Bluebirds Without Wings | Julie and the Phantoms

Heel

"Boys?" Reggie whispered under his breath. Luke wanted to shoot him a glare and tell him to be quiet, but he wouldn't give the Princess the satisfaction proving that yes, he was a boy. Sort of. He was seventeen, and he had been in the knight academy for two years already. Reggie had been in there since he was thirteen and despite everyone underestimating him, he the best of the best. Luke on the other hand? He was just trouble.

"Princess Julie," King Raymundo scolded her. It shocked Luke to hear the King break character. He guessed that even Kings had to break out into parenting mode on occasion. "You two may rise." Luke stood up and right in front of him stood the disappointed Princess in all her five-foot-five glory. She wore a long dress full of sunflowers that reminded him of his mom's little garden she had in a broken bathtub. He only allowed himself to let his eyes graze for a quick second as he was trained to look at the wall above his superior's heads. Eye contact wasn't respectable. King Raymundo cleared his throat and told his kids, "You two are to be with these men at all time." Luke felt like the word men was just to make them feel better. "They will sleep outside your rooms, be with you in every part of the castle, and any part of the kingdom you wish to go to. Please," he turned his head to Princess Julie, "do not give them any problems."

The Princess didn't seem like a troublemaker in any videos and photos Luke had seen of her. If anything, she always seemed kind and respectful, like she was a commissioned statue that came to life with the power of a fairy. Luke had a hard time thinking of her as someone rambunctious or capable of causing trouble which is why he took the job in the first place.

Princess Julie curtsied with a scowl and started walking out without a word. Luke turned quickly to the King, who he didn't expect to shrug. So many formalities had just been broken, and in the academy, it would've cost him a dinner. He looked back at the Princess who was already out the door and hurried after her. He could've sworn the King wished him good luck before he was out in the hall.

He had never been deep inside the castle. The most he had gone in was the main room and the ball when there was a celebration for the knights every year. He looked around the halls full of old family portraits and landscapes of the kingdom he didn't recognize. At certain points, the Princess would turn her head to look at him as if to confirm that he was still there. She seemed to be frustrated with the truth, a little stomp in her step.

The made it to the second floor after going through a staircase hidden behind a door, and her heels clicked quickly down the marbled floors. Luke was fast, but he wouldn't underestimate the damage the Princess could do in sneakers. She looked back one last time before opening the door of her room and shutting it with a loud echo that clapped down the hall. Luke halted a few feet before the door, not sure what to do with all his curiosity.

He stood outside her door like he was told to and only fought off the temptation to look at his phone for five minutes before giving in. He had tried pressing his ear against the door to try to hear for any signs of life, but the Princess was silent. He hoped everyday wasn't that boring.

It was five in the afternoon, and Luke was starving. Skipping breakfast that morning wasn't his brightest idea, but he couldn't risk being late for the King himself. He was only allowed to eat when she ate, so he waited patiently. Reggie and Prince Carlos hadn't gone by at all which meant Reggie had got the fun sibling and they were out doing who knows what. All Luke knew about the Prince was that he spent a lot of time hunting for bugs and could be found running around the town square with the other kids. They didn't even feel like a royal family sometimes with how much they allowed themselves to get close to people. Luke still had some hope that Princess Julie wasn't as cold as she presented herself.

When the doorknob first rattled, Luke put his phone in his suit pocket and straightened himself out. Having to wear business clothes everyday was the one thing about being a knight that didn't make sense to him. He needed to be able to run if he had to.