Had he lost himself already?
Luke was messing everything up. It's as if he pulled on a string in a knit sweater, and the entire thing wouldn't stop unraveling and burying him beneath undone stitches. There was a tight string around his neck tied by other people and as much as he feared being choked out, he also feared losing himself if he didn't indulge just a little.
And the Princess's presence was his greatest luxury.
He watched her strum his guitar in the music room, singing innocent phrases then giggling when her voice cracked. "I think you're catching a cold," he told her. He saw a blanket in the corner of the room, and he had to fight the urge to stand up and wrap it around her. The balcony door was shut tight with the curtains fully drawn, but there was a never-ending draft in the castle. Reggie would complain about it during patrol.
"I'll drink a tea before bed tonight, and I'll be good by morning," she assured him. "If I swam, maybe I wouldn't be as hopeful." Luke listened to how she talked. It was so formal sometimes he had to find it cute. It wasn't even annoying.
Her phone buzzed for the fourth time since Nick had first texted her. She ignored it the second and third times but this time, she took it out of her dress pocket and checked. Luke watched her roll her eyes and put it away. "Flynn has been the one spamming me."
"Must be urgent." Princess Julie gave him a half smile and shook her head before strumming the guitar strings again. She caught on quick. Her musical talent was immense and stretched much further than what he thought. "What other instruments do you play?" he asked her.
She looked at him and answered, "Mainly piano. Before my mom got sick, I was better at the guitar. Tried the flute once, but I couldn't sing with it, so I left it." She looked around the room and grinned. "Triangle, of course."
"Of course," Luke said, smiling with her. She handed back his guitar to him.
She apologized, "Sorry, I've been hogging it." Luke took it back and stood it up next to him.
"It's fine. I'm not really in the mood to play." Princess Julie was quiet for a moment before turning to her grand piano. She started playing a song Luke didn't recognize. He waited for her to start singing but the words never came. He didn't need her to. The notes were sad yet hopeful, and it put him at ease. Or maybe it was just her.
Her phone buzzed once more, making her stop playing. Julie sighed and picked it up, Luke watching her struggle to hide a smile. "Flynn is hopeless," she commented before typing something back to her.
Luke was once an impulsive person and he had to tie himself down a lot when he got to the academy. He wasn't supposed to be there in the first place, but it was his impulsivity and recklessness that got him where he was. He was scared of that Luke as much as he missed him. Occasionally, he'd make an appearance. "Did you text Nick back?" Julie rose one of her eyebrows and smirked. Luke felt heavy in his chest already knowing the Princess thought it was amusing that he kept asking. There were so many implications flying around, and he didn't know which one she was thinking about. Back then, he wouldn't care and smile back at her. Right now, he was almost scared of getting his feelings hurt. What had happened to him in just a few years?
"I did," she finally answered. "But he hasn't replied to me. Why?" The "why" was so hard to process as she stared at him with those big brown eyes. They were easy to get lost in, and he always had to pull himself away from them.
"Just nosy," he said, using her word from earlier. The Princess let out small content laugh before checking her buzzing phone again. Her smile went away when she read it, her mouth becoming the shape of an o. "What happened?" he asked.
"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.