groaned, and Halle could hear the sound of her fist impatiently slamming down on her desk. "Come on! First, I thought you were seeing Prince Roberto, but after seeing how Prince Joshua couldn't keep his eyes off of you yesterday, I just KNOW there is something going on!" Carrie whimpered as she spoke in a low, whining tone. "Pleeeeease Boss... Come on, I promise I won't tell anyone!"
Halle felt her heart stop beating as she froze, unsure of what to say to that. "I...honestly don't have a clue, Carrie..."
"Aww, you're no fun!" Carrie cried out in disappointment, earning a small smile from Halle.
"Sorry to disappoint." Halle bitterly smirked to herself as she approached the security building at the gate. "Alright, I'll text you an update on my ETA once I have one. In the meantime, keep stalling."
"On it, Boss!"
Halle hung up the phone with a heavy sigh, and as she was about to approach the security guard manning the gate, she felt someone from behind her grab a hold of her arm. When she turned around, she was not all that surprised to see Jan there.
"Wait!" Jan stopped her right where she stood with a somber look on his face. "I knew His Highness to be stubborn by nature..." He paused, then smirked a little as he looked at her. "...but it seems you have a stubborn streak as well."
Halle let out a strangled 'urk...!' as Jan completely called her out on that, and she bitterly frowned a little. "Well...I don't deny it." She relaxed her tense muscles as he sent her a brief smile. She twisted a strand of her hair around her finger, awkwardly looking down at the ground. "I'm sorry, Jan... I lost my temper a bit back there..."
Jan shook his head as he quickly reassured her. "No, it's fine. You were coerced into coming here today, so I can see how you feel. Your reaction was just and understandable."
Halle slowly looked up at Jan, unable to suppress the frown that made its way to her lips. "Is...Prince Joshua always like that?"
Jan pressed a finger to his lips as he contemplated her words for a brief moment. "Well, he is and he isn't."
Halle flashed him a confused grin as she rose a single eyebrow. "Meaning...?"
Jan was quick to just innocently beam at her. "I'm not quite sure myself." As Halle's face fell into an irritated stare, Jan reached out to gently touch her cheek, catching her off guard. "One thing I can say is..." His large, expressive eyes shook slightly as he looked at her. "His Highness is not the same person he used to be...before meeting you."
Halle felt her whole reality around her shatter into a million tiny pieces at Jan's kind words. She felt herself slowly crack a grin as her mind grew unclouded. "He...isn't?"
Jan simply just smiled at her. "No, he is most certainly not." He held out his arm for her to take as he gestured her towards the gate. "Please allow me to escort you home, Miss Halle."
A limousine pulled up as he spoke, and Halle let out a small "oh" as she felt a wave of embarrassment rush through her.
Jan flashed her a curious grin as he eyed her reaction. "Please don't tell me you were planning on walking all the way back?"
Halle looked like she was about to cry from frustration as she realized she couldn't exactly tell him that she had not thought that far just yet.
"Alright..." Halle sighed in defeat, taking Jan's arm and allowing him to help her into the car. "Let's go."
As they parked in the guard's station and waited for them to lift the gate, the officer standing by held Halle's visa back out to her as he firmly shook his head. "I cannot allow you to go through."
They were at the border having their visas checked as the stern immigration officer standing before them told her this, and Halle grew cross as she stared at him in bewilderment.
"I was told I should be able to come and go just fine with this...?" Halle held up her visa for the officer to see, only to be met with his straight-faced stare.
"I'm sorry, but I cannot allow you to go through." The officer reprimanded her, pushing her visa back into her hands.
She was at a complete loss on what to do as Jan suddenly spoke up from his place beside her in the car. "Why not? She is an important guest of the Liebens!" He seemed to be just as irritated and surprised as she was to hear this news.
The officer looked puzzled as he shook his head once more. "There isn't anything I can do. I have been told by my supervisors not to allow her through..." An apologetic look came across his face as he shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe the Liebens have something to do with it?"
Halle and Jan exchanged looks as the officer spoke those words, and Halle's brow instantly furrowed in annoyance when she realized what was going on.
"I swear to God... I am going to kill that man!" Halle suddenly yelled out in frustration, slamming her fists down to her sides.
When Halle suddenly stormed back into the Dres Van Manor's dining hall, Prince Joshua, who had been leisurely leaning back in a chair and reading the newspaper, did not appear to be fazed by her sudden entrance in the slightest.
"That didn't take long." Prince Joshua's eyes widened as he watched the furious woman storm over to him, sitting straight up in his chair.
Halle stopped right in front of him as she glared as fiercely as she could in his direction. "What do you mean by all of this!? I have my own responsibilities to attend to! I cannot stay here!"
Prince Joshua smiled mischievously as he feigned innocence. "I don't know what you are talking about."
Jan came into the dining hall next after Halle, and he met his Master's gaze as he spoke. "So Your Highness gave the order to keep her within the kingdom, then?"
Prince Joshua gave a troubled kind of smile at the sound of Jan's low tone of voice. "Is there a problem?"
Jan returned to his usual, smiling self. "No, I was just making sure."
As Halle listened to all of this, she suddenly felt overwhelmed as she could not fathom why this was happening to her, and she trembled with anger. "Why... Why did you do that...?"
Prince Joshua simply just smiled at her as he spoke. "I already told you."
Halle gritted her teeth and balled her hands into tight fists she kept down at her sides. "So you have someone to make you rice balls!?"
Prince Joshua laughed a little as he smiled at her with his eyes. "Don't ask questions you already know the answer to." He tried his best not to laugh at her face reddened with anger, and he took her chin in his hand and lifted her face up to meet his as he felt her whole body freeze from his touch. "I don't mean to keep you forever..." He frowned a little as he spoke with an edge to his voice, which made Halle's heart beat faster. "Just for a little while..."
Halle felt herself relax as her anger instantly melted away at the sight of the apologetic look on his face. "Just...for a little while?" Her whispered words trailed off, and his eyes crinkled as he smiled at her.
"I realize that I am being selfish..." Prince Joshua lightly touched her arm and took a step closer to her, looking down into her beautiful brown eyes with the most transfixed look on his face. "But will you please stay here for a little while longer with me...?"
Halle didn't know what to say as her eyes fell to the floor, and she found herself unable to look at him as a long silence ensued. Prince Joshua turned his head away from her as he looked absolutely heartbroken.
"I hadn't known what I was doing when I found myself dragging Jan along to find you..." Prince Joshua spoke slowly and carefully, reaching out to grab the back of his chair to support himself as he looked down at the floor.
Halle immediately looked up at him, catching his gaze as he took her in completely with his purple eyes. "Me...?"
Prince Joshua took a few steps closer to her, taking a hold of both her arms this time as he pleadingly looked down at her face. "Will you not stay just a little longer...?" He spoke shyly, and Halle's heart raced in her chest.
Halle stared at him as her lip quivered, and she quickly closed her eyes, grabbing at her hair and turning around in frustration. "Ugh, I could not possibly say no to that face...!" She whimpered as she turned back to face him, accusingly poking him in the chest. "You do not play fair, Prince Joshua...!"
Prince Joshua smiled with relief, and the longer he continued to smile, the more frantic her heartbeats became. "Thank you, Halle...!" His boyish grin grew wide as he immediately scooped her up into his arms, wrapping her in a tight, yet comforting embrace.
Halle was completely stunned at his sudden shift in mood, and she found herself smiling as she wrapped her arms around him as well. And then she got an evil idea, and she smirked at him devilishly the second he put her down. "I'll stay on one condition, mister."
Prince Joshua scoffed as his eyes crinkled from his smile, and he found himself admiring how daring she was becoming when speaking to him. "And what would that be...?"
Halle crossed her arms and held her smirk as she walked closer to him, leaving no distance between their bodies as she looked at him straight in the eyes. "I get to work from here as long as I'm staying, which means I get my own office."
Prince Joshua matched her mischievous smirk as he crossed his arms over his chest as well, raising an eyebrow as he looked down at her. "I suppose I can arrange that."
Halle tilted her chin up to look at him even closer as she continued. "And that also means I will require my assistant to stay here as well."
Prince Joshua's brow furrowed as he took a moment to process that request before grunting a simple, 'fine,' under his breath.
Halle's mischievous glint in her eyes grew brighter as she backed Prince Joshua into a corner, and he fell down into his chair as she rested her hands down on the arms of it, trapping him where he sat. "And I get to bring my cat, too."
Prince Joshua's face paled in horror at her final demand, and he quickly flashed Jan a look of panic as he practically screamed at his butler with the look in his eyes.
Jan simply just smiled bemusedly as he shrugged his shoulders, as if he was telling his Master to agree to the lady's demands of he wanted her to stay here willingly.
Prince Joshua sighed as he sunk down in his chair further, bitterly meeting Halle's daring eyes. "...do you promise to keep him in your room at all times?"
Halle smiled brighter than the sun as she immediately stood up straight, and she giggled adorably as he conceded. "Yes, I promise! Thank you so much!"
Prince Joshua found himself shaking his head and smiling in amusement as he fixated his entranced gaze upon the beautiful woman before him, who had somehow just managed to successfully negotiate with him and get her way after all. "I couldn't possibly say no to that face..."
"...no, freaking, WAY!" Carrie squealed girlishly as she stood at the curb of Halle's apartment complex back in Altaria, having a cat carrier and suitcase in hand as she watched in complete fascination as a limousine pulled up before her.
The passenger's side door opened, and Jan stepped outside. He brushed his suit jacket down with his hands to fix the wrinkles in it as he met Carrie's eyes with a charming smile, and the red-head practically swooned at the sight of him.
"Oh...my...GOD!" Carrie excitedly ran up to him, setting the cat carrier and her suitcase down next to her on the pavement. "Are you like a real butler or something?"
Jan chuckled at her excitement as he gave her a slight bow. "Yes, Miss Carrie. My name is Jan; butler to His Highness, Prince Joshua of Dres Van." He held out his hand to take hers as he smoothly placed a small kiss on the back of it. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, madam."
Carrie almost fainted as she gripped her suitcase handle to steady herself. She couldn't believe what was happening as she smiled excitedly at Jan. "Okay, this is officially the best day ever. Take me away, Prince Charming! I am all yours!"
Jan smiled brightly in attempt to supress his desire to chuckle as he held the car door open for her. "After you, Miss Carrie."
That night, in Dres Van...
Halle was climbing the staircase after dinner, having the intention of going back to her room for the night when a familiar voice reached her ears.
"Is that you, Halle?"
Halle froze as a wry grin found its way to her lips, and she slowly turned around to meet the eyes of her brother, Prince Roberto.
"Robbie, what are you doing here!" Halle laughed incredulously as she descended the stairs to meet him halfway, smiling despite her confusion.
"I was just about to ask you the same thing!" Prince Roberto chuckled, then visibly winced when he heard the scuffle of fast-moving footsteps coming up behind him.
Prince Joshua caught up to the brunette Prince and shot him a terrifying look, and Halle quickly came to the conclusion that he had been trying to chase after Prince Roberto in attempt to keep him from waltzing through the manor uninvited. "Why is it you feel free to come in and wander around the manor the way you do!?"
Prince Roberto turned and gave Prince Joshua a childlike smile. "I'm not wandering around; I just thought you'd like some company!"
Prince Joshua's gaze flickered from Halle to Prince Roberto as his face visibly fell. "My office is this way..." He sighed deeply in attempt to mask his discomfort with seeing Prince Roberto acting so friendly towards Halle. "Honestly, I don't know what you think you are going to gain by hanging around me like you do."
Prince Roberto's friendly expression did not waver as he spoke matter-of-factly. "Well, if we get along, then at least it is less likely that our two kingdoms will go to war with each other..."
Halle nervously ran a hand through her hair, wondering how Prince Roberto saw it as that simple...
Prince Roberto then turned his eyes back to Halle, cocking his head to the side in confusion. "But why is Halle back here again?"
Prince Joshua seemed to not know what to say for a moment as his mouth fell open, and he stared at Prince Roberto with widened eyes. "She is..." His eyes wandered over to Halle, who stared at him expectantly in amusement as she waited for him to come up with an excuse. Prince Joshua awkwardly turned back to Prince Roberto as he cleared his throat. "...here to provide hospitality at the party tomorrow."
Halle immediately flashed Prince Joshua an annoyed glare from behind Prince Roberto. This was the first she had heard of that.
"Really?" Prince Roberto excitedly turned to look at Halle, who immediately forced a smile to mask her bitter feelings. "Then I will have to ask Halle to pay me hospitality as well tomorrow night!" He placed an arm around her shoulders, and the second he did, Prince Joshua grew rigid and immediately spoke up with a forced tone.
"What are you doing!?" Prince Joshua reprimanded him as he forcibly removed Prince Roberto's arm from her, acting strangely over-protective all of a sudden.
Prince Roberto looked just as stunned as Halle at the purple-haired Prince's sudden shift in behavior. "I'm...cuddling?"
"Cud..." Prince Joshua's face fell into one that of shock as he practically choked on the word, amusing Prince Roberto to no end.
Prince Roberto chortled as Halle and Prince Joshua wore identical looks of surprise. "Well, it looks like there is nothing for me to worry about after all." The brunette Prince smiled brightly, confusing Prince Joshua immensely with his ambiguous statement.
"Worry?" Prince Joshua's brow furrowed as he stared at Prince Roberto with widened eyes. "About what?"
Prince Roberto amusedly grinned at his friend as he spoke. "Well, I heard that Josh seemed pretty down lately...and I was worried, so I came to see him myself." He paused when Prince Joshua's face immediately flared red, and he smiled innocently as he looked over at Halle. "But I'm sure everything will be fine now that you are here, Halle."
"Just what are you implying!?" Prince Joshua turned his head from Halle to hide his red cheeks, angrily shouting at Prince Roberto in order to hide his deep embarrassment.
Prince Roberto snorted at that complete one-eighty in behavior. "Okay, okay. I won't get in your way." He grinned and turned to Halle, shooting her a meaningful look. "I hope to see you again soon, Halle." He waved his hand airily and hummed a tune as he turned and walked away.
Prince Joshua just sighed as he watched him go. "Honestly..."
Prince Joshua's footsteps echoed through the otherwise perfect silence as he climbed the stairs, and Halle felt a dull pain growing in her chest as an awkward silence settled upon them as she followed him up the stairs.
Halle awkwardly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she hesitantly spoke up. "It's awfully quiet all of a sudden."
Prince Joshua laughed at her observation. "You're right. Prince Roberto always causes a disturbance when he turns up here."
Halle bit down her lip and fell silent at the word 'disturbance,' wondering if she was being burden on Prince Joshua just by speaking as her brother had been a few moments ago. She hesitantly stared at Prince Joshua's back in complete silence for a moment before he suddenly turned around to face her. She was a little startled at first as he smiled kindly at her, then sighed. Halle shot him a puzzled look, wondering why he was staring at her like that.
Halle felt her heart begin to slam loudly against the walls of her chest as she nervously held eye contact with Prince Joshua, and then he suddenly...blushed?
"Don't keep silent like that." Prince Joshua awkwardly reached back to scratch his head shyly, and his cheeks burned the brilliant red of the sun setting through the large glass windows behind him.
"Oh...?" Halle's face twisted into a mischievous grin as she walked up one step to be face-to-face with Prince Joshua as she curiously stared into his expressive eyes. "But I thought you didn't like too much noise?"
He looked away at her playful teasing. "I don't mind if it's you..."
Halle's mischievous grin was gone as the shy look in his eyes caused her heart to flutter, and all that remained was a truely genuine, delighted smile as she watched the socially awkward Prince ascend the stairs with his back to her.
Halle paused for a moment as she looked at him, and she began to say something before her words trailed off. "Prince Joshua, are you..." She stopped herself when she wondered what it was she was about to say, and Prince Joshua paused and turned to look at her questioningly.
"What?" He still had that same shy look in his eyes as he awkwardly met her gaze. "Come out and say it."
They stared into one another's eyes for a moment before Halle suddenly shook her head dismissively. "No, it's nothing..."
Prince Joshua smiled strangely at her answer. "You always backtrack like that..."
Halle grew defensive as a playful smile danced across her lips. "I do not..."
Prince Joshua responded with a kind tone of voice that made Halle instantly relax and feel at ease. "Oh well... We will see sooner or later."
Halle stared at him curiously with a grin. "See what?"
Prince Joshua leaned down to look into her eyes as he remained standing on the step above her, wearing a smile identical to hers. "What you are really thinking, that is."
So as an apology for not updating this story for...four, five months? I wrote the next chapter for you guys so soon after my last chapter update to make it up to you XD I hope you enjoyed it!
Not only are we heavily shipping Halle and Prince Joshua now, but did anyone start shipping Carrie and Jan the second they first met...? XDDDD
And poor Prince Joshua has to live with Sergio the cat now. Lol.
Read, review, and enjoy!