A Royal Adventure [Ongoing]

Eighteen

I think things are going well until one particularly memorable London trip. It's getting closer to Christmas and so the days pull in a lot sooner and the streets are busy with shoppers and tourists. We weave our way through the crowds – the boys are insistent that we see the Christmas lights and as we get closer to them, the pavements grow even more crowded. It's difficult to make our way through, and I wonder where Gustave is, if he's lost in the crowd.

For a moment, it feels utterly freeing, like I could slip away and never be found, if I wanted to. But I don't. I stay with my friends, and know that he won't be far behind.

Suddenly, the lights are upon us and we stop to stand and watch them, soaking in the atmosphere.

So far, I love Christmas in Britain. I love the traditions and the celebration – everything except maybe the food, which is heavy and unfamiliar. It's cold too, colder than I'm used to and my friends laugh at my hat and scarf and gloves, which they don't' wear. Saunders doesn't even wear a coat. 'I don't feel the cold,' he said once, when I asked, which caused Penelope to tease him and accuse him of his fingers going blue on a school trip. But he denied this accusation. Whether it was true or not, I didn't know how he coped. I was cold in my thick coat, and all my various accessories. Henrik would laugh at me if he could see me, I knew.

We left the busy crowded streets where the lights were and headed in search of some food. It was odd that I had chosen that moment to think of my brother, because it was then when my cover was very nearly blown.

'Excuse me, your highness?' I heard behind me and I resited the temptation to look round and give myself up. I ignored the shouts, it couldn't be for me – could it?

Saunders was looking at me curiously. I was looking at the name of every shop and restaurant that we passed, seeking some distraction.

'Your highness, your highness, excuse me!'

The calls were getting louder and soon I would be unable to ignore them, like I was attempting to do now.

'Sushi?' I asked, glancing up at the restaurant that we were outside of. 'Good.' I darted in before any of them could question me. As I went in, I glanced behind and spied Gustave's familiar face approaching.

Charlie and Pen looked perplexed but they followed me in all the same. Only Saunders was stood looking outside as the shouts faded away into the crowd. I hoped that he hadn't seen Gustave and recognised him from school. 'Come on, you have to try my favourites,' I said tugging on Charlie's arm.

I felt like my eyes were bigger than usual, my voice breezier in a forced attempt to be light.

'There are some nutters out there, aren't there?' Saunders said, joining us at the table. His tone was light, but he seemed to be questioning me - accusing me. Gone was the light Saunders I knew.

'What do you mean?' I asked, selecting my first dish and not meeting his eye.

'I think you know.' He was staring intently at me, and I was glad when Pen squealed about something and distracted everyone's attention. But somehow I didn't feel like Saunders was going to let everything go so easily.

He didn't.

Later, when it was just us, and I though that the odd incident of the London trip was far behind us, he said, 'are you going to break Charlies' heart?'

I considered him. 'I hope not to.' And I left it at that.

Gustave wasn't happy. 'That was close Princess. Too close. I don't like it.'

And I knew that I was teetering close to the edge of the line, that my trust and protection was fragile, but I didn't care.

I wanted to live this life.

Not the one of a princess.