Chapter 12: Time (Alexander's POV)

I'm running out of time. The engagement party is tomorrow night and if I don't convince her to call it off, I'll be stuck with her forever. 

I don't have enough time. I need more time.

This whole time, in the four days that have gone by, my parents have been thinking that we're 'getting to know' each other. When in reality, we've been trying to kill each other. What makes it worse is that for some reason, my parents somewhat adore her. Especially my mother. Her aunt came down to the palace herself to drag her back, and my mother went and spoke to her on her own. Aria's very smoothly working her way into my family. And I can't let that happen. 

"Mr. Harry!" I called out as he passed me where I sat on the couch in the living area. 

"Yes, sir?" 

"Have you seen my mother?" 

"She's in the backyard, sir." 

"And Aria?" 

He looked at me, surprised. "She's with the queen, sir," he stammered. 

"Why were you so surprised? And why did you stammered?" I asked as I stood up. 

"You haven't asked about Ms. Aria until now, sir. I merely wasn't expecting you would." 

"Why not?" I inquired. 

"Well, you seem to have um... a..." 

"A what?" 

"A cold shoulder towards the... the young lady. Please excuse me." He bowed his head before scurrying. 

"Cold shoulder?" I mumbled under my breath, utterly confused. I ignored it and headed to the backyard. I first saw my mother who was giving directions to the people that are here to decorate the backyard for the party as it is being hosted outside. Then she turned around, grinning. I stepped outside, confused. My mouth fell open and I blinked in confusion. 

There, I saw Aria wearing heels. She was walking along the pathway that we have amidst the grass and trying to balance a pile of books in her hand. At least it's not on her head. Yes, some princesses really do that. 

"Alexander, there you are!" My mom noticed me. 

Aria gasped before stumbling, falling onto the floor. She whined, rubbing her ankle before getting herself up. "Mrs. Phoenix," she mumbled, dusting her jeans. "Why do I have to wear heels? My feet can't even be seen in the dress." 

"It's just not about attire, my dear," my mother said while pulling me over. She made me stand next to Aria and sighed in content. "It's about the height and how you look with your partner." 

"I know I'm short but... I didn't think I was that short," Aria said under her breath. 

"You carry on practicing. Once you're confident on the concrete, get on the grass," my mother instructed before going to where the staff was decorating. 

"What the hell are you practicing for?" I asked, glancing down at her heels where the strap was starting to come undone. 

"Walking in heels," she grumbled, staring down at the heels. She sighed before trying to squat down to fix the strap but she stumbled, falling on her butt again. I rolled my tongue along the inside of my cheek, trying not to laugh. She didn't even glance at me and brought her foot forward, adjusting the strap before standing back up. I moved off the concrete but stood there watching her as she walked back and forth. 

Around five minutes later, she started humming to herself. 

"Why are you humming?" 

"It helps me focus. Don't talk," she said, staring down at the floor, watching every step that she took so she didn't fall. 

"Don't look at the floor, keep your chin up." She ignored me and continued. "I'm giving you advice. Take it. Chin up, shoulders back, back straight, core tight." 

She looked up at me and nearly stumbled. "Do I look like I can do all that in heels?" 

"Isn't that what you're trying to learn?" I deadpanned. I stood beside her, linking her arm with mine. 

"What are you doing?" She looked at me weirdly. 

"Helping." I took two rounds with her and then let her go. I walked beside her, pushing at her back to straighten it. I grabbed her shoulders, pulling them back. I forced her chin up so she looked ahead rather than at the floor. And then I put my hand to her stomach. "Tighten your core." 

"How do I tighten my core?" 

"You suck in some air and hold your body that way." She glanced at me. "Suck it." She stopped walking and looked at me, pulling her lips into a thin line, trying not to laugh. I rolled my eyes. "Very mature, Ms. Rose. Tighten your core." 

"Aren't corsets made for that?" 

"Can you last an entire night in a corset?" Silence. "That's what I thought." 

"Why do I have to tighten my core?" 

"It keeps your back straight." 

She rolled her eyes but followed my orders. She glanced at me again before looking down. I grabbed her chin, forcing it back up. "Why are you helping me?" she questioned. 

"I don't know," I sighed, pushing her back until it was straight again. She looked at the floor again but then looked back up. 

"Alexander!" I looked up at my mother. "Once she can walk on the grass, have her go up and down the stairs, please!" 

Aria stumbled beside me, grabbing onto me for support. She huffed, sighing a string of curses but continued nonetheless. I let her go and stood in one spot, watching and barking corrections whenever she faltered. She was walking past me when I heard a crack. 

"Oi!" she said in shock while falling. I stepped forward, catching her quickly before she broke something in her body. She winced, looking down at her foot. She clicked her tongue in frustration while I steadied her by her waist before propping her back up to her feet. "Hoi, what happened?" she asked herself, looking down at the heels. 

"Where did you learn that?" I asked while kneeling on one knee, unstrapping her heels. 

She stepped out of them, putting her hands on my shoulder for support. "Learn what?" 

"Saying that. Oi? Hoi? Who taught you?" 

"I just picked it up from Mr. Charles. He's the man who I sell to." 

"Sell what?" 

"The things I steal, what happened to the shoe?" 

"The heel," I corrected while standing up. I dangled them in front of her. "It broke." 

She looked at it, confused while my mother came over. "I told her to take a new pair but she wouldn't listen and took my old ones," she sighed. "Mr. Harry!" 

He came out. "Yes, ma'am?" 

"Please bring the new pair of heels and an ice pack for Aria." 

Mr. Harry bowed his head and then left. 

"Oh, I don't need an ice pack, I'm fine," Aria said. 

"Can you walk?" I asked. 

"Of course, I can- Ai!" she hissed, grabbing my arm and nearly falling again. 

"Ai? Really?" I deadpanned. She glared at me while lifting her leg, rubbing her ankle. "You probably twisted it the wrong way. Bring a chair please!" I called out. 

"What's taking Mr. Harry so long? I'll go check," my mom said before leaving. 

One of the staff members brought a chair from one of the tables they were setting up and I tossed the heels, helping her sit. "Get one more, please," I said. The man nodded and then brought another one. I placed it in front of hers while Mr. Harry came rushing over with a new pair, some Kinesio tape, and an ice pack. 

I took all the things from him in one hand while taking Aria's leg in the other. "Where's my mother?" I asked, glancing up at him, squinting at the sun. 

"There are some people here to arrange the flowers around the palace, she's speaking to them." 

"Please some spray for the ankle," I nodded. 

"Yes, sir." I set all the stuff down on the grass and then grabbed her calf, lifting up her leg and resting it in my lap. 

"Wh- what are you doing?" she stammered, trying to pull her leg down. 

"I'm fixing your ankle." 

"Don't say that like it's broken," she pouted. "What are you gonna do?" she asked as I grabbed the ice pack. "Will it hurt?" she gasped, throwing my hand away. 

I looked at her in confusion. "No, it's an ice pack. Haven't you iced a bruise or sprain before?" 

She shook her head. 

"With the way you run around when you steal, no doubt you've sprained something. What did you do?" I asked while rolling up her jeans. 

"I... My aunt never told me what to do. I would just let them heal on their own." 

"How would you walk?" I asked without meeting her eyes. 

"When my friend's mom noticed, she started helping. I would go to her for the healing. She would just put some spray and wrap it up," she explained. "I couldn't stay there too long so she couldn't ice it. Ow, be careful!" 

I looked up at her, "I haven't even touched it yet." 

"Okay, but it hurts." I squeezed the gel in the ice pack to trigger it some more and then lay it over her ankle. "It's cold! Get it off, get it off, get it off!" I smacked her hand away when she tried removing it and kept her hand away while Mr. Harry came over with some spray. 

"Thank you," I nodded, taking it from him. 

"Anything else, sir?" 

"Get her some water." 

"I don't need-" 

"It's hot outside today. Shut up and take it," I huffed. She shut up while Mr. Harry went to get water. "Can't you be more careful?" I asked, adjusting the ice pack and pressing it down a little, making her shift and wince. "You should have watched how you walked." 

"You're the one who said not to look down. And it's not my fault the heel broke." 

"Why didn't you take the new pair? Why my mother's old ones?" I sighed, looking up at her. 

"Why are you... Why are you so worried?" She narrowed her eyes at me.

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Chapter 12

I think he can stop pretending to hate her now, what do ya'll think?

next chapter: care