“Well, that’s a good thing. You ready to head back to the room?” Colleen asked.
“Yes, let’s go. We can talk some more up there.”
The girls continued talking in their room until they fell asleep. As she closed her eyes, Karia realized that in just two more weeks, she would be at the palace again. She could hardly wait.
Chapter 5
On Monday morning, Karia met with Professor Evelyn. She produced her notes and waited nervously while the instructor read them.
“Stop twisting your hands, girl,” the professor said. “There is no reason to be so apprehensive. These notes are good.”
“Thank you, Professor,” Karia said, relief evident in her voice. “Both designers were very forthcoming with information for the article. I must say Ms. Matthews was the more personable of the two, but I imagine that is because she is a friend of yours. She also mentioned that she is acquainted with Master Armstrong.”
The professor laughed. “So she told you that, did she? I wondered if she might. I have known Melinda since the day she was born. Her mother and I have been friends for many years. I know that both Master Armstrong and Melinda were in the late Prince Alexander’s circle of friends, but I’m not sure they stay in touch now. I’m glad that she was so helpful to you. You were able to get a wonderful start to your fashion article.”
“Thank you again, Professor,” Karia replied.
“Now, I want you to do some online research, then we’ll see about sending you to the city for some more one on one with Melinda in the future.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“You are dismissed, Karia. Have a good week.”
Professor Clarice’s class was next, then she had a study period. She planned to spend that hour in the library doing some of the research Professor Evelyn had suggested for the article.
She met her friends in the dining hall for lunch, and then it was time for class with Master Armstrong.
He was in his usual form, trying to trip his students up on their knowledge of the material he’d had them study in preparation for today’s lesson. Luckily, it was a subject Karia knew quite well, so she was not in trouble. At least not today. At least not yet.
Professor Evelyn’s class was next, and then it was time for her to meet with the master. Honestly, all these meetings seemed so unnecessary to her. Why did they all think they had to know every detail about everything?
She entered the master’s office and took a seat, as he was on the phone when she came in. When he finished his call, he smiled and said, “Good afternoon, Ms. Daly. Let us discuss your weekend in the city. I understand from Professor Evelyn that you were able to make some excellent notes for your assignment.”
“Yes, sir. I would say the trip was a success. Both designers were very helpful.”
“Ah, yes, I knew Ms. Matthews would be happy to see you. I’m glad to hear that the other designer was willing to work with you as well.”
“He wasn’t as friendly, more businesslike, but we still managed to get the work done.”
“And did you and Julia enjoy a night out on the town when your work was finished? Or did you have other plans?” he queried.
“If you mean did I see the prince or the princess while I was there, the answer is no. That wasn’t in the plans. And, no, Julia and I decided to stay in on Saturday night. We watched movies in our room.”
He seemed surprised at that. “Really? Now, I must say that is the first time I’ve heard that from one of our students after a weekend in the city to work on assignment. Most are only too happy to indulge in some of the nightlife of the city while they are away from the mountain. Were you not feeling well, perhaps?”
“You make it sound as if you almost expect the students to take advantage of the freedom,” Karia replied.
“Actually, yes, we do expect it. We have security escorting the students to and from the city and staying there as well, so we trust that there will be no trouble. Let’s just say that sometimes our students need that. They need to release some of their excess energy, to get away from the regime here at the academy. I’ll be the first to admit that our curriculum and environment is a strict one.”
Karia looked at him in surprise. “I see.”
“So, tell me, Karia, is there a specific reason you and Julia chose to stay in and not take advantage of an evening of freedom?”
She looked down at her hands in her lap and began twisting them again.
“You seem nervous, Ms. Daly. What are you not telling me?”
“We didn’t want to run into the paparazzi. Somehow, they found out that I was at Ms. Matthews’ offices, and they were waiting to snap photos when I came out. Luckily, Andrew—he’s the guard the royal family provided for me—was able to get me into the car quickly. We took the back roads to my next appointment and went in a back entrance. And when we got back to the hotel, we took the service entrance and elevator. But that night, the photos were already on Instagram. Julia and I saw them on her cell phone. So, we made the decision to stay in.”
Master Armstrong was silent for several minutes. When he finally spoke, he said in a serious tone, “Karia, this is exactly what your father and I have been trying to warn you about. You are of age, so neither of us can tell you who to befriend or who to date, but you must realize that this is what your life will be like from now on, as long as you are a key figure in the prince’s circle. You must learn to deal with it if this is the path you’ve chosen. Surely, Henry has explained this to you.”
“Y-yes, sir. I am well aware of the problems that come with my friendship to the royal family. I am trying to come to terms with it, but I honestly thought I might be old news now that the article has been written and Henry is no longer at the academy. Apparently, I was wrong.”
“Unfortunately, I’m afraid you will deal with this any time you are in the city. We will discuss it further after I’ve given it some thought. We will work on ways for you to deal with the pressure, to accept it as a way of life, for now.”
“Thank you, sir, that is very kind of you to offer.”
“I’m not being kind, Ms. Daly. I feel that you need guidance in this area. I’ll be the first to admit that I sincerely hope you do not make this alliance with the prince a permanent one. But until you make that decision, I will do what I can to assist you. Now, is there anything else we need to discuss today?”
“N-no, sir.”
“Hmm, I thought perhaps you might be in need of some discipline. You know, punishment can be an excellent stress reliever.”
“N-no, sir. I have done nothing wrong.”
“Very well, then, Ms. Daly. If I can be of no further assistance to you today, you are dismissed.”
And just like that, he picked up the phone as if she was already out of the room.
Men! They could be so infuriating. He actually thought she would ask for a punishment to relieve her stress from the weekend. First, Henry was so hard to read, now the master. Why couldn’t they be like women and say what they mean instead of beating around the bush and expecting a girl to know? If he’d wanted to punish her, why didn’t he just do it? She bloody well wasn’t going to ask for it.
Karia hurried to her dorm room and threw her books on the bed. Then she went into the bathroom and splashed her face with cool water. She was just drying it as she heard Colleen come in.
“Karia, are you here?”
“Yes, I’ll be right out,” she called to her friend. She took a deep breath, ran a brush through her hair and walked out into the bedroom.
“You look like bloody hell. What is wrong?”
“Gee, thanks. I feel like bloody hell. I just met with the master.”
“Don’t tell me he found something to punish you for.”
“I’m so angry, I can’t even say the words.” She took a deep breath. “No, he didn’t. But he offered to, to eliminate my stress from the paparazzi, he said. He wanted me to ask him to do it. Well, I most certainly did not fall for that.”
“He’s… he’s the most infuriating man I have ever met. Well, maybe next in line after Henry. I don’t know which one is worse.”
“Oh my, what has the perfect prince done?” Colleen asked.
“He’s just so bloody passive. I don’t know how else to describe it. When he texts me, it’s almost businesslike. If I’m supposed to be his girlfriend, why doesn’t he act like it?”
“Does he act like it when you are together?” Colleen asked quietly.
“Y-yes, I suppose he does.”
“Did you ever think that maybe he just isn’t a demonstrative texter? Maybe he has other things on his mind, or perhaps he is afraid of the wrong person gaining access to the messages.”
“I never thought of that, but all those reasons do make sense, I guess,” Karia admitted.
“I wouldn’t worry about it too overly much. And as for our dear Master Armstrong, we know he’s an odd duck. He gets off on punishing you. I still say he has the hots for you, and he’s just biding his time.”
“Well, he has a strange way of showing it if that’s the case. Really, thinking I would ask for a punishment!”
“He wants your submission.”
“What do you know about submission?” Karia asked as she recalled the master’s words to her some time ago. ‘I will have your submission.’
Colleen laughed. “I read, you know. Dirty books, romance novels, all that stuff we aren’t supposed to know about because we are students at the most antiquated school in the country.”
“Country, hell, in the world, you mean,” Karia replied. “And Oliver Armstrong will be waiting a long time for my submission. If that’s what he wants, he is in for a rude awakening.”
“Well, enough about him. I’m starving. Let’s get changed and go down to the dining hall. We can be first in line if we hurry.”
“Good idea. We have a lot to do this week if the parents are coming up this weekend.”
“Ugh, don’t remind me.”
“What, you don’t want to see them?”
“It’s not that at all. I just dread the stuff we have to do before they get here. Extra assignments, special projects, cleaning our room, you know.”
“It’ll make the week go faster. Besides, think of all the goodies our folks will bring, enough snacks to last till fall break.”
“That’s true. So, are you still going to the palace for break?” Colleen asked as she searched through her clothes for something comfortable to wear.
“Yes, I am. How about you? Going home?”
“Yeah. I can’t wait to see Peter. We’ve made some plans for that week.”
“Isn’t he in Scotland?”
“He is, but he’s going to come to my parents’ for a few days.”
“Oh, this sounds serious.”
“Maybe, we’ll see.”
They changed clothes quickly and went to the dining room. They weren’t the first to arrive, so they didn’t get the first table, but there were only a few others ahead of them. They got their table and food next, saving seats for Rhiannon and Calista.
When the other two girls joined them, the conversation centered around Karia’s weekend in the city.
Finally, she said, “That’s enough about me. Let’s talk about something else. Parents’ weekend, fall break, anything but me. Please.”
Rhiannon, sensing that Karia was nearing a breaking point, said, “You’re right, of course. I’m sorry, Karia. It’s just that you lead a much more exciting life than the rest of us.”
“I’m sure you think that. But sometimes, I wish it were quieter.”
She glanced up and spotted Master Armstrong at the faculty table. Was it her imagination, or was he staring at her? She quickly turned away to listen to what Calista was saying.
When they were finished eating, Karia excused herself to go back to her room. She was ready for an early night. Colleen told her she’d be up soon, and she stayed behind to visit some more.
As she was walking out of the dining hall, Master Armstrong caught up with her. “Early night, Ms. Daly?”
She looked up at him, his handsome face looming over her. “Yes, sir. I’m tired, and it’s going to be a busy week. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Sleep well, Karia,” he said in a low tone.
“Th-thank you,” Karia replied as she hurried away.
Bloody man!
She sent off a text to Henry while she was alone in her room. He sent a message back telling her he was at dinner with dignitaries and would try to call her the next night.
Well, so much for that. One man, the one she wanted, didn’t have time for her. The other, the one she’d just as soon forget, seemed to find excuses to speak with her. What was wrong with that picture?
She was already in bed when Colleen came in.
“Are you asleep?” the other girl asked.
“No, just resting. Henry couldn’t talk, so I got ready for bed.”
“I’m sorry. He was busy?”
“Said he was at dinner with important people, so he’s going to try to call tomorrow night.”
“You’ll have to get used to that, you know. I’m sorry to keep saying that, but it’s the truth.”
“I know. It’s just been a bad day. I’ll be fine.”
The rest of the week found Karia in a much better mood as she prepared for the weekend. Master Armstrong was too busy worrying about Parents’ Weekend to bother her. Henry had been able to phone her, so she was feeling better after talking with him and she spent her evenings studying and working on special projects. On Friday, as they had done the year before, the girls got out of classes early and cleaned their dorm room.
“Glad that’s done,” Colleen said as she plopped down on her bed with a sigh.
“We clean every other week, so I don’t know why you’re so worried.”
“We don’t deep clean every time, only for Parents’ Weekend and at the end of the year.”
“You worry too much!”
“And you don’t?” Colleen shot back.
“Not about cleaning,” Karia said.
“Okay, okay, I get the point. I’m a little OCD.”
“I’m going to grab a quick shower before we go down to dinner,” Karia said.
The next morning, the parents all started to arrive for the festivities. Karia waited in the lobby with some of the other students, and when she saw her folks walk in, she went to them. Both hugged her, and she noticed that their hands were full of packages.
“Let’s go take those to the room, then we can mingle,” Karia suggested.
“Good idea,” her mother said. “We brought you lots of goodies.”
“I can see that,” Karia replied with a laugh. “Thank you.”
“Your room is lovely this year. It looks a tiny bit bigger than the one you had last year,” her mother remarked when they walked in.
“It is. I think they get a little bigger every year from what some of the older girls told us. Now, let’s see what you brought.” Karia began to go through the packages. There were candies, cookies, tea, instant coffee, meats and cheeses, crackers, and soda. In another, she found a few new outfits, a pretty pale blue sweater and a new pair of jeans. There was also a green plaid skirt with matching sweater. She put the food away and hung her clothes in the closet as they talked so the room would be neat when Colleen brought her parents up.
“I thought you might like something new to take to the palace with you. I know you mentioned that you had a new dress already,” her mother said.
“Yes, I bought it to wear to my interviews in the city last weekend. Thank you so much for everything.”
“I’m glad you’re pleased. Now, shall we head downstairs to join the others?” her dad said as he kissed her cheek.
“Yes, you are scheduled for the teacher conferences soon. I have the times rig
ht here,” Karia said as she walked to her desk and picked up a paper. She handed it to her dad, and the three of them left the room. Colleen and her parents were just getting off the elevator. Her parents were also carrying several packages.
“We’ll catch up with you later,” Colleen said. “Mr. and Mrs. Daly, it’s good to see you again.”
“Likewise, my dear,” Gordon said.
Rosemarie smiled. “I think you girls will have enough snacks to last for quite a while. We brought about as many packages as your folks did.”
They all laughed before going their separate ways. When they got to the hall, there were several people milling around, snacking and mingling.
She heard a familiar deep voice saying, “Gordon, Rosemarie, how nice to see both of you again.”
Master Armstrong then kissed her mother on both cheeks and shook her father’s hand.
“Oliver, hello,” Rosemarie said.
“Oliver, good to see you. I trust your year is going well so far,” Gordon added.
“Very well, thank you. Of course, when I have students as bright and eager to learn as your Karia, it helps.” He turned to her and gave her a smile, something she wasn’t used to seeing on his handsome face.
“Thank you, Master Armstrong,” she replied politely. Silently, she wondered what he was up to with that remark.
Her dad and the master walked away then and continued to talk, leaving Karia with her mother.
“Oliver is such a nice man. We’ve known him for a very long time, you know,” her mother commented as she watched the two men deep in conversation now.
“Personally, he may be nice. As a professor, he is very strict.”
“Those are the best teachers, my dear. For the life of me, I can’t understand why that man is still single. He is charming, handsome and very well educated. You know your father has been trying to talk him into working for him for years, but Oliver insists that teaching is what he wants to do.”
“No, I didn’t know that,” Karia said as a sudden shiver ran through her body. That was just what she needed, the master at her father’s office.
Karia and the Prince (Avalon Adventures Book 2) Page 6
