AWKWARD?

Axis' eyes were just there, left widened. Mouth was hanging wide open, his mind was currently in mess. Of course, he just interrupted something so important that can actually help both of his friends finally confess to each other-

"What is it that you need Axis?" Nash's voice sounded so annoyed sending shivers down Axis' spine. The Duke took a deep breath before slowly backing away from Ashleah who had this face of a tomato.

"A-Axis! What brings you here?" Ashleah quickly faced Axix, who obviously still had this surprised face reaction plastered on his face, the man slowly closed his mouth and gulped slowly. The Princess tried her best to calm her heart down by holding her chest and patting it slowly and softly yet she failed miserably.

"I-It's just that His Majesty is looking for the both of you, b-but! I can tell him that-" Axis could not even finish what he was saying when the Princess herself quickly found her way inside the ballroom, awkwardly looking back at the two men and nodding her head.

"Sometimes your timing is just wrong." Nash said, devasted making Axis laugh as he walked closer to his friend and shook its shoulder.

"So now you are telling me that you like her huh? What happened earlier–" Nash quickly covered Axis' lips, as Prince Enver suddenly walked its way to the terrace.

The Prince smirked as he loudly cleared his throat before leaning on the terrace's concrete railings. Nash furrowes his eyebrows and was about to walk away suddenly..

"Act a little faster, Duke Deoncan or she'll get snatched by another man." He looked back with a smile. Prince Enver was trying to give some advices to the Duke yet, he did not understand it and just replied with a glare.

After glaring, Nash quickly walked inside the ballroom, leaving the surprised Axis who was also looking at the surprised expression of Prince Enver.

"H-Have a great night Prince Enver!" Axis bowed his head a little and quickly almost ran his way behind Nash making Prince Enver chuckle and shake his head.

"Guess that he misunderstood my advice huh? Man, just look at what love can do to you." Chuckling to himself, Prince Enver leaned again on the concrete railings and sighed to himself.

"I miss Nicolai." He pouted his lips, and closed his eyes as he felt the soft yet warm breeze against his skin and how it slowly swayed his soft and silky hair with it.

"You miss me?" A familiar voice whispered beside him, making the Prince jump out of surprise. His eyes widened as his lover, Count Nicolai chuckled. "I'm sorry am I late–"

He could not even continue what he was saying when Prince Enver looked around before jumping up to his arms and hugged Count Nicolai tightly.

"Stupid, you were never late." Giggling softly the Count kissed Prince Enver's forehead. "Oh, why did you not tell me that you received a invitation to his Majesty's party? You are quite an unfair Count aren't you–"

"Actually, I received an invitation from the Imperial Princess herself. One of her most known knights suddenly came to the mansion, I remember it was Knight Gab and gave me the invitation." He sighed happily and smiled at Prince Enver. "The Princess is very understanding and precious, is she not?"

"Yes, yes she is." They both looked to the side and saw how the Princess was laughing with the other noble ladies.

"My, please do stop it. I am also just a normal human being like you, nothing special." Ashleah awkwardly giggled with the noble ladies that are currently around her, everyone trying to catch her attention yet her eyes were only laid at Lady Ciara.

Ashleah wanted to have a small talk with Lady Ciara but she could not even move because of the ladies surrounding her. She wanted to move them away yet still she knows that doing those things would just ruin her image as a Princess and might be even one of the reasons why she can't be an Empress.

"I heard that your highness has a lot of suitors, does she not?" Another noble lady said as her eyes found its way to Lady Ciara, Ashleah saw how the noble lady smirked and looked back at her.

"Oh yes, I also heard about that different Princes from different kingdoms went here to the Imperial Palace." another woman blurted out while she used her fan to cover almost half of her face.

Ashleah felt very uncomfortable, as she tried to move away from them, more noble ladies seemed to circlr around her. She was about to excuse herself, suddenly almost half of those ladies looked behind her back with widened eyes.

"Can I please excuse her Imperial Highness for a moment ladies?" The familiar voice suddenly spoke up behind her, sending shivers down her spine as her blood circulation suddenly went into chaos as it found its way to her cheeks and ears.

As she turned her head around slowly and saw Nash and Axis behind her, she nodded her head and tried not to have any eye contacts with Nash. She gulped and awkwardly smiled at the ladies.

"I-I do guess that it's probably goodbye for now, I really had a lot of fun talking to you ladies. Please do have a great night and enjoy the party." The ladies also bid their farewell as she turned around and still avoiding Nash's eyes because her heart was now beating in a very fast pace, she would not even take it if their eyes meet!

"My, our Princess is shy, am I even seeing this right?" Axis whispered beside her, she glared at him receiving a chuckle from the soon to be high priest. "Hey, calm down. His Majesty has called for you, that's all."

As soon as their foots stepped on the stage where the throne was, the Emperor chuckled and stood up. "My, did you have fun?" He teasingly said, Emperor Adler knew for a fact that his daughter does not like a lot of people talking to her just because she is the Imperial Princess.

"Of course I did... not have fun, well a little." She giggled, still not looking at Nash. Axis just smiled there, like he was some kind of winner because of that Emperor Alder's eyebrows furrow.

"Axis, did something happen?" With the question, Ashleah almost choked on her own saliva. Nash's eyes widened as he tried to look around, trying to turn his attention to some things around him.

"I do think that... it's just nothing your Majesty." Axis said, still smiling. The Emperor had different thoughts inside his head so he chuckled and thought that it would be a little fun if he tries and tease the two.

"It kind of looks like these two are trying to hide us something huh–" The Emperor could not even finish what he was supposed to say because..

"It wasn't like that!" Both said in sync receiving a astonished look from Axis and Emperor Adler.

"Father, really t-there's nothing wrong." Ashleah tried to convince her Father even though she knew that her face was like a potato with the current situation that is happening.

"Oh, I forgot something, Axis please do get something from Riley, and Nash with Ashleah plesse do get a piece of paper on top of my desk." The Emperor smiled, Nash was about to ask if he can go with Axis but the man quickly almost ran his way outside of the ballroom with a very bright smile on his face.

They did not even know why they were being awkward, it is not like they kissed BUT– Well they did almost kiss!

Those thoughts were running around Ashleah's mind as they both try their best to find where that certain paper that her Father was talking about.

"Oh, I found it–" Ashleah turned around only to be surprised that Nash was behind her. He was not that close yet, he smiled at her.

As his face slowly moved closer to hers, she can only hear both of their heart beats that were beating in a very fast pace, she can even smell his minty breath near her.

Only inches away from her, Nash was about to move away but Ashleah moved closer causing their lips to touch.

Nash's eyes widened, Ashleah felt the blood rushing to her cheeks, she closed her eyes as she felt the soft and warm lips of Nash against her.