Royal Deception (GirlxGirl)

Chapter 27

Hawk / Hartley / Rebecca

Laughter.

Splashes of water.

Wind ruffling the palm trees.

It was lovely out here. For the first time, I was seeing the kingdom without being hidden away inside the castle, and I couldn't help but soak in every bit of it.

Princess Faith and I stood by the riverbank, watching the lively scene in front of us. People swam in the river's branch, surrounded by elegant white stone pillars, while the water glistened the surface of the large, square pools at the center.

Everyone seemed to be having the time of their lives. Servants moved quietly, offering trays of ale, wine, bread, and cheese to the women.

As I took in the scene, something caught my attention. All of the swimmers were women. Nearly nude, laughing, and carefree women.

"Are men not allowed here?" I asked, curious about how the kingdom works.

Princess Faith stood beside me in her purple gown as she turned to face me, "No, men have their own place on the other side of the river," she informed me. "You might not believe it now because of our current sleeping arrangement, but it is against our beliefs to keep men and women together, especially in settings like these where women are wearing far less clothing. We keep them separate to avoid... temptation."

I nodded, absorbing the information. "Is it okay that I'm here?" I asked, knowing they believed I had a male part down there.

Princess Faith shrugged, her gaze drifting toward two women by the pool, one playfully shoving the other into the water. Laughter echoed through the air, and Faith's lips curved into a small smile.

"You're kind of an exception," she said, her eyes still on the scene before her. "We don't usually have anyone from Vitalis come here, but it doesn't matter. Everyone here knows you're mine."

Something about the way she said it made my heart skip. I knew she only meant that no one would really approach me that way because we were betrothed. But for some reason, my heart wasn't listening to reason.

I only nodded in silence as I looked around. I suddenly felt like an intruder as some of the women gave me a long look. I'm sure that most of them think I am a spawn of the darkness since I am from Vitalis. How did Malin take this kind of judgment?

"Come," Princess Faith said as she grabbed two silver cups of juice and gave the other one to me. She then led me to a shaded area with two chairs a little farther from the people.

The sudden privacy made me think about this morning. We didn't wake up in an embrace or spooning, or anything of that sort.

But I did wake up with her hand clutching my shirt by my waist. Her hand wasn't even touching my skin, but it made me feel crazy. I ignored the feeling and slowly detached her delicate fingers from my clothing, careful not to wake her up and I went to the bathroom to take a long bath.

My moments with Faith were compiling. Her small touches were like a pebble thrown in a motionless pond, sending ripples through my body.

Good thing I was good at masking my feelings because this could go bad so quickly if feelings get involved.

I was on a mission and this mission alone could buy me a ticket to freedom. It was not the time for silly romance. Especially with another royal. I've learned my lesson.

"So, how are we going to do this?" Princess Faith asked as she took a sip of her fruit juice.

This is going to be much harder if she's going to be with me every second of the day. I need a few hours to get my head straight.