"Oh, I have my methods in getting exactly what I want, and right now, my eyes are set on as many hot chocolate as I can get my hands on,"
Goodness, he was excellent, there was no denying it! Yassia couldn’t help but be impressed at his quick and witty retort, and of course there was still a little hint of flirtation behind it all, or was she imagining the playful emphasize on the words ‘right now’? Clearly, the young duke knew what he wanted and there was no doubt he usually got it as well, whatever it may be. She had been like that once, Yassia realized, and maybe she would be again, once she had been restored as heir and owner to the Dyfrène Holding. She didn’t harbor much hope her setbacks would have changed her much, after all, right now she was only lacking the opportunities to get everything she wanted. She hadn’t lied about her fighting spirit though, it was the reason she was here right now, after all. Regrouping and collecting new forces, that was her plan for now, and it eventually would lead somewhere. All she needed was a good plan to counter Guifré’s and Stephane’s viciousness and lack of scruples.

"So consider yourself warned, and may the best man or woman win,"
Yassia gave a curt nod and mimicked his tone, when she said: “We have a deal, Sir!” Only a twinkling in her eyes betrayed that she was by no means being serious in her aggressive demeanor, even though an outsider might have surely guessed that. It was all part of their game, and Yassia was enjoying every second of it! There was no saying how long it would last, but she would not let that spoil her fun now.

One thing that surprised her about the young duke though was that he seemed by no means haughty. If not for his visit here, she might have bumped into him on the street and not realized at all that he was of noble birth, or used to much luxury. His words seemed genuine enough, and there was real excitement and gratitude in his eyes; he wasn’t just faking these things for courtesy’s sake. He was quite a mystery to Yassia, as she had never quite run across someone as intriguing as him. She’d like to get to know him better, maybe solve a few of those riddles that seemed to surround him like an aura – but maybe she was walking into his web with eyes wide open and would get entangled in another scandal? The reporters outside had reminded her almost brutally of her own vulnerability. Every picture told a tale, and as such every picture was money. Whether the tale it told was right, was of no consequence.
“Didn’t you feel like that when still here?” she asked, genuinely interested, even though she couldn’t refrain from teasing him for too long. “Or were you such a dutiful student.”

Yassia only gave a curt nod and a smile at their set date, since her uncle was within earshot now. She stepped back to allow the headmaster to take over from here, even though she hoped this would not be the end of their conversation. Well… there was the chocolate and then their talk later, right? So, what was she thinking, being all jealous of her uncle now getting his attention?!
Kay Griffiths gave a grumbling snort, a very significant sound for him. It wasn’t much, but it had an unbelievable variation of meanings, and Yassia couldn’t hope to ever decipher them all. Right now he seemed rather amused though.
“You always were good with words, Strathmore!” he said, letting go of all formalities now, as if the duke was still his student. “But I hope you remember they never had much effect on me. I have a mirror in my room, thank you very much. Just so you know, I will keep an eye on you now just as I did a few years back.” And with that he even waggled his index finger.

***

And a deal they had indeed. Bauer would be fairly surprised that Oliver got himself into a wager (other than with his guards) before he had even technically set foot into the school building. And once he finds that it was with the beautiful and charming young niece of the headmaster, Bauer would probably just roll his eyes. Oliver can hardly resist getting himself "involved" one way or another with a woman wherever he may be. What Bauer would probably be surprised with is the fact that this lady was not skimpily clad or fawning all over him like his previous exploits had been. Oliver didn't like to work hard to get a lady's attention. Why would he when his status would afford him anything and everything he wanted, even girls. But it seems now that he was exerting every effort possible to get this particular lady's attention. Bauer would be most interested to know why. Oliver may have told him about the unfortunate accident involving a lady, but he had not told Bauer that lady was Yassia herself. His friends and their own assistants had taken cared of things for him when he left Yassia recuperating at the hospital.

�Didn�t you feel like that when still here? Or were you such a dutiful student.�

Oliver only gave Yassia an amused grin at her question. He knew, of course, that she was just teasing him or was even merely being polite. He doubted if she was really interested about his life as a student at RAA. Even though she had accommodated him with as much courtesy as she could muster in behalf of her uncle, Oliver could see that she wasn't really as enthusiastic as other women who had been tasked to meet him. Or was she holding back? Or was she being only polite but was inwardly hating him to the core because of what the media had portrayed him to be, a womanizing, happy-go-lucky royal brat? Somehow, Oliver wanted her to really know him and not be biased by what is on the news. Somehow, it mattered to him that she knew the real him.

Genuine laughter rang through the air as Oliver listened to his former headmaster's remarks about him. He was thoroughly pleased that Sir Kay Griffiths was not treating him like some high and mighty state dignitary, but like a student. Oliver wouldn't have wanted it any other way. Again, somehow it mattered to him that Yassia was watching all this interaction, and Oliver hoped to give her a good impression of himself. "Don't worry, Sir. Rest assured that I have not spiked the hot chocolate with rhum this time. Your niece can attest to that. She had been with me since I arrived," he told him, turning his head and giving a seemingly conspiratory wink at Yassia.

He waited for them to lead him to where they were going next, trying as much as possible to contain his excitement both at tasting the school's traditional hot chocolate and at seeing the finished gymnasium. "Before I forget, your niece was asking what kind of a student I had been. I figured you would be the best person to answer that," he said as he gestured for Yassia to join him and her uncle. No, he wasn't letting her off the hook that easily just because her uncle was finally here. While Oliver liked seeing the headmaster after all these years, he also didn't want to lose sight of Yassia just yet. "Be nice now, Sir," he added obviously teasing. Yes, Oliver was starting to feel very much at home now. This was no stiff social function where he needed to conduct himself seriously. This was his old alma mater, he practically grew up here. He'd rather enjoy this visit and relive the memories and emotions of those fun times he have had as student before.

Read more »

. "The honor is all mine,"
Now that didn’t sound like his usual empty phrases as well, but it was not so much the lack of fake enthusiasm that intrigued Yassia, it was the meekness in which it was said – as if not HE was the superior in this conversation, but she was. But that, of course, was ridiculous, and she ought not to read too much into everything he did or did not do. What was it to her after all? Hmm… maybe the question should better be: what SHOULD it be to her, as it clearly had a greater impact on her than was healthy. Why couldn’t it have been anyone else donation this blasted ice rink to the school? Why did it have to be him, just as she was here? Yassia didn’t much believe in fate, even though she had done a few tarot card readings for fun back when still at the hotel management school. But this, this was simply too much to be coincidence. The question now was: who was the scene writer of this play and what were his intentions?

He seemed to catch himself quickly again though, since his next remark was as lighthearted and slightly silly as you could get. They had strayed far from protocol long since, but Yassia found she enjoyed the banter they had been starting. It had been long since she last had found a willing counterpart for wit-games and she just couldn’t deny herself the fun of giving everything back to him to her best abilities. “You can try, Sir, of course, but I’ve been in fact known to hold tight to what I think is mine!” she teased, winking. “Simple prying won’t do, and you’d have to think up a LOT of good arguments to convince me to let go. So”, she made a dismissive gesture with her hand, “hate to break it to you, but your efforts might be entirely wasted and in the meantime you might have lost YOUR chocolate as well.”

Yassia couldn’t quite keep an amused chuckle down as he showed so much feign relief for not being tortured with the usual ‘greet a duke’ ceremony. “I bet you’re being put through such things a lot!” she commented sympathetically. She had been a celebrity in her own home, but not the representative kind, having to constantly show interest in the meanest of things. No, her way had be clear, even though things had come entirely different in the end, with her father’s untimely death and the shabby intrigue spun by her uncle and cousin. She would have been the puppeteer, not the puppet led into a dance. But oddly enough it was not that that irked her most, it was the shady dishonesty the ploy had been worked with, and the stain that would remain forever on her family’s name.
“Oh no, I for myself should be honestly glad”, she disagreed with him, smiling and shrugging. “It is a welcome distraction from my everyday duties, and I’m sure most of the students think the same. After all, they’re able to miss classes and homework.”

"I perfectly understand what you mean,"
She wasn’t too sure what to think of that. Did he? Did he really? Or was he just trying to appease her. Well, judging from the yellow press, he’d had a good amount of scandals himself, and maybe he wasn’t so unfazed by them as he would like people to believe. Not wanting to push this topic much further, she just gave an uneasy smile and a nod.
His request took her quite off guard, even though she immediately understood what he was getting at. So now they were finally tackling it, their big secret. Yassia couldn’t help but wonder what he would want to say about the matter. Would he explain why he had left without a word? Would he ask for forgiveness? Or would he ask her to please please not tell anything about that to the press? Would he trust her so little? “Sure!” she said after a moment’s hesitation. “We could go into my office or something.” She had wanted to say more, but in this moment the lightning storm of picture-crazy paparazzi befell them, and instinctively, Yassia hunched her shoulders and was all too glad to be pushed inside. “Voltors!” she growled. “Vultures!”

Then Kay Griffiths, headmaster of The Royal Alexandra and Albert School, finally had pushed his way towards them, and took Oliver’s hand. “Your Grace, what a pleasure to see your face again! Welcome back to your old alma mater.” Yassia was always surprised how different her uncle could act with variating groups of people. To his students he was strict, almost inapproachable, as if he just didn’t know how to best deal with them, but when they returned as grown men and women, he knew his manners quite well.


***


“You can try, Sir, of course, but I’ve been in fact known to hold tight to what I think is mine!”

He had expected another retaliation from her and he wasn't disappointed. This is most definitely the only time in all his years attending inaugurations and similar events where he was having so much fun with the welcoming party, so to speak. Some would either go silent, while some would talk so much nonsense or with all seriousness that almost often bores Oliver. But never like this. None had been so bold as to banter with him like this.

“...hate to break it to you, but your efforts might be entirely wasted and in the meantime you might have lost YOUR chocolate as well.”

Now, who could resist such a challenge. Certainly not Oliver. "Oh, I have my methods in getting exactly what I want, and right now, my eyes are set on as many hot chocolate as I can get my hands on," he replied with an impish smirk of his own. He had never looked forward with such excitement to a cup of hot chocolate in his life until now. "So consider yourself warned, and may the best man or woman win," he added, his voice turning all serious and business-like. If anyone were to hear only the last bit, they'd think that the duke and the headmaster's niece were in the middle of a rather hostile confrontation where both firmly holding their ground and not wanting to stand down. Oliver was shamelessly amused by the mere thought.

When Yassia told him that he wasn't such an inconvenience to the staff and the school at all, he gave her a smile feeling like a heavy load had been lifted off his back. He'd rather be greeted as simply as possible than cause so many disruptions that would make them wish he hadn't come to visit at all. "That's good to know. I am glad I can be a valid reason for missing classes and homework," he replied with a wink and a wide grin on his face. No, there was no sarcasm there, just pure and simple delight knowing they are looking forward to his visit just as much as he was.

Of course, she would say yes. She practically couldn't say no to a request from a duke, could she? Times like this, Oliver was glad that he had his title handy. He didn't know what he would do if Yassia would avoid being alone with him. He just needed to get the proverbial elephant in the room out of the way. "Thank you," he simply replied as the frenzy of the media outside was already distracting him as much as the foreign word that came out of Yassia' mouth. Yes, he had noticed her speak in a foreign tongue earlier. It sounded like Spanish, but it wasn't. Now, Yassia was becoming more and more intriguing by the minute. "My apologies for that," he said quickly as he saw the headmaster make his way towards them.

"Headmaster, the pleasure is all mine...well more now that I am no longer your student," he teased laughing, as he tightly clasped the older man's hand before giving him a quick hug. It was truly a great pleasure to see his former headmaster still up and about at the prime of his life, manning the school with the same fervor and commitment as he did back in Oliver's time. The headmaster was infamous among his students as a strict disciplinarian, a no-nonsense man that you couldn't easily trick nor deceive. Oliver was quite a regular in the headmaster's office for his many shenanigans. But he was nothing but truly fond of the man now. "You haven't aged a bit, still as dapper as ever."

Read more »

Now that she finally was meeting him face to face, and the shock had died down a bit, Yassia found herself faced with a turmoil of emotions. Shouldn’t she be angry at him, above all? He had run her over, driving too fast on a dangerous and overview-impaired forest street after all – but then she had been darting down a slope towards the same road, coming from above like deer crossing, and so she held at least part of the blame. He had taken care of her to his best ability, getting her to hospital and making sure she was perfectly looked after – and yet had vanished without a word, without a name, without an address. Now that she knew him to be who he was, that made a little more sense, but it still was a poor excuse in Yassia’s eyes. What had he been thinking, if anything at all? That she would just forget? But now, as she had finally the opportunity to confront him with it all, she found she had no idea just what to say should she be given the chance. How should she react? Or would he be the first one to bring it up? Well, she had started out nice, why not continue this line a little further and see what happened? If he had such a bad conscience about it, he would mention it.

His next move might not have been so scandalous as the kiss on her hand, but it was as unexpected. Yassia’s eyes widened for a second, but then they sparkled in poorly contained mirth. Boys! Boys indeed! Give them the little finger and they will take whole hand, or even the arm if they were bold enough. But then, there was a twist in protocol that prevented her from declining, and he probably knew that as well. It was always the call of the higher rank. What they said ought to be followed, if there wasn’t a dead good reason to act otherwise, and of course she had none. Then again, did she even want to decline? As staff, she would have normally have to abstain from this cup of chocolate, as it had been arranged all for him. Now, there was the chance she had secretly hoped for… and more.
“It would be an honor, Sir!” she accepted, adding a genuine, slightly mischievous smile to her words to make them sound more honest and less rehearsed. He probably had to listen to lip service enough in his life. Lowering her voice again, she added: “and you save me an acute assault of jealousy, which can only be fortunate.”

Again, Yassia had to hide a smile as the duke now let the students pass before him. That sly fox! He was playing this game excellently, and she couldn’t help but want to play along to it, even though she realized the tools he was using. He was just disarming this way, and, where was the harm after all? If flirting with her would benefit the school more in the end, who was she to step back from it? The only thing making her slightly uncomfortable was the hand he had placed on the small of her back. It was not displeasing, no, that it was NOT displeasing was what made her so uncomfortable. Even though she was wearing her winter coat, she imagined to feel his hand through it quite warmly, almost flaming against her skin… a dangerous paths for her thoughts to follow…
Hastily, she tried to focus on his words. “Not a song, nor a dance, no”[/color], Yassia assured, chuckling. “But a group has been working on a little choreography on ice they want to present later. They’ve been practicing for months on the municipal ice rink a few miles away, sacrificing their free time. They are psyched to show it, so no worries.”

His question took her slightly off guard, and a shadow crossed her face for a moment as she stared forward, hoping he would miss it. “I know what it is like to be forced to something you don’t want to do, if that is what you mean. And I’m also no stranger to public humiliation. But that is beside the point of course”, she finished, working on a smile, hoping to change the subject.


***

For a moment there, he thought he saw hesitation. He could very well feel Yassia trying to calculate her response to his every move. He was hoping she wouldn't put so much effort into formulating a response just because he was a duke. He have had more than enough of people changing their actions and reactions towards him because of his title and not because of who he really is...a person. But of course, it cannot be helped. People know him as the Duke of Richmond and the heartless womanizer, and only a few of them know him as Oliver Leofric Strathmore, the crazy, fun-loving guy who really just want to be treated like an ordinary kid.

He had expected her to accept his offer out of courtesy, of course, but what he didn't expect was the genuine honesty in her voice. That impish little smile that accompanied it just made a mad frantic effect on the emotions inside him. He didn't know exactly what she just did to him, but he liked it. He didn't know what just hit him, but yes, he liked it very much. "The honor is all mine," he replied a tad bit timidly, seemingly out of character for him. She had completely taken him offguard with that smile and Oliver felt like he wasn't ready for it. Like all other women, he had expected her to be all coy and blushing about it, but no. She met him head on, and Oliver found that rather refreshing. He wanted more. "Jealousy? I haven't had a cup of the school's hot chocolate for ages. You may have to hold on tightly to yours or I might snatch it from you," he teased with a chuckle, enjoying this little time they were given. He wondered if they would have this same fun and light conversation had he stayed at the hospital and waited until she had fully waken up. He wondered what might have become of them if that happened.

He heaved an exaggerated sigh of relief when she told him there would be no song or dance numbers, and felt genuinely interested when she told him the students were preparing some presentation for him on ice. Now, that would be fun. "And I am now psyched to see it for myself," he replied as they finally piled into the school building after the students. "I hope this visit isn't such a hassle to you and to everyone. I don't mean to be such a disruption, but I really do appreciate all the effort that all of you are putting in." He knew he ought to save these words for later, to address to the students and to the staff of RAA, but Oliver just felt like he wanted to tell Yassia his feelings personally. Of course, he knew he would have to tell her uncle the same thing--and then maybe ask him a few more questions that are not necessarily related to the gymnasium or the school but about one particularly captivating lady that was helping him run the school.

Expecting an equally candid retelling of a fond childhood memory, Oliver once again was caught offguard by the sheer honesty in her answer. He couldn't help but feel the equal amount of intensity and pain that laced her voice when she spoke, and it made him turn his head to look closely at her. Beneath that genial countenance was a hurting person, and a crazy thing inside him made him want to reach out to her, to want to help her ease whatever it was that was casting that pall over her thoughts, to wipe away that gloom. She spoke of being forced into submission, of public humiliation, things that Oliver knew only too well living his own life. Her own dilemma was nothing as simple as being forced to sing or dance when you don't want to. It was something more. And it only made him ever more curious to know more about her. "I perfectly understand what you mean," he replied. Then a thought occurred to him, and he knew he had to take advantage of the moment. He stopped and turned to Yassia. "Would you be so kind as to spare me a little of your time later after the ceremonies? There is something of import that I needed to speak with you in private." Not soon after Oliver said the words, he felt a flash of light blind him for a split second, and he turned to see more than a dozen photographers, cameramen, and reporters now standing outside. The circus has finally arrived. Oliver gave them a small wave before practically pushing Yassia inside.

Read more »

It felt like walking into a brickwall – well, minus the pain, but the impact was the same. As soon as Duke Oliver of Richmond opened his mouth and spoke, there was no mistaking him, not in a thousand years. He had been indeed the man to run her over with his fancy car, and then… most of that incident was still shrouded in mist, as she had been half-unconscious at best all the time through until she woke up at hospital. She had beem getting in and out of sleep a few times and she had remembered his voice to be there at first, though what he had told her she couldn’t recall. And there was still one factor of it all she never knew to have dreamt or truly experienced. A short moment, just a wisp in time… where she had felt warm, soft and terribly sweet lips on hers. Even to think of it now made it hard not to blush, and most of his initial words when he spoke about his old school were lost to Yassia. She heard them, but she was too occupied to listen.

What did that mean for her now, she wondered. Would he even remember? She had thought to see a spark of recognition in his eyes earlier, and she only now could place it once she was sure herself. But then again, of course he would remember her face, you didn’t run people over everyday. There was nothing else to this of course… and she had been dreaming, delirious by the painkillers when she had thought to feel a kiss. Yes! Energetically, Yassia forced herself back into the present. She still needed to represent her uncle after all and she better completed this task to her best ability.

But then the most unexpected of all happened. In an instant, she felt her hand being taken into his, and instead of an informal handshake or anything she would have expected in the split second it happened, he put her hands to his lips, like she was a lady! It was a mixture of that and the sensation of his warm lips aspirating a kiss on the back of her hand that made her gasp in surprise – along with a great amount of the watching audience! – but she did not retreat her hand. Of course not, that would have been very impolite. Then again, a detached part of her mind thought, if this is how he usually ensnares women, then there’s no question of why he is so effective. That unexpected move really could make the strongest hearts falter!

And then he got even more personal, asking her with a low voice which side she had favoured, maybe to make her think he would follow her her lead for her own sake. But Yassia would not fall for such games, right? And it didn’t matter that she now knew him to be her savior… right?! “I’ve been playing it safe and howled with the pack, Sir!” she said with a little laugh, remembering that after the first mentioning of his title, a simple ‘Sir’ sufficed. “After all…” now she dropped her voice to a conspiratorial whisper as well, “ever since I’ve come here I disovered RAA’s self-made chocolate to be one of the things I could not possibly resist.” Was that bordering on flirting or was it still just being ‘nice’?`Yassia did not know, all that she knew was that the eyes of the whole school and the Duke’s entourage were on them now… and Yassia only felt self-confident in the spotlight when she knew what she was doing.

So she was glad it was the Duke of Richmond saving the situation from becoming awkward, in asking to lead the congregation inside, because of the weather. Immediately, a subdued cheer rose from young throats and chests and they started to shuffle towards the entrance that would lead them up the broad stairs towards the refectory.
“Of course, you are right, Sir!” Yassia quickly said with a thankful smile and then turned round to the already moving crowd. “Try to uphold at least SOME order, will you, nens I nenes!1” she called out rather fondly, then turned towards the duke again. “If you please would follow the pack, Sir, and I think there I see my uncle in the distance.” Shouldn’t Yassia feel relieved to have the responsibility of playing hostess lifted from her shoulders in the forseeable future? Then why was she feeling a pang of letdown at her uncle’s sight? Something must be going wrong in her brain today, there was no denying it.

1: 'boys and girls'

***

Oliver had to admit he had felt a bit let down when, upon seeing him, he saw no hint of recognition from Yassia. But as soon as he had spoken, he knew he saw something there click. Had she been trying to recognize him through his voice? It would sound understandable as she was mostly in and out of consciousness the last time. Still, Oliver was rather happy now that he had finally registered in her mind even just a bit, and that she didn't exactly give him the evil eye or anything. Of course, they were in public. She could very well claw his eyes out once they will be left alone. Oliver decided with mirth that he'd risk it nevertheless.

He ignored her gasp as those of the crowd when he pressed a kiss on the back of her hand. Trust people to expect him to follow rules and protocol. Not that Oliver was over and above rules, he just didn't find this one to his liking. Women deserved to be respected and treated well regardless of their status. Noble or not, Oliver believes that they deserved to be kiss in the back of their hands.

“I’ve been playing it safe and howled with the pack, Sir!”

She had been playing it safe indeed. At least, she didn't tell him it was none of his business. Oliver chuckled at the thought. Somehow, he was preparing himself for the worse of her reactions towards him now that she realized clearly who he was. No, not as the Duke of Richmond, but as her assailant or something like that. "I couldn't help but agree with you there," he echoed her sentiments towards the school's self-made chocolate. Then, he boldly decided to make the most out of her kindness and seemingly civil reaction to him. "Very well then, I would be most honored to drink the famous RAA hot chocolate with you." Yes, she didn't not exactly offer that he drink it with her, but Oliver just made it so. For selfish reasons, he admitted. And he even made sure a few of the students heard him so Yassia couldn't just as easily decline. He turned to look at his two bodyguards who had considerably stepped back to give him space. Two large and hulking bodyguards who would make formidable opponents on the court when they play later. He just won their wager when Yassia practically shoved RAA's hot chocolate down his throat. Figuratively speaking, of course. Not that he minded. He actually preferred hot chocolate over tea.

"I'll follow your lead," he told Yassia and made room for the students to pile on ahead. Yes, it was clearly a dilatory tactic on his part as Oliver was keen on spending as much time as he possibly could with Yassia. He had never expected to see her again after the accident. To have her here now, Oliver was going to exploit it for whatever it's worth. Her uncle can wait. He had been constantly communicating with him through emails anyway. "I hope you didn't go through all the trouble of letting the children prepare a dance or a song for me today," he teased, his hand resting on the small of her back as they walked in after the students. He would appreciate a presentation, of course, but then having been there himself once before, he hoped the school had chosen students who actually enjoyed doing it as well. Oliver knew he had to stop comparing his own experiences as a student to what was going on now, but he couldn't help it. He hadn't exactly come to visit like this since he had graduated years ago. Had he known that Yassia would be here, he should have probably come to visit sooner, maybe even oversee the construction of the gym himself. Of course, he was determined to make amends for what he had done to her. "I remember losing a wager once when I was a student. I was forced to join the a play for a visiting foreign dignitary. It was the worst torture possible." He didn't know why he was telling her these story. They just suddenly came pouring out, like a part of him wanted to share himself to her. " Have you experienced something like that?"

Read more »

Once again Yassia took a deep breath as the black limousine car – a jaguar by what it looked – came to a stop in front of the waiting assembled crowd. Now they only could wait for the Duke to step out, before any move could be made. Alright, calm down, Yass, you got this… she thought and tried to convince herself firmly. This was just another class in hotel management school, right? They had had such tests in the finals, welcoming an important guest to their hotel and treating him just like he best should be treated. She had always excelled at these kinds of tests, so why should she be nervous now? It was just one more of them, the location not being a hotel, let alone her own, but she WAS welcoming an important guest. That she might know the person was of no consequence to her now, it should not at least. The only thing she needed to remember was staying professional, yet friendly. Professional, yet friendly. She could do that, right?

Then the door of the car opened and the young Duke of Richmond stepped out, guarded against the cold with a long, black coat and gloves, and guared against possibly assaults with two shadows immediately at his side. Bodyguards… Yassia was not so sure what to make of that. She herself had had bodyguards over a few years, but she had always hated the fact. Rather than safe, she had felt trapped between two guys as big as tree trunks. But maybe he needed them?
Next to Yassia, a little girl of thirteen years had given a short gasp at the sight of the guest, and now she lightly tugged at Yassia’s sleeve, whispering: “He is quite remarkably handsome, don’t you agree, Miss Dyfrène?” Biting back a chuckle, Yassia impulsively put an arm around the girl’s shoulder and hugged her close for a second. How sweet was the innocent adoration of children! And Annabelle Morton just had a heart of gold hidden under the shell of a naïve and slightly spoilt millionaire’s daughter. She often missed her mother and have become one of those younger girls seeking comfort with Yassia, and she gladly gave it to them.

“I do agree indeed, Annie!” she said earnestly, not wanting to give the girl the impression her words were not taken at face value. And then, of course little Annie was right. Remarkably handsome… there was probably no better way to put it. The dark coat gave the young man’s golden locks a slightly darker and more sombre tinge, so that he now rather looked like a fallen angel rather than Gabriel incarnate. But then Yassia had lived too long in the world of glamour to not suspect that this was a desired and well-known effect the duke might even capitalize on. It was said after all he had quite a way with women…
Focus! She chided herself angrily, you’re not being very professional right now!
Before any awkward silence or hole in the protocol could occur, Yassia stepped forward and inclined her head. “Welcome to the Royal Alexandra and Albert School, Your Grace”, she said warmly. “Or shall I say, welcome back? My uncle, the rector, will be with you shortly, meanwhile he asked me to greet you in his name and once again thank you for the generous donation you made to this school, which will be surely enjoyed for years to come.”

Quickly, Yassia scanned the requirements of protocol in her mind, deciding on what next to point out. “There will be refreshments waiting in the refectory, if you wish, tea and hot chocolate, whatever pleases you.” Risking a a glance back at some of the grinning faces in the crowd, Yassia added, dropping her voice. “Between us, there is a wager held by the majority of the school’s populace, you would not decline a taste of RAA’s traditional selfmade Yule Chocolate, but then, like I said, it is your choice entirely.”
Only then, when her piece was said, the professional mood Yassia had automatically switched on wavered a little, and she found herself faced with her initial problem. Judging from just his looks, it could be him, oh well could it be him! But she would need to hear his voice to be sure… and maybe also catch a closer look at his eyes.


***

And then she stepped forward and addressed him. Like fire from a warm and cozy fireplace, the duke allowed her soft voice to welcome him to his old alma mater. Trying not to get too distracted by her disarming smile, he tried hard to pay attention to what she was saying, although really, he was simply enjoying the dainty way with which her lips moved and he wondered what it would be like to kiss them...as he did that first time they had met. Of course, she was mostly unconscious by then, no thanks to his rather reckless driving. He made a quick mental note to speak to her about it if the time permits.

"...tea and chocolate, whatever pleases you."

He was jolted from his trance when she mentioned refreshments. He had not expected her to offer so soon. And then she spoke of a wager and the school's famous traditional selfmade Yule Chocolate. How could he resist? No hot chocolate in the world could measure up to its delectable richness and warmth.

"It's good to be back," he enthused. He was tempted to address her by her name. Yassia Dyfrène. Yes, he remembered her name. But then, he was afraid to preempt anything now. He didn't know exactly how she felt about him getting her into an accident and then abandoning her in the hospital. As much as he wanted to stay and make sure she was alright, his duties as duke had kept him away. He had his friends make sure she was well taken cared of, however. "As for the donation, I am only giving back what my beloved school had given me in the first place."

Unable to stop himself, he boldly reached a hand out to take her hand in his and brought it to his lips. When he looked up, he gave her a small smile before leaning closer and dropping his own voice as well. "Which side did you bet on?" The wager was not a surprising news actually. Where did Oliver learn the habit of wagers after all if not at RAA? They'd bet on anything from horse racing to World Cup games to who gets the most detention. And the stakes were not exactly low. They were not usually money either. Most of them were favors, some still effective after they left school, like stocks to their family's company or free weekend stays at a world-class hotel overseas. Oliver was rather interested to know which side Yassia put her money on, or if she even put anything at all.

Then he gestured towards the school entrance. "My apologies if I sound rather rude and impatient, but I think we should not subject everybody to any more of this nasty December weather, don't you think?" he said with a smile. He remembered quite well what it was like meeting dignitaries when he was still a student at the Royal Alexandra and Albert School. Some had come to visit at a time just like today. He hated it. He'd rather be warm and cozy inside with some tea or hot chocolate. Oliver wouldn't want the same fate for these students whether they are truly happy to see him or not.

Read more »

To be honest, Yassia knew it was not the worst life she was leading now. It could have come a lot worse for her than helping out in her uncle’s business. Running a boarding school was not the same as running a hotel, but over the last few months, the task had grown on her, and also the students had. There were 150 students here, all of them boarding and staying here throughout the year, apart from the few holidays of course, and boys and girls alike. Those were the some of the highest up in England’s society, sons and daughters of millionaires and the occasional member of nobility – or even royalty. Which brought her back to a minor problem that had been haunting her for weeks now. Ever since she had heard from her uncle that the school was preparing for the visit of one of its ‘sons’, none other than the Duke of Richmond, she had been feeling like in a bad joke. That was just her luck, right? He came to celebrate the opening of his generous donation, a hall that would be an ordinary gym in summer, but could be transformed into an ice rink as soon as the temperature outside was cold enough to justify a not too great amount of energy used to temperating the hall. It was close to the Christmas holidays and since the weather was promising for such an affair, the ice rink would be inaugurated by the students and everyone of the staff who wanted. The whole school was abuzz with excitement, and even though Yassia felt more anxious herself, she couldn’t keep from smiling when she saw the gleaming faces of the students, practically bouncing in anticipation, dropping by to talk to her.

Momentarily, Yassia even fervently wished for someone to come and keep her thoughts from wandering into one particular direction: The reason why she had mixed feelings about the young Duke’s imminent arrival. Normally, it should have been nothing to her, just another celebrity’s face that may bring cameras and attention with him, from which she, if possible, had to hide and keep her head low. But maybe, just maybe there was something more to this. Yassia still couldn’t quite shake off the inkling that the same man who would arrive here with his entourage at any moment, could be the same person that had run her over with his car, brought her to hospital and then disappeared. She could not be sure, as all she remembered of that incident was a short flicker of a handsome face framed by golden locks before she passed out, and then, several times, a voice. A few weeks before, she had seen a slightly tell-taling bulletin in one of those tabloid shows on TV, and for a moment she had been struck with the though of her savior being that very same young man… but then, it could not be possible, right? It would explain his sudden disappearance, since they had shown the Duke on a journey to the continent where he should have done some beneficial sponsor work, but had rather been spotted in nightclubs and in company of skimpily cladded girls. Which was why Yassia wasn’t be sure if she even WANTED him to be that very same man. Oh well… until she heard his voice and saw his face other than on a blurred picture, she could not be sure anyway.

Then suddenly she was pulled from her thoughts by a buzz of excitement that seemed to just turn louder and louder, and when Yassia stood up and looked out of the window overlooking the courtyard, the large double-winged gate and a bit of the sloped street beyond, she saw the royal entourage sneaking its way towards the Boarding School. They were here already!
In the same minute, she heard a low growl, followed by a curse from the adjoining room, where her uncle’s office was located. “Damn, I’m not ready yet!! I can’t seem to find my tie! And where are my black shoes?!” Yassia suppressed a smile at her grumpy and, as usual, disorganized uncle, and called back: “Shall I help you search?”

”NO!” came the immediate, sharp answer. “Someone needs to greet our high guest! And I better have it be you than this fool Bricks! Go, hurry!”

Yassia was about to protest, but then there wasn’t any objective reason that was any good why she shouldn’t go down and greet the Duke in her uncle’s name. Normally, that would have been the task of Timothy Bricker, deputy rector of the school, but while he could deal well with students, he was an absolute nightmare for social happenings such as this. It had brought him the nickname ‘Bricks’, not just by the students but seemingly by everyone, because he dropped so many.

Biting back an exasperate sigh, Yassia hurried down the several flight of stairs into the courtyard, making her way to the front of the row of students, just in time for the first car of the entourage to pull through the gate. Hiding her trembling hands behind her back, Yassia took a deep, calming breath. She had dealt with high society before, all her life to be precise, she could do this! And maybe she was wrong. She would most likely be wrong; it would not be him!

***

"We have arrived, Your Grace."

Oliver, Duke of Richmond, looked up from the Game of Thrones ebook he was reading on his iPad when his assistant called his attention. He leaned closer to the window of the Jaguar XJ ride he was on, and smiled as he saw the all too familiar facade of his beloved alma mater. So many childhood and teenage memories had been created here, and it was one of the many places that the young duke hold dear to his heart. Hence, of course, his generous donation to the school this time. While he had offered money every now and then for the school, Oliver wanted a more lasting legacy. No, not one that would have his name written all over it. (He had vehemently disagreed to have his name inscribed anywhere near the new gymnasium). Oliver just wanted to give something back to the school and the educators who have molded him and have made his younger years spent at school totally memorable. The old gymnasium had seen its share of wear and tear throughout the years. He had spent most of his teenage years playing basketball with his pals there, and Oliver thought it would be a fitting gesture to give it a complete facelift--no, an extreme makeover so to speak.

And now, it was all ready to be inaugurated and opened to the students. Believe it or not, Oliver was probably just as excited as those lot peeking out of their school windows and gathering in the courtyard to try out the new place. Maybe in fact even more. He had only seen the plans of the gymnasium. He wanted to see it all for himself now. Maybe shoot some balls with the younger kids. And perhaps skate for a few rounds later in the skating rink. He had specifically made sure that nothing but top of the line, world class equipment would be bought for the gymnasium.

"Sire, remember, you have two hours here for a quick speech and a brief tour before we move on to your next--"

"Yes, Bauer, I heard it all the first time. I'm not a kid anymore you know," he said handing his iPad to his assistant and putting his gloves on just as his ride stopped.

"Sometimes you still are, you know," his assistant mumbled teasingly.

"I heard that," Oliver remarked with a playful smirk. Bauer was really more like an older brother to him that their relationship was more light and brotherly than anything. He had been taking care of Oliver since he was young boy, and Oliver had declined all other offers for a younger assistant. Well, he did have another one. Technically, he was more like his assistant's assistant.

"I got this, Ben," he told his driver as Bauer only shook his head with a smile. Oliver opened the door himself and stepped out of the car. The young duke was not really the type who wanted to be waited upon or the sort. He'd rather do things on his own if he could. His assistants, servants and bodyguards already have enough on their plate as it is. He pulled the black coat he was wearing tighter as a strong gust of wind howled by, and two of his bodyguards immediately flanked his sides as they made his way, head bowed, towards the group of students crowded around the courtyard. "Tea or chocolate?" he remarked randomly, which didn't surprise his guards at all.

"We reckon they'd offer you tea, Your Grace," one of them replied. The other nodded.

"I say hot chocolate. One day off for each of you, if you win. Otherwise, you play basketball with me later," Oliver countered with a playful smirk.

"You have a wager, sire." As it turns out, it wasn't exactly a random comment as it was a game that he and his bodyguards usually play before entering an event or something similar.

Oliver then scanned the crowd to look for the school rector or maybe even the deputy rector waiting for him, but none of them were there. A worried frown appeared on his face, hoping none of them were down with sickness with the weather being nasty and all these past few days. He noticed not one of them to be familiar...and then his eyes fell upon a young lady standing with the students, and he felt something instantly click inside his head. He remembered exactly who she was. Who could forget that beautiful face? He wondered if she remembered him at all though, the state she was in the last time they had met. Instantly, Oliver felt elated at the sight of her that it didn't even occur to him to wonder why she was in his old alma mater. It didn't matter.

Read more »