"You know he's the one that invited you to the ball right? He's testing you, Annalise." Hazalen took a long sip of her peach tea. We were eating lunch in the courtyard, along with many other students.

"I don't know what to do. Should I go to the ball? It seems everywhere I go I cause drama." I throw my hands around, aggravated.

"Go to the ball! That's a once and a lifetime chance. Not just anybody gets invited to go to a ball hosted by a Prince. Only a handful of people truly get invited; the nobles are a guaranteed invite, I wouldn't even count them on the list. Yet the other handful of people are selected by Damien."

"I have a feeling something bad will happen."

"Just go." I turn my head to see Veronica walking up towards us with her lunch in her hand,"Take the chance. It might be the only time you can walk through the halls of a castle." Veronica sat right in-between us on the grassy floor, making Hazalen and I scoot over. Hazalen eyed her warily as I narrowed my eyes at her in confusion.

"Hey, I just want to have lunch with two nice girls. Is that so bad?" She played the guilty card very easily. Hazalen gave me a "do not trust this person she is fake" kind of look.

"Why don't you just run back to Isabelle? Why do you want to hang out with us?" Hazalen rolled her hazel eyes.

Veronica heaved a long sigh,"She's been trying to treat me like a pawn lately. I'm so tired of her at this point, especially after she made Landon break up with you. The whole school may be fooled, but I'm not."

My eyebrows knit together,"What is she talking about Hazalen?"

She cleared her throat,"Carry on, Veronica."

"I'm just so tired of her ordering me around. As if she is already the queen of Deltora for gods sake. Just because she's messed around with the Prince a few times, doesn't mean she's got a huge diamond ring on her hand." Veronica rolled her eyes and opened her lunch. I looked to the left of me, a little uncomfortable with the matter. This girl was just so open.

"She will never become the queen. Damien just uses her as a bootie call." Hazalen lazily replies, agreeing with her.

"Who even knows. But Annalise, like I said before, don't trust him. Just go for the experience of the ball. You don't have to talk to him, enjoy getting dressed up and seeing the inside of a castle." Veronica pressed me.

"I might, but I don't know for sure. I just wish one of you were there."

"Well, we are not his next target- you are. "

Hazalen agrees,"I think she is right, stay away from him. He really just needs to-"

"Annalise, I need to talk to you. Right now," Damien's angry face looms right behind me.

Speak of the devil.

I gulp and look at Veronica and Hazalen for support. Both were bewildered, hoping he didn't hear our entire conversation about how I should be staying away from him.

Anger was written all over his face as he gruffed out," I said now, Annalise. Get up."

"What? No, Damien. I'm not-" I gasped as he grabbed my forearm and pulled me off the ground. My mouth was gaping open as he started to haul me off to some random place.

"Hey, bring her back here!" Hazalen yelled across the school front lawn, receiving a few stares.

"Just give me a minute!" He yelled back in anger, his eyes holding rage as his hand was locked firmly around my arm. We were wandering the halls for a minute, which felt like a million years. My heart beat was pounding like I had jumped off a building into nothingness, never ending.

Why am I so scared?

He took me to a empty classroom and let go of my arm, leaving hot fingerprints behind. I trailed my fingers over them, trying to ease the red skin.

He leaned up against the teacher's desk, folding his arms and held an pointed look at me. He was absolutely furious. I looked away, feeling like a little mouse compared to his powerful presence. His stare was amplifying my emotions a thousand times over.

Nobody messed with the Prince when he was mad.

"Look at me Annalise. Stop looking away, I need you to look me in the eyes." He breathily spoke. I slowly looked up at him, his blue-gray eyes darker than usual. It was as if I could see a storm brewing, mysterious yet deadly.

"What do you want from me Damien? I haven't done anything to you." I spoke in a soft tone.

"Who did you tell." He demanded.

"I don't understand-"

"Who did you tell about turning me down!" He yelled at me, shaking his hands. I had never heard him raise his voice to this amplitude, so I accidentally flinched.

Turning him down?

In the hallway... when I tripped and fell.

I couldn't help it. At first it started out as a small giggle, then it turned into a full on fit of laughter. I was laughing so hard that tears were coming out of my eyes, flowing like the Tarhaki river.

He was just staring at me as I laughed. No emotion, as if I was handed a blank sheet of paper, perfectly cut with no wrinkles.

I finally settled down, breathing a little heavy. Maybe even peed a little by accident- yet he just stared. At my face, my eyes, my lips, just analyzing me. I even thought for the slightest second I saw his lips curl into a small smile as I was laughing my, as my mother would say, booshkin off.

He could only stare, his anger dissipated into thin air,"How do you think this is funny, my reputation as a prince is ruined. People think I am the laughing stock now because of you." He asked, his voice matching his face- no emotion.

He's mad because I turned him down and people found out?

Please.

"Damien it's not that big of a deal-"

"You know what, fuck it." He growled out, his anger clearly back, my laughing session apparently not doing him any good. He trapped me against the wall, arms beside both sides of my head. My eyes were so wide to the point where they could have popped out. In addition, his arms were huge. Near the elbow it curved with so much muscle, and his veins were relevant.

"Annalise. Tell me who you told, or I swear to gods I will-"

"I told Hazalen and Veronica. I don't know who Veronica told, but I know that Hazalen wouldn't tell." I squeaked out, feeling uncomfortable in this position. I could smell his cologne, and his minty breath scanning across my face.

Too close...

He could tell I was uncomfortable and smirked at me deviously," It's easier getting answers out of you in this position, huh?"

"Damien, please let me go," I glanced at his strong arms next to my head, then back to him,"I am sorry I told people about it, I wouldn't have if I knew it would make you this upset. I see it means a lot to you and I'm sorry about that, truly."

Damien withdrew his arms and I sighed in relief. He squinted his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose,"Why can't you just be like everyone else who-"

"Who what Damien? Praises you? Gives you the attention you want?" I question in a calm manner. He gives me a look that screams yes, his stormy eyes giving it away.

"I don't care if I'm new here, I'm still not going to abide by your 'standards'." I huffed out, finding confidence in my words and myself.

"You are one interesting girl, Annalise Woods." He says to me, his blank face back. He turns to look at me one last time before leaving the classroom.

I let out a big breath I didn't realize I was holding the entire time, pondering over our interaction. Hazalen wouldn't have told anybody. But the constant smirk coming from Veronica's lips makes me feel like she knows a lot more than she lets on.

Who could Veronica have told?

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

School was passing by quickly, people giving me smiles as I walked by. Damien was right, people thought he wasn't a player anymore because I turned him down. He no longer held the "any girl he wants" title because I took it away from him.

And you know what... I actually don't feel bad about it.

Not because I wanted to take something away from him, or teach him a lesson about thinking he can get everything. I turned him down because I didn't like the way he approached me. I turned him down because he thought I would be the same as everyone else, but I hold people to their values and way they treat people.

I won't bend my will or change my opinions because of somebody's features or title. That's just not who I am. It just surprised me that people were elated I turned him down, they almost praised me because I didn't care about his title. I wasn't another whimsy target who fell into his poorly-constructed trap.

"Don't fall into his trap."

Veronica's words played in my head. I haven't, nor am I planning on it Veronica.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*