The wrong way

"Well it is almost dinner time, I think we should be going to the dining room now" said Ollie as he smiled, he had to admit that he enjoyed spending the entire day with his very, very good friends.

"I agree" said Annie as she smiled, she did not even realize that they had all spent the entire day here in the lounge together, they did not even say much, they just read, well except for that time that Ollie decided to make Maddie angry, and well ever since then, she had not spoke a single word to him at all.

"Grouchy, I told you I was sorry, why are you still so quiet?" asked Ollie as he smiled and he looked at Maddie as she shot him a look that read "We are still not even"

"Gosh alright, remind me never to get on your bad side, but then again, it's hard to tell which side is actually your good one" said Ollie as Annie shook her head, she would not be able to save him this time, he brought it upon himself, and well he only had to wish that Maddie would just leave him without punching him.

"You know what Blondie, I don't have your time" said Maddie as she scoffed and she closed the book she was reading as she walked to the door and as she opened the door, she was met with a big surprise.

"Aunt Stella??" asked Maddie in disbelief as she rubbed her eyes, she did not know if she was seeing well, maybe spending too much time with Ollie had caused her to start becoming crazy and hallucinating.

"Oh hello dear" said Stella as she smiled and she walked into the lounge with a smile.

"Aunt Stella??" asked Matt and Annie at the same time as they were both surprised and confused at the same time.

"Hello Matt, Annie" said Stella as she smiled.

"Good Evening Chancellor" said Ollie as he smiled at Stella, he did not seem surprised at all, even though he was a bit surprised that she was here this early, as far as he knew, she had no meetings at the Castle on Wednesday and yet here she was.

"Good Evening Prince Oliver" said Stella as she smiled at Ollie, she always thought that he was such a polite young man, he always smiled, and he had his mother's eyes and good demeanour.

"Aunt Stella, don't take this the wrong way, but what are you doing here?" asked Maddie as she finally snapped out of her surprise as she looked at Stella and Matt and Annie agreed with her, they all had the same surprised look on their faces.

"Oh well it seems you three have been enjoying yourselves here, you did not even miss me" said Stella as she smiled.

"No don't say that Aunt Stella, of course we missed you, but we are just surprised… we did not expect you to be here" said Annie as she replied and she smiled, they had only not seen each other for three days, and yet it felt like such a long time for some odd reason.

"Oh well I missed you too" said Stella as she smiled.

"And you are right, I came over to the Castle this morning, I had a meeting with their majesties and the rest of the High Council" said Stella as she smiled.

"Oh I see" said Maddie as she nodded her head, that made so much more sense.

"Yes, I was just with Curtis earlier, he was in the library" said Stella as she smiled.

"So will you be staying for dinner Chancellor?" asked Ollie as he smiled, for him, the more the merrier.

"Well… I am not quite sure" said Stella as she seemed to be thinking.

"Oh please stay for dinner Chancellor, I am sure that my mother will be more than delighted to have you for dinner" said Ollie as he smiled.

"As she always says, the more the merrier" said Ollie as she smiled and Stella smiled.

"Oh Aunt Stella, please stay" said Maddie as she pleaded.

"Please Aunt Stella, stay" said Annie as she joined Maddie in pleading, Dinner was always so tense, and Annie was sure that if Aunt Stella stayed, she would find a way to lighten the mood.

"Yes, stay Aunt Stella, please" said Matt as she smiled.

"Oh well now that you all ask so nicely I will" said Stella as she laughed and Annie smiled.

"Yesss" said Maddie as she smiled, she was sure that with Aunt Stella staying for dinner, dinner would be more bearable, because between them all, there was always unspoken tension during dinner, and Maddie tried her best to make sure she looked like she did not see it at all, but it was there alright.

"Chancellor, I am sure you will enjoy dinner this evening, desert is going to be a vanilla tart" said Ollie as he smiled.

"Oh my, if I did not know any better, I would say that you planned for me to stay for dinner this evening Prince Oliver" said Stella as she laughed, she loved a good vanilla and raspberry tart, it was one of her favourite deserts.

"Well even if I did, it only means that we enjoy your company over here in the Castle" said Ollie as he smiled and Maddie rolled her eyes, this guy really thought that he was so smooth and all, when in truth he was not at all.

"Oh you flatter my Prince Oliver" said Stella as she laughed, Ollie had a way with words.

"Shall we go for dinner now?" asked Ollie as she smiled.

"Why of course" said Stella as she smiled and Ollie stretched out her hand to her as she took his hand and they began to walk as Stella laughed as apparently Ollie said something funny.

"Umm.. what just happened?" asked Maddie.

"I have no idea Maddie" said Annie as she and Matt both had that same confused look on their faces.

"That blondie thinks he can win Aunt Stella's favour, well I wish him goodluck, hmm" said Maddie as she scoffed and she walked her way.

"She just doesn't really like him at all" said Annie as she turned to look at Matt.

"No, not at all" said Matt as he shook his head.

"Should we go now?" asked Matt as he looked at Annie.

"Okay" said Annie as she smiled and she stood up as Matt followed after her.

…

"Stella, we are so glad that we have you over for dinner tonight" said Christina as she smiled and she looked at Stella as she smiled.

"I am glad to be here my Queen" said Stella as she smiled and Christina smiled at her.

"Which reminds me, Stella, the case of the holdings how far are things over there?" asked Albert as he cleared his throat and he looked at Stella.

"Ahh, well my King, the matter is being taken care of as we speak, we just require a few…" said Stella as she was cut off.

"No, no, remember the rule of not speaking of official matters during dinner, or else, it wouldn't be much of dinner but a meeting now would it?" asked Christina as she smiled.

"Ahh please forgive me my Queen" said Stella as she smiled.

"It is not you that needs forgiveness Stella" said Christina as she smiled and Christina glanced at Albert as he seemed to act as if he did not understand what she meant.

"*Ahem*" said Curtis as he cleared his throat and everyone turned to look at him.

"Is something the matter Curtis?" asked Christina as she smiled.

"Yes my Queen, there is something that I need to tell you and my king" said Curtis as he looked at Christina and then at Albert, as Maddie and Matt looked at Annie and she shot them a look that read that she was just as clueless as they all were.

"We will be needing to return to the Palace" said Curtis as he went straight to the point, it was very important that they leave now.

"Oh alright then Curtis, when would you like to return?" asked Christina as she smiled, she did not expect them to stay forever in the first place.

"Tomorrow my Queen" said Curtis as he replied and even Annie, Stella and the rest of them were surprised.

"May I ask why you are leaving so suddenly?" asked Christina as the smile on her face faltered.

"No particular reason my Queen, there are just some things in the Palace that we need to catch up on" said Curtis as he smiled.

Ollie looked at his mother as he slightly shook his head, he did not want to let her allow them to leave, they hadn't even stayed for a week and yet they were already going away, he didn't want them to go just yet.

Christina sighed silently as she had no other choice, she was sorry, but she could not force them to stay.

"Well that is alright Curtis, you all have our blessings to go" said Christina as she smiled and Ollie sighed, he was upset, he didn't want his mother to say yes and yet she did.

"Stella were you aware of this?" asked Albert as he turned to look at Stella, Stella looked at Curtis as she could see a look in his eyes that told her just to go along with it.

"Well yes my King, I am aware, but I was only surprised seeing as Curtis decided to tell you first, I would have preferred to speak to you in private and not in this relaxing setting" said Stella as she smiled and she looked at Curtis, she was going to have to speak to him later.

"I see" said Albert.

"Yes my King" said Stella as she smiled and the atmosphere in the dinning room was worse than ever.