CHAPTER 9

I breathed in and breathed out, calming down my nerves. Gavier and I were supposed to come in on the stage anytime now. I peeked at the vibrant stage. There was even a red carpet, plush sofas with silken sheets, and the hall where the audience sat was wide and full of people. There was another set of plush chairs only for one person, and there sat the talk show host and he was currently engaged in a conversation with non-other than Queen Elizabeth who sat on the other chair next to him.

I stepped back and was suddenly jammed on the wall, with my back slamming on it.

"I'm sorry," a guy holding the lights apologized. He was wearing a hat so I couldn't really see his face.

"What the fuck did you just do?" Gavier appeared, glaring menacingly at the guy who pushed me as he held on the guy's collar.

"S-sorry I—" the guy stuttered.

"It's fine Gavier, I'm alright," I said and Gavier finally looked at me, pushing the guy away. I swore the guy with the hat on just smirked as he left. Why did he smirk? Then I suddenly felt it. Oh god, the pain was excruciating. Shit, my back was hurting again and it was more painful than ever.

"Are you really okay?" I heard Gavier ask and I immediately masked my face with feign ignorance. "Is your ba—"

"I'm fine," I snapped. Why was he suddenly so concerned when he was just ignoring me and tormenting me earlier? I felt the pain in my chest again. I hate fighting with him but I don't want to hope again because I know I would just be hurt in the end.

Gavier's eyes turned cold and dark like how they were when we first met, his hands balled in fists at his sides but he didn't say anything and looked away. It was better this way, I thought, really it was better.

I felt like burying myself in a hole and die.

"And now, your most awaited guests: Prince Gavier Dracus Rivera Czarkshaw and Miss Clarissa Marie Valdez!!!" The host boomed and the crowd cheered. That was our cue. I stepped forward and felt a zing of pain on my spine. With the heels, it made it harder to walk making my knees almost buckle from the pain. But I needed to do this, I couldn't back out now. Not when I worked so hard for this, not when people worked so hard on my behalf, and especially not when people were maybe thinking ill of my father.

I felt a familiar hand enveloping in mine and I flinched. "It's okay, we have to seem like good friends remember? Just lean on me."

I forced on a smile as we went on stage hand in hand. I knew I shouldn't be allowing him to do this, but Gavier's hand in mine was so comfortable and exhilarating at the same time, I felt like I could do anything.

I felt eyes on me, people whispering, judging me, and getting kidnapped suddenly seemed better than being on my current situation but knowing what I had to do, I held my head high, confidently crossing the room with the high heels, with Gavier's hand in mine.

The talk show host bowed his head and so did the audience. "Pleased to be in your presence, your majesties."

Gavier ignored him and sat us down on the sofa facing the audience and the queen without saying anything. How rude.

"Thank you," I said, ignoring the queen's burning glare at me, her eyes mostly gazing at the Gavier's arm wrapped around my back, his hand resting possessively on my waist. When did that get there? I tried prying it off, making it not look too obvious I didn't want his hand there but his grip tightened even more.

I gave him a fake smile, putting my face close to his ear. "You know, you don't have to do this. We're supposed to be fake good friends but even good friends don't need to touch each other every time," I sneered.

He returned my fake smile, his teeth gritting. "Just shut up will you."

I groaned inwardly, I wanted to claw his hand off but that wouldn't be good for the audience. My attention was finally diverted to the talk show host who sat across from us next to the queen. The cheer and applause died down and he began his interview.

"I'm very much honored that you two came to this show, and even our majestic queen has graced us with her presence. Thank you all for coming." He smiled at us, I could tell he was a bit nervous, "I'm Daniel Gibson your host, now if you'll allow me to begin our intervi—"

"Enough with the formalities, just start already," Gavier cut him off arrogantly and I pinched him on his back. He masked the pain and squeezed my waist back making me almost yowl.

"Thank you, and you may begin." I smiled at Daniel, encouraging him. The queen was still glaring at me as she nodded at Daniel, but I bet I was the only one seeing it.

Daniel straightened his back, and glanced at his paper, his smile was back. "As you've heard, there were many rumors about you, Miss Clarissa, regarding the incident when you pounced on Prince Gavier's back. What is your relationship with Prince Gavier? How did you two meet? Did you want to cause him pain? Or are we mistaken?"

I gulped, worrying a little bit. We haven't talked about how Gavier and I met. And everyone knew, I came to the academy just last week ago. What the hell should I say to that? "Prince Gavier and I are close friends." I smiled again, now facing the audience confidently, "We met on my first day in the academy. I was new there and I didn't know much about the ways of the academy. Thankfully I bumped onto Prince Gavier. Well you may be thinking that we hit off already but you're wrong."

Everyone looked at me shocked, Prince Gavier tensed a little on my side. I know all the things I was saying was bullshit and ruining the purpose of this interview but the best lie was always a lie that was near the truth.

"We didn't get along at first, and I didn't know he was a prince, and so I fought with him. But later on, werealized that we were both wrong and apologized to each other. We also realized that we had a lot of things in common and as time passed by we got to know more of each other. The pictures that went viral on the net was just my friendly way of greeting him," I lied through my teeth and because I wouldn't let the opportunity of humiliating Gavier a bit pass by, I faced Gavier, with a sinister smile. "You see this intimidating prince is not as scary as he looks, he just doesn't know how to express his feelings." I pinched his cheek, putting more force than necessary. Ha! Take that Gavier!

Almost everyone laughed, the tension in the room caused by the presence of royalties lifting. I guess that was convincing enough. Gavier flinched from the pain, and he caught my hand in his, pressing the pressure points of my hand. He smirked knowing fully well I was messing with him, that I was ruining his reputation as the dark and arrogant prince, and was probably forming his words on how he would pay back.

Well then, game on Gavier, I was ready to take you down since birth.

"Wow, I didn't think you're that close with Prince Gavier. No girl was ever seen with him except you Miss Valdez," Daniel chuckled and Queen Elizabeth sneered, crossing her arms.

"Yes, we are so close that she even let me tend on her injuries," Gavier sneered, then kissed the back of my hand. The audience gasped. Damn him, he was screwing with me again. He knew how to touch my buttons. My face burned as I remembered the scene when he put cream on my bare back.

"What injuries? What happened?"

"The injury on her bare ba—"

"On my bare knees," I quickly said, giving Gavier a sneering smile, "I fell on my knees and he was so kind to help me clean it. Here, see." I lifted my dress to my knees for proof and showed everyone my bandaged knees.

Then I remembered Mrs. Wales and gulped. "I guess, this long dress was useless then, sorry Mrs. Wales, please don't kill me." I looked at the camera as the crowd laughed with the host, knowing who Mrs. Wales was. Wow, I didn't know she was that famous. I would so be dead later, though it was needed and besides it seemed like the crowd didn't mind it.

I quickly put the dress down, feeling Gavier's glare on it, his questioning eyes, probably how I got it. But he didn't need to know that. I sighed, that was a great save but with big consequences.

"What happened?" Gavier growled silently.

"It was nothing," I replied.

Gavier sighed. "You're always so clumsy."

"I know okay, no need to rub it in." I got it because I was running away from you. But as if I would tell you that.

"Hopefully your wounds will get better soon, Miss Valdez."

"Please, just call me Clarissa. I'm not a princess or an heiress," I told Daniel.

He smiled. "I'll be honored Clarissa" I heard Gavier scoff at my side. "Which brings us to our next question. How were you able to enter such a prestigious academy?"

"I don't know either. One day I was just a normal girl attending classes in my classroom then all of a sudden I was called by our principal and he told me that I was chosen by King and Queen's Academy. Men came and brought me to the academy before I could even protest."

"How interesting. How is it in the academy? Is it big? Where is it located? How many princes and princesses live there? How are you managing everyday?" The questions thudded and it suddenly felt wrong. Everyone was gazing at me curiously, excited to hear my answer. The queen just shut her mouth, not saying anything.

"We can't say anything that would endanger our school and for the sake of the people living in it," Gavier said, his voice rigid and cold.

"Oh I'm sorry" Daniel stuttered, sensing Prince Gavier's impatience. "I guess that would be it for the day." He stood up. So that was it? No more questions about my back ground? About my dad? Thank god, I sighed.

"Thank y—"

"Wait," the queen finally spoke up, her gaze on me and her smile dangerous. "Clarissa, why don't you show us what you learned in our prestigious academy? Walk like a princess across this room and do a turn."

So this was her purpose of coming here. She wanted to humiliate me, to make me fall flat on my face. My face paled, the ache on my back hurting even more just the thought of walking again.

"Are you okay Clarissa? Or are your pitiful injuries hurting too much?" She grinned like the witch she was. The way she said injuries was prominent as if hinting that she knew something that she shouldn't have known.

I caught a glimpse of the guy with the cap who slammed me on the wall earlier at the back of the audience, and he was smiling evilly as if waiting for this moment. I connected the two and two together, and it didn't have to take a genius that it was the queen who told the guy to slam me on my back. The question was, how did she know that my back was injured? Only a few people knew about the injury on my back.

"Of course, your majesty," I said smiling back. I could do it. I wouldn't let her have the satisfaction. She seemed even more pleased that I had agreed except she didn't know that I could manage pain well, from all the times I was hurt from the kidnappers, my dad' enemies, this pain should be nothing, and of course she didn't know that I wasn't the klutz she met before anymore.

Gavier's hand stopped me. "She's not in a condi—" He started explaining.

I pulled my hand away stubbornly. Why was he doing this again? As if he really cared. But more than the pain on my back, he was frustrating me more. He was as confusing as trigonometry and calculus, I could never understand him. And I certainly didn't need his pity.

"I'm great, don't worry about me Gavier." I forced a smile again as he glared at me.

"I guess, it wouldn't hurt. Now Ms. Valdez, if you may," Daniel said.

I smiled at the audience, straightened my back, my head held high, my arms on my side as I imagined walking on a straight line. It was just across the room, which should be easy as pie, right?

I shouldn't have been so optimistic.

On the first step, not only did it hurt my spine but also my tailbone, but I didn't show it although the sweat trickling down the side of my head should be proof of how I was having a hard time. I finally got across the room and turned around. And oh holy hell, it felt like something was squeezing my back, and the bruises and scratches on my knees and elbows, and the blisters on my feet weren't helping either but all of this was worth the expression on the queen's shocked expression. She clearly didn't expect that.

She glared at me. "Clarissa, I think you need to straighten your back more," She said and I hesitantly did as I smiled, making her think that I was perfectly okay. Gavier's glare was piercing directed at me but I ignored it and began walking back. I was almost there, I could do it, and I know I could.

My head started swirling, the pain ebbed all around my body was too much. Black spots began appearing in my vision. But just 10 more steps was all I could think of. 9 more steps. My feet started to wobble on the third step, just five more to go, I would be beside Gavier and all of this nightmare would be over. But my knees had already buckled giving up, my head swirled like a tornado, and my vision blurred to the point where all I could see was just colors.

"Gavier" was the word that came out of my mouth, without me even thinking about it. It was a whisper but I bet he heard it because just as darkness filled every part of me, I felt those familiar arms catching me, wrapping around me so gently I thought I was saved by an angel.