12. I almost burned down a ballroom

Song: Alec Benjamin & Zhao Lusi - Water fountain (mandarin version)

Anthony

I wake up in my bed having no idea I got there and multiple bruises and sore spots on my body. My head's throbbing and my eyes can't handle the slightest bit of light. I groan and push myself to get up. The room spins around me and I have to hold my head to reduce the ache.

What the fuck did I do last night?

Well, first you went on a rampage and almost burned down the ballroom while screaming like a wounded animal. Then, you got on your horse and went to the most expensive bar in Valoria and got dead drunk. Then you fucked three prostitutes in a row and got even more drunk. Then Thomas found you and dragged you back to the palace. But not before you picked a fight with the bartender and started a brawl.

Thank you for informing me of that, Satan.

Anytime, friend.

....And you didn't try to stop me or anything by possessing me and sobering me up?

Mmm. I could. But where's the fun in that?

.....You are one hell of an asshole.

I am a demon. Tis in my nature.

Very.

I try to get up again and grin when the floor doesn't seem to want to swallow me up whole.

I have won against my greatest enemy!

You're greatest enemy is the floor?

Only when I'm hungover.

And other times?

The princess of Aresia, of course.

....Why?

Because she killed the love of my life.

Did she really?

Yes.

And how do you know she killed her?

Simple, because she was in love with me and became jealous and killed my beloved Anna out of spite.

......Even though there are scars on her body to prove she tried to save her and she swore by God she never loved you?

I wave a hand. All lies to trick me.

....Of course.

Yes.

You know sometimes you concern me.

I finish dressing and begin making my way down the hall. Do I? {1}

**He staggers. He does not make. He staggers.**

Yes.

Well, thank you for being concerned for me father.

Fuck you.

No. I wave a hand at a passing servant. "Excuse me?"

The servant flinches and bows. Though when I look at them I see no fear, only anger. "Yes, your Royal Highness?"

I blink. "I was wondering if you would be so kind and lead me to the kitchens." I hiss back with far more ferocity. "Unless you are too high in status for that." {2}

**He's having a bad day. His mother just died.

The servant. Not Andy.**

"Unfortunately, the princess has requested that his Royal Highness stays in bed until at least noon, so that he may have the correct amount of sleep. Her Highness has also requested that your grace, drink this tea to help with his....... headache."

"You can tell her Highness, that her request to stay in bed is rejected. I am a busy man and have no time to lay in bed all day." {3}

** He is completely free. He has no schedule. He just doesn't want to listen.**

The servant murmurs something under his breath and hands the drink to me, "would his Highness at least drink the tea. It would bring her Highness most pleasure if he would."

I stare at the drink.

It would be good if you drank it.

But. She asked me to do it.

So?

I don't. Like her.

......Nnnnooooooo. I had. No. Fucking idea. DRINK THE TEA.

I snatch the drink from the servant's hands and chugged it down my throat. Immediately regretting it a second later as my throat and tongue burned and my chest felt like it was charred. I wince.

Bitch.

Fuck you.

I made my way to the kitchen and looked around. After a bit of scouring, I found the right pans and ingredients for breakfast. The time was five-thirty. The court didn't officially wake up until eight o'clock. I had a full three and a half hours to myself.

I smiled and hummed to myself as I fried my omelettes and finished my batter for my pancakes. The sun had risen and kissed my skin as I cooked. The yellow of the sunrise mixed with the earthy brown of the kitchen, birds chirped in the distance, the world was silent. It was moments like these where I felt safe. Happy even.

I hear a laugh somewhere and my good mood instantly dissolves as the princess makes her way into the kitchen. I roll my eyes as she laughs at one of the servants and walks over to the pantry.

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind Alexis. Thank you." She waves. I roll my eyes again as I notice she's not even wearing proper clothing. Instead, she's wearing simple men's riding clothes; pants, a black military jacket and riding boots. Her cheeks are flushed as if she'd just raced all the way back from the middle of nowhere and her eyes shone like dark sapphires as she grinned.

My face contorted into a grimace as she noticed me halfway to the pantry.

"Ah. Your highness." I expected her to curtsey. Instead, she positioned her legs together and put her arms behind her as she nodded. Like a man.

"Very ladylike," I muttered as I looked down and flipped my pancakes.

"I am a soldier before a princess." She replied smoothly. Grabbing a pan and oil and setting it down on the counter next to mine.

Great and she has amazing hearing. What next, she can read my thoughts?

Well, actually yes, she can, if she wanted to. Your abilities are somewhat similar like that.

Splendid. I dump syrup onto my pancakes and grab a fork. Munching forcefully I glare at her as she sets down one egg and half of the ingredients I used in my breakfast.

I raise my eyebrows as she cracks her egg and proceeds to make a minimalistic-style breakfast in half the time I did.

I'm halfway through my meal when she joins me and begins to slowly chew her food.

"So are you going to say anything?"

"Mm?"

"You've been staring at me for the last fifteen minutes." She laughs.

I grin at her. "Simply observing the enemy."

She smiles."Oh? And what have you found?" She slips another forkful of egg into her mouth as she waits for me to answer.

I arch my brow, "besides the fact that you murdered your best friend in cold blood?"

She spits out her wine and I watch as her whole body bends over as she laughs. Though, I doubt she finds it funny. There's too much pain in that laugh for it to be funny.

"Oh, God." She wipes a tear from her eyes and giggles. "Yes. Besides, the 'fact' that I murdered my best friend who was practically my sister."

I resist rolling my eyes again. She sounds like a child when she laughs. How do people even take her seriously like this?

She pours herself another glass, "well?" She waves for me to continue before taking another sip. Her eyes glittering with expectation.

I eye her up and down and shrug, taking my own glass of wine, I begin, "well. You're currently having an affair with another man when you're supposed to be engaged to me."

"I plan on ending it today. Before the engagement is announced tomorrow." She puts the empty glass down. "Anything else?"

I scour my brain and a whole list materialize in my inner-eye of everything that's wrong with her. It would take me at least an hour to go through the whole thing. I glare. " First of all, you are the complete opposite of what a princess and future queen should be." I gesture to her clothes and the fact that she's here in the kitchen in the first place.

"I remember my brother once telling me, 'the country doesn't need a good man that endangers the progression of its nation, rather a bad man that will help it thrive.'

"And you think you can do that?" I sneer.

She shrugs and eyes me cooly. "I'll try. And if I can't do it. I have advisors and friends to help me." She places both of our dishes and her wine glass in the sink. "The servants will be waking soon and making their way down here. I suggest leaving before they arrive. The court isn't quite in favour of you at the moment, given your little rampage last night."

I scowl as she leaves, her dark hair glowing like embers in a flame as the sun hits it. The black of her uniform accenting the red in her hair.

Bitch.

"Oh. And by the way," she turns around and points a finger at me. "Our mothers expect us for breakfast at half-past eight."

"Of course, they do," I mutter. "I wonder what she's going to throw at me today."

She laughs. "Well, I'll definitely enjoy finding out with you." And with that, she left. Leaving me confused on whether to strangle her or laugh.

*****

Anthony: *muttering insanities under his breath*

Him: Bitch.

Servants: *audible gasp*

Satan: Vote and comment to see how much the servants gossip