Intent on His claim (Beauty and the Beast #3)

Chapter 53

The next morning, I said goodbye to Silver while she went off to do whatever she did in the forest. As soon as we separated, I hurried to the gardens and stood under the huge tree just as Prince Kroll had ordered.

I was both curious and excited about where the prince of this land wanted to take me. And why he even wanted to spent a day with me in the first place. Maybe, as he had said, it was because I was Queen Alana's valued guest in this land.

As I waited, I let myself soak in the fresh air. There was something about this land; the air felt fresher, the colors brighter and richer, and when I gazed up into the tree tops I could have sworn that the birdsong was far better than any I'd ever heard. In short, this world was enchanting. 

A breeze picked up around me and I watched the swirling leaves in fascination, then closed my eyes to feel it in my hair and on my face even as the birds continued to sing. I hadn't known that such peace and tranquility even existed. 

"You are quite dedicated to your craft."

Once again, Prince Kroll startled me and I whirled round to see him coming towards me. As always, his tawny eyes were intense as they took me in and I couldn't really read the tension hovering around him. However, just like last night, I didn't feel threatened by him. 

"Oh. Good morning, Prince Kroll." I bowed my head slightly as I tucked my hair back. 

"Is it truly necessary to have formalities between us? We are both royalty, after all." 

I faltered. He didn't look at all excited about dropping the formalities. "I'm actually not a princess, so I'm not really royalty. I think the girl I'm looking for is the princess." 

He stood in front of me and his eyes searched mine again. "Still, call me Kroll. Or should I call you Princess Belle?"

"Um, no." I replied awkwardly. "If you really want me to, I'll call you Kroll."

He gave me an unreadable look before he strode past me, flicking his hand out. A golden bow quickly materialized in his hand even as he walked. "Come on. We need to leave now before my guards catch on."

"We're leaving them behind?" I asked curiously, following him. 

He slung his bow effortlessly over his head and tucked his hair back. "What, do you not trust me to keep you safe?"

"It's not that. It's just, I don't think I can keep you safe," I replied. 

He turned back to me and for the first time, I read a softness in his eyes. My anxiety melted even before he held out his hand. "Why don't you leave our safety to me, princess?" 

"You said you wouldn't call me that," I pouted as I took his hand. 

Prince Kroll suddenly pulled me closer and wrapped an arm around me. "Maybe I'll wait until you are comfortable with me." The softly spoken words and the gentle touch confused me. Who was this guy really?

He simply gazed down at me and I felt the light around us grow brighter. I looked up in surprise but I could no longer see the garden or even the tree. Instead, we were surrounded by a golden glow. I turned back to Prince Kroll who was still watching me. His voice was still soft as he assured, "Don't worry, we are nearly there."

"This is pretty cool," I whispered back. "I thought you were going to fly."

"Technically, we are flying," he explained. "But an advantage of being a light type is being able to wrap light around myself."

"Really?"

"I actually shouldn't be doing this." He gave a tiny wry smile and I was stunned by how beautiful it was. "Mother would kill me if she found out."