The Forbidden Romance CS AU

Chapter 1 - The Runaway

Emma's POV

My twentieth birthday is coming up and I am currently sulking in my room. I hate my birthday because that means that there will be a ball and that means there will be dresses that are way too tight.
Mother says that a princess should always wear a dress no matter what the occasion. So that's what I do, I have to please mother.
I particularly hate ball dresses, they are way too proper and really tight and revealing but at a ball there are princes and princes notice pretty princesses in revealing dresses. I have to please the princes.

Father says I have to be engaged someone of status before I turn 20 or he will pick one for me.
My 20th birthday is tomorrow.
I'm not engaged.
The thing is I don't want to look for a husband, they only want my money and my crown. If I marry one of them they become King, they control me because I am their property. It's stupid and this system makes me sick.

As you can imagine this is why I am sulking. I just had yet another argument with my parents about this and I said I will not pick a husband. They got to find true love on their own and I really don't understand why they are doing this to me. Mother says that her mother used to say these things to her but she died before she could enforce them. Mother says that this is what she would have wanted.

I am certain my parents are sending a letter to Prince Neal who they have always adored wanted me to marry. A few years back he asked for my hand in marriage and my parents said they would think about it when I was older, they gave me until I was 20 so technically it wasn't a lie but that's when they made up their minds should I not find someone before I'm 20. Which I wont now. I am sure that they are approving his request right now.
It doesn't matter anyway because his life will be a living hell if my parents make me go through with this marriage I will make sure of that!

1 hour later

I finally left my room after what felt like an eternity only to be confronted by my mother.

"Emma we know you don't want to marry yet but you need to keep royal blood in the family if you wish to succeed in your life. You're father and I have made a decision that you will be wed to Prince Neal a week after your birthday. We will announce you're engagement at the ball tomorrow night, and he is coming here now"

As she told me this I felt my blood boil. I knew this would happen but deep down I really thought they wouldn't do this to me. I had hoped they would let me find love on my own, just like they did.
I know when my mother looks at me like that It means there is no swaying her decision and arguing is going to make my situation worse.

"Ok mother" I said to her and she kept the same expression on her face as she walked away. She stopped about 5 paces away from me, "he will be here in an hour so put on something presentable and meet us in the ballroom," she didn't even look at me as she spoke.

When she was out of sight I ran back to my bedroom fully aware of what I was about to do. It wasn't a spur of the moment decision, I'd been thinking about it for a while.
I grabbed a satchel from my closet and stuffed some things I thought I would need in there: a full water canteen; one of the daggers I stole from the armoury; paper and a quill, in case I needed to write anything to anyone and a little bag of gems, just in case. 

I was running away. For how long I don't know, but I need to get away. Maybe I'll come back, maybe I won't.

I swiftly changed into a peasants outfit, nocking over a vase as I do so, grabbed my satchel and walked over to the window. Opening it I peered down. Nope too far and someone is bound to notice me. With that realization I slipped out of my room unnoticed by any guards heading for a new destination. I snuck into the kitchen and grabbed a few loafs of bread, stuffing them in my bag as I left through the back door to the kitchen that led straight into the forest.

Once I was out I ran as fast and as far as I could before I felt like I was going to collapse from exhaustion. I placed my bag down on the forest floor and sat by it listening to the sounds of the ocean lapping against the shore. 

Wait a minuet! The Ocean! I must be near the docks. That's one way out of the kingdom, a way my parents probably won't expect. It also meant that it will be a quicker way out. I picked up my bag and started following the sound of the ocean.

I reached the edge of the forest and started to walk towards the tavern where I knew people made deals to gain passage.

Suddenly I heard a voice behind me that said, 

"Well well well what do we have here"
I started to turn around but before I could I felt a sharp pain in the back of my head and then everything went black.

A/N: so a cliff-hanger. Who do you think has Emma and what do you think will happen to her?

I got a bit too exited about this chapter and put it up anyway I will try update next Friday or Saturday but I live in the UK so it may be a bit weird due to time difference.

Bye for now

-A