Seven years ago

"I hate mom and dad". Andrei plucked off a leaf. "I don't hate mom and dad." He plucked off another leaf.

A knock sounded on the door of his hospital room which made him frown. He'd told his nurses that he didn't want visitors especially if those said visitors were his parents. His parents who didn't care if he was dying.

The door opened and his doctor Jean Anne Lowan poked her head inside then smiled when she saw him awake.

"Can I come in Your Highness?". She asked.

"Yes." Andrei nodded. He sat up in his bed and dropped the flower he'd been torturing under his pillow. Doctor Lowan was the only person he could tolerate and always wished she was his mother instead of… that other woman. That woman who cared more about her clothing line than her only child.

Jean Anne opened the door wider but didn't step inside as she turned back to look at whoever was outside. Andrei hoped it was a puppy because he was bored as hell in this hospital. He hoped he never had to see inside the four walls of a hospital ever again after this episode.

"Come in Anna. He won't bite." Anne encouraged, chuckling softly.

Andrei's brows furrowed as he wondered who she was talking to but his inner questions were answered when a girl walked into the room looking all shy and very beautiful. He had to catch his breath because if there was another word for beautiful; it should be used for her.

"Better company than a puppy." Andrei thought.

She was dressed in a white long sleeved shirt and blue overalls and she had on matching sandals. She wore black rimmed glasses and had her hair in pigtails.

Jean Anne closed the door and propelled Anna forward but she stopped a few feet from the bed.

"Anna, I want you to meet Prince Andrei Sebastiani...Andrei meet my daughter Jean Anna." Anne said.

"Hi." She waved shyly.

"Hi." He breathed. He stared at her beautiful face and was lost in her eyes that was shielded by her black rimmed glasses.

He knew then that he'd found the one even though he was only ten.

"I'll leave you two to talk. I'll be in my office if you need me Anna." Anne told her.

"Okay." She nodded and waved as her mother exited the room.

Anna stared at the closed door for a minute before she turned to smile shyly at Andrei.

"Won't you sit down?". Andrei asked. "I won't bite." He grinned.

Anna rolled her eyes and took a seat. "Sure." She drawled. "How are you feeling?".

"She talks." He chuckled. "I'm fine. Thanks for asking. Which school do you attend?".

"There's only one school in Mercia and that's Imperial Heights." She answered.

"Really? I've never seen you in school." He said.

"I'm not royalty." She shrugged. "I have never seen you either."

"Do you have a boyfriend?". He sent her a lopsided grin.

Anna let out a shocked gasp. "How dare you? I'm ten!". She hit him.

Andrei laughed. "Are you hitting a patient?".

"You're a crazy patient." She gave him the stink eye.

"I like you four eyes." He chuckled.

"Not the nickname." She groaned.

"That's what I'll call you from now on." He told her.

"Then I'll call you the boy with storm clouds in his eyes." She shot back.

*****

Seven years later

“Jean Anna!.” Her best friend Lucy Anderson called from outside impatiently. “Hurry or we’ll be late!”.

“Coming! Can’t find my glasses!”. Anna called back.

“Really?.” Lucy sighed and rolled her eyes. “ If we miss the last bus, I’ll never forgive you Anna!”.

Close to five minutes later Jean Anna rushed out of the house and locked the front door then they both left for school.

“This is a new year Anna.” Lucy reminded her. “We can’t afford to be late this term.”

“I woke up late. Sorry.” Jean Anna apologized. I promise there won’t be a next time.”

“That’s fine. So did you find your glasses?”.

“Yes”. Jean nodded. “And my math note too.”

Lucy laughed. “New year, new class but we still have to endure Mr Francis’s classes.”

“Can’t wait for high school to be over.” Jean sighed.

“Me too.”

They walked quickly to the bus stop to catch the next bus going towards their school and they were able to get on board then they marched to the back and slumped down with a relieved sigh.

“That was so close.” Lucy breathed. “I don’t think I have it in me to walk one mile to school this morning. It’s Monday for Pete’s sake.”

“We’d have been terribly late. Thank goodness.” She wiped her sweaty brows.

“Ah! did you hear the news?”. Lucy asked excitedly.

“What news?”.

“Prince Andrei and his girlfriend Princess Serafina broke up on Saturday”. Lucy said. “For good this time.”

“Really? Are you serious?”. Anna’s eyes widened.

“It was posted on the school’s news website.”

“Wow.” Jean Anna said. “What broke their camel’s back this time?”.

“You know Andrei’s cousin had his birthday last Saturday right?”.

“Yes. It was the talk of the town.” Anna said.

“Well... Prince Andrei caught her with his cousin burning up the sheets in Damien’s room.” Lucy whispered.

Jean gasped. “Are you serious?!”. She crossed herself. “Burning up the sheets as in...that?”.

Lucy nodded vehemently.

“Oh my God he must have been devastated.” Anna said.

“Puhleeze!.” Lucy snorted. “I heard he was happy as a kid on his birthday.”

“What? I thought he liked her?”. Anna frowned.

“Course not.” Lucy made a face. “I wouldn’t date her if I were a boy. He only wanted to get her pants. I even heard that he was found with another girl five minutes later.”

“Well I think he deserved it.” Jean looked disgusted. “I only pity the girl who’d fall into his trap next time.”

“Hmmn...but he really spent on her , you know.” Lucy said.

“I don’t care if he took her to see God. That was plain nasty. He only wanted her for her body.” She paused, looking thoughtful. “You know what?”.

“What?”.

“I’m just glad the Royals have a different building of their own.” Anna said. “I don’t think I can mix with people like them”.

“ I could because they’re royals but… they’re a mess so I don’t think I will… especially Prince Andrei. He sleeps with anything with a skirt on.”

Lucy laughed.

“What? Is it not true?”. Anna frowned.

“Sleeps with anything with a skirt on? He’s not slept with you.” Lucy teased.

“God forbid.” Anna frowned. “ I won’t even let him touch my hand.”

Lucy shook her head. “It seems you’ve forgotten how, Prince Andrei looks like, right?”.

“I’ve never seen him up close.” Anna said. “ And I don’t want to.”

They got to school and got off the bus and as they walked into the school premises, two expensive black cars drove into the school and you didn’t have to see the license plates to know that the king of IHHS has arrived.

“There he is.” Lucy pointed excitedly as he alighted from one of the cars.

“Let’s just go.” Anna said and walked away.

“You really don’t want to see his face? I want to.” Lucy pouted.

“It’s a new day Lucianne.” Anna said through gritted teeth. “Let’s go and get our class schedules please?”.

“Fine fine” Lucy gave up. “Let’s go.”

Lucy still tried to see Prince Andrei but couldn’t even get a glimpse because she was short and students had gathered around him already so she couldn’t see anything just the back of his head as he walked away and even his bodyguards shielded him too.

“Sucks.” Lucy muttered.

“Get over it.” Anna told her.