"What are you doing here?" Prince Joshua looked up from his desk covered in papers, dressed nicely in a black suit with a black bow tie. He shot Halle a strange look as she entered his office, and he took a good look at her and smiled. "Oh, you're all ready then?"

"Yes." Halle smiled as she stared down at her lovely dress. "Thank you very much for the dress." She bowed her head a little, and Prince Joshua's lips curled up in amusement.

"Hm." Prince Joshua looked her up and down with a smile on his face. "I see fine feathers do indeed make fine birds." Halle went into shock from his comment, and she stiffened up a bit. Prince Joshua seemed puzzled by her reaction. "...I had meant it as a compliment?" He sounded unsure of himself as he stared at her eyes.

Halle just sweatdropped, and she resisted the urge to slap her forehead abruptly. "Um, Prince Joshua... You are aware that's not a compliment, right...?" She spoke honestly, and he looked up at her.

"Oh? But I did mean it as a compliment..." Prince Joshua looked down as he covered his mouth with his hand, a little confused. He suddenly stood from his chair and smiled, and he started to walk over towards her. "But I will confess I'm not very practiced in paying attention to women." There was kindness in his eyes as he approached her. "I am sorry if I offended you. I assure you that I meant it as a compliment."

"Wow." Halle chuckled a little, and she smiled brightly before covering her mouth to smother her laughter. "You really suck at giving compliments..."

Prince Joshua sweatdropped a little, and in attempt to cover for his embarrassment, he brushed his hand against her cheek and looked into her eyes, successfully getting her to stop laughing. "I chose that one because I thought the color would suit you, and it does."

"Oh..." Halle's heart started to beat ten times faster, and Prince Joshua withdrew his hand from her cheek. He then held that hand out in front of her.

"Your hand." Prince Joshua beckoned Halle to give him her hand, and all that did was confuse her.

"What...?" Halle blinked at his outstretched hand owlishly, and she tilted her head to the side adorably.

"The party will begin soon." Prince Joshua ushered her to give him her hand once more. "Shall we go?"

"Oh, okay!" Halle's whole face erupted into a bright smile that Prince Joshua thought put the stars to shame, and she placed her hand tentatively in his. She couldn't help but notice his hand felt warm in her own, and she felt a gentleness in him as he looked at her.

"I apologize for being rude to my guest." Prince Joshua spoke expressionlessly before motioning to escort Halle to the party.

Halle smiled a little as she gently squeezed his hand, allowing him to lead her down to the ballroom. "It's alright."

__________________________________

Dres Van's ballroom was quite different than Nobel Michel's. It was two floors high as well, but everything else was different. The walls were covered by deep green curtains and golden doors, and crystal chandeliers hung from the gold ceiling. The wooden floor was bright red, and pushed off to the sides of the room were a bunch of tables adorned by white tablecloths and brown chairs.

There was a stir among the guests as Prince Joshua escorted Halle through the party hall, and she couldn't help but feel that all of these people had their eyes on her. It was a little unnerving, and she unconsciously found herself clinging to Prince Joshua a little more than was necessary, but he didn't seem to mind or notice at all.

"I feel so out of place..." Halle thought to herself as she scanned the crowd in search of Prince Roberto, but she didn't see him anywhere. Instead, she saw the glaring eyes of all the envious women that seemed to follow her every step, and she felt herself unable to breathe as a result of their cold eyes burning holes in her skin.

Just then, Prince Joshua leaned over and whispered in her ear, "They are all probably wondering which noble's daughter you are. You actually look like one right now."

Halle grimaced internally, thinking, "that certainly wasn't a compliment..."

Prince Joshua lead Halle over to two people who hand their backs turned to them, but Halle quickly sighed in relief when she saw them turn around. It was Prince Roberto and Prince Wilfred.

"Huh." Prince Roberto smiled curiously at Prince Joshua, looking between both him and Halle with a mischievous look on his face. "You told us you were too busy working, and then you escort Halle here on the sly."

Prince Joshua frowned a little at Prince Roberto's remarks, feeling a little provoked by that intentional slander. "On the sly...? She is my guest. It is only right that I escort her."

Halle was listening to their banter as Prince Wilfred spoke quietly beside her. "It looks like you were able to thank him properly, and gained an escorted entrance as well."

"What?" Halle turned her attention away from the two bickering boys and looked over at Prince Wilfred. "Oh, yeah..."

Prince Roberto turned his attention to Halle as she answered with a cross look on his face. "Hey, what are you two doing keeping to yourselves over there!?" He seemed unusually annoyed at the moment, seemingly provoked by Halle and Prince Wilfred talking to each other. "You should tell them off too, Josh!" Prince Roberto nudged Prince Joshua's arm, bringing him into the conversation.

"Tell us off for what...?" Halle mumbled under her breath with an annoyed look on her face.

Prince Joshua frowned at Prince Roberto's exclamation, and at the same time he let go of Halle's hand and let his hand fall down to his side. "Why would I? Halle is free to talk to whomever she likes." He turned his head and started looking for Jan, already bored with this conversation. "More importantly though, where are the drinks?"

Prince Joshua called out to a nearby maid and ordered for her to bring both him and his guests some wine, and Jan entered the room as soon as the maid was leaving it.

"Oh, there you are, Miss Halle." Jan looked a little relieved as he finally found her, sighing a little.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Jan..." Halle sheepishly apologized, completely forgetting that she was supposed to wait in her room for him to come back with something to eat. "I ended up coming straight here..."

Jan seemed unbothered by it completely and just smiled at her. "No, it's fine. Would you care to try some of this wine...? And would Your Highness like some as well?" Jan held a tray filled with glasses of red wine out to Halle and Prince Joshua, offering them a glass.

Prince Joshua took his glass and looked at each of the people surrounding him. "Please enjoy yourselves."

Halle watched as he walked away towards the center of the party, and both Prince Roberto and Prince Wilfred gave her a worried look.

Prince Roberto frowned a little. "If he's going to go to the trouble of escorting you here, he should look after you properly as well."

"Oh, it's fine, Robbie." Halle waved off his concern as she brought her glass of wine to her lips. "His Highness will be very busy playing host today."

Jan smiled kindly at her as she spoke, glad that she was so understanding. Most people misunderstood Prince Joshua and his actions and rather disliked him for it, but she never seemed to be all that bothered and caught on rather quickly. It was nice for a change to have someone other than himself around who understood Prince Joshua.

Just then, a group of women hesitantly approached Prince Roberto, and one of them shyly smiled at him. "Excuse me, but are you Prince Roberto of Altaria? Please, will you dance with me?"

Halle had a bitter smirk on her face as she glanced at Prince Roberto, taking a rather large gulp of her wine. "Your fan club awaits, Robbie."

Prince Roberto responded with a bright smile that stretched from ear to ear. "Of course! I never say no to a lady." He then turned slightly and waved good-bye to Halle. "I'll see you later, Halle."

"Okay..." Halle hesitantly watched his back as he left before realizing Prince Wilfred had disappeared as well, and she felt her heart sink into her stomach.

Great... She came here just to spend time with him, and then he got swept away by what she called his "fan club" again. This is what always happened at parties whenever he brought her to one... They would be having such a great time, and then a bunch of his fangirls would come by and steal him away. Not that she was jealous, but she did always feel lonely. And to make matters worse, Prince Joshua had left her, and she had basically no one else she really knew at this party to talk to aside from Jan.

Prince Wilfred was gone, and that left Halle to herself just drinking her wine awkwardly in the back of the ballroom. Prince Wilfred was like a closed book... She didn't understand him any more than she understood Prince Joshua.

Halle turned to look at Prince Joshua, who was going around the room greeting his guests. "I...am completely out of place amidst all these beautiful women." Her eyes wandered around all of the gorgeous noblewomen, actresses, and models, marveling over their beautiful ball gowns.

Halle awkwardly put herself away in a corner, sipping her glass of red wine. It's not like she had anything better to do. Several minutes later, she may have consumed a little too much wine, and she was feeling slightly tipsy. Halle could hold her liquor pretty well, but she wasn't used to the higher alcohol content of Dres Van's wine in comparison to Altaria's. Oh well, she would probably be fine, as long as she started to slow down a little.

"You're looking cheerful."

Halle turned around and was startled to see that Prince Roberto had snuck up behind her and spoke to her. "Not really... I've just had a glass or two of the wine. Or five." She awkwardly sweatdropped, and Prince Roberto chuckled at her.

She didn't really know anyone here, so there wasn't really much else for her to do other than drink. Although it probably wasn't the best idea to drink so much on an empty stomach...

"Do you like wine?" Prince Roberto stared at her quizzically, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Mmhmm." Halle simply nodded her head. "I enjoy a glass of red wine occasionally." The red wine being served at this party was of much finer quality than what Halle had at home, and she was rather enjoying getting to drink this fancy stuff for a change.

"Ah." Prince Roberto smiled in understanding. "In that case, should I send for another glass?"

"Oh... No, I---" Halle barely had a chance to politely refuse before Prince Roberto turned and called a maid over, paying no attention to her.

"Here you are." Prince Roberto held out another glass of wine to her with a handsome smile on his face. "You don't need to hold back."

Halle got a grip on the glass Prince Roberto had practically just shoved into her hands, and she stared at it for a moment before shrugging her shoulders. "Oh, what the hell. When in Rome, I guess..."

Prince Roberto chuckled as he watched Halle bring the new glass of wine to her lips, and he awkwardly shoved his hands into his pockets. "So, Halle... I got your flying situation sorted out."

Halle nearly spit out her wine at that little confession. "You did!?"

"Yep." Prince Roberto nodded his head. "You're good to go now. You should have no problem purchasing plane tickets and boarding any flights from now on."

"How did you manage that?" Halle laughed a little with a sweet smile on her face. "I for sure thought even you would have trouble getting someone off that list, even if you were the one who put them on it in the first place." Her brown eyes lingered on Prince Roberto's profile for a moment as she glared at him.

"Well..." Prince Roberto reached back and grabbed the back of his neck awkwardly, sheepishly looking at the angry look on Halle's face. "I actually had to get my dad's help with that."

Halle's angry look melted into an expression that showed no trace of emotion, and she brought her glass to her lips. "Oh. Well, I don't see why the King would do such a thing."

Prince Roberto felt a frown tug at his lips as he looked at her, and he exhaled sharply. "Well, once I told him it was my fault, he took care of it."

"Of course he did." Halle downed the rest of her glass of wine in one go, and she unconsciously narrowed her eyes at nothing in particular. "After all, the King would do practically anything to avoid a scandal of any sort."

Prince Roberto opened his mouth to say something, but another woman approached him and hesitantly addressed him. "Would I be able to ask Your Highness for a dance?"

Prince Roberto wiped any trace of discomfort off his face as he turned away from Halle, and in one swift movement, he took the woman's hand and placed a gentle kiss on it. "But of course!"

Halle found herself alone once more, and now she was just in a bitter mood. She ordered another glass of wine to keep her occupied as she glanced around the hall, and she couldn't see Prince Joshua or Prince Wilfred anywhere.

Halle sighed depressingly to herself as she took another sip of wine. "What is the point of me even being here...?"

This was supposed to be her last day at the manor. So much for kicking off her last night with a bang...

She was starting to feel a bit disgruntled when she heard a soft voice beside her. "Aren't you drinking a bit too much, Miss Halle?" Jan was looking at her with a worried expression, and she couldn't help but smile in response.

"I'm fine, Jan." Halle reassuringly patted his arm. "I'm pretty decent at holding my liquor." She said with assurance, but even she knew she had consumed a little too much herself. "I'll be saying good-bye to this place tomorrow anyway. I figured I'd take this opportunity and make the most of the wine." Halle let out a bitter scoff, taking a large gulp from her glass.

Jan seemed saddened by her blunt speech, and his face visibly fell. "I had heard that your application to leave was successful. Congratulations." Although his words were kind, he didn't remove the frown from his face.

Halle smiled at Jan and set down her glass of wine, and she suddenly embraced him in a big hug. "Thank you for all the help you have given me, Jan. And if you think this is the last you will see of me, you are sorely mistaken." She pulled away and grinned up at him mischievously. "Don't worry. I promise to call you frequently and bug you whenever I get a spare second."

Jan chuckled a little, smiling for the first time since he started this conversation with her. "You won't be a bother to me, Miss Halle. And I will admit that I will be sad to see you go." He patted her on the head in an older brotherly fashion. "And I'm sure His Highness will be too."

Halle's chest tightened at Jan's words, knowing there was just no way that could be true. "I'm sure His Highness won't think twice about it really..." She scoffed a little, crossing her arms bitterly over her chest. "I'm sure he'll be relived to have me out from under his feet."

Perhaps it was all the wine she had consumed that had gotten her insecurities talking, but her words still struck a nerve with Jan no less.

"Do you really believe His Highness to be such a cold person?" Jan spoke sharply, and the unnerving smile he wore never left his face.

Halle widened her eyes slightly at Jan's passive-aggressive comment, causing her to backtrack a little and regret speaking so freely.

She was shocked by his unusually forceful tone, but Jan played it off with a smile and reached for her glass. "Please excuse my rudeness. Shall I bring you another glass?"

Halle had a strange feeling come over her, and she shook it off and looked straight back at Jan. "Yes, please."

Jan stared at her for a moment before bowing. "Understood. I shall bring it to you momentarily."

Jan was back soon, and Halle accepted the glass of wine from him. Just as Halle put her glass to her lips, Prince Joshua suddenly waded through the crowd and made his way over to Halle.

"You drink a lot for a woman." Prince Joshua stared down at her, curiously eyeing the glass of wine she was drinking.

Halle laughed a little, pulling the glass away from her lips. "I really haven't drank all that much... This is my seventh glass and I'm still standing."

Prince Joshua just snorted at her cheeky retort. "With your face all red like that?" He pointed to her cheeks which were, in fact, flushed. "In any case, you shouldn't be here drinking without having at least one dance." He seemed to backtrack a little, staring at her curiously. "Or is this normal behavior for a commoner?"

Halle took offense to that last remark, and she narrowed her eyes at the purple-haired jerk. "That is not the case at all." She rose her glass to her lips. "I'm just not a fan of these kinds of events, and I only dance when forced, so I think it would be best to just stick to quietly drinking over here."

Prince Joshua could sympathize with her response, and he motioned to stand next to her and face the rest of the ballroom filled with dancing couples. "Well, I don't really like parties either, and don't care to dance... So I do know how you feel."

"Your Highness..." Halle blinked owlishly at Prince Joshua, not used to him being so open like this.

"Haha." Prince Joshua's whole face lit up with a big smile as he laughed, and he clinked his glass of wine with Halle's. "Shall we drink together then to celebrate your last night here?"

Halle felt a sharp pain in her chest in time to the chiming of the glasses, and she resisted the urge to frown. Prince Joshua was trying his best to be kind, and she knew it. But, she did smile, thinking it was the thought that counted.

"Yes, let's." Halle smiled weakly as she took another sip from her glass, allowing Prince Joshua to be her company for the evening. Glass firmly in hand, she decided to let her curiosity get the best of her and motioned to ask him some questions. "Why don't you like parties? I'm sure Your Highness must get a lot of ladies wanting to dance with you."

Prince Joshua frowned a little. "That's what I don't like."

"Oh?" Halle's interest was piqued by that curt little declaration.

"I'm not interested in women." Prince Joshua firmly crossed his arms over his chest, and he quickly grew on the defensive when Halle busted out laughing at him. "You... Sorry to disappoint you, but I am not interested in men either!"

Halle only laughed harder at the angry look on his face, and her cute laugh reverberated throughout the dance hall as she tried to cover her mouth with her hand. "You said it, not me!"

Prince Joshua exhaled sharply and shook his head, and a smile found its way to his lips as he took a sip of his wine. "Don't worry. I'm not angry." He wore an unusually gentle smile on his face, and Halle relaxed as she sipped her own drink. His next words were soft, and they were so quiet Halle could barely hear them as his face fell into a depressing look. "I'm not really interested in other people..."

Halle stared at the look on his face which had her feeling a little sad herself. "What...?"

Before Prince Joshua could even respond, a beautiful lady approached him. "Would you care to dance, Your Highness?"

Halle's shoulders fell a little as she watched the woman ask him to dance. Darn... Just when she was starting to enjoy drinking with him, too. She was feeling a little disappointed as she moved away to give them space when Prince Joshua suddenly called out to her.

"Hey, where are you going!?" Prince Joshua sounded a little irritated as he suddenly reached out and grabbed her hand, then pulled her back over to him.

"I...what?" Halle stared at Prince Joshua in complete and utter shock as she watched what happened next.

He turned to the lady with an expressionless look on his face. "I'm sorry, but I am having a drink with her at the moment. Please ask someone else."

Halle nearly broke her jaw in shock from how rudely he refused the woman. She was expecting him to accept her invitation just like how Prince Roberto always did, not turn her down.

The lady's mouth drew a thin line at his refusal, and she walked away again. Halle felt her stomach flutter slightly in response, which only had her feeling very confused as a result. What in the world had just happened...?

"...is that all right?" Halle nervously approached the subject, watching the angry woman disappear into the crowd.

"What's that?" Prince Joshua snapped back into the conversation suddenly, not having heard her.

"That woman just now..." Halle pointed in the direction she stormed off in, letting the words roll off her tongue quietly in confusion.

Prince Joshua didn't even bother to let her finish before abruptly cutting her off, completely unconcerned. "It's been awhile since I was able to drink with someone like this..." He smiled genuinely at her, and Halle couldn't help but smile back.

That's right, all she should be thinking about right now is enjoying her time with Prince Joshua. After all, she was leaving to go back home tomorrow morning...

And so, strung along by Prince Joshua's kind smile, she consumed glass after glass of delicious red wine.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Huh... I guess I'm just in the mood to write some more today XD what did you guys think of the party? It's not even over yet! I sorta had to split this into three parts so my chapters would be between 2500-4000 words rather than 8000 or more...

Phew. Writing about Halle's grumpy butt is exhausting, even though I'm basically just writing about myself to be completely honest XD look forward to chapter eleven! It's an exciting one, I assure you. And it's also the final part of this party three-parter, thank god XD

Read, comment, vote, and enjoy!