Joshua wandered the stone hallways of the castle, his boots echoing softly as he searched for Blanchette. He had looked in the garden, the dining hall, even near the training grounds, but she was nowhere to be found.
"Where did she go...?" he murmured, frustrated.
As he turned a corner, he spotted Merlin standing alone beneath one of the torch-lit arches. She looked tense, her arms crossed, her eyes scanning the corridor like she was waiting for something or someone.
Joshua approached her with concern.
"Hey, big sis. Why the long face?"
Merlin turned to him, her expression worried. "Joshua... have you seen Lancelot? I can't find him anywhere."
Joshua rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly nervous. "Oh, about that…"
Her eyes lit up with a flicker of hope. "You do know where he is?"
He sighed. "Yeah… he went to train with his grandfather. Said he'd be back before the wedding."
Merlin froze, and then the words hit her. Her hopeful look shattered into anger and heartbreak.
"He ran away?" she said, her voice cracking. "Without saying a word? I was going to give him another chance… and he ran away like a coward?! Avoiding me… and only coming back when it's time for his wedding?" Her voice rose to a sharp cry. "That bastard!"
Tears welled in her eyes and spilled down her cheeks before Joshua could say anything more.
"Merlin, it's not like tha..."
But she was already gone, running down the hallway with her sobs trailing behind her.
Joshua stared after her and let out a heavy breath. "Lancelot, you're definitely in the dog house when you come back."
The castle windows darkened with nightfall. Joshua glanced outside and saw the moon peeking through the clouds.
(Blanchette is probably in her room by now… No way I can sneak over. Her quarters are in the noble wing, near the king. And her parents don't even know about us. If they found out… I'd be dead.)
He sighed and returned to his room. It was quiet, empty. He locked the door, got undressed, and climbed into bed, pulling the covers over himself as his thoughts drifted toward Blanchette.
Blanchette lay beneath her own blankets, her eyes red and puffy from crying. The image of Joshua and Tiffany earlier that day played on repeat in her mind, tormenting her.
(Maybe I'm overreacting… Joshua would never cheat on me. Tiffany's always been a flirt. She was probably just pushing herself on him…)
A knock on her door broke her thoughts.
She sat up quickly, wiping her face. "You may enter," she called, trying to sound composed.
The door opened, and King William stepped inside, dressed in his evening robes. He smiled gently as he came to sit on the edge of her bed.
"How's my pretty princess doing?" he asked.
Blanchette forced a smile. "I'm okay, Dad…"
But he could see through her mask. "Is it… boy problems?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
Her eyes widened. "U-uhh… me and Joshua? Why would you think that?"
William chuckled. "I've seen how much time you two spend in the garden together. I put two and two together."
She hesitated, then nodded. "So you figured it out. Are you… mad?"
"Not at all," he said. "Joshua's a fine young man, even if he is a werewolf." He gave her a playful smirk. "But if your mother finds out, I'm pretty sure he'll be executed."
Blanchette giggled despite herself. "Dad…"
"But," the king continued, his voice more serious now, "I don't like seeing my daughter cry. I'll have a little chat with Joshua tomorrow."
Before Blanchette could protest, he rose and left the room with a determined stride.
She curled beneath her covers, her cheeks flushed.
(Dad likes Joshua… that's good… but what's he going to say to him tomorrow…?)
Her thoughts lingered there until sleep slowly took her.
Meanwhile, Joshua was already deep in slumber. He mumbled softly, dreaming of Blanchette, her touch, her lips, the warmth of her embrace.
"Blanchette… I love you…"
The door creaked open.
A shadow slipped inside.
Tiffany stepped into his room barefoot, dressed in a thin white sleeping gown that shimmered in the moonlight. She walked slowly toward his bed and, with a sly smile, slipped beneath the covers beside him.
Joshua stirred slightly, still caught in his dream.
Tiffany whispered softly, "Let's make this dream even better…"
She leaned forward, brushing her lips against his in a gentle, lingering kiss. Joshua, half-asleep, returned it with a dazed kind of affection.
But as her hand moved lower, touching him intimately, Joshua's eyes began to open.
"I love you, Blanchette…" he murmured, confused.
Then he froze.
The weight was wrong. The scent. The touch.
His eyes snapped fully open and horror filled them.
"T-Tiffany?!"
He shoved her off him and rolled out of bed, hitting the floor with a thud. Scrambling backward until his back hit the wall, he stared at her, breathless and wide-eyed.
"What the hell are you doing in my room?! Get out!"
Tiffany rose from the bed slowly, unbothered, brushing her hair behind her ear. The moonlight revealed the outline of her figure through the thin fabric, and Joshua quickly averted his eyes, his face turning red.
She smirked. "Why'd you stop? You were really into it. I'll be going now but who knows? I might be back later…"
She walked slowly to the door, licking her hand as she left, her gaze lingering on him with a twisted kind of satisfaction.
Joshua slammed the door shut the moment she was gone, locking it with a click. His heart was pounding.
(What the hell… I thought she was Blanchette. Did she just say she's coming back?)
He grabbed Lancelot's unused bed frame, grunting as he dragged it across the room and wedged it in front of the door.
(That should keep the weirdo out. No way I'm telling Blanchette about this…)
He wiped the sweat from his brow, then crawled back into bed.
Staring at the door, he whispered to himself, "If Lancelot was here, this never would've happened…"
And for the rest of the night, he stayed awake, eyes fixed on the door, waiting, just in case.