A Jottie Romance - The Rosewood Chronicles

Chapter 23 - Regret

Jamie's P.O.V:

Jamie was seething. As they left the dining hall, he shot Ellie another glowering look. He was exasperated with the princess's thoughtless and imprudent decisions. He and Lottie were both doing everything they could to protect her, and yet she was simply messing around and taking everything light-heartedly, like it was all a joke.

And it was anything but. If he and Lottie got caught, the press would instantly be on to them and rumours would immediately spark. It would completely ruin what was left of Ellie's already dreadful reputation.

When they reached the Ivy dorms, Lottie and Ellie snuck him into their room as discreetly as possible. As he was a boy, he wasn't allowed in the girls' dorms, but over the course of the year, Ellie and Lottie had made several exceptions to that rule.

Entering the room, Jamie was always mildly amused at how differently the girls had decorated their separate sides of the room. Lottie's was bright, floral, pink and delicate, covered with soft pastels.

Meanwhile, on the opposite side, Ellie's was dark, black, striking and bold, scattered with posters of rock bands and movies. He also spotted, not for the first time, the framed photo of him and Ellie from a few years ago, placed carefully on her bedside table. He always wondered why it was the only photo she had brought with her from the palace to Rosewood, and why it was the only object in her room that was so attentively placed.

But now was not the time.

"Ellie. What did you think you were doing? Why did you almost give us away?" Jamie said sternly. He didn't raise his voice, but kept it cold and stony instead.

Ellie slumped onto her bed, smirking slightly. "Relax, Jamie. It was just a joke, honestly."

"A joke. Are you sure, Ellie? Because it could have led to your reputation being tarnished. Again." Jamie saw Lottie nervously fidgeting from the side of the room, trying to prepare herself for the storm that was brewing.

"Why do you have to make it all such a big deal?! Your just like mum and dad - always thinking that something bad is going to happen and taking everything so seriously. It's so annoying." Ellie rolled her eyes, getting irritated with her Partizan.

Jamie tensed. "Oh, I didn't realise you found it 'so annoying' that Lottie and I are constantly trying to protect you. That we signed our lives over for you."

"How many times must I tell you?! I DON'T WANT  YOU TO PROTECT ME!" Ellie leaped up from her bed, her arms flinging wildly in the air, that storm in her eyes again. The one that Jamie had always witnessed for as long as he could remember. "It's so wrong that you have to! You should be able to do what you like! It's so unfair; I HATE IT!" Fuming, Ellie ran her hand through her hair in frustration, her dark eyes narrowed, and her chest heaving.

She took a deep breath, regaining her composure slightly. "It's not okay that you two have to hide your relationship for me, or that you have to protect me. I don't want any of you putting yourself in danger for me! I just want the three of us to live a normal life, one where you can choose what you want."

She looked down at her feet, the familiar look of shame and regret on her face. "But we'll never have that; I'm a princess and I can't change that, not truly." Ellie slumped back on to her bed again, no longer in a relaxed and carefree manner like moments before, but tense and gloomy instead.

"Ellie," Lottie said quietly, walking over to the princess and sitting down next to her, "It's okay; we want to protect you because we care about you." Lottie took Ellie's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "You don't have to worry about us, and you should make the most of these years of freedom whilst you still have them."

Lottie looked up at Jamie, and he gave her a single nod, wordlessly telling her that she was doing a good job of calming Ellie down - better than he could ever do. She gave him a small smile, and held his gaze for a long time, before she reluctantly looked way and turned back to Ellie.

Jamie wished that she never turned away, and that they could gaze at each other forever instead.