Waves of Love

SEVEN

60 years old

Aquaria was an adult. A healthy and bubbly little girl who took after her sisters. She loved to write. She also loved to paint, and sew, and sing, and dance. She loved it all with a passion so it was no surprise that once she became fifteen she had received a room full of marriage proposals. But art wasn't the only thing she had grown to love. So was the small foreign prince who had visited their country on one fateful spring day. A darker skinned man with black hair like the night sky. His grey eyes and pink lips had send Aquaria into a blushing mess. His name was Prince Kyron.

For the first time she had a crush.

Aquaria bathed in the drama of their relationship. Even when she pretended to curse the small boy for continuously breaking Aquaria's heart she could see the small love story coming into play.

"He called me ugly mama! How dare that brutish man call me ugly! My mother is the goddess of water! It is literally impossible for me to be ugly," the teen girl huffed.

Aquafina could only chuckle at her daughters confidence. "Well, what did you say in return?" The girl stopped huffing and froze. "I didn't say anything I just ran away, and now I'm here." Aquafina laughed again. "Well then go back and give him a piece of your mind," she encouraged.

And so she did. She gave him such a piece of him mind that she accidentally confessed her feeling through her rambling and curses. But to her slight horror and surprise after rambling another set of curses and grievances to cover up her confession he promptly walked towards her sealed her words away with his lips.

He had kissed her in the same spring garden they had meet. She could only pray that this was a silent reciprocation of feelings.

Aquafina watched this all from the fountain pond. She did a little happy dance for her daughter. When Kryon pulled away Aquaria was as silent as mouse. "If I knew that would shut you up I would have done it sooner," he stated before walking away.

He avoided her for days after that. As much as she looked for him he did not want to be found. This continued until Aquafina's birthday. She refused to dance with anyone else the whole night. Her dance card was empty and her feet grew sore while she waited by the dance floor. But her eyes were trained on the boy with skin like chocolate and eyes like honey. Once she grew irritated with waiting she walked straight up to him and held out her card. "Sign it or I will do it for you," she demanded. The teen boys that surrounded Prince Kryon watched the scene in shock and confusion as Kyron sighed and grabbed the small pencil from his pocket.

When he finished signing his name she promptly turned on her heel and walked away. She pretended to be serious and mature but her pink ears were a clear give away.

When the awaited dance finally came she straightened her dress and finger combed her hair as she walked to her spot. And for a moment she caught him doing the same. Once he saw her he was back to the rude boy she remembered. He looked down to her with indifference as he offered her one hand and slip the other around her waist.

Her skin tingled at the warmth but she didn't mind it. She offered him a smile which he responded with by blankly staring at her. Then the music began.

At first his long legs moved too fast for her but he quickly adjusted to her speed. They synced together within seconds. The standby's gapped at the beautiful scene before them. Aquaria acknowledged that he was an excellent dance partner. Because of her passion for this form of art she was constantly met with mediocre partners who never quite matched her elegant movements and complicated footing. But he did so with ease.

Her leaped in her chest as she continued to mentally praise her crush. She way his eyes held stern confidence in their ability to showcase complicated moves. The strength Ik his body that could pull them off. She bright smile he gaze when he twirled her around caught her in his arms. It was the first time she had ever seen him truly smile.

When the dance came to an end he bowed to her before parting. As he walked away a sliver of her heart broke. "Does he truly not feel the same what I do?" She prayer to the god of love, "if I am meant to let these feelings of mine go tbe give me a sign because right now it hurts to much for me to think it is worth holding on."

•••

Aquaria sat in the flower garden painting snowflakes on the the small white canvas. She looked up to the moonlight and took a calming breath. "So this is where you were," an unamused voice observed. Aquaria looked over to the entrance of the garden and felt her heart skip a beat. Kryon stepped out the darkness and into the light of the moon and stars.

"A beautiful night isn't it?" He was smiling at her. Her mouth fell open at the pure audacity of this man. "It was till you arrived," she grumbled. Kryon chuckled at her mumbling and sat beside her on the ledge of the fountain. "Princess," he started. "When you told me you like me were you telling the truth?"

She bit her lip to keep from answering. Hadn't he embarrassed her enough for a day? He tilted her head up to him with the tip of his finger. "Answer me,"he insisted. She cursed her heart for being so weak for such a crude man. But when his honey like eyes swirled with uncertainty she couldn't help but feel the need to wipe away all his worries. "Yes," she answered before she could think to hold her breath.

He smiled. A wide and real smile. "I knew it," he snickered. Aquaria's face fell. "Are you enjoying the torment you are putting me through? I've already confessed to you twice do I need to do it a hundred more times before you finally leave me be?"

He tilted his head and searched her solemn expression. "Maybe? Why don't you try it?" She was growing irritated with every cocky smile he gave. She whipped her around and stared at the partially dry painting. "Look at me princess." Her heart and mind quarreled for dominance. "Aquaria." She hated how her name rolled off his tongue so effortlessly.

She couldn't help her habit of rambling when her emotions were bubbling to the surface. "I searched for you all over the palace but you constantly ignored me. Not to mention at the my birthday banquet. You have done so many mean things to me, so why are you being like this now!" When she finally turned to him she nearly jumped at how close he was to her.

"You done?" He cut her off. She nodded silently. He leaned away from her. "My kingdom has been in a constant drought since longer than it's founding fathers claimed the land as their own. We have accustomed our selves with trading with our neighboring countries for water and never saw any flaw in this. It was marked a historical holiday when our land felt rain for the very first time.

"When your mother walked through our small country she blessed us with rain so pure people fought on the streets just for a taste. But it didn't last long. We didn't have buckets to collect the rain or the materials to keep it from evaporating. So my parents finally decided it as high time we bargained with the queen. She blesses us and we build a temple in her name."

Aquaria was a bit confused how this had to do with her confessions but she held her tongue. "What is the problem here?" He sighed, "our country was founded by prophets of the sun god. If we add a new temple the people are afraid the sun god will abandon us and leave us in an eternal winter."

Aquaria eyed the painting with caution. "I see," she hesitated. "Well what does this have to do with me?" Kryon gnawed on the inside of his cheek. "If my people think you can be a bargaining tool they will stop at nothing to drag you to my country, even if it is kicking and a screaming." He frowned, "and I don't want you to be stripped of your freedom in that way."

She filled in the blanks, "you don't want to be in an arranged marriage with me?" He paused but then slowly nodded. She took a calming breath for her racing heart. "Then why don't you just become my prophet?" He stared at her in confusion. She continued, "if you become my prophet by praying to me you can summon the rain. You will still need to make me a temple but it doesn't need to be in your country. It could be a small one in the boonies, I don't mind." He laughed at this.

She beamed, "become my prophet and you can protect your people and I'll keep my freedom." He tilted her head, "though I have a feeling I will end up there eventually." He shook his head, "I won't force you into anything." She snickered, "who says I'm not jumping in head first."

She leaned up and kissed him. And to her heart beating triumph he kissed her back.