Runaway Royal

Chapter 8

Kat awoke the next morning still on Chance's shoulder. "Good morning," he said. She looked at his face to see bags under his eyes from a lack of sleep.

"Did you not sleep?" she asked, rubbing her eyes. She started combing through her hair with her fingers.

"Nah, but I'm fine. Just a little tired."he yawned.

"Chance!" she snapped, "Why didn't you just wake me up?"

"I thought it was more important to protect the princess than to sleep myself." Kat groaned. "What?" Chance laughed, "Is it wrong to be a gentleman towards royalty?" he asked her, lightly bumping her with his shoulder.

"It is when they don't want you to." she answered, "Now go get some sleep. Now." she commanded, "I can take care of myself."

"If I'm forced," he played and she punched him in the arm, he laughed and walked over to another empty spot to lie down. He didn't plan to sleep, he still wanted to watch out for her, but just to make her happy. After a while of lying down he couldn't hold his eyes open any longer and drifted off.

As she sat alone Kat herd a noise from behind and whipped around to see what it was. She turned in time to see Thomas fighting his way through a bush. "Katherine!" he exclaimed, "A little assistance my love?" he asked, trying to shake his foot out of the bush. He was covered in filth with leaves all stuck in his hair, and if Kat knew anything about Thomas it was that he never got dirty.

"Why are you here?" she asked quietly, trying not to wake up Chance. "Right now you're the last person I want to see." she refused to spare his feelings.

"I understand you are upset with me my sweet,-" he was cut off by Kat as she began to get angry.

"Don't call me that!" she yelled, waking Chance who didn't move, just listened. "You kidnapped me, threatened Chance, and for God's sake, the only reason I'd ever marry you is over my dead body!" she yelled. She had cracked. She never meant to say that to him but after everything she had just been through she was done. Kat fell to her knees and cried. She cried for what she had said to Thomas, for her dead parents she never knew, for her adopted parents she left, and everything else. Chance stopped acting like he was asleep and shot to her side. Thomas finally yanked his foot out of the bush and fell to her other side.

"I know you hate me," Thomas began, dropping his proper tone, Chance looked over in shock. "But just know that I like you. In fact, Kat, I'm in love with you. For as long as I live I will fight for you, even in vain." he looked up at Chance. He knew Kat loved him, and he loved her, but he was determined to win her over. After a moment he ran off into the woods, leaving Kat and Chance alone again.

They sat in silence. Kat wept and wept into Chance's shoulder. Now she cried for the last thing on earth she ever thought she would, she didn't want to loose Thomas.