Royally Flushed

First Impressions

~Malia~

I gulped in fear as I took in the scene before me, the royal family occupying my line of sight.

One woman and man who I recognized as Louis' parents, and then Henry was there as well. I didn't remember Henry being so high up in the line of succession that he'd need to be sequestered in such a bunker during times of crisis, but then again, what did I really know about these royals?

I knew that Louis was mercurial, sexy as hell, and capable of making me want to kiss him which is something that I hadn't done with anyone in a very long time.

Where had that thought come from?

"Louis, are you going to introduce us to your friend?"

His mother had spoken first. Dressed in a beige skirt and blazer combination with matching kitten heels and the biggest pearl earrings I'd ever seen, she reminded me of a more wealthy version of Mar, as she had kind eyes just like her.

Except Mar's eyes wouldn't be so kind after the brusque way Louis had spoken to her on the phone...that wouldn't blow over so well, even if he was the prince.

Louis cleared his throat, clearly uncomfortable, but Henry beat him to the punch just as he began to speak.

"This is Malia-I mean, Lady Spencer, my apologies. I'm sorry, I thought you'd be with your other boyfriend...Daniel was it?"

The air rushed out of my lungs at his cruel words. Surely he couldn't have known about the circumstances in which Daniel had "died", although his sardonic tone and dark eyes told me differently.

"Lady Spencer doesn't have a boyfriend."

I looked up at Louis thankfully, but he looked agitated, a slow anger bubbling under the surface of his usually calculated and charming facade.

Henry must have done something in the past to make Louis so openly hostile towards him, it couldn't have been him just defending my honor...could it?

"A pleasure to meet you, even if it is under such terrible circumstances. And to speak for myself, no I do not have a boyfriend and I haven't for a while, nor do I expect to have one for a long while in the future. I'm just now getting used to my new home."

Louis' father's eyes went up in surprise at my words, and I wondered just exactly what I had said that made him so surprised. Maybe the fact that I'd even spoken at all.

Dressed very suave in black slacks, a button up white shirt and solid royal blue tie, the man looked the part of a king, even if that title wasn't his until his father either passed away or abdicated the throne, that much I knew.

Taking a languid sip of the alcohol in his glass and rattling the ice in his empty drink as he finally sat it down, Louis' father finally spoke.

"What a chatty one you've brought along with you this time, Louis. At least this one is of noble blood. Lady Spencer, pleasure to meet you, but if you'll excuse my wife and I, we have some business to attend to."

Ouch. Just how many girls did Louis bring to a secluded bunker for the royal family?

I had to remind myself that I wasn't supposed to care, that caring led to jealousy and that wasn't going to be pretty.

I nodded my head at him in response, not sure if I should curtsy or not so I just stood there like an idiot with my hands behind my back, Louis' relentless grip still attaching me to his side.

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding when they were gone, having left through a separate door to another room, although I didn't think they cared much about my presence as his mother seemed more bored than anything, constantly clicking away on her cellphone.