"Please turn to the right, Your Grace."

Elijah Wright, Duke of Kent, begrudgingly did as he was told. The tailor had been fitting him for his upcoming wedding for the past two hours. He cringed at that word. Wedding. It was now six days away, and he continued to get more nauseous the closer it got.

After his father, the former Duke of Kent, died last year, it was time for Elijah to follow in his father's footsteps. His father's very large footsteps. Which is why his mother set up this ridiculous arranged marriage to Lady Elizabeth Coleman of Sussex. Elijah had met her three times since the agreement. She was a blonde, with brown eyes and an oval face. She was attractive and nice, but it still felt...wrong.

Elijah wasn't a saint. Growing up, he chased after women frequently. But when his mother told him he needed to get married for the sake of duty, everything changed. He didn't want to marry a stranger. For the first time in his life, the thought of finding someone to love him, the real him, seemed to be what he craved most.

The servant's voice announcing his mother's entrance drew his attention. "Excuse me, Your Grace. The Duchess of Kent."

"Good morning, Elijah. How is the sizing going?"

Terrible, he thought. "Good morning, Mother. It's going well.. How are you?"

She walked over by the window, her yellow morning gown dragging behind her. "I'm well. I just got word that Lady Elizabeth will be here two days before the wedding."

The Duke's stomach churned at the statement. "Oh? That's sounds wonderful."

His mother turned to him with a raised eyebrow. She always had a knack for catching his lies. "Elijah, please try to make an effort. This is about-"

"Duty," he interrupted. "I know, Mother." He splayed his hands out in front of him. "I've been standing here for countless hours getting poked and prodded. I am fully aware of what's required of me. Doesn't mean I have to like it."

His mother walked up to him and brushed his hair from his face. "It will be better for you, my son, if you go into this with an open heart. I know Lady Elizabeth is like a stranger to you now, but I'm sure you will grow fond of each other as time passes."

Elijah scoffed at her statement and stepped out of her reach. "Fondness. I don't want fondness, Mother. I want..."

"What do you want, Elijah?" She asked after a few moments of silence.

Elijah walked to the large window while he thought about his answer. He knew what he wanted. He wanted to meet someone who didn't want the Duke of Kent. He wanted someone who made him laugh and someone who wasn't afraid to talk to him about things that mattered. He wanted someone who made him feel...alive.

"Well?" His mother pressed.

"It doesn't matter what I want, Mother. It only matters that I do my duty."

"Another!" The Duke called to the barmaid.

"Right away, Your Grace." The barmaid called back as he hurried to get more ale.

After Elijah's "fitting" this morning, he needed some air. Also, the conversation with his mother didn't help the situation. By lunchtime his anxiety got so bad, he sent word to his most trusted friend, William, to meet him at the local pub.

"Tell me, Elijah, are you really going to go through with this? Marrying a complete stranger?" William asked. William never liked the idea of arranged marriages. Then again, he wasn't a royal. They met when they were lads. Elijah's father took him on an outing and, when their carriage broke down, William's father gave them a ride back to town. They've been inseparable ever since.

"I don't have a choice, Will. It's my duty." The Duke basically spat the last word.

"Your ale, Your Grace," the barmaid said as he placed it in front of Elijah.

"Thank you," he replied before taking a sip.

"But, Elijah, don't you want to marry someone you really care about?"

Elijah glanced over at Will. Will was blessed with the right to marry whomever he wanted. Lucky bastard, he thought. "Yes, that would be nice wouldn't it? But, not everyone has that right, Will. I'm a duke. I have obligations. I don't have a choice. There is no free will with dukes."

Will scoffed as he grabbed his ale and took a drink. "You need to be somewhere where you're just Elijah, not the Duke of Kent."

Elijah stared at his friend for a few minutes. Will's words were running over and over again in his head. Maybe he had a point.

"Give me your pants."

Will stared at his friend with a dumbfounded expression. They were standing in an empty barn a mile from the pub and Elijah was demanding that Will give him his clothes.

"Why do you want my pants?"

Elijah let out a long breath. "You were right. I need to...get away. At least for awhile."

"How do you think you're going to get away with that?" Will asked in a bewildered tone. "They will send every guard to look for you."

Elijah had a determined look on his face. "We are going to switch clothes. We are about the same size, same body style. You are going to get in my carriage and just ride around for a few hours. My mother knows I'm going to be out most of the day. I'm going to take your horse. It will at least buy me a few hours."

Will was looking at him like he was insane. "What about when those few hours are up? What then?"

Elijah let out a deep sigh. "Go back to the castle and tell my mother...I just need time. Tell her I'll be back before the wedding." When Will remained silent, Elijah added. "Please, Will. Do this for me."

Will let out a disgusted sigh as he reached for the waistband of his pants. "Fine. But you owe me for this."

As the two men exchanged clothes, Elijah was going back and forth in his head about if this was the right thing to do. On one hand, no one would know where he was. Which was good for his privacy and bad for his safety. But, there was a strong desire to take this opportunity. He needed some time to think and accept the reality of what he had to do.

"I look ridiculous in this, Elijah."

The disgusted tone of Will's voice caused Elijah to turn and look at him. He was surprised his clothes fit Will so well. "You look fine. You look like a Duke." Elijah straightened the collar for Will before adding, "Just stick to the plan and don't talk to anyone until it's time."

Will clapped Elijah on the shoulder. "Be safe, my brother. I pray you find what you're looking for."

Elijah watched as Will got into his carriage. Once they were far enough away, he mounted Will's horse and started out of the stables. He kept the horse at a steady pace at first. People walked by on the street and paid him no mind. Perfect, he thought. Once he was out of eye distance of anyone, he pressed his boots into the horse's sides and signaled him to gallop as fast as he could.

He rode faster and faster,trying to escape his fate. Leaving everything behind him except fresh white-powdered snow.