-Rivalry

(Caroline's POV)

I turned around and saw Stephan walk to my now fully made bed and sit down. He must have made it while I was gone. I was about to say something when a maid knocked on my door and told me lunch was ready. I just let out a breath of air and walked over to the door, silently telling Stephan to follow.

We walked down the hallways not saying a word to each other. I knew he was mad at me. I just wasn't ready to tell him. I haven't told anyone as a matter of fact. We walked until we reached the doors to the Dinning Hall. As I reached for the doors Stephan grabbed my hands and pulled me into a hug.

"I'm not mad if that's what your thinking. I just thought you would have trusted me a little more now." He whispered in my ear.

"I don't think any level of trust with anyone could bring me to say how I got that." I whisper back, a tear falling on his neck. I knew he felt it because he pulled away and looked at me.

"Don't cry Caroline. I think you've done enough of that lately. Everything's going to be fine in the end. Trust me. You are a beautiful, strong girl. You can make it through this. Ok?" He said.

"Ok." I mumble.

"Good. Plus you don't want to smudge your perfectly done makeup." He joked trying to lighten the mood.

I let out a small laugh. "Your unbelievable. Plus I'm not wearing makeup." I stated.

"You don't need it. Your beautiful without it." He said seriously.

"Well, thank you." I said smiling up at him.

I wasn't prepared for when his lips suddenly met mine. I was shocked and kind of stood there for a second before I registered what was happening. I kissed back unknowingly and for some reason felt a bubbly feeling in my stomach. We didn't stop until one of the doors in front of us opened and Gabriel stood there staring at me in shock.

"Knight." Gabriel said saying Stephan's last name with no emotion.

"Nightingale." Stephan said doing the same thing with no emotion as well.

Stephan put an arm around my waist and smiled down at me. I saw Gabriel sending Stephan deadly glares from the simple gesture. I gave Gabriel a small smile and we walked in. I took my usual seat across from Celeste and Stephan sat next to me.

-----

The whole meal was silent and I hated it. The only thing I hated worse than that was the fact that Gabriel and Stephan kept sending glares back and forth. It was mostly Gabriel doing it and Stephan was doing it as a way of saying back off. When I finally couldn't stand it anymore I lost it.

"Can the both of you just hash this out in words because these glares aren't making anything better." I yell slightly.

"I don't have to say nothing to him." Gabriel said.

"You obviously do have something to say because you keep throwing daggers his way." I retort.

"Like I said, I have nothing to say to him." Gabriel said.

"All you have to do is talk about it, how hard is that!" I yell.

"Well you didn't seem like you wanted to talk about your parents death when he had his tongue down your throat!" He yelled angrily.

At that moment I just stopped. Did he just say that? I stared at him for a moment in shock.

"That's a low blow man." Stephan said speaking up for the first time since we entered the Hall. "Listen, this rivalry or hatred we have, what ever you want to call it, has nothing to do with her. So don't take it out on her, she did nothing." He gritted through his teeth.

"But its true. She can't lie about it either. I know what you two did. I have eyes all over my kingdom." He said.

"Fine." I said finally coming to a realization. "Since you seem to know everything about everyone you don't need me. And as the queen of this kingdom, I'm going to make my first and final executive decision for the kingdom. I am resigning as Queen of Cridia. That's final." I said venom leaking through my words. I got up from my seat and looked straight into Gabriel's eyes. "We are leaving today and will be returning back to my kingdom where I actually belong." I said and walked out. I heard two pairs of footsteps trailing behind me and I knew who's they were.

"Caroline you can't just up and leave." Celeste said.

"Yes she can. She has a right to." Stephan said speaking up for me.

"Oh shut up. Your the reason this happened in the first place." She said.

"Her kingdom was just bombed. She should be there to support them no matter what." He said.

"She still can't just resign from an important position like that." She said.

"She can do what ever she wants. Did you not just hear him insult her?" Stephan fires back.

"Will the both of you shut up." I finally say reaching my bedroom door. "Celeste, go pack your things now. We leave in three hours. I had a guard summon the plane. Stephan where were you staying while you were here?" I ask.

"I only flew out for one day. What I was in last night is all I brought with me." He said.

"Ok, your clothes are clean now. Change back into them and you can help me pack. Are you going to fly back home or come back with us?" I ask.

"I'll go back with you." He said.

"Ok, be ready to leave at 4:30." I said and went back into my room.

-----

We had finished packing my bags and were now just siting around waiting to leave. We were both laying on the bed in my room with our feet dangling off of the bed. We had been playing around for awhile. I was oddly happy, which was weird considering what had happened the past day or so.

"Your such an idiot." I say commenting on his story about trying to jump across roof tops when he was younger for fun.

"But I'm your idiot." He said sending me one of the goofiest smiles I have ever seen.

"Be quite." I said shoving him.

"But its true you can't lie about nothing." He said laughing a little.

"I have no idea what your taking about." I say crossing my arms.

"Ok then." He said and rolled on top of me. "Look me in the eyes and tell me it meant nothing." He challenged.

"Welllllllll." I said dragging it out.

"Well what?" He asked.

"We were both drunk." I said.

"And the kiss in the hallway?" He asked.

"In the moment kind of thing." I said.

"Fine." He said and got off and sat up on the bed.

I went to say something but there was a knock on my door from one of the guards telling me the limo was here to pick us up. We headed down, put all of our stuff in the trunk, and headed to the airport.

-----

I flopped down on my bed completely exhausted. Just when I was about to roll over to get some rest someone knocked on my door.

"I need to tell you something important..."