A Royal Kiss

A Royal Kiss ♡ Chapter Four

can i just say that i don't like how i've written these first chapters, haha. i hope the coming chapters are better and more fun for you guys to read.

anyway... what are your thoughts on this story so far?

and have you read the crown already?

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The prince called Lentha's name. When she heard her own name, she turned around and looked at Elondri first. The way she looked at Elondri, like Lentha knew she was going to win. A wolf smiling at the lamb before eating it. (Look how weak you are.) And it was as if they had became rivals in that very minute.

But, Elondri knew this was going to happen. The chance was slim her name was going to be picked. And still she felt a kind of emptiness fill in her stomach that scratched her insides and stole a small piece of her heart.

And she felt also kind of relieved. Life in Fennley was uncertain, even in your own house you could lose everything. Some people plundered your home, hoping to have something for their own. So nobody actually closed their eyes. Elondri found sleep something to enjoy. She could dream and think and have the most beautiful things happen. Sleep was like a cure to the wounded souls.

But Elondri was used to the lack of sleep she was getting. She loved the tension, the tickles in her stomach when she woke up. She felt it all day. The tickles were a thrill of living. Everything could happen in Fennley, and everything did happen. And she would never want to lose it.

All in all, there were more things to enjoy with staying in Fennley than with leaving.

One of the things that was new to Elondri, was the sudden stares of her parents. They looked at her like she was fragile. She couldn't eat because of the tension filling the void in her stomach, so she shoved the three thin slices of bread from one side of her plate to the other. She wasn't really hungry, actually. A feeling she hadn't felt in a long time.

"I'm going outside", she said when she stood up. She took her plate with her where the thin slices of bread stared at her. She laid the plate on the countertop and saw how the bread bounced up and down before it lay quiet again.

She walked to the door and pulled on her coat. The black leather bag was dangling over her shoulder. But before she closed the door, she looked behind her. Her mother was laughing about something, a warm sound spread itself through the room. Her father patted Trynne's head with a loving gaze. Luke was telling a story and made big movements with his hand.

Only Jort was looking at her. His big blue eyes looked right through her. Elondri smiled a little and brought her forefinger to her lips. Jort grinned but looked quickly to his plate after. An invisible gladness spread itself over his face.

Elondri turned back around to the plate. Before she realized, she was already outside and walked through the small alleyway on her way to the big street. The slices in her bag pounded gently against her arm.

For once she had a real plan, for once she knew what to do. Elondri knocked on the door and waited for it to open. A man opened. Once he saw Elondri, he called for Tara. It took a while for Tara to come, and she looked grumpy. But then her expression changed into astonishment.

"Elondri, is that you?" Keenan's older sister asked triumphantly. Her hands flew up to Elondri's cheeks and pinched in them. "What a beautiful lady you have become. Come in!"

Elondri blushed and remembered Tara used to force her into helping her clean, otherwise she would 'tell her mom'. Maybe people could change. She closed the door behind her and walked inside.

Tara worked a few streets away. She was an actor just like Keenan, only she wasn't that popular. Elondri heard she was directing her first movie here.

"Keenan's not here yet. He should come in a minute though, because he has the lead role and he can't be late", Tara said when she sat down on a big white stool and poured herself and Elondri some tea. Elondri decided to sit across from her, on the white couch.

"I'm not here for Keenan, actually", Elondri said. No, Elondri was quite happy Keenan wasn't here yet. She opened her bag and took out the slices of bread. One of them had broken into two, but the others still looked okay.

"I know it's nothing, but I really hope you would take these", Elondri smiled.

Tara pushed Elondri's hands back to her bag and shook her head. "Oh no, I can't take these. Your family needs it!"

Elondri knew Tara was only saying this because she wanted the bread. Who didn't want to get free bread? "No, it's okay. We all agreed on giving you." Elondri was surprised she could lie this easy.

"Oh well, if you insist on it..." She then took the slices with too much joy and made her way to her own purse. She grabbed a book, ripped a page and wrapped it around the bread. Elondri slightly shook her head and said she had to go.

Once outside Elondri smiled happy. If Keenan really was planning on ruining her life, at least she had his sister on her side. Now she only had to get home before she had to go to work.

On her way, Elondri decided to take the quickest route. Which meant she had to go past a few dangerous alleyways.

"I'm sorry", echoed through one of the alleys. It was a girly voice that seemed to be on the edge of crying. A dark voice said something inaudible before the girl replied: "no, I can't go. I love him and I can't go if I love someone else already." Elondri tried to keep walking, because she felt like she was evading someone's privacy, but she recognized the voice.

The voices were getting louder and when Elondri looked at her right, she saw a man and a girl with long blonde hair. The man had tall grey hair and broad shoulders.

The man pulled back his arm quickly and slapped the girl in front of him hard with his flat hand. Her blonde hair flew backwards and pulled her head with her.

After that, the man walked inside and left the girl alone in the suddenly small looking alleyway. The tears ran over her burning cheek. For seconds, she was doing nothing. Only staring at the iron door that had been shut with such force that the handle was loosely hanging. Then she burst into tears and slumped against the wall.

Elondri knew who it was. She didn't know what to do or what to say. It was Lentha.

Lentha pulled her knees up to her chest and let her chin rest on them. Her shoulders shook, as if they were dancing to music that only Lentha could hear.

Then she looked up. Elondri had accidentally kicked against an empty bottle. The bottle rolled against the wall and rang merrily. Elondri looked right into the eyes of Lentha and she didn't see the anger and the conceited look she was used to, she saw sadness.

They stared at each other for a while.

"Go away!" Lentha yelled. And the old Lentha was back.

"Are you okay?" Elondri tried.

"Do I look okay to you?!" she replied and stood up.

"Oh, eh... If you want to talk-" But Elondri was already cut off.

"No! Go. Away."

So that's what Elondri did. She turned around and continued her way back home.