I tap my fingers nervously on my bed. I'm propped up between the pillows, waiting for the doctor to arrive.

The first visit didn't go so well. Here I am now, a couple of days later, waiting to see if I can finally walk.

"You're so excited." Lucas snickers. "What if he says you can't walk?"

I roll my eyes. "You're such a pessimist."

There's a knock on the door, and the elderly man enters. He has his little round glasses on, and his beard is just about reaching his chest.

"Good evening, Your Majesty."

I greet him back, and he sets his suitcase on my nightstand table. He turns to my leg.

He takes the bandages off, and slowly starts to bend it. The bruise is still there, but almost healed.

"Would it be too much to ask you to stand up?" He says.

"No problem."

In an instant, I'm up on my feet. But then the pain arrives like fire through my veins, and I really wish I hadn't done that. Swallowing, I put on a brave facade.

Lucas looks at me and frowns. "There's no way that couldn't have not hurt." He mumbles.

I clear my throat. The doctor asks me to take a step. Slowly.

With my hands clenched into a fist, I do so.

"See? I can move." I tell him.

The doctor purses his lips. "Perhaps it's best for you to stay in bed." He says. My eyes widen. No. Anything but that.

"But you can practice walking short distances." He says. "With help of course."

I nod. Atleast I won't be confined to one place. "I'll come check up on you in two days times." He takes a small vial out and hands it to me. "Take this if the pain flairs up again." He says. "And call for me if it's too much."

"Thank you." I say to him. He bows, and then leaves.

Once he's out the door, Lucas whistles. "It's best if you stay in bed." He repeats.

I'm tempted to roll my eyes again. I turn to the window, where the rain has mostly stopped and a light breeze flutters through the sky. "Perfect weather for a picnic." I grin.

Lucas looks at me like he's looking at a lunatic. "Picnic." He says in a high-pitched voice, trying to imitate me. "Picnic my--!"

I pick up a pillow and throw it at him. "Why are you so rude?"

"One of has to be, little miss sunshine." He says. "God, you're so optimistic, you make flowers look satanic."

I didn't see what was so wrong with that. And now, since Lucas had totally dismissed my idea of going outside, I was going to do it anyway.

I lick my lips in anticipation. My dress is presentable, and I run a hand through my knotted hair, trying to tame it down.

I take a step forward with my good leg.

"What are you doing?" Lucas scowls.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" I snap back. "I want to go outside!"

Lucas curses. "You're so annoying, woman." He mutters. "Did you hear the doctor? You need help to walk."

I shake my head. "I refuse to use those sticks old men use to get around, you know like--"

Lucas sighs. "Fine." He says. He crosses his arms. "Walk."

I take a deep breath which doesn't come out as steady as I would have liked it to. I shuffle forward, trying not to put too much weight on my bad leg.

Muttering something incoherent, Lucas comes towards me and grabs my shoulder. "What?!" I snap.

"You need help." He says, quieter this time. "At this pace, you'll never get outside."

I swallow down nothing but air, knowing he's right to some extent. And he's being nice in his own conceited kind of way, who am I to deny it?

So I let him help me out of the hallway and down the stairs, even though it takes a really long time. Farkle sees us once and cracks a smile, and so does one of the servants.

On the way out of one of the backdoors, Lucas grabs a blanket and a picnic basket.

The Meadows are a fairly long distance to cover, but I don't care because it feels good to have the breeze tickle your face again, and feel the grass under your feet.

Lucas sets down the blanket on the top of one of the hills under an old oak tree. It's quiet, and nobody's around.

Lowering myself on the ground, I hunt through the basket and find a buttered piece of bread. I take a bite and let it melt in my mouth.

"Are you sure it doesn't hurt?" He asks.

"Since when do you care?"He sits down next to me, keeping distance. "And don't you have prince stuff to do?"

He shakes his head. "Not for now atleast." Then he raises his voice. "I feel responsible for what happened."

I turn to him and his eyes are on the ground. He looks up at me silently. "Well, can't say that it isn't your fault." I smile sheepishly at my bad humor. "I'm only joking, Lucas. What happened, happened. You need to get over it."

He exhales. "I should have seen it coming." He mumbles.

"Why?" I dig through the picnic basket and find two apples in it. I toss one at him and he catches it quickly.

"The Duchess isn't exactly our number one fan." He says, taking a bite.

Well I know why she doesn't like me, but Lucas? Everyone else had already accepted him.

"She believes her son should be on the throne instead." Lucas continues.

"Because he's of royal blood?" I ask. Lucas purses his lips. "Well, blood isn't the only thing that turns you into a king."

"To the Duchess, it is. And power and money."

I rest my hand on the edge of the blanket, twirling blades of grass around my fingers. "Why does she hate you so much?"

"I'm not a royal." He says. "My parents were from one of the smaller villages on the outskirts of Valaire."

"Yet here your are." I say light-heartedly. "What happened?"

"There was a fire." His voice is kind of scratchy. "The King happened to be there at the event when it happened. He saw my parents burn to ashes."

I bite my lip. My hand finds his and I give it a reassuring squeeze. "He adopted you." I say.

He nods. "I was only two at the time. And since I'm the closest thing he's got to a son, I become king when I turn eighteen."

"And when's that?" I ask.

"A month from now." He says.

"Well, you'll need a queen, won't you?" I take another bite out of the apple. Deleciously sweet. "Got anyone in mind?"

His eyes seem to be piercing through mine. "Maybe, I don't know." He shrugs. "I'm not sure she wants me."

I roll my eyes. "What girl wouldn't want a prince?" I ask.

"One who wouldn't want to move all the way from her home in Mistell. Permanently."

I see the conversation hitting dangerously close to home, and shift my eyes to my lap. "You sure you're ready to become king?"

"We'll find out soon enough." The corners of his mouth twist up in a smile.