Page 60 of Royal Academy

Sally looked over at Prince Benedick of Hazenbak and wondered what kind of rabbit hole she had stumbled into. Not only was he fucking amazing in person, obviously the media was nothing compared to the real thing, but he was blushing like a school girl.

“They are very enthusiastic,” she fought to keep a straight face as his flush deepened.

“Newly engaged,” he bit out. “I’m trying to remember that she is an adult and not my little sister.”

“Ben, maybe we could talk about something else? Take your mind off the goings on in there?”

He looked at her like she was his savior and Sally couldn’t help but feel a swelling of pride in her chest.

She had taken over her granny’s business ‘Maids for Hire’ about three years back. Usually, Sally was in charge of the accounting and marketing end of things while her granny hired the maids. But when this last minute request came in from overseas Sally knew that she needed to make sure that everything was perfect.

Not only was their inclement weather in the forecast, but this wasn’t just a celebrity guest. This is was granny’s claim to fame, the royal family of Hazenbak. Sally’s home wasn’t far from here and she had been the one to check up on the property monthly to ensure that everything was as it ought to be. It was strange coming out today and removing all of the covers and dressing the beds. For the first time in Sally’s memory, it actually felt cozy and not like a huge empty tomb.

Sally didn’t understand why rich people kept places like this if they were never going to use them. But then, she had never been a rich socialite or famous, so what did she know about how they lived?

“What would you like to talk about?” she smiled at the handsome man.

Benedict looked up in panic.

He really was the worst liar that she had ever met. The devil inside of her knew that she wanted to prod further.

“Tell me about teaching,” she suggested.

The man choked on thin air, “Teaching?”

Sally nodded, “What subjects do you teach? What are your student’s like?”

“Younger,” he croaked, “the students that… they are younger. What I teach—I teach, Maths?”

She wondered if he knew it came out as more of a question.

“It is simply Math in Tennessee, not sure where the ‘s’ escaped to.”

He blinked at her, not understanding.

“It was a joke,” her smile nearly blinding him.

“Oh, yes, of course,” he rubbed the back of his neck, clearly sweating.

“Who is your favorite student?”

Benedict stared at Sally for the longest time. He was so far in over his fucking head that he couldn’t breathe. He didn’t know shit about teaching or students and tried to remember what Lia had said to him. What made things even more difficult was the way she would smile at him, all encouraging, it was damned distracting.

“A girl, um, Mia, yes her name is Mia,” Benedict was absolutely proud of himself.

Sally covered her mouth for a moment with her fingers, “How interesting that her name is so close to your sister, Lia’s?”

Shit.

Damn.

Fuck.

“Yes,” he said weakly, “One of the things that really stood out to me.”

Sally figured that she had tortured him enough for one night.

“Would you like me to fix a bed for you on the couch or in front of the fire? I’m sorry the fireplace isn’t lit in the master bedroom. But if you give me a moment I could get it going.”

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