Summary: Princess Amberly begins her adventure in Gardenstone’s Homecoming ball. // The first chapter of my King!Luke fanfic.
Author’s Note: Welcome to Regnum, hope you enjoy! English is not my first language so let me know if there are any mistakes. Gif made by Sheisbea in wattpad!
Word count: 2,452
“… The paradisiacal view of Gardenstone is, without a doubt, one of its greatest attractions. With special mention to the Flaney Forest, the national pride full of ruins of the ancient world …”
The presentation brochure did not lie at all, if in mere images the forest looked beautiful and imposing I can imagine how majestic it would be to see it live. But for now, I could only do that, imagine the places that Gardenstone offered as the time passed since my arrival locked in a room.
One day passed since my picturesque journey from my kingdom to Gardenstone … my kingdom-to-be. I was traveling like a bunch of lobsters, the most important thing Maredale exchanged with Gardenstone, to realize the longed-for union between both kingdoms and in the process, marry someone I had not seen in my entire life.
I’m trained to be a strong leader but not arrogant, humble but not naive, and seductive but not easy, but something had been missing from the list and that was how to be a good wife. I knew how to run an entire country, but the heart of a man? Lost cause. And it was normal, with only 19 years it is not my fault to know absolutely nothing about the subject, more than the common and what I read in my romance books, of course. I kept telling myself over and over how important it had been to pay attention to my parents’ relationship when I was a child, maybe I would know how to start a conversation with my husband, was that important? Should I speak to him?
“Your Highness, I’m sorry to interrupt. Queen Susan has sent this maid to you.”
The guard’s words helped me get out of the spiral.
I nodded as I watched a freckled red-haired girl approach with a box in her hands that she balanced as she bowed.
“Good morning, Your Highness. My name is Lidia and I have come to help you.”
“A pleasure to meet you, Lidia. You can call me Amberly,” I smiled. “Excuse me, but help me with what, exactly?”
Lidia gave a little laugh, taking brushes and makeup from the box and placing them on the dresser; the only piece of furniture in the room along with the bed. I took a seat watching Lidia inspect my curly hair in the mirror.
“King Robert has organized a homecoming dance in your honor, Queen Susan seems to have convinced him that leaving you locked up until the coronation is done is not the way to treat a guest … much less if it will be our future Queen.”
“Future queen.”
The words echoed in my mind, realizing the seriousness of them.
Years ago, “The International Revolution” had been present, everything got out of control. There were no intermediaries, intentions to fix it, faith, or hope. In a world where more than 80% of the earth was uninhabitable, a scattered society grew up and far from all the horror; Lauxwell, Gardenstone, and Maredale; three kingdoms that from the beginning asked for their expansion. Lauxwell and Maredale boast coastlines and rivers, while Gardenstone lives in the middle of both. There was a deal to be made and everyone knew about it, two united kingdoms would cause the fall of the one who was left behind, it was fate. My mother, Queen Elizabeth, had made a deal with the Kings of Gardenstone where both kingdoms would unite, and eventually, Lauxwell must do so as well, leaving one of the kings’ children and me in command.
I watched Lidia place four different dresses on the bed, needing to ask her a question.
“Lidia, what do you think of the princes? Jake and …?”
“… Luke, Your Highness.”
“Yes, Luke … I’ve heard about both of them but I need to know more. Tell me your opinion, without fear.”
Nervous, the maid spread one of the dresses in my direction. Immediately, I went to change behind a curtain while she spoke.
“Well, if you want to know … Prince Jake, your future husband, is charismatic and reserved. Nothing like the brother.” She shook her head. “Prince Luke is an open book, predictable and, excuse the audacity, extremely spoiled. I’ve lost count of all the girls who claim to have been with him, your high- Amberly.”
I chuckled when I heard how Lidia spoke about my future brother-in-law. She wasn’t wrong; Prince Luke was handsome, his blond hair looked like pure gold, and his blue eyes weren’t far from a replica of the ocean, but his arrogant, carefree, and selfish personality made him look like the worst candidate for any throne, or so they said. It was curious to analyze the capabilities and goals that I possess compared to those of Luke, who despite being two years older than me, seemed to have practically no training as well as his interest in the crown.
“I appreciate your honesty, Lidia,” I said sincerely. “I haven’t had the honor of meeting them yet, but something tells me that Prince Jake is a good person.”
“He is, and you will be astonished when you see him. You’re ready, by the way.”
The dress she had given me was light pink; made of pure silk, short sleeves raised slightly at my shoulders that guide the viewer to the factory V-cut, and a remarkable length to the floor, without being floaty. This color highlighted my light brown hair -like my eyes- which reached a little before my ribs dropped in majestic waves - my favorites. I looked radiant, although I would always prefer to wear a pair of pants and a jacket on casual days.
Two knocks on the door made Lidia cross the room quickly to attend to it.
“Excuse the interruption, Your Majesty.” A rather formally dressed boy appeared. “Allow me to introduce myself, I am Hood, the son of the Diplomatic Advisor of the Kings, but to be honest, I think I am a bit of everything. The dance guests are here. The kings asked me to escort you to the ballroom.”
“Right away. Thank you very much for your help, Lidia.”
The maid nodded, a little taken aback by my thanks. Hood extended an arm and I reciprocated.
“So Hood… that doesn’t seem like your name, is that your last name?”
“You’re perceptive, Your Highness, I like it. It is my last name, my name is Calum but my father does not approve of saying my name. In the palace, I am best identified by my surname.”
I allowed myself to look away from the virtual paintings that adorned the halls, slowly reproducing old and new photographs of the royal family. Prince Luke looked happy in the older ones and there was no sign of him in the newer ones.
“… So I recommend you not drink the yellow liquid, it leaves a pretty bad mouth odor.” For a second I had forgotten that I was walking with Calum. “Any questions, princess?”
I opened my mouth to reply, being interrupted by some strong footsteps coming down the stairs at the end of the hall.
“There you are, Calum! I’ve been looking everywhere for you!”
A youthful voice was present, it was Prince Luke.
I allowed my eyes to roam his face. If I weren’t going to marry his brother, I would dare to think of his features as those of a Greek god I read so much about. So thin they were shocking. His blond curls gave a familiar air after having seen the queen’s hair, he had stopped at a point where the sun was shining on him, making the delicacy of the fabric of his white shirt revealing a little of his body. Suddenly, I was not surprised because he had many young women at his feet.
The blonde stopped when he noticed my presence. His demeanor changed radically and he became serious, his look bordering on arrogance.
“Good night… princess.”
His blue eyes peered up and slid boldly over my silhouette. My body tensed and the prince smiled when he noticed.
“If you allow us … Even if not, I honestly don’t care …” He laughed. If he hadn’t said that, I would have found him adorable. “I’ll take Calum with me for a moment.”
The prince tugged at Calum. I looked at the young man with concern, I still needed to know where to go.
“Follow the hall to the end, the door is open. See you later, Your Highness.” Calum indicated as if reading my mind.
"Thanks, Hood.”
I smiled walking past them with my posture restored. I regulated my breathing as I made my way to the living room when I realized that I had stopped breathing.
¥
The queen had wanted to mix the past of our world with the modernity of the present, starting with a classic giant chandelier right in the center of the room. Below, a circular platform with the thrones for the hosts of the evening. The people of the kingdom enjoyed the food displayed on a long table to one side of the room and the classical music that played in the background invited them to dance.
The sigh of someone behind me caught my attention.
“Oh! Nice to see you, Prince Jake.”
Prince Jake perfectly wore a suit that undoubtedly highlighted his arms, which looked strong and his spectacular form. Years of difference and experience showed in his handsome face adorned with a blond beard.
“Let’s not be formal with each other. We’re going to be husbands, after all, ”he suggested, extending his hand at the invitation of a dance.
I had a hard time knowing if his tone was friendly or serious, however, I took his hand and we began to dance.
“You’re right”.
“What would you like me to call you? Amberly, your highness, fiancée…?” Jake asked, this time clearly friendly.
I smiled.
"You can call me Amberly, Ams … My father used to call me Amber,” I said, too lost to notice that I had said it in the past tense.
“I heard about your father, I think he was one of the best kings the new world could witness. And he was very considerate in changing the laws to allow your mother to reign without him … Ams.”
My father had left my mother to take a year off, a year that lasted since I was seven. He left, leaving my mother in charge of the kingdom as the first queen to do it on her own.
I looked at my mother across the room. She was the older, talented, and brave version of me. She was talking with the King and Queen of Gardenstone using an air of born charisma and smiling. Our eyes met, suddenly I wanted to ask for the thousandth time the true importance of this union. But I couldn’t, it would be absurd, so I just smiled.
King Robert was a man with a fair complexion, brown hair, and a not very expressive face that was affected by stress and age lines, wearing a suit with insignia representing different achievements. Next to him, the flawless Queen Susan settled in a red dress noticeably longer than mine and long sleeves that her collected blonde hair revealed. Her air of excellence and at the same time warmth was incomparable, I felt happy with the simple idea of being able to exchange ideas, doubts, and advice with the queen.
The king gave his wife a kiss on the palm of his hand and looked at Jake just as the current piece was coming to an end, asking him to join him in talking with my mother.
"See you after my speech,” Jake apologized.
Queen Susan approached silently offering her arm, I reciprocated and we began to walk around the people in the room.
“You look beautiful, my dear,” the queen said, breaking the silence. “Sorry we didn’t have time to talk earlier, but tell me how are you handling all this?”
I had even thought-rehearsed the correct answer.
“It is new and certainly a little scary, but I am not closed to the advantages and possibilities that there are in achieving this union, your majesty.”
“It’s a real honor to have you here, I can’t wait to show you everything so that you will soon be queen, I mean it. But we can start with my son, what do you think of him?”
"I don’t know him well enough, he seems to be a man who knows what he wants and has good manners.”
The truth is, I just thought he was very attractive and I only knew what Lidia had told me before. What I couldn’t help was being curious about Prince Luke.
“He can be when he knows what he wants but he doesn’t know what that is yet. Hope you help him figure it out if it’s not too much to ask.”
I nodded. In an instant, the king was beckoning me from a table set discreetly in the corner of the room, Luke was beside him. He was holding the hand of a fair-skinned blonde girl who looked almost angelic in the white dress she was wearing. She might seem like a princess. Seem.
The queen followed my gaze and lowered her arm.
"Oh, don’t worry dear, go to the King. We´ll have plenty of time to talk.”
I bowed and walked over to the King and Prince.
“Princess, excuse me for abusing your kindness, I know that you have received war planning lessons since you were little and I thought I would show you this simulator. My useless son does not know what would be the necessary movement to attack this blue base.”
The king says indicating the piece in the center of the map. I began to analyze it, the king had three large troops occupied and two small ones unoccupied and the base did not seem large. Luke moved the two little ones to the base, getting a glare from his father. I looked at them curiously for a moment, was this a test for me or for Luke?
Regardless of the answer, I took a large one taking it to the side with a small one, and did the same with the ones that were left at the base, leaving them balanced. The king smiled and applauded.
“Wonderful! Very simple, isn’t it?” The King exclaimed, clearly annoying Luke.
"As simple as there is, actually.”
An unknown voice caught the attention of everyone at the table. The owner was unknown to me but seeing that raven-haired man move in my direction, I knew it was his intention to change it.
Extract: "His blonde curls gave a familiar air after seeing the queen's hair, he had stopped at a point where the sun shone on him, making the delicacy of the fabric of his white shirt show a little of his body. Suddenly, I was not surprised of the fact that he had many young women at his feet.
The blonde stopped when he noticed my presence. His demeanor changed dramatically and he became serious, his gaze bordering on arrogance. "Good night... princess".
Hi! Here´s the masterlist of my Luke fanfic, Regnum. You can also find the fanfic in AO3 and Wattpad (coming soon). Anything related to it can be tagged under #readregnum.
Author´s Note: Here´s the next chapter of my King!Luke fanfic. English is not my first language so let me know if there are any mistakes.
Word count: 1,801
Warning: Accident.
Introduction. Chapter One.
I had never seen the Irwin brothers in person. I could imagine them and quickly relate them to the cruelty of their father, Henry II. It was said that Maredale and Lauxwell were twin kingdoms because of their geographical location, but they were too different in their development. Lauxwell was a kingdom forged from cruelty, exploitation of its inhabitants, and the desire for destruction to achieve its construction. It was a rather chaotic kingdom and its leaders were not known to be friendly; but they were rich, a lot; more than Gardenstone and Maredale alone.
The coal-black hair of both stood out. Lauren's hair was long and matched her sensual silhouette, and on her left, Ashton was as strong and dominant as his features; but the real beauty in that man was his hazel eyes; and not to mention his green suit, both brothers were a magnificent sight.
“Pardon the interruption, your highnesses, your majesty-” Ashton spoke again, this time stepping forward. “My sister and I believe that a dance is necessary to introduce us to the new face.”
Ashton approached me in a bow that I reciprocated, took my hand and kissed it, pausing at my knuckles carefully to add: "What a crime it would be to lose sight of your beauty."
I couldn't help but blush, but with my future father-in-law and brother-in-law's eyes on me, I had to try.
I withdrew my hand with a little shame and it took me two seconds to remember my name.
“No problem, your…”
“...Majesty. Surely you know of my father's recent death. My sister Lauren and I rule Lauxwell now," Ashton completed, looking at Luke and the King sideways. “We still don't know who it was, but I can assure you that the guilty party will pay for it.“
As Ashton stood next to her sister again, King Robert indicated something to Luke with a serious face. The prince took his companion aside and spoke aloud.
“Are you insinuating something, your majesty? I recommend you to be clever and do it with a weapon at hand... “ With a sign, the guards handed him two swords. “It is cowardly to throw the stone and hide the hand.”
Luke began to roll up his sleeves, watching Ashton with an arrogant smile. Lauren's gaze met mine, indicating that she was afraid. Not for Ashton, for Luke.
Ashton laughed, grabbing a sword and admiring its edge.
Contrary to what I thought, Queen Susan and my mother took their seats without commenting on the duel that was about to begin. King Robert made eye contact with Prince Jake in the distance, but he did nothing to stop his son.
The people around us fixed their attention on that pair by opening up space, the violinists stopped and the bets disguised as whispers increased as did the tension.
“If I win," Luke spoke, "you will both leave the Gardenstone and never set foot here again for the rest of your lives.”
I waited for King Robert to interrupt him and contradict him, the prince couldn't do that. His Majesty did not flinch at all.
“If I win," Ashton followed him into position, "we have unlimited entry and stay at Gardenstone. Also, I would like to have the pleasure of dancing with Princess Amberly, if she agrees.”
My mother smiled approvingly, enjoying the show in which my company was a bet.
“All right," I replied to both of them. “I will add a condition since I have been put in this medieval act. At the first drop of blood, both of you must stop.”
They nodded, anxious to be able to throw themselves at each other. Luke imitated the position that Ashton had taken and once King Robert indicated it, the clash of swords began.
It was sad to admit, but I didn't know much about dueling. It had been centuries since it was practiced as a sport so I couldn't tell who was winning, but even someone like me with little knowledge in the art of dueling could notice the grace with which Ashton held on after each thrust and although Prince Luke didn't match him, he put his strategy into practice to try and avoid it.
Luke's sword grazed Ashton's side, tearing his green pants, without a drop of blood outside. Lauren moved over to my side, in comparison to me she didn't look at them in horror, it was fun for her to watch the duel.
“Your Highness, this is not the right time, but we wanted to give you this humble detail in the name of Lauxwell," she said, offering a necklace with an emerald hanging from it.
I took it and admired both the luster and the price. In Maredale it would cost a fortune to wear something like this.
“Thank you very much, Your Majesty," I smiled. “It is beautiful.”
Lauren smiled back. A roar followed by applause turned our attention to that pair.
Ashton had left his sword on the floor. He was sweating a bit and his hair was out of place. Luke was lying next to the sword with just a drop of blood running down his throat. The black-haired man offered him a hand but he refused, choosing to stand up with effort.
“You've gotten better, Luke," Ashton said, wiping herself with a cloth to make her look just as flawless as before. “Just... not good enough.”
The crowd resumed the event as soon as the violins started the next song, and just as he'd said, King Ashton offered his arm, gently leading me to the floor.
“Your Highness, how do you feel at Gardenstone?” He asked, swaying me to the music as if it were the easiest thing in the world.
“Comfortable," I replied, raising my hands with his following the dance. “I am afraid I haven't seen anything else than my room since I arrived.”
“Why not?” He asked.
We followed the couples who jumped and clapped before returning to the conversation.
“I can't, my wedding is... let's say it's coming up.”
“Can I call you Amberly?” He asked behind me following the dance, I nodded. “The truth is, Amberly, you should be exploring your future kingdom. You should be able to choose what your future kingdom will be. I should be in mine, waiting for you to arrive to consider my alliance and fulfill my destiny without the need to take up arms; but I don't. Do you have any idea why this is not so?”
I denied with my head, I had some ideas in my mind but his narration was entertaining and his eyes shone perfectly with the light of the chandelier bursting in his face.
“Because we have new opportunities, we create them," he replied. “I firmly believe that everything happens for a reason, there is always a reason.”
He was right, maybe I shouldn't have let my mother choose my alliance, maybe the alliance with Gardenstone didn't have to happen. Between three realms the possibilities were almost endless.
“The horrible things that people say happen in my kingdom, every single one of them... are true, I'm afraid," Ashton continued. “My father, my grandfather... my blood has taken care of it, but I'm different, I have to be.”
It was a very heavy promise to remove slavery and exploitation from a territory as vast as Lauxwell. Understanding how unrealistic it sounded to me, Ashton approached my ear and added:
“Fate has no power in the now, we do.”
Applause filled the room again as the song ended, and amidst the reverence, Luke was present again.
“I'll have to steal the princess for the next piece," he announced, taking my hands in his to push Ashton away.
“That's not…”
“I wasn't on the deal, it's my turn to dance with her," Luke interrupted, silencing any protest.
Unable to afford to be rude, I placed my hands around his neck and he grabbed me by the waist. A slow piece began to play.
“You're very tense, your highness," I mentioned in an attempt to begin a conversation with him.
“Good point, I certainly am. Although it's not of your interest," Luke noted the rudeness of her tone and added, "Princess.”
He made me blink a couple of times, it didn't make sense to ask for a dance with me and then behave so... rude.
“I'm sorry, did I do something wrong? Did I offend you in any way?” I asked in a different, more serious tone. “Because, as far as I remember, you didn't have time to be offended if you didn't deign to come to my welcome yesterday, prince.”
Luke focused on me, his jaw tightened for a few seconds and his hands clenched my waist slightly. Right at his royal pride.
“Do you think you're smart, Amberly? Do you think my brother likes that?” Luke asked, clearly going past the formalities. “Because if you think so, you are wrong and very much so. My brother doesn't need someone like you, my father raised him to run the kingdom on his own. You will only get in the way. And if that's not enough, I don't like you. I never will.”
I stopped dancing, standing up straight and with a threatening look (my favorite) I responded.
“I was also raised to run a kingdom on my own, and yet here I am, wasting my time with a complete brat. I ask you, your highness, to rethink who is in the way here.”
Luke, with surely a lousy counterattack in mind, was interrupted by shouts from all over the great hall.
The chandelier had fallen in the center, causing everything around it to catch fire. People began to run desperately in search of a way out, the guards helped guide them all to the southern garden through large doors.
“Princess Amberly, Prince Luke, run!” Calum took us both running for the exit.
“Where is the king?!” I shouted to be heard amidst all the noise.
A couple of guards led us to the side of the garden where the people of the palace and the town were splitting up to find the people they were looking for. Panic overcame me when I saw so many people scared.
Three guards surrounded us, a little further away from us was Lidia with several sobbing girls, even the blonde that Luke had brought with her, but there was no sign of the king or queen, let alone Jake.
“And the king? Calum, tell me you saw him, where is he?” Luke asked for answers.
A man who looked like Calum walked quickly towards us, the guards followed him with briefcases in hand. One seemed to take out a Bible and once in front of Luke, the man spoke.
Author´s note: Hi! Here´s the third chapter! English is not my first language so lemme know if there are any mistakes.
Word count: 2,902
Introduction. C1. C2.
The morning after the ball was quiet. The lack of Queen Susan’s joyful life was as strange as the King’s laughter and everyone in the palace could feel it. Even, though I only knew them for a short time. I remembered finding my mother talking on the phone with the Queen about nonsense to serious business matters, I was infinitely grateful to the Queen for taking my mother away from a couple of lessons.
Gardenstone has a particular way of saying goodbye to its loved ones: people would write a word describing such people on an acorn, they would gather and water them all over the forest. A nice old lady explained to me that different trees sprouted like the oak tree and when they grew up a person was also born with the written word in a way that reflected the impact you have on the world even after you die. She could assure me that people with good intentions would come out of the words of Queen Susan, King Robert, and Prince Jake.
“Fifty delivered and about… sixty more arrived.”
Luke nodded, tired. I left the piles of papers on the big desk in front of him and took a seat on the other side.
After he had been appointed King and after the farewell, thousands of petitions from citizens and nobles had arrived in the early hours waiting to be authorized. Seeing the load of papers, I offered to help Luke and avoid the collapse of my neighboring country. My mother decided to do the same on her own by talking to the dukes and duchesses who feared for the future of Gardenstone as it was justly uncertain.
“I slept for two hours… and everyone wants me to approve petitions, I don’t understand why.”
Luke had spoken more to himself, but that didn’t stop me from laughing a little.
“What’s so funny?” He asked, paying attention for the first time all morning.
“Of course they want you to approve petitions. They’re taking advantage. Since your father, may he rest in peace, is no longer the king, they expect you to approve everything he didn’t. But I hope you have not approved many, parliament will have a lot to discuss and it will probably be exhausting.”
Luke was stunned, looking for the right way to hide his inexperience.
“It’s parliament’s job, exhausting or not.”
“They wouldn’t give the same importance to every role and something important might be disapproved of or something unimportant might be approved, it’s risky.”
“If you know so much, why don’t you do it?”
Clearly, the regulation of his tone had a flaw causing it to come out more aggressively than planned.
“It would be a pleasure. I firmly believe that I can do it better than you, Your Majesty.”
Luke let go of the pen in his hand and crossed his arms. If I didn’t think it was funny I’d say he was trying to be intimidating but suddenly he relaxed his gaze.
“I’d like to check that out. Oh, and also about approving petitions, princess.”
I clenched my fists but like him I relaxed my gaze, ready to give an intelligent answer.
“I’m sorry I dared to think I was talking to a king, when it is clear the long road you have to be considered one.”
The slamming of the door interrupted Luke from saying - surely - something stupid.
“Busy, Your Majesty?”
Calum’s brown hair peeked out, smiling at the sight of me.
“Go ahead, did you get any sleep, Cal?”
Calum snorted at Luke’s question, taking a seat next to me at the desk, and took an exhausted stance, dropping his hands down his pants.
“Are you kidding? Mom keeps calling, I had to turn off my Jhin just like Dad. Who, by the way, sent me to find out if you had authorized his request.”
The “Jhin”, modern devices from cell phones that had the option to call among other things, and characterized by a function that allowed an easy finding of information about any individual, in the past there were social networks that were eliminated in the International Revolution and changed by the Jhin.
“You find it in this rubble and I’ll authorize all the requests you want” Luke sighed leaning back in his seat and pointing to the papers in front of him.
Calum looked at him sorrowfully, none of them in the mood. Said and done, Calum managed to find the petition he recognized by the notorious “H” for “Hood” in one corner of the paper, leaving it on top of all the others.
Luke took it, signed it without hesitation, and took a second to read.
“You should read it and then sign it, you know?” Calum mentioned, gaining the satisfaction I hoped to get from correcting Luke.
“You have my absolute trust, you know?” Luke replied in the same tone without taking his eyes off the document, opened his big eyes, and handed it to Calum who accepted it immediately. “Are you my Diplomatic Adviser? What about your father?”
“After what happened last night, he thinks it’s time for me to take his place. I would eventually, but it seems to him that I need to be by your side now to support you and test my training,“ Calum replied, noting the anguish in his friend’s expression.
I had nothing to say so I got up and directed my interest to the books on the shelves pretending not to pay attention.
“I suppose your father went with your mother to his village…”
“You guess right,” Calum paused for a moment. “Hey, I know you’re not well. It must be hard to lose your family… I can’t imagine waking up without my parents and my sister… but you’re not alone, I’m here if you need to talk.”
Luke smiled sideways, quietly accepting his proposal.
“You need to take a break, it’s all happening so fast,“ Calum said, almost reading his mind. “The kingdom needs you to be in good shape.”
Frustrated Luke rose from his seat to sit in the corner of the desk.
“I don’t know what else the kingdom needs, and that will be your first task. Also, stop sending in paperwork, close down the possibility of sending in a petition until further notice.”
I was going to tell him how reckless it was to shut down the arrival of petitions but I finally stopped to think about the matter I had provisionally ignored: I had no power in Gardestone and I didn’t know what was going to happen to the alliance.
“His Majesty, His Highness, young Hood” A guard appeared at the door with cards in hand which he dealt to the three of them. “Their Majesties King Ashton and Queen Lauren of Lauxwell would like you to attend a dinner they have arranged for themselves tonight.“
“Are those harpies still in my palace?” Luke raised an eyebrow. The poor guard did nothing but nod. “Get rid of them. I want them out.”
“Are you crazy?” exclaimed Calum, clearing his throat as he realized the mistake he had just made. “I mean, are you sure you want the Irwins out? As your royal advisor, I don’t think it’s true to your word, your majesty. King Ashton won the duel and the terms-”
Luke raised a hand to stop Calum from talking.
“Guard, I need privacy, if it’s not too much trouble…”
The Guard bade farewell with a bow.
“You too, Princess,” said Luke, “you can request as many maids as you need for tonight, but that’s no reason for you to stay here another second.”
I blinked uncertainly as to how to respond to his insinuation… or insult. I was still debating what was most appropriate.
“Did I not make myself clear? -Or would you rather stay here and stare at me a little longer?”
“I can’t ask my eyes to meet this turtle,” I answered, in the most pleasant tone I could find and advanced to the door.
“Are you sure? I can turn around if you need to,“ I heard him scream from the hall.
Halfway down the hall, I decided that I had to set certain limits for “his majesty” if I was going to live with him and his insufferable attitude for one more second. With that in mind, I changed my direction back to the office and stopped short when I heard my name in the conversation.
“-I’m serious, Cal Amberly is unbearable!”
Eavesdropping had never been something I enjoyed, much less needed. I knew there was nothing good about it… and yet I stuck my back to the wall outside the office.
“-the whole kingdom is depressed. Just by spreading the word about Princess of Maredale’s temporary stay they have begun to produce the best quality products, the children went out to play again” Calum debated. “Your people feel the comfort they have not received from their king.”
“Is that what they want? Miss “I got a lesson in something important” and “I can run a country on my own”?” Luke asked, trying to imitate my voice. “Nonsense! I bet she can’t choose which well-known book to read without help, so many classes have been useless if she can’t speak for herself and waits for her mother to do all the work for her. A babbler! that’s what she is. Even that Ashton idiot has more courage than she does.”
I thought I’d walk through that door to tell him how wrong he was. I could even make a scene and choose to tear all of his fine clothes into pieces that would be scattered all over the palace.
But I didn’t. Because deep down I knew he was right.
I spat cautiously. My eyes were threatening to drop the tears.
“Please, Luke. You don’t know what you’re saying,“ Calum replied. “Queen Elizabeth is going to be back any minute and I don’t think she’d like to hear the way you express about her daughter.“
“If the Queen does anything, it will only show what a coward the Princess is.”
Without realizing it, I was walking with a strong step to my room.
Luke was telling the truth, what was the point of taking classes and lectures if I couldn’t speak for myself?
Ashton had said it too, though much more subtly. He implied that I could take charge of my destiny and it must not be like my mother had planned all along.
Courage- I didn’t have it. I wanted to find it and show it off like a new toy, but that’s not how it works.
“Princess, I was looking for you.”
Lidia interrupted my walk into the room, looked into my eyes that were probably already a little red and wet. She gave me a warm smile and took my hands and led me into the room. I sat down on the edge of the bed and talked, holding back my sobbing.
“Lidia, I was about to do the same thing, but…”
She hissed as her hands were lost in the closet.
“Quiet, from the look of your beautiful face I can tell you heard something…”
Lidia stood in front of me with a bright ruby red dress in her hands, a golden ribbon, the colors of the Gardenstone, all around. The silk fabric adjusted perfectly to my body, falling to my feet with a discreet opening at the side of my right leg; the waves of my hair embraced me. Suddenly it did not seem that I had been crying for the fool that the King was.
“….and by the look of you in this dress, I can tell you will shut the same mouths that said something about you.”
¥
The main dining room shone on its own even though the green decoration was quite noticeable, it looked like Christmas. The red walls looked soft, smooth, and warm, I liked to think that and the spruce chairs had been Queen Susan’s idea. In the center I expected a long table with food, a lot of exquisite food, I didn’t think I had seen those delicacies before, I assumed they were typical of Lauxwell. Around the table, the guests - mostly servants of the palace - had already begun to enjoy the food, while the nobles were talking and eating slowly.
I took a breath, looked up, and entered the dining room.
Lauren saw me first, smiled for a second, and went on with her meal. At her side, Ashton adjusted his tie and looked at me for a few seconds directly in the eyes as if he wanted to tell me something. My mother, who had returned from her talks, nodded approvingly. Calum took his attention off a plate, looked at me, and elbowed Luke. Luke did not flinch.
“Sorry I’m late, go on with your dinner.“
“Princess, please sit next to me.” Ashton stood up, offering a chair.
“No, sit next to me.” Luke did the same. “You are a guest in my kingdom, after all.“
They shared a challenging look, Luke just wanted to annoy Ashton and have the satisfaction of being able to ignore me all night.
Luke’s eyes were fixed on me, seeking a truce not to favor Ashton.
“I am flattered, your Majesties,” I smiled innocently, “but I find the company of King Ashton more… appropriate.”
I took a seat next to Ashton. He politely placed a glass of red wine in my hands, for a moment our fingers brushed and I felt my cheeks warm slightly.
“Your Majesty Luke,” called my mother, “I am proud to report that all the dukes and duchesses are now calm again in their respective states. I have said some flattering things about you…”
“Thank you, your maje-”
“I hope I’m not wrong…”
I looked for my mother’s look on the other side of the table along with the opportunity to tell her that she was wrong, so wrong…
“I hope my daughter has contributed something today.”
Too late to talk about Luke.
I alerted the blond man’s intentions, as dirty as mine a few seconds ago. He had the luxury of taking a sip of red wine before responding.
“I found the company of Princess Amberly a bit… “ He looked me straight in the eye “…Comfortable.”
I took a bite of my food, waiting for him to cut off eye contact. He didn’t. The urge to stick something into those blue eyes increased with every second…
“If you find it so comfortable I can suggest that you keep it with you for a while longer.”
My mother’s words not only interrupted the discreet discussion between our eyes but also took us both by surprise.
“What do you mean by that, Mother?” I asked.
“I am going back to Maredale, and seeing first-hand the opportunities you have at Gardenstone to demonstrate your potential, I think it is necessary for you to stay here. If His Majesty Luke approves, of course.”
“Of course I approve, Queen Elizabeth. It will be a real… pleasure.”
I didn’t look at Luke, I didn’t look at anyone. I released all frustration of such a decision at the plate in front of me.
Lauren told a story about a night she had decided to stand guard at a volcano on the Lauxwell border near a funeral home. She described it as a bleak, lifeless place too cold for even the heat of the lava to drive away. A giant beast with big legs and a wet muzzle with traces of blood was found, a wolf big enough for her to have faced it alone… but she had done it, she had hunted the beast and divided the skin among her friends in her kingdom. There was something so horrific about her story that made it interesting and kept us all at the table expectant and eager to hear more.
Throughout the dinner I felt an extra pair of eyes on me, I had the luxury of finding the owner, and the simple fact that they belonged to a certain self-centered brat brought a smile to my face.
“-that’s how I took my father to the bandits who threatened the kingdom. They will rot forever, end.” She took her cup up and drank it to the bottom. Everyone around her applauded, sighs of relief and fear sounded as well.
“Thank you, sister. With these stories full of courage, we thank you for attending this dinner.”
Ashton extended a hand indicating to the servants to leave the dining room nicely, some stopped and thanked him, others took leftovers from the table mistakenly hidden between napkins and took them away.
“Ridiculous, we have never forbidden them to eat. I guess we’ll have to start.“
Luke mumbled to Calum, he laughed but his face was afraid, he thought Luke was capable of it.
Seconds later the two left the dining room followed by Lauren who walked with her head held high despite being under the influence of alcohol. I admired her in silence.
A black hair stood in my way, accompanied by a wide smile.
“Amberly, would you accompany me on a night walk in the gardens?”
“Of course.”
Our arms intertwined, I tried not to blush at the sudden closeness as we got lost in the garden with the moon guiding our every step.
Summary: In a dystopian future, a tragedy leads Prince Luke to become King of Gardenstone. From her neighboring kingdom Maredale, our protagonist Amberly must choose between King Luke and King Ashton of Lauxwell to close the alliance that the three kingdoms are destined to make. In the process and after, Amberly will encounter mysteries, a love triangle, and betrayals that will define her future. (Basically, enemies to lovers)
Word Count: 2,611
MASTERLIST.
I admired the distribution of each blanket along with the front garden of the palace. Each one with a basket full of fruits, a small cake from the bakery at the foot of the palace, and a bottle of wine accompanied by its corresponding glasses. Even with the perfect organization of the picnic finished and the satisfaction of having finished everything on time, the matter of the glove was still hanging over my head.
"-L.", they signed. I had three options in mind: Lidia, the most obvious, she could be thanking me for what had happened - which I prevented from happening to Julia. Lauren, I did, after all, tell her about my work at the greenhouse. And the least possible, Luke; I thought about including him in the list since I started working, I really couldn't think of a reason why I would have done it if he was the one who left me without gloves in the first place; however, I didn't rule it out. Whoever it was I owed them one.
Michael's first task had been the easiest and no one had ever stopped my work. In the best-case scenario, Luke had decided that I was a person capable of organizing events. At worst, he was saving his ideas with malice for later.
I watched people start filling up the tablecloths; gardeners, cooks, stable people; everyone had come to enjoy themselves as they should after the hard work they were doing at the palace; everyone with a smile on their faces.
“Blue suits you perfectly, your highness.”
Behind me Ashton approached slowly, admiring the scene. I think that years could go by and I would never cease to be surprised at her bright hazel eyes.
“And as far as I can see, you did a magnificent job with the picnic," He added. “Everyone seems to be enjoying what you prepared.”
“They are. Come with me, I have an extra basket," I invited him to hold his hand and stand on an empty blanket. “You should have seen how their eyes lit up when they heard they had the afternoon off and the food was ready.”
Ashton took a seat on the blanket as soon as my knees touched it. I took the basket I'd left for me as a personal reward and placed it between him and me. I took out the fruit while Ashton poured the wine glasses.
“I can imagine. You did an excellent job for a Queen's task... but it's something innate in you.” The last thing he said was so honest that I felt my chest shrink.
“In a way it is," I admitted, offering him a piece of bread which he accepted and exchanged for my glass. “I would have liked to have done a task...”
I shook my head in search of the word I needed while eating a fairly juicy piece of apple. Ashton pulled out a napkin and wiped the side of my mouth.
“...that suited your job?” he said, in a new closeness that took me by surprise and limited me to nodding. “Maybe Luke thinks it's too soon for that. Besides, whatever you do, the tasks on your level will come to you.”
“My "level" is... simple, then?” I asked, taking a piece of crusty bread for myself.
“No, no, no, not at all," said Ashton, "I mean tasks for a Queen. Luke is lucky to have someone with your potential organizing events like this picnic.”
I laughed at how quickly he had corrected himself. “Luke is lucky to have anyone at all.”
As if he had been called out, Luke came out of the main gates of the palace and with a steady pace approached our blanket. I left the bread half-eaten and got up immediately, shaking the crumbs off my dress just as Luke stood in front of me with furrowed eyebrows and a tense jaw.
“Your Majesty-”
“Save the formalities," he ordered, pausing his words as he noticed Ashton's presence. “Can we talk for a moment, Amberly? Alone?”
It took me longer to nod than he did to hold my wrist and take me with a quick step in another direction.
“Ouch!” I shook my free hand from him as I stopped the pace away from the others. “What's your problem?”
With his hands on his waist and his chin up, enjoying the difference in height between us, he laughed as short as he was sarcastic.
“What´s my problem? Is the question serious?” He asked the seriousness on his face indicated that he didn't need an answer. “You organized the picnic without my permission! In answer to your question, you are my problem!”
“I'm sorry?”
“You should be. When I told Michael that he could do whatever he wanted, I didn't mean to leave the event in your hands," he interrupted. “And you... Of course, you wanted to organize it and show off your skills as the loser of the year.”
I took my hands to my waist just like him and I approached him now enraged.
“At least I have skills, your majesty," I answered. “At least there is a picnic and at least there are people who are grateful for it. You should stop acting like a little child," I corrected myself, "-even a little child has more manners than you do.”
In a clean move, Luke grabbed me by the waist and pushed it into a vine-covered palace wall. Dangerously close, he pressed his chest against me to stop the effort to get out of his grip.
“Manners, Princess? I have enough to keep you from saying goodbye and sending you back to your sad kingdom after the disrespect you have just committed," he took my chin and raised my eyes, forcing eye contact, whispering in my ear. “This is what you'll do: you will say goodbye to that Ashton idiot, go up to your room and not set foot in the garden until the event is over. Do you want to help the servants? Perfect. You'll clean up all things you put on my lawn without any help.”
The more he talked the more I felt the vines burying themselves in my back. Even with the slight lack of air that was increasing, Luke's fragrance filled my lungs.
“Don't come for me, princess, cause you forget you are in my kingdom, in my palace..." He added, "Are you planning to stay? I'm afraid you must adapt to my rules.”
As he let go of my chin, he asked, "Any questions?”
I went through the buttons of the red shirt I had chosen today with displeasure, but willing to play along.
“Actually... “ I said, opening the shirt a little more by removing a button. Luke didn't refuse the strange move he seemed delighted, which made me even angrier. “Something was not quite clear to me, your majesty.”
He raised an eyebrow without saying anything else. I moved a finger at the height of my face asking him to come a little closer, and it wasn't until I was at the height of his ear that I asked, "At what point in all this did you say you were going to hell?”
With that I used closeness in my favor and finding momentum in the wall behind me I pushed him, freeing myself from his grip and getting a gasp from him.
“And leave you here alone?”
I heard him ask aloud as I turned the corner of the palace and headed to my room.
¥
I entered the palace again through the kitchen door. I climbed each oak wood step with great effort, not knowing how I had reached the floor of my room without crawling. I was exhausted. The idea of taking a bath with bubbles and scented candles had kept me sane while cleaning. Now all I could think about was collapsing in bed and not waking up for a week.
The sight of a male figure in front of the door made me discard all of the above.
Ashton, as flawless and handsome as ever, was the only thing standing between the soft, comfortable bed in my room and my exaggerated exhaustion.
“Amberly, you look..." he looked up and down at me, smiling sideways. “Tired.”
“I am.” A bone in my back had cracked as I straightened up, I was sure, I put what was left of my energy into a smile.
“Go ahead," I invited him into my room, leaving the door ajar to avoid rumors. “Make yourself comfortable, I'll go clean up.”
I went into the bathroom and rubbed soap on all the places in me that were covered with dirt.
“I see that you have gloves now," I heard his voice a little far away. “The ones on your dresser.”
I wiped the soap off my face with water and a towel, hoping to get rid of the smell as soon as possible.
“Yes, they were a gift," I said, spraying me with perfume.
“My sister said that before she left she met you in the corridor and you told her about your work in the greenhouse.”
A part of me was relieved, it seemed that the gloves had been Lauren's gift, not Lidia's... or Luke's.
I returned to the room after applying the light pink lipstick I used in the morning. Ashton entertained herself by sitting on the edge of the bed. Once he realized I had returned, he touched the mattress at his side, an invitation to sit down that I did not refuse.
“When She comes back, I'll thank her... When will she do that, by the way?” I asked noticing our legs rubbing a little bit because of the closeness.
He let out a sigh, running a hand through his shiny black hair. A simply lovely gesture.
“A month, exactly. She will be very busy with meetings, business, implementations... who knows, she may even be back engaged before I am.”
"Amberly Sarah Campbell of Irwin, Queen of Lauxwell," Lidia's words went through my mind as fast as a breeze. Which reminded me of the necklace.
“The necklace," I spat, without first ordering my thoughts. “Forgive me, I... “
Stealing my attention, one of his hands covered one of mine placed on my lap, his thumb caressed me. I didn't push him away, I didn't feel like it.
“I heard what you did with it, it's the purest and most humane use anyone could have given it..." his other hand wandered across my chin, connecting our gazes effortlessly. “Of all the things you can ask for as a result of your noble act, do not ask for forgiveness. There is nothing to forgive.”
I smiled, his gift of words could stun me again and again.
“What else could I ask for? It was for the good of others. No offense, but the last thing I thought about was the negative consequences of giving him to Luke.”
The thumb on my chin traveled slowly to the edges of my mouth, so did his eyes. If I wasn't sitting down my knees would be failing from the weak they felt.
“A reward. For having such a good heart, Amberly.”
I didn't think I would like so much to hear my name coming out of his mouth in the proximity we were in, a proximity that we disappeared the next second.
It wasn't clear who approached who first, I didn't care. His lips felt soft against mine at first, shy and delicate. The hand that was now on my cheek slipped subtly to the back of my neck to deepen the kiss, intertwining some small locks of hair between his fingers. My hands remained on the sides of his face, his beautiful face. My right leg, on the other hand, was threatening to get into his lap. He got permission from the hand that moments before had caressed mine, which positioned itself in the hollow of my back holding me tightly against him.
“Amberly..." he let go so exquisitely as he took a breath.
Finally, I slid my fingers through his hair. All the regret that accumulated in my body disappeared with each little kiss that he left from the crescent of my lips to my neck. His hands shook as they went up to my back. I kissed him behind his ear, gently biting his earlobe which caused a brief sound to come out.
Then another sound interrupted us. Knocking on the half-open door interrupted the trance I had entered and I had trouble getting out.
I jumped out of his lap without calculating the distance between the bed and the chest of drawers by throwing my gloves in the process, picking them up and leaving them in my grip as I walked out the door. I didn't bother to look at Ashton, I felt my whole face burn with shame. I walked out into the hallway through the half-open door space with my hands behind me holding the gloves.
“Amberly, sorry to bother you at this hour…”
Luke, again. His presence replaced all happiness in me with anger. I still felt the displeasure of looking at him…
Necklace. Lauxwell. Ashton. Focus.
Ashton was still inside the room.
“I hope you enjoyed cleaning up the garden.”
“I didn't know you were so worried about coming to see me. A note would have sufficed, Your Majesty.”
I spoke quickly, stumbling over the words. I was never good at lying, the pressure in moments of desperation helped me work and think but lying about such simple things made me nauseous.
“Don't be so disappointed, I might think you don't like me. But really, I wanted to know if-”
“Your Majesty, what a surprise... “
Ashton opened the door by leaning against the frame, crossed his arms and I could tell he didn't worry about fixing the fuss in his hair or removing the lipstick marks from his face. Luke noticed it too, it must have been that which made him change his carefree posture to the one where he was walking around his office, ready to make you beg for forgiveness.
“What a surprise, I agree with you.”
I was probably still in Ashton's trance, but I could swear that what was behind those blue eyes was anger. The kind of anger you get when one of your friends cheats at a card game. Funny.
“Ashton, this is not the time…” I turned around trying to get him back in the room. I stopped. I had the gloves on my hands.
Luke saw them. I held my breath, nothing could have been worse.
“The gloves…” He spoke again.
“They are a gift from Lauren, aren't they, Amberly?” Ashton interrupted him again.
Luke did a bad job of hiding the confusion on his face.
“Yes, I... Can I keep them? I'll need them for when I start the greenhouse," I asked Luke. He blinked a couple of times, then nodded.
He looked at Ashton from head to toe. I wondered if he would scold us since it was clear what was happening before his arrival.
“I need to talk to Ashton," he pointed to him with his chin.
Ashton walked out of the room completely looking at me with a hint of mischief.
“Amberly, it occurs to me that tomorrow you can switch the greenhouse assignment with the boy you forgot to save. I took care of him and in exchange for overtime, he will go back to work. First thing tomorrow morning you have an appointment with the horses in the stables, no one else will work, you will be alone... “
Author´s Note: Here´s the introduction for my King!Luke fanfic! Chapter One is out now as well. Gif made by sheisbea on wattpad!
One… Two… Three tones indicating the start of the call.
He took the phone firmly, ready to make an offer that no one - not even her - could deny.
“Good night, Robert.”
“Sorry for being late, Liz. The Queen and I had to discuss the matter once more. You will understand that Henry’s sudden death took us by surprise.” He responded by looking at his wife on the seat in front of his desk, nodding.
“Absolutely, Henry’s death not only left our neighbor Lauxwell without a King, but it also left us without an important ally and friend.” She was silent for a moment. “Tell me, what do you have in mind?”
King Robert looked at Queen Susan. She reached out her hand and he took it, gathering the courage to spit out the deal.
“Our kingdom, Gardenstone, is going through a magnificent streak with young innovators and a thirst for work flourishing from all sides. Your potential is incredible, Liz …”
“Robert, I’m familiar with your people. Now that Lauxwell is weak the interest falls on us, how convenient…” Elizabeth interrupts, causing Robert to summarize her speech before ending it and dismissing the hostility in her comment.
“… We are ready to unite our kingdoms, Elizabeth. Our people want to grow - they need to grow. And I think the culture that the Maredale Kingdom offers is what we need. Your kingdom needs our innovators and our innovators of your discipline, it has always been this way.”
After silence on the line, Elizabeth’s direct and powerful voice returns.
"Sounds great to me then. And it also seems that you and Susan have thought of everything so … Who will have the happiness to carry out this union? You know that I am a single Queen, I think that a fight for the crown sounds unnecessary before this decision.”
“That is precisely what we have discussed today. We believe that as we will unite two powerful kingdoms, it is not appropriate for you or us to be in command, but …”
Robert sighs in fear at the idea that is floating in the air, as does Elizabeth who seems to know the end of the sentence.
“Our children? Robert, we are not-”
“We are not in the past, we know. We know the struggle that the International Revolution involved and the ideas that we have perfected. It’s not fair that we unite our children with your only daughter, and yet at the same time it is.”
A peal of laughter without feeling comes out of Elizabeth’s mouth.
“Sure, it makes sense. Here in Maredale the people have always been and will be devoted to their queen.” Her voice sounds calmer. “And at Gardenstone they love your son. To Jake, of course, excuse me for not including Prince Luke but I know of his reputation and lack of dedication to the crown.”
Robert and Susan affirm to themselves. He continues.
“Then it’s ready, come with your family to Gardenstone as soon as possible.”
“It is for the record that I, Queen Elizabeth of Maredale, authorize-”
This time it is Robert who interrupts her.
“Not yet, let’s wait until the official ceremony.”
“Suitable. I look forward to the day.”
"So do we …” Susan looks at him, reminding him of an important part. “Elizabeth, not a word of this to Lauxwell.”
Author´s Note: Here´s Chapter 4 of my king!luke fanfic, here you can check the other chapters: Intro - C1 - C2 - C3
Word count: 1,456
A few minutes ago, Ashton and I had wandered away from the path that indicated the correct way to go through the garden; "The right thing is not always the right thing to do," he´d said.
I began a round of rather informal questions as we continued to walk around.
“Your turn, has anyone ever conquered that heart of yours before?” He asked.
“Not really, it's a... territory that hasn't been explored or not much.”
That was true, I've never had a relationship with anyone before. Since I was a little girl I only had time for the duties that a princess in training has to do. I had flirted with some, yes, but I promised myself to keep those moments to myself. Besides, my mother's words always echoed in my head; "Wanting and needing are different things, to reign you don't need a man... but if someday you want him, go after him".
“What about you?” I asked.
“No, not at the moment. I've had lovers, of course, but in the end... I return to the throne alone.”
“Explain to me, since you and Lauren are kings... what will happen when one of you gets married?”
The subject had some relevance for me: it was a mystery that was not described in the books or exposed in the classes, a singular case.
“If that happens... when that happens," he corrected himself, "then the other abdicates the throne. We made that pact when my father died.”
Covenants, promises, and favors were of high importance to everyone in the three kingdoms. Believing someone else's word was difficult, but whoever did not keep it should be prepared to lose his honor and deal with the consequences.
We remained silent for a moment; I didn't know how to follow the talk.
“Tell me, what did you think of the dinner?” Ashton asked, encouraging our passage. “Lauren said that the decoration was a lot, but in my opinion, it's more appropriate to use our colors.”
“The food was delicious, I didn't know such exquisite things existed.” I looked at it out of the corner of my eye. He didn't say anything, that's not why we were here. “You don't want to know that, do you? We came here for another reason.”
He blinked as if he had been taken by surprise, maybe he had. It wasn't on purpose, just an accident.
He raised his eyebrows to indicate a bench in the middle of the garden, surrounded by flowers as we were now.
We took a seat. I didn't bother to remove my arm from his until he did.
And he didn't.
“I noticed that you were a bit strange with His Majesty King Luke," he said Luke´s title in a tone close to mockery.
I couldn't tell him the things Luke had said about me, except that I believed them myself. The truth was that I felt small, an heiress from one country staying in another without an expiration date, hoping to bring them together... soon without my family, without answers, and power.
I couldn't tell him that, not exactly.
“You know Luke, his attitude and... his existence, in general, has overwhelmed me a bit.”
The hand that I had free approached slowly and caressed my cheek delicately as if touching the outline of a bubble.
“Your situation is not easy. I know you are not telling me everything I think you are not telling me anything... but I understand. You are afraid.”
As accurate as he was, I didn't admit it. Although I had liked his comfort.
“I have nothing to do here, at least not now. I don't know if I'm any good at this moment and that's... I don't like it, it's not good for me. It is frustrating.”
He nodded, understanding every word. His eyes were very close to mine. I took his hand resting on my cheek and gently pushed it away.
He was still the King of Lauxwell. As attractive, understandable, and friendly as he was, I couldn't forget such detail.
“I think the answer to your sorrows is closer than you think... How do you think the leaders we know came about?”
I took a breath.
“Each one had their impulse and purpose based on their interests and of course, their environment, ideals, values, needs... their geographical location and family tree have a great influence too. Oh, and it depends a lot on the psychological state they were in when-”
He placed a finger over my lips, suddenly silencing them with a loving smile. He pushed it away when he saw me surprised.
“Even if I could sit and listen to you quote the entire dictionary from memory, let's focus on the first part. They had a purpose, just like you, and they followed a path to achieve it. Moreover, they knew how to take control when they were given an opportunity.”
My purpose at that time was to have power. I was stuck in the shattered remains of what once seemed to be my future.
“You are a smart woman, you will think about how to do it and if you need help I will be with you every step of the way.”
He was close, very close, his eyes looked especially beautiful in the moonlight. I allowed myself to lose a second in them, imagining what it would feel like to see them after a kiss. His eyes came down to my lips, his hand placed on my cheek as just minutes before, the caress of his thumb made me surrender to the touch. I approached, the warnings in my head went unnoticed, what was a kiss under the moon? innocent, pure, vulnerable.
“Ahem... “
We both jumped out of the seat, taking a few steps away from the sound of a voice in the darkness. When I looked for the emissary all traces of happiness in me vanished.
“I would have regretted the interruption, believe me, but your faces were very good... “
Luke walked forward as if to let us know that he was there and had seen it all. Or worse, listened.
“What can we do for you, Your Majesty?”
Luke let out a raw, unfunny, cynical laugh.
“You can't help me at all. She can, I need her for the official business. It has to do with Maredale.” He looked at me, pure malice he let me see. “Are you coming with me, Princess?”
“Right away.”
I didn't turn to see Ashton, I knew he would understand and I followed Luke down the dark path back to the castle. Once inside, he started walking so fast that I had trouble keeping up with him.
“Will you tell me what this is all about?” I asked as we walked up the stairs.
He shook his head. I had a buffet and we stopped outside my room.
“Well?”
I looked forward to his words. Was he regretting keeping me here as my mother had asked?
Or maybe it was bad news, I couldn't think of anything that could go wrong in Maredale.
“You're welcome.” He said without further ado. He turned around and started walking down the hall.
You're welcome?
“What?” I walked over to him and stopped him in his tracks. He turned his eyes. “What happened to Maredale? What was the official business?” He smiled mischievously. “There was no official business, was there?”
He laughed out loud. The urge to hit him grew and grew inside me. I frowned and crossed my arms until he fell silent.
“Come on, it was fun! Stop looking at me as if I've interrupted something, princess... oh, right! a kissing session with the "oh-so-hot" King of Lauxwell.”
“Shut up!” I shouted. “It's not funny. It's not funny, Luke. You used the name Maredale in vain.”
“As if you didn't do it.”
My purpose: to shut up Luke.
My way: a slap in the face.
My right hand struck Luke's left cheek hard enough to disrupt him. He swayed a little, I saw his red cheek and anger- rage and indignation in his blue eyes. My body shook.
The sound of the slap echoed down the hall, drawing the attention of two servants who were passing by. One of them was Lidia who analyzed the scene in amazement.
"I said shut your mouths, not make them bleed," she seemed to say.
“Don't use Maredale's name in vain.” I slammed the door behind me. I smashed into the door and held my breath. I held it for a few minutes waiting for a sound, a knock on the door from him, something.
The seriousness of what I had done fell on me. I slapped Luke.
