Potions, Power and Pain

Chapter 15

Rowan watched as Reena jumped out of fear. "What the hell is wrong with you?" She demanded as he held out his arms with everything he had brought for her.

"I brought you some gifts." Rowan said casually. "Normally when someone does that you say 'thank you'."

"What? Why?" Reena asked.

"Why am I here, or why did I come bearing gifts?" He answered with a grin.

"Both. How did you even manage to get onto my balcony, let alone my aunt's property?"

"Well I just climbed the over the fence. You should really up your security by the way, you are lucky that this is a safe neighbourhood. And as for why I am here, I came to apologise again and the gifts are part of my apology." Reena lived in a nice house with very high fences surrounding it, but Rowan had still managed to sneak in. In reality, climbing over the fence had been excruciatingly complicated and Rowan had needed a few minutes to recover afterwards, but Reena did not need to know that.

"I do not want your gifts and I certainly do not want you here. I was just about to go to bed so you can leave." Reena said standing up.

Rowan ignored her comment and handed her the books and chocolates he had brought. "I have not read any of them myself so I can't promise that they're any good. However the royal librarian swore that they were all her favourites and they are all intact and undamaged first editions." He watched as Reena reluctantly peered at the books and noticed her eyes slightly widen as she read the titles and the names of the author's. She was so charming that he could not help but smile as her watched her. "The chocolates were handmade by the royal chocolatier, and as for them I can testify that they are excellent. I made sure to bring all of my favourite ones."

"I do not care how good the books and the chocolates are, or how expensive they are. I do not want anything from you. So please keep them and go home."

"Haven't you heard that it is rude to refuse a gift?" Rowan replied.

"Not when I said please." Reena turned around and began walking back to her room.

But once again it only took Rowan's long and powerful legs a few strides to catch up to her. "I can't force you to take them, however I can just leave them outside on your balcony. But if it rains the books will be ruined and the chocolates would simply get destroyed."

Reena turned around to face him. "I do not know what drugs you are on or what has happened to you in the past week, but please just leave me alone. In all the years we have known each other the only times we have spoken have been to insult each other and now all of a sudden you are coming up to me, and calling me beautiful, and then embarrassing me, and then showing up at my house in the middle of the night to apologise again and gift me things? Yet during the entire time you've been here you have not actually apologised, all you have done is try to convince to keep these stupid gifts." She ranted pointing to the books and chocolates in his hands.

Rowan had no idea what possessed him in that instant but the only thing that came to mind was to drop down onto his knees and kneel in front of her. Looking her dead in the eye he said "I apologise. I also don't have a clue what has happened to me in the last week, but what I do know is that I can't stop thinking about you. Your beauty mesmerises me, your intelligence bewilders me, your smile enthrals me. I am a Prince of the Earthly Kingdom, yet I am here on my knees for you, pleading you to forgive me."

Reena was completely and utterly speechless. She did not even say anything as Rowan got up, forced the gifts in her arms and began climbing back over her balcony to go home.