Royalty

IX

A/N: Okay, I have two things to say. First of all, this is what I imagine Jack looks like <3 (obvs he doesn't wear a crown but it goes w the story lol). And second of all, I'm really sorry that it took me like a week to post thing, I've been writing a lot of other things recently. (Don't worry though, I have this whole story already written. I'm just editing it and posting it as often as I can)  

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He was late the next night. Really late. It was so cold out that I started pacing to keep warm as I waited for him.  After about an hour I put all the food back into the basket and sat on the empty blanket. It was already dark out, and it was getting colder by the minute. He would be here, he was probably just late. I laid back and looked at the stars as I waited for him. I waited, and waited, and waited. I waited all night. When the sun started to come up in the sky I realized how stupid I was being. He was obviously not coming, and now I was probably going to catch a cold. Why wasn't he here? He said he would be.

I scanned the path in front of me one last time, and then wadded up the blanket and shoved it in the basket. I had to get back in before someone came looking for me, if they weren't already. Today everyone was getting ready for the ball, meaning I had to let people get me ready for it. I was already dreading it, and now that Phil hadn't shown up I was in a worse mood. I stomped into the castle and dropped the basket off by the kitchen. Jack was eating breakfast when I walked by.

"Hey" he called to me. I stopped and walked into the kitchen. The staff was running around getting the food ready. "You didn't come back last night" he winked. I pulled out a chair and sat down next to him. I'd never sat in the kitchen before. "Have fun last night?"

"He didn't show" I mumbled, laying my head down on the table. "I sat out there all night waiting for him like a fucking idiot" Jack put his hand on mine.

"I'm sorry" he said. He sounded like he really meant it. I propped myself up on my elbows.

"'s fine. He was probably just busy" I was so tried I could barely keep my eyes open. 

"Hmm" Jack hummed in response. I knew that Jack didn't really like Phil, but I knew he would feel differently if he knew that he was my soulmate. He just didn't understand. I watched Jack eat for a minute. "Do you always eat in here?" I asked curiously. He looked at me with weirdly.

"...Yeah" he laughed shorty. "I always eat here" I frowned.

"Really?" How did I not know this? Jack shook his head at me, smiling.

"Where did you think I ate?" I paused.

"I guess I never really thought about it"

"You're really thick sometimes, you know that?" There was so much I didn't know about Jack. He was my best friend and I didn't even know where he ate every day. Maybe that's why Phil didn't show up. What if Phil told me that he wasn't coming and I just wasn't paying attention. Jack snapped his fingers in front of my face. I blinked.

"What did you say?" I asked. He laughed quietly.

"Fall asleep?" he asked. I shook my head.

"No. I was just thinking"

"I asked if you were ready for tomorrow" I sat back in my chair.

"Uh, no" one of the staff put a plate in front of me. I looked up in surprise. "Oh, thank you!" I said. She smiled and went back to work. I could eat in here? I started digging into my food. "Phil's going to be there though so at least it won't be awful" I said with my mouth full. Jack watched me with a mixture of disgust and amusement. I covered my mouth with my hand. "Stop looking at me like that"