Alessandra continued staring at him as he so freely chuckled and answered every possible question she could ask. She felt blood rush to her cheeks, something that had not happened in a long time, as he mentioned that he would give her a hug. She didn't comprehend what she was doing until she grabbed his hand, stopping him from walking into the bathroom. She held into his hand as she scanned him carefully. She didn't hesitate to bring his hand up to her lips, kissing the inside of it softly. He did actually smell of chicken, but it didn't take her long to wrap her arms around him anyway.

''You're the worst best person to exist.'' She mumbled as she obviously held no intention of pulling back.

Adrian smiled as Alessandra wrapped her arms around him. He wrapped one of his arms around her and then lifted the other hand to stroke her head gently. It was far from the awkward head pat he had given her a long time ago. He laughed at her words. "The worst person to exist? And here I thought you missed me," he remained standing there, neither pushing her away or ordering her to release him. "You've grown frail. Have they not been feeding you properly?"

In a long time Alessandra was feeling relieved as he stroked her head gently. She felt the tears rush to her eyes again, and for the first time in a very long time, she let them escape free as he continued to hug her. She pulled back slightly, wiping the tears away. ''I said--You are the worst, best person to exist. It just means you're the worst of the best people.'' She tried to explain as she looked at him. At his next question, she glanced down at herself then at him. ''Honestly? Princess Hye Jin and Prince Adam made sure my life was a living hell. Only recently had Princess Hye Jin stopped bothering me.'' She said with a roll of her eyes. ''I could get killed for this, but believe me, you shouldn't marry her, prince Adrian. She is a snake. Prince Ada--'' She started out but stopped herself before placing any fault on his brother, as that for sure would get her killed. She stepped back and gave him a short bow. ''I can not wait to hear all about your journey, your majesty.''

"I am the worst of the best... what?" Adrian looked confused and then just decided to let it go. He reached up and wiped a tear she had missed. He smiled but then his face darkened at the mention of both Hye Jin and Adam. He didn't speak about it yet but he acknowledged what she said about the Princess. "I believe she is now bethroted to Adam. I have no intentions of taking her back," he said and then gestured towards one of the chairs in his room. "Do not wander off. I will be needing a hair cut and a shave after I bathe," he said and then closed the bathroom door.

Alessandra had caught the change of his expression at the mention of Hye Jin and Adam but made no comment. She nodded as he assured her that he had no intention of marrying Hye Jin, although that did not mean much, he could be getting married to someone worst, but in a way, she was relieved. She nodded again. ''I will be here.''She mumbled as she headed to one of the chairs and completely relaxed on it. Relief washing over her. After a few minutes, she started bringing out the scissors, the brush, and the tool she had once used to help groom the prince.

As Adrian came out of the bathroom, she got out of her comfortable seat once again. She smiled and mentioned for him to take a seat. Towering over him, she slowly ran the brush through hair. She giggled slightly. ''I didn't know you could grow your hair so long your majesty.''She said as she gave herself the freedom to run her hand through it. After a few seconds, she worked silently to cut and groom his hair like he previously wore it. After she was content with the hair, she worked on his facial hair. The close approximation had made her cheeks heat up, but she continued working in silence. After she was done, she made quick work to wipe all tools clean and organize them back in place.

She looked back at him with a fond smile. ''You too have lost weight.'' She commented before giving him a slow bow.

'Welcome back your majesty.''

"I'm afraid scissors and blades were not readily at hand where I stayed," Adrian explained as he let Alessandra groom him. He closed his eyes as he worked on her, unaware that his handmaiden had blushed at her proximity to him. When he opened his eyes again, he was himself again despite the obvious weight loss and the dark, tired circles around his eyes. He smiled and gave Alessandra a small bow of his head. "Thank you."

Alessandra raised an eyebrow as Adrian replied to her bow with a short one of his. That was new. She smiled. ''Do you wish to join your guests again now your majesty?'' She suggested as she mentioned to the door. ''Everyone had missed you terribly.'' She added.

Adrian shook his head. "They will have a chance to see me soon enough. For now, I would like to eat. I haven't had a decent meal since a week ago," his stomach rumbled as if emphasizing what he said. "Come. Join me. I believe you can use a bit of nourishment yourself."

Alessandra giggled slightly and nodded. At his suggestion, she shook her head. ''You seem to have forgotten the court rules, Prince Adrian. A handmaiden doesn't eat on the same table as the crown Prince.'' She said as she scratched the back of her head. ''Rules you have strictly followed before.'' She mumbled in confusion before flashing him a strained smile. She turned and opened the door for him. ''I hope you have not been mistreated though.'' She commented as she followed closely behind him to the dinning hall.

"Then perhaps I should command you to dine with me," Adrian challenged back. "I seem to recall that court rules may be ignored if the crown prince commands it," he cracked a smile and then chuckled. "I am just jesting. You should not feel obligated to join me if you do not want to," he clasped his hands behind his back as he walked towards the dining hall. "Mistreated..." he repeated in a low voice before he reached out and pushed the doors to the dining hall open.

Alessandra smiled slightly at his 'command'. She nodded with a slight giggle. ''Thank you for your kind request, your majesty, but I am afraid if I do so, I may get my head bit off.''She lightly joked as she then silently continued to walk behind him. She was confused as to what he had mumbled, but she let it slide as they walked into the dining hall. She stood behind Adrian's seat. ''Have a pleasant meal, Prince Adrian.'' She mumbled before excusing herself to let him eat comfortably, but she didn't leave the hall, as if Adrian would disappear if she left.

Hye Jin and Adam entered the dining hall and walked past Alessandra, both of them not bothering to pay her any attention. Adam had an awakward smile on his face while Hye Jin looked annoyed. "Welcome back, Adrian. We are all greatly relieved to have you return to us," Adam greeted. "I apologize for not greeting you earlier. Mother had been so ecstatic that I did not want to interrupt your reunion."

Adrian didn't look at his younger brother. He began eating.

"Welcome back, Prince Adrian. I, myself, was relieved that you returned. I had spent countless nights wondering what had befallen you that you could not return when you said you would," came Hye Jin's words.

When Adrian still didn't pay them any attention, Adam spoke again. "You have lost weight---"

Adrian cut him off. "Let us forego the pleasantries," he said in a controlled tone. He looked up, his fork poised over a piece of meat on his plate. His eyes first fell on Hye Jin. His brown eyes were openly unfriendly."You have already promised yourself to Adam, have you not? I shall not get in the way and give you my blessing to wed. I believe it is to be held in a fortnight?" he raised an eyebrow and Hye Jin visibly flinched. Adrian's brown eyes turned towards the younger prince. "I hope that my unexpected return was not much of a surprise for you," his voice was edged with an unspoken challenge.

"Of course not, what are you---"

Adrian didn't let Adam finish. "If you would be so kind as to leave me in peace while I eat?" he interjected a request but in a tone that was final.

Adam opened his mouth to say something else but Adrian had already turned back to his food. With an irritated frown, he turned on his heels and left. Hye Jin stood there staring at her once bethroted for a few minutes before she, too, left.

Alessandra heaved a sigh as Adam and Hye Jin walked in, ignoring her, and purposely made their way to Adrian. She watched the interactions closely: She almost giggled a few times at how Adrian was rude to both Hye Jin and his brother. In her view, they deserved it, and so, she silently tried to keep a straight face while Adam took a leave, soon followed by Hye Jin. Alessandra made her way closer to Adrian with a smile. ''Are you already making enemies on your first day back, Prince Adrian?'' She asked in a light tone before hesitantly letting herself take a seat on his right. She glanced at him before resting her elbows on the table. ''You really do not intend to take Princess Hye Jin back?'' She asked curiously in a low tone.

''Do not get me wrong. It makes me relieved as I have grown to not like the lady, but what are you thinking? If I may ask. You'll lose such an important alliance that way.'' She asked as she titled her head a little, unaware that she might be interrupting his eating.

Adrian glanced at Alessandra and a bitter smile crossed his lips. "Yes, I suppose you can say that," he agreed to her first question and then shook his head to the second. "I think perhaps the Princess of Gyeongsang would get along better with Adam than she would with me," he chuckled at his own answer. And then, he turned back to his food, leaving Alessandra's last question unanswered.

Alessandra pouted slightly in confusion, shaking her head. ''You really have changed your majesty, haven't you?''She asked, more to herself than to her Prince. Heaving a sigh, she gave him a fond smile. ''I hope it is positive change nevertheless, and that you are now more ready to take on the throne when it is your time.''She genuinely wished as she stood and pushed the chair back in place. ''I will be around when you need me, Prince Adrian.''She mumbled before giving him a short bow and walking off.

"I don't recall allowing you to take your leave as of yet," Adrian called out before Alessandra could leave. The tone of his voice was confident and arrogant, exactly how he sounded when Alessandra met him. When she turned back, he grinned. "Did you want me to sound like that again? I believe that can be arranged."

Chills ran down Alessandra's back as Adrian called out for her again. She whined slightly, angering him on his first day back was not her intention. Angering him in general was never her intention. She quickly turned back to him, surprised to see him grinning. She frowned in confusion as he asked her if she wanted him to sound like that. Alessandra quickly shook her head, holding a hand up. ''Do as you wish, your majesty. It was not my intention to walk away from you, Prince Adrian.'' She quickly corrected herself, unlike Alessandra a few months ago who would have given him a piece of her mind for playing her; She stuck to correcting herself rather than answering back to him.

''Do you need anything, Prince Adrian?''She asked, as she stood by his side again.

The smile on Adrian's face disappeared upon hearing and seeing Alessandra's reaction to what he had said. He made a face. "I did not expect you to turn meek and dull during my absence," he shook his head in disappointment. He shook his head. "No, there is nothing else I require. You may go," he dimissed her and stood up as well. He didn't eat as much as he used to and left his plate half full. He patted the handmaiden's shoulder as he walked past her and the disappeared out into the hallway.

At his comment, disappointment grew in Alessandra. She didn't wish to disappoint him, but she had been socialized to do that for the past eight months, it was the only way she had stayed out of trouble.

As he patted her shoulder, she blushed lightly as she gave him a small bow. That was so unlike the old Prince Adrian. Alessandra let out a sigh of relief at Adrian's come back, but she still wasn't entirely okay yet.

She walked away to her room.

"Well, it looks like you are not to be crowned king after all," Hye Jin's voice dripped with disdain. "But I have not lost hope of becoming queen. I will only need to convince Adrian to take me back. A marriage to me will still be useful to him and to WhiteHaven."

Adam looked distracted as he tried to figure out how much Adrian knew... if he really did. He looked at Hye Jin at the mention of her convincing the crown prince to take her back. He smirked at her. "You are only fooling yourself. You are mine and we will be married in two weeks. Adrian will never take you back."

Hye Jin laughed sarcastically. "Why would I want to stay by your side. You are not the heir to the throne." Her smile turned sly. "And you underestimate my capabilities. By the time the sun rises tomorrow, I shall be back on Adrian's arm." She turned away and left the room, leaving Adam staring after her.

The foreign princess' mind reeled with both anger and irritation. She stood outside the door of the room she had just exited and took a deep breath to calm herself. As soon as she had her wits about her, she headed towards Adrian's room.