Bluebirds Without Wings | Julie and the Phantoms

Dropped

"He wants to meet up and talk," she said, looking at the music room door. "Should I tell him to meet me here?"

"That or I can walk you wherever you need."

"I'll ask," she said, typing back. Luke has always been protective of people he loved. He didn't per say love the Princess, but he felt an urge to protect her and her feelings. The second part wasn't in the task he was given. He sat up straighter and waited for her to instruct him. She was the Princess after all. "He will be outside the sunroom. You can wait for me in there while I talk to him."

"Are you sure?" he asked as they stood up.

"I trust him," she told Luke, leading the way into the hall. Luke walked at her side, watching how high she held her head up. He wondered if it was exhausting. Her eyes met his, and he looked away, continuing their walk in silence.

Luke had never really paid attention to the sunroom. It was full of well-kept plants and furniture that cost more than everything he owned put together. The sun was gone for the day, but he could see all the stars through the glass ceiling. On the other side of the sliding doors, stood Nick waiting for the Princess. "I'll be here," he reminded her as she walked to the doors. She turned back and gave him a smile, one he knew he would think about for days.

He felt his phone buzz for the first time in hours and checked it.

Bobby: Don't know if you're heard, but I got it covered already.

Luke: What?

Bobby: The kitchen head's son. Sick. Some people are trying to get him to replace you.

Bobby: Nick*

Luke looked up at the door where the Princess was standing with her arms crossed and a concerned look on her face. Luke found her eyes for a second, but she looked away and back at Nick whose face he couldn't see. Why would they try to replace him? Did someone know something?

Luke: How did this happen?

Bobby: The people are protective of their princess. They think it'd be better to have a guard who has known her her whole life. Safer or some bullshit. He's not even a knight.

The people weren't wrong.

Bobby: Doesn't matter either way. Stay focused.

Luke: Yes, sir.

Luke put his phone away when he saw Bobby wouldn't say anything back. The Princess walked back into the sunroom in that moment, leaving Nick behind the sliding glass door. Luke and Nick stared at each other for a second before he followed the Princess out of the sunroom and back up the stairs. There wasn't a smile between them. No reason for one.

The Princess was silent, scratching her shoulder as she held herself. She let out a sigh at one point and Luke asked her, "What's going on?" Would she tell him? "Princess?" They kept walking in silence until the reached her bedroom door. He was scared she'd go in without talking to him. Did she want to replace him, too?

She looked up at him, holding his gaze. "They're moving forward a petition to have Nick take your royal knight duties." Luke stared at her. He didn't know what to tell her. He didn't want her to know what Bobby had told him already. He didn't want her to want him gone, either.

"Do," Luke cleared his throat, looking down at the floor. "Do you want me to be replaced?"

She took a step closer to him. "Of course not. But it's not up to me," the Princess said. She reached over to touch his suit, catching him off guard. His faced heated up as he struggled to read her face. There was no expression on it. She was hyper focused on his suit. There was a button that had gotten out, and she fixed it for him. She pressed her palm over his heart for a second before pulling it away. He almost pulled her hand back, but he clenched his hand in a fist at his side instead. "We'll find out tomorrow what happens." He met her eyes again, and she managed to give him a smile. "But I wouldn't worry about it. You're a great knight."

"I think I was more worried about you wanting me gone," Luke confessed and scratched the back of his head.

"Trust me, Luke. I haven't felt like that in a while. We're friends now." There was a string of guilt still, tied around him that he had to ignore. He shouldn't be enjoying himself. He shouldn't be pampering himself with pleasant situations. But how could he not? When Julie was right there, and she looked so damn pretty.

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A/N: Remember I said we better hope that "that the spirits of fanfiction posses my body over my upcoming spring break, and I can get ahead again so I update more often." Well, they did and I'm quite ahead now. I won't update like crazy though, I've learned my lesson lmao.

I'm going to set update days to Monday and Thursday so count on that consistency from here on out. Thank you so so much for reading <3 AND THANK U FOR 3K READS!!! 

ALSO IMPORTANT-ish: I went back to edit chapter 18 because I had called Nick Sir Nick, but I was rereading for reference and noticed he was never knighted, so it's gone now. He's just a guard.