Chapter 9

• Noah
• "So you studied in Boston college?" I affirmed, interlocking both hands.
• I looked up and smiled at Matilda for the upteeneth time, my eyes never leaving hers. I wondered why she chose a small bakery shop for a meet up. My mother was the one who passed me a letter that morning about where I should go. I expected somewhere more serene and cozy but then, I also wanted to be treated like a cilivan, like every other regular person in Midon. We decided to talk in whispers as we didn't want any anyone asking ridiculous questions.
• "Yes I did and also I did study accounting, though it was my parent's choice." she tucked in her black wavy hair behind her ear.
• "That's delightful. I haven't heard of Arendelle in a while and neither did I know there was a Duchess like you." I spoke, drumming my fingers against the table.
• "Well things happen and Arendelle is more modern now and lively. There's a high school about to be established there and a fashion house too." Matilda muttered, "B-But what about you? How are you able to walk on the streets of Midon without being noticed."
• Warm air filled my nostrils due to the mask I was wearing. My elbows grazed the table and I responded, "The last time I had taken a full picture with my face on it for the photographers and the newspapers was when I was twelve, I guess. They hardly know how I look but when I ascend the throne, they'll definitely know."
• "So you want to live a normal life before you become a King." she whispered, settling her well manicured nails on the table.
• "I want a life of my own, I must confess. Before I become you know..." I paused, my lips curving into a grin, "I want to be able to walk on the street without a camera in my face or someone asking me questions."
• Her eyes seemed like an ocean, I longed to dive in and embrace their warm embrace.
• "I understand perfectly but don't you think that some people tend to disrespect you when they don't know who you are." she commented, her eyes crystal clear as a swimming pool.
• I was lost in them. Damn, she was a chatter box and I was loving every side of her.
• "Well... I-I don't know about that." I paused, clearing my throat, "So you're single?"
• "If I wasn't, would I be here?" she chuckled lightly.
• "W-Well you might be seeing someone and also might just want to do the whole meet up thingy for your parents." My predatory eyes narrowed back at her, taking her by surprise as she jerked backwards in amusement.
• "What about you? Any lady that interests you?"
• "Well, there's a lady who I fancy right now." I promptly replied with a small laugh.
• "I heard that you broke lots of hearts." Her soothing voice lulled me to attraction.
• "Rumors, Rumors and always so many Rumors. I haven't been with so many women in my entire life, I would love to dive into it but this is no place to discuss past relationships." My hands glided over the other, my palm blazing hot.
• Why so many questions? Did she do a lot of research based on senseless rumors on me?
• Did she expect me to be a perfect Prince?
• I wanted to give her a fabulous first impression for my mother and Midon in particular. I didn't want her yapping around, telling her friends or family at how I ruined a supposed royal meet up.
• "I was quite sure those rumors were on the Telegraph newspaper and also on the Outlander newspaper and no where did you debunke it, neither did your family." she continued with a eye roll.
• I sighed, "So you made your research. What next? People make mistakes and do this those newspapers."
• "I just want to be sure of the man that my father assures me would love, adore and respect me is you." Matilda spoke again, her voice lower than unexpected.
• "It's an arranged meet up not an arranged marriage." I clarified with a brow raised.
• "Of course, but do I catch your fancy?" She propped a hand under her chin.
• I swallowed a huge globe of saliva. How on earth was I going to answer that? Her voice and bewitching eyes caught my fancy but her numerous questions were beginning to annoy me.
• I haven't even had a single opportunity to ask what her favorite color was or what wine she loved and hated.
• "If you don't, I could leave and we could save ourselves a lot of stress and also the merger....."
• My forehead scrunched up in confusion. What merger? Mother never talked about a merger and definitely didn't care to inform me about one.
• "What merger?" I asked, the words jumbling out in a haste.
• Her hands intertwined into one another, "Well the economy of Midon hasn't been as strong as before and I am sure you're aware of that." she paused, rubbing her neck, "So my father offered a merger in which we stand as allies and help one another before the economy crumbles and before your people start to think that banishing the monarchy is the best option."
• "And why are you telling me this?" I shot a piercing gaze at her.
• "Because whether this works out or not. There will be an arranged marriage either ways and we'd be married." she muttered without blinking.
• "-That's impossible."
• "Your mother knows about the arranged marriage, maybe she forgot to tell you." she twirled her blonde hair in between two fingers.
• My nerves began to unloosen and my head went blank beyond comprehension.
• Why did my mother lie to my face about everything?
• The reason she wanted me back from Boston wasn't because she missed me. It was because of the merger itself.
• "So were you at the ball?" I feared her response.
• "Yes, I was." Her words caught me off by surprise.
• "So this is just formalities and everything was arranged just to meet you?" I found it hard to understand her words.
• "Yes, I guess. But you seemed busy either ways." she sighed.
• "My mother-"
• "She knew about the whole situation. " she whispered.
• "I want to marry the woman I love." My voice began to turn hushed, not wanting to bring any attention to myself, "I don't want to marry because of a merger. "
• "We can love each other. In fact, we're just getting to know each other." Her hands drummed against the table, noise to my ears.
• "I was tricked into this. You could have continued lying to my fucking-"
• She raised a finger in the air, signalling me to stop when a server arrived with a piece of cheese cake balanced on a tray in her right-
• Oh wait, left hand.
• *****
• I almost spilled my tea when Matilda began to berate the server.
• "You don't serve a customer with a left hand. You do it with the right. What is wrong with your work ethics? And for goodness sake, stop talking?" Her eyes were blazing red as her fingers coiled around the arm of the wooden chair.
• "My apologies, ma'am but my right wrist is sprained and I don't want to spill anything-"
• Why was she even explaining herself to Matilda?
• Matilda's death glare was enough to tell.
• I propped a hand under my chin and crossed my legs and began to linger on the lies that my mother told me about the whole "finding a wife" thing and Matilda was nowhere near humble talkless of being a classy Duchess.
• All was set lose when Matilda resorted to slapping the server and when another tried to intervene, she almost exposed her identity as a Duchess.
• Super narcissist behavior, I called it.
• Now I knew who she really was and what made me a bit sad was the fact that both the servers groveled down to her, bowing down because she seemed like someone who was rich.
• I succeeded in yanking her hand off the one of the server's head who thought she was my woman.
• My woman?
• She was only the woman I had just met.
• When Matilda nearly revealed her identity, I would have sworn that she was few moments from taking off her face mask.
• Her eyes was utter perfection in my sight but her nonchalant attitude and overbearing behavior was a huge red flag.
• I dragged her outside the bakery admist her sharp yells of telling me to bug off.
• "Apologize." I told Matilda with a firm grip on her wrist
• "Who are you to tell me what to do? I was disrespected." she rebuffed, with her blonde curls still in perfect shape.
• "You almost used your power your authority, Matilda. You know that you're not supposed to do that." I whispered.
• "Are you scared that I might expose your identity? Does that scare you so much?" Matilda moved closer to the me, the distance making an awkward angle.
• I bit my bottom up as my forehead scrunched up in wrinkles again.
• What the fuck was wrong with this woman?
• "I don't care what you want to do, I don't give a damn about my identity and you don't have the right to blackmail me about it, " I angled my lips towards her ear, refusing to let go of her wrist, "I am the Prince of Midon and you do not disrespect my people."
• "Oh la la." Her voice was beginning to itch me like a rash, a very annoying rash, "So this is the man my father talked so well about, you're a coward. You didn't even care to jump to my fucking defense." She growled in my ear.
• "And why would I do that? Why would I encourage you to slap a woman just because she decided to serve you with her left hand and just because she spoke? What the hell is wrong with your empathy, huh? Her wrist is fucked up and the least you should be worried about is stupid traditions." I countered back.
• I unloosened my grip from her wrist before I gave them red, permanent marks.
• She then chuckled lightly to herself, taking a bold step towards me. She the began to massage my cheeks through the mask and trail a finger along the sides of my face.
• "You fascinate me a lot. If you want to talk, meet me at the Imperial hotel." Matilda laughed before walking briskly away from me.
• She jumped into a limo which was few metres away from a restaurant and I let out a painful chuckle.
• My eyes began to wander around, lingering on the word "merger" until I caught a server from the window, staring at me.
• It wasn't weird. It was just strange.
• Maybe she felt relieved that I helped her and her co-worker. Matilda said she chose a bakery instead because it was quiet and also because it seemed desolate and it barely had any customers, yet.
• But then something began to tug at me. The way she spoke, the sharp and firm statement she made at me reminded me of the woman I danced with at the ball.
• Ashely.
• I shook my head and thought that I was crazy. I had to be crazy to be reminded of a woman who left me in the middle of a dance without a word. The only thing I could see and admire that night were her eyes, her dress and her body.
• I shrugged the insane thought off and began to think of a way to compensate them or to be more particular, apologize in place of her.
• I knew that I had a lot to discuss with my parents. The lies, the whole fiscaco and the way Ruby kept bugging me to meet someone at the greenhouse party. I needed to know the truth.
• But first I had to walk a distance to meet up with one of the royal drivers, Daniel who would pick me up in a cab. If there was anything I loathed more, it was attention in Midon. That attention nearly traumatized me, the clicking sounds of cameras, I hated it.
• I loathed attention.
• My hands recoiled into my trouser pockets and I banged my fist against my thigh.
• What a bad day it was. What a freaking bad day