ROYAL ⥇ N. ROMANOFF

1.1

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

"And what of the Princess, My Lord?"

"To our knowledge, the Princess is no longer with us. May she rest in peace."

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

The night air was cold, biting at Eloise's exposed bits of skin as she traveled deeper into the woods. She knew what freedoms awaited her on the other side, the open seas that seemed to stretch for miles. Once she'd crossed the territory lines into Greece she would never have to worry about being found out and wrangled back into the palace walls ever again. From there, she would be able to make herself a new life.

Eloise knew the sacrifices, she'd probably have to sell her tiara in exchange for some money for food and other necessities while the few bundles of Konstinina's currency would be needed to be converted into Euros in order to buy her way across the Mediterranean.

She walked about thirty minutes more before stopping, sliding into the mouth of the nearest cave for safety. This would have to do for tonight, the rock walls of the cave would do its best to keep the wind from freezing her over while she slept. Pulling a thin blanket from the knapsack she'd packed, she couldn't help but wonder if anyone had noticed she'd gone missing yet. It had been long since sleeping hours had started and people rarely came in to check on any of the Princesses after they'd gone to sleep.

She listened as the wind blew through the tree leaves, creating a calming rustling that attempted to lull Eloise to sleep. If anything, she was too excited for anything of the sort. This was an adventure, something she had been lacking her entire life. Even if she got caught by morning she would still be able to say she felt true happiness for once.

She thought of her mother, Queen Consort Lydia Wilson-Dupree, a woman too proud to relinquish her maiden name completely but yet managed to bear fifteen daughters to a man that only wanted sons. Any sane person would have stopped after Margaret and the first set of twins, Alice and Grace, but three children certainly weren't enough. They had to keep trying for a son before they could give up with good conscience.

Julia was born shortly after that, and though Eloise was not yet born, she'd heard the stories. The Queen Consort yet again fell pregnant and birthed Kyrie, the Kingdom's resident Songbird, and after that, another set of twins befell the Royal couple. Ella and Isabelle were a handful, so their governess had said, but not as terrible as the triplets that came after. Lonny, Beatrice, and Cindy made the twins before them look like saints.

After the triplets, one would think that the King and Queen Consort of Konstinina would be ready to give up but no, they were determined. Olivia, Jessica, and Emily were birthed each a year apart. Then, the Queen Consort had fallen ill. Eloise stopped her train of thought, pausing the drawing of her family tree in the sand. She honestly hadn't noticed she'd been doing it, running a hand over writings as a way to clever her tracks.

She hesitated over the last marker, the one she had left unfilled. Carefully, she scribbled her own name in with her finger before running a hand over that too. Five years after her mother recovered from her illness, they tried again and had her. She was the youngest, which had been a blessing growing up. She was their father's favorite, though he insisted he remained impartial.

It wasn't until she turned sixteen did she realize that she was quickly becoming the family shame. She was supposed to be a boy, the reason why they had held off Margaret's coronation for so long. If she was a boy, her sister would not have had to step up as the Crown Princess and Prince Eloise (or Edward, as they had chosen) would have been groomed for the throne the second he could talk.