Be My Princess

At the exception of Lady Josephine and Prince Francis, everyone else had gathered in the private office to watch the press conference streamed live in exclusive news.

The Head of RIS had informed George Chang of the impending press conference as soon as he had been informed of Adolph Irung's call for the press. The royal secretary, in turn, had immediately dispatched royal officers to inform the members of the royal family. There was no official request for a meeting in the private office attached to the message however. Angel had simply opted to watch the news together with his mother and grandmother, and Kat had requested to accompany him. Hence, no one questioned the absence the royal consort and her son.

After the news report had ended, Queen Sophie turned off the screen and looked at her son with an expression of disbelief.

"Did you do this?" She enquired.

"No, Maaku."

The queen looked at the royal secretary who was standing by the door.

"No contact has been made with Mr Adolph Irung or his daughter so far." George reported.

"So that young woman did that on her own volition?" The queen let out in amazement.

"It seems like it, Your Majesty." The royal secretary replied.

"Even if it is the case, can we be sure that this is really all of it?" Isabella pointed out.

Since Angel was the only person in the room to actually know Natacha Irung, all eyes fell on him.

Angel mulled over the matter for a moment. Based on the conversation he had had with Natacha the day before, he could safely assume that the announcement was her way of showing him that she was letting him go. But a piece of the puzzle seemed to be still missing.

"I can assume that Ms Natacha Irung has given up on me; but not quite that this is the end of it." He finally said.

"Why so?" His mother enquired.

"I still suspect that someone might have just used her in order to attack the Throne through me; so I think that we will be able to rest assured that this is all of it only when we find out who was the person uploading all that information on the internet."

Queen Sophie nodded in concurrence. "Wise thinking, Mwaan-ikun. I think it is best for us to wait until the RIS had completed their investigation before we can pronounce ourselves on Miss Natacha Irung. If indeed she was just an instrument in the real culprit's plan, we will show her clemency because she has at least shown remorse and somehow helped restore your image."

"True. I think the High Council will soon cancel their request for an audience." Isabella added.

...

The glass hit against the wall with a loud crashing sound.

Wisely enough, Francis had dismissed all the maids as soon as he had seen his mother's expression take a murderous turn while, on the TV screen, Adolph Irung was making an announcement that was reducing practically all of her recent endeavours to nil.

The very moment Adolph Irung had finished making his announcement on the screen, the small crystal ornament decorating the coffee table had been the first to meet a crashing fate. Right after had followed all the vases that had fallen under her hands as she had made her way to the standing cabinet.

"You know what, Maaku? I agree with you… The maids have been slacking off a lot lately; might as well give them some serious work to do." Francis said in an attempt to disarm his mother's wrath.

If Josephine's eyes could shoot bullets, Francis would have dropped dead under the furious look she gave him.

"Do you think this is the time to joke around?" Josephine said in a raging tone. "That girl has just succeeded at destroying everything I was able to achieve in the past weeks." She added while pointing at the TV screen.

Francis balled his hands into fists. "I know, Maaku."

"The high-counsellors were already requesting for an audience with the king this afternoon. But now… I will make them pay their affront!"

Francis grabbed his mother by the shoulders and forced her to look at him.

"Now, now, my beloved Lady Josephine… don't you let your rather uncontrollable anger destroy all our plans now. Let's just look at this set back as us losing a battle but not yet the war, and move on to the next plan…"

The reasonable argument had the successful effect of subsiding Josephine's anger by a bit; so Francis risked further.

"In a way, that young woman has also saved our skin. Angel is not the kind to give up easily. He will definitely make sure to get to the bottom of this matter even if his dear love has practically placed all the blame on herself.

If, like you've told me, all evidences point straight to her father, wouldn't going after them somehow reveal that there is an even bigger mastermind behind the whole case?"

Josephine's brows lifted in befuddlement. "When exactly did my son get so strategic?"

Francis' lips curled up in a cunning smirk. "Well, I've learnt from the best."

The royal consort smiled proudly at the compliment. "You're right, Mwaan-ikun. The prerogative of great strategists is patience… Today, we have only suffered a minor defeat; not the war… I will find another way to get you your crown."

Strong of that decision, Josephine let go of her anger and headed for her bedroom.

"I think I should go rejoice with Maaku and the queen now that our dear crown prince's honour has been restored." She explained in a sarcastic tone has she climbed up the staircase.

...

Not too long after Adolph Irung's press conference George Chang came to inform Angel that the representatives of the High Council had contacted him to cancel their request for an audience with the king.

Sitting behind his father's desk in the king's office, Angel heaved a sigh of relief as soon as the royal secretary left the room then took out his phone and initiated a call.

"Hello?"

"Thank you." He simply said.

"You don't need to thank me." Natacha replied.

"But I want to."

"I wish you to be happy with her…"

There was no need to ask whom she was referring to. For Angel, the dread that had seized his heart at the moment Natacha had pulled out a handgun had set his mind once and for all. Because, at that fateful moment, what he had dreaded the most was not that she could shoot him, but that she could aim at Kat and take her out of his life for good. From that moment, he had finally realised that he had definitely fallen in love with that very much uncommon commoner.

The sound of Natacha's voice brought him back to reality. "I'll also try and find my number one dream to be happy with."

"I know you will."

"Bye, Angel."

Angel hung up and leaned back in the settee chair for a moment. The workload that came with the king's absence had been an escape hatch that had kept him from mulling over the depth of his feelings towards Kat over the past weeks. But now that Natacha's suicidal outburst had helped him clear things up in his heart, he was facing another conundrum.

From the moment the maiden had entered the palace, he had done little to nothing to get close to her. So much so that she had even taken upon herself to help him get back with his former love because he had led her to think that his heart was still set on Natacha. With only two weeks left to the Courtship Program, and his actual busy schedule, was he still able to turn things around and win her heart?

...

It was Thursday, and Kat had a chanting lesson to attend. But after leaving the private office, she opted not to go straight to the library. She went in the garden and wandered aimlessly while trying to bring a sense of order in the chaos of her battling feelings.

At the ball, Natacha Irung has stricken her as a spoiled princess prone to look down on anyone she did not consider to be at her level. It had also seemed to her that the Warrior Princess loved the idea of being with Angel more than she actually loved him. Hence, she never would have expected that such a capricious woman would ever sacrifice herself for someone else… even Angel.

But recent events had proven her wrong. Maybe Natacha did love Angel truly.

Aren't appearances often deceitful anyway?

Kat wanted to be happy for the crown prince. Happy that he was truly loved and that his name was cleared. But her heart in love had a hard time being that selfless. 'How was Angel feeling in regards to Natacha's act of love?' was the question was pounding on her mind incessantly, causing her to feel jealous… Jealous of the fact that she was in no position to show her own love for Angel…

⁂

The week reached its near end on a very unusual note. Not only didn't Kat hear from Francis on Friday, but on Saturday afternoon, she received a surprising text message from Angel.

[I will be able to wrap up my work earlier than planned today. Would you care to join me for dinner at the Forest Palace at 8pm?]

Not long after Lady Josephine's visit to the Forest Palace, the king had opted to finish his rest at the royal residence in the city of Kapang, 120 km away from Musumb, so as to avoid experiencing other encounters of the sort; thus, the Forest was indeed available for a… a date!

Kat stared blankly at the screen, her heart throbbing so loud that she felt like the sound was blocking any other sound from coming into her ears. For the first time ever, the crown prince was taking the initiative of spending time with her…

With a joy she could hardly contain, Kat replied her consent, abandoned the novel she was reading and the chaise lounge she was lying in, and quickly left the study.

She went into the walking closet and froze for a moment, overtaken of the myriad of choices displayed in front of her eyes. It was a first for her – who was one of the rare women able to pick an outfit and get ready in a short amount of time – to not know which clothes to choose.

"Okay, Changadim; calm down." She said to herself after a moment. "It's just dinner. No need to get your hopes up when you don't even know why he has decided to invite you today."

But even if she could settle her mind that way, the same could not be said of her heart. It remained uneasy all the while she was picking her outfit; while she was getting ready; even as she went to the stables to fetch Alizés later on.

It was now the dawn of the dry season, evenings were not yet experiencing significant temperature drops but were already becoming cooler. And as she was going to ride to the forest palace, Kat had opted to don a white singlet underneath a teal cardigan over black jeans, and black Jodhpur boots.

Kat arrived at the Forest Palace a little before 8pm and noticed with surprise that all the lights inside were off. Her surprise was due to the fact that she was expecting to find the food prepared, the table set and servants ready to cater, following Angel's instructions.

"Maybe he instructed them to get everything ready then leave…"

Kat led Alizés to the shack in the garage then walked to the entrance and reached for the key on the hook.

Once she opened the door, she reached for the switch to turn the lights on then took a few steps inside. The dining table was not set. Was Angel planning to have them cook dinner themselves? That would make them eat very late…

"Coming up with my own theory won't achieve much right now; it's best to just wait for him to come and share with me what he has in mind," Kat resolved as she pulled out her phone to send Angel a text message.

[I have just arrived at the Forest Palace, are you on your way?]

As soon as there was an indication that Angel had read her text, a call from him came in. But just as she was sliding the answer button, a voice resounded behind her.

"Hello, fair maiden."

Kat quickly turned around. "Francis? What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to inform you that the crown prince will not be joining you for dinner." The prince replied with a weird expression.

Though he was smiling, he gaze seemed rather distant and cold.

"How do you know…?"

"That Angel texted you to come here for dinner?" Francis finished the question for her. "Easy… It's because I'm the one who sent that text to you using Angel's phone." He simply explained as he walked in and sat at the dining table, a rather eerie smile plastered on his face.

His and Angel's schedules for the day had a common meeting regarding an important investment project. All he had to do was pretend that his phone's battery had died and borrow his cousin's to make an imaginary phone call…

Kat noticed that there was still that something in the prince's tone that had been making her uneasy for the past week. And, wanting get to the bottom of it, she ended the call, put her phone back in the pocket of her cardigan and went to sit at the dining table as well. It was better to clear things up with Francis before explaining the misunderstanding to Angel.

"Why did you do that?" She asked.

"Because I wanted to ask you something very important; and I did not want us to be disturbed. But since today is Saturday…"

Kat nodded. "And what is it that you want to ask?"

Francis silently outfaced the young woman for a moment, raising her uneasiness to its peak.

"Why him?" He finally asked when she was about to reiterate her question.

Kat slightly frowned. "Why… whom?"

"I believe that I will not be exaggerating if I say that I have bested Angel in every way during our dates…"

"This goes without even stating it." Kat concurred.

"So, if there's no argument to that, can you explain to me why Angel is the one you have fallen in love with?"

Was she really that easy to make out?

But despite being taken aback, she managed to keep an even expression, and slightly curled up her lips.

"What makes you think that I have fallen for Crown Prince Angel?" She replied.

"Are you going to deny it?" Francis asked in a defying tone.

"I won't be denying or affirming anything because there's a time and place for me to pronounce myself on my feelings; and it's neither now nor here." Kat calmly answered.

One corner of Francis' mouth curled up. "What if I tell you that I have stumbled upon a piece of evidence that is conclusive proof that you are in love with my cousin?"

Kat first squinted her eyes, then smiled a bit more. "If that proof is as conclusive as you infer, why then are you seeking confirmation from me?"

Francis nodded in acknowledgement that Kat was a rather strong adversary in the battle of the mind.

"You're really smart… One of the things I love about you."

As Francis made that remark, his expression appeared to lighten; so Kat relaxed a bit.

"I was maybe too rash; coming at you like a detective interrogating a criminal." He added apologetically. "So what if I make a sincere request for you to tell me where your heart lies at the moment instead?"

"Even so, I'm still not going to answer that question." Kat unwaveringly maintained.

Francis' expression darkened once again. "Even if I tell you that I have fallen in love with you?"

Kat's lips parted; but no sound came out. The uneasiness that had started to dissipated resurfaced very quickly.

"Yes… I have fallen in love with you. And it is eating me inside to have discovered that you have your heart set on my cousin instead of me."

At the angry turn his tone was gradually taking, Kat's uneasiness escalated to fright.

"Prince Francis…"

"Have you forgotten that he is in love with Natacha Irung?"

Kat's lower lip slightly trembled. "This conversation has come to an end." She said in a cold tone.

As she stood up to leave, Francis jumped from his chair and came to block her way to the door.

"Is it because he kissed you?" He let out with a rictus of anger.

Kat's eyes widened. How could it be that he knew about that?

Francis brusquely grabbed her wrists. "If your heart can be so easily moved by a mere kiss, maybe I should do the same and see if it will bring your heart to me…?

Kat read Francis' eyes. He was not joking.

"Francis, please…" She pleaded while trying to free her wrists.

Francis tightened his grip and pulled her closer. "Why? You don't think that it's unfair to me this time? Angel has managed to take an unfair advantage on me; don't you want to make things even like you did with our breakfast times?"

"Prince Francis, you're hurting me…"

At the sound of her beseeching voice, Francis appeared to come back to his senses and released her from his grip.

"I'm sorry…" He let out when he saw her massaging her reddened wrists. "I don't know what's gotten into me. Please, forgive me…"

"It's okay…"

Francis moved away to let Kat go. But as soon as she had walked past him, he pulled out a handkerchief and a small flask from his pocket, and quickly emptied the content of the flask on the piece of cloth. He then took two big strides to catch up with her while she already had her hand on the door handle and locked her in a tight grip while he covered the lower part of her face with the damp cloth.

The suddenness of the attack took Kat by surprise, making it impossible for her to defend herself. With her arms restrained by his muscular arm and the weird scent emanating from the cloth she could not shake off her face gradually numbing her senses, it was not long before she slipped into unconsciousness, gripped by the dread of what Prince Francis was intending to do with her.

Francis carried Kat's inert body to the bedroom and lied her on the bed. He then sat next to her and started to trace the contours of her face with his finger.

"I'm sorry it has to happen like this, Kat…" He said in a cold and determined tone, and with a spark of desire in the eyes when his finger got to her lips. "But you are leaving me no other choice."

His hand went down to start unbuttoning her cardigan. "All you had to do was to choose me, but you fell for Angel instead."

Once he had gotten to the last button, his eyes went back to the young woman's unconscious face. "Don't blame me… You cannot just waltz your way to my cousin after making me fall in love with you… I can never let that happen… You can never be anyone else's but mine!"