Chapter 14: Tumble (Alexander's POV)

I stood a few steps below her, waiting for her to start walking in the heels. I tried convincing her not to because her ankle was still hurting, but she's persistent. I know that she secretly just wants to prove to my mother that she can do what is expected of a princess, but she should also know that she doesn't need to do that. Princesses are unfortunately only paid attention to for their beauty, not their brains or etiquette. 

"You know you really don't have to, nor should you be doing this, right?" 

"I know, but I have to practice." 

"You can wear flats, Aria." 

"Princesses don't." 

"Well, you're not a princess. Don't try to be one. You don't need it." 

"Was that a compliment and an insult both in one?" 

"Possibly. Look, why don't you just go get some rest?" 

"You're awfully worried. It's scaring me. It's weird," she said, holding the banister. 

"It's normal. I don't want you falling and breaking anything in your body in my palace. Especially on my watch." 

"Then don't be on watch. Let me make my own mistakes." 

"I'm here to stop that from happening," I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. "If you're going to do it then hurry. Get it over with." 

She took one step down, her face contorting into an expression of pain. 

"Aria, if you're in pain you can't do this. You will fall." 

"So pessimistic," she mumbled, looking at her feet. 

"It's not pessimistic, it's realistic. Go back to the room." 

"No," she said, clearly determined. 

"You're so stubborn." 

"I'm determined." 

"You're stubborn," I nodded, taking a step up. She slowly let go of the banister and put her arms by her sides. "Hold onto it," I said. 

"I won't be able to when I'm in the dress, I'll have to carry the dress, no?" 

I sighed in frustration. I don't like knowing that she will fall and there's nothing I can do to prevent it because she won't listen to me. "No, you can wear jeans," I said sarcastically. 

She glanced up at me, glaring. 

"Focus," I nodded. 

She slowly made her way over to me, letting out a breath when she reached. 

"Now go up," I ordered. She sighed, turning back around. I stayed rooted to catch her if she fell backward. She made it to the top and sighed, leaning against the railing. "You have 'pain' written all over your face. You won't be looking too pretty tomorrow if you're hurting. Why won't you listen to me?" 

"I have a point to prove." 

"What? That you can break your ankle in one day by wearing heels?" 

She closed her eyes, her head falling down. 

"Aria." I jogged up to her. "You can do it another time. But proving a point doesn't mean overworking yourself to health disasters, okay? Take the heels off." 

"No." 

"Aria." 

"No, I don't want to." 

"You have to." 

"Who says?" 

"The doctor in me. Take them off." 

She stared at me. 

"Take. Them. Off." 

She rolled her eyes, holding the banister and stepping out of the heels. 

"You can barely walk without them. How did you hurt your ankle so badly?" I asked rhetorically while taking her hand, pulling her back to the room. 

"I want to go to my room. The guest room." 

"I can't take care of you if you're in the guest room." 

"Why?" she huffed. "Are you banned from going in there?" She rolled her eyes, "If I can stay in your room for so long, you can stay in the guest room for me. This way," she said, limping slightly while pulling me in the direction opposite to my room. I opened the door for her and then followed her inside. "I need to... I had to do something but I can't remember," she groaned. 

"It'll come to you. Lay down." 

"God, I'm not dying. You don't have to treat me like a patient." 

"If you were at the hospital, you would be." 

"Well, this isn't a hospital." 

"Sit down," I nodded. 

"No, I want something to do. I'll... read a book." 

I stared at her in disbelief. "Wh... Fine, what book?" 

"Where will you get it?" 

"If it's in my room, then from there. If it's in the library, then Mr. Harry will bring it for you. Which book?" 

"I don't know," she pouted. I rolled my eyes, grabbing her arms and forcing her to sit on the bed. She huffed, "I don't know. Just something romantic," she smiled to herself, chuckling softly. 

"Romantic?" 

"Mm-hmm," she nodded. "What? Don't tell me you don't read romance novels." 

"Not really, but I can go take a look." 

"You must read poetry. You can always find romantic poems," she shrugged. 

"I barely find optimistic poems, how does romance come in?" I sighed. 

"Romantic doesn't mean happy. Romance can be sad." 

"Then what's the point?" 

She's confused. 

"Isn't it supposed to make you want love? If it's sad, who would want it?" 

"If it's sad, the happy part of it becomes more valuable," she argued. "That's why people want it," she scoffed. "Love never ends well. Ultimately, in life, both people die. Usually, one before the other, and that leaves the other person feeling miserable. If they die together, well... they could always get separated in heaven and hell, right?" 

"And if they don't?" 

She looked up at me. 

"What if they're together in heaven and hell?" 

"Then good for them. But nobody can confirm that. Everybody can confirm heartbreak though. But also the happiness of being with someone," she shrugged, pulling a pillow onto her lap. 

"Can you?" 

"Hmm?" 

"Confirm the happiness of being with someone?" 

"I don't time for love," she laughed. "I'm too busy stealing." 

"Try stealing a heart. Maybe you'll make billions." 

"I'd rather break billions," she replied. 

"Why's that?" 

"Well... if you don't break a heart, you get yours broken. Statistically speaking. At the end of every relationship, one person is the heartbreaker and the other is the heartbroken. Even if the separation was mutual. It's a fact." 

"What if the relationship doesn't end? And they never separate?" 

"Then they're lucky. But a lot of people aren't." 

"Define lucky." 

"In this context? When you love someone and they love you back at the same time. That's lucky." She stared at me in silence for a moment. "Tell me, Prince Alexander. Have you ever been lucky?" 

I thought about Eleanor for a minute and then shook my head. "I've never been lucky. You?" 

She shook her head. We stayed quiet for a minute. "You were going to get me a book to read." 

"Right," I nodded. "I'll be right back." 

I groaned, dragging my hand down my face, and stood there in the library with Mr. Harry beside me. "Sir," he cleared his throat. "Ms. Rose simply asked for a romantic book but we've been here for..." He glanced at his watch. "Half an hour. Is it really so... difficult to choose?" 

"What if she doesn't like it?" I asked. "Then she'll have me running back and forth until I can find a book she likes. It's best we find the perfect one so we don't keep coming back," I nodded. 

"How about-" He stopped talking as the lights shut off. 

"What happened?" I asked. 

"I think we lost power. They must have made an error while attaching and connecting the lights in the backyard to the power supply. I'll be right back." He flipped on the flashlight of his phone. "I'll be right back, sir." 

I nodded, managing to see a little bit thanks to the light peeking in from the windows, through the blinds. I stood there in silence for a minute before starting to walk around the aisles. 

I was rounding the corner, going to see if Mr. Harry was back yet when I saw Aria and nearly had a heart attack. We both screamed loudly, immediately retreating in our steps. "Oh my god!" she screamed. 

"What the hell?" I exclaimed. I placed my hand on my rapidly beating heart and started taking deep breaths to calm myself down while she hid her face in her hands. And then peeked at me through her fingers. 

"What is wrong with you?!" She smacked me. 

"What's wrong with you?! I thought you were upstairs!" 

"You've been gone for nearly forty-five minutes I came to check on you!" We both stood in silence, breathing quickly and catching our breaths. 

"Who just creeps up like that on people?" I asked. 

"What have you been doing? I asked you to bring me a book, not write me one. I got bored, I made my way over here." 

"In the middle of a blackout?" 

She rolled her eyes, "It's still bright outside. I can see where I'm going." 

"Yet you didn't see me?" 

"I said it's bright outside, not in here. It's kind of scary," she mumbled while looking around. 

"Scary?" I asked. 

"Yeah, it's just a room full of books and empty aisles. I can imagine the clicking of Blood Mary's heels," she shuddered. 

My lips twitched to smile. "Are you still scared of ghosts?" 

"N-no," she stammered and started walking slowly past me. 

"You're still scared of ghosts, aren't you?" 

"I said no. No, I'm not-" She gasped, taking a tumble when she turned to walk into one of the aisles. I quickly grabbed her wrist, pulling her close and making her stand up. "I nearly took a tumble," she sighed, grabbing onto my shoulders and steadying herself, wincing slightly at her ankle. 

"Why did you just fall like that?" 

"I saw a coat hanger in the corner," she mumbled. "It scared me." 

And she says she isn't scared of ghosts.

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Chapter 14

Is anybody here still scared of ghosts?

I mean I love horror movies and all but I'm still terrified of them

but serial killers def scare me more

anyway

next chapter: spirit