My Royal Runaway (ON HOLD)

PROLOGUE

P R O L O G U E 

"Well you certainly are quite the little trouble maker, aren't you, Ellie?" 

At the unexpected sound, I froze where I was, squeezing my eyes shut with both frustration and guilt as I heard light footsteps fall against the polished marble floors and venture closer.

"I do believe this-" I felt the item I'd recklessly stuffed under my nightgown minutes ago slip silently to the ground, "is mine now."

"It's not yours," I found myself grumbling out, my eyes flashing open when warmth enveloped my body and, somehow, my soul. "Emmett!" I squeaked in surprise when I finally realised that the young boy who had been taunting me, had wrapped his arms around my neck and crushed my face into his chest. "What are you doing?"

"Hugging you. What else would you call this?"

"I know that, dummy!" I pouted, wriggling my small body out of his arms. "But if someone sees-"

"Yeah, yeah. It was only for a second though," he brushed off my complaint with a cheeky smirk and winked at me in the moonlight with one of his bright, amber eyes.

"I just don't want you to get into more trouble because of me. You have duties, remember?" I softly continued, stepping back before glancing at him as he carefully stooped over to tenderly pick up the teddy bear I'd successfully stolen from his room.

"How could I forget?" he gave me a quick, awkward smile as he handed the stuffed toy to me. "You did well but you focused more on escaping than you did covering your tracks. Your unique...ability will only get you so far, Ellie. You need to work on making your scent invisible too," his voice was kind, yet harsh enough for me to understand that his words weren't to be taken lightly.

"It's easy for you. You're magic," I mumbled sourly, clutching the teddy bear close to my flat chest, swaying from side to side as I numbly stared at my pale toes as they wiggled in the subtle, silvery glow of the full moon.

"We both know you can do it too. Though I'll always be the best," he grinned and I rolled my eyes, my lips quirking upward at his arrogant statement. After a few moments of silence, I cleared my throat and looked up to him again, my fingers now cramping from how hard my grip on the stuffed bear had become.

"So...tomorrow, huh?" I carefully whispered, knowing how touchy the subject was for him.

"One hour, three minutes and thirty-two seconds," he nodded, his expression suddenly void of all emotion.

"I'm sure she'll be wonderful," I tried to encourage him, though when my voice broke mid-sentence I knew I was doing the opposite. "I-I mean, she'll be perfect for you, Em. She'll be pure and- and strong and- and-"

"Irritating," he deadpanned, his cold eyes staring straight into my own. "She'd only get in the way," I sighed when he repeated exactly what he'd told me a thousand times before. "Besides, I don't take over the throne until I'm eighteen; what's the point in taking a bride now? Most sixteen year olds don't even know what, or who, they want yet," he blankly stated, though his eyes weren't as harsh anymore. Then, with a small smile, he abruptly ruffled my hair and stepped away. "You should sleep, Ellie," he stated, turning to face the door he'd come through to find me.

"Do you know who you'd choose if you could?" at my question, Emmett wavered and I held my breath as I waited silently for his answer. Seconds turned to minutes and it wasn't until he shook his head with a frustrated sigh that I realised I had been counting them; hoping he'd just turn to face me again.

Four minutes, seventeen seconds.

"I wouldn't choose. I've met every girl in this kingdom and not a single one interests me."