Lizzie of the North (Yrsoreth Chronicles 2)

48◦❀◦Elopement: Day One

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

Growing up, Lizzie has been surrounded by ridiculous rumors.

They were either it was Devanti taking down a dragon (which never happened... probably), or Garth slaughtering a group of bandits alone with his laughter echoing in the woods (this happened). Then there's was about Erdan and his power to bewitch people and that criminals do the dirty work for him (this, she was entirely not sure).

She had her fair share too and they were mostly bloated praises, from her beauty to her kindness as the Norvillon's salvation from all their sins. Though they may be other rumors, they didn't reach her ears. Orna may be a tattletale for other people's affairs, but the Norvillon's was an exception.

However, this imperial scandal with the prince was probably her biggest yet.

"What if Papa will hear about this?" she nagged him then filled her mouth with the last piece of the creamy cake that tasted like a miracle.

"He definitely will." Alec then pushed another plate to her side. "Do you want to coop yourself in the palace with my mother and just breathe? This is the first day."

"But to 'elope'?" Her glare had once again dissolved by the dessert melting in her mouth. "Do y—"

"—Run away. That was first on your list," he cut her off. "Remember the things you want to do?"

She did remember. It was one of those sneaking nights, back when they were younger and Lizzie listed her wishes, and Alec was silent most of the time, knotting her hair in hopelessness. She kept the list in her drawer complete with points to the last details. There were officially six because Alec had taken the seventh on the list. Yet, that number was blank. He never told her what he wanted.

"B—"

"—Either you nag or you eat. Choose one, princess."

Lizzie chose to eat and ignored his sarcasm. They 'eloped' to the Imperial Inn, specifically, her suite. It didn't help the fact that the servants were asked to leave instead to wait by the corner. Lizzie could not forget the head maid's flustered face, that forgot to glare at the younger servants' faces of red tomatoes and giggles.

The imperial prince alone with the princess from a former rebel dukedom—it was the perfect formula for gossip. And then he had to declare for the second time that they were 'eloping.'

The nerve—oh, one slice left.

She paused, put her spoon down, somehow taken aback by his stare. He was not an open book, yet his eyes were smiling. Her eyes slid down to his lips—and Lizzie gulped, but clicked her tongue just as quick. "Now, what?"

"Let's do nothing," he declared.

"Good for you to have all the time in the world."

Because she doesn't. One, she has a family, extremely angry so, threatening to go to war. Two, a scandal to deal with, and with an imperial prince. And three, she has a vague relationship with the said prince, whom she formerly thought was her cousin.

Friends don't kiss, nor 'elope,' no matter how much humor it was.

"Do I look like I have the time to do nothing?" he replied and cut off her wandering thoughts.

She recalled the devastated face of Alec's aide, left alone with the prince's unfinished workload. "Then do something."

"I am doing something—doing nothing with you."

She leaned back, and realized she had too much sugar for the day, her stomach felt weird, like somersaulting rabbits and butterflies. "You—just," slow down punk, those words could be easily misunderstood, you know. Lizzie took a deep breath to calm herself, and it was as if Alec was amused by her reaction. "Fine, let's do 'nothing' today."