Under the Water (Book 1)

eighteen

Right as I take a single step into that room he looks up. Sees me. Then everyone in the small room filled with papers and exercise materials their attention goes to me. I stare only at him right back and suddenly we are the only two in the room. I see him. He sees me.That when it hits me. I didn't see him at all the past few weeks. I didn't see any servants. None. He was completely invisible to me.

Now standing there in a tight gray shirt and a pair of jeans he looks comfortable, safe, happy. Is this what I missed. I missed him. Ansell gave me a false sense of security but Quinn makes me feel invincible. It's exhilarating, the feeling of being near his presence. The people around him are still staring at me, with a mix of fear and anger, with just a hint of respect, barely noticeable. I turn my eyes to the group and announce;

" My dearest apologies servants. This meeting place won't be found out by any other royals, that is for certain. Continue." I walk out of the room, my pulse beating rapidly. I'm out of breath. I can't breathe. The air won't go through my lungs correctly, my pulse beating a few beats too fast, the air is so tight. It's the feeling of guilt that washes over me then, I can't figure out how this happened. The realization that I haven't seen the most real person in the entire world. That I couldn't see what was nearly in front of me this whole time. Him.

I am pacing the servant meeting room when the door opens again. Its him. It's Quinnson.

"Scarlett. You see me now don't you?" I nod and a tear slips down my face silently. I completely forgot about him.

"Follow me. " He turns and opens the door for me. I follow him, curious on why he isn't yelling some sense into me. I obviously need it.

We arrive at a tower with a small bed. It reminds me of him. Quinnson. This is his bedroom. He looks at me, studying his room and opens up a latch under the bed. I follow him in the passage way. Its just like it was weeks with one difference. There are a huge assortment of paintings. These painting and sketches and footprints belong to one person and one person alone. Quinnson looks at me. Studying me.

"They are beautiful. " I look at the various painting. They are so different than the other paintings Ive seen and done. These are so emotional that it brings fresh tears to my eyes. They are all places. One the garden. One the kitchen, and one of the outer pier. His home. Except one. That one is the true one that brought me to tears. Its me. All I feel from the painting is care and just a touch of love. I smile at the paintings.

"Its.... me...." I stutter out after a moment of just standing there. He nods and I take in his face. I wish I had seen this face more often. Its so beautiful. He has a bruise on his cheek, the size of a fist. We stand in that dark dank passage way for who knows how long. I see him for the first time in weeks.

In my short life as the heir to the Aurum Imperium I don't have many regrets. But being blind and not seeing him is the biggest or one of the only ones. Why did I forget him anyway? It doesn't matter because it can't happen again. I look deep into his faded blue eyes, the color of the sky right when there is that one very thin layer of clouds blocking the sun but the sky is still blue? My eyes move to his lips.

They are a bit swollen for reasons I try not to think about but they are otherwise perfect. He just is. Its unexplainable how I feel about this one person. It nearly kills me that I forgot him. Its hurts deeper than any wound could.

"Quinn.." I start and he looks at me, as if seeing me different than before. Maybe it was just me but right then I wanted to kiss his swollen lips, take in his sky eyes, I wanted him.

"Yes?" He looks almost restraining himself. I am trying to restrain myself as well. Its so hard, I hate it. I hate this, but most of all, I hate myself.

"Thank you." He looks at me in confusion. I give him a small smile.

"What?" He looks even more confused now.

"Thank you for saving me. For reasons that I don't know someone wanted me to forget you and not see you. Someone had to have drugged me for weeks and now you have saved me. So yes Quinnson Seventh Thank you." He looks at me then, as if the restraint he is losing the fight.

"So is my room like on the other side of this passage?" I wanted to change the subject. The awkward silence was killing both of us.

"Uh yes. Here follow me. " He takes me down the hallway, his gaze suddenly less interested in me but the ground. I blush furiously. I see the hallway I drew in my sketchbook before me. Its the one I drew the day I met Ansell. He seems like a lost memory now, confusing me. He made out with Rani. Was I just so desperate and was he using me? I don't even know after the day I've had I can't think anymore. I just want to sleep, oh and you know kiss Quinnson. Just the basics.

"Your painting is so amazing. Or paintings." I cover up my mistake quickly hoping he didn't notice. He pretends not to but I can practically feel him laughing. Or maybe not. I'm too tired.

"Thank you for showing me those." I open the hatch and look at Quinn one last time before I go into my room. I have to get ready for dinner even though its the last thing on my mind at the moment.

"Yeah. See you soon?" He looks into my eyes and I look right back at him, wanting to know more about him. Not just who he was but why he is so real, so... different.

"Yeah." I say quietly. He might not have even heard it I think to myself once alone in my room. I look at the white dress that looks really beautiful. Its one of my own creations I realize within a second. I drew this. One thing that Ansell made me feel that wasn't extraordinary was that he made me feel useless. But I'm not. I can do anything. That's how I want to feel my whole life. One person makes that happen. Quinnson.

I put on the white dress and leave my hair in the braid I had it in earlier. I slip on a pair of gold heels and a long wide black sash thing, tying it around my waist.

During dinner I can only think of Quinn. I want to see him again. This time I know what I'm going to do.

"Scarlett? Are you ready for Sunday?" My father asks me. Ansell and I are getting married. Right.. I forgot.

"Yes. Im very excited. " He studies me and doesn't see any lie in it. But it's a lie. A total lie. I think that whoever drugged me wanted me to be stupid and happy with them. Ansell drugged me.

It hits me with a sickening thought. I try to push it away but it makes complete sense. He wants the throne and me. So he got me to forget Quinn.

After a dinner I would have been happy to skip, I return to my room and see the passage way. He is on the other side of it. All you have to do is go to him. Curfew is over. Servants have to go back to their rooms. Its an order.

I slip down into to the passage way through the latch and break into a run to his room. His latch is closed but I pull it open. I stick my head up to see him staring at me. He looks as if he has been here a while, and about to go to sleep because his shirt is on the floor.

"Scarlett? What are........" I don't give him time to finish because I press my lips to his, desperate to let him know that I want him. That I need him. I know I've only just met this boy but its a force that strikes me like no other. Ansell can't drug me anymore. Not if I have Quinnson.

He presses back, unsure at first, but only for a tiny moment. He touches my cheek very softly. I blush and look into his pair of faded sky blue eyes I could look at forever. I wrap my arms around him, pulling him into an embrace again.

"I won't let you go again. I promise." I whisper to him.