A Prince's Selection

Chapter Three: Kisses

There seems to be a sudden surge of energy that takes over almost like a second wind and it hits everyone.

Father sits up suddenly.

"Yes. I'll be right there." He runs off towards the forest.

"Did you hear any of that?" I ask Caitlynn.

She shakes her head, "I only heard Luce and here."

I look over at Chris who looks very deep in thought Staring off towards the illuminated forest.

"I think they found her, " He says smiling in a worried way.

"Thank god." Kyle mutters.

Both of them take off towards the sudden flurry of activity.

"Maya?" I whisper trying to wake her gently knowing that it is late.

Her eyes flutter open and there is a smile on her face.

I kiss her softly and feel her sigh.

"Let me guess, they found her?" She says eyes showing her hope.

"They did." I tell her knowing that there is a possibility of being wrong since there was no official confirmation but I feel it is the truth.

"Good!" She says with a smile.

Soon we hear cheers and a cluster of people are moving across the lawn confirming that indeed Luce is back.

Soon we move inside and I say goodnight to Maya deciding to wait until the morning to formally speak to Luce.

I walk into my room and sigh looking out the window.

The night is calm once again and there is a peaceful silence.

In a month there will be no more calm, for forty girls will be here for me.

I move away from the mirror and walk to my mirror inspecting the reflection.

My hair is the color father's hair was when he was younger, a honey color much lighter than his now darker shade with grey streaks occasionally showing.

I look into my own eyes. To an outsider the ice blue eyes show confidence and perhaps strength, but I can see the fear in my own eyes almost shining like a beacon.

How does anyone think I am handsome? I wonder to myself.

Sure I have a little muscle but that is from basic self defense training.

Do they know I wear glasses? Will that make some girls leave?

I run a hand through my hair.

Quickly I take out my contacts and put on my glasses that I wear whenever I have to stay in the palace all day without public appearances.

There is a knock at the door.

"Braiden?" I hear Maya say from behind the door.

"Come in Maya." I say taking off my crown and placing it in the glass case on my bedside table.

"We are going to play night hunters, do you want to join?" She asks me with a smile.

"Yeah I would love to." I respond.

"Good!" She takes my hand and pulls me out of the room.

Night hunters is a version of an game that used to be played called Hide and go seek. Amberlin read about it once in an old journal she found. We hide about the castle at night and a team of two people goes and finds everyone else.

The whole group of us is in Lucianna's room.

Luce and Christopher are appointed as the first search team.

"Go!" Maya says before taking my hand and running out of the room.

I see Amberlin and Kyle run in opposite directions of us.

"Where are we going?"

"The theater!" She whispers. "Now quiet down! I want to win" She jokes.

I chuckle at her competitiveness.

Very slowly she opens the door and it seems to take forever.

"It will be dawn at this pace Maya." I tease.

"Oh you shush!" She scolds me in a whisper.

I open the door the rest of the way and slip inside.

"They could have heard that!" She exclaims as I shut the door behind her.

I raise my eyebrow. "With that logic they can hear us breathing." I smirk at her.

"Very smart.You know you look quiet hot in those glasses your highness." She says playfully.

I chuckle lifting one eyebrow. "Do I?"

"Yes you really do." She smiles leading me to the projection room of the theater in the very back.

"Are you going to enter my selection?" I ask without thinking.

Her smile fades but as quickly as it falls it returns, "Maybe, but right now I don't want to think about it because as much as I love not fearing the near future I'll have to face the facts that there are more beautiful girls out there for you to meet and one for you to love when the future becomes the present. Who knows who it will be? Right now I'm going to kiss you just as I always fantasized when I was twelve."

"You liked me when you were Twelve?" I ask blushing but still smiling.

"Oh Shut up, you liked me too!" She giggles.

She kisses me softly on the lips.

"It's like a fairytale!" She jokes.

"Odd, I don't feel like a frog." I play into her joke.

"Because I the faire maiden just kissed you and once more you are a prince." She says laughing and it reminds me of when we were younger running around the fields.

Somehow we end up kissing each other once more.

There is a creaking noise and Maya jumps bumping her head on the table we were hiding under.

"well... hello." A rather surprised Luce says stumbling back a bit.

"Hi" Maya says with a guilty grin.

"Once you finish we will be in the main entryway." Luce says hastily before leaving.

I start laughing and Maya joins in.

"I think we may have just scared her." Maya says.

"well at least it wasn't to terrible." I say blushing at the ground unable to look at Maya without feeling the urge to kiss her.

"Come on we better return."She says with a sigh.

We reconvene with the group and play a few more rounds before calling it quits.

I say goodnight to everyone and walk into my room.

Thankfully the only stressful thing before my selection begins on the schedule is the ball on friday the second, my sisters birthdays