Page 8 of Mated to the Crown
I have to choose what to do. Potentially abdicate any position my mother has tried to set me up with and be with my mate? Hope that their views on it change and that I can be with her with no issues? I can’t think right now and my headache is crawling back up my spine. I find a bench and lay down, crossing my arms behind my head and closing my eyes. The clouds lazily drift across the sky, sheltering the sunlight from dropping down and making it the perfect darkness. I let my mind drift away.
???
I wake up a few hours later, stretching my stiff body and standing up. I was not expecting to be here that long. Fuck, it had been forever since I was alone enough to even do that.
I stretch, feeling my muscles protesting as I do. The sun is still in the sky, so it is probably afternoon, but I should go find Jeffries or Morgan. I straighten my outfit the best I can and make my way inside. The castle is busy, but not as busy as usual, and that is when I hear the servants talking.
“They called us to the foyer.”
“Do you know why?”
“They never do that. Something must have happened.”
Interesting. I follow behind them and when I get close enough for them to see me, they quiet their chatter. They follow the rest of the crowd into the foyer but I stop short, taking off to another hallway where I know Jeffries is. He looks up at me confused and then gives me a small smile.
“This is to talk about the late Queen Charlotte. Celeste should be here. I can let you know if I see her.” I nod and cross my arms, waiting behind him. He enters the foyer but I don’t follow, listening to him speak instead. I don’t even know what I will do, if she is here. I don’t know what to do, if she isn’t for that matter. My mind still is all over the place. Does she even know who I am to her? Probably not. It seems like she thinks I am a Royal and that is all, dismissing anything else.
I hear my name and step into the room, giving a half smile as I look for her.
I speak bluntly, asking for any information regarding my grandmother, and when I don’t see Celeste I feel a clench in my chest. They are dismissed and I stay behind, tucking myself in the corner of the room to see her. I spot her, hand clenched to another man’s. He waves her off like it’s a weird thing for her to be touching him, and that soothes the ache in my chest slightly.
She motions to what I assume is her sister, a smaller version of herself with very curly hair. Jeffries had mentioned that’s the main difference between the two and I can see it now. She is pretty, but she doesn’t make me frantic like Celeste does. I watch as Celeste sneaks out of the room and outside. A smirk pulls on my lips.Perfect.
I follow after her, waiting behind to see where she goes. The gardens are beautiful this time of day and I can imagine kissing her in between the flowers. I shake my head and move to the gardens, ignoring the chattering behind me. All of them don’t matter, what matters is her.
I catch up to her quickly but stay behind, watching her as she moves. Her hips sway, her gait calm and smooth as she moves through the gardens. Her hands touch the flowers, their petals moving against her fingertips. I lean against the tree, crossing my arms and watching her.
“There you are, Princess.” When she turns her face is a mixture of confusion, surprise, and then anger. Her eyebrows scrunch together, her cheeks brightening to the cutest pink.
We talk as we walk through the gardens and I’m surprised at how little she knows about me. I have tried to stay under the radar, but even the family knows I like to ignore the rules. I like to do my own thing. She asks me what I want to do with my life, and I honestly don’t know what to say. I’ve never been asked that before.
The sun shifts behind the clouds, sending a shiver through her and without thinking I pull off my jacket and drape it over her shoulders. She turns around, eyes wide with fear.
“Nobody is going to see, relax.” I watch as she pulls the jacket closer against her. She pulls the fabric up to her nose, smelling me and it sends blood right to my cock. “So, what about you? What do you want to do?” I try to move the topic along while I adjust myself.
“I don’t know. I was born here, I will probably die here.” She waves her hand, but she doesn’t move to hand me my jacket back, and I take that as a small win.
“Yeah me too. Who knows, we could always run away.” I smirk, being completely honest. Her gaze meets mine and she smiles.
“I mean that would be some fantasy, running away with the Prince.” She turns and starts walking again, so I follow after her, my hands behind my back.
“And what would happen in that fantasy?” I ask, hoping she will tell me but she scoffs again. “Theoretically, obviously.”
“I don’t know. I don’t know you, so I can’t say anything specific in that case. I guess just running away, going on an adventure. If we are talking fantasy then falling in love.” She shrugs, her blush running down her neck to her chest.
I pull my gaze away, focusing on the flowers in front of us.
“Then let’s do that. It sounds amazing.”
She laughs in response to my remark, her voice carrying through the garden. The sound of her laughter makes my heart ache and I wonder just how much she is allowed to laugh in her position. I know some of the family go hard on the servants, my aunt’s family specifically.
“That would get us both killed, surely.” She finally mutters.
I reach out, taking her hand in mine and pulling her to a stop.
She tries to pull her hand from mine but my fingers grasp around it. The warmth from her small hand in mine sends a shiver through me.
“Listen.” My voice drops and I look down at our hands.
