Chapter Fifty Six

"What should I do?" I thought out loud.

I was back inside the palace, walking around aimlessly. 

'Prince Dylan usually acts so nice that I forgot who he truly is… I shouldn't have talked to him so casually.' I thought, blaming myself for being too naive.

Even though I didn't do anything wrong Prince Dylan might still want to dismiss my position if he doesn't see me as someone fit to be Prince Noah's servant anymore.

'And it should have happened just after I denied Nicholas's job offer!?' I thought, feeling unlucky.

I stopped walking and took a deep breath trying to think clearly.

'Alright, there is no need to panic right now. I don't even know how much influence Prince Dylan has over my position, and I did nothing wrong so there is no reason for him to go after me…right?' I asked myself as I felt the small confidence I had to vanish as I remembered Prince Dylan's cold eyes.

From the way he spoke and how he looked, it wouldn't surprise me if his own reasons would be the only thing he would need to take any action.

'If I do anything he perceives as a mistake then I'm doomed.' I realized feeling tense.

After a moment in silence, I sighed.

"Whatever…let's just go find Prince Noah for now.'' I said, forcing myself to walk again.

'If I lose my position just like that I should at least see Prince Noah one last time.' I thought tossing aside all my worries and focusing on what truly mattered.

***

"...Where am I?" 

After entering the palace I was so afflicted by Prince Dylan's words that I didn't notice where I was going. I started walking aimlessly looking for Prince Noah, and after a while, I realized I was a bit lost.

'I'm still in the main area of the palace, this much I can tell.' I thought, looking at the corridor I was passing by.

But it was an area I had never visited before. 

I had the idea of going to Prince Noah's room since even though he wasn't there, he would have to go back there at some point.

And so I went to the second floor where his and my room are, but I was already in an area I wasn't used to, and after going to the second floor I realized I've never been on that part of the second floor before either.

"If I keep walking I might find his room at some point… right?" I asked myself, trying to be optimistic.

'This palace never stops amazing me of how big it's.' I thought, noticing how many areas of the place there were that I had never visited before. 

''Even though I've been living in this place my whole life I know nothing about it, huh." I thought out loud.

'Well, it's been only recently I was able to leave the northwest area after all.' I remembered, feeling a bit tense just thinking about the northwest area.

As I was walking through the long corridor, all of a sudden I was startled by someone shouting inside a room right beside me.

"I told you I won't go already, stop bothering me!" The person shouted, clearly mad.

Then the door was forcefully opened from the inside and the person leaving was in such a rush that they didn't see me and so bumped into me pretty hard.

"Ouch!" Both of us shouted.

I fell on the floor, my forehead hurt a lot. I put my hands on my forehead in vain expecting it to make the pain stop.

"A-Alex?!" The person who made me fall called my name, surprised. 

Just by the voice I already knew who it was, but I still looked up to be sure.

"...Prince Noah?"

"What are you doing here?" He asked confused.

"Is everything alright?" A girl inside the room Prince Noah just had left asked, worried.

Although I couldn't see her well because Prince Noah was blocking my view I was sure the girl was Princess Isabel.

"Yes, everything is alright! You can go back to your room." Prince Noah suddenly shouted barely looking back at the princess.

Then he quickly offered me his hand.

"Here." He said.

"Thank you, Your Highness." I said holding his hand and then he helped me stand. 

And so, Prince Noah still holding my hand started to pull me all of a sudden, forcing me to walk along with him. 

"Let's go." He said, firmly.

"W-Wait…" I said surprised by being suddenly forced to walk.

"Noah!" Princess Isabel called her brother, but Prince Noah didn't turn away he kept walking as if he didn't hear her.

I had a glimpse of the princess's face when I looked back at her. She didn't seem mad, she just seemed worried while looking at Prince Noah from afar.

We didn't talk or even stop walking until we were finally inside Prince Noah's room.

'I didn't know the princess's room was so far from Prince Noah's. Their rooms are basically on opposite sides of the palace.' I realized noticing how much I had to walk from the princess's room to Prince Noah's room.

Prince Noah didn't seem to be in a good mood and I could easily tell it had something to do with his sister, the princess.

But his expression got even worse when he looked at me with his arms crossed.

"What were you doing there, Alex?" Prince Noah asked with his eyes full of suspicion.

I realized then the obvious. 'He thinks I was eavesdropping on his conversation with the princess!'

I raised my hands trying to show innocence. "I swear I wasn't eavesdropping on you and the princess, it was just bad timing! I was only passing by, I swear."

Prince Noah didn't seem to believe my words at all.

"Even so, what were doing there? I know you have no business in that part of the palace." He asked with suspicion still palpable in his voice.

"I've been looking for you everywhere, Your Highness… and I ended up getting lost." I told the truth ashamed of my low sense of direction.

"Were you looking for me?" Prince Noah asked, surprised.

I nodded. "Yes, Your Highness."

Prince Noah then seemed to be more at ease with my answer, he didn't seem to be as much suspicious of me as he was before.

"...Why?" He asked, with an uneased expression.

"I was worried about you, Your Highness." I answered being straightforward.

But it was clear that Prince Noah wasn't glad with my answer.

"Why worried? There is nothing to be worried about." Prince Noah said looking away, annoyed.

"But this morning you and Erick-" I was saying, but Prince Noah shouted above my words.

"Forget about that! Nothing happened!" 

Prince Noah was clenching his fists, furiously. For a moment he stared at me as if I was his enemy, making me step back, surprised.

We were silent for a brief moment. I didn't know what to do or say. But then Prince Noah's expression suddenly softened while looking at me.

"Just stop talking about that." He said, and then looked away.

Looking at Prince Noah it was clear how uneasy this topic made him feel.

"I see, I'm sorry for bringing up this topic, Your Highness." I apologized, trying to ease his feelings.

"...don't act like that." Prince Noah suddenly said those words so quietly that I almost didn't hear him.

I looked at him surprised. 

"What do you mean, Your Highness?" I asked, confused.

Prince Noah seemed uneased, he was frowning, but I couldn't say if he was mad or sad.

"Stop talking as if you are in the wrong… you did nothing wrong." He said looking into my eyes at first, but then he looked away. 

Seeing Prince Noah's eyes the moment he looked into mine, I noticed how guilty he seemed to be feeling.

"It is fine-" I quickly said trying to calm him but he shouted above me.

"It is not fine!"

Prince Noah suddenly was mad again, but not at me this time. He seemed mad about himself.

"...Just leave me alone, Alex." He said then turning away.

I didn't know if I should do as he wanted or not, since I was his servant I should do as he said, but…

'This morning I backed away as he asked me to, but this time I can see there is clearly something bigger than just the conflict that happened between him and Erick earlier.' I realized.

"Your Highness, I don't know why you are feeling this way…It is fine if you don't want to talk about it for now, but please tell me, is there anything I can do to help you?" I asked, taking a step in his direction.

He shook his head in denial without looking back at me or saying anything.

"Are you sure? Because I don't want to see you sad and do nothing, Your Highness, after all, I promised to help you." I said, serious.

"I-I am not sad." Prince Noah said obviously lying, because it seemed like he wanted to cry. "Also I don't need help…I can deal with my problems on my own." 

I gave a few steps in his direction, shortening the distance between us.

"You don't need to deal with your problems on your own. I promised you I would stay by your side and I don't go back on my words, Your Highness." I said firmly.

Prince Noah turned towards me and teary-eyed he asked. "You are not lying, are you?''

I could see in his eyes that there was a reason for him to be asking me that. Something happened in the past to make him insecure about something like this before. 

"I would never lie about such a thing, even less to you, Your Highness. After all…aren't we friends?" 

I asked feeling a bit unsure since Prince Noah never addressed me as such while really meaning it. But still, I was smiling to show him that I meant it.

Prince Noah then nodded weakly. "Yes…we are friends."

His answer made me genuinely smile.

"Then, you can count on me, Your Highness."

Prince Noah looked at me with intensity in his eyes, and then he suddenly pulled me into a hug, surprising me.

"Your Highness…" I called for him, surprised. 

Not knowing what to say, I hugged him back hoping it would bring him some comfort.

In the warmth of his embrace, I remembered an old saying that most problems can be solved with a hug.

'And I hope it is specifically true for you, Your Highness.'