Anybody But You

60

Chapter Sixty

Vibe: Sucker Punch by Sigrid

Politics was a dangerous game played between noblemen and noblewomen with too much money and greed.

Allegiances grew and fell within minutes through legit and corrupt influence. Influence was sold and bought for business and power, and used like currency to buy favourability. Majority favourability legitimately changed the tides of progress, while minority favourability covertly grew rebellions that led to assassination attempts.

One move and everything could change. A wrong move could cost you lives... A right move could cost you lives on the opposite side. It was bloody and risky and everyone had something to lose when they played it.

And still, everyone played.

The start to Alice's wrong move was the day of the tea and social party. The royal greenhouse was adorned with beautiful green, yellow, and white plants to openly symbolize welcoming the Lucien guests to the kingdom. It was an obvious bold move to adorn the Audovera palace with the Lucien Kingdom's colours as the guests grew instantly aware of the foreign customs around them.

Lucy herself wore an orange dress that brought out the red of her hair even more than usual—appearing very similar to her Lucien brethren with matching fiery locks and freckled skin.

The palace servants served a mixture of local and Lucien teas and treats which was at first met with a pleasant refreshing breath of air—the local guests finding enjoyment in the change. As Alice watched from a distance, she carefully dictated the flow of the party.

"Lady Alice," she heard a familiar voice behind her, her cheeks warming up.

Turning, Alice gave the official reinstated knight a curtsy, "Good knight, I see you've adorned your suit once more."

With his helmet tucked between his arm he gave her a smile, "Tested and tried—I'm back in training. By next year when I'm an official adult in the eyes of the law, I shall become a full knight."

Reaching up, Alice gave his shaggy hair a friendly ruffle, "I'm proud of you. Just keep doing your best and I'm sure everything will work out for you."

Chuckling as he thanked her for the encouragement, he turned to the party, his eyebrows furrowing, "What's lady Lucy doing—isn't this putting her at odds with our people?" He watched with concern as Lucy laughed enthusiastically with her cousins and few brave locals.

Alice hummed, pressing her pink lips together as she rocked back on her heels with a shrug.

Godric looked at Alice, his eyes narrowing suspiciously, "You're up to something, miss Alice—"

"And here I was thinking I was seeing unfortunate things." A familiar deep voice interrupted as Narcisse stepped into view, crawling out from the shadows. "But lo and behold, a wild Alice has returned to cause more mischief to the kingdom—because almost being executed for treason once, clearly was not fun enough for her." His dark stormy eyes pierced Alice's surprised blue ones. "Please leave, Sir Godric, I'd like a word with your cunningly stupid cousin, immediately."

Alice's face contorted confusedly, her nose scrunching up as she glanced at Godric who was vehemently trying not to laugh or smile at her and the seemingly serious situation she had found herself in with the crowned prince.

"He is not my—" Before Alice could finish the sentence, Godric shook his head quickly, subtly.

"Uh, yes, your highness—I was just leaving to my training station anyways." With a bow, Godric took his leave, leaving Alice alone with a very stressed out prince.

"What do you think you are doing?" He instantly hissed, grabbing her arm tightly as he pulled her into the shadows of the hall, away from prying eyes. "Tell me now, Alice, are you a masochist or just trying to start a war?"

Flushing, Alice ground her teeth—her blood pressure already picking up as she scowled at his frowning face. Ripping her arm out of his hand, she took a step back from his over exaggerating outcry, "What's your point, your highness? What did I do now?"

Narcisse rubbed his hand over his face, exhaling loudly, "For someone who knows everything, you sure don't understand anything." He growled. "Why are there Luciens here, Alice?"

Alice's eyebrows knitted further, "Because the future princess wanted to invite her family to see where she was living—not exactly a war worthy reason, your highness." she spoke down to him, exaggerating his title.

Looking up at the ceiling, he muttered, "It's unreal how irritating I find you..." Bending down to her eye level rather belittling-like, he grabbed her shoulders with his long fingers, "Get them the hell out of the castle before the king finds out."

"For what—"

Narcisse suddenly grabbed Alice, pulling her back against his solid chest as he covered her mouth—dragging her deeper into the darkness of the hall as footsteps approached. She could feel his heart beating in strong beats, the rhythmic sound beating in her reddening ears.

Suddenly stomping hard onto the foot of his black boot with her pointy heel, he released his hand from over her lips with a quiet grunt. Swearing incomprehensibly under his breath, Alice looked up at Narcisse with an annoyed expression on her face as she slowly dug her heel in deeper. As his face scrunched up in pain, his fingers entangled into her long blonde hair as he yanked the strands in retaliation. Alice gasped in pain, trying to remain quiet as she rubbed the roots of her hair—attempting to ease the pull as she stomped on his foot repeatedly out of spite. Angry, immaturity zapped within the electricity of their eyes as they stared annoyedly—and in pain—at one another.

"—can you believe the audacity? Bringing in Luciens like this... it's an insult to the Audovera Kingdom. I hope once the king hears about this he'll call off this shameful engagement once and for all." A local noblewoman in front of the glazed glass wall in front of them suddenly spoke to her partner.

Swatting Narcisse, she pulled her hair out of his grasp just as he shoved her off his foot. Stumbling back upright, she glared at him.

With a look that said 'see?!' Narcisse gestured to the people as they complained about the Luciens.

With an annoyed huff, she roughly grabbed his arm, walking them to the abandoned back entrance where she promptly shoved him back into a wall and sneered, "Do you actually want to get married to Lucy or something?" She spat out frustratedly as she scowled at him.

He looked at her with a taken-back expression on his face, his lengthy body stuck between her and the wall. "Wha-what?"

"I said—" she forced out of her teeth, "—do you—"

"I heard you." Narcisse shook his head, his eyebrows furrowing together, "Why are you asking me that?" His dark eyes stared into hers, trying desperately to figure her out—to solve the questions swimming in his eyes.

Backing up, she ground her teeth, blowing out of breath as she rubbed her forehead. "I want to strangle you..." She admitted, glaring up at him as his eyes widened.

"I am trying to steal Lucy's crown, you idio—your highness."

~*~*~

A.N.

I love this chapter. Their ability to just be themselves for a moment is so refreshing and funny. When she stopped his foot, I was giggling to hard while writing it.

Thank you for reading :)