Royally Rich

eleven | honest

"Are you a stereotypical princess that rides horses perfectly?" Maizon asked as he clumsily threw himself atop of the brown horse.

"I sure am," I mumbled adjusting my riding boots so they wouldn't irritate my horse. I had gotten Maizon and I dressed in our riding gear before pulling the horses from their stables.

"We aren't gonna ride around town, right? Because the paparazzi kinda make me nervous," Maizon sheepishly smiled at me. He tried to go for a walk last week, not realizing he'd be followed, and panicked when they flashed their cameras in his face.

"You're the American, you're the hottest thing right now. And no, we'll be in the woods that are just beyond the palace gates. No paparazzi ever goes behind the palace," I head up the road that lead to the back gates, where the guards let us out.

Anyone who knew about the back gates thought they were a useless addition due to the forest that grew beyond them. They didn't realize that the Royals needed time away from the Beauregard Palace. They thought we had it all.

My white horse followed the worn down path like I trained her to. Maizon struggled to stay beside me, having trouble guiding the animal.

"So are you going to tell me why you have to marry Jaxton?"

I sighed, not knowing whether to tell him the whole truth or just a sliver. I decided on telling him everything, he's the only one I could trust with the secret.

"You can't tell anyone this, you have to promise."

"I promise, I won't."

"They day we arrived, my mom pulled me aside and told me that the only reason I was in the States was to have a normal childhood before I'd have to do all of this.

I wasn't supposed to come home yet, I wasn't supposed to cut things off with you. You were never supposed to be in this mess."

"Grecyn, what happened?"

"My father is dying. I doubt he has long, he's been avoiding me since I got home. He hates me to see him sick," I fiddled with the mane, trying not to look him in the eye. I didn't want to be pitied.

"I'm sorry, Grey. But how does that put you in the position that you're in?"

"I'll be Queen, a young Queen. Without Jaxton and his military by my side, I doubt I'd have a country to protect within five years. It's not about me, it's about my people," I pushed my hair out of my face, realizing we've come to a stop at the top of a hill.

"When Jaxton said you'd change, I thought you'd become some prissy, privileged girl. I didn't think he was talking about your motives," Maizon's horse was so close to mine that our legs brushed together as he faced me me.

"I don't want you to think I'm any different than before. I'm still the same girl who fell for you,"

"Fell?" Maizon looked at me with bewilderment in his eyes. But when he looked at me, I saw was his whole attitude change. He had convinced himself that what we had was a temporary and disposable thing.

"Yes, I know this is kinda rushing everything but—" Maizon cut me off with a needy kiss, tangling his fingers in my hair, refusing to let me get away again.

He pulled away then said, "We may not have all the time in the world but there's no need to rush."

I ducked my head, letting my hair fall over my face. I didn't want him to see the blush that was creeping up my face.

"Come on, if I beat you back to the stables you'll have to give me a kiss!" Maizon rushed back down the hill and into the forest. I was still too embarrassed to bother rushing behind him.