Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Life as a prince had its ups and downs. Mainly downs, according to Louis. He hated the life he was given. He hated the feeling of being a prisoner in his own castle, even though he knew very well he wasn’t one. He hated being a prince. Sure; living off of luxurious foods, comfortable seating and the safe walls was always nice and the lush parties were sometimes fun (on the rare occasions his father actually threw a party), but he never got to do the stuff he wanted to do. Things royalty must give up for a life of nobility and politics; explore the world, try out unfamiliar things, all of it. His father was the strictest man he knew, always wanting him to stay in the palace walls and never to venture out into the unknown. “We have to focus on strengthening our alliance with other countries, Louis. The people down there can’t help us.”

But that was all changing today.

The freckled boy was out on his balcony, his body pressed up close to the marble railings as the sun fully appeared in the morning sky. His chin rested in the palms of his hands while he stared off at the village below the castle. He could just barely hear the heartwarming sounds of laughter ring out into the air. His heart itched to go join the people in the streets, laugh along with them and tell jokes to one another. He wanted some freedom for once in his life. Just one day to himself, where he could meet some new people and have a smile on his face. That's all he wanted.

One day, that's all he wanted. One day to explore the town down below and get a taste of what freedom is like. And that's what he was going to give himself. His father wouldn't let him out? No problem, Louis knew the ins and outs of the castle like no one else. Sneaking out was child’s play and he could just as easily return before the old man even finds out that his son went outside the palace walls. It was as simple as that. So here Louis was, a rope composed of his finest clothing in his palms as he tied it to the railing of his balcony. 

The boy took a deep breath, his palms shaking at the realisation. He was finally doing this. Soon he was climbing down the wall onto the grass below, no more than a minute later he successfully made it down to the soft ground, leaving the rope of clothes behind as he ran off towards the path that led down to the village, making sure to keep a trained eye at his surroundings. Guards were posted just about everywhere, day and night. But being confined to the same castle all your life gets boring, Louis had memorised their routines by the time he could understand calculus. It was quite the walk, but Louis didn't mind. The scenery was gorgeous, trees fully in bloom and flowers scattered in freshly green bushes surrounding the path. It was calming, refreshing. Deep inside, Louis wished he had ventured out sooner.

Before he knew it, the young prince had reached the village. Sounds of deep conversations and joyful laughter filled his ears as he scanned around the place in awe. It wasn’t dull, unlike his home up in the castle. He grew up around the same grey stones, the same faces in the paintings. Nothing new ever entered his home. But down here, it was well alive. Color was splattered everywhere. Kids ran by the boy as they chased each other around with little twigs scratching at their palms, the surrounding market bursting with life as the freckled boy traveled around. Goods were being sold, conversations were being made, and everyone had a smile on their face. The sight made Louis join in, branding the biggest smile he had yet to date.

Louis explored everywhere. Every shop, every convention, anything that caught his eye. Which was everything. A smile kept itself plastered on his face the entire time. This feeling of seeing the light and joy was near awe inspiring. He was finally free for once, even if it just was for a day. What a beautiful day though. The exciting experience of getting out of his home and venturing down to the mysterious place below finally broke those invisible chains that have held him down all these years. He had the ability to do whatever he wished. Where to even begin?

The boy had swiftly turned a corner when a certain sound tickled his ears, making him stop dead in his tracks. Singing. Singing echoed through the streets all around him. A sweet melody, one the people of the village seemed to be used to hearing, since they didn’t get attached to the sound easily and continued with their chores, unlike Louis. It grew louder and louder the further the young prince traveled towards the source the noise coming from. Soon it led him down towards a dainty bakery, one at the edge of town. Flowers hung in little pots that dangled in front of the windows, with the door wide open and for accepting customers.

The singing was unreal. It was nothing Louis had ever heard before. It was soft, calming, not overpowering like the rest of the sounds coming from the centre of town. It was like a lullaby, something Louis’ mother would hum to him at night when he was just a toddler to make all the bad thoughts of someone potentially breaking in go away. It had a secret meaning to it, ready to be revealed. Louis felt himself walking closer and closer to the noise, ending up inside the small bakery. 

The smell of fresh-baked bread and icing topped cupcakes invaded his senses the moment he was inside. His eyes dragged around the shop, gazing at its warm colors and relaxing ambiance that shed off the walls. Cream-colored tables and chairs scattered all around the shop, but no one sat at them. The bakery was empty, no words were spoken. Except the singing.

A curly-haired girl was behind the counter, her back facing Louis, unaware of his presence. She was busy preparing what seemed to be a cake, stirring a bowl of batter delicately in her hands as she remained focused. Flour and cake batter was smudged all over her once pristine light pink apron. Luckily, her delicate, soft, knee length green dress was still perfectly clean. Louis had never been so mesmerized by something in his entire life. Sure, the high ceilings and glossy floors planned out in the castle caught most eyes, but it was nothing compared to this. He could sit down and listen to this girl’s enchanting vocal chords for hours.

Louis unconsciously drew closer to the counter so he could hear the singing clearer. His elbows rested on the countertop, chin sitting in his palms as he paid his full attention to the brunette. 

When the mystery girl turned around, her golden eyes widened at the sight of a boy on the other side of the counter. Her singing came to a complete stop upon laying eyes on him, a yelp of surprise instead coming out of her. She tightly gripped the bowl she was previously stirring in, staring at the boy before her in silence.

“Ah- sorry!” Louis instantly apologized, him too being briefly shocked since she turned so quickly. But he also wasn’t expecting the girl to be this pretty. “I just- I um- I blame your singing! Yes, your singing. It’s quite beautiful.” He stuttered out, ending off his awkward greeting with a smile.

The short girl remained silent for a few moments before eventually clearing her throat. “Uh… thank you. That’s uh- very kind of you.” She muttered before placing the bowl down, wiping her flour coated hands on her apron.

“You’re very welcome!” Louis grinned. “I don’t understand why such beautiful talent isn’t drawing in more… uh, what’s it called?” He muttered the last part under his breath, panicking when he saw the girl in front of him raise a brow. “Cus- customers! Yes, customers. Pfft, I totally knew that.” Louis leaned his elbow against the marble counter, trying his best to act as cool as possible. 

“Right…” The brunette hesitantly spoke. “Well, most of the townspeople are used to it, so they don’t really mind it.”

“Well, maybe they should!” He called out, his expressive voice echoing throughout the entire bakery. “Your voice is wonderful and people should hear it!”

The girl just stared at him, mouth hung ajar slightly, lost for words to such kindness. She had just met this guy and he was already complimenting her? What an interesting start to her day. “Did you, uh, want to buy something?” She eventually spoke up, gesturing to the display that she had organised that morning. She couldn’t help however getting a good look at the boy in front of her, eyeing his well kept together clothing and how it neatly fitted him. Who the heck was he? His face was new, perhaps a visitor from out of town?

“Oh- sure,” Louis kneeled down to look at the wide selection of treats. His eyes twinkled at the sight of cakes and pies laid out and waiting to be eaten. He would be lying if he said he wasn’t impressed by such handiwork, not even the chefs back up in the castle could make such delicate pastries. “I’ll take… that.” He gestured out to a small apple pie in the far corner.

The brunette was quick on her feet, her curls bouncing a bit off her shoulders to grab something that’ll hold the treat. “That’ll be just two silver coins please.” She mustered out as she took a small clear pouch, made entirely from chiffon, and put the pie inside it.

Aimlessly reaching into his pocket, Louis gripped out some coins, not caring in particular which ones he grabbed and slid them onto the counter. “Here you go, should cover it all.”

The freckled boy was so busy being fond of the pie in the pouch that he never caught sight of the girl’s raw shock.

“You- uh, sir,” She fumbled out as she opened her palm revealing the shiny coins. “You just gave me four gold coins.”

Louis finally glanced up, and saw he did in fact give her four gold coins. “So?” He shrugged.

“So-” She stared at him in disbelief. Was this guy for real? Were these coins real? “I only need two silver coins sir…”

“Oh nonsense, take the coins,” Louis casually said. “And keep the change, consider it a gift of good faith.”

The girl stared at the boy for a moment before hesitantly accepting the coins. “Okay… if you insist.”

“I greatly insist.”

The brunette smiled, slipping the coins into a box beneath the counter. God, what was so special about this girl that made Louis’ heart flutter? Just her simple smile was enough to make him want to stay for longer.

She was so occupied in staring at the boy in front of her, trying to figure out his deal, she had no clue where she was walking to and ran straight into a jar full of flour. It crumbled down to the floor with a soft thud and spilled everywhere, including her already dirty apron. Her golden eyes widened to the sight, quick to rush to the incident.

“Fuck!” She blurted out, first tackling the mess on the floor. Such language made Louis cough on his own spit. “Mother fucking jesus! I swear this shitty jar is no fucking good!”

Louis had been so caught up in the girl’s sudden parade of curses that he nearly forgot to lend her a hand, snapping out of his shocked trance and strolling over to the brunette with great speed. “Jeez, are you okay, miss?”

“Mhm, yeah I’m okay… but…” Her hand gestured to the mess around them. “Fuck, I hate that stupid ass jar! Total bitch, it’s not fucking strong enough.”

There it was again. That line of cursing. No one in the castle spoke like that, then again no one ever really spoke to each other. “That was hot.”

“Yeah I know it’s-” She suddenly paused mid-sentence, slowly glancing over at the boy beside her. “I’m sorry, did you just say that was hot?”

Uh oh. Ooh no. Louis was in trouble. Big trouble. “Oh- I uh- what I meant was-” He stumbled upon his words, sweat gradually slipping down his forehead when he saw the girl raise a brow. Again. “You! You’re- you’re um- hot!”

The brunette gawked at him, a faint blush creeping up her face. “I- come again?”

Crap! Think of something fast, Lou! “Uhhh- your clothes! You look- you look hot! In those clothes! Since it’s super warm outside-! Summer! And you uh- also look very lovely in them-”

Thinking he was for sure about to get kicked out, Louis looked to the floor. He wasn’t expecting her to erupt in laughter. A full belly laugh to boot. Louis didn’t care that she was most likely laughing at him, he was just so drawn to the noise. That laugh… it made him feel good inside. Like he had just received a tower of chocolates, but better. Much, much better. He wanted to cherish that sound. He wanted to hear it again. He wanted to be able to make this girl laugh, since she was the only one who has ever bursted out laughing around him. At least a heartful laugh, that is.

Soon the laughter died down, the brunette wiping away a stray tear. “God- I haven’t laughed like that in forever…” She chuckled softly before catching sight of the situation at hand. “Crap- um, give me a minute and I’ll have this all cleaned up.”

“Yes ma’am!” Louis stepped aside, letting the fine lady do her thing. He wished to inch closer and help the girl as she cleaned, but he knew very well he didn’t have a single clue to what she was doing. Hell, he didn’t even know what she was holding in her hands to clean up the scattered flour. Soon enough, one minute to be exact, the girl finished tackling the flour off the floor, sighing to herself while setting her hands on her hips.

“Thank god that’s dealt with.”

“Right,” Louis awkwardly fidgeted with his foot. “Sooo… um, what now?”

“What now? I gotta get back to work,” The girl almost continued, but paused, glancing over at the now empty flour jar, choosing to ignore the large crack spiraling up through the glass. That’s a future problem. “Or actually… I need to get more flour from the market.”

The market. That’s it! “Oh- what a funny coincidence! I have to go to the market too!”

“Oh really?” The brunette smiled. “Well that’s nice, we can go together.”

“Sounds like a plan to me,” Louis strolled over to the door of the bakery, gesturing out. “After you?”

The girl giggled, grabbing a wicker basket and strolling on outside. “Why thank you, kind sir.”

“Anything for such a fine lady,” He trotted on out of the bakery while sending her a wink, which sent her into another set of giggles as she closed up the bakery for the time being. “Oh! Jeez, how rude of me. I never asked your name.”

She smiled. “Clementine.”

Louis shyly smiled back. “Clementine! A pretty name for a pretty lady.”

Clementine continued to giggle, having to press the back of her hand to her mouth to keep herself in check. “And what about you? What’s your name?”

There it was again, that soft thump of his heart. If he could make a lady as fine as her laugh he must be doing something right. “Me? Oh, I’m Louis.” He said with high confidence.

She stopped walking for a brief moment, her mind ticking over. “Wait, like the prince?”

Uh oh. That’s not good. Not good at all. If anyone found out I’d be a dead man! “What? The- the prince? Pfft, no, I’m a totally different Louis.”

“Oh really?” Clementine spoke with a smug smirk, teasing him ever so slightly. “Then why are you wearing the royal colors?”

Curse you and your clever mind! And my fashion choices. “N-No no! This uh- this is just a- a uh- different color!”

“A different one?”

“Yeah! Uh- usually the prince has dark purple, totally stupid, and look! Mine isn’t! It’s a different shade.” Louis was fluent in French, Chinese, could solve calculus equations at the drop of a hat but no, thinking of a lie is what he struggled most at.

Clementine stared at him, knowing there was something he wasn’t telling her, but she couldn’t help but chuckle. “Okay, if you say so.” Everyone in the village has their secrets, who was she to pry?

Oh thank god. “Mhm, yep…” He popped the ‘p’, unable to make eye contact with her lest he reveal all the secrets and invite her back up to the castle.

The two continued their walk in silence, them instead just stealing secret glances at one another. Soon enough chatter and laughter could be heard from afar, and before they knew it, they had arrived at the market. Louis had never seen such an alive community in his entire life. The bright colors, the crowds of people, the sight of children playing and running after each other. Louis’ heart grew warm at the sight…as if he belonged with them. He wanted to run out and go join those active kids and live a life he never got to live. 

“So, what do you do to earn money?”

The sound of Clementine’s voice summoned Louis back into reality, the boy glancing over at the girl beside him. He wasn’t expecting her to ask him questions like that . 

“Umm, pardon?” He played dumb.

Clementine tore her gaze away from the basket in her palms, looking at the freckled boy. “I asked what you do to earn money. Surely your job must give off good pay, since you did pay me an awful lot for a single pie.”

“Oh, well I uh…” Louis thought for a moment. Think Lou, think. What’s a job that gives off a decent pay? “I uh… I act?”

“You? An actor?” The brunette let out a sweet chuckle. “Acting suits you.”

“It sure does!” Louis said proudly, adjusting his sleeve in a proper manner. “I uh... mainly do it at uh... old John’s tavern down the street! Yeah!” Was there a John here? Who knows? Certainly not Louis.

“John’s tavern huh?” Clementine couldn’t help but silently snicker into her hand. “Last time I remember his name was Robert.”

Fuck. There it was again! Her darn clever nature! “Oh- uhhh… really? Could have sworn his name was John…” He stared intently at a small candle on display, finding it so very interesting indeed.

Clementine continued snickering. “There’s no one here named John, Louis.”

Louis nervously laughed. “Right, right. I uh- I knew that.” Perhaps trying to lie to the girl who lived here wasn’t the best idea.

“Mhm, sure,” Clementine gazed off to the side. “Ooo look! Flour! I’ll only be a minute!” 

And with that, she was off, leaving Louis to venture around on his own. He slid his thumbs into the slim pockets of his pants, scanning his surroundings. He wanted to check out everything. All the surrounding stands begged him to stop by, and he honestly wanted to stop by them all. But he knew it would seem off to get a taste of everything. It could totally ruin his cover since Clementine was with him. So instead he settled at a flower shop across from the stand the brunette was at, gazing at the wide selection of bouquets and arrangements.

A certain set of flowers, however, striked his attention powerfully. It was so simple that it stood out amongst all the other arrangements, fresh roses and tulips bunched together so perfectly and secured together delicately with a strand of white lace. Sets of red and pink never went so well together up until this point. One more gift from him wouldn’t hurt, right? Of course not. It was the girl’s own fault, she made him feel so warm inside. He had to repay her! Plus it would be proper to offer such a kind lady a token, right? 

Louis was quick to rush over and pluck up the bouquet of flowers, handing the stand’s owner a couple of gold coins and strolling off to where Clementine was, missing sight of the salesperson’s wide eyes and hung open mouth at the amount the freckled boy paid for a single bouquet of flowers. 

His heart skipped a beat when the girl he was exploring with came into his eyesight. She was just finishing purchasing a sack of flour for the bakery, sending the salesman running the stand a thank you before seeing the boy walking towards her. The brunette shot him a smile, strolling on closer to him.

“There you are, thought I lost you for a moment-” Clementine paused in her sentence, her golden eyes widening to the bouquet of roses and tulips in his hands. “Jesus, that’s quite the bouquet.”

“Indeed it is,” Louis held it out towards her, a shy smile forming upon his face. “For you, fine lady.”

Clementine’s mouth hung ajar, hesitant to take the bunch of flowers. “I… for me?”

“Yep! For being- well, you.” He grinned. And also for giving me one of the best days of my life despite knowing you for such a short period but hey who’s counting.

The girl smiled, reluctantly taking the bouquet. “They’re lovely… how did you know I love tulips?”

Oh hell yeah! Point for Louis! “Oh really? I did not know that.” 

Clementine let out a soft laugh, placing the bouquet in her basket with a gentle hand. “Thank you, they’re beautiful.”

“You’re very welcome.” Louis shot back sweetly.

Clementine gave him another smile before looking around. “Would you, um…” She fidgeted with her foot while she stumbled with her words. “Would you like to walk around a bit more? I um- I really like your company, and I’d… I’d like to get to know you better. Since you know, I’ve never really seen you around before.” She knew everyone in the village, their name and occupation. Not only was this boy new, he was-in his own odd way-rather charming. A breath of fresh air from her usually routine.

Every inch of Louis nagged at him to scream yes, but he kept that all to himself. “I’d love to! The village, and your company, is very nice. Especially your company.”

“Oh stop it,” The brunette giggled, clutching the handle to her basket tightly as the two walked the streets of the town. “How did you gain such smooth compliments?”

“It’s just instinct!” Louis spoke with pride. “I’ve also talked to uh… many ladies.” He mumbled, choosing not to mention all the princesses he’s had to speak to and court over the years.

Clementine snickered. “That explains it.”

“It does indeed,” Louis gazed around the surrounding sights before a certain question struck into his mind. “How long have you been working at that bakery? It looks to me you know basically everything that needs to happen.”

“Me? Oh, I’d say almost my entire life,” She swayed her basket as she talked. “My parents died when I was still young so I spent a lot of time at the local church, when I was old enough to go off on my own I found the bakery abandoned. And then it just… stuck, you know?”

“I’m sorry to hear about your parents,” Louis frowned at the news, unconsciously fidgeted with the cuff of his sleeve. He cursed silently at himself for forgetting to put on a set of clothes that weren’t so obnoxious and elegant like the ones he wore currently. “That must have been awful living by yourself.”

“Oh, it’s quite alright now,” Clementine chuckled when a group of young boys ran past the two of them, chasing after nothing. “I have AJ and his family.”

Louis rose a brow. “AJ?”

“He’s a little boy I sometimes watch whenever I’m not working. His parents work hard to make ends meet,” She paused in her unfinished sentence, thinking back on the day she first met him. “Even though I sometimes watch him when I’m working.”

The boy with dreadlocks laughed softly. “He sounds like a nice boy.”

“He is,” Clementine adjusted her grip on her basket. “Mostly.” She quickly added. There were plenty of broken jars to prove it.

Louis snickered at the girl’s confession. “Mostly?”

“Oh hush, you try caring for a five-year-old whilst baking cookies!”

Louis’ snickers turned into full belly laughter, raising his hands up in surrender. “Alright, alright. You win, ma’am.” He was an only child after all.

Clementine simply rolled her eyes. “Thought so. And don’t call me ma’am, it makes me sound like I’m an old lady.”

“I’ll remember that for next time.”

The girl paused in her walking, shifting her gaze to look at him. “For… next time?”

“Well, yeah,” Louis unconsciously stepped closer, their noses nearly touching. “I’d… I’d like to see you again sometime.” He could smell fresh cinnamon on her, wondering what other treats she had in store.

Clementine shyly smiled, her shimmering, golden eyes staring into his gorgeously brown ones. “I’d like that too.”

“Very well, m’lady,” He bowed his head slightly. “It’s a date-” His breath hitched to his own words. “I mean uh- it’s not a date really, just us getting together again, yes, that’s it.” He finished his stutter of words with a nervous chuckle.

The brunette stared at the boy for a moment in pure silence before she broke off into a fit of giggles. She hadn’t laughed so much in her life. “Alright, if you say so.”

“Certainly,” He fixed the collar of his shirt before his eyes suddenly caught sight of a tower in the middle of the town’s square, exquisitely showing off an ancient clock, in which the hands ticked over. “Where did the time go??”

“Time flies by when you’re having fun,” Clementine slid the basket further up her arm, adjusting her grip to keep the flowers safe. “Why? Do you have somewhere to be?”

Yeah, my bedroom before anyone notices I’m gone. “I- yes, unfortunately,” Louis sighed. He didn’t want to return back to the castle, yet his adventure beyond his home’s walls was just only beginning! He had to see her again, this day trip already proving what he already knew; there were people beyond his dull life that he desperately wanted to-needed to-meet. “I have uhh… a performance, yeah. A performance. Very soon actually. I’m playing… a prince!” He yanked his sash closer to her, trying to prove his lie. Smooth.

Clementine’s brows furrowed at his words. “A performance? But the village isn’t performing anything until next week.”

Oh no. This wasn’t good. Not at all. “Oh, it’s uh- it’s in another town! Yes, another town.”

“Really?” Clementine settled a hand onto her hip, raising a brow while a smug smirk formed on her face. Was he aware of how funny this was to witness? Louis gulped, feeling severely under pressure while he slowly nodded. “Well in that case, you should probably be leaving so you won’t be late.” She playfully bumped her shoulder with his, letting him off the hook this time.

“Yes! Yes, of course,” Louis fixed the cuffs of his sleeves again. “I guess this is a goodbye then…”

“Looks to be.”

“We’ll see each other again soon, right?” Louis hoped she would say yes. He really wanted to see her again. He didn’t know why, but he didn’t question his feelings. If everyday could be like today he would never complain about life ever again. Of course, that means having Clementine in his life.

“I’d love to see you stop by the bakery again,” Clementine shot him a smile, glancing down at the pie still in his grasp. “Maybe you’ll even get to meet AJ.”

Louis gave her a smile back. “That would be nice. I’d like that a lot.”

“He’d like you, he laughs at pretty much everything.”

“Oh really?” Louis’ smile formed into a cheeky grin. “So that means he could possibly laugh at my fantastic jokes?”

“Yeah, uh, no. He still has some taste,” Louis’s smile instantly turned into a dramatic pout, which made Clementine laugh at his plight.

“That was rude of you!” He called out, clutching at his chest.

She rolled her eyes, enjoying bantering with someone who matched her wits. “I was just joking!”

Louis couldn’t help the snicker that escaped from his lips. He couldn’t stay fake mad at her. “Right. Anyways, um, I should really get going.”

“Right, right,” Clementine looked to the grass at her feet, biting her tongue as it threatened to beg him to stay. “Well, um… goodbye.”

“Goodbye for now, dear Clementine!” Louis sent the girl a wink. “We’ll meet again.” And with that, he ran off down the street and out of view, leaving Clementine alone in the streets, waving.

He winked at her. He winked. Out of all the things Clementine expected to happen today, that was something she wasn’t expecting. It made her feel… funny on the inside. Like she had swallowed a dozen butterflies who were casually fluttering around in her stomach. Her numb fingers squeezed the handle to her basket, making sure she wouldn’t drop it.

She knew she was blushing, the blood from her cheeks pumped through her heart too, sending everything in her body racing. She didn’t care who saw. She let that warm, glowy feeling take control of her this time.

Clementine turned on her heels and made her way back to the bakery, hoping to see him again someday. It could be tomorrow, it could be next week, it could even be years from now until she got to see the strange boy again. But no matter the passage of time, she wanted to see him again, truly. She wanted to see his smile, hear his laugh. Hear his soothing voice. Something about him made her instantly feel safe, how could someone be the living embodiment of safety? It was new, unfamiliar, exciting in a weird way. And she wasn’t going to let that feeling go to waste anytime soon.

Chapter Text

Would they meet again?

Louis was well aware of how lucky he was not to get caught, if his thumping heart was anything to go by, his slippery hands almost cursed him as he was climbing back up to his balcony. There was a particular rose bush he did not want to land on. Despite being back in the safety of his room, the high walls constricted him in such a way it could be considered violent; endless blue skies replaced with bare stone and polished marble…

He had never been more out of place.

Eyes scanning his cold bedroom, he contemplated how he had never truly lived in it, just a space he occupied in one of many rooms. There was no art on the walls, he wasn’t allowed to have a piano in his room (that was reserved strictly for the ballroom), his bedspread was bland and there was not a single thing out of place. No stray shoe, no wrinkle on his clothes. Nothing.

The bakery was a mess; flour all over the counter, loose crumbs hanging on the floor, jam stains on the rolling pin. It was homey, alive. Real. She was real.

Glancing at the little bag that once housed the pie he had bought, his shoulders relaxed and his stomach grumbled. It didn’t look like anyone else was helping her bake, if she truly did it all on her own...

The timely knock on the door shook away his thoughts, not that he complained. If there was a way to get Clementine off his mind he would gladly take it. “Who is it?”

“It’s me, dear. Time to rise and shine, you can’t miss breakfast and leave your father waiting.” His mother, Queen Genevieve, gentle as ever with her tone. If by some chance he had been busted sneaking out, his mother wouldn’t be the one to bring it up. His father always liked to have the honour of being the one to reprimand his own son. Queen Genevieve hardly did anything, both for the kingdom and for her own son.

“Oh, okay, I’m coming down now. Just...overslept,” Louis shrugged his sash off, placing it neatly on his desk, making a mental note to not wear it on his next escapade to the village. If there is a next time, I sure hope so. On the other side of the heavy door was her majesty, black hair tied up tightly and her crown dead centre on her head. Nothing to touch up on, the image of a regal ruler. “Sorry to keep you waiting.”

She brushed it off with a wave of her hand, her gold bracelet jangling. “No worries, I thought you wouldn’t want to miss it. Strawberries, your favourite.” 

They began their descent towards the dining hall, where the servants were piling on more plates of various exotic fruits...and at the head of the table sat King Louis II. Their name being the only thing Louis had accepted they would ever have in common. Within his hand was a letter, a token that often brought on bad news.

Bad news that the king often blamed his son for.

“Morning, father,”

“Good morning, Louis. Sleep well?” He didn’t even raise his eyes from the letter.

Louis’ seat was across from his father, despite the plush velvet pillow for him to sit on, the young man never felt more uncomfortable than he did during meals. He wondered if today he would be met with silence or talk of politics, a topic his father always spoke with a cold tone. “Ehh, could have been better. Had a crazy dream.”

“Well. you’re awake now, you have combat training soon don’t forget.” The kings’ voice was a great echo in the dining chamber, dominating everything even in the familys’ private moments.

Collecting a handful of strawberries for his plate, Louis huffed, not loud enough to get reprimanded for it though. “I haven’t-” Thanking the servant who handed him a small cup of water with a nod, he squinted at the letter held tightly in his fathers’ strong grip, the paper crinkling. “-Who’s the letter from?”

His father cocked an eyebrow, steading his shoulders as he turned his attention back to the letter. The king’s eyes grew dark, clouding over as he began. “To his Royal Highness, after much consideration we cannot agree to the treaty you have presented to us. We have heard...rumours of your sons’ delinquency-” The brief strain in his tone didn’t fly past Louis as he noticed sweat pooling in his palms. “Due to this, we feel his interests do not match our own. We wish you luck in your endeavours.”

He threw the letter onto the shiny wooden table, finally making eye contact with his son. Though within his rich brown eyes laid a dormant fire and anger. Another failure, another rejection. “Sometimes I wonder why you don’t take what I say seriously.” The King spat, the venom laced in his words poisoning even the servants as they seemed to have gone off into hiding.

These goddamn dynasties...this was the third rejection within six months. “I just don’t see why there is a rush for marriage. Besides, shouldn’t we make ties with a dynasty who genuinely cares? Not one that is just looking to drain us of resources.”

“You remind me of a younger version of myself. I was naïve too, Louis. Thought I could make change on my own, until I quickly realized that having ties with another kingdom is what is best for us.”

Louis set down his knife and fork as gently as possible, best not to aggravate the already growing flame. “But we shouldn’t have to rely on others like that. We get too comfortable, we get sloppy, we get attacked-”

“Are you implying I don’t know what I’m doing? That your mother doesn’t know what she’s doing?” Not the best example, considering how the Queen currently had her head facing her lap. “When I was your age we were already engaged, just a few months off marriage. Many of these princesses are fine young women-”

But they’re not like her. “Has it ever occurred to you that maybe, just maybe, one of these kingdoms could have some bad intentions? Our military is already failing-” There were no lies in his words. Ericson was never known for their fighting stamina, a fact neither of his parents wanted to admit as his mother went to sip her tea in silence.

The king rose from his chair, never breaking eye contact with his son. “You will not speak of matters that do not concern you!”

Louis too raised from his chair, fingers gripping the edge of the table. “It’s my life! My future! The kingdom’s future! If you would just listen-”

“No, you listen!” Taking a deep breath, his father straightened his posture, silencing the young man. “You think I don’t know about your little...escapade early this morning?”

Louis noticed the new rapid beating within his chest, how it echoed in his limbs. How? No one saw me- was there a guard on a different route? His entire argument had spilled from his mind, unable to control how his jaw slightly dropped.

And with that, the King knew he had his son. “Did you forget that we have eyes and ears in the village? I know about that maiden you were strolling with, you better hope for your own sake that this was a one time thing.”

“You don’t get it...those people need our help. They’re looking to us for guidance! If you weren’t so stubborn-”

“We will not do this here, okay?” Pointing a strong finger towards the door that led to his study, the king slowly removed himself from the table. “Louis, meet me inside.”

He didn’t even bother to look to his mother for help, instead steadying his face and marching right into the battle. 

It was odd, being in his fathers’ study once more. Louis could count the number of times he had been granted entry into this room on one hand, none of those times ended in mutual understanding. But seeing the disarray it was in dropped a ball into Louis’ stomach, maybe this treaty had been harder on his father than he had realized; loose papers and letters clung to his desk, hiding away the sleek wood, stacks of books along the windowsill and multiple empty ink pots making Louis wonder just how many letters he had sent out.

The jittery prince slowly sat himself on the rickety chair opposite the giant chair at the head of the desk, wishing he had the gaul to ask if the kingdom was truly close to the brink of destruction.

His father sat himself across from him, clasping his hands together. "Son-"

"Don't call me son," Shit, don’t bite back like that.

The King swallowed down his immediate reaction, gripping his hands just that little bit tighter. "Running this kingdom is challenging enough without us fighting."

Louis scoffed, crossing his arms on instinct, as if he was trying to protect himself from the onslaught he knew was about to happen. "You're mad ‘cause I called you out, I called your bluff?"

"You’ve solved nothing! You're aggravating our allies in the south!" His father scuffled through the papers, brandishing a map from deep within the pile to prove his point. A few countries had been circled, countries with princesses. Princesses whom Louis was supposed to pursue.

It was a dead point for him, he had met these princesses. Countless dinners were spent trying to find out their passions, their dreams. But they were just like him, forced onto this boat ride, not particularly caring which way the tide took them. 

Forcing a cackle, Louis crossed his arms. "You're absolutely right, I should just get shot in the mouth, that'll shut me up."

"Son-"

"Stop calling me son."

"Watch your tone, this is just a maiden in need of money-"

"Her name is Clementine, and the people down there take your name and they drag it through the mud." Louis heard the poisonous words from the people who came into the castle asking for an audience with the king, asking for anything, just needing help. But he turned them away everytime if there was no benefit to him.

His father rose higher, asserting a power that his son didn’t cower to anymore. "My name has been through enough, I can take it." He spoke to his own son the way he spoke to the staff. Cold, without respect, political. Taking more than he would ever give.

Louis began to rise up from his own chair, leaning against the table, once again reflecting every conversation they’ve ever had. "Well I have that name, I may not have your title or have your land but if-"

"No." His father didn't even bat an eye.

"If you gave me a chance to create peace, meet the people below, I can help this kingdom after my coronation." God, the fucking coronation. An event that would take place after his eventual marriage, solidifying his place in the castle. As if I will ever belong here.

"Or you could die,  and we need you alive." Louis could have sworn he heard a quiver in the words, the smallest hint of a weakness.

"I am more than willing to die." That’s true, if the time calls for it. Unlike you. You don’t care.

"Your mother needs you alive, son I need you alive-"

You never cared.  "Call me son one more time!"

The only sound was an ink pot shattering on impact against the marble floor and after the brief echo, Louis’ whole world took its final hit.

“Go to your training, son. That’s an order-”

“Dad-”

“Go, now.”

They both hovered on their feet, unsure on what to say, as if there was anything either could say to mend a relationship that had been broken so badly neither could remember a time where there was peace.

Louis wasn’t sure when he started running, one moment he was staring into his fathers’ dry eyes the next he was passing by the stables, the horses nothing but a blur. Am I crying? Shit, shit, not now. He can’t see me like this, he won’t drop it if he does.

The armoury laid waiting quite some distance behind the castle, near the very north corner of the towering wall trapping everyone inside, and ensuring everyone in the village stayed outside. It wasn’t a very big building, with only two rooms (one small enough to also be considered a shed). 

Quickly rubbing his eyes to ensure they were dry, Louis pushed the rickety door open, immediately greeted by dirt in the air. The knights never did bother to keep it clean, cobwebs adorned every corner with the majority of the weaponry having not seen daylight in lord knows how long. The last battle Louis only has vague memories of, he was a child and stayed in the castle the entire time, if he had to pick a time when the kingdom began to crumble he would choose the moment the first shot was fired.

Nobody knew how many people were going to die.

Grabbing his sword from the wall (the only clean sword), he trudged further into the dim armoury. Louis could see his faint reflection in the suits of armour lined up along the walls, yet he was unsure of the last time the kingdom had charged into battle. Some of the suits were so dusty they couldn’t reflect the slices of the morning sun coming in through the window.

Trudging over to his favourite target dummy, his knuckles clenched harder around his trusted weapon. “Sorry to do this to you-” Two swipes across the chest and one right into the shoulder. The straw rubbed against his sleek sword, leaving faint scratch marks that would ultimately get polished away. “It’s not like you can feel any of this, to be fair.”

“His Highness arrives!” From within the room that held the smaller weapons, a head popped out covered in charcoal and dirt, concealing the natural blonde hair. “I thought you were gonna be late, again.” 

Taking a deep breath, the prince pulled his sword out from his make believe friend. “What? And miss having you berate me for how I fight? Never.”

Marlon emerged from the room with a cloth in his hand, wiping it along his exposed arms before stuffing it into his front apron. The young lad never looked clean, at least not whenever Louis came down to visit. His defined face was always covered in some kind of soot; his hands were worse, the crevices of his nails always filled with dirt. Always working. “So, there’s this big rumour going through the castle that you snuck out last night. Is it true?” He leant against the practice dummy next to the one his friend had attacked, smirking already.

Biting his tongue so as to not scream, Louis slowly turned to Marlon, ignoring the oncoming taste of iron in his mouth. “Does everyone know?” 

The knight innocently shrugged, unable to make eye contact. “Your dad isn’t that good at keeping secrets, word gets ‘round fast.” Marlon heard it from the Queen’s lady in waiting, who had heard it from the kitchen....who heard it from the Squire.

“Great-” Louis took a lazy jab at the dummy, losing some of that fiery momentum he came charging in with. “-I don’t think it’ll be happening again anytime soon anyways.” He muttered that last part but his friend had a keen ear, a reason why he was such a trusted protector of the castle. 

Putting a kind hand on his shoulder, Marlon was the first to meet his eye. “So...you gonna tell me what you did?”

The question was inevitable, Louis wasn’t a total fool, despite what his father thinks. Hell, he would always ask the more experienced Knights about their journeys beyond the kingdom when he was a young boy. “Not much to say Marlon-”

“Bullshit. How old were you the last time you went down into the village? How different was it? Did you meet anyone?” His questions fired out of him like arrows, not knowing how each one did indeed jab Louis right in the heart.

“I was nine, it wasn’t that different..-” He held his breath on his last answer, almost choosing to not say anything but his mouth couldn’t resist the temptation to talk about her. “And... I suppose so.”

Marlon gave him a shove on the shoulder, one that Louis would argue was too rough as it disturbed his footing. “Oh, ho! Look at you finally making friends.”

“Hardy har-”

“Seriously, what’s their name?” Marlon took a seat on a dusty stool nearby, paying no mind to the dirt that completely coated it.

Louis took in a deep breath, as if her name was powerful enough to shake the ground he was standing on. It almost was. “Her name is Clementine-”

“A girl!”

“...Yes, a girl. Is that so hard to believe?”

Marlon hummed over his answer, careful not to offend his friend. “Well, it’s...you we’re talking about here.”

“Thanks.” 

His friend now had his head in his hands, fully immersed in Louis’ words. “Was she like a lord’s daughter or baroness or something?”

“Not exactly...she’s a baker-”

Marlon almost knocked the stool over from how fast he shot to his feet. “She’s not royalty?!”

“Could you let me finish my sentences please!”

He held up his hands in defeat. “Alrighty, my bad, continue.”

Louis let out a sigh he didn’t know he had been holding in, his father wasn’t nearby, no one would snitch on his story. He was free to gush all he wanted. “She owns this bakery near the ocean, her life is so simple, and yet...” Even Louis couldn’t find the words himself. The shop was small, a mess, hardly any customers inside. Certainly not a place booming with success. “So much.”

Marlon leaned in closer, his breath held tight in his throat as he waited for the answer. “So much of what?”

Louis thought long on what to say, on how to so simply express all that she had shown him in such a short time span. “So much of what I dream of-” Letting the sword fall gently to the floor, he couldn’t ignore the itch wracking his brain, pushing him back to the village below. Back to her little shop to learn more about her life, about what it was like to live free. “Everybody hears the jokes, the piano, but they always stop listening. She didn’t.”

The stoic knight nodded, understanding his friend. Gently poking his leg with the tip of his boot, Marlon bounced on his feet. “C’mon, one practice round. Remember to work on your posture.”

-

Of course, sleep didn’t come to him that night.

His fingertips pinched the silk bedding, begging for a distraction. Two birds whizzed past his window, the small fireplace crackled softly as the remains of the flame died out, the aroma of burnt wood finding its way across the room.

I wonder if she’s safe in that bakery- STOP!

With the moon being his only companion, he twisted and turned in his bed - which was far too large for him - and glanced towards his exposed balcony, noticing some stray lights in the town below. 

How could such simplicity entice him? The dry remains of bread lodged under her fingernails, the smell of cinnamon all around her, the flour hanging loose in her curls...”How gorgeous,” Louis whispered into the cold, the echo of his own voice taunting him. 

“I’d love to see you stop by the bakery again.” Her innocent request came to mind as he relaxed to the thought of that little shop by the sea.

How could he say no to a face like that?