Chapter 3

• Noah
• I struggled to button up my simple black lounge suit as Ruby followed me, wearing a red single-sleeved dress that ended at her knees. She had been talking to me nonstop since the night before, disturbing my peace in my chambers, asking about Boston, and even attempting to massage me, causing me to retire late at night.
• What did she want, this time?
• “I was told you didn’t make an effort to do anything in the ballroom. For goodness sake, this is your first ball as an adult, Noah.” Ruby complained, gesticulating with her fingers while we walked through the empty hallways.
• I ran a hand over my hair while looking at every portrait on the wall.
• “But I did, I tried to speak with lots of people yesterday, at the ball. You weren’t even there.” I lied through my teeth.
• “No, you didn’t, “ Ruby accused, “Mother told me that you were simply standing in the middle of the ball.”
• “It’s not like any of them knew who I was.” I countered.
• I let out a chuckle, laughing hard at my sister whom I was certain that she wanted so much than to rip my mask off me.
• “Or you don’t intend to let them know who you really are. “ she retorted, “You were the reason why everyone wore masks, remember?”
• She then told me that several random people from all across Midon were invited to the royal ball to get a feel of what royalty was since it was a practice that my grandfather held for several years. I let out an inaudible scoff, wondering why. I then remembered that the woman I danced with wasn’t royal.
• I wondered why I was even going to attend the greenhouse party. There was nothing spectacular about it and at the end of the day, I would still just look around, drink a few glasses of wine and head back to my chambers for a quick nap without being noticed.
• Ruby smiled at me while trying to hold me by the arm, “You should meet someone….”
• I cut her off in mid-sentence.
• “No, thank you!” I stopped her from speaking.
• I ventured towards the greenhouse in the royal palace, letting go of my sister’s arm. The greenhouse was a breath of fresh air and it was where I and Ruby played as kids. We often cut off lots of greens here and were berated constantly but we never listened and we did it over and over, again.
• My father was in his chambers from what Ruby told me and I guessed that my mother should certainly be by his side. My uncle, Eli was speaking with older princes around his age while drowning several glasses of wine and laughing like a maniac.
• I shot a glance around the people in the greenhouse and my mind recollected the woman I danced with the previous night, Ashley. I reminsiced on the moment when I told her that I was the Prince of Midon and I was so sure that she took me for a liar. I still couldn’t believe that I told a random woman that I was the Prince of Midon just to pique her Interest.
• That was so odd yet liberating.
• I remembered that she ran away from the ball and I wished she had left something behind. Maybe her mask or her cellphone number. But why would she give it to me anyways? As far as I knew, several people could be bearing her name all across Midon.
• I lifted my neck like an ostrich and almost walked around the entire greenhouse and I impulsively smacked my hands against my masked forehead in the realization of my sheer stupidity. But how would I recognize her with a mask? Everyone here was also dressed in a mask, just like me. But someone else caught my eye because she was staring at me.
• Someone who looked so familiar.
• I rubbed a couple of fingers across my masked forehead.
• Why did it have to be Diana?
• My ex.
• I could recognize her even in the dark and by the way she stood straight and tall while her gaze remained fixated on mine. I also sighted the mole on her neck and I was completely certain it was her.
• We were together for a period of almost two years and during that time, we both cheated on each other, fought and reconciled…and fought again over it. Her mother was the Duchess of Cornwell.
• The cycle between I and Diana lasted almost a year before we eventually went our separate ways. She was the first to let go while I hanged on for a couple of months before I finally got over her. She wore a white dress that accentuated her curves and her golden mask could not hide her beauty. The neckline of the dress wasn’t very low, but it showed quite a bit of flesh. I pushed my way through the crowd. Diana was the first to notice, then she turned and started walking very fast while holding a glass of punch.
• This was no way to meet an ex, was it?
• With each and every step she took, she looked over her shoulders, making sure I was still there but that didn’t stop me. I missed her somehow. My brain cells kept yelling at me to stop while reminding me that we were done years ago but my heart kept going.
• Then Diana began sprinting. She was running towards a maze. A place where I used to play when I was a child and the first place I asked her to be my girlfriend. I knew practically everywhere in the palace. She was lucky that the guards recognized her and let her pass through the black gates with me, following behind.
• She then turned round a sharp corner and stopped behind a couple of tall shrubs. I walked faster and bridged the gap between us.
• “Why is it so hard to get to see you, Diana?” I asked as I crouched low, trying to catch my breath.
• “Are you happy now that you have seen me?” she frowned while crossing her arm across her bosom.
• “May I remind you that you were the one who started running.” I objected with a hand raised.
• “Whatever,” she answered blandly.
• “Why are you here?” I chuckled lightly, rising up slowly.
• “None of your business,” she responded.
• “Here we go again, woman. You stepped into the greenhouse sporting a mask. Should I be worried? “ I replied with a smirk.
• “I was invited, dumbass and I should be leaving anyways. “ Diana gritted her teeth.
• “You are free to leave.” A sad smile swept across my face. This was not what I expected.
• “Okay.”
• My eyes raked all over her body. The glint in her eyes was real and she looked so hot in that dress. I then placed my arms on both sides of her head, leaning on the wall behind her for support.
• I needed one last closure over how tragically we ended.
• “W-What are you doing?” Diana stuttered as her eyelashes batted at me to stop.
• “I want to kiss you right now, can I?” I honestly spoke as my lips angled closer to her ear, while removing my mask, watching it as it dropped right to the ground.
• I leaned in, making sure that our lips were close to kissing and then I moved closer, angling my face closer to her lips, our noses almost touching. I didn’t want to make a move unless she was alright with it. Her lips parted slightly, closing around my bottom lip, and dammit, all I wanted was to kiss her senseless.
• Her breath was sweet as she tried to control herself as she pulled me closer, kissed and ran her fingers through my hair. She then pushed me gently on the chest and I took a step backward, still basking in the heated moment.
• I tried to lean in for another kiss but she then pushed me back while I retreated slowly while shoving my hands into my pockets.
• “Are you pissed at me?” I asked.
• “Are you really asking me that?” she answered, wiping her lips with her fingers.
• “Oh,” I responded while adjusting my tie.
• “This is uncomfortable. I have to leave.” Diana replied while putting her mask on.
• “Why don’t you spend some time with me?” I replied with a smile, “Right here.”
• “And why on earth should I?” Diana asked, “We are done, remember?”
• “I’ll give you anything you want if you spend time with me,” I answered back, ignoring her former remark, yet again.
• “A million bucks and the title of a Queen?” Diana asked, raising a brow.
• “Wait what?” I was stunned. I thought she might want me.
• “Yes, I want a million bucks and I want the title of the Queen,” she repeated with a straight face, “You promised anyways.”
• “Okay,” I replied while the corner of my lips sloped into a downward smile.
• “I was joking. I don’t need your money.” Diana announced, one of her hands touching her hip.
• “I wasn’t,” I spoke sincerely, raising a shoulder.
• “Alright, so you’ll give…me the title?” she wanted to confirm.
• “Yes and I want you too, Diana.” I grinned.
• I heard her let out a scoff and in that instant, she started to walk away from me.
• “W-Wait….” I hollered after her in confusion but she wasn’t stopping. I grabbed her hand and she angrily recoiled away from me.
• “I thought-“ I started.
• “You never change, Noah. You never do. After all these years, all you want is just get me back after a kiss. Do you really think I would crawl back to you after you cheated on me with Fiona? Do you really want us to keep being together after everything that has happened between us? “ she laughed bitterly.
• I bit my lower lip, ignoring her remark about Fiona, and whispered, “You kissed me.”
• “That was a mistake and I regret it,” Diana responded, this time, her face bore no smile.
• “Then why are you here? To torture me?” I asked, crossing my arms across my chest.
• “I just wanted to see you one last time before I left for Cornwell and you haven’t changed one bit, Noah,” Diana spoke truthfully.
• “Neither have you. If you wanted to see me as you said, you could have said that instead of playing the blame card. You cheated on me and I did too. We were even, Diana.” I retorted.
• “That’s the problem with you. I cheated on you and I admit it. You don’t have to rub it in my damn face everytime.” Diana spoke, her eyes glossy and her quick heels started moving far away from me.
• “D-Diana… please wait,” I called out, my head was beginning to pound again as I tried to clutch her arm.
• “Don’t touch me. You disgust me. “ Diana shouted before walking out on me.
• I smashed my knuckles against the hard wall and yelled, “Dammit!”
• I crouched low, picking up my mask in a single attempt, dusting it as I positioned it over my face.
• I knew I had lost a chance of ever seeing Diana in my entire life for good.
• I didn’t go back to the greenhouse. I walked back to my chambers to drown myself in a bottle of wine.