Runaway Royal

08

I toss and turn in my bed, not able to find a comfortable position. The blanket feels too heavy and hot, so I throw it aside and get off my bed. 

My head is too full of thoughts of my upcoming marriage, my birthday, and Tobias. I can't even escape him in the safety of my own room.

I throw my hair into a loose ponytail and wiggle into a sweatshirt. Sliding out of my room, I quickly rush down the stairs into the kitchen, hoping that I could get myself a cup of tea. The entire castle is deathly quiet, but I like the peace it gives at night.

I turn around the hallway, using the flashlight on my phone to light the way. I didn't want to turn on the lights and accidentally wake someone up.

"Hey." A hand suddenly grabs my arm.

A small shriek leaves my mouth as I jump backwards, almost tripping over him. "What the hell, Lucien."

I can barely see him in the dark but his lips curve upward in a small smile as he reaches out to steady me. Somehow he grabbed my phone in the middle of our exchange, and he handed it back to me. I turn the flashlight off and look up at him.

"You're so jumpy."

"I am not," I defend, stepping away from him and heading towards my original destination. "What are you doing lurking in the dark anyways?" 

His footsteps follow mine and he replies, "Couldn't sleep. Where are you going?"

I reach the kitchen and flick on the light, momentarily blinded by its brightness. "The kitchen, I want some tea."

He hangs around the door, with almost a shy look on his face. I don't think I've ever seen him so quiet and withdrawn. I'm not sure why he's following me around, but I don't push him for an answer. Instead, I pull out a new bag of tea from the cupboard, the top still sealed with a sticker.

"Rose tea? You really drink this?" Lucien reads the label, wrinkling his nose.

"Get out if you're going to insult my tea choices," I reply, pouring some leaves into my cup. 

He nods complacently and pulls out a chair, settling into it. I eye his movements warily.

"You... you want anything?" I ask uncertainly. It was like the situation with Tobias all over again. I have no idea how to hold a conversation with this boy. I was a lovestruck teenager for him a few years ago, but I thought he wasn't going to come to my birthday. 

His green eyes track me as I move to get the kettle. "No thanks." I'm slightly uncomfortable under his gaze, but I shrug and pour the boiling water into my cup. 

I take my warm cup and settle down into a chair across from him, sipping it gently. 

"Why are you here, anyways?" I ask him.

"Because I can't sleep."

"No," I shake my head, putting my cup down. "Why did you come to this ball? You aren't supposed to be here." His name was most definitely not on the list Vic and I had pored over.

Lucien gives me a crooked smile, but his eyes are dark. "Mother wants me to find another girl. Can't have the Vellucci's losing face, can we?"

"Good luck," I reply, "My mother invited everyone so there will be plenty of girls too."

"I don't want some random girl."

I sigh heavily, getting out my chair and putting my empty cup in the sink. It makes a loud noise against the silent night. "We can't always get what we want, Lucien." We are both stuck in the same situation, and there is no way out. A crown prince and a crown princess with no real power.

"Call me Luc."

I furrow my brow, sighing quietly. "What? Lucien, I don't know what-"

He's slumped down, head in his hands. "Just call me Luc again."

I don't know why he's being so difficult. I turn away from his piercing eyes under the dim light. There's something in his expression that I want to run away from. But I can tell he won't give up until I've said his nickname for whatever reason he has.

"Luc. I said it. Are you happy?"

"Not really," he admits. "I can't think straight. I wish we were children again."

I sneak a glance back at him. Something about him makes my heart beat a little faster even though I was almost sure I was over him. Maybe it's just my emotions running all over the place. Maybe it's because it's dark and he's staring at me intently.

"Just run away," I joke, "You don't have any real obligation here, you can find a girl somewhere else."

He suddenly sits up and gets out of his chair. There's a wild look in his eyes, and I step backwards. "Run away with me."

"What?" I ask incredulously. "I was just joking, oh my god."

He steps forward and suddenly, I'm face to face with Lucien. His eyes search mine and he grasps my wrists tightly. "Do you want this? An arranged marriage with a prince you have never talked to before?"

"Of course not," I exclaim exasperatedly. "But I can't just run away." The offer is tempting, but I wouldn't run away just from an arranged marriage.

"You can," he says determinedly, his grip tighter. 

I frown and pry his hands off gently. I don't know why he's so insistent, but all I know is that it's a bad idea. "Luc, I don't know what you-"

"When does your ball start?"

"On my birthday, the sixteenth. Why?"

"You can run away before."

"My mother would murder me before I step a single foot out of this castle. So many guests, so much preparation, so much publicity. It would cause a scandal." I laugh at the ridiculous notion. 

Lucien isn't about to back down. He slowly paces circles around the kitchen. "You can leave after. Get the big ball out of the way." 

"This is ridiculous," I say. "What would I do, once I ran away? There is nothing else in life for me. I've been raised to be this perfect crown princess, I can't survive anywhere outside of these castle walls, and my mother would track me down within a minute."

"Don't worry, Ad, I'll take care of the details."

I purse my lips and step out of the kitchen. "Why do you want me to go so badly?" I'm not sure if Lucien cares for my wellbeing or if he has an ulterior motive.

"Why do you want to stay so badly?" He counters, flicking off the light as he follows me into the dark hall.

I shrug. "Duty, maybe."

"Forget that. What do you want to do?"

"I..." I trail off quietly. No one had asked me that question in a long time. I think to Vic, who would jump at the opportunity to go to university and escape. But I didn't know what I would want to do. My mother shot down every childish dream I had. If there was one thing that I was good at, it would be my studies. "I think I'd want to go to college."

Lucien doesn't judge me, he only nods slowly as he contemplates my answer. "I can arrange that. When do you want to leave?"

"This is happening too fast," I mutter, "Where are we even going to go?"

"Do you trust me?"

I stare at him, at a loss for words. He was one of my best friends when I was younger, but I hadn't seen him in a few years. Lucien's eyes are earnest and I do trust him but I didn't trust my sleepy mind to make a set decision at three in the morning.

"I do trust you..." I chew on my lips. "I'm not sure if I want to run away, though."

"How about a week after the ball? You can decide that if this," he gestures around the hall, "is what you want."

I drag a hand through my hair and nod. "Okay," I agree.