THE SUNNY AFTERNOON didn't last. As soon as Alice and Spade had left the Tewalts' boutique, their glorious golden afternoon turned into a stormy outlook. Storm clouds gathered in the sky, covering every inch with its ominous gray. Soon enough, before Alice could even prepare for it, rain had started to fall. It splattered over the stone-paved ground, turning the surface slick and slippery.
"That came without warning," Spade commented, having to yell a little louder than his usual volume as the rain picked up both in the size of its droplets and its frequency.
"We need to find somewhere to hide!" Using her hands to shield her eyes, Alice squinted through the mist that had formed as a result of the rain. "I think I see a building there!"
They were still in town, unfortunately. Many of the shoppers had already sought refuge someplace else, either ducking into boutiques, stores, or eateries. However, Alice wasn't familiar with this part of town. It wasn't a place she had visited often, if at all. She could only proceed based on her gut instinct or by Spade's advice.
"Let's go!"
Despite the heavy rain, Spade wasn't afraid to make a run for it. He grabbed Alice's wrist, gently pulling her along with him as they made a break for it. Around them, the raindrops were merciless, trying their best to slow them down. However, fear didn't work well against Spade. He bravely trudged through, boots slapping loudly against the puddles that gathered on the ground, making a loud splash of sound.
When they were finally under the roof, a small shelter in front of an empty store that was empty for rent, they could finally catch their breaths.
"Thankfully you didn't purchase all those dresses!" Alice exclaimed in relief. "Imagine carrying them in this weather."
"I was never planning to carry them with me." Spade pouted. He gently dusted the droplets of rainwater that had clung onto his sleeves, desperately trying to try them. However, they had long been soaked through. "The twins will arrange appropriate deliveries for the purchases. That's how they transport the gowns around for the nobility."
"And have them cart it to the palace?"
"No, silly. They're obviously sending it to the Ragans. The twins are a little dumber than you might think. Even though their minds work magic while handling business, they cannot put two and two together outside of work. You staying at the Ragans will not give them enough clues to realize what my real identity is."
Personally, Alice wouldn't go so far as to say that about the twins. She had only met them twice but she knew that they had more brain cells than Spade had credited them for. After all, no matter which day and age, managing a business was hard work. Besides, it wasn't as though the Tewalt twins were doing a dying trade. They were a part of Gladiolum's fashion industry, the biggest selling point in the current time era. It was a thriving business they were managing, not sweeping mere dust from the floors while putting on flash sales every three weeks.
"Don't let them hear that," Alice reminded with a chuckle of her own. "They might get offended."
"Nah." Spade waved Alice's comment off. "We're as tight as brothers. Even if they did, they would think it's a mere joke."
Around them, the rain was only getting harder and harder. Lightning and thunder flashed across the skies in a deafening crackle, splitting the heavens into two with a bright, searing whip of fizzling electricity. Alice took a small step backward when she saw the flash, feeling her heart jolt a little when the sound followed soon after. She never liked the sound of thunder. In fact, she never thought anyone truly did. Lightning might be mesmerizing, beautiful, and a natural phenomenon that was amazing to behold but its companion was much less pleasant.
She might even go as far as to call it a nuisance.
"What? Scared of a little lightning?" Spade laughed, nudging Alice. "At your age? Really?"
"No. Lightning is beautiful," she clarified. "It's the sound of thunder that I really despise."
"They come as a pair, little bird," Spade said. "You can't have one without the other."
"And that is why I hate it all the more."
For a brief period of time, Alice and Spade simply stood under the shelter the closed shop provided. There wasn't a single soul on the streets. Occasionally, a few leaves would whiz by, blown off the trees and away with the storm towards wherever it brought them. Their clothes were long soaked through and with how the rainwater splashed in on the occasion, there was no way their clothing would dry anytime soon.
"Er…" Spade hesitated with his words. However, the sound he made was enough to cause Alice to turn over. Even with the dim lighting, she could tell how flushed he was. His cheeks were as red as tomatoes, burning a bright, brilliant scarlet as he tried to look anywhere but at her. Then, he gestured to his own chest, tugging at his shirt. "Your…" He trailed off.
"My what?" Alice echoed.
Instinctively, she looked down. To her horror, her shirt had become completely see-through. Since she was wearing a white top previously, now that it was soaked down to the last fiber, everything underneath could be seen. Her undergarments ― though also white in color ― were thankfully much more forgiving. However, now that her outmost layer was translucent, that meant that Spade was able to tell what color she was wearing under as well.
It was no wonder he had turned into a beetroot. Even if this happened in the modern-day, Alice would be utterly embarrassed.
"Oh gosh," she muttered, holding her hands over her chest.
She maneuvered them all sorts of ways, trying to cover herself as best as she could. However, nothing worked well. In the end, all Alice could do was wrap her arms around herself. When she realized everything was still exposed, she cursed under her breath in annoyance.
Before she could come up with a better solution ― if there even was one ― she felt a pair of arms gently wrapping themselves around her. Spade held her tightly in his embrace, holding her close to his chest as he looked up at the sky past the roof. Tucked in his arms, she was hidden from everyone's view― including his.
"I won't look," he promised. His voice was just above a whisper, barely audible when paired with the pitter-patter sound of the rain. "I swear."
Not knowing what to do, all Alice did, in the end, was stay unmoving like a statue. Her hands were still in front of herself, bent at the elbows as her upper arms stayed wedged between Spade and her own chest. It created a barrier, preventing their wet clothes from touching. Her forehead rested on his bare chest, a small opening that was present due to the open button of his shirt. In his arms, Alice didn't even dare to breathe. She was worried that if she did, everything before her would shatter.
Her heart was racing a thousand miles an hour. There it came again, the same feeling she felt when she was at the twin's boutique. There was something about Spade that drove her thoughts wild. At first, she had thought it was because he scared her. He was, after all, the second prince of Gladiolum. Wyatt, Miles, and Charlie had all warned her that no one with blue blood could be trusted. However, she soon found valuable friends in Hartley and Spade.
She wasn't sure from which point had it happened but Alice was no longer as afraid of Spade any longer. In fact, she looked forward to the times she could see him. Hanging around him offered her a comforting feeling, a sensation that was almost nostalgic.
Was it just nostalgia she was feeling? The bright yearning of home? Or was it something more? Whatever it was, Alice didn't have the time to figure it out. Her train of thought was broken when footsteps echoed louder and louder, headed straight towards them.
"Alice! Alice, where are you?"
Even through the rain, Wyatt's voice was loud. Desperation clung to his every word. Soon enough, Alice could spot him in the distance, his white hair acting as a beacon of light. He was carrying an umbrella but with how quickly and frantically he ran about, it didn't do much to keep him dry. The hem of his pants was already soaked a shade darker, his shoes no doubt flooded.
"It's Wyatt," Alice murmured. She tried to take a step away from Spade but the latter's arms were wrapped tightly around her, unwilling to loosen. "You have to let go. If he sees us like this―"
"I want him to," was all Spade answered.
"Alice!" Wyatt exclaimed when he finally caught sight of the two. He stopped a little, the smile on his face dropping when he realized she was wrapped tightly in the prince's arms. The grip on his umbrella tightened and if it weren't for his gloves, Alice was sure they would display white. "Your Highness," he greeted with a faux smile.
Only after Wyatt had seen the two wrapped up in each other's arms was Spade finally willing to let go. The second his arms loosened around her, Wyatt practically snatched Alice over. She safely stood under the umbrella with the white-haired man, his arm protectively around her shoulder as he held her close to himself.
"Your Highness," Wyatt said pleasantly, "Dorian is just around the corner. He will be here to pick you up soon. Unfortunately, as you can see, I only have one umbrella. We can't have Alice out in the rain. After all, she just recovered."
"It's fine." Spade shrugged Wyatt's words off. "I can wait for Dorian."
"Then if you'll excuse us, we'll take our leave first."
Spinning around, Wyatt hurried Alice away after giving Spade a curt bow. The umbrella was passed into Alice's hands and she gripped onto it tightly, worried that it would fly away in the wind. Once Wyatt's hands were freed up, Alice felt something warm resting on her shoulders. It took her a few seconds to realize that it was Wyatt's overcoat. Finally, something dry was on her body.
"My shirt is see-through," Alice tried to explain.
"I know."
"He just didn't want―"
"There are a lot of things Prince Spade wants, Alice," Wyatt interjected. When Alice looked up, she realized that Wyatt was staring right back at her, ruby eyes gazing down upon her own sapphire ones. "My job is to make sure he gets none of it."