Escaping you

The plan

~Clara~

Eileen and I sneak around to the tower to watch the wedding ceremony from up above. I watch as my ‘husband’ struts in ‘fashionably late’. He seems shocked that I’m not in attendance yet but takes his spot at the end of the aisle. I hate to admit that he is attractive. He has a chiseled face that sports an amazingly toned body. However a handsome face makes up nothing with a rotten personality.

I watch as he seems to get more and more annoyed the longer the ceremony goes on for. Finally strutting off when he realizes I’m not going to show. By now I imagine the servants are turning the castle upside down searching for me. However I have a good reason for being in this particular tower at this moment. This is far more important to my plan.

I told Eileen to go to the bottom of the tower and guard the door making sure only our surprise guest shows up. I wait a couple more moments and then hear the thump of the door as he approaches.

‘Hello Marcel’ I say as I take in the second crown prince. In the original story Marcel was merely a background character. They didn’t say much about his appearance only his skills. However he looks much like his brother- somehow more so.

‘Princess Clara? What a show. Standing up my brother at his wedding and then hiding in the one place they wouldn’t think to look? Jolly good on you’ Marcel pretends to give me a little bow but I can tell he’s genuinely curious about why I am here. Marcel wants one thing and one thing only- power. He’s hated his brother for life and desired everything he’s had. I know however making a deal with him will be risky and I will need to tread lightly.

‘Marcel, it is a pleasure to see you again. Looking more and more handsome everyday’ I can tell he’s surprised by my compliment but smiles and nods anyways. ‘I’m here because I have a proposition I don’t think you can ignore’ I give him a wicked smile which he seems unsure of.

‘Well what is is that I can help you with, lady Clara?’ I can’t help but notice he drops the princess- likely trying to separate our classes.

‘I have something you desire and I require your assistance. I hoped we could come to a mutual understanding’ I stood and walked to him only then noticing the huge height differences between us. However I held my shoulders back and kept my aloof nature.

‘And what is it that you think I desire’ I do notice him rack his eyes down my body. I can’t help but feel a little turned on. Sue me.

I hold out my hand and the red ruby necklace dangles from my palm. His eyes widen as he sees what I’m holding.

‘How did you get that? I’ve been looking everywhere’ he nearly snatches it from my palm but I step back.

‘Someone hid it- I merely retrieved it. But back to what I’m needing from you.’ He looked slightly amused knowing that he could just take it from me but refraining.

‘And what is it that you need from me?’ He said with his brows slightly raised.

‘2 things- an excuse for why I didn’t show for the wedding. And I need you to teach me to fight. In secret’ I held up the necklace as he seemed genuinely confused by my requests.

‘So you want me to lie to the crown prince for you- and train his dainty wife to fight?’ He pondered my words.

‘No I need you to come up with a genuine excuse he will believe and I need you to teach me to kill’ I stared into his eyes hoping that my internal fear wasn’t showing.

He sat back and took in my requests. He then eyed the necklace. Finally he stretched out his hand for a shake. I reached out to shake his as well. However as soon as our hands collided I felt a shock.

I thought I was a goner and he put a spell on me but he seemed just as confused as me. He then shook his head and looked at me

‘My brother put a spell on you that disallows you from touching other men. He must not want any other men sniffing around you’ he shrugged. That couldn’t be true as Finn never touched Clara at all during the book. The only steamy scenes were between him and his lover.

‘Nevertheless do we have a deal?’ I asked.

‘Aye we have a deal, lass.’ He smiled and reached out his hand for the amulet. ‘I think this is the beginning of a beautiful partnership.’