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Acela POV

I lay my head tiredly on my pillow after a long and super insane day that I spent with the Queen- or Sora she liked to be called when we were alone.

It felt good spending time with someone without it feeling like work.. just like my mom.. it brought back a lot of happy memories of spending time with my own mother before she passed peacefully away after struggling for so long.

After helping Elizabeth and Sora set the ballroom with a handful of staff we finally got every looking magical and perfect for the Prince and Princesses birthday celebration. I can't wait for tomorrow. I mean I will be working but I can still enjoy the faces of those who see the hard work I put into the event. I spent my weekend off so it would be perfect.

I just hope I did everything well..

The prince and the king arrived early in the morning but I heard they left as soon as they arrived for royal duties. Must be hard to be a royalty.. the more I spend around the queen the more I understand how hard it is.. I definitely could not do it every day without being overwhelmed.

My mother always said I spent too much time in my head and not around people- although it is true.. looking after my mother was a full-time job and I never had time for friends or memories... none of that mattered, I only wanted my mom to be happy in her last years and that alone made me happy.

Now she's gone I don't even know how to be happy without her. It's hard being alone without anyone to call family..

I am thankful for Mason, Irelia, Kristin, and Mort. I've known them for such a short time but we've become really close friends during my first week here, I couldn't wish for a better group of friends... even as old as they are, they are the first friends I don't want to lose.

Wiping my eyes I look at the time. 9 pm, it's not even late and I am super exhausted but I really need to do my laundry before I sleep.

Groaning I get up off the bed, put my long hair in a ponytail, and undress into something more comfortable to walk down to the laundry room in. I grab my laundry bag full of clothes, lock my door and make my way down the hall.

It's so peaceful at this time of night, everyone is either working or sleeping... perfect me-time without any more curious stares.

I notice a headlight from a car driving up to the palace, I stand and watch curiously, it's so dark I can't see who is inside. Perhaps they are back from Romania? The King and Prince..

I hear distant voices as the car door opens and I feel weird standing here.. like a stalker or something so I decide to take one last look at the barely recognizable figures standing in the dark before I turn and head towards the laundry room, laundry first then sleep.

Ugh, what I wouldn't kill for my bed right now. I feel my eyes drop with every passing moment. Putting my clothes into the machine I set the time and sit on the seat and wait.

Mhmm maybe if I close my eyes just a little? No, need to stay awake.. cant.. can't let anyone find me asleep in here.

It's completely empty and quiet, the only sound coming from the machine I'm using. I groan rest my head against my arms on the table in front of me as I grab my phone, 9:25. I have thirty minutes left on my wash and I'm losing the battle with my eyes.

"Is someone in here?" A deep voice says and I jolt up from my comfy position as I rub my eyes and stay quiet, damn why did he have to scare me away from my almost losing battle of sleep.

I hear the footsteps get louder as I finally see a man's dark brown set of hair on the opposite of the stacked machines. I don't see who is it from how far away we are and I don't think they see me either.

My machine beeps and I look at the time, 9:55 pm..

Did I actually have a power nap in the laundry room? Oh god, Acela...

I move quietly to my machine and begin to unload my laundry but I feel a presence behind me that makes me jump out of my skin.

"Oh god, you scared me," I say as I hold my heart beating a mile per minute. I turn around and I'm completely frozen.

Prince Caelan is in the staff laundry room or did I sleepwalk to the royal laundry room? No that's crazy?? Is it. Oh my god, I don't know.

He isn't saying anything. Oh my gosh, he is so handsome, I think the pictures I have seen of him are actually the spitting image of the real him. His short dark brown hair is kept messy but looks perfectly kept, he has piercing forest green eyes that are looking straight into mine. He is very tan, from the sun? The king is the same.. they are wolves... makes sense..

Oh god, stop checking him out.

"S-sorry um, I was just leaving." I mumble as I quickly put my clothes back into my laundry basket as I hide my embarrassment and hot face from his gaze.

WHY IS HE NOT SAYING ANYTHING!

Oh god, is it possible to die from awkward silence? Just pack quickly Acela so you can sleep. Yep sleep. Think about sleep and not the incredibly attractive Prince standing next to me watching me intensely.

I turn to leave awkwardly avoiding his gaze as I try to picture him not in the room, it somehow calms my nerves and heartbeat focusing on that.

I open the door to leave but a large tan hand stops me as his stand holds the door for me but not all the way. I turn to look at him but that was a mistake, his eyes are glowing and he looks mad..

Whaaaaat what did I do?

Shit, what should I say?

He opens his mouth then closes it as he stares at me like he has seen a ghost. I know I'm pale and not that pretty but it is starting to bug me the way he is treating me and not saying anything.

He clears his throat then opens the door for me randomly after standing there awkwardly staring at me, now he is avoiding my gaze.

I bow awkwardly and leave with my laundry in my hands. I walk down the hall not looking back, as I turn the corner I hear his deep voice again call out to me as I almost trip from how loud he is being.

"WAIT, what's your name?" He yells at from the bottom of the hall.

My eyes go wide as I look around and no one else is here so he must be talking to me. I point to myself awkwardly and I see him nod.

"A-Acela Shaw sir, I-I mean Prince." I try to yell back but it just comes out quiet.

He doesn't say anything as he watches me. I swallow hard and grip my laundry as I bow the best I can holding all my clean clothes as I turn to leave the thick awkwardness of the encounter, I feel my face get super warm.

Omg omg omg.

I quickly make it to my room as I power walk there in record-breaking time, not turning around once as I quickly get inside and lock the door. My heart is beating wildly in my chest and my palms are super sweaty.

Holy shit. That was the Royal Prince...

I put my clothes on the dryer stand as I slip my clothes off to sleep, my heartbeat has slowed down a little but still beating faster than usual as I lay down in bed and close my tired eyes.

Wait why was the prince there? That was definitely the staff laundry room, did he need help and I just ran away? I feel the color drain from my face as I groan into my pillow.