The Selfish Prince part 3

The next morning will never be better than any other day, and Vanz knew that better than anyone. She lay down on her bed, waiting to be called by the prince for such tiring job.

However, after waiting for an hour, he did not come.

Vanz was worried. Very worried. It was not usual for Sebastian to be this late on making her suffer. She ran to the fourth floor, to his bedroom. Before she could even go in, she already heard the sound of coughing.

“Sebastian?!”

She opened the door as fast as possible. Sebastian was breathing hard, lying on the floor, and suffering. Vanz quickly come and get him, helping him to get up and lay him to the bed. She needs to do something. QUICKLY.

She ran out and called Sebastian’s favorite doctor.

The doctor came and checks him. He seemed to take it lightly. “It is not that bad. He just felt a little bit cold, that is all. All he needs to do now is take a short nap and used blanket. I think a little vitamin will help him to gain strength faster.”

Vanz sighed in relief as she received the bottle of vitamin from the doctor. Why was she feeling this light after the doctor mentioned that it was not such a big deal? She had no idea. She just felt that it was comforting that he did not suffer that much.

“Why did have to shout at me? I’m alright, okay? Moreover, you have no right to call me by my name. It is not SEBASTIAN. It is YOUR HIGHNESS. Why did you need to be so rude? Did your former owner teach you any manner? Maybe that’s why they SOLD you here.”

Each of his sentences brought her to her nerve. She knew it was not a good idea to be mad or to protest, but she just could not help it. She put both of her hands roughly to his cheeks and brought him closer that they eyes met.

“SEBASTIAN KEEN. You were the one that suffered just now. In addition, it was I that called the doctor over. I had to run about 2 kilometers to your favorite doctor to get help. I knew you would refuse to be check if it was not that doctor. You should have at least appreciated me even just a little.” She just summoned all the bravery in her for those sentences. She never does something like this before. Anyone could see her visibly trembling hands on his cheeks.

The boy stared at her. Was he shocked? On the other hand, angry? She had no idea about it. She did not even dare to look at him after saying those words. She keeps her head down as her hand fell without strength to the bed.

He will hit me, she thought.

A minute without any word or movement came.

She felt a hand reached out and grabbed her hand. She was ready for any kind of punishment she would get. Drop of tears had fallen out of her eyes.

“Sorry.”

Vanz widened her eyes. She raised her head until the point that she could see him on the eyes. She was deeply surprised.

The boy looked at her silently, right to her eyes. She could feel the seriousness of his word through his eyes. Why he always knew when to make her felt guilty? Why he always find his way to be so kind in all of sudden?

She tried her best to force bunch of words coming out from her mouth to press the awkward atmosphere. “How... How do you feel right now?”

“I’m fine,” the other party answered lightly. “I wanna go out.”

Vanz blinked. Once. Twice. Thrice.

“Are you out of your mind?!” Vanz cried aloud. “You just suffered in front of my eyes and you want to walk around?!”

Sebastian laughed. “Then come with me. You’ll run for another 2 kilometers if I feel worse again, right?”

Vanz could not deny his words. He was right. It was indeed true. If he really suffers, she could even run another 100 kilometers to get the doctor.

She looked away, hiding her blushing cheeks. “Fine.”

The boy took his jacket and pulled her as he run through the corridor. Vans followed him quickly since he took a tight grab to her hand. He opened the door and headed to the garden. Soon after they arrived at the wide grass field, he threw himself down and lay.

“Ah, fresh air!” he cried cheerfully. He closed his eyes and smiled.

Vanz slowly sat beside him. She looked at the view in front of her. The pale blue sky, the green grass field, the fresh air... She wondered how many times she could visit this place. She counts the time she comes here. It was her second time.

She remembered the first time she came here. It was probably 5-7 years ago. The view was still the same. All that was different is his treatment for her. He always has been a very bad-tempered boy that wants to do everything according to his will. Selfish, young boy. Now that he was so nice, why couldn’t she feel the hatred toward him? The hatred that grew or the past 10 years, why is it disappear suddenly?

“Hey, V.”

The voice was strict. It was definitely Sebastian’s.

“Yeah?” Vanz asked, slowly.

“What are you doing?” he asked, unsure of what to say.

“Looking at the sky,” she smiled at him.

“Why would anyone do that?” the prince wrinkled his eyes.

The girl looked at him and smiled softly. “Why wouldn’t they?”

Sebastian swear, he could feel his heart skipped beat. Vanz was so familiar, as if he had met her (or him, according to Sebastian) before, somewhere and some when very long ago. Those lines weren’t so strange to his ears, like he was actually waiting for it. He couldn’t remember it clearly, but he knew that something important was the base of it.

“I’m going to sleep for a while. Stay here, okay?” He said, hiding his confusion, smiling toward her as he started to sleep.

Vanz rolled her eyes. He was still indeed, a very selfish boy.

She looked at the sky again. It was still pale blue. She wondered if she could see the rest of the sky when she is free. No. That is just a stupid thought of her. She would not be able to go further than this.

Why her mother did not look for her? Alternatively, her father? On the other hand, anyone? If she was kidnap, that mean she also has a family, right? Didn’t they miss her?

“Hey, V. Why are you crying?”

Vanz’s eyes widened. “You’re awake?”

“Seriously, how could I see you crying if I wasn’t?”

“What?” Vanz wrinkled her eyebrows.

He rolled his eyes. “That you are crying.” He put a stretch between every word.

Vanz’s surprised. She gently touches her right eye. True to Sebastian’s words, she was crying. She promptly wiped them away. It has never been a good thing to let Sebastian see her crying.

“Why were you crying?” he repeated his question.

The girl shook her head. She didn’t want to answer. The last time he saw her crying, she got slap and threw to the ground. She didn’t want that. Not again.

“Hey, V, stop crying! I asked you something!” The boy yelled.

The girl shook her head as she wiped away her tears again. She must stop crying. “I can’t say... I can’t...” She was shivering. She did not want to be hit. She could not work or do anything the last time she answered. She closed her mouth with both of her hands.

Sebastian noticed this. He sighed as he promised, “I won’t be angry, okay? Just answer!”

Still shaking, she finally opened her mouth. “I... I miss my family.”

Sebastian stared at her.

“I... I know that you’ll hit me again. But I miss them...” She continued, sobbing back in tears.

“Why couldn’t you understand?” Sebastian sighed. “They did not care for you anymore. If they do, they will...”

“Stop it!” She cut his sentence. “Stop saying that! Do you need to say that every time?!”

Sebastian was shock. He hurt her again. He stared at the person in front of him that struggling just to stop herself from crying. He gradually reached out for her and hugged her.

“What...” She hit his chest softly.

“I’m sorry. Sorry, V,” he whispered to her ear, made her powerless against him.

Vanz froze in his arm. She felt warm feelings that made her melt. She could not understand those feelings. Eerie silent filled the both of them and made her flash her memory back about these kinds of feelings that drowned her in the past few days.

She got butterflies in her stomach every time he touches her. It was invisible at first, but the touches that suddenly increase in number lately had made her confused. What is this feeling?

The clock strike right at 12 o’clock, noon. Sebastian let go of his hug and stood up. He pulled Vanz along as he does so. “Come on, V, we better get going. I’m hungry as well.”

“What do you want for lunch, then? I’ll look for it in the kitchen,” Vanz said slowly, unsure of what she must say.

“Really?” He grins widely.

Ugh. She would regret what she just said.

“Well then, I want to have a chicken steak. Remember, I don’t want to have any burnt part on it. I want it to be served with the special sauces of the oldest chef. I also want to have strawberries and grapes as dessert. A frozen yogurt too. And ah, I want to have the new red tea soon. Tell the chef about that.”

Vanz sighed and rolled her eyes. “Fine,” she answered. “Here we go again...”

“And remember...”

“The red rose must be perfectly set,” they both said simutaneously, and laughed after because of it.

“The way you like it,” Vanz smiled.

“And the way you like it too,” the other added.



Bringing the food tray was never been an easy job for Vanz. After making sure that all of the food ordered was there, she still need to climbed five floors to Sebastian’s room. She grumbled when she reached his door. This was really tiring.

“Sebastian Keen, your lunch,” Vanz said as she opened the door.

The boy was sitting on his bed, reading magazine. As he flipped through the page, he raised his head and faced Vanz with a wide grin. “Oh, hey, V. Bring it here.”

Vanz do as what she was told. She put the tray on the table beside the bed and opened the cover. She really tried her best not to smell the food. She was really hungry herself. She indeed wants to throw away the food right away to his face because of the feeling she got.

“There, all of your order,” Vanz sighed.

He put his magazine down as he looked at the food. “Wow, you do prepare it well. Including the roses.” He smiled as he took the roses and hugged them.

“Of course I do,” she mumbled in protest.

Sebastian’s hand moved toward the dessert, taking one of the grapes and ate it. He seemed to be enjoying it, so Vanz did not need to feel threatened. He then tasted the strawberries. He looked, as he liked it, so Vanz just stood there and waited.

"Oh, yeah, V, just want you to remind me tomorrow that Leonard will come home. Tell the chef to make a special dinner for tomorrow."

The girl nodded. "Fine, I will."

Leonard—or whom she knew as Leo—was Phelps best friend, the prince from the country Phelps was living in for study. He was cute and brave, but sometimes he was just too emotional the way no one could understand. There was some kind of rumors that he wasn’t straight, but Vanz herself had never found anything wrong with him. Besides, if he really wasn’t straight, it wouldn’t be a great matter either.

Phelps wasn’t aware of that too. As Sebastian's big brother who had gone for about half a year for his study, he was the one that knew Leonard the best. So if he wasn’t scared, why should she?

Ignoring all of the rumors, Leonard was a good friend of Vanz, so hearing it was good news for her.

An awkward silence again between Sebastian and Vanz.

“Hey, V, do you like strawberries?” he asked all in a sudden.

She blinked. “I do not hate them.”

Suddenly, a sweet-sour red strawberry gets into her mouth. She was surprised, walked back a little. “What are you trying to do?!”

Sebastian laughed. “It tasted great. I just show you.”

Vanz rolled her eyes. Trying to distract her own attention, she looked away throughout the window. The servants were busy putting up decorations. Vanz wrinkled her eyes. As she looked a little bit more serious, she observed the workers putting up a banner.

Happy birthday.

She quickly turned around to Sebastian, who at the time had already stood beside her, looking out as well.

“It’s my birthday.”

Vanz blushed. She really had forgotten. All the things lately had made her feel nervous, and she couldn’t even remember things like that.

“I’m turning 21 today. In another 7 minutes to be exact,” he said.

His personal servant seemed to have hard time picking up the right word. “I’m sorry, I prepared nothing yet. I have nothing to give to you.”

Sebastian jerked his head to look at Vanz. He grinned. “It’s okay. The food is good.”

“So,” Vanz exhaled breath rapidly in relief, “Where do I stay now?”

The boy looked at her innocently, blinked, then spoke again. “What are you saying? You’re coming to my party.”

Vanz widened her eyes. She walked back a little as she shook her head. “No, I can’t do that! Your father won’t allow me to do something like that! I am a...”

Sebastian pulled Vanz toward him. “I don’t care. You’re coming to my party.”

She stared at him. “You want me to go to your party?”

“Yes.” Came the reply, strictly.

The girl slowly nodded her head. The clock strike at 1.24. It was Sebastian’s birthday, and both of them realize that. Vanz took his hands and smiled. “Happy birthday, Sebastian!”

Both of them blushed.

Vanz quickly withdrew her hands. The atmosphere feels so awkward in a sudden.

“Thanks.” Sebastian smiled.

Silence.

The door banged open. Vanz turned around just to see a man with a crown on his head. Ugh. How she regretted to looked back. Standing there was a man about 30 years above her age, with all his might and power. Sebastian’s father. The king. Alexander Keen.

“Happy birthday my son!” he cried. He looked at Vanz and gave a dirty look. “Oh, so this thing is here. Get back to your room. I need my son to be fully prepared.”

“No, he will not go back. He’s coming to my party.”

Alexander looked angry. “You allow this thing to attend your party?!”

“It’s my birthday,” the deadly voice replied. “I decide to let him attend my party. I you don’t allow him to go, I will not attend my own party.”

Vanz stared at Sebastian. This was the first time that he did something like that.

The king sighed as he left. “Make sure it didn’t humiliate us.”

Vanz stepped back. “I was right. I’d better not go. Your father doesn’t even acknowledge me as a living creature. He called me it. I really should go back.”

“And you think I’d listen to him?” Sebastian raised his eyebrows. “Here, wear it. It is an order now.” He added as he passed on a white tuxedo to Vanz.

Vanz gulped. She didn’t dare to disobey him. The white tuxedo called out for her too. Finally, she took the tuxedo and goes to the bathroom to change.

She took off her shirt. She slowly opened the button of the tuxedo. She really tried to put no scratch on that tuxedo. She was fully aware that the tuxedo was extremely expensive and she would not have money to pay if it was scratched.

Suddenly, the door of the bathroom banged open.

Vanz widened her eyes.

“Hey, V, I w...” Sebastian stood still, holding another tuxedo on his hand, frozen.

Silence.

“Ah, Sebastian,” she bit her lips.

“You’re a girl?” Sebastian closed his eyes with the tuxedo. “Ah, just put on the tuxedo first! Hurry!”

She quickly put on the tuxedo. She could felt her face redden.

“So...” Sebastian sighed as soon as she was finished, “How come that you did not tell anyone from the first place that you’re a girl?!”

“Shhh!” Vanz closed his mouth rapidly. “Don’t shout!” She sighed as she introduced herself, "I'm Vanz."

He looked at her eyes, still questioning.

“Do you even consider what will happen to me if everyone knows I am a girl?! A girl sold to the castle, how do you think I looked like?!”

Silence.

“Anyhow!” Sebastian stood up as he pulled Vanz closer, “My party is still a must for you to attend.”

The touch had caused her to shiver. He still treated her that way even though he knew that she was a girl?

He grabbed her by hand and pulled her until she followed him to the courtyard.

It was full of people. Girl, boys, woman, man. Even babies were present. Vanz’s courage slowly faded. She was not ready for any appearance in front of many guests.

“Sebastian, I’d better go back to my room. There are so many people and I look bad,” she pulled her hand away from him, slowly stepped back.

The boy smiled innocently as he pulled embrace. “You look just fine. You look handsome at your state, V. Cheer up with me, okay?”

“You really bring this thing to the party, huh?” The voice stabbed Vanz at heart. Alexander Keen.

Vanz tried to reply, but none of the words come out. She felt that she lost her ability to talk in a second.

“V is not a thing.”

The voice was deadly. Sebastian.

Vanz turned her head to Sebastian. The boy stared at his father angrily. “V is not an it. I’d be grateful if you would stop calling him that. This is my birthday. Consider that as one of my birthday wishes.”

He was taken aback.

“Let’s go somewhere a little bit more comfortable, okay?” Sebastian took Vanz by hand. “Let’s go out of here.”

“I don’t think it is polite to grab someone by hand without permission.”

A woman voice. Both of them turned around to the source of the voice. A fine woman with long blonde wavy hair was standing behind them, with a luxurious dress. The prince rolled his eyes. This was the girl from the last visit to the castle, the one with the princess that hug Vanz.

“Now what again?"

Alexander clear his throat before replying, "Let me introduce you to your fiancée, Sharon Punchalower."

Prince's eyes went twice its normal size. "She's my fiancée?!"

The woman smiled and bowed. "My name is Sharon. It's a pleasure to meet you, dear." She raised her head again and gives out a hand. She was expecting Sebastian to kiss it or something, but directly to her disappointment; all the prince did was shaking it.

Vanz giggled.

Sharon glared at her. "Oh, so this creature is a servant of yours? I see that she did not have any manner. I could not have any better guess than that she was sold here lately." She laughed.

It was not funny. Vanz's heart clenched. A tear fell from her eye. Why did everyone keep saying such thing? Another tear rolled down her cheek. However, this time, she didn't bother to wipe the tear away. "Could you please stop--"

Slap.

Vanz widened her eye when she saw the right hand of the prince on Sharon's cheek. Sharon seemed to be taken aback as well.

"What are you doing?!" The princess cried out, "I am your fiancée! You stand for this thing?!"

A sudden deadly atmosphere tied her up. "He's not a thing, you friggin bastard."

"You stand against that thing?! You're a weakling, just like him!" She cried.

Sebastian glared again toward her, but then he looked at Vanz and carried her on his arm. "You're okay?" He asked her, and as soon as she nodded, he turned to Sharon again and gave her his last word, "I don't care what you say about me, but don't you dare saying damn things about V again. Just marry yourself, bitch."

Both his fiancée and father were shocked.

Sebastian dragged Vanz to his room, opened the door roughly and slammed Vanz against the door. He threw off his blazer and pulled the tie with so much force that she could swear it almost broke.

He was pissed.

Vanz opened her own blazer and put it back slowly to his closet. "She's your fiancée?"

"I have no goddamned idea! That old faggot... Why the hell I was engaged to that damn bitch?!" He cried as he kicked the table in the room. "Do you see how she said 'dear' to me?! I'm gonna fucking kill her!"

Rephrase. He was bloody pissed.

"She's pretty," Vanz said slowly. She quickly regretted what she had said when Sebastian's fist landed next to her face.

Rephrase. He was bloody goddamned pissed.

He put his hands each against the door, sandwiching the little girl between it and him. "Listen carefully, V. She is the ugliest thing ever made in this world, She is goddamned pissing you off until you cry and you said she's pretty? You have a strange brain, V, so let me tell you. She's a bitch. And that's all."

Rephrase again. He was fucking bloody goddamned pissed.

"But it is good, right? Since you got no love interest for the first..." She gasped; realizing that her voice was a bit too loud and Sebastian manage to catch it.

Ugh. She's going to be a dead meat.

"I don't?"

Vanz wrinkled her eyebrows. He did? She suddenly wondered how the girl looked like. The girl he liked would probably be very pretty, with long silk wavy hair and beautiful... Wait. Why did she feel something against her lips? No, forget that. Lips?

Sebastian's lips were brushing against Vanz's red one.

Vanz widened her eyes. She tried to push him back, but he was too strong and refused to take a step back.

A ton of strange feelings rushing toward her. She keep her mouth completely sealed, still trying to pushed him back, when suddenly he bit her lower lip and cause her to yelped. Sebastian, however, took this opportunity to slide his tongue in.

"Mmph!" They engaged in a tongue battle and Sebastian seemed to be winning. When he finally broke off, Vanz was panting for breath.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING, DAMNIT!!!??"

Vanz's fists were clenched very tight. She was mad, angry, shy, and hundreds of feelings she couldn't describe herself. All she knew was that it was illegal since they both know that Sebastian was engaged.

Wait, why is it the only thing that stop her?

Sebastian gave his signature smirk. He swiftly unbuttoned the first button of her shirt. Sebastian leaned across a little and started mouthing at Vanz’s neck, making the girl squirm in surprise.

"Stop it, damnit--Crap!" It was a little bit too late to say anything, though, because Sebastian had already bit down hard on her neck, sucking it and then licking and kissing it to sooth the pain.

He was about to open another button when Vanz kicked him back with all her power and finally manage to get him back for a meter away.

"Are you fucking crazy?!" She cried.

Sebastian licked his lips and smirked as he pulled Vanz closer. "Well, since you're not a guy at all, I guess I had made myself clear that I'm not crazy."

The girl seemed angry, and then she opened the door and ran to her room.

Prince was sighing. He threw himself to the bed and closed his eyes. Wasn't he being too honest to her just now? He hasn’t spoken a word, though.

"Oh, great, now I have no idea how to face her later on..."