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The next day…

Faith:

I woke up the next day to the usual freezing temperatures and I breathed in the cold air into my lungs.

I got up from the bed removing the covers from my warm body to walk out the door tiptoeing silently not to wake the twins so early in the morning since it was there half-term this week.

Thanks to cousin dearest kicking me out of my room I had to share the room with the twins who shared a bunk bed and sleeping in the single bed we kept aside for any future guests visiting but Lavender felt it was beneath her not to sleep in such a terrible bed so she demanded (sweetly in that Essex accent) to have my room always when she comes over, my parents sadly obeyed and didn’t give me any time to protest or have my say let her have it but that is another story for another day.

So opening the door lightly and switching the light on to walk in front of the huge mirror we had on the wall to see the red printed mark had reduced back to my natural skin tone.

Patting the mark lightly I winced at the pain and getting my brush I began to brush my teeth.

Well who knew the slut could slap this hard to leave an imprint? I guess its wear a scarf around my neck day. I thought irritated to myself.

I spit out the paste and began to do the rest of my daily routine preparing for my day.

I went out the door an hour later to avoid seeing anyone this early morning and took the bus to get to the university.

Today at university I managed to avoid the shouts, attention from the prince because I was not in the mood for him.

But luck was never on my side when it came to the prince, he managed to corner me during the afternoon when classes ended for the day.

“Liberian girl I’ve been calling you all day! What has got you upset to avoid me? Have I done something wrong?” he asked dejectedly.

I groaned “it’s not you…. Your highness I’ve just had a rough day”

“but even if you had a rough day Liberian girl why didn’t you come to me? I would have done anything I could to cheer you up, I thought we were friends” he expressed sadly.

I felt my heart-strings tug at his choice of words and feeling guilty about avoiding him as I was about to say a word, my scarf decided to slip off my face revealing my mark and his big brown eyes widened even further when he saw the red imprint on my face.

He cupped my face gently in his large spidery fingers and his eyes squinting at the mark, his voice laced in authority and anger demanded “Who.did.this… to you?” I breathed in his mango lightly scented cologne.

Pulling my face away from his hand, I felt embarrassed about his touch and smell that made me feel safe.

Oh faith girl you must stop noticing these things before it gets you into deep deep trouble. I thought to myself.

“Well?” I was snapped out of my thoughts by his command and seeing his angered filled eyes, I shrugged my shoulders and said, “it was my cousin”

Prince Michael’s voice brimming with anger “your cousin?! How would your cousins do this? You are of the same family! Cousin do not lash out at each other for such a reason? What happened for he or she to do this to you!”

I did a double take hearing the sheer anger in his Prince’s Michael voice at the mark, I was surprised I knew he cared but I didn’t expect it to be this much.

I mumbled quietly “not her she won’t care”
“please Faith .... tell me what she said that led to that imprint on your beautiful face”

I exclaimed irked at his continuous questioning, “It is none of your business Prince Michael butt out please!”

His eyes flashed in hurt as we stared at each other, the tension between us awkward neither of us talking for the moment.

Until he sighed in defeat walking up to me, grabbing my hand “let’s go to my hotel afterwards I will take you home”

So we walked to his expensive slick car and we both sat in the backseats letting the bodyguard drive us to his hotel.

In twenty minutes we arrived at the hotel, he let go of my hand, to use his key to open the door. we went into his room where he dismissed his bodyguards to stay outside the door.

“wait here Liberian girl” afterwards he went into the bathroom however seconds later walked out holding a cloth and bowl of warm water in his hand.

I sat on the bed waiting for him and when I saw him holding those items in his hand, I rose an eyebrow at what he was going to do.

When he reached me he brought the small table close to my feet while he bent his legs in front of me. He started to dap the cloth into the warm water and the soaked cloth onto my imprint.

Flinching at the touch, he cupped my face gently and said soothingly “easy Liberian girl it won’t be long I promise”

He continued to dap softly back and forth with the cloth, I watched him work forgetting the pain and looking closely at his features.

His strong masculine jaw, his big brown eyes, his defined nose and everything about him got me wondering out of all the girls he could have been friends with he choose to stick by my side.

He noticed my staring and he paused grinning cheekily “I can feel your gaze on me, am I that interesting to look at”

I rolled my eyes “don’t kid yourself Prince Michael, I was uh looking at something behind you”

He chuckled amused at my lie continuing on his work, the silence was invited into the room again. He spoke softly “my mother always used to do this for my siblings and I when we were small, it was the only time we all had her to ourselves so we hurt ourselves on purpose to get her attention” he chuckled at the memory that must been playing in his mind.

I giggled picturing a young Prince Michael causing mischievous with his older and younger siblings all over the palace.

Suddenly he exclaimed smiling happily “there! That should reduce the mark much more now, go check in the bathroom”

He stepped back letting me pass to go into the bathroom, whereas I looked into the mirror to see the imprint had almost completely faded away.

I smiled to test the reflex and I was happy to see I didn’t wince or grimace in pain.
I ran out of the bathroom excited and flung my arms around him tightly embracing him and muttering my thanks in his hard chest.

He pulled me into his arms tightly and he rocked us back and forth as we held each other tightly. I raised my head to stare into his brown eyes as he stared back into mine.

The atmosphere felt electric as we stared into each other’s eyes our faces getting closed to each other inch by inch until the door opened and we broke apart from each other’s arms.

It was Jim who opened the door a look of surprise on his sharp features until he began to smirk “oh I was going to ask your highness if you were hungry and I could order some take out … or I can come back later”

The mood ruined between us, Prince Michael giggled sheepishly “uh Jim please give us a moment to think about it and you can come back in a few minutes” afterwards Jim closed the door quietly after him while we heard cackle him near the door.

The air between us was awkward on what had almost happened between him and I.

He rambled nervously “um if you want to eat something uh I’ll get Jim to order us something…whatever you want”

“um anything would do I’m fine as along as there aren’t any nuts in the food” I replied slowly.

“ok! I’ll go outside and get Jim to order the meal” with that he quickly went out the door and was out of the door for a good couple of minutes.

I didn’t want to be standing out here on my own, turning around I spotted a family portrait of his family on the glossy golden table, the picture held the rest of his large family and a younger looking Michael rocking an afro around the time.

He opened the door and walked back into the room, his hands in his pockets. “ah I see you have seen my family portrait and a younger me” he giggled timidly.

I turned around folding my arms as I leaned onto the table mindful of the family portrait.

“Why? Are you ashamed of yourself and your family? You have a beautiful family and all the things your heart desire Prince Michael, be grateful”

He shook his head and looking at me wisely “I am grateful for my family and the life I live but it can be lonely and a chore at the same time … with all the pressure from my family to be a successor above my father as the next king”

“Well I can’t say much to that but I think you should take it one at a time and also get your insomnia sorted out as well” I advised.

He nodded at my advice and that smile I liked on his face began to bloom on his handsome face.

The awkward air evaporated at long last, it just felt peaceful now that we both were on the same track.

The food arrived in ten minutes considering it was a fast rate when it came to fast food in London but if it was for his highness he got what he wanted.

We both chowed down to Chinese food as we sat on his bed, our legs crossed taking our fill from the expensive looking dishes instead of the typical plastic containers.

I swallowed my stir fried noodles and said annoyed “well they can give u better looking dishes but when we simple folk order we get the usual plastic containers there should be a different for the both of us”

As he was about to bite into his chicken, his royal highness smirked arrogantly “I am royalty Liberian girl it does have its advantages”

I rolled my eyes while snorting pitifully “there should a rule for that but sadly there isn’t” and I continued to eat my fried noodles.

We continued to eat, it was already dark at outside signalling it was time to go home and face my wonderful cousin once again. As we drove in, I remembered I had forgotten to ask him if he wanted to come to another family night in.

“Oh Prince Michael before I forget I wanted to ask if you wanted to come to another family night? I know Juliette misses you so much” I teased.

He laughed at my choice of words gleefully and responded pleased “of course I’m coming Liberian girl, I have missed your mother’s wonderful cooking, would she be alright if I took a few containers home with me?” he asked licking his lips at the thought of my mum’s cooking.

I couldn’t help but laugh at his excitement for mum’s cooking, “don’t worry about that I will tell her that when I get home Prince Michael” he grinned and crooning sweetly “you have a wonderful laugh Liberian girl, I wonder why you don’t laugh more”

I blushed involuntary at the flattery and mumbled “thanks”. So we continued to drive on until we made it to my house whereas I normally didn’t share any physical contact with him but I felt a bridge in our friendship had broken.

I hugged him tightly before stepping out of the car without looking back at his reaction and walked to the door.

Looking back when I opened the door I saw him stick his hand out the window waving and I couldn’t help but giggle also wave back before closing the door until I was faced with Lavender’s unmade up face staring at me.

I jumped back frightened for the moment not recognizing the face “is that you Lavender …. Or just my worse nightmare staring me in the face?” she replied sneering “of course it’s me faithless who else would I show my unmade up face to besides you who doesn’t wear any amount of make up… which is appalling”

I rolled my eyes and asked tiredly “I’m glad you learnt another new word but what do you want Lavender?”

She stepped in front of me for a moment before stepping back to question, “Was that Prince Michael’s car outside I saw? Is he coming over this weekend?”

I answered shortly “Yes he is coming over this weekend happy now!? Now get out of my way I have class tomorrow unlike someone I know” she stepped back letting me pass to my temporarily room with the twins and changed quickly to my night clothes and pausing for the moment thinking ‘ahh shit! I forget to warn him about Lavender’ instead I slumped my tired body onto the bed immediately falling asleep.

Chapter End Notes:

Well wasn't that moment sweet and stupid Jim they almost kissed so close 😂... Next chapter the family dinner 😉

 

 

 

 

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