Chapter 21 Melinda
Chapter Twenty-One
MELINDA
Iwoke up to people in Alex’s room whose main mission was to get me somewhere.
I turned away, hiding under the covers and snuggling closer to Alex. I didn’t have to get up for work, and they were waking me up.
“Idiots, leave me alone.”
“Wow, you really aren’t a morning person,” I heard a new voice say.
I pulled my head from under the cover to see the Queen.
I quickly pulled the cover over me. I was okay with hiding from the world. When the curtains opened, I felt Alex flinch against me as the covers were pulled away from our heads.
“Up now, Melinda. We have a full day of getting ready for the ball, and breakfast is the most important meal of the day,” she said.
“Later, babe,” Alex mumbled, pushing me away from him.
“Nice try, Alexander, you are getting up. Your father wants to see you in his office after breakfast,” she said.
“Ha, sucker” I poked him.
“Mother, take her and let me sleep,” he complained as I got off the bed.
“No, go and see your father,” she said.
“Do I get breakfast?” He asked.
“Alexander.”
He followed us out of the room as we began to walk towards the dining room.
“Does this make you feel like a naughty child?” I whispered.
He nodded.
“What’s the crime?” I asked curiously.
“Sleeping,” he pouted. “Mother has that effect on all of us. She can make you feel guilty without actually doing it. I hope when we have kids I can do it.”
We? He was planning a future with me?
I can’t stop thinking about how he told me that he loves me. Part of me was waiting for him to look at me and say, ‘no, just kidding.’
He was worming his way into my heart. It scared me because I didn’t want to be able to give him power to hurt me. Day by day, I was falling hard for him. We arrived in the dining room and sat down at the table I followed sitting next to him. “So, how does this work? Breakfast I mean.”
“You put it in your mouth,” he said teasingly.
I chuckled, shaking my head. He really thought he was a comedian, that was for sure. A few of the butlers came in, placing trays of food in the middle of the table and walked off again. “Does anybody say thank you?” I asked.
“No, they’re paid to work.”
“That’s a really shitty attitude, Alex,” I said. “No wonder you said what you did when we met. You would be lost if all your staff went home.”
“You finished with your lecture now?” He asked, rolling his eyes.
I glared at him as I reached for two pieces of toast placing them on the small plate in front of me. “Come on, don’t be mad.” I crossed my arms over my chest.
“Your boobs pop out when you do that.”
“That’s really helping your case right now.” I frowned.
I stopped looking at him as I began to eat the two toast. After I finished, I sat back, trying my hardest to not glare at Alex.
“Melinda, girls, come on,” the Queen called walking into the room.
“Ella, you can’t stay mad at me,” Alex complained.
I stood up and winked. “Actually, I can,” I said. “I’m not one of your staff you can control.” I walked over to the Queen as Elizabeth latched onto my hand.
I heard Alex groan behind me, and I couldn’t help but smile. We walked into another room, one that I hadn’t seen before. I made a note to ask Alex how many rooms the palace had. Well, when I was talking to him again I would.
“Girls, you know the drill,” the Queen said as they both rushed into the chairs with the two women standing behind them. “I better introduce you to all the craziness.”
“Thank you, your majesty,” I said.
“Melinda, something tells me you’re going to be a part of this family, call me Victoria,” she said. “So, this is Taylor. She’ll be doing your hair. Pablo is going to dress you, and the lovely Lady Annie here will be doing your nails.”
“You came to see Alex yesterday,” I said before I could stop myself.
Lady Annie grinned. “My hunch was right it seems,” she said. “Actually, it’s just Annie now. I renounced my title.”
“Oh—”
“No, and I’d rather not discuss it right now,” she mumbled.
“Very well,” Victoria nodded. “You’ll be in very safe hands here, even if you are in a disagreement with my son.”
“You heard that?” I asked slightly embarrassed.
“Word travels fast. Melinda. One thing is for sure you have gained favour with our staff.” She chuckled.
I sat down in the chair with Taylor as she began to wash my hair and blow-dry it, “So, do you have any ideas about what to do with your hair?” Taylor asked.
“Erm, no. I haven’t been to anything like this before,” I said. “I don’t know what to expect.”
I looked over at Elizabeth who was having her hair brushed. She was watching a video on her iPad.
“Do whatever you want to my hair. I honestly have no clue what hairstyle to suggest.”
For the next hour and half, my hair was pulled in every direction possible as she began to curl my hair and pin it up and back.
After she finished, I went to sit with Annie as she looked at Elizabeth. “She’s not usually this perky,” Annie said. “Are you okay with acrylic nails?”
“Sure,” I said. “I’ve never had them, but it would be cool to actually have nails for a change.”
“Learning curve, but once you are used to them, it’s easy,” Annie said.
“What do you mean she’s not usually like this?” I asked curiously.
“The Prince. His list of women is long, and they don’t last long either. Elizabeth looks up to Alexander, and these women always ignore her. If you ever argue with him, which believe me, you will, don’t hurt her. That was my mistake with Charles.”
“Charles?” I said as my eyes widened in surprise.
“Yeah, we dated for about a year, but we got into a fight and broke up. I didn’t come around for a few months. I ended up hurting her, so please don’t make the same mistake as me. Forget the boys, it’s about her.”
“I won’t,” I said softly.
Annie spent the next ten minutes finding the right size acrylic for my nails. “Ella, can I talk to you?” I looked up seeing Alex at the door. “Hey, Annie.”
“Dog house already, hmm??” She teased.
I stood up, following Alex out the room.
“I’m sorry for being a dick,” he said.
“Do you understand why I’m mad about how your attitude was in there?” I asked.
I needed him to realise what it was about his behaviour that upset me. I couldn’t be with someone who treated people like they did before.
“Yes, but Ella you have to understand this is how we were raised. I can’t change that. I can try and do better but—”
“No. You will do better, Alex, it’s a matter of respect.” I interrupted him. “You have a little girl in there who adores you and you could make that change by showing her that your staff are not here to do everything for you.”
“I mean we pay them to do that, but I get your point,” he said.
“Also, I’m sorry about being jealous yesterday with Annie,” I admitted.
He smiled, pressing his lips to mine and kissing me softly. “You look beautiful,” he said. “I can’t wait to see how you look later.”
“Ander!” I watched as Elizabeth came running out the room and gave him a hug.
“There’s my beautiful Princess,” he said. “I have a present for the both of you.” He reached into his pocket as he crouched on the floor, and pulled out a necklace and placed it in Elizabeth’s hand. “Rules, remember?”
“Lena has to put it on,” she said. “I’ll find you tonight to take it off so I don’t lose it.”
“Good girl. Go inside while I talk to Ella for a minute,” he said.
“You truly are a good brother,” I said with a grin.
He stood up as he pulled out a box from his pocket. He placed it in my hand. “I got you this.”
I opened it and gasped. It was a heart necklace with a green gem stone with his name underneath. “Alex, this is beautiful,” I whispered. “You didn’t have to get me anything though.”
“I want every stuck up asshole to know that you are my girl,” he said. He placed his lips onto mine. I couldn’t help the butterflies in my stomach at him calling me his. Slightly possessive but also hot.
“Let me put it on you.”
I turned around and held the box up for him as he took the necklace out of the box. He placed it around my neck, clicking the clasp into place. “Beautiful.” He kissed my neck.
I spun in his arms. “Thank you. I’ll see you tonight, Alex.”
I walked back in, sitting with Annie.
From that moment it was go, go, go. Time was slipping away fast as Annie did my nails and Pablo showed me dresses to which I said no to some.
Before I knew it, the ball was starting. I stood in front of the mirror as I looked at what I was wearing. I didn’t even look like me.
I was wearing a one shoulder red dress that flowed down nicely and had a little drag on the floor with black heels with red bows on.
“Are you okay?” I turned to see Victoria standing at the door. “Annie said you looked a little panicked.”
“Not panicked, just scared,” I admitted.
“You don’t need to be. My son will be right by your side as you walk down those stairs. You have nothing to be scared of. In all honesty, it’s when you’re on the floor,” she said, letting out a chuckle.
My eyes widened. I wasn’t sure how that conversation helped calm my nerves.
Talking to Victoria, I saw how much Alex was like his mother and where he got some of his personality from.
We left the room, and I followed her down the familiar path of the corridor near the stairs where we made our entrance.
Alex stood at the balcony, looking down at the party. “I found the runaway girlfriend.” I watched as she headed down the stairs looking as graceful as ever.
He turned around.
My breath caught in my throat as I took in the sight of him. He looked handsome. The man knew how to wear a suit, that was for sure. It fit him perfectly, showed off his muscles. His brown hair had been neatly combed back.
I walked over to him, taking his hand.
“You look stunning, Ella.” His eyes looked up and down taking in the one shoulder red dress that I wore.
I leaned up, I pulled away as I looked at him. “You look handsome, stunning, and I think I have quite possibly run out of adjectives.”
“Are you ready?” He asked.
“As ready as I’ll ever be,” I said.
I held onto his hand tightly as we walked down the steps into the ball where there were a few reporters at the bottom waiting.
Once we reached the bottom, Alex stood with his arm wrapped around me as a few photos were taken.
As the photos were being taken, I looked around the room, a giant chandelier hanging in the middle of the room.
A band stood on the stage paying some soft music.
The room was packed with people; some I recognised from television others not so much.
It was such a different world than to what I was used to.
“There’s going to be some questions. I figured you wouldn’t want to know that in advance,” he whispered.
“Who is your date, Prince Alexander?” A reporter asked.
“This is my girlfriend, Melinda Brown. We met through university. She is in one of my lectures,” he said.
I made a mental note about the girlfriend thing being that I never agreed to being his girlfriend.
“Two,” I told him. “Monday and Thursday, you know the one you forgot about.”
“Oh yeah,” he said sheepishly.
“How are the courses going, Prince Alexander?”
“They are going alright. I’m glad to finally be doing something I wanted to,” he said.
“Is your relationship going to be just another fling?”
“This relationship is not a fling,” Alex looked at me. “Ella is special, and I’m crazy about her.”
I didn’t get a chance to hear another question before I felt a tug at my hand. I looked to see Elizabeth pulling me away from Alex and the reporters. “Can you dance with me?”
“Of course I can,” I grinned.
I picked her up, and we began to sway to the music as she chatted my ear off. I had no idea what I was going to do if we ever didn’t work out. I was growing more and more attached to Elizabeth.
“Hey, my beautiful girl.” I looked to see Alex coming over. He took her off me, placing her on the floor and whispering something into her ear.
She nodded, running off.
Alex pulled me into his arms and I wrapped my arms around his neck.
The song changed, and I smiled. “The greatest story ever told,” I said.
I laid my head on his chest as we swayed together to the song.
I wanted this moment to last forever.
It was perfect.
“Ella, thank you,” Alex said.
“For what?” I asked as I looked at him.
“For trying,” he said. “I realise how hard this must be for you and I appreciate it. So, next date you can do whatever you want.”
“So, this is a date?” I asked teasingly.
“Royal engagement,” he said with a shrug. “Dates and royal engagements are all the same to me.”
I smiled a little, “So tell me, Mr. Alexander George, I don’t remember agreeing to be your girlfriend.”
He shrugged with a little smile. “You didn’t say yes or no. The way I see it, it’s a win-win.”
I smiled and shook my head.
At that moment, I knew I was falling in love with him and that thought terrified me. I never wanted to be in a position where I could be hurt by someone yet he had entered my heart.