Chapter 19.

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I pulled my blazer over the shirt I had just changed back into before I grabbed my bag and walked out of the locker room and back into the gym.

"Jessica!" I smiled at Mr Roberts as he jogged up to me.

He was our PE teacher, a man in his early forties that looked at least ten years younger because he worked out. He was fully-clothed in a tracksuit pants and jacket that displayed our school colours and emblem.

"Sir?" I glanced by him at Maximilian who was waiting for me at the door while he spoke to Jaime and... Don. None of our other friends were in our class.

"I was just wondering, have you thought about joining our athletics team?" he asked.

"What?" I asked looking at him.

"Your time on the track is one of the best I have seen – if not the best and we were just practicing! You didn't even break a sweat! I am sure you could make it to nationals really easily." He said. "What else can you do?" he added.

"Oh, no - nothing. I-I don't really run... or anything." I shook my head. Well, I did, it was part of the training we received.

"You're joking, right?" he stared at me shocked, "Jessica, what you have is amazing. It's a fricking gift. You can't waste talent like that... Just think about it, it would be great for your record." He said.

"I will..." I lied as I smiled at him, "Um – see you tomorrow, Sir." I said.

"See you." He smiled.

I jogged away from him and met the three guys at the door.

"What was that about?" Maximilian asked.

"He wants me to join the athletics team." I shrugged as we walked towards the cafeteria.

"Seriously? You should!" Jaime said.

"Yeah, you're a Bolt." I laughed at Don's comment.

"I think I'm fine." I said. Before I looked at Maximilian silently asking why Don was with us. He shrugged smirking and I glared at him.

What was he up to?

"Ah! Forgot to swap my books. I have to run back to my locker quickly, I will meet you guys at the cafeteria." Maximilian said.

"You can get it after lunch." Jaime said.

"No, there is something important in one of them." Maximilian said.

"I'll come with you." I said.

"Jaime will." Maximilian said.

"No, it's fine. I need to get something too, see you two in a few." I shoved Maximilian away rather roughly. "What are you doing?" I hissed at him as soon as we were far enough from them not to be heard by them.

"Nothing." He said innocently.

I frowned shoving him so he stumbled a little and I stood in front of him glaring up at him.

"If this has anything to do with Don, stop it. I'm not interested. I'm serious, Maximilian." I said.

"Uh-huh." He pushed me back so I stumbled a few feet back, "Never do that again." He said.

I shoved him again causing his back to bump against the wall and he glared at me. "Don't tell me what to do. Do you even need anything from your locker?" I asked.

"I can tell you what I want, I am a prince." I rolled my eyes as he smirked, "And as a matter of fact, I do." He said as he grabbed my wrist and began pulling me towards his locker.

He began unlocking his locker but stopped when his phone rang.

"Who...?" he mumbled pulling his phone from his pocket and answering it. "Hello?" he spoke.

"Boom." I heard a hushed voice say.

"What are you –?" he began but I dived at him. He cried out as I smashed into him and we both fell to the floor just as a loud bang filled the hallway.

I felt my ears ring for a few seconds as Maximilian groaned under me before I pushed off of him hearing screams. I stood up as some students ran into the hall and stared at us shocked.

I turned to see that Maximilian's locker was completely gone and so were the other six around it and the wall behind it, replaced by a black smoking mess. Maximilian sat up and I looked at him narrowing my eyes.

"Oh my God, are you okay?!" Maximilian nodded as two teachers helped him to his feet and someone handed him his phone.

I felt someone take my face and looked at Miss Garner, our school nurse, as she examined my face while I nodded at the questions she asked me. The bell sounded and the teachers ushered all the other students away while keeping Maximilian and I back.

They asked us a few more questions before they offered to call someone to take us home, but I declined saying I was fine but would drive us home while they searched the school for anyone suspicious. It took a little convincing but they let us go with no help.

As we got outside, I took one of the palace guard's car keys from him explaining what had happened and telling him I would drive Maximilian home while he followed with someone else.

"Well," Maximilian broke the silence after I had been speeding for a while with my hands clenched around the steering wheel tightly, "That was close, but since they did not kill me, how about you just drive me to my death?" he joked. I stepped down more causing the car to go noticeably faster while making Maximilian's smile drop as he watched the speedometer, I was taking a less populated route home.

"Come clean. Right now." I said through my grit teeth.

"What are you talking about –?"

"Don't give me bullshit, Maximilian. You knew who the hell called you! So you know who's trying to kill you and you didn't tell me?!" I said, "What the fuck are you doing?!"

I glanced at him to see him bite his lip as he looked down. "My uncle." He said.

I swerved to the slow lane noticing there were no cars in it as I lifted my foot causing the car behind us with the agents in it to fly by me before they slowed as well blowing their horn at my lack of warning.

"What?" I said slowly.

"I don't know. He had some 'thing' with my father. I have no idea what it is about, but he is the one sending all the treats. I know this, because we all do. You are here not to kill him, just to keep me alive..." he said.

"Wow." I muttered.

"Look, I just choose to stay out of royal family troubles, okay? It is just a lot of crap. You are doing your job as long as I am alive." He shrugged.

"Your uncle put a bomb in your locker... You will not be alive much longer if this keeps up and because I am always near you, I might not be either." I shot him a glare. He sucked in a breath.

"Right... Sorry." He said.

"I hope you understand that my job is to protect you at all cost, if my killing him means doing that then I will." I said.

"But we did not hire you to kill anyone –"

"My job is to protect you at all cost." I repeated, "That's what the contract says. Maybe if you lied less, or hid less, it would have stated differently. I'm not a fricking family councillor. I'm not a babysitter. I'm a spy, an assassin." I bit the inside of my cheek completely annoyed by him. "So sort your crap out before it gets to a point where he needs to die."

"That is not up to me, Jessica." He sighed, "And... I thought you were an agent?" he looked at me.

"Yes, that too." He laughed and I cracked a smile.

We drove the rest of the way home with him returning to his annoyingly talkative self and me listening to him.

I drove into the yard and parked in the front beside the fountain before handing the other agent's keys back to him and walking into the house with Maximilian.

"What is that smell?" he sniffed the air and groaned.

"I have no idea but I'm starving." I said.

"Yes, let us play a game of find the food... I guess we follow the smell." I laughed as he began walking.

We walked through the house until we reached the kitchen.

"Ah, should have known Samuel would make the best food while I am at school." He said. We laughed but we both stopped as we walked into the kitchen and our eyes fell on Adrian.

He turned and dropped the tray in his hands but made no move to cover his ears as he stared at us shocked while Samuel – the head cook – scowled at him.

"Adrian?" Maximilian said slowly as his eyes ran over his brother.

He was in his silk pyjama pants with an apron covering him since he wasn't wearing a shirt or socks. His hair was a mess. He looked like he did when we went to the pool in the mornings... When he wasn't all dressed up.

"Um – well – see –" Adrian let out a sigh as he picked the tray up, "Um... The event I had today was cancelled and I did not have anything else planned..." he said.

"So you... you decided to bake?" Maximilian looked at the variety of cakes on the table.

"Well, Sam is teaching me... I mean, it looked fun when he did it so I figured... if I have nothing else to do, why not? You know?" Adrian smiled nervously as he lifted the tray in his hands.

"Uh, no, actually I do not 'know'" Adrian's face dropped at his brother's answer, "Is that chocolate?" Maximilian's eyes widened at the table.

"Yes, your brother made it." Samuel said.

"And it is not poisoned?" Maximilian asked. Samuel laughed as Adrian frowned.

"No, it is actually pretty good for his first time." Samuel shrugged smiling at Adrian proudly. I smiled seeing Adrian look down smiling.

"Well, it would not matter anyway because I am starving –" Maximilian grabbed one of the cupcakes and stuffed it into his mouth, "This is good – Jessica –" he held out one to me as he grabbed another.

"Maximilian, do not do that. Bite. Chew. Please do not talk with food in your mouth." Adrian frowned watching Maximilian eat – or stuff his face.

I sat down next to him as I took a bite of the cupcake while Samuel gave us glasses of milk. I frowned seeing that Maximilian had eaten five already.

"Stop it! I want another one of those!" I said seeing him reach for another after I had finished my first one.

"You'll finish that later. Let's take a break." Samuel said sitting down.

Adrian smiled sitting beside me. "How does it taste?" he asked as I took a bite of one of the chocolate chip cookies.

"Really good." I admitted. This was completely out of my normal diet but I wanted to taste the rest.

He smiled widely as he took a slice of cake and gave me one.

When we were all full (and Maximilian was about to pass out), Adrian told Samuel he could go promising that he would take care of cleaning up.

"Those were really nice. You should do it more." Maximilian yawned as he stretched.

"Right," Adrian chuckled, "Go to bed and try not to throw up on your way there." He ruffled Maximilian's hair making him glare at him.

I laughed watching as Maximilian stumbled out of the kitchen before I stood up and began collecting dishes.

"Helping me?" He asked.

"Considering that we helped you make them dirty... and you have probably never done this before..." I looked at him.

"I will admit: I have never washed dishes." He said, "I know I never will again because I hate it." I laughed.

I placed the dirty dishes in the water. There were too little dishes to use the dishwasher right now.

"So I'm washing and you're –" I was saying when he pushed his hands into the water bumping against my side.

"Washing." He finished.

"That's not very efficient." I looked at him laughing.

"Maybe, but this is more fun when I am right next to you." He said smiling at me, I looked down at the dish I was washing and focused on it so I didn't have to look at him.

We washed the dishes, occasionally stopping to splash water at each other and joke around before we dried the dishes and proceeded to pack them away. Well, I tried... but proved to be too short for the task at hand. I was on my tiptoes almost jumping to put the glasses into the top shelf and I could feel Adrian staring at me amused from behind me. Me being stubborn tried to do it without his help (and without actually just climbing up) for five minutes until I almost dropped a glass and sighed.

"You're just going to stare at me and laugh?" I asked looking at him.

"You are almost there, just a few more centimetres." He laughed.

I sucked my teeth turning back around and reaching up but I stopped when a hand brushed against mine before taking the pair of glasses from my hands and effortlessly sliding them into the top shelf. He laughed leaning his chin on top of my head as he held onto my shoulders.

"You are so tiny." He joked.

"Shut up." I said turning around so I could shove him.

"That is rude. Apologise, peasant!" He jokingly yelled.

"No." I smirked. I screamed as he grabbed my waist pushing me against the cupboard and began tickling me.

"Say sorry." He said.

"Never!" I tried to push him away while I laughed.

"Well, then –" He turned me around and wrapped his arms around my waist locking my arms at my sides, "You deserve a punishment worse than tickling." He said before leaning down to my ear. "The pool is freezing right now..."

"No – no – no! Don't!" I yelled in terror as he lifted me off the floor. He laughed. "Okay, okay! I'm sorry!" I said.

He laughed putting me down and letting go of me just enough for me to pull my arms out of the hold, but still keeping his arms around my waist. I turned to him so I could glare up at him.

"I kind of still want to dunk you in the pool." He said, his face thinking as his eyes studied me.

"I will kill you." He laughed at my words. I smiled but froze as he gave me a kiss on my forehead while he chuckled.

It seemed to make me realise our position more and I lifted my hands to his chest to push him away only to have him pull me closer to him.

"Um, Adri –" My heart seemed to stop in my chest as his lips brushed my own. But it was only for a split second before we both shoved away from each other as we heard someone enter the kitchen.

"Adrian! You are home. What are you doing here?" Edward asked as he walked in.

"Uh – my event was cancelled. You – you are early..." Adrian ran his hand through his hair.

"Yes. I might have left Edgar there by himself, oh well, hey Jess. Maximilian has soccer on Mondays." He said.

"Yes, but... um... Arthur will explain... I have to get some work done. See you later." I grabbed my school bag and left the kitchen before he could question me further.

As I stood in the hallway I heard Edward ask, 'Uh... What are you wearing?"

I ran upstairs feeling my heart flip in my chest. What was he doing? Why did he keep doing that to me? He was engaged! Why did I like it? All I wanted was to be back downstairs with him. Alone.

Aria, stop.

What the hell was happening to me?

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