Royals and Rule-breakers

Rowboats and Revelations

After a while, Klaus glanced up from the Jane Austen novel to notice that his friend's eyes, which had been intently trained upon him while he read, had now drifted off to gaze at the lake.

"Y/N? Are you alright?"

"Oh, yes, I'm sorry, I'm listening." Y/N shook her head and looked back at Klaus. "I could listen to you read for hours, to be honest." She added, averting her eyes again to hide the slight blush in her cheeks as she changed the subject with, "But it has gotten cloudy, and the moon has disappeared."

"Ah." Klaus set the book down and looked up at the sky, then at its reflection in the lake. "Would you like to go out on the lake?" He asked after a moment, and Y/N raised her eyebrows.

"What do you mean?"

Klaus stood, holding his hand out with a smile; the painter took his hand and Klaus led her along the edge of the water before stopping at a small wooden rowboat nestled amongst the nearby willows. "My father used to take me and my sisters rowing when we were little," he explained, tugging the boat out, voice quieting a bit, "And I would come out here by myself sometimes just to think- it's been a while though." But he just shook his head, smiled, and gestured to the bench, which Y/N looked at with hesitation. "I promise not to capsize the boat." Klaus assured her with a chuckle, holding out his hand. 

The painter laced her fingers tightly through his as she slowly stepped into the rowboat, gripping his arm in fear as it rocked a bit.

"You're alright, I've got you." Klaus said gently; curious, how she wasn't afraid of heights, but rather the instability of a boat. "Do you not like the water?"

"No, no, I love it." Y/N quickly replied, blushing as she sat down. "I just... it's been a very long time since I've gone swimming. I've probably forgotten."

"Well, I can swim, and in the unlikely chance we do flip over, I shan't let you drown- I promise you."

Y/N smiled softly and nodded, gazing at the prince for longer than she had intended, fingers still intertwined with his. "Well," she cleared her throat, pulling her hand away as she joked, "You trusted me to help you climb down two stories of the side of a castle, I suppose I shall trust you to not let me drown."

Klaus laughed again, pushing the rowboat out into the water before jumping in himself and grabbing the oars. After making sure the boat was stable enough, Y/N relaxed, smiling as she leaned over the side to run her fingers through the tall grass before dipping them in the water.

"This is nice." She whispered, gazing contently at the water as Klaus rowed out to the middle of the lake, the cool breeze ruffling their hair.

Klaus just smiled back as he watched his friend. Sunny's words all those months ago had not lost their truth: she really did look like an angel. "Yes, it really is a lovely night." He replied softly, glad the painter could not see his cheeks flushing pink as he watched her, satisfied with her happiness.

After another moment, Y/N suddenly grinned at the sky's reflection in the lake before looking up. "Ah, there she is- my one true lover."

Klaus raised his eyebrows, then looked up at the sky where Y/N was gazing intently.

"Wherever I may go, she follows. I may not have a home any longer, yet she is always there with me, even as the people fade away." Y/N murmured, resting her chin upon the edge of the rowboat and never taking her eyes off of the moon.

Klaus watched her for a moment before quietly saying, "It must be tough, moving around as you do."

"Oh, it's alright sometimes." Y/N smiled softly. "I have seen many places and met many people- but it's all a blur really." Her smile turned to a slight frown as she continued, "Everything comes and goes over and over again." She finally turned back to Klaus, but her eyes seemed unfocused, as if all her thoughts obstructed her view of him. "And the same shall happen with you I suppose. Our paths shall diverge and our memories shall become foggy. 'So, we'll go no more a roving