Love and Loyalty

Chapter 12

****Merry Christmas, my amazing readers!****

Chapter 12

As I packed a small bag of belongings, I realized how relieved I felt. I was free. It was only a small bag, and a basket with some food from our pantry. I thought about leaving a note, but I didn't want them to find me. But did they deserve to know why I was leaving? Yes. No. I didn't know. I didn't know what to do.

I started to write a letter to see how it sounded, it went something like;

Dear Father and Mother,

I've never wished to marry Prince Joshua, you never gave me an option and kept trying to force me to marry him. I don't love him and I never will, in a month, a year, a decade, a century. Never. Out of respect for my old kingdom, I could never marry the prince and lie to all of them, as well as Joshua. Their queen would be a liar, he deserves to marry someone that loves him the way I love Alexander.

Alexander is a man I met some time ago, he loves me, I love him. He is the sun to my moon, the light to my darkness, the flame to my candle. He is everything I've ever wanted for myself and I can't leave him.

I cannot leave the man I love for a man I don't feel for.

If you choose to disown me, you can go ahead. I have left to a place where you won't come after me. Don't come after me. I'm not worth it. I'm not the daughter you wanted, I know that. You wanted your daughter to become a queen.

But Father, Mother, that's not what I want. That's what you want. And I know I should obey and respect you, but just this once, I'm afraid I cannot. I'm sorry, but love does things to a person, I can't control my feelings. I can't control who I fall in love with and if you can't understand that, I feel sorry for you. Because if you don't understand, the two of you don't truly love each other unless you know how I feel.

I have found the person that I was meant to be with, and I will be with him, with or without your blessings.

Your Daughter,

Elizabeth

After I left it on the dining table, I walked out the door. I walked to the middle of town, and saw Alexander sitting there. I dropped my basket and bag, and ran over to him. He did the same and held my face gently before pressing his lips to mine. The warm and icy feeling I felt whenever our hands touched was the strongest it had ever been before when he kissed me. It was a fever, I was cold, yet I was warm.

"I can't believe this is happening," I said. "I'm finally free, with you."

"Let's go," He said, he carried my bags for me, even though he had two of his own.

We traveled on foot, we got out of town before sunrise, we ended up somewhere else that I hadn't been to before.

"Have you been here before?" I asked.

"Yes, it's a very safe place, the people are kind, there's always enough food. We could start our life together here." He told me.

"It sounds perfect," I said. I looked at the prince's ring, I felt like it was ownership of me. Like as long as I wore it, I was his. But I never was, nor did I ever want to be. "I won't be needing this." I took the engagement ring off, and threw it as far as I could. I couldn't see it from where I stood.

Alexander smiled. "I know a place we can stay,"

He grabbed my hand to guide me, the usual sensation spreading, and we walked towards a building, a sleeping man was at the counter. The place was an inn. It was small, about two stories tall. It was nice, though, and I wondered if Alexander had been there before.

"Stevenson," Said Alexander, ringing the bell.

Stevenson jerked up, and looked around, and then at us. "Alexander, my boy! What can I do for you and this lovely young lady?"

I turned a little pink, and Alexander kissed the top of my head, beaming with a stretched smile across his face.

"Would it be possible to get a room for a while, until we can work and make payments ourselves?" He asked.

"Oh, of course! I owe you my life after you noticed my drink had been poisoned!" Stevenson exclaimed.

I smiled slightly at Alexander. He was such a good person, every day I just saw more and more good in him.

"Thank you, Stevenson." Alexander thanked him.

"Of course," He passed him a room key. "You're upstairs, fourth room to the left."

Alexander nodded and we walked up the stairs to our room.

"You saved his life?"

"In a way," Alexander said. "I recognized the poison, and I told him. I thought maybe it was intentional, but he looked like such a happy person, it was impossible to believe he would ever want to kill himself."

"That was so nice of you,"

"But wouldn't you have done it?" He asked.

"Of course, I just know that, some people... wouldn't." I told him.

He nodded. We got to our room and unlocked the door. It was a nice room, nicer than any rooms in my house. There were two beds, a small room to use the restroom and brush your hair, clean your teeth. It was nice. Very nice.

"It's beautiful," I said.

He put our bags down, "We should get some sleep, it's been a long day."

I nodded, and Alexander got into the bed on the left side, I got in the one on the right.

"Elizabeth, you can come lay down next to me, you know? It's not against the law or anything." I pictured his smirk, because I knew it by heart.

But I didn't refuse, I was the most comfortable with him. I grabbed a change of clothes, instead of this ball gown. And closed the small curtain to change, and came to lay down with him. We faced each other, and he put an arm around me, bringing me close as possible.

"Goodnight Love," He said, kissing my nose.

"Goodnight." I whispered.

His dark blue eyes that reminded me of glistening stars in a night's sky were the last thing I saw before I fell asleep.