(jaylor au) clandestine meetings in beautiful rooms

You're A Bandit Like Me

Tell me about yourself.
"There isn't much to tell," I say quietly.
"I'm sure there is."
"Nope. There's literally nothing about me that you need to know." I am walking with my arms folded, and not daring to look at him.
"Well..." He starts. "I'm sure that this marriage will be a great alliance between our two cities."
I sigh. "I'm sure it will." The conversation doesn't really go past those short few lines, but I already despise him.

"That's it, Taylor. It has been decided. You are going to be married to Prince Alexander in three weeks." My father says, and my jaw almost drops down to the ground. No, this can't be happening. I don't love him - I don't feel a spark, I don't feel anything. Aren't you supposed to feel something towards the person you are supposed to be marrying? Of course you are... surely you are. That's what it's like in the books. That's what I should get too.
"What? That's not fair!"
"It might not be fair, sweetheart but it is how life works." My mother says, and I feel the tear slip silently down my cheek.
"It wouldn't be like this if I wasn't a princess!" I argue, even though I know that arguing with him, or my mother for that fact, is no use. I turn around and run out of the dining room, the sound of my heels on the tiled floor drowning out the silence. But nothing could drown out the sound of my thoughts, of the voice inside my head screaming at the tops of its lungs, no no no no no.
I don't want this life. I don't want to marry him. I want to marry for love, someone that makes me thrive, someone that makes me feel alive. Not someone that makes me feel as though I am wilting.
"Miss Taylor?" Abigail says as I pass her in the hall. "What is wrong? Can I help you? Is your dress too tight?"
"Nothing, I'm fine." That's how I deal with everything, these days. The only person I can truly rely on is myself.
"No, you're crying. Taylor, you can confide in me." She says, curtsying.
I stop walking. I cross my arms over my chest. "They want me to marry."
"The Prince that is staying here?"
"Yes. I mean, I'm sure he is a nice man but I don't love him! And I never will. He's rude to the servants, and he's just... ugh."
"Come with me." She says, and I can't ignore the mysterious look in her eyes. They sparkle in a light which they haven't before.
"Why?"
"Miss Taylor, you are just going to have to trust me." Trust? I'm sure I lost that years ago. When I learnt that there is no one on your side.
She leads me into my room and closes the door.
"You may leave," I tell the servants who are currently making my bed. They curtsy, and leave. I stand by the fire, my hands over my face.
"There is a place, Miss Taylor. A place where you can go, to forget. To dance and be...not a princess."
"What?" I say, scepticism in my voice.
"It's..." She pauses. "Come with me. Tonight."
"If my mother found out she'd kill me!" I hiss. Of course, she would, because a thing like that would destroy the family reputation.
"I'm not allowed to leave the palace without guards." Unfortunately.
"That is when you're a princess. Tonight you would just be a girl, going out with her friend."
"I don't know... I'm not allowed... and if anyone were to see me..." I pause. "And if anyone were to see you... you'd be executed!"
"It's better than being stuck in a life where you aren't really living." She says under her breath.
Maybe I could go. Maybe I could forget. Forget it all, for a moment where I felt free. Perhaps just a night of freedom would be enough for me.
"Face it, Taylor. You have no clue about life outside of these walls. You've never... really lived. Come with me, please. Let me show you where we go on the weekends."
She's not wrong.
"Okay, Okay. I'll go. But I don't have a dress that isn't... isn't... like this." I say, motioning to my dress.
"I can sort that. I will be back in a minute."
While she's gone, I pace around my room.
I'm getting married. To a man, I just met. And now, I'm going to do something bad. Something that could get me in terrible trouble. Who knows what my mother would do? My father, he could forgive me, I'm sure of it. He's always been softer than she has... but she would never let it go. She'd call me a traitor.
"Taylor? Honey?" I hear my mother call and I panic. What if Abigail comes back and she's here?
"Mom, go away." It's the first time I've ever said those words to her. Usually, I'll sit in silence as she talks on and on, whilst reminding me of my status, of everything I should be.
I sigh. "I just need time to get my head around all this. I'll get my servants to bring me my dinner here. I'll see you tomorrow."
"But-"
"Mom, just go."I hear her walk away and relax. She must know what this is like. She went through the exact same thing.
About two minutes later I hear the door open and Abigail walks in.
"Here," She says, handing me a dress that is certainly... flat. It does not consist of layers upon layers of heavy fabric like my usual dress, and even the corset doesn't have as much boning as my usual one. It's perfect. This dress is... perfect. I've never worn anything like it, not even when I was a little girl.