Chapter 49: Chapter XXIII Last Evening-1

"I can't do this. I just can't," presently I was flipping out, Alejandro storming after me like a lost puppy. "It's not that bad, Mel!" he called after me, using dramatic gestures to try and make me feel better. "You're right. 'Bad' is an understatement. Absolutely horrifying comes close, but I'm sure I can find a better word," I nodded towards him with determination, circling the room whilst walking backwards so that he couldn't come near me. "You're being ridiculous!" he jogged towards me, but I only recoiled and moved backwards more quickly. "No, 'ridiculous' isn't really the emotive word I am looking for," he suddenly stopped in his track and sighed deeply, raking his fingers through his hair as if he was going to pull them all out at once. "You're bloody nuts!" he called after me, but I could only give him a scoff before adorning a satisfied look. "That was the most British thing I have ever heard!" I countered, throwing his words from a week ago back at him. He deflated and crumbled onto the ground, not caring at all how unprofessional it seemed. We were alone in the ballroom, after all. It was five hours before the state ceremony will begin, and I was procrastinating. Alejandro had managed to drag me from my temporary room to the ballroom, with heels tucked under his arm. Now we were trying to slow dance, but after what happened the first night when he danced with me, I was a little sceptical. Sure enough, my heels had more than once penetrated his precious foot flesh. "Running away won't make you a better dancer!" he cried out desperately, lying face down on the ground as an existential crisis overtook him. Was that my fault? Still, I felt offended at his words and my jaw dropped at his words. "Excuse you! I'm sure if I learn to run a marathon in these mountains of death then I will certainly be a better dancer!" I shot back at him. "If that's the case, then maybe you should have done the Running of the Bulls with me. In heels!" he retorted back, his voice muffled by the spotless dancing floor. The room had been decorated the previous day and presently the banquet hall down the corridor was being fixed up for Spain's nobility and leaders. I felt nervous about meeting the King but tried not to get too nervous. There was a lot of things that could stir even more tension within me so I tried to avoid them. Running around, annoying the Spanish Prince seemed to be my unconscious response. I wasn't complaining. "Why did I ever agree to take you in?" he mumbled to himself, and I found myself heading towards his unmoving body. I bend onto my knees next to him, sitting like I was taught professionally, and twirled my fingers into his hair. It was softer than I had expected and certainly curly. I wondered which product he used and debated on asking him about it. I eventually decided against it after I remembered how messed up my hair was after the abuse of removing three year-old purple stains. I didn't want to think about it. "Am I like a lost puppy?" I asked, a hopeful tone seeping into my voice. "More like a lost dove," he grumbled back. "A dove?" "I don't like doves," I lightly slapped his shoulder. He quickly snapped out of his sulking nature and jumped to his feet. He pulled me up with him. "We need to get dressed," at this I simply nodded, knowing it was inevitable. He escorted me back to my room, not that he needed to. I was accustomed to the palace by now. ♕♥ ♕♥ ♕ A handmaiden was waiting in my chambers, a red dress in her arms. Why did Alejandro continuously decide that I had to wear red dresses? Did I look better in the colour? That would be good to know. As if my dancing skills weren't all ready restricted by heels, it had to be a strapless mermaid dress. I knew that I wouldn't be able to focus at the ceremony. My attention is going to be solely on the slight cleavage that peaked through the dress. I really wasn't one for showing off myself. She braided my hair into a crown around my head which I thought was a miracle itself. She had taken one look at my battlefield of a head and decided that there was no way it would be let loose and managed to tame it. People really were amazing. I was pacing around the room after she left, nervous to know that on the other side of the palace the banquet hall was filling up with Spain's most important people. I instinctively began running all of my lessons through my head and how to be proper. It was easy with the Prince because he was near my age and still blossoming into the expected mature King he would be, but with all of the other important Spaniards I was completely clueless. Did they expect me to speak in Spanish? Was there customs for a Spaniard royal dinner and ceremony I was not aware of? Did I miss anything important he tried to tell me? I felt like I had procrastinated and was now facing an exam I had not prepared for. Although, I have never been in any education system except home-schooling so I couldn't honestly say how it felt like. I could emphasise more with the feeling of going onto a stage for a dance and knowing I could've practiced more. A knock on the door send me jumping into a little frenzy. I wasn't ready for this. The pressure of being on a stage or in front of a stadium full of people was nothing compared to being addressed as a guest of honour in front of Spain's important. They'll be watching me, looking for flaws. "Mel? Are you okay?" I heard Alejandro's concerned tone and found myself honing in on his voice, hoping to find some comfort out of it. I figured he was the type who knew how to comfort and calm someone down, as I had seen him do it to me more than once. I reluctantly pulled open the door and immediately his worried eyes made contact with my nervous vision. He pulled me into a hug without hesitation and I wrapped my arms around his neck, the heels at least offering me some height against his tall figure. His hands squeezed at my arms. "You don't need to worry about a simple thing. I'm going to be by your side through the whole thing. I won't leave your side for a second. I promise," I clung to his words like a hawk, secretly wishing it was Sarina who was offering me the support. She was taller than me, and certainly not as tall as Alejandro which made it a good thing. I can't reach Alejandro's face.