Runaway Royal

Chapter Twelve

I turn around slowly, face flushing and body trembling.

"They're coming for me. I have to go."

Troy huffs out a sad laugh. "And I mean so little to you that I don't even get a goodbye?"

I blink away tears, trying to keep my face still, eyes trapped in his.

"I've already done enough to put you in danger."

He looks around at the quiet, white forest waiting behind me. Trickles of snow start to fall.

"Goodbye, princess." He sighs bitterly, turning back to his house to go back in.

I can't do this. Oh, I can't do this.

"Wait!" I call out, voice echoing in the snowy morning air.

Troy turns back around, looking at me half apprehensively and half hopeful.

"Listen," I tear off the hood covering my head, exposing my wild nest of hair to the snow falling at a solid pace now.

"All I know is that I've been running and trying to get away my whole life."

He looks away, eyes shiny with tears.

"And I honestly don't know if I was running away from something or towards something. Or someone."

He looks back up, meeting my watery eyes.

"What are you saying?"

I take a deep breath, filling my lungs with icy air. "I'm saying that as long as I've been running, I've never missed anything I leave behind, even if I didn't get far. But I missed you." Tears are slipping down my cold cheeks now, leaving behind trails of warmth and then stronger cold.

"And I love you. And I'm done running. And I know that my words can be shaky. I'm flighty and irresponsible and so helplessly in love with you, Troy."

Troy stares at me for a moment, rapid breaths fogging in this frigid air. Then he's in front of me, kissing my tears away and hugging me close. I want to stay in his arms forever and I throw mine around him, burying my face in his chest.

"So you'll stay with me?" Troy holds me back at arm's length to look at my face.

I nod over and over and laugh-cry my response. "Yes. Yes, yes. I will."

He lifts me up by my waist and spins us around, kicking up snow with his big feet as he does.

"I love you!" He shouts, scaring birds out of the bare trees.

I giggle and shout too. "I love you!"

Troy sets me down but keeps his arms around me, lips crashing onto mine. My hands find his hair, littered with snowflakes.

The unbridled joy bubbling up in my heart turns sickly and panicked when I hear noises somewhere in the snow. But I push it down and deepen the kiss, reaching up on my toes to be closer to Troy.

The panic returns when I feel the familiar sensation of horse breath wafting towards us, heating the frosty air. Troy doesn't notice until a snide, furious voice cuts through our perfect moment like a blade.

"Lovely. Very heartwarming. Unfortunately, peasant, she'll be staying with me."

I break away from Troy and my yell and the prince's order sound at the same time.

"Troy, run—"

"Get them!"

I'm torn away from him and he is tackled to the snowy ground by several knights when I am dragged far enough away.