The visit

Sitting in the parlor, drinking tea, Vivian was lost in thoughts about the night before. The Crown Prince appeared to her as a knight in shiny armor, in a moment of despair. But then, he was probably playing, just trying to make her smile and feel less helpless.

After they talked, Vivian entered the ballroom again and many people were looking at her. She didn't need too much to understand why: Uriel and Cecil were dancing, their eyes shining for each other.

"Our deal will work, My Lady." Said the Crown Prince and Vivian swallowed hard the tears. She was not going to cry again for the Marquis! Well, at least, not during the party.

While she was remembering all that, a maid approached her, making a courtesy.

"My Lady, the Crown Prince, Brian Baskerville is here to see you." Vivian frowned and put her tea cup down on the coffee table.

"I'm sorry, Betsy. Could you…"

"The Crown Prince?" Lady Aleena asked, her eyes almost popping out of the orbit, such was her astonishment. She looked at her daughter and soon, she got up, getting hold of Vivian's wrist and pulling the girl up. "What are you doing gaping like a fish out of the water? Go get dressed!"

"I am dressed, mother!" Vivian whimpered, feeling her wrist hurt. "My wrist.."

Lady Aleena let go of it, for it could get red and give the Crown Prince a wrong idea.

"I mean, well dressed! You can't receive the Crown Prince wearing that…" She looked at Vivian's attire with contempt, "thing! Go put on a better dress!"

"But it is daylight.. I am home. Shouldn't I look more natural?" She asked, smiling.

Lady Aleena raised an eyebrow at her daughter and rolled her eyes.

"No man wants to see a woman 'on natural' the way you think, girl. Now, hush! Do as you are told!" She straightened her dress. "I'll make room for him."

Vivian exhaled the air in her lungs and went to her bedroom, while her mother went down the stairs.

'Oh, my.. he really did come!', she thought, amazed.

One final look at herself in the mirror: the green dress met her eyes perfectly. She took a deep breath and went to meet her mother and the Crown Prince. For some reason, she was feeling nervous to see him.

At the doorway, she took a sneak peek at the interior of the living room and her mother was turned to the door. Meanwhile, the Crown Prince – whose back she could only see part of – was sitting across from her mother.

"My dear!" Lady Aleena said, with a bright smile, from ear to ear. The Crown Prince started to turn to look at Vivian, slowly.

He rose from the sofa and made a bow, raising his head and his eyes met hers. Those icy blue eyes made her heart almost stop. Now in daylight, she could see he was far more handsome than what she remembered from the night before.

"Lady Vivian Astley." He said and smiled at her. "Thank you for having me."

"It is my honor, Your Highness." She answered politely with a bow and went to sit beside her mother.

"Your Highness was telling me that he spoke briefly with you last night. But you were too tired to dance." Lady Aleena said and Vivian knew that, between lines, she was asking what the hell was wrong with her!

"Indeed! I was too tired. Those shoes were definitely not the best choice." Vivian said with a clearly joking tone and Lady Aleena pursed her lips, but the Crown Prince laughed.

"I can understand. I have a sister, as you are well aware and she constantly complains about the 'beauty standards issue', as she calls it."

Vivian smiled at him and when her mother turned to the maid, he winked at her. Vivian blushed and looked down, embarrassed.

"My dear, while the refreshments are coming, why don't you show the Crown Prince our gardens?"

"With pleasure, mother." Vivian answered and turned to the handsome man in front of her. "Your Highness, would you like to accompany me for a stroll?"

"Most definitely." He answered and got up, raising his hand to Vivian.

Once outside, they walked for a few minutes without a word being exchanged between them. Vivian was looking around, at the flowers and curiously, she was feeling quite inclined to pay more attention to the little colorful plants.

"Why did you seem so surprised with my presence, Lady Vivian?" He finally asked, breaking the silence.

"Oh.. well, to be frank with you, Your Majesty, I thought you were not speaking seriously, last night. By morning, I recollected the events and… You know… Why would a Crown Prince help the daughter of a Viscount that had just been rejected by a Marquis?"

"I have already told you my reasons. And…since you are in this situation, it makes me courting you even more believable. Why would I court you? Because you are more than, in your own words, 'the daughter of a Viscount rejected by a Marquis', My Lady."

Vivian pondered for a moment and, indeed, his words made sense. The reason why a Crown Prince, above all people, would ever look at her, was because she was precious in his eyes. And, of course, men in general wanted what was valuable. The Crown Prince's attention gave Vivian that recommendation about herself.

"I can see your point, Your Highness." She said thoughtfully, nodding. "And I agree."

"I'm happy you do. Which means… our deal is up, right?" Vivian couldn't tell if his tone was of amusement or not, but she was not going to back off.

"Yes."

Soon, a maid walked to them and they spent the next hours in the living room, listening to Lady Aleena's compliments to Vivian - the ones she would never give her daughter when they were just the two of them.

While Vivian was abashed by her mother's words, the Crown Prince seemed to be enjoying it so far.

"Please, my love, play the piano for us." Lady Aleena asked and Vivian pouted. Hakoon noted how uncomfortable she was and decided to intervene.

"I would love to listen to you playing, My Lady, but I must go now. Let's make it for tomorrow, then."

When he was gone, Lady Aleena held Vivian by the shoulders.

"Why didn't you mention that you made acquaintance with the Crown Prince of Weatus?" She asked, smiling like a fool.

"I think I was suffering too much about the Marquis…"

"Who cares about the Marquis?" Lady Aleena waved her hand quite dramatically and Vivian scoffed internally.

'Until yesterday, you were throwing a fit because of the abrogation of our commitment."

"Well, I did care."

Her mother made a dismissed movement with her hand.

"Pss, don't! He is the past. The Crown Prince is the present and the future. Focus on him. Trust me, he is much more worthy of your tears than that Uriel Barless."

Later on that very same day, flowers arrived at her house. And they were not from the Crown Prince, but from a Count. And also, a box of fancy and refined chocolates, from another Viscount.

Lady Aleena was very much pleased with all that. Lord Heinrich, her husband and Vivian's father, the Viscount, congratulated his daughter during dinner.

The next day, the Crown Prince visited and soon, news really spread around town. And invitations for balls were more than raining at the Astley House.

On the fourth day, Vivian woke up to have two men waiting to see her. She had never been one to like flattery, but it was funny.

The Crown Prince arrived and he was not so pleased to see those men in there. He knew them and didn't like any.

"You should be more careful, My Lady." He said to Vivian, when both men were gone.

"Careful with what?"

"With who visits you. Those men are not good company."

"Oh.. thank you for letting me know." She was almost laughing, because for a moment, she thought he was.. jealous? The Crown Prince held her hand, bringing her attention to his face. Vivian felt butterflies in her stomach, because he was touching her and without his glove.