Diary of a Reluctant Ruler

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I was too hot and couldn’t sleep; tossing and turning instead. Jade was breathing in a sleep-heavy manner next door. The air was tense, humid. I pulled the covers off and walked over to the window. A small half-veranda-thing was outside the window, not intended for standing on, but in such a position as to stop you from falling out should you attempt to sit on the windowsill. Which was exactly what I intended to attempt. I wanted the night breeze, and couldn’t exactly walk out through reception at two in the morning, so I planned to sit on the windowsill for a minute and look at the stars.

Once on the windowsill, I found my bottom fast freezing against the cold stone. And there were no stars because large roiling clouds were crackling above my head in a threatening manner. They spoke of thunderstorms. Still, the air was a little fresher than inside, so I sat for a while contemplating the garden below and the street over the wall ahead. A brief glimpse of sky scrapers and lit-up buildings could be caught through a gap in the houses to the right. A few rowdy French men spilled out of a bar a street away, swearing in a long fluent stream. Everything seemed ready to boil over with life.

Cooler, I slipped back inside and lay down on top of the covers. With a slight breeze circulating slightly cooler humid air around the room I managed to slip back into sleep but my dreams were still troubled. I found myself chasing James down long corridors. He shouted urgently at me across deep voids, but I couldn’t hear him. Every time I tried to touch him he slipped away. When I finally caught him in my arms it wasn’t him but Francis.

The thunderstorm still hadn’t broken the next morning, only building to a more fuggy, imprisoning climate. Everything strained to escape. Blood pounded in a complaining manner in my temples and fingertips.

Jade was happy with my brown hair disguising me enough, so let go out for a walk alone as long as I didn’t get too far and kept my phone with me. I said I’d go see Theo and asked if she wanted to come. She declined and said she’d check out the marketplace opposite the college so that she could be close.

I’d hoped the walk to be refreshing, but it only made me hotter and more irritated. I longed for a cold shower. Walking past a newspaper stand a familiar face caught my eye.

My heart and stomach sank, and I bought a copy from the vender.

Princess Disappears From Public In Aftermath of Scandal! read the title. I scanned the article. The paper seemed to think I was still in Adria at least. Johanna had kept her word about not publishing anything without my permission. Interest from the French press was not entirely welcome, but then maybe the tabloid was having a bad day. I sure was. I was having a bad year.

Enough moping!!! You’re getting on my effing nerves!

*mopes*

Grrr...

I shoved the paper into a bin and buzzed in at the block of student accommodation for Theo. A girl’s voice answered in French, then let me in. It sounded vaguely familiar. Going inside the heat suddenly closed in. Without the slight breeze from outside the air felt poisonous, it was so clammy.

“Knock knock,” I called, as the door was open to Theo’s room.

A barrage of glossy dark brown hair and its following body suddenly threw itself at me in a hug.

“Phil!” it screamed.

“Olly?” I asked, my head ringing with humid pressure and her excitable tone.

“Yay!” she cried, “Theo said you were here! I got back yesterday evening late. How are you? What are you doing here?”

Questions kept coming as she dragged me in. I tried to answer as fast as I could, but failed epically. The heat was getting to me. Voices came from the ensuite bathroom.

“Man, why did I choose red?” came Theo’s voice.

“Why did you?” asked another, all-too-familiar.

I stopped answering Olly and stood still.

“What?” Olly asked, noticing my horrified stare towards the bathroom.

“Is-” I paused, “Is that-”

“Yeah, he’s staying here a few days.”

“Oh,” I breathed, “You want to go for a walk?”

“A walk?” Olly frowned, “But you only just got here! And I haven’t properly introduced you to Theo, I mean, I know you’ve already met him but-”

“Olly, please,” I whispered, “I don’t want to see him.”

Olly just gave me a look of puzzled hurt. A thumping sound came from the bathroom. I stood up, heart beating faster than was healthy. Theo came out, towelling his hair in a frantic manner.

“Olivia, why d’you let me pick red?”

Olly went and hugged him, mumbling something about him being cute, but my eyes were riveted to the figure framed in the bathroom door.

“Phil?” James said, looking as beautiful as ever and just as neutral to my existence.

shit.

The humidity closed in threefold.