The Bookworm Meets the Prince Read online

  “Look, Lizzie, I’m only here to tell you that Andrew is the crown prince, but it has changed nothing about him. He’s still the Andrew that you know. If it helps, you know more about him than the world has ever known. His parents want him to get married and secure the family lineage, but he has always been different. He appreciates the little things more than the luxuries of his life, something that his parents couldn’t understand. All I’m saying is, don’t shut him out because of what you found out. He really likes you, and well, he’s been waiting for this shot for five years. Don’t let the title get in the way. If you want to know more, you need to talk to him. He’s downstairs,” Chad explained.

  I couldn’t comprehend all of this. I mean, I didn’t know how to cope. One minute, Drew was just my crush, now he was the freaking crown prince. I wondered if this was how Mia felt when she found out she was a princess.

  “By the way, don’t be too hard on Rissa. She only found out about this after she introduced Ryan. It’s been hard on her keeping this secret from you. She convinced us to tell you the truth.”

  I looked at him and around the room. I was trying to contemplate more on the situation. I wanted to evaluate everything first.

  “Ok, I think I need to talk to him,” I said

  He nodded and made his way out of my room.

  “So, what were you? The one that made sure things were clear before he steps in?” I asked before he could go out of the room.

  “Somehow. Please don’t be too hard on him. He did what he did for a reason. Please let him explain that first,” Chad said before walking out of the room to call Drew.

  This was some serious shit I had uncovered, and I hadn’t heard the entire story yet. I sat down the bed and put my face in my hands. I would have a long night ahead of me.

  “Hey,” Drew said hesitantly as I looked up.

  “Hey, so is it safe to assume there would be no secrets this time?” I asked with a strained smile.

  “Hope so, but this is one complicated story.” He walked towards me and sat beside me on the bed.

  “Then don’t make it complicated. We have time to discuss, I guess. But before anything, why? Why’d you hide your true identity? You lied,” I said

  “I didn’t lie. I just kept some information secret,” he justified.

  “Omission is also a form of lying if I’m not mistaken,” I countered.

  I looked him in the eyes to check whether he would lie or leave out something important again.

  “Right. Well, if we are going to discuss this, I better start from the beginning then.” He then looked at the ceiling as if he was trying to remember everything. “Five years ago, I went here to visit Chad’s family. They just relocated after what happen in the palace. I was very close to Chad because he was my little cousin and he was my wingman at that time. I was the cool older cousin, and he was the one being initiated to the cool world.”

  He then stood up and started pacing the floor.

  “On that visit, we decided to go to the beach nearby to hang out. That was where I first saw this girl. She was splashing water with her friend and her friend’s brothers. She was having fun and didn’t notice that I was watching from afar. I know this would sound like stalking, but I couldn’t keep my eyes off her. But one thing had to be noted, she was really young. I decided to keep my intentions to myself until she reached a decent age, and then I will make my move.

  “So, I went home and thought of coming back in five years when it would be legal and socially acceptable to actually court her—properly court her. I just couldn’t screw it up. I thought when I finally had enough courage, I would do it with no complications as much as possible. Everything was going to plan. Chad said she just celebrated her eighteenth birthday.” He smiled when he said that

  “But then a few months ago, King George, my dad, announced my betrothal to Catherine. It crushed my world. I still wanted to meet that girl I saw when I was nineteen. I never got the chance to do that. I asked my dad if there was a possibility I could be given a chance to meet my wife on my own. My dad wouldn’t hear it at first, which put a strain on our relationship. Eventually, he agreed under one condition: I was to bring her to meet them before my twenty-third birthday. So, I took every precautionary measure I could to meet that girl without all the baggage that comes with being a royal.”

  He then sat beside me once again and looked at the ceiling once more.

  “I wanted to meet her without the titles, the fame, the glitter… and I think I succeeded. It’s just that I forgot she’s smarter than you would think. I hadn’t thought of her figuring it out before I got the chance to tell her,” Drew said while looking at me.

  “I wouldn’t change any of it, though. I knew her as a normal person, and she knew me as a normal guy as well. We created that bond that the media wouldn’t be able to break. So, was it really a failed attempt?” he said, looking at me in the eyes.

  “I don’t know. Why don’t you ask her? I mean, why are you here telling me this when you can go to this girl and finally make your move? You did wait five years for that,” I said with a strained smile.

  So, he was here to meet this girl. What did I expect? That he would take notice of me? It was already impossible when he was just Drew. Now it was ten times worse because he was the crown prince and she’s in love with that girl he saw before.

  Oh, why couldn’t I like someone who could like me back?

  “Liz, I am asking her. I am asking you. The moment I saw you three years ago, I knew I have to meet you. Even if I had to wait for that chance, I would. Our meeting in the library was unplanned, though. I made a huge mistake of bringing my car here, and it attracted media attention. That’s why I was running in the library so they couldn’t find me, but I knocked out your books in the process. I couldn’t even move or speak the first time I saw you that close. I froze and went hiding from the media. I knew I would be meeting you later that day at Chad’s party. I asked Chad to make sure you attend, which worked out. I couldn’t help but ramble and stutter the first time I spoke to you, though. I was so nervous; that was the shot I waited for years, and it was there.”

  “Wow, that is a complicated story. I don’t even know what to say,” I said. I know that sounded so boring, but I didn’t know what to say.

  “I know it’s too much to handle right now. It’s unfair to dump this all on you, but you said no more secrets, right?” he asked, and I just nodded. “How about I take you out tomorrow night, and we can have dinner. You can ask me anything you want after processing all this. Sound good?” he asked again, and I just nodded.

  He nodded in return, said his goodbyes, and promised to explain more tomorrow night.

  As I sat there reflecting on the reason why he was here, I couldn’t help but think my life just reached a new level of cliché. But who cares? I had a date with my own Mr. Darcy tomorrow night, and there was nothing anyone could say to stop me from going.

  Chapter 9

  Choices

  “I must be dreaming. I was about to see you and say goodnight, and I saw the freaking crown prince got out of your room! He looked like he solved world hunger and world peace. He has been MIA for what, few months? Care to explain, cousin dear?” Jam said when she entered my room, sitting comfortably on the couch near my bed.

  I was wondering why she came to my room now when Drew had already left. I was already reading A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks. If you were wondering, I was able to borrow this book from Rissa.

  Oh, book ban, when will you end? I already miss my darling books so much.

  I placed my magnetic bookmark to the last page I read and placed the book on the nightstand beside my bed.

  “Wow, world hunger and world peace? Just because he’s the crown prince, you really have to use that metaphor? I’m not even sure if he has enough power to solve those problems. Also, he left about twenty minutes ago, why did you just enter my kingdom now? Were you stuck outside for a full twenty minutes drooling or something?” I
said, smirking. I know very well she stood outside and stared as Drew went by the hall went a few minutes earlier.

  “Whatever. So, care to tell me what’s going on? Because I would really like to have the latest gossip before I go back to France, you know,” Jam said, and I told her the entire story.

  “You do know that for a smart girl you are really stupid, don’t you? When will you wake up and smell the coffee, dear?” Jam asked and lightly smacked me on the head.

  I was very confused by her statement. I mean, why would she say such a thing? I know I had some catching up to do with reality, but wasn’t her statement a little too harsh? Or was it just me getting offended because I know she was right? I really needed to find a book that properly described how I could read signs and whatever crap a guy would throw at me. It would make my life a hell lot easier.

  “Ok... I’m going to take the bait and ask what the heck you meant by that?” I asked, preparing myself for her usual bluntness. I loved her to death, but sometimes, sugar coating it would nice.

  Jam rolled her eyes and shook her head side to side. It was like she was trying not to laugh.

  “Let me lay down the facts to you, missy. Fact number one, Chad went off to tell you that he had a crush on you and that he backed off because his cousin told him that he was going for you. That’s total bro code. You might have heard about it since girls even have it. It’s called dibs. When someone lays a claim on someone, you’re supposed to back off. Especially if it’s a family or a friend.” She stood up and walked towards my window.

  “Fact number two, Drew, Chad’s cousin,” she pronounced ‘cousin’ with emphasis, “told you he met the girl he wanted to date under the same circumstance when Chad realized he liked you. That still didn’t ring some bells for you? Did you not realize they were talking about the same girl? He was talking about you! Seriously, sometimes, I don’t know if you’re really dense or acting like you’re dense. There’s a difference you know. But no, because fact number three, you went off on your own world, thinking that Drew was talking about a different girl. Only you, Lizzie, only you,” she said, shaking her head.

  I had to admit, I did sound crazy. If it were a book I was reading, I would have dissected it down to every detail and not miss a beat. But, with this? I had no clue. Maybe I really needed to find a more realistic book. I might have missed a few lessons on this.

  It was always easier when everything was laid down in text, and you could just figure out everything from there.

  “Oh, well, you might as well have your beauty sleep since you will have your date with the freaking crown prince. Wait, shit, you’re going on a date with the freaking crown prince! You have to look absolutely perfect, you know, like a princess. Oh, wow, this is just like a fairytale,” Jam said while on her way to her bedroom.

  I couldn’t believe she really went there: fairytale and princess. I have been reading these were words since I could remember. I just never thought I would somehow be living it.

  Oh, fairy godmother! If you are real, I wish there’s no evil stepmother or an ugly ogre on the way.

  Jam walked back to my room. “It’s a good thing Uncle Richard and Aunt Maxine are on a date night. Otherwise, this would be extremely hard to explain.”

  It was around two in the afternoon when Jam left to pay a quick visit to her mom and dad. She did say she was coming back around midnight so we could drive her to the airport since her classes would resume the next day. Apparently, she would immediately be attending her classes after landing, meaning she’d be sleeping during her flight.

  However, she still found time to fix my outfit. She chose an above-the-knee black dress that I didn’t even know I owned. The upper part was a bit loose, and the lower part was tighter. It actually looked like one of those dresses ancient Greek women used to wear. Then, she made me wear my black wedge to give me additional height, perfectly pairing the dress.

  It was around three in the afternoon, and I was just waiting for Drew. He said he was fetching me at three-thirty, so I have had some time to double-check everything I needed. I was scrolling down my phone to check out new stories on Wattpad. I swear, if this site was never created, I couldn’t think how I’d ever be able to survive the book bans over the years. I came across a book I liked and saved it.

  “You know, by now, I should be used to the fact that when you’re reading, you miss out on a lot of things,” Drew said, leaning on the wall.

  Typical romantic guy move, I said to myself.

  I looked at the familiar face of my date and smiled. I knew Drew was trying to be funny, but I couldn’t help but look at him and think, Wow, is this my date tonight? It was good my parents were not giving him the third degree. I thought it would be wise if we’d leave before they could think of doing it.

  We drove for a while and stopped near the beach. When we got out the car, Drew pulled out a black blindfold and covered my eyes with it before I could protest.

  “Hey, what’s this? I didn’t know princes are capable of crimes like kidnapping,” I joked.

  “It is easier for us, you know. No one would believe otherwise,” Drew said, laughing. “But on a serious note, I just want this to be a surprise. Three years of planning and I still fall short on the romantic aspects.”

  I laughed and let him guide me to wherever we were going. For some odd reason, I trusted him even if I just met him; I usually would not trust people I just met that easily. This was obvious because I really didn’t have many friends. I just had some close ones.

  We walked for a while. When he removed the blindfold, I just wanted to melt. He said he wasn’t romantic, but I begged to disagree. There were candles everywhere, stuck on the sand near the blanket where we will have our dinner. On the blanket was a bouquet of my favorite flowers, stargazers. Then, there was a picnic basket overflowing with food and an iPod dock for music. We could see the beach, hear the waves, and play with the sand.

  Everything was perfect in my eyes.

  “It’s beautiful, Drew,” I said, almost speechless.

  “Well, yeah, I was thinking about where I first saw you, and this place came to mind. We can even catch the sunset in a while, makes it even better,” he said while scratching his neck.

  Turns out princes could be very shy too. Even when we thought so highly of them, that they have no flaws, the truth of the matter was they’re just like us—humans. They also had their funny and not so funny moments, confident and insecure tendencies, and many more that we all feel day-to-day. The only difference is their title, a thing I was quite afraid of because it meant a whole different set of rules. But in private, they were just like the boring old us.

  “Thank you for doing this. It’s perfect,” I said and kissed his cheek. It was quite new for me, but at that moment, it just felt right.

  He blushed, and his eyes flew wide open. He was shocked by my gesture. I just laughed, sat down on the blanket, and grabbed the bouquet of stargazers. It had a card with my name on it, and I opened it.

  I first saw you on the beach, so I’m having my first date with you on the beach. I’m telling you everything about me.

  Give me a chance to explain everything.

  Drew

  Everything went perfectly. We ate, talked, laughed, and whatever things you do when you’re on a date with your special someone. We were walking along the shore as the sun began to set. We then sat on the sand and began the much-needed real talk.

  “I know the truth is hard to accept. It’s quite shocking. This could mean a lot of trouble on your part. I am not putting pressure on you. I know the paparazzi are going to make our lives a living hell, and the moment you say yes, they are never going to leave you alone. I know if and when we take this to a new level, it would mean you leaving your country and freedom because of the royal title. I know I am asking so much from you, and you’re still young…” he said, throwing a sea shell into the ocean.

  “At this point, I want to lay all my cards and come clean. Someday, when I rule m
y country, I would very much love it if I would have you ruling beside me. I know it’s not going to be easy, and it would entail so many sacrifices on your part… but if you let me, I would gladly make all those sacrifices worth it,” he said, looking me straight in the eyes. I could see almost every emotion he had: sincerity, seriousness, and above all, fear of what I might say.

  Dating a crown prince, would it be worth it?

  He was right; it would take a lot of sacrifices. Am I willing to make those sacrifices?’ I asked myself.

  I would be losing my anonymity; everyone would know who I was. I would be the crown prince’s girlfriend, and everyone would watch my every move. If I say yes, there would always be a possibility of me becoming the queen of his country. Am I really ready for that? All of that? I just turned eighteen. Isn’t that too young to make a decision as big as this?

  I sat there, staring deep into his blue eyes I loved looking at. All of a sudden, I knew what I wanted. I knew whatever would come my way, I would deal with it. Whether it was happiness or misery, I could cope because it was what I wanted. I could see hope in his eyes. I knew from that moment on, my fate and destiny were sealed.

  I knew my decision, and come heaven or hell, I’d be sticking with it. Fate could give me my happily ever after or serve me an ice-cold misery.

  Chapter 10

  Decisions Made

  “Yes…” was all I could answer to his unspoken question.

  At that moment, looking into his eyes, I knew that even if people want to come between us, I won't let them. I was not sure where it came from, but for some odd reason, I trusted him. Was this what they called taking a leap of faith? I was certainly out of my comfort zone. It would take me days to openly talk to a person, months to tell them what my thoughts were, and years to consider them a real friend. Rissa was my only friend, and I was pretty sure if we drifted apart, it would be a big loss.