Gold

Thoughts of Midnight

This was a once in a lifetime opportunity for her because this sort of lifestyle would be something she would never get to be apart of again. And yet she stood on the sidelines, watching her friends dance.

Because she didn't belong.

She knew it and she accepted it so it did not sadden her as would be believed. It was simply the truth.

Sure she felt comfortable around all sorts of royalty and didn't mind talking to them as if they were just ordinary people but that didn't stop her from being out of place. She didn't belong.

And she didn't belong in the way that Lucas didn't belong. No he didn't belong in a completely different way. He was a rumor amongst royals, someone always to be gossiped about simply because of who he was. He wasn't the true son of a king. He was an awkward orphan originally born to two bookshop keepers. Certain royals treated him differently because of that. His socially awkwardness didn't help. And yet he still belonged. She didn't.

He belonged because he was a prince even if he wasn't born as one. Aurelia knew that despite everything they were trying to accomplish if he wanted he could be a good king someday, if only he had some faith in himself. But that wasn't going to happen. The whole point of their task was to get Mr. Gold to give Atharia the best ruler there was and that wouldn't be a young adult with no confidence in himself who didn't want to do it. But he could still belong in this world of nobility. She didn't.

She was a nobody to these people. The daughter of a miller. Perhaps her new friends felt differently but it was still true. Besides, after this trip she would go back to her mill and probably never see Eve, Nyel or Serenity ever again. She could only hope that Lucas was the exception. She really knew was that they weren't going to end up married. They both thought of their engagement as an utter lie, something that wasn't going to happen. She didn't want to marry someone she didn't love after all. She didn't want to marry him, but didn't ever want to stop being his friend. After a lifetime of being a stranger to him and less than two weeks of being his friend she couldn't imagine going back to being strangers. Perhaps whatever their fate was they could still be friends.

She couldn't see the same happening for the other royals she had met and befriended. None of them were trying to escape their status, at least that she knew of. Lucas was the only one who she would probably see again.

She watched from the sidelines, watching her friends dance and enjoy a life she wasn't apart of. She smiled as she watched them enjoy themselves. Nyel twirled Serenity around and around, a smile on both of their faces. Lucas kept looking down at his feet as he danced which kept causing Eve to smile which caused him to chuckle.

Aurelia found herself outside on the balcony gazing at the stars and thinking about all this stuff. She leaned over the railing. She didn't know how long she had been out there alone, so she didn't notice when the song ended.

"Enjoying yourself?" A familiar voice asked.

Her ponytail swished as she turned around to see her best friend. He smiled.

"Lucas!" She exclaimed.

"Why are you out here?" He asked.

Aurelia blushed, not wanting to explain everything she had been thinking about to him.

"Oh you know. I needed some fresh air." She lied.

"Uh huh." Lucas looked at her with minor disbelief. "Are you enjoying yourself?"

"Of course! Why wouldn't I be?" Aurelia lied again.

"Well you seem sort of bored to me." Lucas stated.

"I'm fine, really."

"Well I think if you get to avoid being social I should be able to avoid it too." Lucas grinned. Aurelia rolled her eyes.

He held out his hand. "You know Eve's too good of a dance partner for me. I can't keep up. I think I'd have more fun dancing with someone more my pace."

Aurelia smiled as she took his hand. "Even if I step on your feet?"

"Even then." He laughed.

"So," Aurelia began, making conversation as they danced. "You really like Eve?"

Lucas blushed, looking down at his feet. "Yeah, she's cool. Not as cool as you of course! It's different-"

Aurelia laughed. "I'm a nobody."

Luke's grin softened, almost into a frown. It wasn't just that she had said it but also how easy it was for her to take it lightly. "You're really not."

"Of course I am. I don't have the kind of background or education or-"

"Aurelia, you are the coolest person I know, okay? You are somebody. You don't need status to be yourself. So don't be like that."

Aurelia shrugged. "Alright... I suppose I won't."

"Good, now let's just forget about all the other amazing people we know and focus on enjoying ourselves." Lucas spun Aurelia around and she laughed.

"You're awesome, Luke." She said through laughter.

"Nah I'm really not. I'm just your friend. That's why I could appear that way." He joked.

Aurelia shook her head. He was awesome because for the first time all night she felt like she did belong.