The Prince That Got Away ( A Royal Romance Novel )

The Annoying Commoner

Seven Years Ago...
Louis's POV:-

It had taken everything in me to reign in my temper. First, that girl tried to take my picture without my permission. Now thanks to her I am in second place in my favorite subject in class. I should have reported her to the principal for her sneaky ways.

The school administration had promised my family they would do everything they can to ensure my privacy. But I had no proof and secondly, I had already gotten a teacher fired from his position not too long ago. Mother always told me I shouldn't come across as too demanding or entitled, lest it affects my reputation.

Reputation was everything in the Royal family especially in the case of someone aiming to be king. We had long since gotten rid of the system where the eldest would automatically inherit the crown. If the monarch had more than one child, there would be an election where the public would vote for who would be king or queen. In short, the more popular you were among the public, the greater your chances of one day sitting on the throne.

Right now my uncle Albert, the only surviving child of the Queen, was next in line. However, he was more likely to end up in the grave than on the throne. He was only in his early sixties but his love of alcohol had damaged his liver beyond repair. The Queen would probably outlive him. Which meant it will be me against my cousins. As a child, I used to feel both thrilled and terrified at the prospect. Now I just feel tired.

After the incident five years ago, I made sure to stay out of the media's attention. I couldn't afford another nervous breakdown again. But I was turning eighteen soon and I knew I would have to be in the public eye again. Mother was already getting impatient.

She would keep complaining about how much time was being wasted. Just last week she was glaring at the magazine which had my older cousin Rick on its first page. The guy was both a playboy and a pothead. Yet the media loved him because of his 'classic good looks' and his outgoing nature.

" You should have been out there, getting photographed! The only reason why people give a damn about this waste of space is because you aren't around to give him competition. " Mother literally had steam coming out of her ears.

" The old hag must be enjoying this! After all, sidelining you has always been her goal." She threw the newspaper on the table before she started sipping on her glass of kale juice.

In front of the Queen, Mother may have been the perfectly obedient daughter-in-law, but it was only a facade. My mother chafed at the amount of control the Queen exerted on her and her inability to do something about it. It was the Queen who told Mother to keep me away from any sort of media attention, saying she didn't want my mental health to be affected.

On the surface, it felt like she was just being a concerned grandmother but mother thought otherwise. According to her the Queen didn't want me to be king and wanted me to be such a secretive figure that the public won't want to vote for me when the time came.

Though the Queen only wanted me to stay away from the media spotlight till I came of age, my mother still thought it was a huge loss.

" Every year counts. The world has seen your cousins literally grow in front of their eyes. Who would they prefer you or them? You have now become a virtual stranger to the public. It's only a few years before your uncle and grandmother kick the bucket. Only a few years till the elections have to be held.This means you only have so long to catch up with the competition. "

We didn't live in any of the palaces. Mother thought they were all too old and appeared haunted. The palaces were refurbished often and fitted with the latest amenities. Yet Mother still complained that they weren't modern enough for her tastes. I suspected it had something to do with her not getting along with the other members of the royal family and wanting less of her mother-in-law's presence in her life.