The Crown

Chapter Six

With a hand over her mouth, Beatrice squirmed out of her attacker's arms. She elbowed them in the stomach before freeing herself from their grasp. Then, she lifted her arm back and punched them right in, what she assumed to be, the cheek.

As the sound of a body thudding on the ground filled her ears, she screamed. 

Without a moment to spare, she ran out of the dark area and up the flight of stairs. She scrambled to regain her balance and, luckily for her, she fell into someone's arms. 

"I have got to stop doing that," she cursed to herself aloud, out of breath. "I'm so sorry-"

"Beatrice?" The voice of Tobias filled her ears. She looked up and held her breath, lowering her head in front of him. He was the last person she wanted to see right now. "What happened?" if Beatrice's head wasn't so occupied with the events that had just occurred, she would have noticed the care in his voice. "Did someone hurt you?"

She shook her head quickly, slowly moving her shaking hands behind her back to cover them from his view. "I'm sorry," she caught from the corner of her eye his hand nearing towards her, which made her jump up and take a step back. "Please."

He lifted his arms in surrender and approached her slowly. "Cease your apologies and tell me what happened."

Once again, she shook her head and hurried away from him. "I can't speak to you."

"Beatrice!" he called out, but she didn't turn around.

Tobias stood there, deciding not to run after her, although he wanted to. 

Instead, he turned around and caught his parents walking nearby. He cleared his throat and bowed as they acknowledged him.

"Son," King Marcus started. "Princess Lauren is here."

"I wish you would tell me these things, father. What if I did not want to see her? In fact, it would be my most desired option."

"Do not fall into dramatics, son. Lauren is a wonderful girl."

"Then, by all means, you have my blessing to go ahead and date her."

"Tobias!" Evelyn gasped as she scolded her son. "What has gotten into you? Your father's right; Lauren is a wonderful girl and will be a beautiful wife to you," she smiled. "Have you forgotten your duty in choosing a proper queen for the throne?"

Marcus did not try to hide his scoff. He patted his wife's hand, and she understood his silent queue. Evelyn released her positioning on her husband's arm, turning away from him and her son. She retreated into a drawing-room nearby, instructing a servant passing by to prepare her a drink. 

Tobias wanted his mother to stay, only because he felt she was the only person in his life that could attempt to understand him. His father always set high expectations for him, and Tobias never managed to fulfill what his father deemed worthy.

"Listen to me," Marcus spat. "I am growing sick of your increasingly sporadic actions. You are to go outside in the garden, and you are to seduce Lauren into marrying you."

"Father," Tobias attempted to reason with him. "Please, father. There must be another suitor - another time! I do not wish to marry the princess!"

Marcus shook his head. "Her family is nothing short of perfect for this family and this kingdom. Perhaps instead of entertaining diluted fairytales about waiting for love, you might want to step up to your ancestral duty and put your kingdom first."

Beatrice's words rang in his mind. "I can't imagine why you wouldn't want to share your thoughts," she had told him in his bedroom. "Perhaps the kingdom would do well by hearing your thoughts more often."