Really quick, I'd like to give a shoutout to our amazing editor who is currently out of the country and still editing. Thank you, my man, you're amazing! Love you platonically :)
Nora walked through the halls quickly. She was going to the stables to ride. She loved riding, the wind blowing past her, her horse making jumps and landing them, that crazy adrenaline filled moment when they were soaring in the air.
Czeslaw's arms around her waist when they rode together.
She blinked at herself. She had to stop thinking like this. She had a fiance, a future husband.
One that was running around with a boy in secret. A secret she was told about openly.
Nora sighed, walking faster. That was her problem. She and Czeslaw have been flirting back and forth for months. Neither ever actually made a concrete move. Broken concrete is where they were. Close, but not enough. A near miss. Whenever they rode together, Czeslaw was the main rider, his arms had to be around her, but it still made her heart pound.
She entered the stable quietly, going up to her horse, Arya, petting her gently. She wondered where Czeslaw was.
"Daisy, please! I'll ride you now! Stubborn horse." she heard Czeslaw say
She went over as Czeslaw was mounting.
"Oh, princess! Hi, sorry. I'll go get Arya ready in a moment, Daisy just wants to get out a bit she's getting a little antsy from being inside so long." Czeslaw said
"Oh okay, take your time" Nora said, but an idea suddenly struck her "Maybe we could ride together?"
Czeslaw sat, processing a moment.
"If you'd like, sure, I'll go grab you a helmet" Czeslaw said, dismounting
Nora mounted onto Daisy, stroking her mane gently to not destroy the flowers delicately braided in. They weren't real flowers, but were amazingly realistic. Czeslaw came back and mounted behind her, putting on her helmet. Nora locked it in and they went off. Czeslaw held the reins tightly as they rode, his focus was intense. Daisy didn't seem as tame as the other horses in the stalls. Nora held onto the reins and Czeslaw moved his hands over her's.
They rode like that, they were so close. Nora couldn't take this. She needed something real.
God was she glad she was good at fake injuries.
As soon as the opportunity arose, she attempted to fall off the horse. The action was planned, calculated, but she didn't account for how tightly Czeslaw was holding her close. So when she fell, they both did. They landed on the ground, Czeslaw pinning Nora down. Daisy kept running through the track. They stared at each other intensely.
This was different. Everything felt different.
This was concrete.
Nora pulled him in for a kiss, he obliged. They sat up, pulling away from each other, staring once again. Czeslaw was the one to make a move this time, he pulled her in. The first step was finished. It was time for the rest of the mile.
"I'm not gonna get like, executed for this right?" Czeslaw said once they pulled away
"No, you're not getting killed for kissing me" Nora replied with a giggle
"Good" Czeslaw said "So, what is this? What are we?"
"What do you want us to be?"
"I'm not stupid, we can't be what I want us to be. I know that"
"It can be a secret"
"You're engaged"
"You're paranoid"
Czeslaw sighed in frustration. Nora shot him a smile.
"You'd be surprised how many royals have secret significant others" Nora said
"How many?"
"At least two"
Czeslaw laughed out, Nora smiled.
"Do you think we can really get away with it?" he asked
"Yes, and especially when I begin my 'guided riding practices'" she replied with air quotes
Czeslaw gave a confused look.
"It's riding practice with you watching and helping" she said, continuing when he didn't understand "which is an excuse so we can hang out"
"Oh- OH-"
"Yeah, now c'mon, let's pretend I'm injured so you can carry me to my dorm. We can hang out there for a bit, assuming you're done" Nora said
"Alright, one problem"
"What?"
"Daisy"
"Ah"
"I'll get her, princess, you stay there and keep looking pretty"
"That happens naturally, you don't need to remind me"
Czeslaw laughed and ran to go get the horse. After 10 minutes and Nora laughing mercilessly at him, Daisy was in her stall, and Czeslaw was carrying Nora to her dorm. They flirted quietly when they were alone for a moment, including in the elevator. But as soon as they made it to the correct floor, there was Fredrik. Nora's older brother.
~
Czeslaw was in a silent panic. The one day he was carrying Nora, her brother was here. If that wasn't pressuring enough, her brother was a king.
"Fredrik! Hi! You didn't tell me you were coming-" Nora said
"Who's this?" Fredrik asked
"Czeslaw, he works in the stables, I fell off Arya and got hurt, he brought me here." she replied
"Okay sure, I'll take this from here- Czeslaw was it?" he asked, taking Nora from him
"Yes, sir" Czeslaw said
"Well Czeslaw, sorry, but you've done that for nothing." Fredrik said, dropping Nora, in two seconds she was up, scolding him "Oh look, you're better, go to your dorm, we need to talk."
She sighed, but listened, mouthing 'text me'. Fredrik showed Czeslaw to the elevator, waving him off.
As he went down the floors he suddenly realized. He had no way to actually text her, but he wouldn't ask now. Instead he shoved his hands in his pockets and sighed. He felt a slip of paper in his pocket, he took it out. It read:
'Reach out when you get a minute <3
*+ (***) ***-****'
How in the fuck did Nora do that?
Czeslaw was left with a light panic, unsure what he was getting himself into.
YOU ARE READING
Mysteries & Royalty
General FictionA disgraced noble and a prince. Meant to be apart. One to be married. The other is to be secluded. Their want to be close battled by a social standard that forces them apart. They met by accident but would go farther than they'd ever expected. And i...
