I was going to ask what that childhood friend guard was even there for, but it's occurred to me that if this were a proper story, it would be far more entertaining to watch it from the outside.
See her silly villainess-practices and stretchy face massages while the prince is being an awkward doofus.
That said, this also relies on a brand of miscommunication I really hate. There's not enough to sell to me that the prince would think she dislikes him or vice versa.