"You're quite these few days," Seth asked as he noticed that Rose was quieter than usual; she had been ever since the Mayor's party. It was unusual for someone as cheerful as Rose to be so quite and not talk much. Even Seth could notice. "I don't feel like talking," Rose said at once and looked out the limo window.

         Seth stared at her for a few seconds. She could be freaking annoying sometimes, but he had to admit that it was fun when she was cheerful. He didn't know what to say, to cheer her up. He never was good at that sort of stuff. So, he ignored her and turned his eyes back to the newspaper.

       Rose never stopped thinking about what happened on that night. The sight of Jessica hugging Seth kept disturbing her mind. She was hurt and she didn't know why. She couldn't think of any explanation for why she was suddenly feeling this way. Whatever it was, Rose hated it and she wanted to get rid of it. The limo halted in front of the school lobby. Like always, their arrival to school would be hectic.

      "I'm going home myself," Rose told him when they managed to escape the wild students. "Got something to do," Seth crinkled his nose. He sighed. "Okay. But you're taking your bodyguards with you. I'm not letting you go off alone," he agreed. Rose nodded slowly and walked away from there. No goodbye, or even a smile.

       Rose crawled into her classroom. No one did stare at her now, as it has been 3 weeks since she had become Mrs. Larston. People started to get used to it. She took her seat and didn't even notice that Alex was sitting beside her. He didn't have to guess why she was moody. "Rose," Alex greeted her with a warm smile.

          Rose turned her eyes to him. "Hi," she smiled weakly. "Sorry, I didn't see you," she said and put her elbow on the table and rested her head in the palm of her hand. "Its okay. Are you feeling alright?" Alex asked full of concern. He never liked it when Rose was moody. He felt like he just lost his sunshine. Rose sighed. "I think so," she drawled.

     He put his hand on her shoulder. "Hey, smile a little bit if you're okay. You look like grandma now," he joked. Rose let out a small laugh. She imagined herself as grandma. "That's better," Alex grinned. "You're the best guy friend I've ever had, Alex," she prattled.

      Alex chuckled. "Yeah. Friend," he said slowly, almost inaudible. He found it hard to hide his disappointment. Friends, that's all he could ever be. He shook his head, trying not to think about it. "Hey, you're staying back, right? I told you that we'll start our project today," he chirped and couldn't hide his happiness at the part he said 'our project'. 

          Rose nodded. "I told Seth about it. But not about you taking my picture, just the part that I'm going home myself. He said okay but I've to bring my women in black with me," she explained. "Seth wouldn't let me stay by myself. Maybe he was afraid that I might run away." 

"Women in black?" Alex raised his blond eyebrow and puzzled. "My bodyguards. They're women," Rose whispered slowly. Alex laughed.

~~~

           Rose walked to the school auditorium after school. Alex asked her to go there because he was going to take her picture there. She pushed open the hall huge doors and step into it. The auditorium was huge, and this was the second time she had been in here. The first time was when she performed ballet dance in her third year. "Alex?" She called for him and her voice echoed. 

        She turned, facing her bodyguards. "You guys just wait here. I'll be fine. I'm with Prince Alex," she explained with hope that they would leave her alone. Alex. She didn't want any disturbance. "Yes, Princess," they said simultaneously.

        "Here!" Alex shouted back, waving at her and he was standing on the stage. There were a few people with him too. Maybe his assistants. Rose waved back and motioned towards him. She climbed the small staircase, heading up on the stage.

          "Hey," Alex smiled and was busy readjusting his camera. He looked at Rose. "Go get ready first. I've already brought a special outfit for you. Its in the dressing room," he pointed the way to the dressing room. Rose then looked around. "Who are they?" She asked. Alex looked around. "Oh, they're my assistants. Helping me out with the lighting," he winked. 

          Rose nodded before walking away from there. She got into the dressing room and found the outfit that Alex had brought for her. It was beautiful, like Cinderella’s outfit. The ballerina costume was in light silver and white; with feathers on the skirt. It was strapless and the top was decorated with glitters. Everything was perfect. 

          After she put on her outfit, her hair was pulled up into a tight bun and a silver tiara was put on top of her head. One of Alex's assistant helped her with makeup and her hair. Then, she got out, her hands trembling. Rose was so nervous. She surprised Alex from behind. "Shall we get started?" She asked, tapping his shoulder.

        Alex turned behind him and his heart melted. The most beautiful girl was standing behind him. The outfit was perfect on her and she looked like a real princess. "Wow," he lost control of himself. Rose was smiling and that made the outfit look better on her. "You're beautiful, Rose Humphrey." 

          Rose giggled. He was the first guy that had ever said that to her. Though, he wasn't the first to see her in a ballet outfit. Seth saw her first, when he caught her in action that day. Even though he didn't say that she looked beautiful. "Thanks," Rose thanked him and her eyes wandered around. "Looks like everything is ready. Can we start now? Seth would be furious if I got back home late."

           Alex shook his head, awakening himself. He couldn't stop gazing at the perfect figure that was standing in front of him. It was almost killing him that someone as gorgeous as her just walked on earth. "Okay. I need you to dance on the stage. Just dance and don't ever look at the camera. I want it to be real," he briefed her, gazing into her deep brown eyes.

          Rose nodded. "No posing?" She asked, needing confirmation. It was a good thing, as she never had the talent to pose. Alex winked. "No pose. I want you to dance with your heart and the pictures will be perfect. I know you can do it," he assured. "Okay. But I'll kick you if you make me look hideous," Rose joked before walking to the centre of the stage.

              "You won't," Alex said in awe and held his camera, ready to take some pictures. The music was turned on and Rose started to dance. Alex circled around and took her picture. Rose looked perfect in every angle, he already knew it. He kept snapping her pictures as she waltzed around, stretching her legs and dancing gracefully.

            "You're doing good, Rose," Alex praised and snapped her photo. "Smile brightly," he instructed and snapped another photo of her. Rose smiled cheerfully, like he asked for, and kept on dancing. She was so happy that she had finally got to do some ballet and didn't have to hide. She did her best in every movement with hope it would help Alex. 

         "Another great shot, Rose!" Alex chirped as he snapped a picture of Rose jumping and smiling. He circled around and took as many pictures as he could. Rose was very talented and amazing. All her pictures seemed alive and real. She danced with her heart, and Alex could feel her passion for ballet.

         The music came to an end and Rose ended her performance with a pose. Alex snapped the last picture of her. "Oops, I forgot. No pose!" Rose startled. Alex laughed and watched his photos in his camera. "That one's excluded," he prattled. "Wow, I didn't know you were so good," he said, sounding amazed as he looked back at what he had snapped. 

           Rose inched closer to him, beaming at his screen camera. All her pictures looked great and Alex was such a talented photographer. "And you're awesome too. Your pictures look real!" She chattered as Alex showed her the pictures. Alex chuckled. "Yeah. We made a great team. I'll definitely get an A+ on this project. Thanks to you, Princess," he winked. 

            "No, thank you," she laughed. "I haven't been dancing for weeks and because of you, I got the chance to do some," she looked into his blue eyes. Alex grinned and gazed on her. He never felt this way to anyone. Rose suddenly tapped his shoulder. "If you get an A+, you gotta buy me a pizza!" She pointed a finger on his nose, grinning.

         "No problem," he agreed. "But hey, why don't we get some now? I'm starving!" He rubbed his stomach and made a pitiful expression. Rose sighed. "Me too. But, they're waiting for me outside," she drawled and pointed her chin to the exit door. Her bodyguards were outside, waiting for her. Alex didn't say anything for a moment, before he got an idea.

         "Go get changed," he instructed. "I'll wait for you here." Rose nodded and walked to the dressing room. She changed into her casual outfit and walked back to Alex. "So, what are we going to do now?" She asked.

         "Come on," he rushed and grabbed her hand. Alex pulled her towards the back door. "Where are we going?" Rose asked bewildered. Alex opened the door for her. "We'll sneak out and then we'll get some pizza," he answered. "But, they-" Rose hesitated but they were already walking towards the car park.

          "They'll be fine," Alex assured and let go of her hand. Rose crinkled her nose. "How am I supposed to get back to the castle? Surely there's no taxi or bus that could send me," she asked worriedly. Alex ruffled his jacket pocket and took out his car keys. "I'll send you," he smiled and jiggled his keys. 

          "Okay," Rose agreed and they walked to his car. She hadn’t been outside much since she became the Crown Princess. Maybe this would release a little bit of her stress. Plus, she did miss pizza a lot, as she had only eaten fancy meals these few weeks. Alex opened the car door for her before walking to the driver seat. He started on his engine. "Do you want to know a place that serves awesome pizza?" Rose said eventually. 

"Yeah, sure. Just show me the way," Alex grinned and drove his car away from the school. 

~~

         "What? How could you lose her? I told you that you must follow her wherever she goes," Seth said angrily, when Rose's bodyguard reported that she was missing. Her mother would kill her if she knew about this. "We're sorry, Prince Seth. But, Princess Rose instructed us to wait for her outside the auditorium," her bodyguard explained.

           "Auditorium?" Seth repeated. He was curious as why she had gone in there. "Yes, your Highness. Princess Rose also told us that she was with Prince Alexander," the woman answered. Seth drew a long breath. So, she's with Alex? He could he be sure that she was still with him.

            "Okay. Keep trying to track her and don't tell anyone, especially my mother, about this," he instructed. "Yes, Sire," the woman accepted his orders. Seth shut off his phone and threw it onto his bed. He rubbed the back of his neck and sighed.

~~

        "This is good!" Alex said as he munched his pepperoni pizza crust. Rose stared at him, smiling. She never thought that a prince would act this way. "You're weird," she shook her head and grinned.  Alex laughed. "What's that supposed to mean?" He asked, stretching his arms. Rose took a bite of her slice. "Well, a prince doesn't eat pizza, wear jackets and have untidy hair," she joked.

        "I haven't been living as a prince ever since I moved to London. Guess that's why I'm weird, isn't it?" He prattled. Rose nodded and laughed. "Why'd you move to London?" She asked. Alex rubbed the back of his neck, trying to think of an explanation. He never liked to talk to someone about his life story.

      "Well, my dad died in an accident, 14 years ago. He was a great man," Alex started. "So, my mother and I were sort of kicked out from the castle," he looked down. Rose gasped. "Kicked out? What do you mean?" She asked puzzled. "You remember that I told you about only the Crown Prince could live in the castle? Yeah, that's why," he explained.

          Rose didn't say anything for a moment. "So, you were a Crown Prince? 14 years ago?" She guessed. Alex took another slice and munched it. "My father was the first son, Seth's father was the second. So, if my father was still alive, he would be Andorra's King and me the Crown Prince."

         "Oh," Rose lost her words. Alex chuckled. "Complicated, isn't it? Forget about it. I hate talking about my past," he muttered. Then, Alex noticed that Rose was still thinking about it. "And yes. You would be my wife if he was still alive," he winked. "Grandpa made a promise that he would marry his Crown Prince to his good friend's granddaughter," he hid his sadness. 

           If only his father was still alive, he would be in Seth's position now, and Rose would be his wife. He would have treated her fairly and loved her the best he could. Unlike Seth, who kept hurting her. He didn't want the position as Crown Prince. He just wanted her. 

     She felt slightly uncomfortable when he said that, but everything he said was true. Her life probably would have been better, if Alex was her husband. At least he was kind and gentle. Alex wiped his mouth with a tissue and then looked at her. "We'd better get going. I bet everyone in the castle is searching for you," he said kindly,

      "Except Seth," she said. "Maybe he's celebrating now that I'm gone," she looked down. Alex smiled and got out from his seat. "Whatever it is, it's my job now to make sure that you get home safely. I'm your ex-fiancée," he said, and he didn't meant it to be a joke. He was serious. Rose laughed and climbed out from her chair.

~~

       Rose went out from his car and found Madam Hartford waiting for her in front of the castle lobby. She didn't look happy and Rose knew that she was in trouble. Madam Hartford motioned towards her, hands on her waist. "Where did you go, your Highness? Disappearing from school without telling anyone! I've never expected this immature action from you," she howled.

           Rose looked down and didn't dare to look at her angry face. Alex, who watched her getting howled, felt guilty. "It was my fault, Madam. I'm the one who took her out. Don't blame her," he backed her up. Madam Hartford turned her eyes to Alex. "And you, Prince Alex. I hoped that you’d understand her position, as the Crown Princess. You couldn't just take her out and disappear from school," she said firmly.

          "I know. I'm sorry and this is my entire fault. Rose had nothing to do with this," he assured and waved his hands. He then turned himself to the silent Rose. "Will you be okay if I leave now?" He asked. Rose nodded and looked up at him. "Go. I'll be fine. Thanks," she croaked. Alex put his hand on her shoulder before going back into his car.

         Rose watched as his car went away from there. She then looked at Madam Hartford, who was still angry. "I'm sorry. I promise that this won't happen again," she apologised. Hartford shook her head. "You're lucky that Queen Carla didn't know about this. If she did, she would have you grounded," she warned.

         Rose gulped. She couldn't imagined how her mother-in-law would react if she knew about this. "Please don't tell her, Madam Hartford," she begged. "I promise that I will do better in princess lessons," she raised her hand, vowing. Hartford sighed. "Fine. I'll give you another chance. But, you have to thank Prince Seth. He's the one who didn't allow me to tell Queen Carla."

        Rose looked down. Seth just saved her life, and she felt slightly guilty to him. She crawled into the castle building, heading towards her room. She was shock to find Seth, lying on the sofa with his Ipod on. She inched to her bedroom and turned the doorknob. "You're welcome," Seth said playfully.

         Rose frowned and turned herself to face Seth on the sofa. "Thank you," she blurted. Seth laughed and stood up on his feet. He brought his hands together. "I'm sorry. I didn't hear you. What is it?" He smirked. She looked sharply at him and wanted to choke him right away. But then she remembered that Seth had helped her.

        She faked a smile. "I'm sorry, my beloved handsome husband," she said sarcastically. Seth laughed and motioned closer to her. "Aww, that's sweet of you," he faked a smile. Suddenly, he frowned. "So, you went with Alex? Where?" He asked and stopped smiling.

      Rose rolled her eyes. "None of your business," she replied and opened her bedroom door. But Seth stopped her from coming in. "It is my business. In case you have forgotten, I am your husband, Rose Larston," he said firmly, stressing his voice when he mentioned her name, Rose Larston. 

       "Then act like one, Seth Larston!" She ranted and pushed him out of her way. She slammed the door closed and ignored him. Seth stopped his hand from knocking on the door. He walked to his bedroom and slammed his door as loud as he could, to show that he was angry too.

V O T E 

C O M M E N T !