So I heard you’re into gardening.

Huh? What a random thing to blurt out the morning before our meet up.

Um, no. It’s for publicity. I do love spending time in the garden though.

By reading some med books?

Wow. He knows my major? I made sure it stays confidential.

I’m impressed, prince. May I kindly have your name already?

Don’t let me take all the credits, princess, I simply read the title. Fancy a company?

Wait. He can’t already be here, like, right now, can he?

I dart my eyes across my quarter’s garden, a bit in a hurry to spot him.

“Princess. An honour.” A tap in my right shoulder got me turned around. Standing slightly to my right is a brown-haired guy, his eyes the colour of morning sky. Square jaw, pale skin, a smirk in his round eyes.

And a teapot in his hand, as he fixes a bow. “I brought you tea.”

From his navy blazer that compliments his blue eyes, I can safely say he’s not one of the butlers.

“You came.” I take my time studying his gestures (not in the slightest awkward or nervous) before continuing. “A little early for lunch, don’t you think?”

“May I?” He gestures to the seat opposite of me.

“You have to make yourself announced first, I’m afraid.” I smirk. Can’t let him have his ways all the time now can I?

His eyes twinkle as he recites his title. “Prince Napoleon of Magnemt, Duke of Praha. At your service, Your Royal Highness Crown Princess Jennifer of Primavara, Duchess of Elska.”

Napoleon, truly? Anne and Raphael are in for a laugh.

“You may sit. And call me Jenny.”

He pours me some tea before sitting. “I brought the tea leaves from my garden. I hope it’s to your liking, princess.”

“So you’re the one into gardening, I take it? And, please, call me Jenny.”

“I would be, if that’s where to find a beautiful dork with her nose buried in her books.”

“You flatterer. Now let me hear you call me by my name.”

Nap looks me in the eyes and says, unwavering, “Princess.”

There’s something in the way he said it, something ... sentimental, as if he said it to call me, instead of my title.

I must be losing my mind.

I shrug, hurriedly leaving my trance. “You made your mind, I see.”

“It’s a compliment. Please accept it.”

I stare at him, mouth agape. In all my years being the first-in-line, I’ve had too many shares of compliments to the point they disgust me. And ‘princess’, of all things? That’s all I’ve ever been called, many, many more than my own name.

So it’s not exactly easy to comprehend that I’m getting butterflies instead of churning stomach by the same old compliment.

“Thank you.” I barely managed to compose myself. What have you done to me, prince?

He relaxes into a smile. “I thought you would’ve asked Al about me. I guess I think too highly of myself.”

“Now why would I spoil the surprise?”

He chuckles, gratitude in his eyes. “So, medicine is your passion?”

I’m not usually comfortable with this topic, since it can only ever be a knowledge at best to me, but whatever. He earned it.

“Not really. In an alternate universe, I’d want to be a surgeon and save lives. I settle with medicine because I have crown princess duties to prioritize.”

“You already save lives in this one.”

“You don’t know that yet.”

“Oh, you will, I assure you. I just wish you’d save yours too.”

I frown. “What makes you say that? You don’t even know me.”

“Well, enlighten me then.”

I take a sip and face him. “No, enlighten me. What kind of encounter left you this bitter?”

His eyes dance in amusement. “Princess, you never fail to amaze me. A certain debutante ball, three years ago.”

I sit straighter. My debutante ball? “Do continue, prince.”

“You in your cerulean dress. Big, gold crown sat in your head. A make-up that made you look twenty-five. You danced with me once, masks on, then turned me down after we’re properly introduced. Your uncle in the background, watching with his hand in some prince’s waist. Your eyes, following me longingly across the dance floor.”

“What are you implying?” I hiss. Those blue eyes, I should’ve known ….

When I was seventeen, I had this silly dream to find my prince charming in my debutante ball. I was well disappointed to find out that the real world consists only of stuck-up princes and kiss-ass dukes. But, this one Magnemt prince is different. He’s witty and very easy to talk to, and also had the warmest hug. Back then, I met too many Magnemt princes to remember his name, but there’s his one trait I would never forget: his bright blue eyes.

I swore I knew he felt the same, but after a year of trying to reach out to Magnemt and not even once did I ever see him again, I gave up. By then, my memory’s too hazy to confidently tell that he’s from Magnemt, and without another solid clue, there went my first love.

But to meet him here after three years? I honestly don’t know how to feel about that. Especially after he hinted that he did feel the same about me after all.

“That you’d give up your happiness for easily anyone. In a heartbeat. Even if they’re clearly not worth it. That’s just the way you are, princess.”

Wait, what? He’s saying that my uncle’s not worth it? How dare he assume things all he pleases! “What were you expecting me to do then? Should I have danced with you twice?” But he didn’t even know why my uncle forbad me to do that!

“That’s not the point, princess.”

“I don’t understand—”

“Exactly. You don’t.” Oh, why is he being infuriating? “Your whole life, you’ve been taught to never even think about your happiness, just the crown. It left me bitter, princess.”

I stand up, furious. “So you think I don’t have a backbone. So you think I’m just a crown’s slave. Well, you couldn’t be more wrong!” And yet, why does it tick me off so much? He basically said the same things as Kevyn, though with poor word choice. Why do I have this urge to correct him, and left things with Kevyn unexplained?

He looks taken aback. “No, that’s not—”

“You think I gave up on my happiness, but that’s not true! If it is, I won’t be spending my Thursdays on you. I already have Kevyn!”

I storm out without so much as looking back. Since he’s such a know-it-all he might as well find the dining room by himself!

^^^

“So tell me about yourself, Prince Napoleon.” Anne delegates while exchanging amused glance with Raphael. I've filled them in on our small dispute shortly before Napoleon arrived.

Beside me, Napoleon smiles coolly, his expression gives nothing away. “Well, first of all, I don’t think I need to impress you by telling anything about myself. But, I do believe congratulations are in order.”

“You don’t need to disrespect her, too.” I remind him in bitter tone.

Nap looks at me long before turning to Anne. “I apologize, Your Highness. I hope I didn’t come across as disrespectful. I assure you, that wasn’t my intention.”

Anne chuckles softly. “Look at you two, already bickering. You simply must come to our engagement ball this Saturday, prince. Congratulate us then. And, apology accepted, of course. My sister is a bit stubborn but I assure you, she means well.”

“I can speak for myself.” I clap back harshly. “Sorry, Anne.”

Napoleon studies me before answering, eyes never leaving me, “Forgive my rudeness, princess. But please do.”

Anne and Raphael look speechless as they stare in disbelief at Napoleon.

Don’t mind if I do. “You claimed I gave up my happiness. While the truth is, you’re the one giving up on me.”

Napoleon stares at me in confusion. “I ... I don’t follow—”

“Of course you don’t! You just went and judged us all you want without so much of a question!”

Anne sighs softly. “Prince Napoleon, I’m sure you’re aware that for an entire year following her debutante ball, the Hamthors got a lot of unusual invitations from us. You must understand that since you never showed up, she stopped trying.”

“What? But I ... I thought ... You turned me down, J.” Napoleon looks at me in defeat.

“Earlier that day, this clumsy girl fell off her horse in horse riding lesson and sprained her ankle. Uncle Isaac made sure she only dance so much before making the dance-loving princess retire for the evening.”

Napoleon looks like he just saw a grim reaper. It takes him a while before he can find his words, as he stands up and bows deep in front of me. “I am ashamed of myself, princess. It seemed that I’ve let my emotions get the better of me. I simply presumed that you’re reserved for a political marriage the moment you turned me down unwillingly. As about the invitations … I didn’t move to our palace until two years ago. But, let’s be honest, I wouldn’t come even if I knew of, since it’d hurt my inferiority complex.”

Inferiority complex? Hence his bio, huh, how could I just conveniently missed it?

“But, I should have known not to let it clouded my judgment. I’ve done you and your family wrong, my deepest apologies.”

But what does all of that matter, right? Setting aside the one big misunderstanding, it’s quite a good turnout, no? We can always start anew, now, since he felt the same.

My smile falters at the sight of him not moving an inch. Realizing he won’t do that without my answer, I jump to my feet and help him stand straight. “No, please stop it. It’s enough if you understand. Just promise me to let bygones be bygones.”

Napoleon pulls me into his warm hug I’ve missed. “I promise.”

Raphael chuckles. “Well, it seems like we’re no longer needed, love.”

“It does, huh.” Anne laughs wholeheartedly, before pulling Raphael out of the room. A step away from exiting, though, she turns around and calls out to Napoleon, “Make sure to ask her about Prince Blue Moon, okay?”

“Anne!”

Left with only each other, Napoleon finds my eyes and smiles sheepishly. “Well, that … went well.”

I laugh faintly, returning to my seat. “You’d say.”

Without breaking eye contact, Napoleon walks in my direction and stops in front of me, one hand behind his back and the other reaching out to me. “May I have this long overdue dance, princess?”

Grinning from ear to ear, I take his hand and follow his lead.

“I don’t peg you as clumsy,” says Napoleon, as we glide across the small room with no music. With other guys, it would be awkward, but something about his surety makes me comfortable in my own skin.

“I’m not, usually. Summer’s a bit jittery because her master’s having her debutante ball that evening.”

Napoleon chuckles. “Prince Blue Moon … is it me?” asked him, softly but carefully.

“Goodness gracious, Anne, you just had to say it did you?” I mutter under my breath, feeling the heat paints my face red.

“From now on, I’ll be around so often you won't get to call me blue moon ever again.” Napoleon smiles softly. “Thank you for this second dance. I really mean it, J.”

“Just dance?”

“For now. Let’s see where it takes us.”

“Probably nowhere, since the door is closed.” I eye the dining room’s door.

“Well we can always open it. Whenever you’re ready, princess.”

I rest my head in his warm chests. “What’s your middle name?”

Napoleon’s chest thunders as he laughs. “You adorable dork. It’s Raul.”

“Can I call you Raul?”

“Do you call your dates by their middle names?”

“No.”

“Then yes, you can.”

Later that day, I get two more matches from Heaven. I arrange for them to be my Sunday and Monday, all the while can barely take my mind of a certain former match.