The Crown Prince 8th Birthday

7: The Crown Prince 8th Birthday

The first time I saw the prince was at the banquet, the celebration for the candidates. I was in a cavernous hall and was sleep deprived. I sat there with the royals, my parents and the other candidates with their parents. We listened to his majesty's speech about being the fiancé of the crown prince was a life and death situation, I think. I couldn't remember clearly what the king had said but it was close to that.

Then that name.

I realized that I was in a game because of the name of the prince. My cousin kept screaming his name over and over again like a fan girl. I felt my blood draining like water flushed in the toilet as the prince watch me with blank face. And everything went black.

The second and the last time I had an encountered with the prince was when he visited me three day after I passed out at the party slah revelation slah dunk-my-head-over-the-bowl-of-hot-soup.

I slept all through the long time travel to the palace at the Royal Capital. Father wanted to move to the Royal Capital but mother and I wanted to stay. It was the sea that was stopping us.

We walked through the crowd and stopped from time to time so Caleb could introduce his lovely daughter to the other guests. I was already used to this kind of event, since my late father in my real world used to brought me to the parties for businesses, or friendly gatherings when I was a child that I automatically smiled.

My smile didn't falter when we finally greeted the birthday boy. He was still the same when the last time I saw him. Even he had the smile on his cute face, I was too familiar with the look on his eyes. Eyes that held boredom.

"We haven't seen for a long time, Lady Eirlys," he said with his princely voice.

I bet, I was the only one who never pay him visits.

"A year and a half is a very long time, your highness." When I felt Eleanor's stare pinning on me I added with a forced smile, "It's great to see you again. How are you?"

His brows slightly creased but quickly disappeared. He was about to answer when someone called him.

"Calvin!" There was an accent on her voice. And the next thing I heard was in a different language that I was quite familiar with. The girl who looked about a year younger than me spoke in spanish. "Feliz Cumpleaños!"

[Happy Birthday!]

"Camila," the prince said, shocked, as the girl gives him a hug. I could felt the curious stares shooting towards this direction from the crowd. "Pensé que no ibas a venir."

[I thought you weren't coming.]

[A/N: used the google translate]

"Of course we will, Príncipe Aeduan. Camila wanted to surprise you," said the man in common language with thick spanish accent. He was handsome like Caleb in a very spanish version like. A beautiful woman with red hair stood beside him.

"(Surprise!)" Camila said in spanish pulling away from the hug and seconds later she look worried. "(Did I surprised you)?"

[A/N: Got lazy to use translator.

Te-he]

For the first time I saw the prince smiled genuinely as his dimples appear. I admit he was so cute that I want to hug him as the older sister inside me. "(I am, Camila. Thank you)," he said in spanish.

I glanced at the girl. She looked like her mother, red hair and brown eyes.

The heroine?

The adults greeted each other and I introduced myself.

Isabel Gallegos was a third cousin of the queen and currently was visiting the kingdom.

The adults left us engrossed with their own world leaving me with the two kids.

"(Is she your friend?)" Camila didn't bother lowering her voice since she thought I didn't understand her language.

My attention was on the dessert section, noting which one will I taste first.

"(No. She's one of the candidates of my consort)," he said solemnly.

I could felt my face cringing-wincing but I didn't let it surfaced. And what's with that tone? I didn't like to be a part of this just like you do.

"(What?!)" She exclaimed, getting few heads turned to her. "(You can't marry her, Aeduan.)"

Whoa there. It's not been decided who will be his fiancé.

But things got interested. Is this girl a potential heroine? I stared at them with bored expression, tired of smiling.

"(Why?)" He asked, his lips slightly tugged upward.

"Camila," Isabel called her name in a warning but she was ignored.

Camila glared at me and her eyes widen recognizing me then looked back at the prince. "(She's a spoil brat who abuse her family's power. You said you hate those type of girls.)"

I wasn't even surprised because they were all true and I was sorry for myself to have faced this facts about Eirlys. It was also the cause why Caleb never take Eirlys to any large gathering, with all the leaders. But months had passed those facts became a mere rumors.

Isabel looked horrid at what her daughter said. "Apologize to Lady Eirlys, right now," she ordered the child in common language.

"There's no need, Lady Isabel. She's just a child and those were just rumors," Eleanor said with an easy smile. She understood what Camila said.

Shocked, the daughter looked at her mother in betrayal. She then glared at me like I was at fault. "(You, stay away from Calvin. He will never love you.)"

"Camila!" Isabel whisper-screamed.

The prince entertained eyes locked with my cold ones before looking at Camila. "(I don't have the slightest care if your prince will love me or not. But you don't give me order because you wish so)," I spoke in spanish, fluently. Back to common language I continued, "I'm thirsty. If you'll excuse me I'll be getting myself a drink. Once again, happy birthday, your highness." There's no smile this time.

[♥]]] [♦]]] [♣]]] [♠]]]

I watched the party with me leaning on the wall where people usually didn't bother to look at. I closed my eyes and sighed.

After my parents died when I was 13 years old and Vinny was just five months old, I had became a breadwinner of my small family. I studied at school while learning about the company that was left by our parents. Father's brother was there to help me understand the business.

It was the same routine I always did in this kind of gathering; greet everyone, have casual small talks, taste every dessert and look for a place to hide.

And soon someone will fine me.

"Why is my angel alone, moping?"

When I opened my eyes, I found Caleb beside me.

"I'm not moping." As if I would mope to something like that.

He leaned on his side at the wall, stared at me with a smile and nodded. "If my angel say so." He took a sip in the glass of wine and furrowed at it. "Your mother told me you spoke in Fleuve," he said looking at me.

"Fleuve?"

He looked confused as I do. "The language you said to Lady Camila."

Oh crap. The spanish language was equivalent to fleuve language in this world, huh.

I nodded helplessly. "I. . . Are you mad, Father?"

"Why would I be mad at you? I'm. . . Me and you mother are just surprised that you could understand another language, not to mention spoke fluently."

Smiling wryly I made a bullshit excuse. "A man at the public library had taught me. I was going to surprise you and mother about it soon."

Father held my head with his large hand and shake my head lightly not to ruin my hair. "You did, angel." He was smiling proudly.

Damn, I was really good at this.

"Don't tell this to your mother but I'm glad what you did to the child," Father continued. My heart burst in joy but it deflate when he said, "You know I'm voting for the prince for you and no other girls will take your pri—"

This time I don't even hide my frustration and rolled my eyes. "Father, let's not, alright?"