CHAPTER FIVE

ADRAIN 

 I stood by my car as I watched her load up the back of the car with her clothes. I had watched her pack all of the belongings that she had just twenty minutes ago. 

I could see that she did not have a lot of stuff. I had no idea why I felt sorry for her. I had never been a sentimental person. So why do I feel bad that she's probably been living a hard life before this? 

"Hurry up! We need to get back to the palace as soon as  possible."I said to her. 

She was having trouble putting her bag in the car. I shook my head and rolled my eyes. 

Then I walked over to her and helped her put her bag in the boot.

 She turned to face me, and her face hit my chest. I was stunned when it happened. Her scent immediately attacked my nostrils. 

I had never liked the perfume that most women used. In fact, it irritated me. But I just wanted to sniff Camilla all day. 

I felt that if I did it, it would make her run away from me, so I held myself back. 

We were both in that position for a few seconds without knowing what to do until she pulled away from me.

 "I....." 

"Let's go," I said. To anyone who was watching us before, it would seem as if we were hugging. 

I felt awkward, and I just wanted to be as far away from her as possible. 

......

A few days passed since I brought Camilla over to the palace to be my daughter's nanny.

 Isabella fell in love with her immediately, and the both of them had a great time together. 

My daughter was having a lot of fun and acting like a kid for the first time in her life. 

I was really thankful to Camilla for bringing out this part in my daughter. But that did not mean that I now trusted her.

 I still thought that there was something suspicious about her. 

I had asked Drake to investigate her and find out all that he could about her, including her parents and the schools she attended. 

He wasn't done investigating yet, so I had to keep an eye on her almost all the time she spent with my daughter. This was especially hard for me since I could not seem to stop thinking about her. 

She was my daughter's nanny, and I should not be having weird thoughts about her, but I could not help myself.

Drake walked over to me. "Adrian, you need to come with me. Your father's situation is getting worse!" He said. 

I sighed. "Hasn't his condition always been terrible?" I asked Drake.

 My father, the King, had fallen sick a few months ago. Although I was still the crown prince, I had long taken over all of his duties as king. 

I had a team of doctors in the palace who managed his health. And even though he won't be getting better any time soon, they assured me that he wouldn't be getting worse.

 "That was before he saw the pictures of you and Camilla online! The one where they said that the both of you are seeing each other!" He said. 

I sighed when I heard this. A few days ago, when I went to go pick up Camilla at her house, a reporter took a picture of me helping her place her bag in the truck of my car.

 From the angle from which the picture was taken, it seemed like the both of us were hugging. They spun the story around, and everyone said that I was dating Camilla now.

 I did not pay attention to the rumours because I knew that people liked to spread rumours about me since I am the crown prince. They all wanted to know if I was dating and who the future Queen would be.

 I had asked all the guards and maids in the palace to make sure they kept it away from my father because of his health condition. How did he get to know about it? 

"I thought that I told everyone to make sure that my father doesn't ever find out about it." I asked them. 

Drake blinked as he avoided my eyes. "Some of them were talking outside your father's room. He heard it" Drake said.. 

I ran my hand through my hair. "Let's go see him," I said.

.....

 I sat in front of the council a few days later. My father had passed away. 

I already knew that it was coming. With his health, I knew for sure that there was no way he would survive this year..

 But I was still sad. After all, he was my father. 

As soon as he died, the council called a meeting and asked me to pick a wife if I wanted to become the king.

 This was proving to be a real headache for me. I didn't want a wife...at least not now. 

"Have you decided, Your Highness? It's the tradition of your kingdom that our king gets married before he is crowned king. Have you thought of who you will make your wife?" A council elder asked me. 

"I ..." 

"In case you haven't picked a wife, we think that you should get married to Eliza Trace. She is the daughter of King Trace, the king of the neighbouring kingdom. The both of you were friends when you were young, so I am sure that you will get along with each other well, as another council elder said. 

I looked at King Trace. He was in the meeting since he and my father had a good relationship when he was alive. 

"My daughter has always liked you. She would be all too happy to marry you and be your Queen, Your Highness!" He said to me..

 I sneered. Even if I wanted to get married, I still wouldn't choose Eliza. 

But I needed to take over the throne as soon as possible. 

"I will think about it and get back to you!". I said..

 I walked into my daughter's room. Camilla had already gone to bed for the night. I sighed as I watched her.

 I needed to get married as soon as possible. But whoever I marry is going to be my daughter's stepmother. I need to make sure my daughter gets together with her. 

Just then, Isabella opened her eyes. I walked over to her.

 "Are you okay?I asked her. 

She nodded her head. I sat on her bed and pulled her into my arms.

 "Isabella, what do you think of Eliza? She has always been nice to you, right? Do you want her to be your  stepmother?"I asked her. 

She squinched her face when I asked her this and shook her head in the negative.

 I sighed. "You know your grandfather is dead, right? The council says I have to get married if I want to be king," I said to her. 

I felt as if Isabella was the only one I could pour out my heart to.

 She picked up her pen and writing pad. She wrote in it for a few seconds and held it up for me to see. 

"Why don't you get married to Camilla?" She asked me.

 I blinked at Isabella in shock. "What?! You want me to marry your nanny?" I asked her.

 She nodded her head excitedly. "Yes! Yes! I want her as my mom! Please let her be my mommy daddy!" She wrote..

 I frowned. This was the second time Isabella called her mommy. Just what is going on? 

.....

 I walked out of Isabella's room in a daze. I kept thinking about what she said. 

About me getting married to Isabella. The more I thought about it, the more it made sense to me. 

If I marry her, she can take care of Isabella better. Also, I can be king without getting married to Eliza. 

The most important part was that she would know that it was just a marriage of convenience, and she would never ask for anything from me.

 Before I knew it, I was standing in front of her bedroom. 

I didn't even think twice about it. I knocked and walked into her room. 

Camilla opened her eyes as soon as I walked in. She looked at me with half-closed eyes. 

"What are you doing here, Your Highness?" She asked me.

 "I want you to get married to me!". I said.