"Good morning, Miss Halle. Did you sleep well?" Jan spoke brightly as warm sunlight filled the room.

The young woman groggily rubbed the sleep from her eyes, not being a morning person at all. She zeroed in on Jan, and when she spotted him, she sighed as she remembered her current situation. "Well..."

"You needn't look like that..." Jan's expression softened as he gave Halle a relaxed look. "If there is anything at all that you need, please let me know, and it shall be arranged."

Halle sat up and swung her legs over the side of her bed, planting her feet on the floor. "Thank you, Jan." She smiled kindly at the butler who took her hands in his, helping her up from her bed.

Now that she was fully awake, that feeling of dread that had taken refuge in Halle's stomach the night before had resurfaced as she recalled what had transpired in the car after Prince Joshua found out she was a commoner...

______________________________________________

Last night...

"Do you not have hotels in Dres Van?" Halle asked quietly as they sat in the car, fiddling with her thumbs nervously in her lap.

"Of course there are, but..." Jan seemed a little hesitant with answering her question, but he didn't drop that calm look on his face for a second.

Halle seemed to have her mind made up already. "Then I don't see why I cannot stay in one..."

Prince Joshua cut her off irritably. "Why do you insist on doing something that will obviously cost money?" He looked so indignant that he forced her to fall silent once more.

Halle just stared out the window angrily. She couldn't exactly say it's because she wanted to get away from him, even though that was the truth...

Jan quickly spoke with a kind smile on his face as Halle continued to scream inwardly. "I shall arrange a room for you at the Manor. How about you come and stay there for the time being?"

"But..." Halle felt a little out of place, and the last thing she wanted to do was be a burden on Jan. Or be near to Prince Joshua any longer.

She sent a glance over towards a rather displeased looking Prince Joshua when Jan smiled kindly at her once more. "I will wait on you myself to make sure you are well cared for."

And at those words, she found all she could do was nod.

_______________________________________________

Present day...

So here she was, at the Manor... Stuck here against her will for who knew just how long.

Halle got up and crossed the room, accepting the clothes Jan had brought for her and went to the bathroom to take a shower and change. Now that she had finished drying her hair and applied her makeup, she looked in the mirror to glance at what she was now dressed in. A cute white turtleneck, black leggings, and brown riding boots. She twisted her hair into a haphazard up-do, and she put in the contacts Jan had procured for her earlier this morning. As she motioned to step out of the bathroom and rejoin Jan in her bedroom, she heard a knock at the door.

Jan opened the door, and Prince Roberto came into the room looking as amused as ever. "Good morning."

He was dressed in his typical, casual attire that consisted of a brown suit and a purple scarf. His suit was more of a warmer-brown color in comparison to Jan's, which was almost a chocolate-brown.

Halle's shoulders dropped as she sighed in relief to the one familiar thing in the room. "Robbie...!" She quickly dropped what she was doing and sprinted as fast as possible until she crashed into his arms, hugging the Prince as tightly as she could.

Prince Roberto laughed heartily as he hugged her back just as tight. "This has turned out to be a fine disaster for you, hasn't it?"

Although there was something about his kind smile that set her at ease, Halle was still pissed about one thing.

Her eye twitched slightly as she bitterly grinned at him. "Yes, and it's all your fault." She jabbed him in the chest with her finger accusingly.

"Urk..." Prince Roberto laughed nervously at that accusation. "I know, I know... I said I was sorry!" He let go of Halle and scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "How can I make it up to you...?"

"You can sort out my flying situation while I try to get permission to leave Dres Van." Halle crossed her arms tightly, raising an eyebrow at Prince Roberto as she awaited his response.

"Yes, ma'am..." Prince Roberto sulked slightly as he let her win this little battle, just like he always did whenever they had a "fight." There really was no sense in arguing with a lawyer.

Jan tried not to smile too obviously at how funny it was to see a common woman boss around a Prince like that. He watched the exchange between Halle and Prince Roberto in attempt to find the right moment to speak up and say what he needed to.

"There are some differences between Dres Van and back home though, Halle." Prince Roberto tore his concerned eyes from his friend and redirected them to Jan. "Dres Van law is much more strict than Altaria's, the customs are different, and then there's the problem with Nerwan Kingdom..." He sighed as he jammed his hands into his jacket pockets.

"Nerwan...?" Halle posed her unspoken question as she looked to Prince Roberto for answers. It wasn't one of the main six kingdoms, and Halle did not recognize the name.

Instead of allowing Prince Roberto to explain, Jan nodded his head and joined in. "Yes. The kingdoms of Dres Van and Nerwan were originally the same nation, but there was a civil war, and the country was divided in two."

"Oh." Halle ran her fingers loosely through her hair as she listened. "I think I remember learning something about that back when I was still in school..."

"As a result, the western half became Dres Van, and the eastern half became Nerwan." Jan added with a small nod.

"Yes, and that's where Leo lives!" Prince Roberto grinned brightly as he dropped the name casually, only confusing Halle even more.

"Leo...?" The puzzled look on her face was so amusing that Jan laughed in response.

"You must mean Prince Leonardo." Jan's smile remained even as his laughter dissipated. "While we do have a peace treaty with Nerwan, there are still tensions between our two kingdoms, and there have also been rumors that Nerwan may strike against Dres Van."

Halle's adorable brown eyes widened in surprise. "So you mean...there would be a war?"

"Well, there is always that possibility..." Prince Roberto smiled as he patted Halle on the shoulder. "...but the situation is nowhere near that bad yet. They are trying to maintain a friendly relationship at the moment."

"I see..." Halle nodded her head as her gaze involuntarily traced itself down towards the floor.

"At the very least, nothing is likely to happen while I am visiting Dres Van." Prince Roberto reassured her with confidence, taking pride in the power his presence bestowed on those around him.

"That makes sense." Jan nodded in agreement as he adjusted the brown tie that matched his brown suit.

Talking to the both of them had calmed Halle down just a little. So, even though they were taking precautionary measures, that didn't necessarily mean there was a threat of war? Going by what she just heard, Halle concluded she wouldn't have to worry about that while she was here.

Prince Roberto grinned at Halle when he found her looking at him. "You are so cute with that look on your face... It makes me want to stay in Dres Van forever just so I can see it."

Before she could protest to that silly compliment with the angry look on her face, that last part had just sunk in for Halle, and her eyes grew wide. "Wait, you're leaving!?"

Prince Roberto's expression faltered a little at her question. "I would love to stay here with you, but I have my public duties to attend to. I must go home today." He sheepishly grinned at her as he reached behind his head to stretch a little. "Sorry, Halle..."

She thought it was a little strange that Prince Roberto was actually being responsible for once. Usually, Alberto had to literally track him down and force him to do his work, otherwise Prince Roberto would just take off and do whatever he wanted to.

Halle's eyes slightly widened. "Then after you leave, the war..." She expressed her worried thoughts warily, only to be greeted by laughter from both Jan and Prince Roberto.

"That won't happen!" Prince Roberto found her statement genuinely amusing as he laughed at her. "If things were really that bad, then Prince Joshua wouldn't have come to the party in the first place." He patted her head gently with a smile on his face. "If you are that worried, I will send word to Leo. I'll let him know there is a guest at the Manor, so he should be mindful of that. Okay?"

Jan looked at Halle with a bright smile on his face, and his eyes crinkled slightly from the large grin. "That is a good idea. It would be a great comfort if Your Highness were to speak on our behalf."

They both smiled, and Halle felt her nerves easing. What a rough couple of days it had been for her, huh...?

"Oh, right." Jan seemed to remember something suddenly as his mouth opened slightly. "Miss Halle, is there anyone we can contact for you? Your parents, perhaps?"

Halle visibly flinched at Jan's mentioning of her parents, which didn't go unnoticed by either the Prince or the butler in the room. "Uh..."

She had already called her boss and asked for a week or two off work, which he only agreed to because she hadn't cashed in any of her vacation days since she started working at the firm. She could call Carrie, her assistant, but that was really unnecessary, since she already called her boss Harper. Of course she had Sergio to worry about too, but Carrie could look after him while she was in Dres Van. Halle could always call Cynthia, who was kind of like a friend to Halle...but the model was always so busy that she didn't really want to bother her with her problems. It would be nice if Halle could call her clients to let them know why she would be unreachable for a while, but she didn't have their contact information, since it was saved in her iPhone that had been confiscated at the airport, so...

There really was no one to call.

Although it was an innocent question, that didn't stop Halle from feeling like her heart got stabbed with a big knife. Her face visibly darkened, and it fell into a rather depressed expression. "No, there is not..."

"Surely there is someone we can call." A booming voice suddenly entered the room, and Halle's bitter mood only grew worse when she spotted Prince Joshua walking towards her.

Just like Prince Roberto, he was dressed casually, but he was wearing black jeans, a light purple sweater, and a brown scarf that had a cream stripe running down the middle.

"Good morning, Prince Joshua!" Prince Roberto grinned brightly at the purple-haired prince. "You are looking wonderfully fierce this morning." He spoke jokingly, and Prince Joshua sighed as his serious expression fell.

"I was born looking fierce." He waved off Prince Roberto's silliness, turning to Halle. "Now, Halle..."

"Yes...?" Halle hesitated for a moment as he addressed her so informally. Since when were they on first name terms...!?

"You may be stuck here for quite awhile." Prince Joshua stated firmly as he looked completely disinterested in her. "You must give us the name of someone we can call for you to let them know of your situation."

"There's no one to call..." Halle's eyes flickered to the floor, looking intensely depressed as the light faded from them entirely.

Prince Joshua grew irritated with her reluctance, balling his hands into fists. "This is not the time to be shy. Just a simple name will---"

"There really is no one...!" Halle suddenly snapped at Prince Joshua, trying to keep herself from completely losing it at this point. Her fists shook with anger as she glared at him. "My mother is dead, and my father has never been a part of my life." She stared at Prince Joshua intensely as she spoke. "I have no family, friends, or colleagues who would care if I suddenly disappeared for a little while!" Her eyes didn't hide her emotions very well, because even Prince Joshua noticed the deep sadness swimming in them. "I live alone, and the only person who would notice that I'm gone is standing right next to me." She crossed her arms bitterly as her eyes flickered over to Prince Roberto. "So, no... There is no one for you to call."

Prince Roberto's face twisted into a saddened expression. "Halle..." He shared her pain as he reached out to comfort her, knowing what it felt like to have very few real friends himself.

"Well, it's true..." Halle allowed him to hug her from behind, and she held onto the arm Prince Roberto had wrapped around her chest, burying her chin into it. "You're the only one I have left who actually gives a damn about me..."

Prince Joshua stood there completely stunned, staring at Halle in amazement. He was so stunned that he couldn't even scold her for snapping at a Prince. Was all of that true? Did she really have no one?

Prince Joshua decided to take advantage of this moment and break the awkward, sad atmosphere that had been created. "Jan!" He snapped his fingers to his butler, breaking the grim-faced Jan out of his depressing trance. "Bring that thing to me."

Jan's face fell a little as he remained in that glum mood Halle had unintentionally put him in. "What? What thing?" He seemed to be lost for a moment as Prince Joshua glared at him before slamming a fist down in his hand in comprehension. "Oh! Right!" Jan's eyes immediately brightened as it dawned on him. He bowed his head apologetically. "Understood. I shall bring it right away."

Prince Joshua sighed as he watched Jan leave the room. "Honestly, it's like he's in his own little world. He's always going to be useless..."

Halle's chest tightened as she caught his whispered words. Useless...? Jan worked his hardest to please Prince Joshua, and he just calls him useless...!?

Prince Roberto's soft voice resonated around the room as he took this opportunity to say something. "He's brilliant, and he seems to care for you most of all."

Prince Joshua frowned deeply, annoyed that Prince Roberto had even dared to comment on his butler. "What would you know?"

Prince Roberto merely laughed. "I think you would know Jan's true nature better than myself, Prince Joshua."

Prince Joshua bit his tongue and looked away, and an uncomfortable silence settled around the room before it was suddenly broken by the sound of hurried footsteps.

"Sorry to keep you waiting!" Jan came flying into the room with an armful of papers in tow.

Prince Joshua grinned as he saw the impossibly large stack of papers. "Departure papers. Here we have everything you need to fill out before being able to leave the kingdom." He directed his words towards Halle, who only dropped her jaw to the floor in response.

"I have to fill out all of these!?" She stared at the large stack of heavy papers Jan had plopped into her arms, nearly dropping them from the insane weight they carried.

Yep. This was definitely not Altaria.

"Yes. You want to leave as soon as possible, right? Then get these filled out." Prince Joshua spoke coldly, and Prince Roberto scratched his head in thought.

"Dear me..." He looked somberly at the large stack of papers. "Would you rather just become my bride instead? That way you would be able to leave Dres Van, but as a member of the royal family."

Halle rolled her eyes as she set the stack of papers on her desk, and she playfully pushed Prince Roberto's chest. "You wish."

Prince Joshua looked astounded as he spoke out in surprise. "What are you thinking!? She's a commoner! You can't possibly want..."

Prince Roberto didn't even let him finish before he started laughing. "I'm kidding! Really, Josh... You shouldn't take everything so seriously." He glanced at Halle and delicately smiled before he shrugged his shoulders. "Oh. But I don't really have a problem with marrying a commoner."

Prince Joshua angrily clenched his teeth, and Jan waded in-between them. "That is enough." Jan looked startled by Prince Roberto's bold statement, and he felt the need to intervene before Prince Joshua grew even angrier than he already was. "If you would consent to stopping this conversation here, Prince Roberto, I am sure you must be leaving soon, and we do not wish to get in the way of your public duties."

Prince Roberto's eyes widened slightly at Jan's calm reprimanding, recoiling just a little. "Oh, yes. I'm sorry, my dear Halle. I must go now." He pulled out his cell phone and waved it slightly to direct her attention to it. "You have my number, right? Call me if you need anything."

"Can you write it down for me...?" Halle embarrassingly squeaked out her request rather bashfully. "The airport confiscated my phone, among my other belongings." She distressingly looked off at nothing in particular before she pulled at her hair. "Oh, I am so screwed... My clients, my assistant, and my boss have no way of contacting me because I don't have a phone anymore!" She frowned deeply as she glared at Prince Roberto. "I might have to miss out on a few high-paying clients because of you!"

Prince Roberto recoiled at her exclamation. "Sorry..." He sheepishly apologized for the thousandth time, and he handed her a small slip of paper with his number written on it. "Here."

Prince Joshua watched their exchange with a look of utmost curiosity and astonishment plastered all over his face. "You are a curious person, Prince Roberto. Exchanging cell phone numbers with a commoner..."

Halle's eye involuntarily twitched as she clenched her teeth from anger. What was with this man and commoners!?

Prince Roberto seemed to be having some sort of unnerving stare-down with Prince Joshua as a result of that comment, and Jan pretended not to notice it as he spoke to Halle with a kind smile. "Now, Miss Halle. Is it all right to leave you with filling out these papers?"

Halle rolled her eyes slightly as a bitter smile danced across her face. "Fortunately for me, I'm a lawyer. If anyone can get this done quickly, it's me." She nodded to Jan with a look of confidence. "No worries. I should be able to finish these soon enough and get out of your hair."

Prince Joshua stopped glaring at Prince Roberto when he heard that, flickering his gaze over to the troublesome woman. "Good." He simply nodded in approval to her. "I want you gone as well, so get to it."

Halle stared at Prince Joshua in shock, unable to form a sentence as a result of choking on her words. Just how rude could this guy get!? Prince or not, that was no way to treat any person, regardless of social status. Especially since she had witnessed Prince Joshua's capability of being pleasant company just last night... What happened to the blunt, ridiculously serious guy who was charming in his own way that she had danced with the night before?

He disappeared the moment he learned she was of common blood, rather than noble or royal...

Jan's face fell as he quietly sighed from where he stood beside Halle. "Your Highness shouldn't speak to her like that."

Prince Joshua automatically turned his back to her and strode right out of the room, ignoring Jan's reprimanding as if it were completely beneath him. "I'll leave everything else to you, Jan. Got it?"

Jan smiled bitterly as he gave a deep, demonstrate of bow. "Your will is my command, Master." As Prince Joshua left the room, Jan gave Halle a shy smile. "My apologies, Miss Halle. His Highness doesn't really mean anything by it, he's just..." He spoke awkwardly as he tried to placate Halle, and she felt her anger ebbing away.

"It's fine, Jan. I know none of this is your fault." Halle smiled kindly to Jan as she delicately placed a hand on his shoulder, bitterly thinking to herself, my problem is with Prince Joshua...

"I'll leave you to filling out those papers, Miss Halle." Jan bowed respectfully to her before he quickly dashed out of the room, trying to catch up to Prince Joshua.

"He doesn't change at all." Prince Roberto observed with the tiniest smile tugging at the corner of his lips, and he stuffed his hands into his pockets.

Halle let the stress of everything loosen her typically stiff posture, sighing to Prince Roberto quietly. "...is Prince Joshua always like that?"

"Yes." Prince Roberto shrugged his shoulders, nodding his head as he didn't really have to think about it. "He acts only in a way that his training as a crowned Prince of Dres Van allows him to."

Halle's eyes fluttered as she stared at Prince Roberto. "His...training?"

Prince Roberto nodded, seemingly lost in his own train of thought. "Yes. Those born into the lineage begin their education from a very young age."

Halle's eyes were suddenly glued to the floor as she found herself not really knowing anything about this conversation topic. "Oh, I see..."

Prince Roberto stared out the window of Halle's guest room as he elaborated further. "Those born with a claim to the throne here are separated from their parents while they are still young."

Halle suddenly jolted with surprise, and she whirled her head around to stare at Prince Roberto in astonishment. "They separate them from their parents...?"

She couldn't help but think just how awful that was, even if she was the child of a single parent growing up.

"Yes." Prince Roberto nodded his head with a sad frown of his own painted on his face. "Although, Dres Van is the only kingdom that continues this practice. Things aren't as strict everywhere else, like in our kingdom."

Halle crossed her arms and gripped them tightly as she let her gaze melt to the floor once more. "I never knew it could be so different between the royal houses..."

"Of course it is." Prince Roberto half-smiled to her, trying to lift her spirits just a little and talk about something less depressing. "Just like the law firm you work at is different to another, so too are the royal families."

"Well, yes, but to be torn apart from family at such a young age..." Halle felt her thoughts trail off into space at the end of her sentence, unable to really voice her opinion in full at the moment.

"I understand, but it's a matter for the royal family of Dres Van, and not something we have the right to comment on." Prince Roberto sighed a little as he casually shrugged his shoulders, dismissing the conversation topic before letting it proceed any further.

Halle felt a little out of place as Prince Roberto smiled at her. She couldn't help but feel that Prince Roberto and the other five princes came from a world far different from her own...

"I guess being brought up that way is what makes him so unapproachable now..." Halle longingly stared out the door Prince Joshua had just left through, feeling a little remorseful about snapping at him now that she came to understand him a little better. She would definitely apologize to him later whenever she got the chance...

"Hmm, did you say something?" Prince Roberto looked over to her with that bubbly smile of his, not having heard her.

Halle's eyes darkened as she shook her head. "No, nothing..."

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

Dang, I'm just realizing how long this book is going to be XD holy crap... Already on chapter five and were barely in...

Finally, the story is starting to pick up! What do you guys think? I would really appreciate any feedback you can give me! Haven't been getting many comments lately, so I'm a little bummed ^-^"

Read, comment, vote, and enjoy :)