Truth After Lies

Royalty Palace

Maddy didn't go to sleep that night, tossing and turning in bed only made it worse. By the time she finally fell asleep, the sunshine slithered through to touch her eyes. A knock came on the door as Maddy groaned in response, followed by another.

"Come in!" she grunted out loud and forced her eyes open. A loud gasp escaped her lips as she took in who exactly was standing in front of her.
"Everything alright, Maddy?" His expression was worried and concerned seeing her tear streaked eyes and red face.
"Oh sorry, I didn't know you would come by," Maddy's cheeks were exploding with embarrassment as she tried to sink into her bed.
"Didn't your mother tell you?" He raised his eyebrows and looked on his feet as Maddy shook her head.

"Your staying over at the palace for a week. To see how you like it and some other stuff," he avoided her eyes and looked outside her balcony.
"Oh, umm, give me a few minutes and I'll be right down," she winced at how unprepared she sounded.
"No problem, princess," he smirked.
Maddy's face turned from embarrassment to horror as she recalled the nickname she had been given. Princess. That was what Leo would call her. Memories flooded back into her as tears pricked her eyes once more.
"Is everything okay? Did I say something wrong?" His questions immediately came.
"No, no. Just getting a bit emotional. I'll be right down," she blinked them away and got out of bed once Jaylen was out of the room.

Maddy rushed to get dressed. She put on a maxi dark blue dress, the back was open and the material was extra soft. Her hair was done in a simple half up half down style and her lips were splashed with some colour. She put on her blue velvet heels and hurried downstairs to find that her suitcase was all packed and ready to go.

The car ride was super awkward. She wasn't sitting in a car with Jaylen but with his assistants and her parents. Nobody would talk to one another, except for daddy and some of the workers. Three hours passed and just as she was about to fall asleep, the royal car came to a halt.

Maddy took in the view and her mouth dropped. There were three buildings, one large castle in the middle and two similar buildings by its side. They were all magnificently large and all immensely grand and fancy. The car door opened and there stood Jaylen with his hand out for her, which she took with a smile. They walked through the front hall that lead them up 3 staircases and 2 more hallways, usually Maddy would be bored by know but she was too busy admiring the knights, paintings and sculptures that they passed.

"Where are we going?" She asked finally.
"To where you're going to stay during your time here," he said automatically as if he had rehearsed his lines before.
"Loosen up, Jaylen," she nudged him slightly to which his only response was a playful smirk.
"Sorry, the beautiful women by my side made be nervous," he looked straight forward and grinned as she whirled her head to him.

They finally reached and her bedroom was just as grand as the rest of the palace. A huge poster bed in the middle and surrounding her bed was a large oak wood desk, a huge walk in closet, a shoe rack, a jacuzzi & a huge shower and bathtub. The toilets were to a side in a separate room a few meters away from her huge balcony that held the most drooling view. She couldn't help but let out a small squeal as she took in the sight which made Jaylen chuckle beside her.

"If you need anything, my room is two doors down this hallway. Come at any time. The maids will be here soon," and with that he left her to her own space.

She ran around the room twice and jumped on the bed countless times in excitement. The maids came and dressed her up in a silky summer dress and she roamed around the palace for hours on her own when Jaylen had to work. She quite enjoyed the company of herself, it was calming, especially outdoors where the gardens were blooming with beautiful flowers of all kinds.

Later that night, Maddy lay in her bed and due to the comfort of the bed she fell asleep. But that didn't mean her sleep was peaceful, she woke up screaming and shivering in a pool of her sweat. She immediately got out of bed and ran two doors down the hall and knocked loudly. A groan came from the other side before the door opened.
"Maddy? Is everything okay?" He reached out only to yank his hand back.
"I . . . I had . . . I hate nightmares," she sighed and rubbed her eyes and realised how stupid she looked. She looked like a wimp.
"Me too," he said and invited her in.

Maddy would have gawked if it weren't for how sleepy she was at the sight of his room. It was twice as large as hers and seemed so simple yet extra. She shook her head and sat down on his bed.
"Sorry, I should go back. I know how stupid this looks," she sighed and looked up only to find his eyes amused at her.
"No, it's fine. Why don't you stay the night?" He asked, his eyes pleading yet forward.
"I wouldn't want to intrude," she felt red creeping onto her skin as she properly took in Jaylen.

He was shirtless with flawless abs and incredible muscles. His shorts were low on his waist which made Maddy look away instantly. His arms were crossed across his perfectly tanned chest. His eyes were piercing through the darkness, bringing butterflies to her stomach.
"Oh don't worry, you wouldn't be intruding anything. I can sleep on the armchair, take the bed," he smirked a bit but then his eyes turned soft.
"No, no. It's your room, just sleep on the other side of the bed," Maddy patted her side and settled down on his extremely comfy bed.

She felt the weight as his body sinked in beside her but not too close. It felt like hours before Jaylen spoke up.
"Are you okay?" he said softly, his breathe close enough to send shivers down the back of her neck.
She turned around to face him and her eyes widened when she saw just how close he was.
"Why'd you ask?" She pretended to play dumb and looked up at the ceiling.
"You just seem . . . Off," he finally said while examining her face closely.
"Do I now?" she didn't answer him and turned around when he touched her hand.
"Yes, Maddy. You do. I understand if you don't feel comfortable talking about it but just so you know, I'm here for you. Even though I seem busy, I'm still here," he looked at her, really looked at her and she found herself leaning in.