Where there's a Will, there's a Tiara | Complete (ONC 2021 Longlister)

16. Queen of Something

I was never going to be the queen now, but I certainly was a queen of evasion tactics. Between arriving back at my grandmother's house and Kat's arrival the next day, I didn't leave my room, despite several attempts by my grandmother and Ezrah to speak to me. I have to admit, I was exceptionally surprised when Edward showed up the next afternoon begging that I allow him to speak with me. That was a nice touch.

But they wouldn't hear a word from me. I will stand firm. I am resolved to get out of this and I'm not going to let other people sway me into their decisions. Not again.

When Kat finally did arrive, she shoved her way into my room and pushed the door shut behind her before anyone else could really get a look inside. Bless her.

"So, I hear we have some damage control to do," she said, flopping down on my bed beside me.

"I've missed you!" I threw my arms around her and rested my head on her shoulder. "And no damage control. I'm just glad I found out now before things got too far along and gave me a chance to get actually hurt."

"Oh, I don't care about them, A. I meant you. We need to go out and have some fun!"

"Same old Kat."

"Same old Adelaide," she returned. "I think we should get dolled up and find the nearest club and just go until we forget where home is. It's the best remedy."

Something inside me felt free, as though I were returning to a familiar place. This will be just the solution I need. I can survive being poor as long as my friends are with me. This place is just too much.

And then Kat pulled snacks and a sandwich out of her bag and handed them to me. "Now eat. We don't want you falling down before we even get any alcohol in you."

"You know me too well. Thanks." I graciously unwrapped the sandwich from its unceremonious plastic tomb and shoved probably half of it into my mouth in one bite. The one bad thing about not leaving your room is that rooms don't tend to have a lot of food in them. The small amount of candy I'd been hoarding in my suitcases hadn't been nearly enough to sustain me for a whole day.

"In hindsight, you probably should have accepted the food they left you," Kat pointed out.

"In hindsight, I probably shouldn't have come here in the first place."

Did I really mean that? Kat nodded her head beside me and pulled more snacks and make up out of her overly large purse and started spreading it on the bed between us. While I ate, she told me all about her life in Greece without me, which she called 'completely boring and definitely empty' despite clearly having been partying and enjoying the sun, which was sorely lacking in England most days.

When I was done eating, she was my security guard to get me to and from the bathroom for a shower and then insisted on doing my makeup and hair while she asked me questions about what exactly had happened since I'd arrived. I was still telling her about Ezrah's bombshell from the other day when another knock on my door made me jump.

"Go away," I said, turning up the music Kat had started blaring from her phone and turning back to her as she finished my makeup.

* * *

Less than an hour later, our cab was dropping us off at a pub or club or some other establishment that sells alcohol. Which turned out to be some kind of sports bar like every other establishment in this country. Because who doesn't want to scream at a screen and spill beer all over the place while watching people kick a ball around?

We barely got inside when we turned around and found ourselves back on the sidewalk. After a few missteps with Kat not having data on her phone, we finally found ourselves at a club with good dancing music and the hot sticky air of a full dance floor.

As with any good club, the bass bounced through my ears, making any attempt at communication or coherent thought almost impossible. I was back at the bar for the third time that evening getting a gin and tonic when the man beside me attempted to purchase my drink.

"No, thanks!" I shouted. "I'm fine!"

To my surprise, he didn't try to follow me when I returned to the dance floor, instead offering his drink buying services to another young woman approaching the bar. It's nice to have someone offer and leave me alone when I say no. It seems like they all try to push you around.

You were never afraid Edward would do something like that.

What the fuck, brain?

Just at that moment, a man pressed himself into my back without so much as looking at my face first. Without spilling the drink I still carried in my hand, I spun around and shoved him off me so hard he crashed into a group behind me. I really have to stop slapping people. Or maybe people have to stop doing things that mean I need to slap them.

"Sorry!" I shouted to the dancers I had knocked over like bowling pins when the man I shoved went crashing into their group. Hey, he was a jerk but so far as I know it wasn't their fault!

"Let's get out of here!" Kat screamed at me when the music got slightly quieter. "Patio?"

She said something else in there, but I couldn't possibly decipher it, so I just nodded and followed her as she dragged me through the tightly packed patrons bouncing to the music.

"What is with English guys?" Kat asked once we had pushed out the doors and found ourselves in the empty courtyard area. "Back home this whole place would be full of people!"

"What's that got to do with guys?"

"I don't know. It's their fault, right?"

I couldn't help but giggle at her face, brow furrowed in concentration as she looked around the area. "There's not even any tables and stuff. Did we just break in? Or... out?"

"Break out? Were we in jail?"

We broke into a fit of giggles just in time to remember what awaited us back inside the bar. "I stole this cup!" I downed the rest of my drink and held up the cup in front of her face to prove my point.

"Well, you know what that means? We have to go back in."

It's a good thing we didn't have anything remotely resembling war paint or she probably would have put that on, too.

"Ready?" she asked.

"Ready." I nodded and we pushed our way back through the doors and onto the sweaty dance floor where, despite holding hands, we almost lost each other several times. I deposited my glass on a table along the edge of the room and kept pushing through the crowd of patrons chatting about whatever it was they found interesting. Finally, we breathed the fresh air again as we pushed through the front doors of the club.

We walked aimlessly for a few blocks, both wearily looking around us at all times to ensure we weren't being followed. Finally, we found a little hole in the wall fish and chip shop that was still open and found our way inside. "I'm counting on something greasy and delicious so we can get back out there," I said to Kat, staring up at the menu.

What I hadn't counted on was that princes have rather expansive networks if they wish to find someone. Just as I was starting to relax, who should show up but Edward. "Adelaide, will you please give me a moment to explain?" his voice asked from behind me.

"Go away," I said without turning around. "I don't want to hear your side of the story."

When I finally did turn to face him, his face fell into a frown and he seemed to be searching for words, body edging slightly closer to me and then pulling back. In the end, he said nothing, nodded once, and turned around to walk straight out the door of the shop.

Did he just leave?