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Under the cover of the night, no-longer-Princess Carol Perkins flees her kingdom.
Her red hair tied up, adorned in practical clothes stolen from shops across town, she runs to a neighboring kingdom.
They want to marry her off to Prince Tommy Hagan. Neither of them are too fond of the idea, and— okay, he did try to discourage her plan of throwing her entire life away to seek out something else. It's a fantasy, is all it is, because she has to marry him and be a perfect wife to aid in his rule.
It's all bullshit.
Bull. Shit.
Carol leans against the brick wall of a run-down old building. Her cheek brushes rough parchment.
She rips the flyer off the wall.
Buckley royal ball— all welcome to attend.
Huh. Interesting. Allowing peasants into a ball is something nearly unheard of. Her parents would laugh at the idea.
Carol should go. She's a peasant now, isn't she?
It's already started, but in what world should that stop her?
The Buckley castle is large and imposing, looming over her figure as she makes her way to the ballroom. Signs adorn the castle walls, arrows pointing her in the right direction. The walls are awfully bare, Carol wouldn't be surprised if they'd been cleared off when the plans were made to allow peasants entry.
In the ballroom itself, nothing in particular stands out to her. It's quite boring, actually, although way better in comparison to balls where she'd been forced to dance with whatever suitor her parents deemed fit. Gross.
But then, she sees her.
She's tall. Really tall. Her blonde hair barely touches her shoulders. Her ocean blue eyes sparkle brighter than the all-too-bright chandelier adorning the ceiling. Her pale skin is littered with perfect freckles, twinkling stars over her face and arms. She's wearing an exquisite gown, rich green in color with expensive gold jewels sewn to it. A matching golden tiara lays delicately over her light colored locks. Carol thinks that she must be royalty, mayhaps even the princess.
Against her better judgement— really, this is a bad idea— Carol approaches the beautiful woman.
She drops onto one knee, delicately holding the woman's hand in hers. Carol brings the back of her hand to her lips, kissing it.
She looks up at the woman's blue eyes. "To whom do I owe the pleasure of speaking to, m'lady?" Carol's first instinct is to cringe at her crude attempt at flirting, but her mind changes when her love's face flushes red.
"I— I'm... Robin. Uh, Robin Buckley. Princess Robin Buckley, Jesus," the princess laughs, flustered. Carol pushes herself off of the ground, dusting off her pant legs. She holds her hand out, "Care to dance?"
And somehow, somehow, it works.
Robin laughs and says, "Yes, of course. But first, I must ask... whom, pray tell, do I owe the pleasure of speaking?"
"Carol. Carol Perkins," she squeaks out as Robin grasps her fingertips with her own.
The violinists play a slow, melancholic melody as they dance.
"So," Robin says softly, "What brings you here? I've never seen you before."
"I ran away," Carol sheepishly admits, "I'm a princess— or, I was a princess. They were trying to make me marry, so..."
Robin smiles empathetically.
The music swells. Carol's eyes linger on Princess Robin's lips. The girls both lean in, and—
The ballroom doors slam open. Guards— not Robin's guards, Carol's guards, swarm into the room.
She desperately grips Robin's arms. "They can't— Robin, they're gonna take me away—"
A pinprick of pain nips at her neck. Her vision swims. Her hearing falters. Robin's muffled screams echo, and Carol's face hits the floor.
Tranquilizer darts, the greatest new technology they've been developing. Carol didn't realize that her kingdom's guards had them already.
When Carol comes to, Tommy is at her bedside. She blearily blinks at him.
"Jesus fuck, Carol," he exclaims, exasperated. "I told you— I told you not to do that! And you— you could've died, do you understand that?"
"I— Tommy, it was amazing," she sighs dreamily. "It was real? Please tell me it was real."
"Well, you fucking disappeared for a night and were found in a neighboring kingdom, you tell me."
"Tommy, I met a girl. And we danced. And she was so beautiful."
"Oh shit, really?"
"Yes, really. The princess."
Tommy nods, picking at the thread of his pants. "Is it messed up that I didn't want you to come back? You're my best friend, but I really don't want to marry you."
"I didnt want to come back, either."
🗡
Robin is going to get Carol back. This is definitely impulsive, but who even cares? A beautiful woman comes into her kingdom, basically sweeps her off her feet, before getting kidnapped by her home kingdom? Obviously Robin has to save her.
She has no doubt, though, that Carol is going to be heavily, heavily guarded.
Robin will... figure it out. Admittedly, she hasn't thought that far ahead.
"Onward! To Carol!"