The Regal Affair

Chapter 14 Declarations of Love

The cool night air blew shivers down my back as I sat in the grass. I've probably been here for hours. The shock of everything going downhill was too much for me to move. August hurting someone I-like-Callister being dragged away from me and the realization that I may never see him again.
A branch or a stick touched my back and I swiped at it.

"Ouch!"
A recognizable voice said.

I immediately looked back to see Callister standing behind me.

"How do you-but you were-your actually here!"

He sat in the grass next to me smiling.

"I woke up when they were dragging me through the woods, not very gently I might add. Anyway, I knocked the bastards out and started walking back."

"Wow, I never should doubt you should I."

His being gone and then back again was quite overwhelming.

"I'll always find my way back to you if it means I have to knock out the whole kingdom of Florin."

His words filled me with warmth and the urge to lean over and kiss him.

But I didn't have to.

He put his hands on my waist and pulled me on top of him.
The feeling of his lips on mine was so familiar and comfortable.
I opened my mouth to him and he rolled on top of me.
Suddenly he picked me up and was carrying me in his arms.
He burst through the doors of what looked like an abandoned horse stable and laid me on a giant stack of hay. His lips met mine again and it reminded me of the kiss at the ball. Suddenly I remembered something.

"Wait Callister stop."

"What is it?"

"You remember at the ball when I kissed you, you were going to say something."

He immediately blushed and sat up, taking a hand through his hair.

"I don't know I-I guess it made me realize something."

"What?"

"I told myself over and over again that what we were doing was part of the "plan", that it was so you could stay. And don't get me wrong I want you to stay, probably more than anything I've ever wanted except for you in general. But when you kissed me like that I knew I could never go on knowing the whole thing was an "idea". It's like your a million beautiful stars, whenever you were with August or you were hurt or sad or even just away from me it's like the sun was rising and taking all the stars away. What I'm trying to say is that nothing I ever do or say when I'm with you is fake, and that I can be the moon to your starry sky, and that I need you, and I if I could never see you again I might as well be blind. Because I love you. But you don't have to say anything back, and you don't even have to acknowledge it, but I want you and I want all of you for the rest of my life."

Hot, fat tears rolled down my cheeks and blurred my vision.
I wrapped my arms around Callister, sobbing.

"Cecily, are you ok?"

"No, no, no, no because I love you! I love so much I can't even come up with a beautiful speech like you did!"

He laughed and smoothed his hand down my back in a calming gesture.

He kissed my cheek and closed his eyes.

And we both fell asleep to the sound of the night and the beatific memory of our declarations of love.

THE END