Life Beyond the Doors

Chapter 67: Feelings

Everi grimaced as she took another sip of the hot chocolate. Mathias had been kind enough to order it for her, but even the sweet and warm drink couldn't soothe the anger she felt.

Everything seemed to be going wrong. The attack on the castle, the disappearance of Prince Aiden... it was all too much for her to handle.

"Are you okay now , Everi?"

"Yes, your highness..." Everi then remembered. "Wait, didn't he just said my name just now without any honorific..."

She looked up at him with a fierce glint in her eye. "You called me by my name, your highness. You shouldn't do that."

Mathias acted as he was taken aback for a moment before responding. "And why is that?"

She set her cup down. "It's disrespectful to the royal family. I may be a lady, but I still am below you in position . And you should address me as such."

Mathias took a deep breath, realizing his mistake. "I apologize, Everi. You're right. As a member of the royal family, I should be more mindful of my words."

She nodded stiffly, feeling a small sense of satisfaction at having corrected him. But the anxiety was still there, bubbling below the surface.

Still, Mathias was trying to be nice to her, and she couldn't stay like forever. "Thank you, your highness," she said, a note of gratitude in her voice.

Mathias smiled at her, relieved that he had managed to diffuse the situation. "Would you like me to order you anything else?"

She shook her head. "No, thank you. I'll be fine."

Just say it. Just say it. Just say it.

Everi's heart raced as she grabbed Mathias by the arm. She knew what she wanted to say, but the words refused to leave her lips. Finally, she blurted out, "Your highness, I-I need to tell you something..."

Mathias looked at her with concern. "What is it, Everi? You can tell me anything."

In that moment, Everi hesitated. She couldn't bring herself to confess her feelings, not when so much else was going on. Instead, she squeaked out, "Actually, you don't have to address me as Lady Everi anymore. Just Everi is fine."

Mathias looked at her with a mixture of confusion and amusement. "That's what you wanted to tell me?"

Shit. What have i said?

Everi blushed, feeling embarrassed. "I know it's silly. With everything that's happening, it probably doesn't matter. But...I just thought it might make things easier between us."

Mathias was silent. For a moment, Everi was sure that Mathias was ignoring her. She could feel her face turning red and her heart pounding in her chest.

But then, before she could even take a breath, Mathias reached out and cupped her face in his strong hands. She felt his touch like a jolt of electricity, and her eyes widened in surprise.

"Your highness...?" Everi asked in confusion.

"Call me Mathias. Not your highness anymore, Everi" Mathias looked at her eyes. "I love you"

Before she could even begin to wonder what was happening, he leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. At first, Everi was stunned. But then she found herself responding, her arms wrapping around Mathias as she kissed him back with a passion she didn't know she had.

It was like all the tension that had been building between them was finally able to be released. And as she melted into Mathias' embrace, Everi couldn't help but feel that everything was going to be okay.

When they finally pulled away from each other, Mathias looked deeply into her eyes. "Everi," he said, his voice low and urgent.

"Did you seriously just kiss me ?" Everi was dumbfounded. "But-

"I've wanted to do that for so long.And when you already said you don't want to be addressed as a lady but just name . You know what that means right.."

Mathias kissed her forehead. "Only partners can call each other by their names. That means you love me too, right?"

Everi felt her heart swell with love for him. "I feel the same way, your highness," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Mathias brought his face closer to her ear and she could feel the heat of his body against hers. "Everi," he said, his eyes soft. "Can I hug you?"

"You're asking for permission for a hug now?" Everi laughed. "You just kissed me just now.."

"I hugged you suddenly for the first time we met too" Mathias smiled. "Probably next time , ill ask permission for a kiss too"

Her heart leapt at the question, and she nodded eagerly. Mathias wrapped his arms around her, and she felt safe and warm in his embrace. It was like they were the only two people in the world, and for a moment, everything else faded away.

Finally, they pulled away from each other, both with smiles on their faces. "We should get going," Mathias said, his hand still firmly clasping hers.

Mathias held Everi's hand tightly as they walked, concerned after the events of the past few hours. He looked over at her and asked, "Are you sure you're able to walk properly?"

Everi smiled slightly and replied, "I'm fine, your highness. I have to go home anyways, so I'll take Marlin with me. She'll help me on the way."

Mathias nodded, grateful for Marlin's presence and for the fact that Everi would not be alone. Then, they set out to find Marlin and Shilia.

Finally, they found Shilia and asked her where they could find Marlin and her sister. Shilia hesitated for a moment before answering, "I last saw them in the garden, but then they suddenly went to their room."

Mathias and Everi exchanged a glance before rushing towards the palace doors. However, Shilia stopped in her tracks, a sudden thought crossing her mind.

"Wait," she said. "Is it okay for them to go to their room?"

Mathias and Everi arrived at Ethan's room, both of them calling out to him and Marlin. Mathias knocked on the door and called out, "Ethan, are you in there?"

There was no response, which made them both worry. Everi also called out, "Marlin?" but still, there was no answer.

After knocking several times, they decided to check inside the room. As they opened the door, they saw something unexpected and awkward.

There, before them, stood Marlin and Ethan, face to face, their lips locked in a passionate kiss. Mathias and Everi froze, their eyes widening in surprise.

Not knowing what to say. Everi  said something .

"Umm. Hi?"