ILLICIT AFFAIR | mileven

eight

"run away with me."

the four words that he whispered in her ear made everything instantly halt, it felt like she froze when she slowly turned her head to look at him.

the hands he had around her waist felt heavy, almost like they were sealed there like a wax stamp on a letter. her own heartbeat was far too loud, so loud that it almost felt like she imagined the words he uttered out.

"what?" she breathed out, her lungs feeling deprived of oxygen for no apparent reason.

he slowly pulled away with a wince on his face. "i didn't mean it in a literal sense, i can't just run away and leave my responsibilities behind — that would be foolish of me — but i want you to run away with me for today."

oh.

it felt like her world shattered even though it was her who got way too ahead of herself. of course he wouldn't mean for them to actually leave everything behind and start a life far away from the castle. why should he? he's the only heir to the throne, he must stay and he must rule — he wouldn't give that up, he couldn't.

she gulped, masking the unexplainable hurt away by averting her gaze. "and how do you think that should happen?"

"i've got it covered." he confidently said, wrapping his arms around her waist again. "father thinks i've left last night to make my way towards another kingdom for a visit and i'll use that to my advantage and sneak out today, along with you."

she furrowed her eyebrows, finding his plan not as solid as he's trying to present it to be. "if your father thinks you've left for another kingdom, won't he hear that you never got there? and i simply can't leave the castle, mike, even if the king and the queen wouldn't notice, lilian and maxine would be curious about my sudden absence."

"i'll say that i couldn't get there and had to return due to road being blocked by stones from the thunderstorm a few days ago. it's not a lie, lucas told me to be careful on the way because of it — no one will even notice." he answered, "and as for your two room companions, tell them you got explicit permission from the prince to visit the village today."

"hm?" she questioningly hummed, "and for what have i supposedly gotten the permission to visit the village for?"

he winked. "to buy new flower seeds for the royal garden, the prince trusts your choice in flowers."

she furrowed her eyebrows. "that's a stupid excuse."

"but it is an excuse." he strongly emphasized the 'is" of the sentence, "you don't have to answer that question unless they ask and i strongly doubt they will overthink it."

she sighed, running a hand through her hair. "very well but how do you plan on leaving the castle without anyone seeing? that destroys the entire plan."

he grinned. "you're underestimating me, eleanor. your little garden is a blind spot in the area and just further down from it, there's a way to get out through the forest. we'll ride away with my horse, calypso, down to the village."

she worried down her bottom lip, her brows pinched together as she left a little breath out of her nostrils. "that seems very dangerous — what if we get caught, what if someone sees us?"

there was a  tragic smile on his face. "we've been wandering on dangerous territories for four years, princess. aren't those the same questions we ask every time we're in the same room together? but i understand if you don't want to risk it."

she's been risking everything for all those years; risking her life by being with him, even in this very moment where his hands are all over her body in a way the prince shouldn't be touching a maid. they are the very danger she's afraid of — is this situation really any different than what they've been already doing?