Run From the King

Eliza carefully makes her way to the doors of the balcony, closing each one to stop the wind from blowing the curtains wild. After closing the last door, she made her way to the broken pieces of the nightstand strewn about on the floor. The contents had been tossed against the wall, among them, a bottle of alcohol that had landed on the rug. Thankfully It had not broken. She grabbed the bottle and set it upright on the other nightstand.

"Who keeps a bottle of alcohol at their bedside table?"

Eliza thought aloud, shaking her head in disapproval. She ignored her own guilt, knowing the real reason for his bad habits had plenty to do with her disappearance. But she wasn't ready to face that.

She noticed a black small pouch poking out from under the curtain. She walked over to the satchel and picked it up. She raised it to her nose and sniffed it curiously before opening it. There was a musty smell coming from inside the bag. When she opened it the smell grew stronger and her expression turned to revolt.

"Ugh, disgusting."

She opened the mouth of the bag wider to get a good look at what was inside. A small bundle of skinny mushrooms with long purple caps. She was familiar with these little stink bombs.

'Why would he keep these in the side table?'

Eliza thought as she shook her head again.

She sat down at the end of the bed and set the satchel in her lap. She picked one purple capped mushroom from the bag and raised it to eye level. She looked It over curiously.

Her gaze then scanned around the room. Who knew how long she'd be here until Klaus came back. Coming to her senses, she decided not to experiment with Klaus' hidden toxins.

Eliza sighed before setting the satchel down and tossing the mushroom somewhere on the bedspread. She stood and began picking up scraps of furniture from the ground. She moved the pieces over to one pile and cleared the floor from broken wood chips. Walking over to the bathroom doors she made her way to the sink and ran the lukewarm water. She scanned the counter and cupped her hands below the golden faucet. After it began to flood in her hands she bent low and splashed the warm water over her face.

The warmth was comforting. Eliza let out a breath as drops fell from her lips down the bowl of the sink.

She raised a couple more handfuls of water to her face, washing away her stress. After brushing her teeth, she looked up at the mirror. Her brown wavy hair was tucked neatly behind both her ears. The blue pale nightgown hung off her small figure. Her collar bones had been much more visible now.

She turned the faucet off. What could she do now? After patting her face dry, she set down the white towelette next to the sink bowl and turned to the bedroom. She carefully made her way to the bookshelves. Some books looked familiar, some new. Eliza slid her finger along the recently dusted shelves. Her finger grazing some of the leather-bound journals. She stopped at a familiar red notebook.

She grabbed it and it felt all too familiar. This was her notebook. Her diary that had been obviously read through by Klaus. There was no line he wouldn't cross it seemed.

She grew angry, flipping through pages, noticing markings, and written inputs in his handwriting. Question marks, statements, theories a meticulous observation on every thought, dream, fantasy, and confession expressed in every precious page.

She grew furious. She wanted to burn the notebook. She wanted to unsee what she knew he had already read over and over again.

How could he do this?

She took the notebook and held it close to her chest as she made her way to the bed, flopping onto her back. The bed bounced slightly, wafting the smell of the mushrooms back into her nostrils.

She turned, raising herself. She ran her fingers across the white puffy comforter, straightening it out to find the small purple mushroom hidden behind a ripple in the fabric.

Without thinking, she took the purple fungus and popped it into her mouth. It fell apart fairly quickly. The taste was sour but was quickly replaced with numbness that began forming around her mouth. She swallowed the mushroom down and her stomach immediately began to react.

Eliza rushed back into the bathroom and looked into the mirror as she held herself against the counter, heaving over the sink. Her eyes felt as though they were watering, saliva was already dripping from her lips as she lost control of her mouth and all feeling there.

Her eyes began to dilate, blinking rapidly as she felt a burn overwhelm her.

"Oh my.."

She choked on her own spit into the sink and gagged before turning on the faucet again. She screamed as the water began to run. It was so loud. Everything was so loud.

"STOP! STOP!"

She screamed to no one. Her senses seemed to go into overdrive. Everything she heard was as though it was happening through a megaphone being directed straight into her eardrums. She felt the vibrations within her. The white and gold bathroom became blinding, even the light coming from the windows were so bright.

She shut the faucet, and spit the saliva falling from her mouth before holding her mouth closed. She looked into the mirror, her eyes squinted to barely see her reflection.

Her eyes were turning black. She nearly fell into the sink leaning closer to the mirror. She screamed into her hand looking at her reflection. Her legs began to feel heavy and light at the same time. Then she felt a pull-down to the earth. Was she falling?

Before she knew it, she slid down the counter, losing feeling in her legs and sinking to the cold marble floor. Her arms attempted to hold her up but failed.

'Why would anyone eat these?'

Eliza's arms lost the fight and gave away, causing her to fall against her shoulder.

"ugh.."

She managed to use the last of her strength to push herself onto her back and face the ceiling of the bathroom. She couldn't move now, she felt completely paralyzed. Even breathing was starting to get harder.

Was she dying? Was she supposed to have eaten the entire mushroom?

Too late now...

She closed her eyes tightly, wanting this to be over.

"Damnit, Klaus."

She cursed him as her ears began to ring louder. She groaned before picking up her head and slamming It down on the floor in desperation. Then again... and again. Until she suddenly felt very tired. Visions of the cabin burning, Blood spurting on her face as she slammed the hammer down, Tess screaming in pain, her father looking at her in disgust.

"Please...something happy." She mumbled to herself as a warm tear slid down and tickled her ear. She started to lose consciousness.

-------------

"I want to show you something." The young boy pulled her hand excitedly.

"Klaus, we can't leave, it's your birthday party!" Eliza whispers back just as excited. He always wanted her to himself. There was always something he wanted to show her.

"Who cares, they're here for my parents anyway." He shook his head as he pulled her farther down the hallways. All were adorned with banners, balloons, and ribbons.

'Happy Birthday Prince Klaus!'

The young boy was turning thirteen years old today. It was a merry occasion. The whole kingdom was in celebration for the prince, the miracle heir.

"Klaus where are we going? Our parents will wonder where we are." Eliza pulled her arm back and stopped him from going any further.

Klaus turned to her confused, "What are you doing? Come on, Eliza."

"No, I'm not going any further until you tell me where we're going." Eliza crosses her arms in defiance.

Klaus gives her a coy grin.

"Fine." His head slightly leans to the left before Eliza begins to feel light in her step.

"Wha.." She looks down at her toes and notices herself raising in the air.

"-Klaus?! Klaus! Are you doing this?" She kicks her feet under her pink dress and waves her arms out attempting to grab at anything but there is nothing but air. The hallways are empty. The band outside is playing loudly.

"Of course, I'm Doing It!" Klaus laughs excitedly. He runs towards the nearby stairwell and climbs it as he keeps his eyes on Eliza raising her higher and higher.

"Klaus stop It! Put me down!" Eliza shrieks as she looks how far she'd gotten floating above the ground. Klaus doesn't stop. He's fascinated with himself. He raises her even higher. When he reaches the top step he walks along the railing overlooking the hallway. But he's looking straight ahead at the princess floating in her pink dress. She's panicking and he doesn't understand why. Didn't she have confidence in his powers?

"I can do this." He mutters to himself as he watches her carefully, ignoring her cries, determined to prove to her how powerful he was. She'd be impressed, undoubtedly.

"Klaus this isn't funny." She starts to get angry now. "Let me down NOW!"

"You can't tell me what to do Eliza," He raises a brow and starts to turn her slowly.

"I swear, the minute I come down I'm beating you to no end! This isn't funny! I don't care if it's your birthday, when I get my hands on you Klaus!-"

She stops abruptly when her slow turn in mid-air is stopped to face him again. Klaus stood atop the railing now, facing her.

"Klaus..no." Eliza shakes her head, watching as he moves his foot off the railing and into the air. "KLAUS!"

Her panic only fuels his excitement. He steps off the railing and rests effortlessly in mid-air. "Isn't this cool?"

Eliza is speechless. He moves slowly towards her. Smiling still as he gets close to her. He holds out his hand to her now, "Are you going to take my hand now?"

She bites down hard, feeling defeated. She looks back down towards the ground and swallows hard before taking hold of his hand. "If you drop me, my father will have your head."

"I'm not afraid of your father, he should be afraid of Me."

Eliza eyes Klaus cautiously.

"Afraid of you?" Eliza scoffs, "Why would my father, the King, be afraid of you? Because you can float?" She chuckles as she takes hold of his other hand extended out to her. Klaus remains quiet and watches her closely.

Suddenly she feels her weight return and feels the pulls of the earth at her feet. She cries out as her nails dig into Klaus's palms.

"AH!"

Klaus's expression doesn't change. He holds her as she dangles below his waist.

"I have the King's whole world in my hands." He said calmly as Eliza kicked her feet wildly trying to keep her grasp onto the floating prince.

"Klaus!" She screamed as her hair fell from the carefully styled updo It had been in.

"I think he'd be very afraid right now, don't you?" Klaus says, letting go of one hand, leaving Eliza dangling onto one.

"Klaus, pull me up now!" Her hand desperately tries to grab onto his leg but Klaus leans his body forward, making it impossible for her, grinning devilishly all the while.

"Are you afraid, Eliza?"

"NO! I'm not afraid!" She lies, as she looks back down and closes her eyes. "I'M NOT AFRAID!"

"Not even a little?" He smirks down at her.

Eliza loses her nerve at this point. She hated letting him think he'd won. He would never let anything happen to her, she convinced herself. She bit her lip before building up the courage to open her eyes. She looked down for a small second. They had to have been at least 20 feet above the ground. She slowly raised her eyes up at him. He was waiting for her to crumble she could feel It.

"I'm not afraid. But you will be." He looks at her confused before she closes her eyes and lets go of his hand.

His eyes widen as he reaches to grab her but misses,

"NO! ELIZA!"

She screams as she plummets towards the marble ground. Before she does, she's halted. She hangs just above the ground breathing heavily and slowly opens her eyes. Adrian quickly descends and looks down at the princess as she watches him stand over her.

"Are you insane? Why the hell would you do that?!" He yells at her, kneeling down to her level. He puts his hand under her head and holds It up as he lowers her body slowly to the ground.

"You could've broken your neck, are you trying to give me a heart attack?"

Eliza watches as he quickly looks over her before turning to her in anger.

"Why are you smiling, that wasn't funny, Eliza."

Eliza smiles smugly saying nothing as Klaus realizes how the tables have turned. He sighs, letting her go. "You're so annoying, Eliza."

She laughs as she shoves him lightly, "Are you afraid, Eliza?" She mocks him.

Klaus rolls his eyes and pushes her back lightly. "You were scared, admit It."

Eliza shakes her head, "Never. I'll never be afraid of you. I'm not afraid of anything." She says confidently, holding her head up high.

"Not afraid of anything?" Klaus tilts his head slightly.

"Nope."

Klaus grins devilishly, he puts his hand over her knee and leans close to her face. "I guess I'm afraid of one thing."

Her eyes watch him closely, "What's that?..."

"Hurting you."

"I don't think you ever will." She watches his eyes, mesmerized. Her ears felt hot, as he moved closer to her.

"No, I don't think I ever will..." His lips move to kiss hers as his hand snakes around her neck. He pulls her close to him, her arms holding her upright began to feel weak.

Their first kiss.

It was perfect.

"Klaus!? Klaus! Where are you, son?" Queen Marta's voice began to echo from the hallway.

Klaus sighed as he pulled away from Eliza. They quickly stood patting their clothes down, making themselves presentable.

"It's time for gifts, my boy!" The Queen laughed drunkenly as she appeared in the entryway. She smiled at the two.

"Mmm...Young love," She giggled, her wine swishing in her cup and spilling slightly, as she raised the glass to them. "To the future King and Queen." She laughed, looking only at her son, beaming.