Chapter 5
*The next day, Clara is due to meet the Duke again.*"Mum- NO!" Clarity hangs onto my arm with steel-grip. "Don't you dare disgrace us again, Clara!" Oh crap, I need to find a lie. I rack my brains. "I need to pee." Mum gasps and shakes my shoulders, "Clara! Say the proper term, I need to go to the toilet, and hurry! I'll send a servant to go with you." I wrinkle my nose. "To the toilet?" She smiles smugly. "Your planning to run away, aren't you?" A trumpet blares. THE DUKE HAS ARRIVED. "Mum, I'm desperate." Finally, I become free of her grip and run towards the toilets. Not that I really want to go. "CLARA!" I can hear footsteps following me. Oh sugar honey ice tea.
Quickly, I dive into one of the guest rooms and lock the door.
"Being chased are we princess?"
I swivel around to see Alex, smirking at me from behind the armchair he was dusting, his eyes churning with mischeif. "Yes. Help me!" "Anything for you Princess...Time to show me how bad ass you really are." My heart flutters at those words. He trudges towards the window and opens it. A blast of cold air numbs my face. "Are you crazy? Jump out? If you were that eager to get rid of me all you had to do was say-" Alex chuckles. "Hey, I don't really fancy a life of jail. Have you seen the food there?" I frown in confusion, "You've been their before?" He shrugs, "Yep, and not ashamed of it. All I did was snatch a single rotten apple off a stall to feed my family." He is brave, and caring. My face softens, right as the footsteps become nearer, so you could actually hear the THUD THUD THUD. " Take a hint won't ya princess, it's time for you to run!" I gulp, staring down the window. He firmly holds my waist and I feel woozy with the tingle. " Hold on tight." "You don't have to tell me twice!" I squeeze my eyes shut as he slowly steps on the window sill, with his arms still wrapped around my waist. This is so dangerous, yet in his arms, I feel so safe.
"Your really light, y'know that?" I blabber, "Not really, I mean, I haven't carried myself before." His chuckle vibrates my thighs and that familiar tingle makes me gasp. "Is that even physically possible?" "N- AAAAAAAAAH!" He jumps off the window sill, with me chucked over his shoulder and starts climbing down the drainpipe. "Never knew I was dealing with a bean sidhe! Would you mind if you turn the volume down a notch, unless you want to get caught!"
Suddenly, the king and queen paired with a few soldiers and, of course, the duke, peer over the window. They've found me. "CLARA! What are you doing you foolish child?" They both try to lean over and grab me. "Alex, do something!" Alex stops, and then, in his best deep voice he cries, "I AM A RAPIST! COME ANY FURTHER AND I WILL SWING HER OFF MY SHOULDERS!" Wow, he's a good actor. Duke Charles starts to wail, "Never Fear, My love! I will rescue you!" "Oh brother!" I whisper into Alex's back as we both try to stop our laughter. The Duke was trying to climb the drainpipe but my parents were slapping him around the head and telling him to come off or the rapist would kill me.
When I and Alex finally tumbled to the floor in a heap, we started rolling in fits of uncontrollable laughter. "As much as I like watching that duke embarrass himself, I think it's time for us to go..." I giggle, "You don't say."
We run like lightening into the over-grown part of the garden. (Almost like a forest) Branches lash out at my face and roots trip me up but I feel more alive than I've did in ages. Finally, we both flop down on the grass, exhausted. "So-" I start. "Can I ask you a question?" "I have a feeling you'll ask anyway." Alex smiles, "Yeh, I make the most of a free country." I raise an eyebrow, "A free country doesn't have servants..." He shrugs, "Well, this is the closest... About my question-" I turn to stare at his large, mesmerising eyes. "When we were climbing down the drain pipe- Well I, you were just lazing around on my shoulder- You said my name. Alex."
Busted. Heart thudding, I shrug. "That's a fact" He smiles, "Well aint you smart. Just joshing, but, why did you remember my name?" "So you don't want me to?" "NO! It's just, your a princess, I'm a servant, and-" I roll my eyes. "Don't go through that whole thing again!
Why should we let that get between us?" Alex smirks, "Us?" Ooops. "Hey, don't get above yourself!" I prod him in his muscly shoulder. Man, it's a ball of muscle. "I know what your thinking, wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of him!" "Hey, you're talking to Clara Clarks here! This girl is strong! Try me." "Nah, don't want to hit a girl."
Suddenly angry, I stand up and fiercely brush off mud stains from my ripped gown. "God!-" "What about him?" "YOUR JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE! MEN ARE ALWAYS STRONGER-" With a single touch, Alex silences me. "I wouldn't want to hit a girl like you, because I'd end up in bruises." Blushing, I peer at him curiously. "What a gentlemen..." Alex shrugs, "Hey, I still have my pride you know!" He tackles me to the floor and we lie side by side. Gently, he slides down the shoulder of my gown, leaving my entire shoulder towards my neck exposed. "You have mermaid skin..." He murmurs. I can barely talk, and gasp at the sudden blast of cold. He leans in closer, his lips about to brush my tingling skin...
A gasp nearby springs us apart. "hey! there YOU ARE! everyone's been looking for you!" My gaze locks onto a pretty girl with a strained smile. Tess.
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