Chapter Eight

"Are you sure you don't need me to come with you?" Jenny asked, placing the last box in the car trunk, she slammed the lid of the trunk down.

"Nope, I am good!" Carol replied casually.

Jenny wore an improbable look as she stared at her.

"You know that the boxes weigh a ton, right?".

Carol gave her a shrug, making her way towards the driver's seat.

"You don't need to worry Jenny, I have got everything under control and besides you have done a lot already with the packing and selecting. You need to rest!" She ordered.

"Yeah I do need to rest and so do you".

Carol smiled "I will, after the visit, I better hurry!" She glanced at her wristwatch "They hate it when I am late!".

"I know, greet them for me will ya?"

"Sure!" She climbed into the car and it peeled off from the driveway with a moderate amount of speed.

Jenny sighed, staring as the car drove out of sight.

Remembering that she had work to do, she headed back to the building.

"I better lock the safe with the diamonds in them!".

>>>>Carol hummed to the song that was playing on the radio, tapping her fingers on the wheel to it's rhythm. It felt good to be going back to her hometown. She missed everyone especially the kids. She let out a joyful scream and increased her speed.

* * * *

Adrian looked around him. He sighed, this town 'definitely' needs a redevelopment. He just need to find good reasons to convince the King that his idea was preposterous. It wasn't going to be easy but he had to start from somewhere.

As he walked on the cobblestone sidewalk, he noticed the stares he got from the people. He definitely didn't look like he belonged here. At the far end of the street, he noticed a lady in rags sitting on the street beside her, a child was curled up, he looked so malnourished. He felt a jab in his chest as he stared at the sight.

Taking a deep breath, he approached them. A foul odor stung his naris. It made him take some steps back. He shook his head a bit, to get the stench off his system.

He coughed. Wow! He hasn't smelled anything this terrible. He looked at them, they looked so grimy like they haven't had a good shower in months.

He quickly placed a thousand bucks in the empty bowl used for alms.

She had a weak smile on her lips and nodded in appreciation. He smiled warmly at her and wandered off.

'Yup! Something definitely needs to be done about this place!' he thought.

* * * *

Carol packed her car in a nearby building on reaching her destination. The road to her final destination was undrivable, she had no choice but to continue the rest on foot.

She climbed down and headed towards the back of the car, heaving the lid of the trunk up, she began carrying the boxes. She piled them up according to their sizes. Once she was done, Carol closed the trunk and finally locked her car.

Now it was time for the hard part, carrying all the boxes to her final destination.

Taking a long deep breath, she lifted them up with so much strain.

'Jenny was so freaking right, they were extremely heavy!' she thought.

She staggered, her legs felt wobbly due to the weight she carried. She took everystep with caution, feeling her hands growing weak, she shook her head; Nope, this wasn't the time to start getting feeble.

The pile of boxes impeded her vision as she staggered on the cobblestone sidewalk.

Caroline tried to balance the boxes full of toys, storybooks and new kids clothes she brought with her, they were for her usual visit to the Children's orphanage in her hometown, which was one of the pauperized part of the country. Yes, who would have thought that the most desired fashion designer in the entire nation was from a lower class town not middle class but lower class, ironical isn't it?.

That's the true fact and she wouldn't change or deny who she was and where she grew up in for anything in the world. In truth, Caroline is one thing, proud of who she was and where she came from. She had to work hard, day after day and night after night, she thrived for years to get to where she was and she is forever a hundred percent sure that she deserves everything she owns, absolutely everything.

Being torn apart between keeping the boxes she carried in equilibrium and her thoughts on how she would carry the heavy boxes all the way to the orphanage, located uphill, she didn't realize when she bumped into something that felt like a rock, leading all the boxes she carried to the ground.

She quickly got down on her knees and began piling the boxes up according to their sizes, without glancing at what she bumped into, she was in the third pile when she noticed the 'thing' bent down to help her.

'Wait a minute! That's a human being!' she thought. The chest must be extremely hard and strong 'cause it felt like a brick wall in the middle of the sidewalk to her.

"I am so sorry!" A deep masculine voice said which sounded oddly familiar to her.

She quickly looked at him and gasped at none other but...

"Adrian!".

He too was shocked to see her, there of all places.

"Miss Caroline! What are you doing here?" He asked, handing the last box which was oddly heavy to her.

She took it and kept it on the pile.

"I am here to visit friends of mine!" She replied casually, lifting the pile up with a bit of strain.

He chuckled "What kind of friends do you visit that lives in a place like this?".

She frowned at him "Good friends, not the fake ones you might have Your Majesty!".

Noticing the anger in her voice, he realized what he said.

"I am sorry, I didn't mean it that way, Miss Caroline!" The tone in his voice was apologetic.

She let out a breath "It's okay, Adrian! I am sorry for what I said!".

Her brows furrowed as she shot him a questioning look which made him a little uncomfortable from where he stood.

"What are you doing here Adrian? This is an odd place for someone with your status".

"I am here on Royal business!" He spoke hastily, avoiding her gaze.

She gave a half shrug, abandoning the subject.

"Do you need help with that? I could help you deliver it to your friends!" He suggested.

"No, I'm okay!" She replied, balancing the boxes on her already sore hands.

Adrian being Adrian, wouldn't let a damsel be in distress for much longer. Ignoring her statement, he grabbed more than half of the boxes, groaning a bit as he carried them.

'How did she carry all these boxes? they are goddamn heavy' he thought.

Caroline was so shocked at his spontaneous behavior.

"I really don't need help!" She said quickly, trying to take one or two boxes from him.

But he wouldn't let her, not when he is around, he began walking ahead of her to prevent her from taking some boxes.

After a few minutes she gave up on pestering him and walked alongside him on the sidewalk as they spoke on random things on the sloppy hill.

Adrian let out a deep breath as they reached her destination.

"Here we are!" She said gleefully.

He read the signpost.

"Orphanage? I thought you said you were visiting your friends!" He said hysterically.

She chuckled "The children are my friends, come on let's go in. They are probably tired of waiting!".

She led the way into the building with a dumbfounded Prince who followed behind.

Immediately she stepped foot on the lobby a swarm of kids surrounded them which surprised Adrian.

'She knows all these children' He was shocked and impressed at the same time.

"We thought you wouldn't make it today!" A little boy shouted.

"Yeah! We thought you might have forgotten us!" A brunette little girl in front of her spoke almost in tears.

Caroline felt touched as she kept the boxes beside her and knelt down to hug her.

"That will never happen, okay?"

"Please don't forget us!" The girl said between sobs.

"I won't!" She said stroking her hair gently, soothing her.

Adrian has never seen anything more touching than what was before him. A smile slowly made his way to his lips.

Once the girl was calm, Caroline abruptly stood up almost knocking down the boxes he held.

"Sorry!" She said quickly, their fingers grazed each other as she prevented the boxes from falling, Caroline felt a spark as the hairs on her body stood still.

"It's cool!" He replied with a heart warming smile that made her heart do a couple of cartwheels.

She cleared her throat and faced the children with a smile.

"Who wants to receive their gifts?".

The kids jumped and yelled with joy at the thought of presents.

They quickly formed a queue while Caroline helped Adrian to put the boxes he carried to the ground.

"Were you always this close to kids?" He asked her as she distributed the gifts to the kids.

"Yeah, eversince I was a teenager, I have always volunteered at the Orphanage!" She replied without glancing at him.

"Now I understand why they adore you this much!" He spoke with admiration.

"Yeah, I have always wanted to help people who are in need since most part of the poverty-stricken areas have been abadoned a long time ago by the royal family!" She said without much thought.

Adrian's face fell.

Quickly realizing what she said she looked up at him.

"I am so sorry, I didn't mean to..."

"It's okay we have abandoned these parts of the Country for so long!" He said with a sullen expression.

Caroline wished so hard that she could take back what she said but the damage was done.

'Why did I have to say that?' she scolded herself.

"Who is he?" A blonde five year old girl asked her bringing her attention to her, the girl pointed at him.

Caroline smiled as she whispered to her "He is a very good friend of mine!"

"He looks like a Prince!" The girl gasped "Is he a Prince?".

There was a twinkle in her eye as she replied "Indeed he is and guess what? He is looking for his Princess!"

The girl squeaked with excitement as Caroline placed a diamond encrusted tiara on her head.

She bowed as she spoke mirthfully "Your Prince awaits you, Your Highness!".

Adrian stared at them in confusion, pondering what they were gossiping about.

The girl beamed as she strode towards him.

He was about to ask Caroline what was going on before the girl wrapped her hands around his leg taking him by surprise.

Caroline found herself laughing at the sight.

"I have finally found my long lost Prince!" The girl screamed in delight as she tightened her grip on him.

Adrian's eyes pleaded to Caroline for help, he had no idea what to do with her.

"It looks like we have to cancel the wedding since you have already found your Princess, Your Highness!" She giggled at him.