"Mrs.Woodz, you need to wake up," Maria spoke softly, waking me from my deep slumber. I wasn't used to my maid waking me up so early, and her accent was definitely making an appearance right now. I just wanted to stay in my dreamland of happiness, where no Darius of Deltora can ever talk or reach me.

Or embarrass me.

"Mrz.Woodz I'm going to have to call ze mother if you don't get up!" She exclaimed, using a harsher tone than before.

I put one foot off the bed and slowly the next one joined. I gruffly walk over to my closet and I decide to put on a casual dress, because only on opening day we had to wear extravagant gowns.

I grabbed my history books and found my homeroom surprisingly fast. I find lots of girls huddled in the back and some jock-like looking boys sitting in a corner, all laid out and comfortable.

I chose to sit near the front of the class, not knowing where else to sit. The girls looked like they were in a high-quality gossiping session repeating "Veronica" and I definitely did not want to sit by the boys. I stared at the homeroom list, bored as can be.

Lillian Linton

Carey Parkers

Carter Sanderson

Daruis of Deltora - Damien

Darius was crossed out and replaced with Damien.

So immature.

A girl walked in, interrupting my thoughts. She wore a sporty dress and her hair tied back in a sleek pony tail. She decided to take a seat right by me, which surprised me greatly.

"Hello, I'm Annali-"

"Yes, Annalise Woods. I have heard all about you," she was quick to interrupt me.

"All good things I hope?"

"It depends on who told me."

"Well then, who do you talk to?" I question with a frown. I couldn't help but wonder about the rumors surrounding my name, and how quickly gossip spread in this school.

"Good people who say good things."

"Well then that's a good thing," I smiled at her, hoping to make a new friend,"Hopefully I haven't ruined my reputation quite yet."

"Oh bitch, please shut up." A voice came from behind. I turn to see a red-headed girl with hazel eyes and plump lips. She was obviously trying to hide her freckles poking through, and her perfectly shaped eyebrows were narrowed.

This had to be no other than Isabelle Daniels.

"We all know your act is fake, your just another strumpet trying to lure Prince Darius of Deltora." She picked at her pink nails before continuing," We all know you have a big secret you are hiding. Why move to Deltora all of a sudden right before Fradgit years? Why-"

"Damien." A voice behind me corrects. I crane my neck around to see Damien leaning against the doorway, his legs crossed and his arms folded. It seemed as if the air was sucked out of the room with his presence, and his glare to Isabelle cut like a knife.

He continued," Not Darius. And I bet if Annalise wanted a bitch, she would go to the nearest dog inhibitor and buy one. It would do much good for our shelters." He then walked to the corner where some of the boys were laid out.

He sat down, his biceps flexing as he cracked his knuckles, the sound echoing the room making everybody look away. He held so much power, and not just because of his title. Just one look from him made you feel as if you were below his standard.

He controls you, and he knows it.

I turned my body away from him, my hair shielding my face. He just stood up for me. The Darius of Deltora stood up for me... Annalise Woods of Descuvi. Which is the land he shall never find out I was born in.

Quiet mummers filled the tense air, my classmates needing to gossip about the event that just occurred. I didn't realize this was an extraordinary event, the prince standing up for a commoner.

I spared a quick glance at Damien and he looked quite pissed off. His hands clenched as he shook his head, almost as if he was talking through something in his head.

"Holy-"

"Fudge." I finished for her. The girl next to me gave me a narrowed look, since I interrupted her curse word mid-sentence. "I don't ever think I got your name."

"Veronica Slaten." She gave me a small smirk and held out her hand for me to shake. I could then feel Isabelle's daunting eyes from behind me, probably glaring at me. She was watching Veronica and I like a hawk.

"Well Veronica, continue with what you were saying before, without the invectives." I added in for an extra measure.

"I was just going to say that I am throughly surprised. How did you manage to win over our Prince. He's usually either cocky, mean, or just dull- he never stands up for anybody. Especially the new girl." She then stole a glance at him and I looked away, wincing.

I'm going to get even more attention today.

"What did you do? Give him a good time? Did you-"

"No!" Disgust written all over my face. I've never even been touched by a male my whole life. "I would never," I continued, taking a shaky breath,"Do people think that? Will they think that?"

"The way you dress and carry yourself shows you are not a strumpet. That I can tell, I just wonder how you won him over." She gave me a questioning stare.

"I don't quite know either. I haven't done anything; We just had a few words in the hall after I ran into him." I sighed.

"What did you two discuss?"

"He was trying to flirt with me, I just told him I didn't understand why he had to talk to me in that manner." I stared at the desk recalling the memory messing with a part of my hair.

His strong hand, calluses sewn across his knuckles and palm. Tough and rugged as a rock. The way I slightly fell into his chest, getting a waft of his woodsy cologne. His large-

"You naïve little girl," she gave a breathy laugh,"He wants the chase. You turned him down and now he wants you," She smirked, leaning back in the chair.

"Not like that. He doesn't 'want' me. We haven't talked since."

"That's where you are wrong. Damien always gets what he wants. Always, and if that's a girl then he gets that girl. It's like a game of cat and mouse you two, one chasing the other. And even if the mouse goes in their little hole, it has got to come out some time. And thats when the cat will be planning, scheming even. Setting up a trap. So when the mouse comes out the hole..."

"That's when the cat will pounce. Always waiting, watching, ready for the kill. For what it longs to have. And my dear Annalise, you can't hide forever. He's not somebody who you want to be after you. Don't fall into his trap. Can't you see now... he's already watching."

I turn to see Damien already gazing at me. He gives me a deviously handsome smile then a wink that would have any girl's undergarments ruined. I look away, trying to mask my face of emotion.

"And he will soon be ready to pounce." She gave me a last sincere look before the bell rung, signaling first period. I watched as she walked away, taking in all that she said.

I could tell she was actually trying to help me. She wasn't being mean or snotty, just cautious. Watching out for me.

Does she know something I don't?

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