Foreign Affairs ❥ lrh

Chapter Six: It Definitely Wasn't A Mistake

The ball continued on as scheduled for another forty-five minutes. Though, thanks to Prince Luke's escape plan, they didn't stay for the entirety.

Prince Luke had stuck around Violet at the table for a while, but not too long after he had explained the plan to get out, the Heir Prince had come over and curtly pulled him away. Then, Sage had gone off with the Duke and they continued dancing around the floor. Violet saw some of the younger women in the room lingered their eyes on the pair. The jealousy in some of their eyes was unmistakable. Neither the Duke nor Sage had paid it any mind.

So Violet stood alone at the table and watched her friends with great affection. She soaked in every moment; enjoying the last opportunity to be here in a Palace. Admired every detail. The golden fire light, the curves and ledges of the walls into the ceiling, the painted ceiling, the crystal chandeliers, the push and pull of the violin melodies... It would be impossible for this place and this night not to consume her dreams for the near future.

While she let her eyes wander around the room, she glanced occasionally near the doors to make sure she didn't miss her cue from the Duke. From her glances she could see that Prince Luke had disappeared from the ballroom and that Prince Ashton was engaged in a light conversation with his mother, the Queen. He was telling her that he was tired and on his way to bed, per the plan. Violet watched as Queen Lizabeth nodded and gave him a brush to his cheek and then a squeeze to his arm before he began making his way out the door.

The Princes were meeting in the Ancient Tapestry Room so Prince Luke could hand off his Royal attire and be just down to just more-casual dress clothes. Prince Ashton would then take his things upstairs and hand them off to staff as well as his own. There, he would grab winter coats for the two of them and take the staff elevator down the back stairs to the back of the garage where the limousine would be idling with the lights off.

The Duke, Calum, would flick the lights on and off in the Ancient Tapestry Room to alert Prince Luke that he needed to lock the door behind him and loosen the window to climb out. Since that room was on the far side of the Palace, he would be able to lock the window from the outside and wait up against the wall for a few minutes. All he needed to do was wait for the car to pull up and get inside without being seen.

Then, the Duke would pick up Violet and Sage's coats with them from the checking area; he frequently left events with more than one girl- it wouldn't raise any suspicion. The girls would be escorted out the front door where they would wait for the limousine to pull around once the lights were on, and the three of them could get in without the crowd spotting the Princes under their coats in the backseat.

As all of this was happening, Michael and Crys were to leave out the front with their coats as normal and the rest of them would pick them up a block from the Palace.

Prince Ashton assured everyone that the only person who would know the Royals snuck out would be Ronaldo, the driver, and that by Royal order, he would be breaking the law if he gave them up, and not to worry about it. His little smirk he had when he informed them was quite obvious and it gave Violet pause. She couldn't tell whether he was being playful or if he really relished in ordering people around just because he could.

It didn't leave her mind whilst she, Sage and the Duke held up their part of the plan. Her job was very simple so it was easy to multitask and think of both things at once. As charming and good-looking as Prince Ashton was, especially as he had been earlier in the week, something underneath was less than admirable. Over the course of the night, Violet had seen him poke and prod at Prince Luke almost constantly. Not that it fazed him, of course. But, that seemed to be a red flag in itself.

Was Prince Luke just used to being worn down all the time that he didn't even fight back? Or was it so consistent that he didn't even notice anymore?