A Royal Love: Matthew

Chapter two

It's been a week since Drake's death. Father and mother have already asked me several times if I'm alright and I always answer that I'm fine. I can't tell them that I'm lonely, I feel guilty for what happened and that I'm mourning over the death of my best friend. But above all, that I feel incredible powerless.

I'm lying on my bed. Normally I would sneak out to go to Drake. I take my phone out of my pocket and dial Will's number. I wait patiently for him to answer, but he doesn't and it goes over to his voicemail. I hang up and try again, no answer. I put my phone back in my pocket. I've tried to talk to Will, but he never answers. I've called every day multiple times, never an answer. I take a deep breath and stand up. I walk to my balcony and look at the city. Maybe I just need some fresh air.

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I walk in the empty streets. Hands in my pockets and head down. I stop when I suddenly hear a man. "Ouch!" I walk towards the sound and see a man on the ground. "Are you alright?" I ask him while walking to him and helping him up. "I'm fine, thanks for helping me." He says once he stands up. "What were you doing anyway?" I ask him. "I was just putting a flag on this building." "You fell from this building?" "Yeah, I did." "Then how are you not hurt?" He smiles. "Because I do this often." "Why?" I ask him confused. "I told you, to put the flag on the building." He points to the roof of the building. I look at the roof and see a flag with the letters R, O and F. "ROF? What does that mean?" I ask looking back at him. "You don't know what ROF is?" "Uh, no." "ROF stands for Rebels of Fariligan." "There're rebels in Fariligan?" "Of course they are! Life is unfair here, that's why there're here and why I'm one too." I look down. He's right, father wouldn't care if I told him about Drake.

"You think that I'm right, don't you?" I look back at him. "I know that you're right." He smiles at me. "Maybe you should join us then." "You don't want me to join your group." "Of course I do, I can see the fighter in you, you just got to let it out." "You think so?" He put a hand on my shoulder. "I know so." He takes his hand off my shoulder and holds it in front of me. "I'm Lorenz, what's your name?" I shake his hand. "I'm Matt." "Nice to meet you, Matt." I was about to respond but didn't when I suddenly heard gunshots.

"What was that!?" I said looking around. "That was the police that found my flags and probably some rebels. Come on, we need to get away from here!" He says and runs away. I follow him. After a while of running, we entered an abounded building. At least, it looked abounded. There were a lot of people inside and they were all staring at me as if I had a contagious disease. Lorenz walks to me and looks at me from head to toe. "You're prince Matthew?" "Yeah, I really don't like that name." "You tricked me!" "I did?" "You pretended to be one of us, but you're a royal!" "Two things. One, I didn't pretend to be one of you and two, I never chose to be a royal." I could hear everyone gasp from my last words. "You don't want to be a royal?" Lorenz asks confused. "Of course I don't. I can't live my life like I want to, I need to pretend that I'm perfect and my parents hate me." They all look at me in shock. "Come on, you didn't know that? I've always been an outsider at the castle."

"You always were, but that doesn't mean that you can be trusted." I hear a woman say. I look and see her standing at the entrance. She wears a tight black pants with a tight black hoodie, black gloves and big black sunglasses. You couldn't see her face and she'll probably won't be seen when she's out during the night. Everyone bows for her when they see her. She walks towards me. "So tell me, Matthew, why should we trust you?" "Don't call me that." "Why not, it's your name?" "That's what my parents call me and they hate me." "They do?" She asks coming closer. "Why?" "I just like doing things my way, which is never my father's way" "Your way?" "Yes, but my father always tries to control me." I smile a little. "But he and I both know that I'll never be the son he wants me to be."

"Why haven't you already called the palace to tell them about us?" I stop smiling. "I don't see why I should do that. You all want to change this country and it's not like my father is going to listen." "But we're rebels, you're supposed to get rid of us?" "I'm supposed to be asleep right now, I'm not doing that either am I?"

"Why are you hiding your identity from everyone here?" I ask her. "I don't want anyone to know who I really am until I feel save." "Save?" "Yeah, I don't think that your parents will let me go when they find out that I'm the leader of the rebels." "Yeah......They won't."

She looks at the others. "Go back to your usual duties." When she said it, everyone stopped staring and continued doing what there were doing before I came in. She then looks back at me. "Follow me." She walks away and I follow her. She stops walking when we're outside the building.

"So, tell me, why are you really here?" "I met Lorenz a while ago and we were talking when suddenly we heard gunshots and he took me to this place." "Are you going to tell your parents about us? About this place?" "No, I won't. I promise." She looks at me, not saying a word. I can't see if she believes me or not, because of her sunglasses. "Just go back to your perfect life as a prince in the castle." She says while turning around to walk away.

"No, wait!" I say while grabbing her arm. She looks at her arm and then at me. I don't need to see her face to know she's angry. I let go of her arm. "Sorry." "Don't ever touch me again." "I'm sorry, I just want you to believe me." "Why do you want me to believe you so desperately?" "I know my parents don't treat you like you should be treated. I've known that for a while now, but there was nothing I could do to help you. And now I can finally help by saying nothing to my parents." "Maybe you can help us a little more than just that." I smile at her. "What can I do for you?" "You can give us inside information from the castle." "You want me to be your spy?" "You can call it like that, yes." I stay quiet for a while, to think. If I do this, then I'll betray my family. But I'll honour Drake.

"If you want to think about it first-" She starts, but I interrupts her. "I'll do it." My family has betrayed me already so why won't I do the same? "Good." She says and hands me a small card with a telephone number on it. I take it and look at it. "Call when there's going to be an event which your parents will attend." I look at her. "Alright, I'll do that."

She takes out her phone and calls someone. "Lorenz, come to me. I'm outside the headquarters." I just look at her when she hangs up. I try to imagine how she would look without the sunglasses and the hoodie when Lorenz comes running to us. "You wanted me to come?" He asks her. She looks at him. "Bring him back to the castle." "Yes, my lady." He says and walks away. She looks at me. "Wait here, he's going to get the car." "Why does everyone call you 'my lady'?" "They respect me, so they decided to call me that." "But that's what servants and maids call Luna." "I know it's normally used in the castle, but I like it." We hear a car drive to us and both look to a black car that stops next to us. I see Lorenz sitting in the driver's seat, waiting for me to get in. "Well, I'll be waiting on news." She says looking at me. "Don't worry, you'll get it soon." I say to her and get in the car.

Lorenz starts to drive and I look back at her, she looks back. We both keep looking until we can't see each other anymore. I then look at Lorenz. "Have you already seen her without the hoodie and sunglasses?" "Yes, I have. Why?" "Just curious." We don't say quiet until I ask him another question. "What does she look like?" "I'm not going to tell you." "Why?" "If I did, then she wouldn't have to disguise herself, don't you think?" I look out of the window and wait to be back in the castle.