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It was an unspoken topic, but one that constantly stayed in the awkward air between both of them as they interacted more and more frequently at the galas that the Hollyberry Kingdom often threw to celebrate the smallest of achievements.
They both wanted to leave their ‘homes’, so why were they so scared of doing so?
Maybe it was because they were uncertain of the consequences they would face if they got caught, that they would be labelled traitors to their kingdoms because they did not want to stay there and let their futures be planned out for them by people who didn’t deserve to have a say in their lives. It was supposed to be their lives, thus they should have gotten to choose.
But assumed ‘royalty’ apparently also doesn't get a choice. Societal norms were that a guy marry a girl, and bear a child who would be the heir to the kingdom and its assets, who would just be another pawn in the large scheme of things. The two were quite sure they didn’t want to marry just any other girl, but they wanted each other.
One of them was not even born into royalty, but was just an adopted backup plan if the crown prince failed to carry out his duties. The other would have much rather never been born into royalty at all. He understood that he was his mother’s favoured child, but he had never wanted to be the heir to a large kingdom of drinks and parties. He wanted to live out the rest of his life in peace and quiet, a simple domestic life with the man he loved. Why was that just so hard for the nobles to get through their thick skulls?
Both of them wanted to escape the pressure of the societal norms and seek solace in one another, living a life where they could finally be together without being shunned and labelled as failures by their guardians and the other folk of the kingdoms. They wanted to finally stand at a secret sacred shrine unknown to the rest of the world, and say their vows wholeheartedly to one another, instead of faking it to make it seem like they truly loved the person they were forced to love. Stolen kisses behind the backs of the other nobles just didn’t cut it for them anymore.
Finally, as both of them sat in silence in the garden, while a huge party was being thrown, one of them opened his mouth.
“Let’s run away together.”
Grabbing the other’s hand and pulling him close, he whispered, “Pack your things, and meet me at the back entrance of the castle at 3 am.” Upon hearing what he had said, the other nodded his head nervously, trying to push away all his doubts. This was the moment they had both been waiting for for ages.
So as the clock struck three times, resounding throughout the castle where almost everyone was sleeping, two princes of different kingdoms grabbed their things and ran into the forest, hoping to start a new life as husbands one day, knowing that they both wanted this wholeheartedly, and that nothing would ever be just for show ever again.