Maid For You 4

Chapter 47

I was very quiet as I tried to formulate a response to Madeline; I was completely unsure of what to say. It was different with Nikolas, I just knew that in my bones, and yet...did that invalidate all of her points?

"You shouldn't feel insecure about yourself, not because of Coleman," I finally said. I didn't know how to respond about Nikolas, anyways, and that was a point I felt was important to get across.

"Ah, well, I suppose that's solves the problem, then. I just...won't feel bad," she drawled.

"Okay, fair," I conceded. "But really, Madeline. It's not that you weren't good enough. It just wasn't meant to be."

She sighed. "Perhaps."

"I'm serious," I told her. "It's not a reflection on you. It's more of a reflection on who he is than anything else."

Madeline was looking out of the window; she didn't say anything for a moment. "I wanted...I thought that if I just tried hard enough, that I could make it happen. If I could just figure out what he wanted, how to make him happy...it would happen. And there was just enough evidence for me to believe that it could." She continued to stare outside. "So I followed him around like a dog begging for scraps. I want to blame him for everything, but it's my fault too. I should have ended things a long time ago."

"It's okay," I told her. "It's like that saying, you know? 'We're all fools in love.'"

"That is certainly true in my case," Madeline said. She turned her head away from the window to look at me. "So be careful with your Nikotan Prince, Cassie."

"I appreciate the concern," I said, and I meant it. No, Nikolas was hardly the fiend she thought he was, but I knew she was looking out for me. Besides, there was a very very fair point to what she'd said.

"Well, I know you're in love with Prince Nikolas or whatnot, but in case that doesn't work out, which it probably won't, I wanted to let you know of someone who is interested in you," Madeline continued.

"Um, I don't really—"

"Just hear me out, alright?" Madeline said. "Now that you've finally broken up with that butler of yours, Lord Harry has expressed to me that he is interested in you."

"Lord Harry?" I asked, though I was hardly shocked. Ever since we'd met at Mercucio's pool party, he'd been quite friendly with me.

"Yes." She wore a sly smile. "He'd really be a good match, you know."

"I'm, I'm sure he would be..." I started. "But, I just. I don't know. I like Nikolas. It's hard to think about someone else when there's Nik..."

"Well keep it in mind," Madeline told me. "I also have another matter to discuss with you."

Another matter? I thought.

"You look frightened," she said, laughing. "Don't be so alarmed. I wanted to ask you if you'd be a bridesmaid in my wedding!"

***

The days passed by. True to his word, Coleman would often stop by my room to see what I was up to, and the two of us would chat about whatever random things. I also spent a lot of time with Calista, and once we even looked up Luke to see how he was doing. It seemed that his following had grown a lot from his tour with Nash Scottie, and he looked like he was doing very well for himself.

He's still such a good-looking guy, I thought, feeling rather proud that I had dated him.

I attended some parties, continued with my lessons in politics, and Mercucio even came over once and went into details about how the mindset of 'old money' folk differed from other people. I talked about wedding details with Madeline, though I really wasn't super useful, and finally, early March had come and it was time to go to the coronation in Nikoto. Apparently, the custom was that reining monarchs would not attend the coronation, so as to not distract from the new monarch being crowned, so the Areganan party going to Nikoto was only Calista, Coleman, and myself.

The three of us flew to Nikoto and arrived the night before his coronation. We were given individual rooms to stay in, and I found myself in the familiar room that I had stayed in a few weeks prior. I ran my hand across the back of the navy-blue sofa with its silver embroidery, and anticipation swelled up in my chest. I knew that I would be seeing Prince Nikolas soon—if not tonight, then at the very least I'd see him the next day at his coronation. My prince was becoming a king, and I still didn't know for sure what was going on between us.

We had texted some since I'd first seen Madeline, but we hadn't called. I knew that it probably wasn't a good sign that he hadn't called me, but in my heart I chose to believe that he was merely busy. That's why he couldn't call me. I mean, of course he was busy! He was dealing with his father's funeral, his upcoming coronation, and the expectations of his whole country. It didn't mean that he didn't care...at least, that's what I chose to believe.

I circled that sofa and plopped down onto the familiar cushions and stared up at the white ceiling. "Am I crazy?" I asked aloud, as I felt my heartbeat quicken at the idea of seeing Nikolas. It was maddening knowing that he was walking around this very castle and that I wasn't walking around with him.

A knock sounded at my door and I bolted forward from my laidback position on the couch, my heart hammering harder than before.

"Who is it?" I called, my voice coming out more in more of a croak than I would have liked.

"It is Melaniya."

My heartbeat died down. Oh, I thought. However, I mustered my best smile and got up off the couch to open the door. "Come in," I said.

The familiar blonde maid looked at me with a smile. "Thank you," she curtsied. "And welcome back to Nikoto."

"I'm happy to be here," I said, stepping aside so she'd have a clear path to walk in.

"Prince Nikolas sent me," she then told me.

I felt my body freeze, waiting for her next words. "Did he?" I asked carefully.

"Yes. He wants to see you."

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