Chapter Four

Tiana came backstage after the show was over, she came to look for Chad.

She saw Chad without a shirt talking to the DJ, she made sure he was alone before she approached him.

"Hi," she squeaked.

"Do I know you?" He said with his voice quite husky and Tiana quivered a little.

"We met at the ball some while ago." She said and he stared at her and immediately he recognised her.

"You're the girl who doesn't like a ball right?" He chuckled and she giggled.

"Yes, I am, my name is Tiana though."

"I am Chadwick"

"I know that." She giggled and he smirked.

"So, what are you doing here?" He asked Tiana.

"Well, this is my school."

"Wow, it's nice." Chad took a deep breath and raked his hair with his fingers. "Would you mind if you show me around your school?" 

"Yes sure." Tiana Chirped excitedly, her heart leapt with joy, she could not hide how happy she was.

"You know you have a beautiful smile." Chad muttered as they left the backstage and she blushed.

They walked to the school garden and everyone's eyes were on them. Some students recorded both of them entering the school garden. This was so shocking everybody started murmuring when Chad held Tiana's hands.

'Are they dating?'

'I heard she's a princess.'

'They are so beautiful together.'

'What do they want to do in the school garden?'

Tiana was quite uncomfortable with everyone staring at her. Chad's bodyguard made sure that no one came close to them.

"Your show was amazing." Tiana wanted to start up a conversation with him so that she will feel less uncomfortable.

"Thank you, your first time attending my concert?" Chad asked and she nodded. "Since this was your first time, I have something special for you later on."

"Really? What is it?" Tiana could not help it and she became overly excited.

"It's a surprise." He said and gave her a hand a gentle squeeze. "So do you like flowers?"

"Yes, I do."

"No wonder we came to the school garden first." Chad said and chuckled. He plucked a rose and placed it on her hair and in less than a minute what he did was all over the internet.

After they spent a lot of time together Chad waved her goodbye, Tiana was so happy, today was one of the best days of her life.

...

TIANA'S ROOM

Tiana came back to her room feeling lightheaded she crashed onto her bed and what happened earlier rephrased through her mind.

'You know you have a beautiful smile?' Chad's words rang in her head she could not get them out of her head. She hugged her pillow and her cheeks turned red.

She also remembered Jake, the 300-level medical student she met in the hallway. He was very handsome and friendly.  Today was very good for her.

"I can't believe what I saw in the school garden." Rita came running into Kate's room and Kirtsen followed.

"Where have you been?" Kirsten asked.

"How did it even happen?" Rita asked.

"He was so...." Tiana blushed and she could not complete her sentence because she was deeply thinking about Chad.

"Did he propose?" Rita asked and Tiana giggled.

"No not that.  He gave me a rose." Tiana pointed at the rose perfectly placed in her hair.

"Sure that boy knows how to captivate a girl's heart." Rita blushed.  "It's over the internet, 'prince charming finally found his Cinderella. '"

"What? It is all over the internet?" Tiana's eyes widened and she quickly took her phone so that she could see for herself. "No no no no." She said nodding her head sideways when she saw the picture of Prince Chad and her holding hands in the school garden all over the internet. 

"What is it, Tiana?" Kirsten asked when she noticed how uncomfortable Tiana was.

"I have a boyfriend...if Trevor sees this he would be very upset with me."

"I thought you broke up with that guy a long time ago?" Rita asked she was surprised that Tiana was still with Trevor.

"Oh, Trevor," Kirsten said nonchalantly. "So what about Trevor?"

"He would think to start to think that I am cheating on him with Chad." Tiana was now pacing around her room. She and Trevor had been dating for a year now, and she loved him but had to leave him to come to KU for her university.  Because of the distance they normally keep in touch through social media platforms and phone calls.

"Not like you were fucking Chad in the school garden." Rita rolled her eyes. "It's just a pic unless he would overreact about it."

"Sure he would overreact about it." She sat on the bed and Kirsten and Rita sat beside her. "Some people are even calling us a couple that's enough for him to overreact."

"You and who a couple?"

"Chad and me."

"You and Chad look pretty together." Rita smirked and Tiana eyed Rita.

"You are not helping matters, Rita."

"Just calm down Tiana, he is miles away from KU there is no way he is going to hear about it." Kirsten tried to reassure Tiana.

Speaking of the devil, Tiana's phone began ringing and it was Trevor calling her. She screamed and threw the phone on the floor when she saw the person calling.

Rita went to pick up the phone and Tiana threatened her not to pick up the call.

He called again and again and again without a break and it was really making Tiana annoyed.

"He sent a text." Rita announced.

"Don't you dare read the text or open it." Tiana shouted at Rita knowing how stubborn and annoying Rita could be.

"He just wanted to know why you haven't called him or texted him for a month." Rita said and Tiana became quite relaxed.

"Only that?"

"Yes, only."

"Hope you are not lying?" Tiana narrowed her eyes at Rita.

"I swear I am not." Rita gave the phone to

Tiana. "You can see for yourself."

Tiana lay on her bed and heaved a sigh.

"That was close."

.....

.....

THE ROYAL LIBRARY

Prince Chad was reading in the library and Kate was standing beside him.

"Why haven't you sat down since?" Chad questioned her after he noticed that she was still standing beside him.

"I have not finished dusting the shelves, your highness." Kate was already in trouble and if she continued reading with Chad every day the house mistress would find out.

"You are hereby relieved of your duties today." He told her and she was still sceptical about this, but she could not disobey the prince, so she sat down.

Then Prince Chad put his hand on her shoulder, "Don't worry everything will be fine."

She nodded.

"So what is your favourite novel, Kate?" Chad asked her.

"Technical Love by Russell." Her eyes were fixed on the floor as she replied to him.

"I think I have heard of  that before..." Chad tried to remember where he had seen or read that book.

"Luke and Dakota," Kate said and Chad immediately remembered.

"Luke was kind of a cyborg right?"

"Yes your majesty, he was half human, half machine." Kate chirped. "And he fell in love with a girl named Dakota."

"Yes I fully remember now, Luke was quite dense..."

"Yes he was, he was strange too at the beginning but as time went by Dakota started to understand him." Kate had become so close with Chad that she normally forgets to refer to him as his Highness.

Chad came closer to Kate. "Am I unfriendly?" Kate quivered, he was so close to her, his face inches away from hers.

"No, you are not your highness."

"Luke is a small favourite character in the book." He said and adjusted himself. Kate heaved a sigh as he moved away from her. "What about yours?"

"Mine is Dakota."

"Why Dakota?" Chad wanted to know why Kate's favourite character is Dakota.

"Because she remained with Luke even after what he did to her, the dangers she passed through the pains and suffering she went through just because she loved him but even all these she still stuck with him..."

"What if Luke was just using her?"

"No he wasn't, at the end he married her and they lived happily together."

"What if he wasn't telling her something? What if that is what he wants her to think? What if that is what he wants all of us to think?"

"Why do you think that Luke is the bad person here?"

"I never said he is the bad person,what I am saying is that Dakota did not know who he truly was--we do not know who he truly was. I know exactly what he wanted." Chad stood up and paced around the library. "Do you know why Luke is my  favourite character?" He asked her and she nodded no.

He laughed and as he was about to tell her his phone rang, he tucked his hand into his pocket and brought it out.

"Hello." He said into the phone.

"Okay, I will be there right now." Kate knew that her time with him had expired.

He came to her, and placed his hand on her left cheek. She froze.

"Well, I have to go now Kate, see you later ." He said and she watched him leave the library.

Kate continued dusting the shelves of the library then Anita one of the maids walked into the library. Anita was rude and she hated Kate.

"I know that you are the slut following the princes." Anita hissed and Kate's heart started pounding against her chest.

'Did she see me talking with Chad?' Kate said to herself.

Kate did not reply her she continued dusting the shelves.

Anita walked to where she was and pushed her. Kate fell to the floor.

"Why did you do that?" Kate whimpered, she was normally bullied by most of the servants because of her timid nature.

"Cause you deserve it." Anita hissed and walked out of the Libary.

Kate spent the rest of her day doing her chores and thinking about Chad, she had started having this uncanny feeling towards him.

Meanwhile, in the servant's quarters, Anita stormed into her room and her friend Jennifer and Aerial were there.

"Gosh, I hate that girl called Kate," She said angrily. "She doesn't deserve to be serving in this palace."

"I don't hate her but I dislike her, she is so childish." Jennifer stated.

"Well, I don't care about her." Aerial said nonchalantly.

"I know what to do with her, and she'd regret ever coming to this castle when I am through with her." Anota said and smiled in a sinister way.