3. The Parade.

[Claire]

I could not believe the nerve of men, why did I always have to run into the arms of very selfish and manipulative men.

I wiped my lips with the back of my hand as I sauntered away from the beautiful garden he had taken me to.

I wondered if he would be reprimanded for just leaving the parade without any sort of permission but I scoffed inwardly, he deserved whatever he was going to get anyway, I could not believe that he brought me here to impress me and then try to get in my pants.

Palace guards must be a turn-on for tourists if he thought he could have me just by showing me the palace gardens.

I could still feel his lips on mine and I felt the need to wipe it off again.

It must have been the change in the time zone I thought and I felt my forehead with my hand for any sign of a temperature because how I had acted was so unlike me.

I had acted like a woman starved for affection with Jean when I felt nothing like that, it was just a kind of instant attraction that I felt to this handsome stranger and somehow I wished he had not acted like a total jerk by asking me for a one night stand.

I was not always impulsive by nature. I was a calm and collected human being who usually thought things through and thoroughly before I did anything, but I guess my father's betrayal must have gotten to me because I didn't even think before I rushed out of the country.

I knew that he must have been trying to get to me now, he must have realized that I had run away. I just hoped Nana helped keep my secret because I didn't want him coming after me in Denmark, that was why I had to maintain a low profile.

I dialed the number of the taxi I had been riding in, my fare must have gone up a lot since I told him not to stop the meter but I didn't care, it's not like I ever cared about that before, I was born with a silver spoon and I had lived like that all my life but even I knew that I had to start cutting back now if I wanted to avoid exhausting the cash with me and using my credit card.

As I neared the big gates, I saw the palace guards standing at their post and my mind wandered back to Jean and how it had felt to be in his arms. That wasn't my first kiss, but I could very well say it was the first passionate kiss I had ever had.

I smiled a small smile because I could now say that I had experienced the bone-melting and knee-weakening kiss that novels described, but it was so bad that it was with a jerk.

He hadn't even come after me to apologize or even try to explain or even convince me, I don't know, I was beyond mad at him.

"Thank you for coming and I'm so sorry if I've disrupted your day." I apologized as soon as I entered the taxi, I was glad that I didn't have to wait for long before the driver came.

"No worries ma'am, I made sure to leave the meter running." He said and I smiled.

"Of course you did, don't worry, I'll be sure to pay you all I owe," I said and relaxed in the back seat.

"Where to now, miss?" He asked and I realized that I hadn't even told him where I was going.

Originally I had wanted to locate my mother as soon as I arrived, but now I just really wanted to rest. I was so tired my eyes were already closing.

"Why don't you take me to a nice hotel in the city," I said. "But please don't do anything too fancy," I added, remembering my plan to keep a low profile.

The nicest hotels in the city were the first my father would get to if he tried to find me, today I would rest then tomorrow I would try to find short term housing options and a temporary job position if possible, I had no idea what I would find at my mother's address and I had no idea how long I would be staying, but if anything I wasn't going back with meeting my mother.

"Okay ma'am, there's a nice hotel in the city, nothing to fancy, I'm sure it would fit your tastes perfectly, I—"

At this point, I was no longer listening to anything he was saying because I had already given in to my tired nerves.

.

.

[Luke]

Go after her, bring her back, and ask for her forgiveness. My mind plagued me but I could not bring myself to move. She was extremely beautiful and she felt so good. I knew I had to have her if I wanted to get her out of my system, but I had to let her go.

My life is complicated right now with my new position, my father's demands, and everything, also I couldn't risk the guards seeing me. I might have missed them the first time, but who's to say I would miss them a second time, especially after I already removed the guard's hat.

I touched my lips and I grinned as I remembered how she'd kissed me back, she'd kissed like she had just tasted her next best thing and couldn't get enough of it, that I knew was real because that wasn't something that she could fake, I would have felt it if she'd faked it.

Like all the girls who had been throwing themselves at me in high school because I was a prince, college hadn't been so bad because not everyone was aware of my status, but those that did nauseated me with their constant clinginess and pretense, in a way they all reminded me of Megan, except she was more persistent and my father actually liked her.

I sighed and patted my horse before turning towards the stables to return the horse, the horse neighed as I nudged it into the stables and bolted the door.

I made my way back to my room and hoped for the parade to end soon.

"Prince Luke." A voice called just as I was about to sneak into my room and I swore silently.

"It's Liam," I replied lazily but when I saw the caller, I knew that he would never believe the lie I had just told.

"Do you think I'm too old to tell you both apart? " He said and I grimaced.

"Sir Thomas, I almost didn't recognize you," I said and turned to face him.

Sir Thomas was the King's secretary and that made him extremely close to the family, he had acted like a father to me whenever the king was busy which was every time so it was not a surprise that he could tell me apart from Liam.

"A shame you had to leave the parade so soon, what would the people think of their prince and your father?" He said a bit threateningly but I knew that he wouldn't do anything because he was all bark and no bite.

"The people have their prince and the king has his show," I said and turned to enter the room.

"The king?" He asked and then shook his head sadly. "The king is also your father as you are not just a prince, but his son as well, how long are you going to keep eluding that fact."

Sir Thomas had always been aware of the tension between the King and me.

"Sir Thomas, I suddenly feel very tired, I'll take my leave now," I said as the conversation was already heading to places I didn't want to visit.

"Very well, Prince Lucas." He said and straightened himself, he had no expression on his face but his eyes held a tinge of sadness in them.

"Welcome home, Luke." He said just before he turned to leave, dismissing the official speech.

"Thank you, Tom," I said and pushed the door open before I did something I might regret like hugging the older man.

I wasn't about to let anyone see me in a vulnerable state ever, but Tom truly meant a lot to me, he treated me with more love than my own father had ever shown.

A few moments later, Liam pushed through the door panting heavily.

"How the f**k could you leave me hanging like that?" He asked, trying to stabilize his breathing.

"I'm sorry man, thanks for your help," I said and got up from the bed.

"I'm not about to do something like that ever again, you hear me?" He said seriously. " You put me in a tight spot dude, the king told me things, things he should have said to you, he feels terrible about the relationship between you—"

"I don't want to hear anything the King has to say." I cut him off before he proceeded further.

"You should give him a chance, Luke, he really wants to make things right." Liam sighed and started taking off the uniform.

"We should hurry, the maids will soon be here to pick up the clothes," I said changing the subject.

"You will have to talk to him someday, you know right?" He said but I just shrugged.

I knew that he was right, but that day ain't today.

"Tell me about the girl I supposedly ran off with?" He asked me all of a sudden and I turned to him in shock.

How did he know about Claire?