PeaceMaker

Desilva looked down at Dominic, a glimmer of sadness in her eyes. "Is it unfair?" she asked, "having to smile when you don't want to, looking out for people you don't like, working hard at everything even though you barely have the energy for yourself. Isn't that hard?"

"Do I have a choice?" Dominic refuted, his voice low and dejected, "my kingdom needs me and my siblings seem to have their lives down a path, all that's missing is me getting myself together and stepping up to the throne. I have no choice but to move forward."

"Ah.." Desilva muttered, feeling the light mood in the room slowly go down the drain, "so it is hard…"

"I mean yes, of course being a prince isn't all about walking up and down your kingdom in a gown and a fancy crown. I guess I must have thought about it that way at the beginning… I had to learn the hard way," Dominic smiled desolately.

Words clogged at Desilva's throat. She wanted to comfort him, say words that might bring a smile to his face or maybe lift the mood a bit.. but somehow the words refused to come out and the sentences she formed in her head refused to leave the comfort zone of her mind.

Desilva looked way bleakly, she couldn't help this time.

"Well, at least I'm fine," Dominic smiled, "I'm not dead, right?"

Desilva turned to him quickly, wanting to raise her voice at him, lecture him, tell him how he wasn't fine. But she couldn't get those words out either, something in the way Dominic said those words made them sound final. Like there was nothing she could do to change that.

"I guess so… that's ok for now," Desilva gave in, sinking back into her seat, "it won't be ok soon."

"But when that happens you'll be there to help right?" Dominic grinned, "It's not all that bad when you have a lot of people around you to help. You're going to be by me right?"

Desilva smiled slightly gloomily, "yes, I will."

"Good! You'll be my personal assistant then," Dominic beamed.

"Yup! What's my first job?" Desilva asked cheerfully.

"Become my eyes, hands, and feet," Dominic smiled.

"Huh?" Desilva blushed.

"I can't move from here remember?" Dominic chuckled, "So I need you to be my eyes and ears and watch the outside for me,"

"Ah.. right," Desilva scratched her head nervously.

"Are you done with the conversation, your highness?" Axel asked, knocking on the door of the tent softly.

"Not yet Doc, give me a minute," Dominic replied.

"What would you like me to call you?" Desilva asked, nervously twirling a flower in her hand.

"Call me?"

"Like how Axel calls you, 'your highness,' how would you like me to address you?" Desilva explained.

"Is it necessary?" Dominic asked skeptically.

"OF COURSE!" Desilva exclaimed, sitting up straight in her seat, "if I'm going to be around you daily and helping you with your connections in the village, the way I address you and the way you do to me will be important in building her image."

"Hmm," Dominic mumbled.

"Even the tiniest details matter when building trust," Desilva lectured, crossing her arms with a pout.

"Ok then," Dominic grinned, laughing internally and all her huffs from her short-temper.

"So what name should I refer to you as?" Desilva repeated, this time her voice much firmer.

"Whatever you want," Dominic shrugged, "you can call me by my name whenever you want or/and switch to my royal names if you want."

"Ok then, I'll use your name and your royal names at ties where they are appropriate," Desilva nodded, deep in thought, "would you like me to inform others about me being your escort?"

"In the end, it's going to be revealed anyway, so it doesn't really matter if you tell anyone right now or let them realize it themselves," Dominic shrugged again in reply, "you ca tell some people earlier though, I understand some people need to know about this at an earlier time than the others."

"Ok then, I have an idea of what I'll do," Desilva grinned, nodding in Dominic's direction even though he couldn't see her.

"Wow.. you sound so stiff and professional now," Dominic teased.

Desilva rolled her eyes and leaned into her chair. "Pfft," she scoffed, "what was I before then? A child?"

"Precisely," Dominic replied honestly.

"HEY!" Desilva yelled flusteredly, "Can't you even try to save my pride?"

"Nope, I have no obligation to do that for you," Dominic smirked, "I am your prince after all."

Desilva stared at him with a mix of annoyance and amusement on her face, "my prince?"

"Of course," Dominic replied with a smug smile on his face, "I am Dominic Taeyang Aarvi, your prince, whom you shall be looking after carefully from now on."

"Oh really?" Desilva teased.

"Of course!" Dominic replied.

"Haha," Desilva giggled. 'Why didn't she think about it before?' she thought to herself.

'Why was I so worried?' she chuckled to herself, 'I could always just stay beside him and protect him from anything that might happen in the future. I may be seen as clingy but it gets the work done and I wouldn't have to feel even the slightest bad about it since I'd be around Dominic the entire time.'

She looked at Dominic and grinned, leaning over and softly tapping his hand.

"Axel can come in now please, I have no questions," she smiled.

"How did you know I was gonna ask if you had questions?" Dominic asked his eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

"Just a hunch, I've been around enough to be able to know," Desilva shrugged.

"Hmm, sure," Dominic snickered, "Axel you can come in now."

"Yes your majesty," Axel replied, stepping into the room. He locked eyes with Desilva for a moment, sending thunderbolts at her through his eyes.

Axel knew his highness trusted her, but upon sight, he was never able to fully trust her. He had never been the type to trust anyways but she just… put him on edge, like he had to keep an extra eye on her.. Axel knew judging someone by the past they had with his kingdom without even knowing what the past was, was ignorant and arrogant in every way but he couldn't help it…it was a habit.