Three days could make anyone go mad.
Boredom was not something I was expecting with the week I had before me, but since the entire royal family was gone, it left very little activity happening at the palace, besides the skeleton staff cleaning and working in the private quarters.
Unfortunately, I still had my etiquette lessons and meetings with Chloe keeping me from visiting home, but they only absorbed some of the hours of the day. Rain kept me from the outdoors, and I felt like a trapped rat, slinking around the palace like I was trying to find my way out of the maze.
I may or may not have even started singing “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?” to the portraits, with a bottle of vodka the night before.
Pulling my cell out of my back pocket, I hit a button, the call going to a service. “Hey, this is Landen… you know what to do.” Beep.
“Hey…” I kicked my foot in front of me lazily. “It’s me again. I know I’m probably annoying the hell out of you. But family gets to do that to each other.” I nibbled on my bottom lip, heading for my room. “Just wanted to talk. I miss you. Miss Mina too. Have you talked to her recently? She’s been MIA as well.” I paused as if he would suddenly pick up the call and answer me. “Anyways, I will talk to you later. Come visit me if you can. I mean, I have the King of Great Victoria’s liquor cabinet at my disposal. Think I drank a bottle that costs the same as your car.” Though the remnants of my hangover didn’t seem to care how high quality it was. “Love you. Bye.” I hung up with a sigh, stepping into my room.
Theo and the PR team highly “suggested” I stay close to the palace, as the attention on me had skyrocketed. Though I doubted anyone would notice me if I popped into a shop. I craved shopping, and I didn’t even like shopping.
“It’s not like you will run out of things to do here.” Theo kissed my head on the steps before they left as the servants packed the boot of the car. “Movie theater, library, video games, your classes… You can even break into my father’s liquor cabinet in his office, where he keeps the top-notch stuff.” Theo winked at me. “There’s plenty to do until we get back.”
“So this is an upscale version of house arrest.”
“Spence…” He tipped his head back, staring down at me. “It’s only for six days. I’ll be back before you know it.”
I forced a smile, nodding.
He leaned in, kissing me. “And when I get back, we are finishing what we started last night,” he muttered into my ear. By the time we got back from the club, I had gone straight to bed.
“Yeah, you’re right.” I nodded. “I’ll love the time to just unwind. Read.”
“That’s my girl.” His lips brushed my head before he climbed into the back of one of the SUVs heading to their private jet. Dalton gave me a nod before climbing into the car along with Eloise. The king and queen were in an SUV behind theirs.
I did enjoy the alone time, reading and watching movies, for the first day. But then stupidly—blaming my moment of weakness on the expensive bottle of vodka I stole from King Alexander’s cubby—I snuck onto social media.
Idiot.
If only that had been what they were calling me. Not one person knew me, but they all had opinions on me: slut, bitch, tramp, too tall, too thin, too fat, too short, too many freckles, too plain, uptight, not that pretty, he could do much better, she’s a nobody, noble snob, her lips are too big, her eyes are odd, I hate her, she’s vile. I don’t see what he sees in her. I’m so much prettier than her! Pick me instead, Theo! I would be far better in bed!
It went on and on. Tearing down my looks, my outfits, my personality. They shredded everything about me, tossing me into a woodchipper, not caring how bloody and broken I came out as long as they felt better about themselves. Forgetting I am just a person who happened to fall in love with a prince.
Theo was praised and gushed over by women, men, and the media, while I was dissected and torn apart in a game I had no way of winning.
Since then, nothing kept my attention, my heart heavy and sad. I wandered the hallways, calling Theo, Eloise, Mina, and Landen… No one was able to take my call. Hazel wasn’t even in town.
Normally I loved being on my own, reading and being outdoors with the horses. But the feeling of being held here left me antsy and irritable. It wasn’t home. Even with no royals here, I still couldn’t relax. There was always a maid or a someone running the house popping out of nowhere.
Flopping on the bed, I opened my laptop, ready to put on a movie and take a nap while the rain pattered gently at the window.
The browser still open on social media, I cringed, ready to close it up, when my gaze landed on the top post.
“Volunteers needed! The Animal Rescue Shelter is having an open house this weekend, and we need all the help we can to get these pooches and kitties at their best for adoption!”
I sat up, scrambling off my bed, not even needing to read the rest. It was a place I had donated to before and joined them on a march, trying to ban kill shelters. It was exactly what I needed. To forget all the ugly stuff out there about me, to let all the royal nonsense go.
Just be me for a few hours.
Zipping up new boots and grabbing a jacket, I darted out the door and down the hall. I knew I was supposed to let Lennox know where I was going, but he would stop me. He took Theo’s “suggestion” of my staying here as law.
I needed this more than air, to do something I loved, and the animals needed me.
Like a stowaway hiding from the crew, I slunk through the palace, wanting no one to stop and question me. Heading out the side door, I pulled up my hood, the soft raindrops tapping my head, the cool misty air slinking around in my hood. I couldn’t see any safe exit out of here, which for security reasons was a good thing, just not good when you are trying to sneak out. It was the fastest way to feel how much a prisoner I actually was.
Racing down the private lane, I knew cameras were catching me, but I hoped I’d be too far for them to respond in time.
“Hey, Rory!” I called out, so he wouldn’t straight out shoot me as I ran past the guard station, the usual guy on duty.
“My lady?” He did a double take, his hand clutching his gun, his head swinging past me, looking for any danger. “What are you doing?”
“Jailbreak.” I held my finger up to my lips, winking at him.
“Where are you going?”
“I can’t tell you. Because you will tell Lennox.”
“Lennox doesn’t know?”
“Don’t ruin my escape. Come on.” I batted my eyes. “Please.”
He shook his head, a smirk huffing his nose.
“You are trouble, my lady.”
“Thank you.”
“Why don’t I call the house for a car, miss? Can take you where you want to go.”
“You do not get the idea of sneaking out, do you?” I laughed, jogging past him, blowing him and the three other guards a kiss. Their stoic faces on duty broke into smiles as I went by, their heads wagging in wonder. Their job was to defend the palace from intruders, not to prevent me from leaving it.
The moment I stepped out onto the public road, the cars zooming past, visitors chatting, mulling around taking pictures, locals speed walking to their destination, I felt vulnerable and free at the same time. Hailing a black cab, I jumped in, the car pulling away from the curb. I turned back and watched the palace slowly disappearing from view.