Sam laughed at the thought of someone falling asleep while climbing, shaking his head, "He sounds like a fun guy, how long has he been in the army?" Depending on how old he was, maybe the prince had met him before on one of his trips to the bases. Sam slowed slightly as Lacey started telling a story, grinning at the imagined sight and laughing.
Alex did too, listening to everything Lacey said with a grin and chuckle, "She must have liked that guy a lot if she took getting rejected that hard."
"A few years now," Holly said, with the tiniest of frowns. "He was just admitted, though. He finished his official training just last spring." She sighed. "I'm worried about him."
Lacey shrugged. "She's too soft, and she falls for anyone. She takes everything too hard, you shouldn't pay her any attention."
"If it makes you feel any better, most first-year soldiers out of training are normally sent into cities and things around the country, not near the borders where things are rough," Sam said, already tinkering around with an idea in his mind to maybe get her brother out of the army or at least assigned somewhere he would be safe. That way she wouldn't worry as much about him.
While the prince was busy talking to Holly, Alex was listening to Lacey. "Hey, I used to be like that too," He said with a small laugh, smiling at her, "I know that might be hard to believe."
"That's true." Holly shrugged. "He'll be okay. Probably." She tried to make her voice light and easy and unconcerned. "Anyway, we don't have to talk about that. What do you like to do in your free time? Besides beat up that hunk of meat behind you, I mean." She grinned.
Lacey gasped. "What? No! This surprises me so much." She paused. "Actually, it kind of does. Did you ever try to propose to a girl before?"
Sam smiled at her question, shrugging as he admitted, "I draw and paint mostly when I'm not training, and read every so often when I have time between meetings and helping run a country. What about you? Besides your love of reading?" He had led the four of them around the gardens as they talked, currently walking by the side of one of the lakes that were on the edge of the garden.
"No, I haven't had a relationship that I've liked enough to think about spending the rest of my life with a girl," Alex said, chuckling lightly, "Being away for my job watching that idiot makes things like solid relationships difficult." He grinned at Lacey and winked, "How about you though, miss firey attitude?"
"I don't really do anything else," Holly said with an embarrassed laugh. "I mean, I like to write, occasionally, but nothing that good. I mostly read." She grinned excitedly. "Did you know that the scientific name for a painted lady butterfly is Vanessa Cardui? It sounds like a real name, doesn't it?" She shook her head. "I love learning new things. There are so many interesting things out there to learn!"
Lacey sniffed. "Everyone needs a practice proposal, you know. It prepares you for later. If you must know, yes, I have. I was about nine when I did it. I was playing truth or dare with my older cousins, and they dared me to profess my love to the cook. I took it a step further and asked him to marry me."
"I did not know that, but yes that sounds like it could be someone's name easily," Sam replied, an impressed smile growing on his face, "What do you like to learn about the most?" He didn't know how much longer the girls wanted to spend walking around with them, so Sam decided to just start leading them back out of the garden so they could choose how much longer they wanted to walk.
"Ah, I'll have to keep that in mind, find someone that I can practice proposing on." Alex replied, grinning at the story as he tried to imagine it in his mind, "How did the cook respond? Did he take you up on your proposal or not? You can't just leave a story without the ending."
"Ooh, that's hard." Holly frowned. "You know, I don't actually know. Maybe mythology? Or things that no one else knows. Those little random facts that are really good conversation starters." It was nice, talking to the Prince. He didn't scold her for being such a bookworm, and actually listened to her when she spoke.
"Oh, he was surprised, to say the least." Lacey giggled. "He actually started calling me his wife for a while, which was annoying. But he also gave me treats, so, I mean, free food."
"Maybe I can get you some mythology books if you want," Sam suggested, smiling, "There aren't a lot of them in the part of the library that you girls are allowed in, but I know where more are." He liked talking to Holly, and getting her more books so she could read something she liked would be something he would do for her anytime.
Alex laughed, shaking his head as he winked at her, "So does that mean if I give you free food I'll get to spend time with you? Can't let Princey boy have all the fun talking to you girls, even if you're technically off-limits."
"That would be nice," she said, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks. "But why go to all the trouble? There are other girls in the competition, too. I don't want to hog your attention, so that you don't know any of them well." It hurt to say that, but it was true.
Lacey looked at him, her eyes flashing with challenge. "Maybe it does. I guess you'll have to try it to know, don't you." She smiled at him, every inch the fiery girl whp enjoyed a challenge.
The prince just laughed lightly at her question, smiling in a way that said he wasn't actually laughing at her, "I don't mind going through the trouble because I like spending time with you, and don't worry about the other girls, I have enough time to get to know each and every one of you. Doing things like this and giving you girls little gifts and treats like this is just part of the selection, plus I like doing it." It was a valid thing to ask about, and something that Sam wasn't mad about, if anything he found it interesting that Holly cared about letting the other girls spend time with him.
"Don't worry, miss Lacey, I plan on trying quite a lot of things to see what I have to do to win over some time with you," Alex replied, still the flirty guard that equally loved the challenge of winning over something as simple as a girl's time to something as complex as her heart.
"I hope so." Holly sent him a shy grin. "As long as you don't tell anyone about our dates. I hate publicity, especially pictures of me." She laughed. "My face in every single picture always seems to be weird in some way, like a new blemish, or catching me just when I blink, or when I'm asking a question, so the expression on my face is weird." She shook her head.
"I do hope, though," Lacey purred, moving closer to him and smiling mischievously, "that you don't plan on breaking the rules of the Selection. It would be a pity to have you thrown out of the palace because of someone as insignificant as little me."
"I personally think you look good in the pictures of you that I've seen, but if that's what you want then I won't let any pictures other than what's necessary get out of our dates," Sam agreed, shooting her a soft smile, "I don't really have any control over the pictures for the rest of the selection though. Things like interviews and such."
"I think you should know this, first of all, you are not insignificant." The grin on Alex's face contradicted everything he was saying, and he knew it would be clear to Lacey, "I don't intend to break any rules set in place with this Selection, not even for a gorgeous girl like you. Not even if it was asked of me or let me spend any time in your presence."
"Thank you." Holly shook her head. "The interviews. I can honestly say that that is the thing I am least looking forward to." She grinned ruefully. "I can't talk in front of people very well without losing face." She considered. "Actually, yes, I can. I just don't like to." She shrugged. "I should probably get used to it, though."
"Well, that's very gentlemanly of you." Lacey sent him a grin. "I should hope that you're not that much of a rule breaker." She held out her hand. "Friends?"
(Ooo I have an idea for a scene eventuallyyy if you're up for it/want to hear it?)
The prince shrugged, thinking about the countless interviews he had done before. "Most of the time they tell you what to talk about, and you just have to rattle out some random stuff. That's what helped me get through my painful relationship with talking in an interview or to the general public." By now the four of them were back at the palace doors, taking their time as they walked inside.
Alex pretended to take a moment to think before he took her hand, shaking it slowly as he grinned, "Friends it is, Miss Lacey. I hope you know that officially now, with that handshake, it means you are now the fourth friend I have." He chuckled lightly at his own joke, looking to her to see her reaction.
(Yes, I absolutely do!)
"You always seem to enjoy the interviews, though," Holly said, trying to hide her disappointment at the sight of the doors coming intoview. She scolded herself. You can't have the Prince all to yourself, you know, she thought to herself, shaking her head. But she had been having a very good time…
"The fourth friend?" Lacey gave a mock offended look. "Three whole friends ahead of me? I feel so underappreciated! How dare you!"
(Ok, so you know how Alex and Sam look really similar besides a few differences like eye color and stuff? What would you think about something after the king dies, Sam has to deliver a speech but because of how soon after the king's death it is/ there's the knowledge that someone might try to kill him when he's delivering the speech, Alex is the one that actually does the speech in Sam's place? And something happens like he gets shot (Not fatally) That's all I have so far lol, what do you think?)
"That's because it's not always me giving the speech," He replied, a grin appearing on his face, "Most of the riskier speeches, where there's a chance that there might be attempted murder of me, it's Alex that gives the speeches. He's able to match my voice pretty close and with a pair of colored contacts for both of us, we can essentially switch places." The Prince seemed excited that he was able to share this information, almost seeming like a little kid telling a secret to someone he wasn't supposed to.
Alex laughed and grinned, assuring her quickly, "Don't worry, the three friends before you are just Sammy boy, the king, and my friend that I met when I was training for this job. You're the only girl I've been official friends with. Does that make you feel more appreciated, Miss Lacey?"
(Yes! I love that idea! Poor Alex… and then poor Sam would have his parents dead, someone trying to kill him, his best friend wounded badly for his sake, and a Selection going on.)
"But isn't that dangerous for Alex? What if he gets killed or something?" Holly shook her head. "It's a good idea, because you'd live if there was a shooting, but Alex would be dead, and the entire country would see you being shot, even if it wasn't really you."
"I guess." Lacey sniffed and stuck her nose in the air for a moment, giving off an air of wounded innocence, before breaking into a grin. "Well, I guess I'll have to meet your other friends that I have not yet met someday." She jerked her head at Sam. "I've spoken to him maybe twice? He seems enamored with Holly already."
(Yueeeessssssss ahhhh I feel terrible for my baby boy and all the sad things that are going to happen to him but it's going to be so fun to write and RP XD)
Sam didn't hide the sour look on his face, only added, "That's the part I don't like about having us switch. I protested my parent's decision on that forever and I still get nervous for him whenever he takes my place, but nothing bad has happened yet, and Alex always looks so happy to get to do something like that. Even when he knows I'm worried about him. If the country saw him get shot when he's acting as me, more than likely my parents would just spill the secret that it wasn't actually me."
"You'd get along with my friend from training, and you already know Sam and the King." Alex glanced over at Sam and Holly, chuckling as he fake whispered to Lacey, "He's enamored by any girl that talks to him. You still have a chance at getting his attention, even if he's already head over heels for Holly."
(I know! I hate doing bad things to my characters, but at the same time, it's really fun! So why stop?)
"And by that time, the killer would probably have been caught," Holly said, nodding. "That's smart. Has anyone ever tried to kill you that way before?" She asked, looking up at him with wide, curious eyes.
"Ha," Lacey said, snorting. "Poor guy. But he seems to be having a good time right now, so I won't spoil it. Yet." She narrowed her eyes at the Prince. "I don't care who he is, if he hurts her, he will regret it."
(I agree with your thinking 100% lol)
"Not like that, no," Sam replied, shrugging as he talked about people trying to assassinate him like it was a normal thing, "Poisoning by foreign ambassadors, workers that are actually spies, yes. I almost got kidnapped once when I was really young." He smiled at her and chuckled, shaking his head, "My food has been drugged more times than I want to admit too."
Alex laughed, shaking his head, "You're much nicer than I am. I would go interrupt their good time right now if I wasn't perfectly happy talking with you." He shrugged at her threat, then winked at her, "I might just help you with that, even if I know he wouldn't dare hurt her in any way. He would rather do anything else than hurt someone besides me when sparing."
"And you're still alive?" Holly looked at him in shock. Not that he was alive, but that he'd had to go through things like this at such a young age. "How have you not been kidnapped completely?"
Lacey snickered, elbowing him in the side. "Are you saying I'm a bad conversationalist?" She asked, grinning. "He may not try to hurt her, but you can never trust men," she said with a mock sniff of self pity and arrogance.
He laughed and shrugged, "Apparently I am, yes. The universe must have plans for me yet if I haven't died yet. As dor not getting kidnapped, you get used to only being around people you trust with your life, never sleeping when you're not guarded, staying away from anyone suspicious. The usual." Sam glanced over at her, looking only slightly confused at the shock that was visible on her face, "…I'm guessing you haven't had to worry about anything I just said, have you?"
"Nowhere close to what I was saying," He said, laughing and nudging her ever so gently with his hip in return. Alex gasped dramatically at her next statement though, putting up an instant face of fake hurt and disappointment. "That hurt. You don't trust me?"
"I mean… not since I was eight," Holly said, shrugging. "So I don't really remember that much. It wasn't fun, though," she said with a sigh. Her heart ached for the prince, who was always watching, always guarding himself, his words, his actions. How did he survive? "What if some of the girls here are spies?" She asked suddenly, the thought striking her like a blow.
"No, I don't," Lacey said in a mock wounded voice, her chin in the air, a dramatic sigh coming from her lips. "You are a rogue and a moron. I can't believe I ever decided to be friends with you." She sent him a lively grin, to show she was teasing, although he knew that already.
(Oh dude that should definitely be how the king &/or queen is killeddd..It would leave Sam even more on guard if one of the girls was from the country that wanted them dead and she was assigned to get rid of them. Plus it would be believable. Idk just an idea though, so if you don't want to do that it's totally fine!)
"We've already thought that over, which is why Alex or some other guard is to stay with me whenever I'm around you girls. Until we're certain that everyone, not just me, is safe," He replied casually, smiling gently at her, "So far I've narrowed down that you're not a spy or assassin, and I have a strong hunch that Lacey isn't either."
Alex frowned, sniffing and wiping a fake tear from under his eye, "You, miss Lacey, are a terrible human being. Why did I choose to invite you to my friend group?" A second later his act was dropped in exchange for a bright grin, showing easier than ever that what he said was nowhere near what he really thought.
(YAAS!!! That is an amazing idea, and I support it fully! Who should it be though? Someone that has already been introduced?)
"What? You think I'm not an assassin?" Holly asked, grinning up at him. "How trusting." She nudged the Prince. "Good thing I'm not." She sighed softly. "I hope no one is."
"I don't know. I don't even know why I accepted. Lacey shook her head, sniffing in mock offense. "How could I have been so stupid?" She returned his grin, which was rather contagious.
(I'm not sure…I'm thinking one of the girls from a lower caste? We might have to introduce her I'm not sure.)
Sam shrugged, matching her grin for a moment, "I hope so too, otherwise this selection is going to be very risky." He really hoped that no one was an assassin, mostly because if there was one, then the chances that this Selection would be any longer than a month were slim. Plus, not only his parents and his life would be in danger, so would Alex's and all the other girls in the selection, including Holly and Lacey.
"You were accepted because I consider you a friend, plus joking around with you has already proven to be extremely fun," Alex replied, a sparkle in his eyes when he saw her grin, "Agreeing to accept my request was your decision completely, even if you see now that it could prove to be a stupid decision."
(Yeah, sure! Sounds good!)
"Yeah, I agree." Holly shook her head. "Why would people do that, anyways? You're the son of a king. Would they want to start a war?" She grinned slightly. "What a depressing turn of conversation." She knew that she shouldn't think about things like this. Usually, when she went down the depressing road of I hope this doesn't happen…, it would happen. It was just her luck.
"I'm fun? Why thank you!" Lacey snickered. "Well, as long as we get to do idiotic, semi-dangerous, mostly legal things, I'm all for it. I hate sitting around and doing nothing, you know?" She grinned at him. "Or don't you?"
"Start a war, kill the royal line so they could take over, pure spite," He rattled, a soft grin on his face, "There are many reasons they could want me dead, and the child of an extremely powerful king is their perfect target." Sam laughed at her next words, even though it didn't hold much emotion behind it. Talking about the threats on his life didn't usually leave him in a chipper mood, "I do think you were the one that started this turn to depressing topics. Let's talk about something else though. What's your favorite animal?"
Saying that Alex grinned at her words was an understatement, he beamed with excitement and mischief as he looked over at her, "Miss Lacey, I think we're going to become very good friends extremely fast. I just have to know, do you have any ideas for what idiotic, semi-dangerous, mostly legal things you want to do while at the palace?"
"Guilty as charged. I do tend to dive into depressing topics more than I should." Holly laughed at herself. Sam seemed to have a sadder side to him, something she hated. But she couldn't do anything about it. She wasn't that close to him, after all. A few conversations wasn't gonna make him trust her. "I'd have to say… probably a leopard. They're so sleek and pretty, although I've never seen one in real life." She shrugged. "Just in books and movies. What about you?"
His grin was contagious. It seemed to light his entire face, and Lacey returned it gladly. "I don't know. We could steal from the kitchens. We could slide down banisters, or steal curtains and swing from the chandelier. Those are just mildly dangerous things." She tilted her head. "Can you think of some other ones?"
