Randomness Book 2

The Royal Twins Chapter 14

Maisie sat still as a statue as the realization crashed over her like a massive tidal wave. How did I not see the signs? How was he able to hide his feelings for so long? She silently asked herself. Looking back on it, there may have been times when Nicky dropped subtle hints on crushing on her. The pinkness in his cheeks, the slightly enlarged pupils, maybe even during their conversations he dropped a flirty maneuver or two.

The sound of footsteps brought her out of her thoughts, and she quickly picked the hairbrush up from the floor, setting it back on the vanity. The door opened, revealing a worried Aidan who had heard the thud from downstairs. "Sister, you alright?" He questioned. There was no way she could tell Aidan about her dilemma. Two young men were crushing on her, and knowing her brother, he would probably make the situation even more stressful. "Everything's fine. Just dropped my brush," Maisie half lied.

Aidan quirked a brow, asking her if she was sure everything was alright. With a simple nod, her brother slowly and suspiciously shut the door, leaving her by her lonesome again. As she crawled into bed, more memories from her past kept flashing before her eyes. One moment she was with Prince Five in the gardens or on the dancefloor, and the next she was with Nicky drinking tea and laughing over the simplest of things.

 And as much as she wanted to confront either of them about it, she feared that maybe her thoughts were misleading and could lead to disaster. Not only that, but it would seem improper to question royalty about their feelings towards someone if they never spoke a word about it.

What am I going to do?

~~~~~~~

Though Prince Five would never admit it, he was beginning to grow a bit anxious when it came to his feelings about the Viscount's daughter. He pushed the thought away numerous times but somehow, it always came crawling back to haunt him. During their brief time together, he couldn't imagine her slipping away from him and into the arms of someone else. With her status and family's reputation, there was no doubt in his mind that there were others who wanted her as their forever partner.

But contrary to the requirement of marriage he would have to uphold in the future, Five wanted to take the relationship slow, maybe court her for a year or two before asking for her hand. If there was any benefit to not being the firstborn heir, he could slightly bend the rules just like he had always wanted. He walked towards the window, his hands fumbling with his navy blue coat. He glanced in the direction of the Potter home, silently wishing his secret love a good night's sleep.

How am I going to tell her my feelings? Though Five was known for making impulsive decisions, this confession was not going to be one of them. He couldn't ride into the town, burst through the doors, and confess. He knew it would have to be romantic and old-fashioned, something from those historical romances his sister loved to read. But the more he tried to come up with an idea to make it special, the more he came to a dead end.

He silently groaned into his hands. If he couldn't think of a great idea, then maybe it was time to ask for guidance. His mother had already retired to her chambers and was possibly asleep, which left only one person, his sister. He knew she would tease him when he admitted the truth about liking Maisie, but it wasn't like there was anybody else awake at this time of night that could help him.

He stood outside her door, gently tapping on it four times. "Dusk, are you still awake?" He asked. The door opened, and the raven appeared, dressed in her nightgown and hair tied into a ponytail. "You caught me in the nick of time. I was just about to doze off," Dusk answered, inviting him in.

"Your suspicions about my feelings towards Miss Maisie are correct. I do love her," he stated. Dusk's eyes lit up with excitement, and she let out a small squeal. "See? I told you I would get you to tell the truth eventually!" "Yeah yeah, listen. You know more about romance than I do. You've read practically all the books in the library, from Jane Austen to Julia Quinn. I want to court her, but I'm not sure how,"

Dusk stood up from her temporary seat and walked toward her brother. "Well, what do you love about her?" She queried. For the next ten to fifteen minutes, Five poured his thoughts to his twin, who nodded and listened intently. "Wow, you must really love her!" Dusk smiled. "Most ardently," Five whispered, softly enough for only him to hear. As the raven pondered possible romantic spots for him to confess, a lightbulb went off in her head. "You remember those blossom trees Mother used to take us to whenever they were in bloom?" She inquired.

"What about them?" Five responded. "The blooms are at their best at this time of year. When she comes to court, take her there, and confess your feelings! Speak from your heart, show her the love you have inside," Dusk advised. Though Five did his best to hide the look on his face, he felt his lips tilt upwards at the thought of the confession. He could imagine the look of surprise on her face and hopefully the gleeful and joyous smile upon her acceptance.

Unconsciously, he stood up from his seat and walked towards the door, faintly hearing Dusk mutter the words, "Go get her, lover boy," before she shut the door. As Five made his way back to his chambers, he began to feel a bit more confident in himself, feeling that the events would go by smoother than anticipated.

But little did the prince know that someone else was planning on confessing to his beloved the very next day.