Chapter Fifteen

Île des Pinsons —just like the rest of the other unexplored islands by him, was something completely new to Evan.

The boardwalks actually gave him the feeling of being in Dublin, crossing the Ha'Penny bridge or something. But still being in another country with a different culture and history.

It was simply amazing the way Avevia could balance Mediterranean and Gallic architecture styles without losing that originality that islands in the Pacific Ocean had.

The streets of the island were made of cobblestones and the sidewalks were tree-lined, the trees were mostly plumeria and flamboyant trees that matched beautifully with each other. The streetlights also had hanging planters with blossoming flowers in them, you could find hibiscus, bougainvillea, and jasmines among other tiny species. The scent of tropical flowers and the rumor of the sea accompanied them everywhere they went.

Michel parked the Alfa Romeo on the corner of a street next to a tree of large, stainless white plumeria. The prince's guards parked on the lane in front of them, a bit farther away.

Michel and André got out of the car.

André took care of opening the back doors. He hadn't spoken a lot during the trip. Michel said he had a long day trying to organize his agenda along with his secretaries for the upcoming events, and he was lately having issues with sleeping. So he was most probably dozing off when the three of them, Michel, Evan, and Gabrielle were schmoozing.

André opened the door and, this way, Evan could take a better look at him.

He was wearing black skinny jeans with black Timberland boots as his footwear, just like Michel. For the top, a slate blue loose silk shirt with its collar slightly open, and Evan noticed he had put on a black leather jacket right after he got out of the Alfa Romeo.

His hair was of a lighter shade of chestnut brown, almost like an ash brown, unlike Michel's, which was more of a darker shade of this color, and it was styled in an undercut with his bangs all combed sideways.

André was probably two or three centimeters taller than Michel, and his body frame was just as muscular as his, although his torso was straight and even —shapeless, unlike Michel's, who possessed a cup-shaped torso.

His skin was lighter than his brother's. And his eyes were of a grayish-blue color with sloped eyelids and short yet fair and notorious eyelashes. He had an aquiline nose and thin yet defined lips. His beard was shaved and he had a trimmed goatee.

Evan didn't know why he was comparing him so much to his younger brother. He thought he was indeed handsome, yes. But he still preferred the youngest prince over him...

André looked like an utter prince charming, while Michel resembled a true angel, straight out of one of those stories that the nuns used to tell Evan and his mates back at the church's choir when he was a kid. And for some reason, the idea of being enamored with an angel attracted him more.

Evan got out of the car and noticed it was starting to get colder outside. Gabrielle got out after him and rubbed her own arms as she shook a bit.

"Yikes, I should have brought a summer jacket or something. I wasn't expecting the weather to change this drastically, honestly…" She complained, her teeth chattered due to the chilly weather.

"Here, take my jacket; it's denim, but it'll keep you a bit warmer than nothing." Evan offered her his jacket.

Belle took the jacket in her hands and looked at him with a worried expression.

"Are you sure? You're wearing a short-sleeved t-shirt, you might catch a cold…" She warned, sounding deeply hesitant and concerned.

"Here, take mine." André said as he took his leather jacket off and handed it to the shaking noble lady. "I'm wearing a long-sleeved shirt and my body defenses are made of steel. I haven't caught a cold since I was twelve or so." He smirked confidently at Belle, and Evan could notice a faint blush growing on her cheeks.

Gabrielle gave Evan's jacket back to him and put on André's leather jacket this time.

There was a tense moment. Not because Evan minded other boys flirting with Belle, but because Belle probably did mind other boys flirting with her and Evan not being able to do anything about it…

Michel cleared out his throat in an attempt to draw attention to him and make the three others forget about the jackets topic. Which seemed successful, as the other prince and the nobles interrupted their staring showdown to avert their gazes and stare at him.

"We should get going, guys. The pub isn't going to stay open all night long." He tried to ease the situation with an awkward smile.

The three of them nodded in understanding and agreement, making their way in the direction of the pub with this.

Belle walked surreptitiously closer to Evan and intertwined their fingers together, hoping this way she'd make him understand she wasn't going to fall for any other man that wasn't him.

But if Belle only knew…

The Irish pub was found by the other corner of the street. It had black and white Tudor-style walls and dark wooden windows that boasted plant holders beneath their frames. The signboard above the entrance door read "The Round Table" with italic glowing letters, "Irish Pub and Café" in lowercase.

There was a small chalkboard in front of the door, with the available drinks and dishes and their respective prices after an ellipse written down on it with white chalk, and drawings of beer bottles and mugs were drawn on the corners of its top.

Michel opened the door for the three of them. The first who got into the pub was Gabrielle, followed by Evan, lastly, André and Michel got into the small building.

There was medieval wooden paneling for the walls, the floor was also ancient-looking and wooden. The wood was a material that prevailed a lot in that pub, apparently… Even the bar was made of wood.

There were puffy, comfortable-looking seating booths next to the walls, covered in red velvet, and bronze buttons decorated its' edges; they matched with the barstools' design, which was, again, made of a wooden base, and the sitting area was covered in red velvet carpeting with bronze buttons adorning the borders.

There were also regular dining tables of small size, they were made of wood that matched the floor's color, their surfaces had medieval-styled carvings, and were crowned with a piece of glass.

The chairs' wood was also of the same color as the floor and tables, they had carvings on their back frames and armrests and their seating and backrest areas were also covered in red velvet and adorned with bronze buttons on the edges.

Everything in that pub felt Irish and plainly cozy. The patrons sitting by the bar were chatting smooth and avidly as they drank many varieties of beer.

There were also people sitting on the booths and tables who were enjoying each other's company, as they ate meals like fish and chips and drank alcoholic drinks such as beer or fine wine or, for some others, just a nice and steaming cup of coffee, or a simple glass of lemonade or juice accompanied by grilled sandwiches.

A waitress noticed them from the bar's distance and smiled at them when she recognized them.

She was wearing the pub's uniform —black leggings, a quarter-sleeved white shirt, dark red flats, and a black waist apron with a white hem. Her skin was sun-kissed and her brown hair with tips fading into ash blonde was tied into a messy updo.

She walked up to them to welcome them in with the warmest and most appropriate manners that such an ordinary girl like her could find.

"Your Highnesses." She pronounced, bowing at them a bit ineptly. "Lady Martí, and you must be Sir Evan Clarke, right?" She looked at Evan curiously and smiled at him politely.

"That would be me, yes." Evan smiled back at her.

"We decided to take a break from our duties for tonight and enjoy the kingdom's hottest spots to eat dinner, drink, and just have fun." Michel informed the waitress, his voice sounded excited, and yet it remained calm and proper, just like a prince should act in any given situation.

"That sounds great, Your Highness. I can offer you the nicest spot upstairs, which, just in case you didn't know, has a dancing area, arcade machine games, and a pool table. Or I can also offer you a place on the rooftop, it's quieter than the rest of the pub, but it has an amazing view of the surrounding streets and is beautifully decorated with hanging lights and plant holders. You decide, please." She described the place with a toothy grin and an enthusiastic voice.

The quartet stared at each other, slightly confused and indecisive.

"The rooftop sounds quite nice, in my opinion." Belle suggested.

"I'd fancy going to the rooftop as well." Added André.

"Evan? What do you say?" Michel inquired, looking at him with tender teal eyes, like allowing him to have the last word in that discussion.

Evan led his hand to his chin, grabbing it, which made him look like quite a thinker —even when he had already decided which option he thought was the best.

"Let's go for the rooftop, then." He finally said, tossing his hand in the air lightly to emphasize his answer.

"Okay, the rooftop will be." Michel announced with determination as he smiled at the waitress.

The waitress nodded energetically and turned around on her heels.

"Follow me, please." She said.

She led them to a narrow staircase next to the restrooms, which were almost hidden behind the bar.

It led them to the second floor, which, unlike the first one, boasted more contemporary paneling, the wood of the same color as the floor, and the wallpapers were of a crimson red with fleur-de-lis designs, golden wall sconces were attached to them as well and gave the place even more lighting than the first floor.

There were fewer seating spots than downstairs, probably due to the huge pool table in the middle of the place and the arcade games machines near the dancing lounge, maybe just four seating booths or so, if Evan counted them correctly…

There was a black metal spiral staircase of patio style by the left corner, contrary to the right corner, where you could find the dancing area. They went upstairs again and, finally, they had reached the rooftop of the pub.

The rooftop was, with no doubt, the quietest place of the pub.

There were only three dining tables spread across each extreme. The one on the front had enough space for six people. The one on the right was beautifully surrounded by flower potters. And the one on the left was decorated with a pergola with climbing wisteria and fairy lights.

The backspace was full of planters where seasonal herbs and spices were being grown —probably with the purpose of being harvested later on for using them to season the pub's meals. There were light wooden posts standing around them with gorgeous diamond-shaped spotlights spread along connected wires that changed their colors every now and then.

The wall of the building next to the pub was adorned with wild climbing ivy that looked very healthy.

There was a couple sitting by the right corner. They immediately recognized the princes and the nobles, and so they greeted them from their spot. The four of them greeted them back politely. And then, the other two leaned in closer to each other, most probably to gush about them.

The waitress turned around to face and speak to them.

"Your Highnesses, My Lady and Lord. You're free to choose which spot you'd like to take a seat in. I'd highly recommend the table by the left, as it has enough space for the four of you and, in my opinion, the most beautiful decorations." The waitress informed them, sounding very polite and enthusiastic, clearly willing to serve the nobility as best as she could.

The four of them looked at each other and nodded simultaneously, all of them agreeing on the fact that recommendation was indeed the best option.

"We're definitely going for the table at the left." André said, sounding rather solemn suddenly for some odd reason, maybe he didn't actually mean it…

"Okay, please follow me and feel free to choose your seats." The waitress walked up to the table as the quartet followed her. Then, she brought up her tiny notebook and a pen, getting ready to take notes of what they were going to order.

Evan sat next to Belle and in front of Michel. While Belle sat in front of André.

The ambiance felt really peaceful and nice, sitting under a pergola lit up with twinkling fairy lights and full of wisteria blossoming splendorous. He felt indeed like a leprechaun in some unknown place of Ireland having a good time with his faerie friends.

"So, tell me, Your Highnesses, Lord and Lady, what are you going to order? Would you like the menu? Would you like some drinks and selected nuts as a starter?" She asked, always behaving well-mannered.

"Evan, you're the expert here. What would you recommend us?" Michel asked playfully, trying to tease him a bit again.

Evan simply chuckled at that comment. He was actually not a heavy beer drinker, but he knew some good brands.

"Well, some mugs of Murphy's Irish Stout would sound good, but that's my personal favourite as it has a sweet coffee and chocolate flavour. Since it's spring, I'd also suggest some bottles of Harp Lager. It's up to you, but, actually…" He hesitated for a minute, a better idea popping up in his mind. "Do you happen to have some cans of Dandelion and Burdock? I used to have them when I'd hang out with my friends in Derbyshire, and I'd love for Gabrielle and Their Highnesses to try them."

The waitress grinned at him.

"It's your lucky day! We rarely receive shipments of them, and when we do, we get very few of them. But we received some just this morning!" The waiter replied.

"Alright, four cans of Dandelion and Burdock, please, and I'd like to add a small plate of sweet potato chips if possible, I'm allergic to nuts." André added as he leaned his back on the chair's backrest a bit nonchalantly.

"Don't forget to bring the menu, please, good young lady." Michel reminded her, sketching a charming smile for the waitress.

The waitress wrote down the orders in her notebook quickly.

"Alright, everything noted, the drinks will be on the house. It won't take longer than ten or fifteen minutes. I hope you enjoy your night here." She said enthusiastically and, after finishing that phrase, she bowed at them and left.

There was a brief moment of silence at the table. Until André finally broke it.

"Would you guys like to go downstairs to the dancing lounge as we wait for the drinks?" Was his suggestion.

"I'd stay here, what if the waitress comes again and doesn't find us?" Evan replied.

"Yeah, I'm with Evan, I'll just stay here, brother. I hope that doesn't bother you." Michel agreed with his friend.

"Um, I would like to go to the dancing lounge, though…" Said a disappointed Gabrielle.

André couldn't help letting out a light snort, sitting up.

"Evan, mind if I steal Gabrielle from you for a few minutes? I promise not to do anything bad to her." He asked, staring at the redhead with a haughty look in his grayish-blue eyes.

Evan eyed Belle, who looked back at him with a bit of a concerned expression.

"Is that okay with you, Belle? I won't keep you from doing whatever you want to." Evan asked, feeling suddenly intimidated by Michel's older brother.

But Belle sketched a sudden rather confident smile. Like letting her fiancé know that everything was going to be alright.

"Sure. Don't worry, Prince André will surely take care of me, I'll be just fine." She reassured him, her voice sounded joyous and certainly excited.

After all, a girl doesn't get the chance of dancing with a prince every night…

"Okay, go then, we'll be waiting for you." Evan gave his permission, even when he felt that he didn't have to give her his permission for doing anything at all.

André and Belle sat up and headed downstairs together. Then, only the two of them, Michel and Evan, were left sitting at the table alone.

Evan gave Michel an inquisitive look, raising his thick eyebrows. Michel simply sighed, looking overwhelmed.

"I know. We need to talk about my brother's behavior…"