Cyber Barber
[This is one of my longest, and best surviving role play. We were at it for almost three months, a couple of hours a day. Edited for readability. This is an LONG ASS read! The haircut is not the role play, it is part of a much larger story. Don’t expect a TL;DR. Published with consent.]
Finnigan walked up to the door of the Princess’ chamber. His thoughts were in turmoil. In his hand was the note that she had sent to him earlier in the day. It was not often that she would ask to spend some time with him. After all, her schedule only allowed her to spend a few hours on the weekends with him. Being a Princess’ companion was a mixed blessing. He paused to read the note again. The orders were quite clear. She wanted his company today. But the rest of it? It sounded rather vague and unsettling. The writing was anything but confident and betrayed an undercurrent of frustration. As her confidante, he knew that she had a lot of frustrations with the way she was expected to lead her life. But, that was part of being a Princess. True, she wasn’t the crown princess, so her duties and responsibilities were far fewer. She didn’t have to spend life under heavy guard. She was permitted to have friends. There was also the vaguely unsettling feeling of this being the pebble that would start an avalanche.
He raised his hand and rapped on the door thrice.
Princess Kalina Rosa Quintana Eldritch, better known as simply Kalina to her closest friends, was sitting at her vanity. She stared in the mirror as her hair was woven up into an intricately decorated updo in preparation for a party. She batted away the various servants restlessly “Mary, Denice I can finish it. Please….” she said, her voice holding some frustration and sadness. It was a lonely life, regardless of her many benefits and lowered expectations in comparison to her elder sister. She really only had Finnigan to confide in, all of her other ‘friends’ wanted to be around her for status or money.
The note she had delivered to Finnigan had simply asked for him to come talk. To spend time with her like the friend he was. Some days she wondered if he was only in it for money and status also. She heard the knocks on the door “I want to be alone with Finnigan now, please,” she said to her servants gently. These women had taken care of her since the day she was born. She smiled at the ladies “Thank you. Like I said, I can take it from here,” she said, dropping some formality as she hugged the two older women and shooed them out the door. She opened it to let them out and let Finnigan in.
The door opened. Princess Kalina Rosa stood in front of him, framed in the doorway. She looked breathtaking as always. The first sight of her always took his breath away. He felt not quite unlike a gardener in charge of a rare exotic plant that he was tasked to look over. That which he would have to nourish and protect, yet may not enjoy the fruit. He had known her for a good ten years by this time, and each day her beauty seemed to just keep growing. No matter what the rest of the court thought, he always felt that she was much better looking than the Crown Princess in her gilded cage.
He bowed deferentially to the princess acknowledging her position. Taking her right hand, he placed a respectful kiss on the back. Though it was supposed to be a ceremonial kiss, he would let his lips brush against her skin. “You wanted to speak to me, my princess?”
Kalina smiled ever so slightly at her appointed companion. A soft blush formed on her pale cheeks as he kissed the back of her hand, like she always did. She let him in the room and closed the door “Yes, Finn…. I would like to talk to you,” she said softly, taking his hand in hers. He led him to sit down on her bed while she sat back down at her vanity.
She took a deep breath as she began applying her makeup. She used soft purple colors that complimented her green eyes well, making them sparkle like emeralds. “Finnigan… how…. how much do you get paid to be my companion?” She asked after a moment of silence. Her voice was sad, and strained with emotional pain. Her eyes sparkled with tears as she bowed her head, not allowing him to see her anguish
“How much am I paid? Well Princess, I was offered a hundred gold a month and access to the royal pantry for food. But, honestly, It’s been almost seven years since I collected anything from the treasury. I do admit I stop by the pantry occasionally when I am tight on food. I never felt right about you having to pay someone to be your friend. After all, you deserve better than that. And I’ve always tried to be a good friend to you. I’ve always felt that friendship is too valuable a thing to be bought. What time you need from you, I give to you willingly.”
He gets up from the bed and walks over. The quaver in her voice telling him all he needed to know about her emotional pain. He slowly walked up behind and and stood with his hands on her shoulders, squeezing gently and supportingly. “No matter what you are going through, I’ll be here for you, my princess.”
Kalina felt relief wash over her when he explained how much money he had been offered, but wasn’t using. She sniffled slightly and used a handkerchief to dab at her eyes in an attempt not to smear her makeup “S-so I can trust you? With anything?” She asked softly, her cheeks blushing more when he squeezed her shoulders. She felt a smile tug at her lips as she scooted over on the bench in front of the vanity. He made enough room for Finnigan to take a seat.
“I-I have.. a hypothetical question for you,” she said softly as she looked up at him, motioning for him to have a seat beside her.
Finn sat down beside his princess. The one girl that was truly his friend. His hand still on her shoulders, he took the kerchief from her hand and dabbed her eyes gently and carefully. “You can, Kalina. You can tell me anything that is ailing your heart and you can rest assured that if it is in my power, I will do whatever it takes to help you. What is it that you want to know?”
“Wh-what would you do…. if I said I wanted to run away from this life?” She asked nervously. She leaned against him, resting her head against his shoulder. She closed her eyes and toyed with the hem of her sleeve “What if…. I didn’t want to be Princess Kalina anymore? Just Kalina,” she whispered, knowing her questions were absurd. People would quite literally kill to be in her position and yet, here she was, wishing she was a commoner.
Finn’s hand slid down to the waist of the princess. He pulled her just a little closer. The faint smell of jasmine and lily from her hair was intoxicating as she leaned into him. “I would definitely not tell anyone else. That is for sure. But I can understand where you are coming from, Kalina. Rich and powerful you may be, but you are still held in a cage. You do have some freedom, but I know your heart yearns for more. But I also have to tell you this. Living as a commoner is a lot tougher. To be brutally honest, if it weren’t for the Royal Pantry, I would have had difficulty getting two meals a day several times. In all probability, I would have legged it to my uncle in the kingdom of Thenase by now. He still sends me offers now and then to come help him with his work.”
Kalina nodded “I-I know. I’ve been outside the gates several times. I’m a better sneak than people give me credit for. I’ve seen how my people live,” she said softly and blinked “That’s where we could go. I could take some of my belongings to sell on the way for rooms, we could take my horse and we could just disappear. No one here other than Mary and Denice would care,” she mumbled “We could go do work for your uncle,” she said “Y-you could start collecting your money again, save it up…. and at the next big ball we could run away,” she said, her face lighting up with hope
Finn considers her words, lost in a world of his own. “Do you really trust me to that extent, Kalina? Tying your fate to mine? I mean at the end of the day I am just a commoner and you are a princess. I admit my lifestyle is not quite as shabby as my peers, but it will be a far cry from what you are used to.”
He pauses to consider her suggestion. “Also, if you do want to get away that badly, I think I can collect my back pay from the treasury. All it would take is an edict from you and they will have to obey. Ask for records of payments made to your staff, and then issue an edict saying that whether I ask for it or not, the money is to be paid out with arrears. But I would urge you to think deeply before you take an earth shattering decision like this.
“As your friend, I do promise that I will stand by you in your hour of need.”
Her hope came plummeting down when he began explaining what all she would have to do. He seemed reluctant and of course he was. If they got caught, it would be his head, not hers. She wouldn’t be able to live with herself knowing she had been the one to put him in danger. She pulled away from him slightly and took a breath “N-nevermind. It was hypothetical anyways,” she said quietly as she returned to putting her makeup on, getting herself ready for one of the many parties her parents hosted. “I’m sure you will. Whether I’m right or not.” She said quietly as she stood up “I need to change now. Will you keep your eyes closed?” She asked him, her voice returning to the same sad and hollow voice she had lately
“Wait a minute… Kalina, are you seriously considering spending the rest of your life with me? In the kingdom of Thenase? Once we get there you will be pretty much out of reach of anyone looking for you. But I do need to know for sure. “
She chuckled softly and forced a smile “No. It was just a thought.” She said as she walked over to her closet, pulling out the purple dress that had been picked out for her already. A huge purple and gold ballgown. She shook her head “We would get caught anyways…. and you’d be put to death for kidnapping, and I’d be alone.” She said with a shrug. She knew this was true, she had heard rumors from other royals who had people put to death for far less than what she was wanting him to do.
Finn contemplates her words and decides that it’s got to be now or never. He walks over to Kalina and takes her hand, his other hand stroking and cradling her cheek gently. “You may be a princess, Kalina, but you are a human too. You have every right to happiness and a life as you see fit. No one should deny that to you. You’ve trusted me enough to open up your heart to me. And your concern for me is quite plain as you are trying to back out of your suggestion.”
“I agree it is a risk, but it’s a risk worth taking. Think about it. You’re not the crown princess. There are no alliances waiting to be forged on your marriage. If anything, you will be married off to some officer in the army or navy. I am willing to put my life on the line for you. Even as a friend, I would do that for you. I’ve known you for ten years, Kalina. This is the first time I have presumed to call you by your name. Whether or not you spend the rest of your life with me, I will do my best to make sure you get a shot at the life you deserve. One outside of your gilded fence.
“You know the woods half a mile from the north gate, Two miles in, there’s a small pond. I will wait for you there in two days. If you make it there, I will help you escape this life. Or die trying.”
She blinked slightly in confusion, her cheeks deep red as he stroked her cheek. She averted her gaze away from him. She chuckled bitterly “I’m not a human. I’m a doll.” She said and pulled away from him “I should be happy. I have everything someone could ever want.” She said and took a deep breath “Finn it was just a stupid fantasy. They’d find us. They’d hunt me down just out of spite because they can’t have a daughter who ran away.” She said and pulled her dress off the hanger, taking it and laying it on her bed. “I can’t put your life on the line…. because if anything even a little tiny thing goes wrong, you’re dead and I’m dragged back here,”
“I’ve always hated when you called me Princess…. I hate that I’m a princess. Isn’t that pathetic?” She scoffed bitterly “This is what I deserve. I deserve to be lonely.” She said, tears welling in her eyes again. This was tearing her heart to shreds. She loved Finnigan. With all of her heart she loved him. She wanted to spend the rest of her life with him, and yet she was about to say the unthinkable.
“Finnigan I can’t. Not anymore. It was stupid to suggest,” she said and looked at him, her face contorted with sadness “Finnigan… I release you from my companionship. I will fill out the order tomorrow, you will get your back pay shortly after.” She said, her voice cracking painfully. She waved her hand “Leave me. Please.” She said, waiting for him to leave. This was the best thing she knew to do, isolate herself further so she couldn’t hurt him.
Finn leans in and places a gentle kiss on her forehead before leaving.
