A damsel, but does she need a prince?

Valerie

"You should eat. It's getting cold." I said to Luke when I saw who had called.

I watched him move to the dining table before I hurried into my room to receive Mr. Angelo's call.

"Hello, Angelo."

"Valerie! When are you coming for the fitting? You know you have to be on your way to England tomorrow, the Gala is the day after." Mr. Angelo's overly excited voice rang in my head the instant the phone connected.

"Yes

Valerie

"You should eat. It's getting cold." I said to Luke when I saw who had called. 

I watched him move to the dining table before I hurried into my room to receive Mr. Angelo's call. 

"Hello, Angelo." 

"Valerie! When are you coming for the fitting? You know you have to be on your way to Vidin  tomorrow, the Gala is the day after." Mr. Angelo's overly excited voice rang in my head the instant the phone connected. 

"Yes, I know… I know, it just-

"It's just what? I thought you have decided to attend the Gala," the excitement in his voice was replaced with disappointment, and what he said after wasn't surprising at all. 

"I understand, Angelo. I wouldn't disappoint Moria." I clenched my teeth as I replied to the cunning man on the phone. That was all he could say, "Moria is depending on you Val. You know you will be promoting her new dress, you can't do that. Also, attending the Gala is beneficial to you, you can't jeopardize your career."

"Good, that's good." 

I heaved a deep sigh when I heard Mr. Angelo's excited voice again. I was irritated that I couldn't make my own decisions, but I knew that he was right. Attending Baratheon's Royal Gala was as important to me as it was to Moria. 

I was still on call with Angelo when I heard Lydia's persistent voice. She had taken it upon herself to explain to Luke what being a model was, and its advantages, but she failed to explain why I would never allow Luke to model for Moria. 

Why did she keep romanticizing the job to Luke? I was furious that she wouldn't just listen to me. 

"Uhm, Angelo, can I go to Vidin from San Jose? I'm planning on taking Jack with me to the Gala, he would really like to attend." I quickly informed Mr. Angelo of my plan, so he could prepare the tickets for Jack too.

"You are going to the Gala with your brother? What about Lydia?" I could decipher another type of excitement in his voice this time. Was he interested in Lydia?

"Lydia has to keep an eye on the store," I answered. I was expecting him to say that it wasn't enough reason, since Lydia was my assistant and she had to be everywhere I was, but his reply was rather slightly shocking.

"Yeah, sure. Sure. She should keep an eye on the store. I will prepare a temporary assistant for you in Vidin."

"Oh, thank you." I was greatly relieved. 

"Don't be late for the fitting." Mr. Angelo added before he hung the call. Heaving another sigh of relief, I turned around to leave my room when I heard Lydia's persistent voice again.

"Luke, are you listening to me? Presently, there's a great offer at hand. Givenchy is having this terrific runaway show and they offered Miss Moria an invitation. Sadly, it's only for male models, but I don't think we have any hot man that can pull it off, and give us the publicity we want-

"How many times did I have to say that he is not modeling for Moria? He is not fit for it. You are not the one that will decide for him." I interrupted her words coldly the instant I entered the living room. I was sure that I probably looked intimidating at the moment, but I couldn't care less.

"Luke, can I speak to you for a moment?" I turned my head at Luke, who had a small smile on his face. I frowned when I saw his amused expression. What was funny? 

"Sure." He answered, and immediately stood up to follow me. 

Instead of going to my room, I decided to talk to Luke in the spare room he had been living in. I felt he would be more comfortable there, than in my room. 

When we got to the spare room, Luke proceeded to open the door before I did, and I raised my eyes at him. "You know you don't have to do that, right?" It was a rhetorical question, but he still gave a reply.

"I wanted to."

Wanted to? I wasn't a damsel that needs prince charming. 

His reply made my heart warm, but I turned around to quickly hide my flush cheeks. He just opened a damn bedroom door! Why am I behaving as if he did the most wonderful thing in the world? 

In the spare room, I looked around to see how neatly Luke had arranged the room, and I was greatly impressed. I hadn't thought he would try to manage the room to his taste at all. 

"I- uhm-" I heard Luke's nervous voice behind me, and I turned around to face him.

"I hope you are not mad at the arrangement, I know it's not my place to rearrange the-

"No, it's fine. You did well," I shook my head to dissuade his apology. I saw a tiny smile appear on his lips, and I didn't know when I started smiling alongside him.

Dumb! Goodness, why am I smiling at him?!

"You want to have a word with me?" Luke asked. 

My eyes furrowed when I heard how he worded his sentence. I had said I wanted to see him for a moment, how come he speaks so strange? Like ancient times? 

"Yeah," I swallowed as I nervously clamped my hands together. I had no idea how to begin, but I knew I had to tell him my plans before we left for Angelos. 

"I have a plane to catch." I began. My eyes moved slowly to his. His cold, but calm grey eyes. Wait- I think he had little green in them as well. How can someone be this gorgeous? His long lashes did the best work to improve his eyes, and even without trying, he could attract any human on earth. 

"A plane? What's that?" came the curious voice of Luke, and I raised a quizzical brow at him.

"What? You don't know what a plane is?" He got to be kidding me. How could he not know what a plane is?

"I don't know," he answered as if it was a normal thing.

"How can you not know what a plane is? You are kidding, right?" I found it hard to believe. Shelby had confirmed that he must have lost his memories, but this-

A scene flashed in my head, and my eyes widened in shock. I swallowed hard before I brought my phone out and showed it to him. "Do you know what this is?" I asked, looking at him with expectation. 

For a brief second, I thought he would give a positive answer, but when I saw him shake his head, I almost stumbled back in shock. "You don't know what a cell phone is too?" My mouth was agape as I stared at his ignorant expression. It was hard to accept.

I waited for a brief second to take it all in before I moved closer to him. He momentarily took a step back, but I closed in on him.

"You- who exactly are you? How come you heal so fast, but have no idea about anything?" I asked, trying not to notice how close I was to him.

If my eyes weren't too focused on him, I would have missed how his Adam apple rose and fell as he swallowed, and how his eyes turned up. 

"Where did you come from, Luke?" 

He didn't reply or make any attempt to for a brief second, and I had almost thought he wouldn't until he opened his mouth. 

"Valerie, I can't tell you who I am at the moment, but I promise that I will as soon as I can." 

I frowned upon hearing his words. What's stopping him from revealing his identity? Is he unsafe? "This is because of the man that murdered your sister?" I inquired after remembering our conversation the previous night.

I saw him nod after a while, and I stepped back to give him breathing space. "Alright, you don't have to tell me anything now, but you have to when I'm back from the Gala."

"Gala?" 

"Yea, Gala." I raised a brow at him, but when I remembered that he didn't even know what a plane was, I quickly gave a brief explanation of what a Gala was. 

"Oh, so that's why you have to leave?"  He asked, and I nodded. 

"This Gala is very important. It's a royal Gala, by the House of Baratheon of Vidin Kingdom. You probably haven't heard of them. I also just got to know about them." 

"Are you attending the Gala with Blake?" 

Luke's question shook me to the core, and I made no effort to hide it. "No, I'm not. I'm going with Jack." I didn't know why he assumed I would be going with Blake, but it was better to let him know that. Since he might be staying with Blake until I got back from Vidin.

"Who is Jack?" Luke asked.

, I know… I know, it just-

"It's just what? I thought you have decided to attend the Gala," the excitement in his voice was replaced with disappointment, and what he said after wasn't surprising at all.

"I understand, Angelo. I wouldn't disappoint Moria." I clenched my teeth as I replied to the cunning man on the phone. That was all he could say, "Moria is depending on you Val. You know you will be promoting her new dress, you can't do that. Also, attending the Gala is beneficial to you, you can't jeopardize your career."

"Good, that's good."

I heaved a deep sigh when I heard Mr. Angelo's excited voice again. I was irritated that I couldn't make my own decisions, but I knew that he was right. Attending the Baratheon Royal Gala was as important to me as it was to Moria.

I was still on call with Angelo when I heard Lydia's persistent voice. She had taken it upon herself to explain to Luke what being a model was, and its advantages, but she failed to explain why I would never allow Luke to model for Moria.

Why did she keep romanticizing the job to Luke? I was furious that she wouldn't just listen to me.

"Uhm, Angelo, can I go to England from San Jose? I'm planning on taking Jack with me to the Gala, he would really like to attend." I quickly inform Mr. Angelo of my plan, so he could prepare the tickets for Jack too.

"You are going to the Gala with your brother? What about Lydia?" I could decipher another type of excitement in his voice this time. Was he interested in Lydia?

"Lydia has to keep an eye on the store," I answered. I was expecting him to say that it wasn't enough reason, since Lydia was my assistant and she had to be everywhere I was, but his reply was rather slightly shocking.

"Yeah, sure. Sure. She should keep an eye on the store. I will prepare a temporary assistant for you in England."

"Oh, thank you." I was greatly relieved.

"Don't be late for the fitting." Mr. Angelo added before he hung the call. Heaving another sigh of relief, I turned around to leave my room when I heard Lydia's persistent voice again.

"Luke, are you listening to me? Presently, there's a great offer at hand. Givenchy is having this terrific runaway show and they offered Miss Moria an invitation. Sadly, it's only for male models, but I don't think we have any hot man that can pull it off, and give us the publicity we want-

"How many times did I have to say that he is not modeling for Moria? He is not fit for it. You are not the one that will decide for him." I interrupted her words coldly the instant I entered the living room. I was sure that I probably looked intimidating at the moment, but I couldn't care less.

"Luke, can I speak to you for a moment?" I turned my head at Luke, who had a small smile on his face. I frowned when I saw his amused expression. What was funny?

"Sure." He answered, and immediately stood up to follow me.

Instead of going to my room, I decided to talk to Luke in the spare room he had been living in. I felt he would be more comfortable there, than in my room.

When we got to the spare room, Luke proceeded to open the door before I did, and I raised my eyes at him. "You know you don't have to do that, right?" It was a rhetorical question, but he still gave a reply.

"I wanted to."

Wanted to? I wasn't a damsel that needs prince charming.

His reply made my heart warm, but I turned around to quickly hide my flush cheeks. He just opened a damn bedroom door! Why am I behaving as if he did the most wonderful thing in the world?

In the spare room, I looked around to see how neatly Luke had arranged the room, and I was greatly impressed. I hadn't thought he would try to manage the room to his taste at all.

"I- uhm-" I heard Luke's nervous voice behind me, and I turned around to face him.

"I hope you are not mad at the arrangement, I know it's not my place to rearrange the-

"No, it's fine. You did well," I shook my head to dissuade his apology. I saw a tiny smile appear on his lips, and I didn't know when I started smiling alongside him.

Dumb! Goodness, why am I smiling at him?!

"You want to have a word with me?" Luke asked.

My eyes furrowed when I heard how he worded his sentence. I had said I wanted to see him for a moment, how come he speaks so strange? Like ancient times?

"Yeah," I swallowed as I nervously clamped my hands together. I had no idea how to begin, but I knew I had to tell him my plans before we left for Angelos.

"I have a plane to catch." I began. My eyes moved slowly to his. His cold, but calm grey eyes. Wait- I think he had little green in them as well. How can someone be this gorgeous? His long lashes did the best work to improve his eyes, and even without trying, he could attract any human on earth.

"A plane? What's that?" came the curious voice of Luke, and I raised a quizzical brow at him.

"What? You don't know what a plane is?" He got to be kidding me. How could he not know what a plane is?

"I don't know," he answered as if it was a normal thing.

"How can you not know what a plane is? You are kidding, right?" I found it hard to believe. Shelby had confirmed that he must have lost his memories, but this-

A scene flashed in my head, and my eyes widened in shock. I swallowed hard before I brought my phone out and showed it to him. "Do you know what this is?" I asked, looking at him with expectation.

For a brief second, I thought he would give a positive answer, but when I saw him shake his head, I almost stumbled back in shock. "You don't know what a cell phone is too?" My mouth was agape as I stared at his ignorant expression. It was hard to accept.

I waited for a brief second to take it all in before I moved closer to him. He momentarily took a step back, but I closed in on him.

"You- who exactly are you? How come you heal so fast, but have no idea about anything?" I asked, trying not to notice how close I was to him.

If my eyes weren't too focused on him, I would have missed how his Adam apple rose and fell as he swallowed, and how his eyes turned up.

"Where did you come from, Luke?"

He didn't reply or make any attempt to for a brief second, and I had almost thought he wouldn't until he opened his mouth.

"Valerie, I can't tell you who I am at the moment, but I promise that I will as soon as I can."

I frowned upon hearing his words. What's stopping him from revealing his identity? Is he unsafe? "This is because of the man that murdered your sister?" I inquired after remembering our conversation the previous night.

I saw him nod after a while, and I stepped back to give him breathing space. "Alright, you don't have to tell me anything now, but you have to when I'm back from the Gala."

"Gala?"

"Yea, Gala." I raised a brow at him, but when I remembered that he didn't even know what a plane was, I quickly gave a brief explanation of what a Gala was.

"Oh, so that's why you have to leave?" He asked, and I nodded.

"This Gala is very important. It's a royal Gala, by the House of Baratheon. You probably haven't heard of them. I also just got to know about them."

"Are you attending the Gala with Blake?"

Luke's question shook me to the core, and I made no effort to hide it. "No, I'm not. I'm going with Jack." I didn't know why he assumed I would be going with Blake, but it was better to let him know that. Since he might be staying with Blake until I got back from England.

"Who is Jack?" Luke asked.