All characters are owned by George Macdonald except whatever OC's that I manage to come up with, purely fan made and inspired after reading all the great PatG fanfics

In the mines where most of the town sought their fortune, Curdie toiled well into the night and then into the break of light before he left his shift. It was tough work but it had made him strong and taught him a lot about how the world worked.

At the top there was royalty, Irenie and her father, who lorded over the nobility and the nobility who lorded over the farmers and villagers.

And then there was the people who worked in the lowest, most dangerous place.

The mines. Curdie's father, and his father's father were miners and Curdie himself was a simple miner boy- or young man- who had the favour of the crown princess and only heir to the throne.

He had especially thought on that lately.

It was not that he looked on his people or his status with shame. But he knew that a miner, no matter how courageous or witty, was no match for a princess. Certainly not one as beautiful and genuinely kind as Irenie.

It was frustrating to fall in love with the princess, for he had fallen, many, many times when he knew for a fact that it was not a good idea. When he knew that doing so would only betray him in the end.

For a miner boy cannot marry a princess because he is not a prince and a prince knows how to be a prince and how to rule people. That's why princes married princesses and went on to have little ones of their own to rule.

They were pruned and polished from the day they were born to take on these heavy duties.

A miner would know nothing of how to make laws or treat or understand people. That's why they married women of similar class and had boys who then became miners themselves.

But Curdie was happy for that, he enjoyed mining and took great pride in it for when he looked at the castles and saw the bright lights flickering in the night he knew that Irenie might be looking at fire he help create, the coal that kept her safe and warm and perhaps if he hoped enough, feel a bit better despite being so far from him=12

He would never tell the princess this, though. He thought, every once in awhile he could see her affection shine for him even in darkness, but he could never, nor would he ever take advantage of her feelings.

For she was a princess.

And he was a miner.

That was why he told her the fall mines would be opening soon- which was a blatant lie- he did this because he didn't want her to suffer- he didn't want to suffer. Perhaps that's why he did it, but if there was one thing that Curdie knew it was that seeing Irenie dance with all those Prince's who were much more handsome and witty and dashing would hurt him more that a knife to his chest.

Knowing he could never dance like that with her or else potentially risk both their happinesses.

It was his only fear. To believe she would be unhappy for when it came down to the very core of his feelings, Curdie would gladly pass away to nothing than have the princess be heartbroken and letting her choose him would only tear her away from her father, from all she had known.

She cared for the people, he had heard bad stories about king's and queen's that took power for granted. But he knew Irenie. She wouldn't be like that, she was the kindest soul he had ever met, even her little projects in the town were beginning to paint a whole new picture of royalty.

But if he asked her.

If he asked her to run away with him, she would.

Because she cared about him, perhaps more than he could understand.

But if they chose to run away, Curdie knew deep down that Irenie would say it was what she wanted, that she would gladly give up her life in a beautiful castle and servants attending to her every whim, Curdie knew she would miss her father, she would miss her people and feel terrible for abandoning them.

She was the kindest noble he had ever known, and despite being a miner, he had known quite a few. She was brave, clever, honest, gentle and entirely selfless. It was some of the many things he admired in her and he would never deprive her the chance to make a truly wonderful kingdom.

Which was why he was slinking away like a cowardly goblin, back to his mines, back to the darkness so he wouldn't have to be in pain- but telling himself it was so she wouldn't be in pain.

But when he came trudging up the front step, his legs so weak and twisted from the heavy labour the last thing he would expect was the first he saw as he opened the door.

There, on the small brown sofa his father had made, lied the princess, her strawberry gold hair tussled around her face.

He looked to his mother who was petting the princess' back in a soothing, motherly way.

"Mother?" Her heavy eyes turned to him, soft and sore from a night of sleeplessness.

"Shh- Curdie, she's had a very troubling night," Mrs. Peterson whispered gently.

Curdie walked around his mother and grabbed a shall from the wooden stool on which it was draped, folding it over her shoulders.

"What is she doing here?"Curdie whispered, not intending it to sound the way that it did, but tiredness getting the better of her.

"She had an argument with her father, but refused to speak of it until she could talk with you."

Curdie grimaced, only imagining what that argument had been about.

"Have you slept at all?" Curdie turned to his mother, watching her with careful eyes and studying her.

"I was awake when she came, I would't have been able to sleep tonight anyway," she whispered back, standing up from the wooden chair before gesturing for Curdie to sit down.

"I'm fine mother, really," he replied, unable to take his eyes off Irenie, but his legs were so weak they were shaking and finally, Curdie slumped into the chair.

"The king will be very worried." Curdie said at last, especially since he had a fairly good idea on what their argument had been.

Here is the first place they would look. It would be better for his family if the whole royal guard wasn't here by sunrise and pounding at their door.

He sighed in exhaustion and frustration before during his brow and watching Irenie sleep blissfully.

Sometimes it bothered him how she seemed to ignore the laws and rules set before her, even the well meaning ones.

Though he wasn't about to tell her that in the middle of this whole mess, she would be very much upset with him by sun up anyhow.

Feeling very much drained already, Curdie rubbed the back of his neck before rocking back onto his feet, his words being, "it shouldn't take more than an hour to get there, hopefully the king won't want my head then.

"Travel safe," Mrs. Peterson whispered to her son before stroking his cheek affectionately, "and be kind to her, Curdie- she has a sensitive heart."

The young man nodded solemnly before picking up the sleeping Irenie who didn't so much as stir in her sleep.

After a few tries of getting her onto the back of the family horse, Curdie swung onto the back of the saddle with a bit of difficulty before reaching around Irenie to take hold of the reigns.

They were off with little more than a command and a wave from Mrs. Peter's who watched them leave through the window.

By the time they were almost at the castle it had taken just as much time as Curdie said it would but he was growing ever reluctant.

This would probably be the last time he saw her that year, perhaps for the rest of his life when he considered what was to come.

It wasn't his decision she marry anyone but himself. He knew without doubt that he could live a happy life, free of sadness with her by his side.

But he also knew he could live without her, on the only condition that she would be happy without him. In taking this route he knew better than most that happiness was never a guarantee no matter what road one chose in life but at least this way he knew he wouldn't be forcing Irenie to choose between him and her father and country.

But he would miss her no matter.

Besides being a beautiful person Irenie had grown in beauty as well as kindness.

Her hair was like red honey, her eye-lids were white rose petals and her lips-

May God strike him down if he denied lingering on those the longest.

When his hands were wrapped around her waist as they road the family horse to the castle gate, he could feel ripples flood his heart. Even his hands were shaking.

And then as if he had been thinking too loudly, the princess, woken from her slumber, spoke "Curdie?"

Her voice was as sweet as honey loaf and made his stomach flop. "Princess-" he replied softly so as not to convey the emotions he was feeling. Knowing what was to happen that morning.

"Irenie-" she scolded him gently, her hands now resting on his, trying to pull them closer to her, but this Curdie could not allow.

"Princess-" he answered again, shaking her hands of his grasp, unable to fake the pulse shivering up his wrist at being so near to her, "we're almost at the castle, it's almost morning."

"Oh-" he felt her back roll as if she were pained by what he said, "oh Curdie, I'm so sorry, I fell asleep is- is your mother asleep, I hope I didn't keep her up all night-"

Curdie felt a pang of guilt himself for ever thinking badly of the princess. Of course she hadn't meant to keep his mother up or force him to taker home. She was sad and looking for comfort and he had been callus to misjudge her now.

"She was fast asleep," Curdie lied, his tone genuine and the princess doubtlessly falling for it.

"That's good-" she whispered, her back sinking into his chest, weary from sleeplessness and causing his heart to panic.

Curdie jolted back for fear that his rapid heart beat would give him away.

"Curdie-" this princess gasped out abruptly when he shirked her off.

"We'll be arriving soon- you should not fall asleep until you are safe at the castle in your bed.

"I feel safe here," her voice had the softest lilt, her hands wanting to hold tight to the person behind her but not knowing what the action would be met with.

"Princess," Curdie said from behind her, his voice empathetic but not giving any leeway.

"Irenie," she stubbornly refuted the title, her cheeks going red from the constant reminder of their status, as if that was the only thing that mattered. "How many times must I ask you-"

"We're here-" Curdie stopped the horse, pulling tight on the reigns before sliding back off the rump.

"Oh-" Irenie reddened again before allowing Curdie to help her down, savouring the moment of touch before letting him pull away once more.

When they were children she was always playing with his hands, studying them, their creases.

Curdie had rough, calloused hand from working in the mines all day, but he was always gentle with them when it came to her.

As if he were afraid she'd break.

Suddenly a thought came to her, a bit of an unpleasant recollection when she recalled their conversation earlier that month.

"I thought- I thought you would be in the fall mines by now-"

"They won't open until October-" Curdie hesitantly admitted, his hesitation well warranted when the princess caught on, her eyes widening in shock.

"But you-" Irenie started, almost caught up in her turbulent emotions of the night prior.

"I lied." He finished, silencing her.

Irenie was quiet for a long time, his words doing far more damage to her than when the lie had been true.

She spoke up suddenly, grasping at the straws Curdie tried to hide from her, "why don't you want to come, you know how much this means to me, to see you there."

"You know that would not be for the best," Curdie 's brow furrowed slightly as he looked down at her, those rose red cheeks becoming pale as snow. "I know you had an argument with your father."

Irenie's eyes widened further, if that were even possible, and grabbed onto the sleeve of his shirt, pleading with him.

"I don't care what Papa said, I don't care about any of it, I don't care about my birthday… not if you'e not there-" Irenie felt on the verge of tears but would not cry in front of him, knowing it would only guilt Curdie's heart into going against his will.

She didn't want to control his will.

She wanted him to choose her despite it.

Despite all the consequences that it would have on both their lives.

Suddenly Irenie threw her arms around his waist, pushing her head against his heart.

"Tell me we can run away- please Curdie, tell my we can be together-"

Curdie was startled when she first grabbed onto him, but slowly, with the care he had always treated her to, pried her hands from around him and gently placed them in front of her chest.

He avoided her eyes and spoke, "I can't tell you that Irenie,"

"Why Curdie," her voice ached, despite her want to be strong she felt her heart ready to crumble.

He turned his back on her, not looking back as he quickly saddled his horse once more and departed the castle gates.

"Because I can't."

Im sorry about the delay, I though I had this up a month ago but realized I must have forgotten to submit it. Thanks to the reminder I saw it though on the down side it's extremely late, on the upside I've already started on the next chapter with Fyzsal and Froglip (possibly some Nuna and Harelip in their as well though that might have to wait until after everything's set in motion. Anywho as per usual this chapter was inspired by a song which was 'In My Veins' by Andrew Bell:

Nothing goes as planned
Everything will break
People say goodbye
In their own special way
All that you rely on
And all that you can fake
Will leave you in the morning
But find you in the day

Oh, you're in my veins
And I cannot get you out
Oh, you're all I taste
At night inside of my mouth
Oh, you run away
'Cause I am not what you found
Oh, you're in my veins
And I cannot get you out