The Bookworm Meets the Prince

by Klarika Nuque

  I felt sorry for Margaux, but if something wasn’t working, you just had to accept it. Nothing in life is perfect. Maybe this time, she could find true happiness and not the kind she forced herself into. I was slowly getting too wrapped up with my thoughts when Jam suddenly started talking.

  “So how’s Sarconia now, Drew? Is everything stable?” asked the ever curious Jam.

  “Jeez, Jam, way to make me feel special. You couldn’t have asked me that or I don’t know, Alex? You just had to go to the next king for that question, huh,” Andie teased.

  I knew Andie and Jam already shared a sisterly bond, but who could resist the charming ways of my cousin?

  “Sorry, I couldn’t resist. Can you imagine all the things I could tell my friends once I go back to France? I got the latest news on Sarconia from the future king himself! Nothing beats that for bragging rights, you know,” Jam teased Andie back.

  We all knew she wouldn’t do that no matter how royal obsessed she was. She respected privacy, especially for people she cared about.

  Alex shook his head, silently laughing at my crazy cousin. The two lovebirds, Rissa and Chad, were quietly chatting while looking at Jam and Alex. Something was going on here, and I was going to find it out.

  “Everything is better now, Jam. No more danger if that’s what you’re asking. I can ask my future wife here to go back home safe and sound,” Drew said.

  As he said that, something suddenly popped into my head. Drew was my fiancé, yet I hadn’t worn my ring for some time. I kept it in my special drawer in my room, but I never really got the chance to wear that ring for a few months.

  Well, it wasn’t just me who suddenly got quiet. Everyone else stopped talking, even my parents.

  “I think that is something we should discuss further in my study, my boy,” my dad said, walking directly to his study.

  Drew squeezed my hand and followed after him. I stared at their retreating figures and suddenly felt an arm around my shoulders, hugging me reassuringly.

  “No worries, my dear. Your dad is just being his usual overprotective self. He wouldn’t want any kind of harm to come to you, and quite frankly after everything that has happened, he’s scared that something might happen to you again,” my mom gently whispered to my ears.

  I closed my eyes and tried to calm down. I knew how stubborn my dad could be. He was the main reason why my babies were locked up for so long. But I understand this was very hard on him; he was losing his only child.

  “Do you think I should follow them?” I asked her.

  She shook her head no and hugged me tighter. Everyone was watching me like they were wondering how I would react to the situation. The most comforting words coming from the most loving person I had ever known suddenly filled my head.

  “It’ll work out. Trust me,” my mom said, and I believed her. I had no reason to doubt her words.

  I went back to my meal and ate the remaining dessert.

  After their talk, Drew resumed his meal and asked me out to our beach one of these days. I agreed and said we’ll make further plans later. He agreed and we all resumed our plans for the evening. It included games like Monopoly, which we lost to Jam, and a few drinking games.

  We were up all night, and no one wanted to go home which is why the boys stayed at the guest room and the girls stayed with me in my room.

  We were all having a great time catching up and bonding like we used to that a week passed before Drew and I could go to the beach.

  ***

  “So, Liz, what are your plans now that you're finally done with high school?” Drew asked.

  We were walking on the beach once again. We had been back together for about a week, but we haven’t been able to discuss this new chapter in my life and the conversation he had with my dad.

  I wondered if he would support me on my chosen path; it was not necessarily the easiest way.

  “Well, I have been planning on going to university for so long. The applications have already been sent, and I have taken their entrance exams. That was when I thought we really broke up,” I said, slowly easing him into this conversation.

  The first mistake I ever did was to thoroughly give up my life for Drew. I was young and bound to make mistakes, but what I realized most when I left Drew was I needed to be able to stand on my own two feet before I could contemplate marriage. I was willing to marry Drew, but I was afraid I was too young to settle into it right now. I wanted to be able to explore new things and learn more about life before I could be a co-ruler of a country. I wanted to do something with my life first and make sure that I was worth something.

  I was already wearing his engagement ring, and that was already a big commitment on my part. I just hoped he could support me on this.

  “That’s great, Liz. Which schools have you applied for?” he asked, looking genuinely happy for me.

  “Well, I got into most of the schools I applied for, but the thing is, I got into the one school I was hoping to get in right now. It was a last-minute submission, but they gave me a shot after seeing my credentials,” I said.

  He looked at me, patiently waiting for me to tell him where.

  “It’s a university in France,” I said in a quick breathe, smiling a little.

  Drew gave me a big smile, hugged me, and gave me the sweetest kiss on the forehead.

  “France is just a train ride away from Sarconia. You know that, right? I can still visit you every now and then since you’re still close to me. But, why not a university in Sarconia?” he asked.

  I simply laughed it off, saying that I was bound to be given the special treatment there, so a university in France was the better option. People there were bound to be more neutral. Not all of the people in France were like my crazy cousin, right?

  “What are you taking up, princess?” he asked me.

  “Well, right now, I’m still getting general subjects. I’ll let you know once I’ve made my final decision,” I said.

  He simply smiled and hugged me once more.

  “Whatever you want, princess. I will always support you in whatever you want to do,” he said.

  We walked for a bit more, and I just had to ask him this question.

  “What did you and dad talk about?” I asked.

  He smiled and laughed a little.

  “He told me that I had to keep you safe, and if possible, not to get married right away. I understand him. You are already wearing my ring, so what’s a few years for you to experience more of life gonna take? Being queen is hard, and I want you to do it when you are ready. I agree with your dad; we should wait for a while. Our first mistake was taking things too fast,” he said.

  I could feel that he wasn’t one hundred percent into the idea of waiting a few years, but he understood that we still had some growing up to do.

  “I love you, Drew,” I said because I knew this was a two-way relationship. Giving and taking, that was what made us happy and secure about everything. We knew how to support each other even if it was not the easiest thing to do.

  “I love you more, Lizzie. You are the best thing that has happened in my life, and I won’t do anything to hurt you. I lost you once and trust me, I would give up a million thrones to make sure that won’t happen again. You gave me a second shot when I knew you shouldn’t,” he said.

  “Drew...” I started, but he gave me a small peck to stop me from speaking.

  “I know what you’re going to say. I don’t deserve this chance, Liz. I placed your life in danger, and if something ever happened to you, I couldn’t bear that. I’m just happy you gave me that chance anyway. You’re it for me, Liz, and I would wait forever if that’s what you want,” he said while looking deeply into my eyes.

  I sighed and tried to talk him out of that mindset, but he simply kissed me. Being an idiot, I forgot what I was trying to say in the first place.

  Chapter 28

  Enjoying the Simple Life

  We stayed at the beach for a while, trying to decide if we were g
oing or not. We both knew that we were invincible here; no one could harm us or come between us.

  We had come a long way from that first meeting inside the library almost a year ago. I thought I only had a simple crush on him; I never really thought we would be fit for each other and that he’d love me even more than I loved myself.

  We had so much ahead of us. We were young, and we had so much to learn. We might have thought we knew everything the future held, but we didn’t. Maybe, that was my dad’s point when he asked us not to get married just yet. If it was meant to be, it was meant to be.

  As for me, if Kate Middleton could wait almost a decade to wed her prince, what was a few more years before I wed mine?

  As what they say, “The best things in life are worth waiting for.”

  My thoughts were interrupted when Drew spoke.

  “I have been meaning to ask you this for some time now. Do you have any regrets being with me?” he asked.

  I had thought about this a hundred times when we broke up, but I still had the same answer.

  “That would be a big fat no,” I said while laughing. “Drew, we’ve had a lot of bumps in the road, and trust me, I wouldn’t want it any other way. I know those things only made us stronger. I’m not saying that everything will be perfect from now on, but we know how to fight those battles now, something we didn’t know then. Now, no matter what, we’d really fight for each other. I have my moments of weakness, but you have proved that when that happens, you’re there to catch me. So why would I ever regret something that has taught me a lot?” I asked and kissed him a little.

  He smiled and hugged me, but something was still bugging him. I could see it in his eyes.

  “You do know that things might be crazier this time around. You wouldn’t be dating a prince but a king.”

  I had thought about it, but the truth was, I was not really sure what to feel. I was nervous as hell, and I was not sure how to cope with it.

  “Well, I thought about it, but I signed up for crazy when I started dating you, you know,” I said as a little joke.

  He smiled and hugged me tighter.

  “I promise this time around would be better. There will be no more bad guys to destroy our relationship. It will just be the two of us making mistakes and learning together. Also, I think my mother would beat the crap out of me if I ever lose you,” he said as a joke.

  “And why would she beat the crap out of you, my prince?” I asked.

  “Because she knows how much I love you and how miserable I was when I wasn’t with you. I was pretty much a mess. She wants me to be a better king than my father, and to do that, I would need the love of my life,” he said.

  I laughed a little. He was just a little too good at words.

  “Right. Whatever, Drew,” I said.

  He lifted my chin so I could look at his eyes.

  “You don’t believe me? Maybe I should call her and make her tell you,” he said, grinning.

  I simply shook my head and laughed a little.

  “I love you so much, Liz. I still can’t believe you gave me another chance,” he said and kissed me gently on the lips.

  All I could do was smile and look at him, making sure he wasn’t an apparition or a product of my very wild imagination.

  “I love you too.” And with that, I wrapped my arms around him and kissed him, showing him that I really did love him.

  “So… I don’t want to burst any bubble, but until when are you staying here?” I asked.

  “Well, I have to be back at Sarconia next week to finalize everything about the coronation. I’m sorry, princess. I couldn’t stay longer. I would if I could, but I just have to back,” he said.

  I felt a little sad because I really wished he could stay longer, but duty comes first.

  “Hey, it’s not like we won’t see each other. You’ll be there for the coronation, and we’ll see each other when you’re in France, though we might have to arrange some sort of security for you and Jam. I mean, for my peace of mind,” he said.

  I was in the mood to discuss security, especially after the explosion. I thought my parents would want that too.

  “Ready to go home?” he asked after standing up.

  I looked up to him and gave him both my hands, asking if he could help me up. He laughed, shook his head, and did so.

  “Yeah, I guess. But I’m warning you, our crazy family is still in there,” I said.

  He laughed so hard and said.

  “Maybe we should hang out more around the beach then, huh?”

  I nodded my head, and we started walking around the beach area again.

  The beach was a perfect place to compare our relationship to. You’d never know how deep you were in until you were there; it always seemed steady until someone rocked the boat; you’d never know when a huge wave might be coming your way. But in the end, you’d know that even after knowing all these things, you’d never seem to stop yourself from coming back.

  It was a part of you, and it held dear memories which made you smile and made you laugh.

  It was kind of crazy when I think about it. My love story started in one. I was a happy-go-lucky kid who was just minding my own business when a semi-stalker prince wanted to get to know me. Maybe it was weird at that time, but knowing Drew as I knew him now, he meant no harm. He was just admiring me from a distance and thinking he’d maybe have a shot someday.

  I would never understand why he gave me a second look, but that is part of the mystery I hope to someday uncover when we’ve had more time behind us. I couldn’t wait to start our next chapter, our next adventure. We will have so much more craziness along the way because I knew he was with me and would never leave me.

  I started collecting small shells around the beach and saw one shaped like a heart. I showed it to Drew, and he laughed, saying I should keep it as a reminder of our time here.

  I splashed him, making his shirt stick to his skin. This made me laugh because I couldn’t see the usual prim and proper prince I had known. He smiled and splashed me with more water than I did. Obviously, this caused an all-out splashing contest that made us laugh out loud. It was a good thing there weren’t many people around the beach, or else we would look crazy.

  We had a great time together, enjoying the simple things in life that we might not experience in the near future. The duties that awaited us were a little too heavy on the shoulders of new adults. We both knew we had to do things that would keep our feet on the ground while we still could. These little joys of the world reminded us we were also human.

  He pulled me closer to him, hugged me, and kissed me as the sun was setting. We might be drenched because of the splashing contest, but I couldn’t be happier than I was at that moment.

  If I could be a third-person looking into this scene before me, I would have one word to say: perfect.

  A guy was kissing his fiancé on the beach where he asked her to be his girl at sunset.

  Yeah, nothing could make a better picture, and trust me, I have read so many books I could compare this moment to:

  Elizabeth telling Mr. Darcy she felt the same way; Peeta realizing Katniss and him was real; Becky finding that ring in the bouquet of Suze when Luke proposed; and many more.

  But nothing would beat this moment in my life right now, because this was real. This was my reality, and no amount of sweet words from an author could capture how perfect and happy this moment in my life was. It may not be as remarkable as the stories I had read all my life, but this was mine. My story might not be perfect, but it was totally worth sharing to people who might give a damn.

  Chapter 29

  An Ending Fit for Lizzie

  Epilogue – Four Years Later

  “Has anyone seen Liz?” I heard Drew asking the maids around the palace.

  He was here to make me go out and interact with humans once again. But nope, not until I was done with this. This was my number one priority at the moment.

  I soon heard the two massive doors open a
nd saw my handsome prince, I meant king, walk through the doors of this massive library.

  “Princess, you need to eat. You’ve been here since yesterday. I think the people would understand that you also need to eat,” Drew said, his eyes filled with amusement

  He then crossed his arms, leaned towards one of the bookcases, and looked at me. He didn’t get my project but fully supported me in it. He found it funny that I got too attached with what they said about us in the newsstands at times. In a way, he would never get it. He grew up surrounded by the media, hounding him for every little thing that happened in his life. Granted, he found it annoying too, but he had already learned to tolerate it. I, on the other hand… Well, I was still getting used to them. I still hated that my anonymity was pretty much gone, but I loved Drew, and it was a part of him I’d have to deal with.

  Being the royal girlfriend these past few years had done nothing to lessen my nerves of being one. Nothing had changed in our relationship, except the endless media frenzy that constantly surrounded us. Every year that we celebrated together, a new engagement announcement would be circulated, which made no sense because as far as we were concerned, we had been engaged for the past four years.

  Then again, they seemed to have realized that small flaw, so they made a piece of news about us expecting a baby and going to Vegas a few times to get married.

  None of those things were true by the way. The baby rumor was a big hit with the masses at the moment. Drew laughed at that a little too much, and the marriage in Vegas? We both hadn’t even set foot in Vegas yet, ever.

  You had to give credit to these people, though. They were very creative.

  So now, I was in the large library of the Sarconian palace, currently typing vigorously while printing some of the finished chapters for further proofreading. Jam and I had started hanging out here for a few weeks before going home during our breaks. Drew and the gang would then go home with us.