♡ Odette's POV ♡

I watched from a window on the second floor of the mansion as the cousins' bulletproof limousine drove off, everyone had already said their good bye's at breakfast. The window was quite large, having somewhat of a little perch right underneath it, perfect for sitting and observing the world. That's exactly was I was doing, just sitting with my back perfectly straight, and watching life go by for the birds that flitted across the sky and the maids who ran back and forth among the hallways from the cousins' rooms with various cleaning supplies in hand.

I was tremendously bored after about fifteen minutes of watching the world actually living and moving, my attention soon becoming focused on some white lace layered over a purple dress Falene had picked out for me to wear today. My dark hair was twisted up into another one of Falene's creations, too elaborate and complex for me to wrap my mind around.

I still hadn't quite comprehended the fact that I would probably never have to do my own hair ever again, and that I would never choose my outfits, meals, or even when to wake up again. Everything was done for me, and I feared a sluggish laziness would start growing in my bones from not having to really do anything. Now that I thought about it, all I really had to do was marry Zayn and then sit around and look pretty.

I would be a pampered and pretty wife, always by Zayn's side, always polite and clean-cut. I wasn't too sure if the idea thrilled me or bored me.

Maybe I was going to live my life always being bored like this, like a child, wondering when someone will come and play with me or entertain me for a little while. I shook my head in anger at this. I wasn't a child. I was sixteen for God's sakes, I could entertain myself in a huge mansion like this.

I hopped off the windowsill, straightening my pastel purple dress that stopped at my knees, and set out looking for something to do. I wandered through the long, endless hallways, trying not to get in the way of any servants as I explored. The servants nodded their heads at me, since I was possibly Prince's fiancé, and let me go on my way. I felt strangely awkward as they acknowledged me that way, was I supposed to nod back? I only smiled, not sure of what to do, and kept walking briskly.

Eventually I was met with a pair of old double doors, maroon in color, with golden trimming on the edges. There was no one guarding the door, and it wasn't locked, so I decided to open it, finding hundreds upon hundreds of bookshelves inside. So this was the esteemed Royal library?

I quietly closed the doors behind me, not wanting to bother anyone reading. I wandered around the huge shelves, my fingers gently trailing down the spines of old, leather cover copies of timeless classics. I did like to read, but it hardly had time to when I was younger and Mom was busy sending me off to manner lessons and tea parties to impress high standing young men. I guess in a way, her hard work paid off.

I heard the distant flapping of pages, careful and gentle, coming from somewhere in the library. My trained ears picked up on the tiny sound, following it until I found a mountain of books stacked on a dark wooden desk, a studious girl with jet black hair in her pajamas flipping through the aged papers. Ivy was reading through the books rapidly, small bags beginning under her flitting eyes. Apparently she hadn't noticed me, and I almost wanted to keep it that way. However, Ivy was dangerous, and once I slipped on my heels a little, I noticed her dark eyes immediately fix onto me.

Her gaze was almost suffocating, paralyzing my joints and body until the only movement from me was my uneven breathing and frantically beating heart. My eyes noticed small purple marks beginning to form where her bags were, almost like she hadn't slept in a long time.

"Could you kindly not bother me?" She muttered before flipping through her books again. I didn't say anything, only watched as Ivy ignored me and forced herself to read endless paragraphs of tiny text in the old leather bound books. She was hunched over herself, so much so it looked almost painful for a human to bend that way. She would yawn after a minute or so, her eyes slowly drooping shut before she would wake up suddenly, jolting up in her chair.

I wasn't thinking when I walked over to her, grabbing the ribbon bookmark to mark her place and shutting all her books. Ivy glared at me, and I only smiled at her, hoping maybe we could work out some kind of truce while I was here. She hated me, why I wasn't too sure, but I decided I would be the bigger man and call a truce.

"You wanna do something? Like, together?" I offered, thinking maybe some quality time together would help. Ivy only blankly stared at me before sighing and ruffling her dark hair.

"I can't, I'm working." She only replied, and I pouted at her before grabbing her books. While I admit my behavior was quite childish, it worked. I soon had Ivy standing and lunging for her books, to which I easily evaded. A sleepy Ivy was a weakened Ivy, and I was going to take advantage of this situation.

"Please Ivy? Can't you take a break? I'm bored out of my mind." I begged, and she only laughed.

"Do you want your whole world to crumble in front of you in a monstrous mess?" She spoke, and I stopped my persuading as the reality of this fact sunk in. It was true, Ivy was key for the royal manor to be standing and have power, but surely a key like that could use a break for just one day?

"I'm sure my whole world will be fine if you take a break for one day." I smugly replied, and I watched as Ivy's brain became lost in thought, contemplating my offer. She sighed before rubbing her tired eyes and walking past me.

"Fine, let me get dressed."

-~-

Ivy had told me she had some errands to run, and if I were to come along, I would have to change to look less like a royal fiancé. My ruffled purple dress and heels were replaced by dark skinny jeans, an oversized cream sweater, a black scarf, and lace up boots that covered my aching ankles. My feet had been killing me from the heels, and I was happy to change shoes. Falene had taken my hair out of the intricate updo it had been in, letting it fall over my shoulders in cascading waves. I thanked her for her help like always, and skipped out to find Ivy.

Apparently I was so thrilled with the idea of exploring the city with Ivy that I ran into someone, that someone being no other than the Prince. He was dressed in a dark t-shirt and jeans, he must have only had lessons or something minor today to be dressed so casually.

Zayn had blinked several times, almost making sure it was me before he chuckled, his fingertips pulling at the sleeves of my huge sweater.

"Where are you off to? You seem to be too happy to be only wandering the hallways." He smiled at me, fingertips still playing with the hem of my sleeve.

"Ivy and I are going out." I happily told him, but his puzzled expression was the only response I got.

"You...and Ivy...are going somewhere together? And there will be no fights or hair-pulling or anything?" He asked in amazement, and I nodded. Zayn only laughed before kissing the top of my head, telling me to be careful.

"I could send a member of the royal guard with you if you want." Zayn offered, but I turned him down. I didn't need anyone to protect me, plus we would only draw attention to ourselves if a member of the guard was with us. Zayn excused himself as Ivy silently walked up, a maroon coat covering her up from the cold, skinny jeans and boots similar to my own on her legs.

She only stopped her brisk walking to stare at the cream sweater I was wearing. She didn't say anything to me, only gestured me to follow her to a part of the manor I hadn't been to before.

A garage was in the very back of the manor grounds, and with one press of a button on a keychain held in Ivy's pale hand, the door opened to reveal very expensive looking cars. Ivy grabbed something off a shelf in the garage as I stared in awe at the luxury vehicles, that is, until Ivy honked at me to hurry up. I slid into the passenger seat of her black Mustang, squealing in excitement as Ivy sped us off to our adventure.

Which ended up to be literal errands Mother and I would run.

Ivy and I had gone to a bookstore to see if a book Ivy had apparently been looking for was available for purchase, which she quickly found and bought. The cashier was a boy no older than us, an eagle imprinted into his skin for his Mark. He smiled warmly at both of us, his eyes lingering on me the most as we left the store. People had always told me I was beautiful, but it never noticed how much people stopped to stare at me before. I was always kept indoors, to prevent skin damage and ugly scars that would be on my body for the rest of my life, so I was never really out in public much like a normal person. Needless to say, I found all the staring to be nice, seeing as how people would always smile whenever I caught them glancing.

I guess being pretty was my best talent.

After the bookstore, Ivy and I had headed to a few more stores, buying some small items and trinkets. However, what really caught my attention was when we were stopped at a red light on the way home. Ivy hadn't said much during the trip, but suddenly she had turned my way and stared at the sweater.

"Did you pick that outfit out?" She asked.

"No, Falene did. Why?" I questioned Ivy, and she only shook her head, dark locks of hair shifting over her shoulder as she did so.

"That sweater. She wouldn't have found it in your closet." She muttered, her foot pressing the gas pedal slightly as the stoplight turned green.

"Why is that?" I stared at the cream sweater. It was warm and soft, despite the fact it was a bit big on my small frame.

"Because that sweater is Zayn's." Ivy replied smoothly, her dark eyes regaining a little life in them. I knew my plan would work.

"Oh," I said, the sweater keeping me warm suddenly having much more meaning than before. "Well it's quite nice."

Ivy didn't say anything to this, she only kept driving silently. I was about to say something, but Ivy was quick to beat me.

"I don't hate you, Odette." She said, immediately silencing me completely. "I just don't want to see Zayn get hurt. For all we know, there may be another girl who is really meant to be his." I must have let my hurt emotions show, because she instantly began rephrasing herself.

"Not like you don't really like him or anything, just, I really care about him and I don't want to see him suffer. Even if you really like him, there are specific rules a royal fiancé must follow, and if you break any of them, you'll be kicked out, and Zayn will be heartbroken." She kept her composure quite well, but I pressed the topic further.

"Well, what are the rules?" I asked, and she only smirked before answering.

"There are quite a few, I must warn you."

"I believe I can handle them." I stood up for myself, earning a small laugh from Ivy. I smiled at this new step in my quest to be closer to Ivy, at least she wasn't laughing AT me.

"I'm impressed, Odette. I wouldn't expect such determination from a dainty little girl like you." I rolled my eyes at her comment, and Ivy finally explained the rules. "There are several rules a royal fiancé must obey in order to marry the prince. First, she must be chosen by the prince at a Choosing Ball. Second, she must be accepted by the Royal Highnesses the King and Queen. Third, she must get the Royal Mark tattooed on her wrist as a sign of loyalty and faith in her marriage. Fourth, she must never deceive or betray her country or King. And last, but certainly not least, the fiancé must remain pure until her marriage night, when she is officially the prince's." Ivy smirked at my reaction to the last rule. I understood the other rules, but the last one stumped me. Pure? What did that mean?

Ivy bursted out laughing when she saw my confused expression, my cheeks burning from my ignorance.

"It means you have to stay a virgin until your wedding day, when Zayn will be your first." Ivy could hardly speak between her fits of laughter before she smiled with her deadly intellect. "You haven't been a naughty girl, have you Odette?"

"No! Why would you think that!?" I had practically screamed at her. Of course I was a virgin, heck, you couldn't go to the Choosing Ball if you weren't a virgin. Men didn't want women who couldn't be faithful to their marriage, especially if they hadn't even been faithful to their virginity vow.

"Just checking." Ivy winked at me, and I could feel myself melting into a puddle from embarrassment. The Royal Advisor kept laughing as we drove in the direction of the gleaming manor, the beginnings of a friendship starting to blossom among the golden sunset sky.