POV: Cat
"Long time no see!" I threw my arms around Mr. Arsenault.
The security guard went stiff beneath me and cleared his throat. "Are you ready to go, Mademoiselle?"
"As ready as I'll ever be," I nodded and stepped out of my room and into the hall. "Where have you been?"
"With my family, Mademoiselle," Mr. Arsenault said. "You do not need me while you are in the palace."
"Well I'm glad I have you today," I told him. And it was true. This was the first time I was going outside of the palace. The first time I was ever going to be on TV. "How do I look?"
I spun in a circle for him as we continued down the hall. Angelique had dressed me in a light blue dress, with long sleeves and a flowy skirt. My hair was curled into pretty waves that framed my face. Delicate gold jewelry sat on my neck and wrist. I felt like a ballerina. Completely unlike myself.
"Like a princess," Mr. Arsenault assured me.
"Good." At least I looked the part even if I didn't feel it. I tried to push the worry from my mind but my stomach twisted as we wound our way through the palace halls.
What if I said something wrong?
What if the plan backfired again?
Would I be sent home?
What would happen to Leopold?
Mr. Arsenault and I arrived in the foyer. He led me out the front doors of the palace and down onto the gavel drive where a black limo waited.
"Where is Prince Leopold?" I slid into the back, careful not to crease the dress.
"On his way," Mr. Arsenault said from the driver's seat.
Sure enough, a few moments later, His Royal Highness appeared on the front steps of the palace. There was another man at his side, dressed in a leather jacket and t-shit.
"Who's that with him?"
"Farrow," Mr. Arsenault explained. "Prince Leopold's personal guard."
"He's not dressed like you." That was putting it mildly. Farrow was covered in tattoos and had longish hair dyed inky black. He looked like some kind of supervillain. Or a Tiktok star.
"The Prince requires a different kind of protection. Someone who blends in and adapts quickly," Mr. Arsenault explained. "Farrow's family has been in service to the crown for generations."
Had Farrow been there when Prince Leopold got into the fight? If he had, how had he let it go so far? If I threw a right hook at someone, I had no doubt Mr. Arsenault would have me thrown over his shoulder in two seconds flat.
The back door opened and Prince Leopold slid in next to me. He was in a light grey jacket and white dress shirt. The pale colours contrasted beautifully with his golden skin. His salt and stone scent filled the small space of the back seat instantly.
Silence filled the car as we took off. I sunk into my seat and picked at the fresh nailpolish Angelique had carefully applied. All the energy and questions I'd had for Mr. Arsenault fizzled.
What if the plan didn't work again?
What if I couldn't help Leopold?
And why did I care so much?
We sped through winding cobblestone streets and white stone buildings. Everything was still closed, except a few bakeries that we based. The sun was barely up. The streets were still empty.
We crossed a large bridge and the buildings became glass and steel, and new. The roads are wide and straighter. Eventually, we pulled up outside a large windowless building.
I took a big breath in and tried to remember all the protocol that Princess Lupa had gone over with me.
Stay two steps behind the Prince at all times.
Never touch the Prince.
Don't speak unless spoken to.
Be brief with your answers.
Don't have too strong of an opinion.
Farrow pulled the back door open.
Prince Leopold fiddled with his silver cufflinks and then climbed smoothly out of the car. I waited for a beat, and then followed him.
"Bonjour!" cried a short, balled man who waited in front of a pair or steel doors. He bowed his head a few times up and down, looking like a bobble head.
The Prince offered his hand to the man, who shook it enthusiastically while rattling off in French. He turned and looked at me, his eyes going wide. He took a few steps towards me, closing the distance between us, and then took my hand, sloppily kissing the back of my knuckles.
He bowed again. And then again. While backing up towards the steel doors and continuing to chat away.
The man stepped inside. Farrow immediately followed him, then the Prince. I waited a second, making sure there were two paces between the Prince, before going after them. Mr. Arsenault came after me, completing our little group.
We were taken through industrial hallways until we arrived at another steel door. Farrow pulled it open, and we stepped into a waiting room. There was an ugly grey couch on one wall. A table with bottles of juice and water and other snacks on the other wall.
"We will be outside if you need anything," Mr. Arsenault told me when he and Farrow had completed searching the small room.
I flopped down onto the couch as the heavy door shut behind them. My stomach churned, and I closed my eyes and put my head in my hands.
"What's wrong?" Prince Leopold said, speaking for the first time.
"I'm nervous." I took a deep breath in. I didn't see any point in lying.
"Nervous?"
I turned my head a little so that I could see him. The Prince leaned casually against the snack table, his arms crossed over his chest. His brows were slightly puckered as he looked at me with his mismatched eyes.
Not with concern.
It was more like he didn't believe me.
"Yes," I let out the breath slowly. "Going on live TV isn't really my idea of fun."
I held my hand out. "Would you pass me a water?"
The Prince took a bottle, and unscrewed the cap. I tried not to let our hands touch as he handed me the bottle.
He stayed close by, looking over me. "If you didn't want to do it, why did you say yes?"
I took a sip. "Princess Lupa said it would help you."
The Prince's frown grew deeper. "Help me?"
"Yes."
"And why would you want to do that?"
"That's why I came here, wasn't it?" I shot back, growing slightly irritated by his questions.
"That can't be all.
"What do you mean?"
A knock on the door stopped the Prince from answering.
Mr. Arsenault stuck his head into the room. "They are ready for you."
A whooshing noise filled my ears. My mouth went dry. My heart pounded faster in my chest.
The Prince moved to the door. I stood, dazed, and stumbled after him.
People and equipment soon littered the space as we moved deeper into the building. Crew members backed to the edges of the halls as we passed, bowing their heads.
Then we were in bright, hot lights, and the roaring in my ears grew louder as a crowd of people cheered.
I followed the Prince towards another couch, made of white leather this time. A middle aged woman stood beside it, in front of a blue armchair. She was pretty, and blond, with long, tanned legs. Like the sexy, Solisian version of Oprah. I think the Princess had said her name was Claudette.
Claudette curtsied as we approached. The Prince offered her his hand to shake, and then we sat, and the crowd grew quiet.
I squeezed my hands together in my lap to hide the way that they were shaking.
Just don't touch the Prince. Don't say anything. It will all be over soon.
The Prince and Claudette began speaking a million miles an hour in french. Things seemed to start off light and easy. They were both smiling. Laughing. Relaxed.
I stayed perched upright in my chair very unrelaxed and very aware of the limited amount of space between the Prince and I.
The Princess said it was a big no-no to touch him, but the small sofa left only a couple inches of space between us. If I shifted at all, our legs or shoulders would touch. I was hyper aware of how close our bodies were with so many eyes on us. Thoughts of his hot breath on my neck and his hands pressed into my hip bones hardly doing anything to settle my nerves.
Prince Leopold's had turned into a fist on his knee suddenly. His whole body had gone tense beside me. I looked up to see the picture of him from the newspaper appear on a huge screen beside us.
My hand reached out, automatically moving to take the Prince's, to try to calm him. Then I caught myself and quickly pulled it back.
Claudette saw the movement and suddenly spoke in english.
"Catherine, do you know anything about what happened here?"
I-ah…" I swallowed.
Great.
Everything had been going perfectly well with them ignoring me. I had to go and get caught almost breaking a rule.
With my luck, I was probably about to break another one.
The Princess' instructions rang through my mind. Be Brief.
"No, I don't."
Not the most sophisticated answers, but I'd done my job.
Claudette cocked her head, her blue eyes intent on me. "Do you think it has anything to do with you?"
"No," I said again.
I was obviously gonna make a winning first impression on my television debut.
So much for helping Prince Leopold.
Claudette continued to push. "Don't you think it's strange that Prince Leopold was out in the city, getting into fistfights on the day of your arrival?"
"I–"
She didn't let me answer this time. "And what about this?"
The picture from the riding incident appeared on the screen.
"You are clearly upset here. Was the Prince violent again?"
A few gasps rang out from the crowd.
"No." I said again and the shaking in my fists stopped.
"No?" Claudette said. "Have you been told–"
"Prince Leopold saved my life yesterday." I told her, cutting her off this time.
The crowd gasped collectively this time, chattering.
"Saved your life?" Claudette frowned. She leaned in closer.
Fuck it.
I'd already broken my silence, and I wasn't about to let them shit on the Prince when he'd done nothing wrong. I figured the least I could do was set things right.
That was why I was here, after all.
"Yup. My horse got spooked by some tourists who were being a little too pushy and bolted. He didn't hurt me. He saved me."
"What about the fight the night before?" she asked.
"I don't know but–" I began. Then I was cut off again. This time my Leopold.
"The man insulted Cat's virtue."
My eyes grew wide. I turned to look at him.
I searched his face, saw his locked jaw, and shame in his eyes.
Leopold's bloody knuckles were from defending me?
The Prince dropped his head, rubbing the back of his neck.
"What did he say?" Claudette asked, her face looking as surprised as I felt.
"I'd rather not repeat it," Prince Leopold said.
"So you got into a fight because a stranger said something sexual about Catherine? You were defending her?"
"Yes," the Prince said. "I would do everything in my power to protect her."