XVII

(A/N: To all who read this story, I'm so thankful that you guys found this one and continuing to support, even you are a silent reader. I just want to apologize in grammar mistakes. I'm not a professional writer. I know there are PLENTY of grammar mistakes here. I hope you understand that all these chapters are not yet proofread by someone. I'm planning to finish the entire story before asking my friends to proofread my work. I hope, despite of my errors, you still continue to support Her Life with the Prince. Thank you for your votes and comments. This is my update. Enjoy reading. Sorry for long Author's note.)

XVII

Breakfast was set on a small table outside, when I came out of my room the next morning. However, it was not the food which caught my attention for the past few seconds, it was the Prince who sat on a chair and viewing the wonderful scenery. The sea was calm while it mirrored the peace of the blue sky.

I took a deep breath when I sat across him. Our deep conversation last night, never failed to disturb me from my sleep. It kept me awake. I counted the reasons why my body unconsciously responded that way. Nevertheless, I did not come out of at least one.

I did not really know who she was.  So, what was the big deal?

You don't help him. You just give him another load to carry on his back.

That exasperating conscience had not taken a break from the last night's event. I did not know what she was fighting for, but she was kept bothering me.

"How's your sleep?" Prince Alexander broke the silence while we started to eat the grand breakfast.

I said that the table was small, right? However, the food overflowed, as if a dozen of people would eat here. Bacons, eggs, hot dogs, ham, and other regular breakfast dish. Just add the orange juice, coffee, hot chocolate and tea. This was a one-year supply of breakfast set.

"It's good," answered while cutting the bacon, and asked, "Why Monica cooked all of these? I mean, I'm so thankful that she cooked, but we are only two here, she doesn't need to cook a lot."

"Oh," he sipped his coffee, "I cooked all of these."

"You?" if only my eyes could leave their sockets, they already did. I was shocked for that moment. Okay, these foods were cooked in a very easy procedure, but for all I could sake, he was the Prince of England, and he cooked the bacon perfectly as if each delicious bite was making me cry.

"Yes, what's wrong with my cooking? Is it bad?"

"No," I shook my head in a more overreacting way, "You cook well that's why I can't believe it. And, why do you cook all of these?"

He smirked. This was not his usual smirk he did when we were in England. This smirk had no wicked side. "I don't know what you want, so I cook all I could see in the kitchen."

I tried to hide the smile creeping on my face, but I was too late to prevent it from showing.

He surprised me yesterday when I learned that he liked children. It was not the usual fact, I read in the articles of his issues. In addition, being a good cook never met those reporters who published every scandals he got involved in each week. They only looked for those things that could damage his being. Words, which would tell the world, he was the black sheep of the Royal family.

I wondered if there were more things about him, I could learn today.

After a full-stomach breakfast, I insisted to wash the utensils, plates and cups we used, even though the Prince said Monica would come again later to do this thing, I did not listen to him. As a result, he helped me to do the washing.

He looks hotter when he wore an apron, a fitted shirt underneath, and a ragged jean. His dark blonde hair was a little messy, but it did not give a reason to make him a big turn off.

Once the kitchen was in order, I went back to my room to shower. It was getting warm here, so after I changed from a different tee shirt, and a pair of shorts, I put my hair in not so good bun.

"Want to go outside?" Prince Alexander scanned me from head to toe, as if his eyes were made of x-rays.

"To get tanned?" I walked pass him, "Sure why not."

Actually, I had never been tan in my entire life. I wanted tan to be my skin color that was why sometimes, I sat outside our apartment during summer in Chicago. Result? Frustration. My skin became red as a ripe tomato, and there was no evidence of at least a lighter shade of brown.

I only wanted to feel the heat outside, why I accepted Prince Alexander's invitation. I could not think a reason why I should accept it, so I told him that. It sounded better than 'oh sure, let's go outside, I want to spend the rest of the day with you.'

We walked without our skin touching along the beach in such an unnatural silence. The wave of the sea, the chirp of the birds, and the whisper of warm wind were my only sign that I was not yet deaf. Why His Highness was not the ordinary Prince Alexander, who allow all the things crossed in his mind came out of his mouth?

I needed to stop the awkwardness building in our middle. I did not know when it started, but it seemed like a boundary that separated us from each other.

"You can hold my hand, you know," I said it as if I was talking the most common gossip in town until I realized that it only increased the uneasiness between us.

He stopped walking. He smiled a little as though he was not sure of what he was thinking. He looked at my hand and grasped it, which transmitted the voltage from him to me. Our fingers interlaced. His big hand covered my palm as if created to do it.

"You're acting like a stranger," he turned his gaze to me, "In the palace, when I said that you can hold my hand, for sure, you'll do differently."

"Do differently?" he raised his eyebrow.

"Yes, instead of holding my hand, you'll kiss me. Why now transform to be a gentleman?" I teased him.

He just smiled and we continued our steps while our hands occasionally squeezed each other.

We went to the seashore, and let the seawater touched our feet. Prince Alexander folded the hem of his pants up to his knees. He looked so young when he laughed while I was telling him some corny jokes about the sea. Maybe, he only pretended that my jokes were funny, so I would not be embarrassed.

"You know what, I really love to look at the sky," I told him while the wave brought more seawater on our ankles.

"Why?" I looked at him because his voice was full of curiosity.

"I also ask that same question to myself. I think, I was a bird in my previous life, that's why I love the sky," I grinned like an idiot. "How about you? Do you love the sky?"

He stared at me for a while before shaking his head. "I'm in love with my own sky."

"You own a sky?" I snorted, "May I know, Your Highness, that sky you owned?"

He chuckled. "I haven't owned her yet."

"Her? Your sky has a gender?"

He smiled again, but I was not sure if he was amused or already annoyed. "We better go back to the villa; you are already looking like a fresh meat."

"What?!" I yelled and stared at my arms.

"I'm just kidding," he laughed and tugged my hand. We were walking back to the cabin, when Prince Alexander answered my question earlier, "You want to know why I act like this?"

I wrinkled my forehead and corrected him, "Actually, you act like a theatre actor. You have different mood in different time. Sometimes, you are good, and, later you are bad. Then, if I'm not lucky, your mood changes from worse to worst."

He grinned. "What is your theory?"

"My theory," we stopped at the front door, "You are a bipolar."

"Whatever, you think."

-----

Prince Alexander cooked again for our lunch and dinner. I told him that I could cook, but he did not listen. I got a feeling that he was trying to impress me. Well, it worked anyway.

I said good night to him once I felt sleepy. He was still watching the news.

When I lied to my bed, I covered myself with the blanket. In just a few minutes, I drifted to sleep.

I thought I was totally sleeping or it just only my dream that I heard someone entered the room and sat in the space of this queen size bed. I felt the movement in the bed once the person shifted his seat and leaned forward to me.

I felt a hand brush my hair and some skin of my face. The familiar electricity shocked my every nerve. But I couldn't move.

"Why are you doing this to me?" a masculine British accent helped me to know that the person who entered the room was a man. On the other hand, let's say, he was Prince Alexander.

Questions flooded also in my brain. Nevertheless, all ended up with only one question: What was he talking? I tried to wake up myself, but I was so tired that I needed the sleep more than I need to breath.

He continued in a very low voice. "I've never been this way after her. I don't feel this emotion anymore after he chose my brother over me. However, you bring it back. I tried everything to make me feel for you the lust I felt to other women. Yet, I don't feel it because you're different. My first instinct is to keep you safe and never feel the hurt I always give to my women. I did all I knew that will make you drive away, even telling you I'm not interested to you, yet, you still here with me in an island. You're not afraid that I will hurt you."

I thought he was already gone because I did not hear anything after his last words. I wanted to say that I was not afraid of him because I knew that he would never hurt me.

Then he spoke again. "The first time I saw you on that road, all I could think is your eyes. It reminds me the blue sky during the summer noon. Beautiful. Peaceful. I thought I was attracted to those eyes because it was same with..." he trailed off. Then, he said, "Until I realize, I have this feeling for you. I know, we knew each other for a very short time. Is that really matter?"

The sudden confession stunned me. I knew it was not my dream because I never expected that Prince Alexander would say those words to me someday. Probably, in the back of my mind, I was hoping that he would like me. However, it did not cross my mind that it would happen this fast.

"You are my sky, Shirley Woodman." The last thing I heard before everything went blank.