A Jottie Romance - The Rosewood Chronicles

Chapter 26 - Prince Charming

Lottie's P.O.V:

Lottie was sat by herself on a purple loveseat in the Ivy common room. It was 9:30pm - past curfew, but Lottie found that she wanted to be somewhere by herself, even if it meant breaking school rules. Rosewood Hall was extremely strict when it came to breaking rules, especially with things like curfew.

But sometimes, Lottie felt numb and empty without her mum, and that night was one of those times. She wished that she could see her mum one last time, and talk to her once more. But that wasn't possible.

Other than her prized tiara, Lottie's only connection left to her mum was through reading the fairytales that she had been given by her. From her dorm room, where Ellie was still peacefully sleeping, Lottie had brought a book down with her. Cinderella.

It was one of Lottie's favourites, and it meant a lot to her. But she found she couldn't focus on the story properly when all she could think about was not the Prince Charming in the story, but rather her very own Prince Charming instead. Jamie.

Lottie's eyes wandered over to the clock on the wall. She wasn't completely sure why she came to the common room of all places to be alone, but she knew that no one in Ivy house would be down there past curfew. Or, at least, that's what she thought.

For her own Prince Charming walked straight into the room.

"Jamie? What are you doing down here past curfew?" She asked, surprised to see him. He was wearing a jacket, as if he had been outside, and his dark hair seemed more messy than usual. Lottie found herself smiling at his spicy, warming cinnamon scent which drifted through the air.

"I could ask you the very same." He replied calmly, still standing at the door, a humorous glint in his eyes.

"But, I don't have a perfect school record anymore...thanks to Ellie. But you do, right?"

"Like I don't smuggle weapons into school on a daily basis."

"But you're a Partizan, so that doesn't even count."

"I am a Partizan. I'm trained to be a deadly killing machine. I don't think I need a 'perfect school record'." He teased. Lottie found that she always had butterflies in her stomach when he playfully teased her, and that she always felt a thrill of excitement run through her too.

Jamie walked over to sit next to Lottie on the purple loveseat, his hand brushing hers as he did so. It sent another tingle of electricity shooting through her arm. He seemed to have felt it too.

"What are you doing down here?" Jamie asked her, keeping his voice quiet so they would not get caught.

Lottie hesitated. She had never really told anyone about how she read these fairytales to feel closer to her late mum. She was sometimes judged by people for her immature, childish obsession with them too, though she knew that Jamie never would. And she knew that if anyone would understand how if feels to lose a parent, it would be Jamie.

"I- I just miss my mum. Some days, it's worse than others. I guess tonight's one of them. I just feel like something's missing without her." She looked up to see Jamie's empathetic expression. She knew he understood how she felt. "That's why I came down here alone. I know it sounds stupid, but reading these fairytales makes me feel closer to her. She gave them to me too, along with my tiara."

"Who said it's stupid?" He asked softly, tucking a strand of Lottie's golden hair behind her ear. Lottie felt pleasant shivers run up and down her spine at his touch. "I understand how it feels. Even though I never knew my parents."

Lottie felt a pang of sympathy for Jamie. She had never really imagined how it must feel to not even meet your own parents, to not know them, or who they are. She could feel tears building up in her eyes, not for herself, but for Jamie and his pain.

She rested her head on his shoulder, and, to her surprise, he wrapped his arms around her body, enveloping her in his warmth and protection. Breathing in his familiar cinnamon scent, Lottie closed her eyes, and let the silent tears fall down. Tears for her mum, tears for Jamie's pain, and tears for their hidden relationship.

Jamie kissed her gently on her forehead, and she melted into his warm embrace.

Then, finally, a wave of sleep took over Lottie's thoughts, and she fell into a long, peaceful dream about her and her Prince Charming.