Royalty comes with Pride

Chapter 7

The two froze with shivers running down their spines. Someone was looking for Yumiko and Luna and Zoë had apparently told this person about the runaway and who knows what else. Footsteps walked around the room for several minutes before the sound diminished, the princess got up to leave but was pulled back from the hidden doorway. "It's probably a trap, nobody walks around that loudly just before leaving." She looked at him as if she thought he was stupid. "I'm not that stupid, I want to know what they were told. You can come if you want but I'm finding Luna or suffering in the process."

The Prince was desperately trying to persuade her to stay but knew he couldn't stop her, nothing stops her once she's put her mind to it. And when she said 'not that stupid' it was all a lie, she has made very few stupid choices in her life and had been saved from worse outcomes by her brother. "I can't get you out of everything Miko, I'm not good with getting you out of things at the best of times. This person knows about your runaway from Zoe and Luna so heaven knows what else they were told." He was begging her not to leave, she knew there would be a time he couldn't get her out of a stupid choice but this one could be a potential risk of life. She knew how stupid he was and no matter how much she tried he would go after her, she was a little in shock when he let her be free from the castle.

"Oh Princess~ where are you~?" The voice was creepy and sent shivers down both twins' spines. "I know you're in here somewhere, I heard your brother talking to you~" The last part was more of a hiss than anything else. Spencer was given a scowl with eyes of terror from his sister who stood by the doorway. Footsteps got louder, it scared the princess back into a corner. Still louder. They weren't heavy steps, it was only echoed from the small room they were in. Closer and louder they became as the person walked around the library. Then there was a pause. The footsteps stopped and the two in the room shared a look of 'what do we do now'. Then the voice spoke again, "I know you're in a hidden room here, I saw everyone else leave but you and your brother. Come out and no harm will be done." Yumiko and Amir knew they were safe, nobody else knew this existed but the twins and the entrance was impossible to get past unless you knew about it.

Yumiko crept over to a cupboard which contained paper, pens and pencils. Removing a sharpened pencil and tearing a small piece of paper from a page she wrote down what she wanted to say. I'm going, you run while I keep them distracted enough before I can escape too. Don't doubt me this time, I've gained experience. He looked at his sister as if she'd gone mad but her eyes were narrowed as she waited for a response. Eventually, Amir nodded and her eyes lightened up again. She pulled him into a tight hug before raising to leave. Her hand wavered over the doorway and they both knew what risk she was taking. The doorway opened and the second a crack of sunlight was visible she was pulled away with a stifled scream as the only sound.

Amir didn't know exactly what experience she'd had with this, or if she even had any but had agreed to what she'd see a contract. If she made someone promise something and her request was on paper then it was a contract and couldn't be broken. He stayed a few minutes after she'd been taken, Amir had calmed down a bit before creeping out of the hidden room. There was no sign of the person or his sister so he left the room as if nothing had happened.

* * * * * * * * *

The following day Yumiko returned and nobody thought anything of it until her parents made it public that she had been recovered from her captor. Amir had been pressing her all morning to know what happened with the mysterious person who had put the guards on full duty for the rest of the month however she refused to speak of it. 

Time passed. Days. Weeks. Months. 

Amir and Yumiko had been speaking about what they would do if their parents found them other royals to marry. Amir, from much persuasion, finally told their parents about Damien and how he would refuse to be arranged with another ever again. "Amir- Son, are you saying you are in love with a boy?" Their parents looked like they'd just witnessed something unholy from beggars. Yumiko stood beside her brother, purely for emotional support but also if things got out of hand she was there to help her brother. "Amir, this is-" their mother was half silenced from the news but their father wasn't. "Son, are you sure? This boy is a criminal. A thief from the towns, yet you decide he's the one you love?" The thing that surprised the twins most was that their father either hadn't put it together that it wasn't a straight love or genuinely didn't care who his son was with regarding gender. 

"Darling, you do know he is talking about a boy, right? Not only is he a thief and a criminal but he is a BOY for goodness sake." The Queen seemed unsettled by the fact it was the same gender however was met with a scowl. "What kind of low-life do you take me for, I've assumed for a while there was something with him and girls that didn't fare well. I don't particularly care if he marries a girl or a boy but a wanted criminal with thousands of pounds on his head is a little disconcerting. It isn't that much of a problem if there isn't a blood heir." Everyone in the room was stunned into silence. The guards were hiding the gapes at the words the king said, some of the maids were frowning or scowling as they once or still did fancy the prince. The Queen was staring at her husband like he'd just announced a celebration in honour of a slice of bread.

"I- Father, I wasn't aware you would not care if I were attracted to the same gender. And yes, I am sure he is the one. He only stole as he had no source of income and nobody would employ him, he had no home, no money and nobody to care for him. It was his only option, to steal, I swear he is a good person at heart." Yumiko pinched his arm to make him think about the words what just came out of his mouth, he'd just said about things he'd only have known about if he'd been speaking to Damien for a long time and their parents didn't need to know that the two had been together for almost three years. Their mother was about to speak when an officer from the town entered. 

"Your Highnesses, we have caught the caught the great thief. We wish to request a public execution of the criminal."

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~1255 words~
Oooh, ✨romance✨