Alice felt as if his words sank beneath the surface of her skin, through her veins and to her heart, squeezing tightly. She wanted very much to tell him he was the boy who opened the cage for her constantly... And though she had to go back in that cage, she always knew the boy would be back to open it up again. Now though, the time was drawing near where she would go back in the cage and be given to another boy who would never touch the lock again.
"I wish I had been born a simple girl. Someone who no body knew. A girl who could live a life she wanted, make decisions she wanted, love and live with who she wanted." She whispered and looked down at his kneeling form. From the castle she heard the maids calling for her, telling her that her teachers were looking for her and it was time to go. She knew she wouldn't see Edwin until later in the evening, until after he served her dinner and got to tuck her in to sleep. She often ate lunch while reading and didn't like to be disturbed. Alice stood with a heavy sigh and cupped Edwin's cheek.
In a much smaller voice, she whispered, "I wish I was the kind of girl who could run away with her forbidden love." With that, she had already said too much, and walked past him to head to her lesson. She smiled through the tears and wiped them away with her handkerchief.