Royally Screwed

Chapter 18

SYLVIE

"What did you do on our first day if not ski?", Louis asks me as we reach the top of the mountain. Okay, maybe it is my fault. I didn't exactly specify I am not keen on skiing. And as we were sitting in the lift, I didn't want to ruin his skiing fantasy, so I didn't say anything once again.

"Well, they have some pretty nice shops here", I shrug trying to act innocent. Going back in the lift is not a possibility.

"So you can't ski?", he asks.

"Can't ski is an overstatement. It's more like a won't ski. Slopes give me anxiety."

I can see him being one step away from a mental breakdown. Honestly, I can't blame him. We are finding ourselves on a slope, on the top of the mountain.

"Okay, Trouble", he says, skiing closer to me. "Here's how we're going to do. We're gonna do this together."

"For one second I thought you'll say we're going to die", I let out a forced chuckle. That does seem like quite a possible scenario at this point.

"No, we're not going to die", Louis takes my hand in his and gives me a squeeze. "We still have so many things we need to do. We need to go to a beach together once. Visit Paris together. Shopping spree in Milan. Visit an art gallery. Kiss until our mouths hurt. Hug..."

"Fuck", I say the word before thinking about it.

Even under his ski glasses I can see the eyebrow Louis raised.

"I'm so sorry", I quickly blurt out. "Fear works like alcohol on me. I say whatever comes to my mind."

"So, sex with me is the first thing that comes to your mind?", Louis chuckles as he takes both my hands in his and keeps me close. He then starts gliding backwards, and I can't help but follow him. I can feel my nerves getting even bigger as I see the snow under my feet and the slope before my eyes, Louis and I constantly sliding.

"I mean, I can't help it. You're a good kisser", I almost shout. "Louis, I'm going to die", I quickly add, staring at the mountain. "I am going to die and we'll never be able to have sex."

"You're a pretty good kisser too", he tells me, stealing me a kiss. I can't help but look at him afterwards. His full lips. His brown eyes smiling at me. "But I still can't get over it. Didn't you hate me, Trouble?"

"I mean, I did", I answer. "I do", I quickly correct myself, since as I said, my brain is quite unfiltered when I am afraid.

"You did?", he kisses me once more as I dare glance at the slope and have to flinch. "Eyes on me, baby. I need to see the hate in your eyes."

"Haha, so funny", I roll my eyes, hoping he saw that. My eyes don't wonder off his after that.

"Such a joker", I add.

"Only for you", I can see him wink. "Tell me about your first kiss."

I can't help but raise an eyebrow at that. "You want to know about my first kiss."

"I have to know what I'm competing against, don't I?", he shrugs.

I give up since I don't really have anything better to do. And since I'm about to end my life on a slope, I might as well tell the best kiss of my life about my first kiss. "Well, it was in the dungeons."

I don't have to wait much until I get the question I was expecting: "Wait, what-"

"I was seeing the son of one of Dad's friends. A congressman. Anyway, since we weren't actually allowed to date, we snuck in the basement of the castle. We found a hidden door and arrived in a dark hallway. We used that place to kiss. Little did we know we ended up in the dungeon. We only found out as a guard found us and brought us upstairs."

"What happened then?", he asks me worried.

"That was the first night Dad threw a plate at the wall. He took me for a talk in his office and got so mad at what I had done, that he threw the small plate under his cup of coffee at the wall. It didn't hit me or anything, but I remember I started crying. I was afraid. I had never seen Dad like that until then."

My eyes burn at the memories. Louis holds my hands a little bit tighter. "I respect him as king, but could never stop hating him for how he treats you."

I look up, searching for any sign of lie in his eyes. He seems to have meant it. As I notice the mood getting a bit too tensed, I ask him in return: "How was your first kiss?"

"Oh", he blushes. Princess Louis Grayson Nathaniel West Estair-Dunn The Third seriously blushes. "Nothing interesting."

"Your face says something else", I point out at him. As he makes no sign to want to open his mouth and answer, I elbow him "Oh, come one. This isn't fair. I have told you about mine."

He seems to want to debate it, yet he goes with it then. "My first kiss was Princess Isma."

"The princess of Jardinia?", I ask him. That was unexpected. I never even knew Louis visited the small kingdom.

He only nods. "I did not fancy her or something", he adds, for some reason feeling the need to explain. "It was during a spin the bottle."

"How convenient", I can't help but tease. "Spin the bottle and get yourself a princess. If Disney only knew."

"Hey", he stops me, yet I can see him smirking. "At least I didn't make out in the dungeon. That sounds more like Fifty Shades of Grey than a Disney movie."

"At least I'm not boring", I counter.

I didn't expect him to come closer to me and whisper: "I can assure you I am anything but boring, Trouble." It's then he lets free of my hand and allows me to look around. "And how convenient", he continues, noticing how my jaw dropped. "It appears we arrive at the end of the slope. Meaning you'll get the chance to find out."

"You", I let out, wanting to rush towards him. Yet I forget I'm still wearing skies and end up sliding right into him, making the both of us lose balance and falling on the floor. Louis manages to wrap his hands around me in the last moment, so that he reaches the floor first, while I am cocooned by him and don't even feel the hit.

"Wanting to kill me so you can get out of it, Trouble?", he asks me.

It's in that moment that I lose it. I can't help but burst in a laughter, one so free and unhinged, I can't remember the last time I did that. Louis looks at me with warm eyes, quickly joining me in, until we're both laughing, our bodies tangled together on the snowy ground.

"I love seeing you happy", he tells me as we calmed down, pressing a kiss on my lips. For a second I hesitate, knowing people might recognise us. Yet I don't see any photographers or people around, so I allow myself to wrap my hands around his neck and pulls him closer.

"Thank you for helping me back there", I tell him.

"Anytime", he replies.

I don't know who of us moves first, but we soon end up kissing again. I meant it when I said he was a good kisser. Louis has this way of kissing that makes me lose control of my senses every time.

As I let go a few inches to look at him, I smile as I say: "Let's do that again."

And before he knows it, I stand up and help him up too, leading us both to the lift taking us to the top of the mountain.

Louis doesn't protest as he follows me. I have a feeling I could be dragging him anywhere, and he still wouldn't protest.

"You're crazy", he whispers in my neck as we're being taken to the top of the mountain.

"But you like it", I reply with a smirk on my face.

"But I like it", he agrees, turning my chin to him and smacking his lips on mine.

But I like it.