(jaylor au) clandestine meetings in beautiful rooms

Wreck My Plans

It's William...
The William. From last night.
"Oh, Elizabeth! And Joseph - welcome!" My mother says, wrapping her arms around her friend. My head spins towards her when I hear her greeting him - my William - by a different name. He just grins the same fake, happy grin that I've seen on my own face looking back in the mirror. Perhaps he is not William at all, perhaps... perhaps he lied. Perhaps he fooled me into believing him. I'm sure he had a reason for using that name - I would use another name if I could too if it meant I got a taste of freedom.
Will- Joe hasn't seen me yet, he's looking down at the ground, obviously with the same hatred for being here as me. He doesn't want to be here anymore than I do. Of course he doesn't.
He looks beautiful. If I thought he dazzled under the flickering lights at that forbidden place... then he shimmers under the sunlight.
"Joseph! You have grown since I last saw you!"
He just smiles, and I can tell he's grinning through gritted teeth, as I am.
"Please, call me Joe," He answers.
"I would like you to meet my daughter, Taylor."
I can see the flicker of recognition on his face, and he looks for me. A smirk reaches his lips, as he realises that I've discovered his secret, that his name that he gave me was false. I just give him a flicker of a smile, because out of the corner of my eye, I know Alexander is watching me. Idiot.
My mother gestures for me to join her, and it's all I can do but drag Joe away, to dance with him as I did last night.
I expect Alexander to let go of me and let me go to my mother but he doesn't. He walks me forward. Fucking idiot.
"Nice to meet you, Joseph," I say, not daring to meet his eyes. I curtsey and he smiles. "Or would you rather I call you-"
"It is nice to meet you too, Taylor." He cuts me off, humour in his voice. It's clear that he's finding this as funny as I am. No one knows the moment we shared, the fact that this isn't the first time we've met.
"And this is Alexander. He will be marrying my daughter very soon." The words send waves of panic through me. I don't want to marry him - not when he keeps me on a leash, not when he doesn't let go of my arm and instead holds on too tight.
"Would it be possible for someone to take me to my room? We have had a long journey." Joe says softly, and my mother laughs, clapping her hands together.
"My, what a wonderful idea! Taylor, you go and show him to his room! It will be nice for the two of you to talk, you haven't seen each other for so long. Of course, that is, if you, Alexander can spare her for a moment? Where is Claudia? She must accompany you both." I suppose that she thinks that we were childhood friends, not that I can remember. Memories from my childhood ceased after that day.
"Of course I can." He says, finally releasing his grip. I can tell it pains him to let me go, to see me with another man. I take satisfaction in his pain.
I don't like the way he does that. His grip is so tight, and I feel as if he is trying to control me. I don't like to be controlled.
"Let's go," I turn immediately, the moment Alexander let's go of my arm, and head for the hills.
Once we are away from our mothers, he laughs.
"You're right, he is such an ass."
"Tell me about it. What are you doing here, Joe." I say to him suspiciously.
"My mother wants to buy me a palace to share with my Fiancé. And I have my secrets, as I'm sure you have yours. How else would I be able to get away from it all?" he sighs. "I'm sorry for lying. It's just... you haven't been seen by anyone outside of your palace since-"
"I do not want to talk about it," I tell him, brushing a loose strand of hair behind my ear. I adjust the skirt of my dress, trying to compose myself. No one talks about what happened, why does he?
"Your dress is lovely. I'm sure it's a lot more expensive than the one you were wearing last night, by the look of it." He grins, and I look around, making sure no one heard him. Claudia, my chaperone, would have been too far away to hear his hushed whisper.
"You can't talk about what happened, certainly not within the walls of the palace. My mother is always listening. Now. How long are you here for?"
"Until my mother finds a palace that is suitable.
She's thinking of expanding our relations with America, and the first step in her plan is buying a palace. Your mother reached out and asked if we'd like to stay here until we've found one, so we didn't have to keep flying backwards and forwards."
I blush. "Is your fiancé here?"
"She is coming in a few days." He groans, running this fingers through his hair. "She had to stay behind help her father with something. Thank goodness. I hate travelling with her. He won't shut up. She's always talking."
I smile. "At least we can complain about these things with each other."
"I didn't even expect it to be you. My mother said that your mother had a daughter around my age, but I never even thought it would be you."
"I know! My mother never has friends over." I admit as I look out the window as we walk past, towards... everything that lies beyond.
"Your palace is so much prettier than mine."
"Really? I don't like it." How could I? I've known these walls and that is it. There is nothing beyond these walls that I could even comprehend.
"You feel trapped?"
"You could say that. I haven't left this palace since I was six... I mean... other than last night."
"I always travel." He tells me with a smile. "One day, you should come to London with me. Or you should visit my brother in Scotland, I think you'd love it."
"This is your room."
"Wow... it's very... blue."
"It used to be my room as a child."
"Interesting," He says, walking in and looking out the window. "The view certainly is pretty." He murmurs before turning and sitting down on the window seat.
"Claudia, you can wait outside, we'll keep the door open, I promise." I give her a fake smile, and the old woman stops outside the door.
"If I sit down, I fear I may never get up again," I admit as I sit down beside him.
"I'll help you up. So you've never left the palace?" Joe asks, and I don't even know how to answer that question, so I just nod my head.
"You're missing out, Taylor. There's a whole world out there that you haven't seen." Every country had to rebuild after the war. I obviously wasn't alive then, but my great great great grandfather fought in it.
Hundreds of years ago, It ruined the entire country of America, and the people in power decided that it was not going to work anymore. So, they split up each city and built castles and chose a king and queen to rule over that city. It has been that way ever since. Queens and Princesses were expected to wear corsets and fancy gowns while the poor people starved to death. I always give money to the poor, every year I donate thousands of dollars. But in a city so big, thousands can only go so far. My tutor once told me that a long time ago it was once like this. I remember asking her how they coped, they did to make things better. She told me they didn't and ended up executing the royal family. Those words haunted me ever since.
"Yes, I know." I sigh, and he turns to face me.
"I suppose that we need to prepare for tonight."Joe rolls his eyes, but I cannot shake a feeling that I haven't felt before.
"It isn't for two hours. Dinner is at six, it is only four."
"Will you be there tonight?" Joe asks me, and I smile.
"Of course I will. There's definitely no other way I'd rather spend my evening, that's sure." I stand back up and check my hair in the reflection in the window.
"I'm sure we will have the most wonderful time." He says sarcastically. I smile and he grins.
"I guess I will see you tonight?" I tell him, and he nods.
"You will." He smiled. Once again, I don't want to leave him. But Claudia is waiting outside, and I sigh before heading through the door.