Chapter 17 — Jasper’s Past

"Did the queen not accept her because she was a maid?" Diana asked reluctantly.

Diana and Jasper were conversing in the palace’s back garden, away from most people.

"Of course, she didn't." Jasper laughed humorlessly. "She said that I was a prince and that I would defame the whole royal family if I were to choose a maid as my life partner. She even went as far as to say that she would exile me."

Diana gasped. Never did she imagine the queen to be that cold-hearted and cruel. Would she have done the same to Ivan if he didn't agree to their wedding in the beginning? The thought itself scared her. "What's her name?" she questioned meekly.

His lips curled into a sad smile. "I'm forbidden to utter her name," he mumbled. The despair in his voice was so clear, it pained her heart.

Diana wondered whether she should ask Jasper more about his past because she was afraid of hurting him. Besides, it was hard to dig up the feelings buried deep in someone's heart.

"Do you want to know more?" Jasper asked, looking at her with an intense gaze. Diana shook her head and he smiled. "It's okay. I am already over her."

"Okay then, tell me." Maybe it would help him feel at ease, she thought.

"She used to be my caretaker, always taking care of all my needs. She was two years older than me. She was always there for me whenever I needed her. Sometimes I used to think she was the only one who cared about me. Mom and Dad were always busy. Ivan was at his university. There was no one for me in this gigantic palace except her. She made me feel happy. How could I not fall in love with her?"

Ivan was also always there to listen to me whenever I needed someone to speak. He made me feel so happy. A small, sad smile crept onto Diana's lips.

Jasper continued, "I wanted her to be more than just a maid. That's why I told Mom, expecting she would understand my feelings. But she rejected it completely and taunted me for hours, saying Ivan would never do something so stupid. Thus, her trust in me was entirely broken. In the end, I wasn't even able to convey my feelings to my maid. She was exiled from the palace."

Jasper's eyes filled with tears, which didn't go unnoticed by Diana. She didn't know what to say. Instead, she patted his shoulder.

He bit his lips and further expressed, "Mom never tried to understand me. To her, it was a crime. Just because she was a maid. So, what if she was? Aren't maids human too? I get that I'm a prince. So what? There are no boundaries in love. It just happens." A lone tear left his eye. Diana felt terrible for him. It wasn't fair for him. "I just happened to fall in love with her."

The regret was clear. He regretted falling in love, just like Diana. She regretted falling for Ivan because she knew there was no chance for their relationship.

"Is falling in love really a crime?" Diana asked mindlessly.

"No, it's not. But it's a crime to fall for someone who loves someone else; knowing that person can never be yours. That type of love will only bring you pain and despair," Jasper replied with tears sliding down his eyes. He said he was over her but his love for that maid was still visible. He was still hoping to unite with her one day.

Diana felt like crying. Was it her fate as well? To cry about Ivan for the rest of her life? She hugged Jasper and patted his shoulder to comfort him. "I hope you will find someone even better."

Diana treated Jasper like her brother; he saw her as a sister—a sister he wished to have.

"I hope the same for you," he whispered.

"What are you guys doing here?" a sudden voice interrupted their brother-sister moment. Jasper and Diana separated from each other and turned to a very pissed off Ivan.

"We were... uh..." Diana didn't know what to say. It was clear that she couldn't tell Ivan the real reason: 'We were discussing our unrequited love story.' She couldn't say that, could she?

Instantly, Jasper wiped his tears and turned to face Ivan. "We were having a morning walk. Diana suddenly slipped, so I caught her. Rather than glaring at me, you should be thanking me that I saved your beautiful wife from plastic surgery," he lied bluntly.

Ivan shot him another death glare, then without another word, he grabbed Diana's hand to take her back to their room. She mouthed to Jasper that they should finish their conversation later.

As Diana and Ivan were walking through the hallway, their hands still intertwined, he started, "You should be careful. Incidents like that are misleading. Thankfully, it was me only who saw you together."

The truth was, Ivan was ready to launch his fist at his brother, but the etiquette of a prince stopped him from partaking into such violence.

Diana hummed in response.

"What were you guys talking about?" Ivan was curious. As far as he knew, Diana and Jasper weren't that close.

She retorted, "Nothing, really." Diana's eyes roamed around the fancy furniture of the hall, avoiding Ivan's gaze.

"Nothing at all?" he pried, a tinge of jealousy tugging his heart.

She huffed, "Stop nagging me. You almost sound jealous."

Ivan stiffened and shut his mouth. The last thing he wanted was Diana to think that he was an envious, dominating prince. Little did he know that Diana thought it was impossible for him to be jealous since he loved Rain.

They reached their bedroom. None of them said a word. They were at each other’s disposal, looking into each other's eyes. The last time they talked, they were arguing about the pendant. Therefore, it was awkward.

Ivan exasperated a sigh and grabbed the gift box. Diana looked at him suspiciously. He took out the pendant and said, "I'm sorry for venting out my anger at you this morning."

Her lips parted in surprise. A smile evolved on her lips. "No, I'm sorry for not accepting your gift without any complaints."

They both admitted their mistakes. After all, they were best friends. There was no harm in apologizing to each other. Besides, communication was the key to solve every problem; everyone knew that.

He looked into her beautiful brown eyes intently and asked, "Will you accept it now?"

Diana put her index finger on her cheek and pretended to think. "Only if you put it on me." She smiled playfully, making him chuckle.

Although she knew it wasn't right of her to want more from him, still her heart craved for his touch.

"Okay, then."

He approached Diana and swept her hair over her shoulder. Diana felt goosebumps rise when his cold fingers brushed against her warm skin as he put the pendant on her neck.

Ivan was having a hard time suppressing the urge to place his lips against her throat. It was so inviting. The lavender fragrance of her shampoo flooded his senses. It was turning him on. Unfortunately, he had to resist his temptation.

"All done," he said and moved two feet away from Diana to totally handle his strong desires.

"Uh…thanks," Diana breathed out.

She had almost forgotten how to breathe when Ivan was close to her. She touched her cheeks, feeling them heat up. Shaking her head, she looked at herself in the mirror. The pendant looked great on her; the emerald on it complimented her skin complexion. Plus, it resembled Ivan's eyes.

"It suits you," he let out.

"It's your choice, after all." Diana smiled brightly, getting back to her usual self, making her dimples pop out. "It's been so long since we talked normally. It feels different, doesn't it?"

From the time Ivan came back from Italy, all they did was argue. Diana really missed spending time with him like before.

"It's the situation that's different," Ivan told her. He meant it for himself, but Diana could relate as well. Now that he liked Diana, he could feel the atmosphere between them grow much thicker. Sparks were igniting between them.

She uttered, "Yeah."

"Diana, I was wondering," Ivan started awkwardly. His eyes roamed around their bedroom, trying not to meet her gaze. "We have been virtual best friends for such a long time, yet we never hung out with each other before."

"What do you mean?" Diana was confused.

"We never fooled around like best friends usually do—you know, hang out. I mean, you and me. We can go out for dinner," he suggested.

Diana immediately wanted to say yes, but a thought occurred to her. If it's only the two of them, it might look like a date to others. If Rain found out, she might get hurt.

"I don't think you have that much time."

"I'm completely free tonight. Besides, Mom suggested a great place for us as well," he lied. Suzanne didn't suggest anything, and he had a meeting in the evening. But he wanted to spend some time with Diana—alone.

"Okay then." She forced a smile on her lips. She had no choice but to agree. It's okay. We are just gonna hang out like besties. It's not a date or anything, she tried to assure herself.

Ivan grinned with triumph. He was very excited. Even Diana couldn't help but feel ecstatic about it as she got out of the room. They were looking forward to their special dinner hang out tonight.

Meanwhile, Jasper was reading a book, lying on the sofa of his personal study room. A knock on the door interrupted him. He glanced at the doorway only to find Diana.

She smiled at him for permission, and he nodded his head as a sign for her to enter his room. She sat down on the single couch and exclaimed, "I had a good exercise on the way here."

Jasper chuckled. "The distance from one place to another in this palace could get absolutely tiring. You will get used to it," he consoled the worn-out Diana.

"It's better if I don't get used to it," she muttered under her breath, but Jasper heard it. Diana didn't want any attachments. The more she grew attached to them, the more it would hurt her while leaving everyone.

"Why do you say so?"

She gulped the lump in her throat and said, "I'll tell you later. First, you tell me, how did you break the queen's trust again?"

Jasper told her why the queen didn't trust him in the beginning. But he was yet to tell her what mistake he was making again. Deciding it was time to tell Diana the truth—the second mistake he made—Jasper looked down, feeling ashamed of himself. He meekly spoke, "I'm starting to like Rain."

Diana remained frozen for a few seconds. She gaped at him with a wide-open mouth before she let out, "What?"