Chapter 10 – The Storm

Nick had been on many battlefields in his life. Some were horrible, bloody affairs and others were calm and peaceful; their combat delayed indefinitely or the generals solving it in a one-on-one exhibition match. The battlefield he now found himself on was much different. Through a number of his predictive skills and abilities, he got the notion that he should both flee as quickly as possible and stay and prevent a fight from breaking out.

Nick was new to love and romance, but he wasn't dense. Not that either Matilda nor Scarlet were subtle in their interest for him. He had made his objective known, to find and fall in love naturally, and they had shown legitimate interest in garnering his affection. He had thought that Matilda's interest in him was purely due to his wealth and power, but she had done exactly as she said and proven her feelings were not a pretense. How? By giving him permission to use Insight on her.

Nick hated the skill Insight. Where was the fun in getting to know someone or find out new things about them if you could get a complete profile of their history, thoughts, and feelings at any time? For some, that knowledge was invaluable, and he was not opposed to using it on enemies, but with his max rank skill, it was not fun to use on allies. You find out everything, and some things are better left unseen.

Nick tried to say that using the skill was unnecessary, but when Matilda told him it was alright and then insisted when he tried to refuse her again, he caved. Insight at max level could see everything about a person, and Nick very much only wanted to see if she was being honest or not. If it was true, which was apparent the second she told him to use the skill, then he wanted to discover all the interesting things about her naturally. Thus, when he used the skill, he went to where he needed to in the massive list of information available and found that what she claimed was true. She was even willing to give up the items he had given her to prove it.

The first thing he had done when he learned this was to bow and apologize to her. He was an honest man and believed one should apologize if one makes a mistake. He was not too proud to admit when he was wrong. She laughed it off and said his caution was wise. All was forgiven and they talked in earnest while he made dishes until she retired for the night, giving him one last wink that set his heart aflutter.

Nick knew he was interested in both Matilda and Scarlet and he felt more than a little apprehension about them being in the same place. Then again, he didn't control them and they were free to go and do what they want...but...What if they asked him to decide on one of them here and now? He would have to disappoint both of them if that was the case. While he was not dense to their interest, he was also not a pushover. He would decide who he married and no one else. The brief connections he had made with both of them were not enough to fall in love...at least he thinks so, which is all that matters in this case.

Was he "Playing The Field?" Absolutely! But as long as he acted with tact and respect and didn't do anything that damaged their honor or purity, he thought it was fine. Dating is all about meeting new people and forming these same romantic connections. Nick didn't want to try a childish imitation of dating, where two people who like each other are exclusive from the get-go, but rather he wanted to meet many different women so that his ultimate decision was more meaningful and based on the one he is drawn to the most. People would get hurt and disappointed, but this was life and that was not always something that could be avoided. As long as he was a gentleman about it and treated everyone well, he told himself it was fine.

All of this raged through Nick's mind as he sat in a gazebo in the palace gardens, one leg crossed over the other, sipping from a teacup elegantly, and smiling out at the three groups converging on each other. He wore his business casual attire, a white long sleeve shirt unbuttoned twice and with the sleeves rolled up, black slacks, brown belt, blue socks with childish dragons sewn in (Always good to have a little fun), and black loafers. His auburn hair was slicked back in a medium-length cut with his bangs falling stylishly on either side of his forehead partially concealing his shining golden eyes. He had shaved this morning (Or the magical equivalent at least), so the peach fuzz of a couple of days ago was gone.

Saying nothing and smiling serenely, Nick watched the chaos unfold.

"Scarlet!?!' Matthew yells as his eyes go wide and his face pales. He was in his standard full princely garb. An all-white suit with gold and red trimming and flare here and there. His blonde curly hair was cut short and it highlighted the sharpness of his face and sky blue eyes.

"Scarlet?" Bella asks as she quickly moves to hide behind her prince. The infamous Bella, Baron's daughter and homewrecker extraordinaire, was a relatively normal looking girl. Long, straight brown hair, brown eyes, a cute if freckled face, and a dazzling smile that gave Nick's a run for its money. She wore a white sundress and a matching bow in her hair. The aura of "Love Me!" was shinning around her, but it seemed to only affect men and both he and now Matthew were immune to it.

Nick used insight on her.

Why? Didn't he just say that he hated using it? Is he a hypocrite? No...Nick used it because he considered Bella an enemy to his family and a threat to the kingdom.

He needed to know what her game was. She was brainwashing the crowned prince and if she worked for a shadow group or another country, he needed to know. She may have been his brother's soon-to-be-fiance, but if she was a traitor to the nation, then he would cut her down where she stands. Fiance or not, he was Duke Caspian, Protector of the Capital City, and he was dedicated to taking his title and job very seriously.

Nick read over her information as quickly as his skills and abilities allowed, which is to say, he read her entire life story in under 10 seconds. Saying he was shocked by what he found would be an understatement.

'She's...she's...just dumb!?' Nick thought, flabbergasted.

Naive would be a better word for it...She had no idea she even had the ability in question. She was raised as a commoner and has very low expectations from nobles as she was brutally bullied by them as a kid. She honestly...is just trying to do her best in a world she never asked to be a part of. Not seeing the issue with her behavior because she doesn't know any better...No one has ever offered to teach her and she is too afraid of disappointing people to ask herself. Bella assumes the attention she receives from men is just kindness from them because she has extremely low self-esteem. She only sees them as 'The few great nobles who are my friends!'

'Who could ever love a bastard commoner like myself?' was a constant theme throughout the last few years of her life.

She was head over heels in love with Matthew but acted as only a friend as she believes there is no way he will ever return her feelings. The issues with Scarlet's bullying...Gods above...She was bullied by people who claimed to be friends and who hated her success at the academy. Those same people convinced her Scarlet was the one who did all of the bullyings that they themselves were responsible for. She took the, admittedly understandable, angry comments that Scarlet would say about how her relationship and behavior with the prince was unacceptable as bullying because she didn't know any better. Add on the lies she was told, and the girl thinks Scarlet is the devil. In her mind, she was only meeting with friends and was brutally punished for it like the nobles would do when she was a child.

This whole situation was a misunderstanding and the girl just needed etiquette and noble training (and maybe common sense training) to be fine. Bella was actually very intelligent and good with school subjects, she was just gullible to the extreme and didn't like to stand out. Overall, her personality and kindness would be a boon to the kingdom and she would make a fine queen after some lessons.

She also had a long-standing crush on Nick since he saved her Barony...but he chose to ignore that fact.

Returning his attention to the moment at hand...

"Matthew, Bella, good day to you both," Scarlet says shortly with a small bow to the two, then immediately turns the frown she sent them into a smile towards Nick. She wore a beautiful yellow sundress and her ice-blue eyes shinned with excitement and hope. Her long silver hair curled into ringlets down her front and back. Her sharp features made the smile on her face even more disarming. She reminded Nick of Mother Heather, cold and standoffish on the outside, but a bubbly warm on the inside. Her smile falters somewhat as she turns her attention towards the robed mage approaching and calling out from the side.

Matilda was in her standard navy blue mage robes and carries with her the Staff of the Magi that Nick had gifted her. Her curly red hair was tied in an elegant bun that bobbed on her head as she took confident steps towards him. Her emerald green eyes held the glint of mischief as she took in the others, her smile never leaving her lips.

Matilda and Scarlet make eye contact and there is a moment of silence as they seem to sum each other up. They share words with only their eyes and body language. The result? Both show an annoyed look and a small glare before turning to Nick again, all smiles.

'Shit. Looks like I have to be a participant after all.' He thinks with an internal sigh.

"Hello and good day to each of you!" Nick calls out with a laugh to dispel the awkward silence that has come over the gathering. "Let's do this in the order that you called out, shall we?" He says, setting down the teacup and rubbing out any wrinkles in his pants.

"Matilda, I would love to discuss my dishes with you! Perhaps we could reconvene privately later tonight? We could go over all of your questions then. We could even enjoy the new food together as I explain their origins if you would like? How does that sound?" Nick starts with his full attention on the mage.

Matilda smirks and glances at the other two groups before saying, "That sounds lovely. It's a date."

Scarlet jumps at this declaration and shoots Matilda a glare. Matthew seems to have shrunk within himself in contemplation, and Bella looks around Matthew nervously, but still obviously curious.

'Like a small child...' Nick thinks, noticing her out of the corner of his eye.

"Fantastic," Nick says with no hesitation in his voice. The confident smirk on Matilda's face turns into a slight pout as she got a different reaction from what she had expected. "Let's say, 6 PM? I will send for you then if that is acceptable."

"Very much so," Matilda says with a purr and a final smirk towards Scarlet, who seems to be grinding her teeth a bit, and starts heading back towards the castle, sending us a small wave as a goodbye.

'One down...' Nick thinks as he takes a breath before turning to Scarlet with a genuinely happy smile.

"Scarlet, how wonderful to see you. You look absolutely stunning in that dress! I was just enjoying tea myself, would you care to join me?" Nick asks with a wave at an empty seat across from him and a kind smile to the duke's daughter.

Scarlet blushes but nods happily all the same. She takes the offered seat, which Nick gets up quickly to pull out for her. After she is settled, Nick waves for a maid to serve her while he smiles at her again.

"Pardon me for a moment, but I need to speak to my brother." He says and moves over to the last group to meet with them.

"Crowned Prince Matthew, your brother greats you," Nick says with a bow to the duo. This seems to knock Matthew out of his thoughts as he quickly waves his hands for Nick to stand.

"Please, Nick, just call me Matt as you used to..and no more bowing!" He says with an awkward laugh. "Ah, this is Bella my...friend."

Nick raises his eyebrow at his brother friend-zoning himself, but he shrugs it off in the next second.

"Miss Bella, it is a pleasure to meet you," Nick says, offering his hand to the woman. "I have heard much about you from Matt. He really seems to be fond of you." Nick finishes, ignoring Matt's blush.

"Prince Nick!" The bubbly woman says with a smile that could blind a man, "I have always wanted to meet you! You saved my mother and I from our burning house 4 years ago, I am not sure if you remember. We cannot thank you enough...Mother would have surely died if not for your timely arrival and healing!" She bows low to him and then looks up with sparkling eyes.

"It is no problem. I am happy that I was able to make a difference. How is your mother doing now?" Nick asks, not remembering this in the slightest. He had saved a lot of people in the last 6 years. He had saved a lot of people from burning buildings, in fact. A mother and daughter duo from a random Barony did not stick out in his mind, but he was grateful that his deeds were seen in a positive light if nothing else.

"She is doing very well, thank you! I am sure she would love to thank you in person! Ah...sorry, I know you were busy with...Miss Scarlet. Please continue your tea time with her...we will be on our way." She says, realizing the woman in question was starring daggers at her at the moment and so she decided to escape as quickly as possible. So much so, in fact, that she was pulling on the Prince's overcoat quite strongly if his surprised grunt was any indication.

"A moment, Miss Bella. I believe there is something we need to discuss with all of us present." Nick says, coming to a decision on how he wanted to proceed. He was not normally one to force himself into other's business, but since he cared for Scarlet and since it was concerning his brother and, potentially, the kingdom, this misunderstanding cannot continue further.

Matthew stands bolt upright and his face pales in color. He looks to Nick and then to Bella and finally to Scarlet. A look of hesitation takes hold on his face, but after glancing at Bella again, it turns to one of determination. He marches forward towards Scarlet with purposeful steps.

The silver-haired woman's jaw clenches and her eyes take on a hard edge as she waits for whatever the crowned prince has to say to her, no doubt something she will not enjoy.

Nick watches but does nothing other than stopping Bella from rushing forward with Matt. He needed to do this on his own, and this would set the pace for the rest of the conversation that needed to be had.

Clearing his throat, Matt begins, "Scarlet Barnes..." Here he bows at a 90-degree angle and nearly shouts, "I am sorry for all I have done to you! I have disgraced myself and my family with my actions and will do everything in my power to make it up to you and your family. My behavior was brutish and unacceptable, and you deserve far better than I ever could give you. I am truly and deeply sorry for what I have done and will seek to be a better person because of it. I promise to learn from my behavior so that I might never make the same mistake again. You have my word as crowned prince, on what is left of my honor."

'A little robotic, but the meaning and feeling is all there. I give it an 8/10.' Nick thinks as he tries not to giggle at Scarlet's slack-jawed face.

"Now, if you would be so kind as to remove your shoe..." Matthew continues, crouching down before her.

"I...You...What? Remove my shoe?" Scarlet stammers, completely out of her element.

"I was informed that I will need to kiss your feet and beg for your forgiveness. I am willing to do that now." Matthew continues with a nod and a confident smile.

"Wait, no. Hold on for a moment-" Scarlet starts, but a shrill scream comes from beside Nick.

"Prince Matthew! No! You have done nothing wrong! Scarlet was the one to bully me, and you only defended me! I should be the one to apologize! You can't kiss her fee-" Bella yells, tears welling in her eyes, but Nick chooses this moment to take back control of the situation.

Scarlet's jaw was now closed tightly as she balled her fists and glared at Bella as if waiting to be insulted again.

"Ah, I think that is another thing we should clear up. I am sorry to say, Miss Bella, but you are incorrect about Scarlet bullying you." Nick says with a winning smile to the baron's daughter.

"In...Incorrect? Prince Nick, I have been bullied severely for the last 3 years...I...I don't want to cause problems or go against your words, but I don't think I deserve to be treated that way!" She says, trying her best to be confident in spite of her lip now quivering.

"Quite right. No one deserves the harsh treatment you have gone through," Nick says with a solemn nod, "But the problem with that is Scarlet was never the one who bullied you."

Silence in the garden.

"P-Prince Nick?" Bella asks, not understanding. Tears now fall freely from her eyes.

"Duke Nick, actually. But that is not important for now. You see, I did my own investigation of Scarlet's attempted banishment and your bullying." Nick lies easily to the group in front of him. Insight had given him all the information he would ever need. It even gave him the names of Bella's 'Friends' that were responsible for the real bullying.

"During my investigation, I found that Scarlet did not do any of the things she was accused of. In fact, from the perspective of the law and that of nobles, she has done nothing wrong at all. Now, before you object, I ask that you listen to me and answer me honestly; Have you ever actually seen Scarlet bully you?"

Bella looks at Nick and opens her mouth to site an example...only to close it a second later. Her eyebrows furrow as she concentrates. She does this several more times before stammering out, "S-She bullied me whenever I was with Prince Matthew!" A look of determination on her face.

"Did she now? And what sort of things did she say to you?" Nick asks in a light tone, tilting his head slightly to the side as if confused.

"W-Well...She told me that I should stop hanging out with him...and that we shouldn't be friends!"

"That is not what I said at all!" Scarlet growls through gritted teeth, but she calms a bit as Nick raises both of his hands to gather their attention again,

"I see, did she perhaps say things like, 'You shouldn't be with Prince Matthew alone' or 'You should consider your position' or 'It is not appropriate to be that friendly with Prince Matthew?'" Nick asks with concern clear in his tone.

"Yes! That is exactly what she said!" Bella says and points towards Scarlet accusingly.

'I mean...come on. I am not trained in the ways of the court, but even I know it is rude to point at people like that.' Nick thinks, trying desperately not to face plam.

"Miss Bella..." Nick starts with an expression of one explaining an uncomfortable topic, "All of those things were not her bullying you, but, rather, her trying to warn you of proper court etiquette. Please let me explain before you deny it." Nick says as he holds a hand up to stop her rejection of his remarks.

"In the first case, it is not appropriate for a lady of the court to be alone with a man that is not her relative or fiance. If that man has a fiance, this is doubly so. It brings dishonor to all of those involved. Also, you must understand that for it to go on as it did, it was a huge blow to Scarlet's honor as a noblewoman. She was, understandably, upset by that and at the fact that her fiance was alone with another woman, friend or not, despite being engaged to her. Her words were warnings to you about the implications your actions had on not only your family and that of the prince, but also her own."

"Think of it this way," Nick continues, seeing that his words were not quite getting through to Bella, "Picture yourself in love with a wonderful man. Picture yourself married to that same man and having a family and life together. What if you found out your husband was spending all his free time alone with another woman? Wouldn't that make you feel uncomfortable or upset? Wouldn't you want to stop your husband from doing such a thing? This is an extreme example, but Scarlet and Matthew were not simply friends, Miss Bella, they were betrothed. They were two people that were supposed to be married in the near future. They were two people who were supposed to fall in love and be happy together, and instead, he was spending all his time with you. Do you understand now why Scarlet might be upset and might want to inform you of your inappropriate actions?"

Once again, silence in the garden.

Bella starts shaking her head and falls to her knees, grabbing her face, and saying, "No..." and "I'm sorry..." over and over. Matthew stared wide-eyed at Nick and Scarlet as if realizing the full implications of his actions. Scarlet stares at Nick and only Nick. Tears of frustration and pent-up anger fall from her eyes.

She is in complete shock...Getting Matthew to apologize was more than enough for her...But he didn't stop there. Nick had defended her and explained her side in a way that the dense idiot of a girl could finally understand. It was like she had been stuck in an endless, dark pit for as long as she had known Bella, but now Nick had not only shined a light on her, but also went down to carry her out of it himself as well. At this moment, she knew without a shadow of a doubt. Her chest felt like a million butterflies had taken flight and her cheeks reddened as her pulse sped up.

'Oh. My. Gawd. I love him. This is, like, totally love, right!? *Inaudible Squealing Noises* There is nothing else it could be! He is amazing!!! And SOOOOOOO hot. Fucking hell. I never knew a guy could be so hot until one was defending me. Did I see flowers just now? I swear, I saw flowers. Dear Gods above, I love him. I wuv him~~~!!!' Her inner self squealed as she did a happy dance.

Nick, unaware of the inner elation he was causing to a certain someone, continued on.

"For the second case, she was speaking of your social standing. As the daughter of a Baron, it is not appropriate for you to casually approach someone of the higher nobility. It may sound silly, and I would actually agree with you that it is, but these rules are more about showing respect than anything else. By not doing it, you were actually showing disrespect to not only Scarlet but also prince Matthew. He should have been the one to tell you, or even offer to teach you, but that was another failure of his in this situation." Matt flinches as if he was struck, but says nothing at all as he has nothing he can say.

"The last case was much the same as the first, that is to say, a warning of how you act around another lady's fiance. As I said and hopefully have explained, Scarlet has done nothing wrong. The bullying that your 'Friends' claimed she was responsible for was actually due to the combined effort of those same women. I have proof and they will be punished by the school shortly." In truth, Nick did not have any evidence, but it wouldn't be that hard to find. He had a particularly useful spell that could recreate the past within a certain location. He also could just read the minds of Bella's 'Friends' and find evidence that way...Or he could just force them to admit to it. Lots of options!

Bella was nonresponsive at this point. Staring down at the ground in shame, but looking up to Nick periodically to show she was still paying attention. She reminded him of a recently scolded child.

With a burst of sudden energy, she wipes her tears on her sleeve and turns her now deadly serious eyes to Scarlet. Scarlet is completely oblivious, as she is currently still stuck in her own fantasy world. She is torn from her imagination as Bella stomps up to her.

There is yet another tense moment as the two women stare each other down before Bella falls to her knees and places her forehead on the ground in a formal apology position.

"Lady Scarlet, I have wronged you terribly. I blindly trusted people who wanted to harm me and didn't listen to your words. I have no idea how I can properly apologize or what I can do to make it up to you, but I am completely at your disposal. I am so very sorry for everything. I never... *Sniffle* I just wanted friends...and when I thought I had some, they lied to me and caused me to wrong you...No...I did that myself. I am...I am so stupid! I'm sorry, Scarlet. What...What do you want me to do? Should I renounce my peerage and become a commoner again? I will do whatever you decide."

Matthew watches with apprehension, feeling it is not his place to interfere. Nick looks on, waiting to see if things unfold how he thinks they will.

Scarlet glares fiercely at the woman that ruined the last 3 years of her life...only to let out a long, tired sigh.

"It's fine. Let's just move on. What's done is done. Nick has given more than enough to compensate my family and Matthew and your sincere apology is already more than I ever thought possible. Just...don't waste this chance you got, alright? You have the affection of the crowned prince of this nation...Would you two just freaking date already!?!"

For the third time today, silence overtakes the gardens.