79. Ready?

**Leonard**

Leo proved himself to be dependable once again. They spent the rest of the night talking and laughing about the most random jokes.

He woke up next to her, her head resting on his chest. He stared at her while she slept. A part of him couldn't help but think about how beautiful she looked. The urge to touch her hair and feel her face was strong, yet he couldn't do it.

Leonard sneaked out of bed, which caused her to stir in her sleep. He walked up to the mirror, barefoot, and took in his image. A dark green turtleneck covered his torso, black jeans protected his legs. His white kicks were lying beneath the foot of the bed, just where he left them last night. Seeing as his hair was a bit untidy, he raked his fingers through his red strands until they stopped sticking up.

At that moment, Serene woke up. "Do you want to go now, before it gets any later?"

She yawned, then nodded. "Okay, I'll wait until you get dressed."

She started digging through her closet for something to change into. Leo stopped her from taking out her maid uniform. "Don't wear that today," he said. "Or ever. Can't have you working as a maid for the rest of your life, right?"

Serene looked at his face, then started laughing. "You sound as if you have a job for me."

He shrugged, a lazy smile playing on his lips. "Maybe. But for real, I know them well enough that they won't want you working here when you come to them."

Serene thought Leo should smile more often. Deciding to listen to him, she made the choice to replace the uniform with a white shirt decorated in rainbow stripes and a white pair of pants. After she came out of the bathroom fully dressed, Leo, who was waiting for her in her room, held out his hand. She was hesitant at first, but shook it off. There was nothing to be afraid of. They were friends after all.

So the brunette took it, and instantly felt better when he tightened his grip. The prince took the initiative to pick up her phone and his, placing them both in separate pockets. Serene didn't protest when she noticed that he had retrieved the old instead of the new one. But to her surprise, he took that one too. With a smile, she muttered her thanks. He told her it wasn't a problem.

The sounds of footsteps and chatter greeted them as soon as they exited the servants' quarters. As dread surrounded her mind, Serene squeezed Leo's hand. What was she thinking? Maybe she shouldn't have asked him to come with her. She could have gone on her own and talked to them. But now she's walking through the halls with their hands attached.

Sure enough, just as she feared, two of her friends, Thorn and Emily, stared at them without restraint as they stepped down the stairs to the first floor. Thorn had her mouth hanging open, while Emily's eyebrows joined together in confusion. Serene shivered as goosebumps appeared across her arms. Heat rose from her neck. Leonard became aware of her trying to remove herself from his hold, so he held tighter.

"It's alright," he said, eyes straight ahead as Serene watched their feet. "What are they going to do, complain?"

She shook her head. "No, but they might get the wrong idea..."

"Then let them." They stopped at the sitting room where Leo knew the king and queen would be. "I won't let a bunch of rumors stop me from showing affection to you. Unless you tell me yourself that you want me to avoid contact with you, then I won't care what people think."

Serene allowed herself to smile up at the boy she had begun to trust wholeheartedly. Not boy, man. A man who had shown her how much he cared. Just like the brave face he showed to her everyday, she needed to be brave too and stop caring about what people think! Her business is her business, and she wouldn't live for other's opinions.

Instead of pulling away, Serene wrapped her arms around his and gazed into his eyes. "I'm ready."

He smirked. "So no more running away and hiding?"

Serene pouted, which he found cute. "I have never ran away. I just avoided conflict. Big difference."

"Sure, sure." He buried his nose into her hair for a short while. As he did, Serene's heart pounded frantically. Then Leo knocked on the wooden door with his knuckles. Without waiting for a reply, he pushed the door open. There, inside, were his parents in casual clothing, their faces riddled with shock. Leo glanced pointedly at Serene. Taking his hint, she cleared her throat and looked directly in the Kings' direction. "I have something I want to tell you both," she said.

His father sat on a lone, cocoa sofa while Elaine sat in the only love seat in the room, close to her husband.

Leonard occupied the large couch, arms spread as wide as an eagle's wings as one of his ankles rested on his knee. Beside him, Serene sat upright while her eyes were focused on the couple in front of her. However, Leo couldn't move his gaze away from her shaking hands.

"I had no idea," Elaine said, her mouth covered by her palm. "Yes, we had our suspicions but, to think Jenifer would try to use you to get to us..."

"After all those years we tolerated her too," Henry growled. Elaine placed her hand on his shoulder then turned back to Serene.

Serene looked down. "I don't expect you to, it's not like you can read minds. But there are two things I don't get."

"Speak," said Henry. His legs were wide apart but he still didn't seem comfortable. "We'll be willing to set things straight, so don't hold back."

Elaine nodded her agreement.

Serene continued. "Why didn't you come for me? When my mom and dad died, I would've thought that you cared about them enough to make sure that I was okay. That you cared about us enough. So why have I never seen you visit? Or better yet, take me away from my stepmother?"