The Rebel (#Wattys2016)

22. Three Words

Families danced around Adeen. Camera crews took pictures. They had taken at least a dozen of June, Jasper and Adeen, and now had diverted their lenses to the rest of the Selected. June, beside her, was talking with Jasper, and they both laughed.

"Get a room." Adeen mumbled and they both turned to her.

"What?" Jasper asked and Adeen shook her head.

"Nothing." She turned to the crowd, looking for Skander.

"He's dancing with the other girls." Jasper said. "He wants to get them over with so he can spend his time with you."

Adeen tried not to blush. "How do you know?"

Jasper shrugged. Just then Liz ran and collapsed on Adeen's back. She turned, slightly surprised.

"Hide me!"

She screamed. Adeen frowned.

"Why?"

Liz looked to her right, where a boy her age was running, laughing. With red hair and brown eyes, he was definitely Chraisten's brother. Liz gasped. Before Adeen could stop her, she ducked and lifted Adeen's dress. She hid inside it. Jasper and June broke into a laugh.

"What are you doing?" Adeen half laughed half screamed.

Little hands wrapped around her legs and Adeen resisted the urge to jump.

"Is he gone?" She asked.

Adeen turned to where the boy was and saw a bunch of families. Her eyes scanned the crowd and she found him, running into the hallways, laughing.

"Yes. Now get out."

Liz obeyed and looked up at her big sister. She grinned.

"Guess what?" She asked.

Adeen frowned. "What?"

"I finally found some way you can be useful!" She screamed before running off.

Adeen rolled her eyes. She turned to where her friends where, only to see them walk into the dance floor. Adeen rolled her eyes again and took a sip of her champagne. Two strong arms engulfed her from behind.

"Even my awesome prediction skills could not prepare me for you in that dress." Skander whispered on her ear.

Adeen shook and swallowed, but she forced herself to turn around.

"Is that so?"

Skander grinned and nodded. "Girl, you're melting my insides." He sang to the music.

"Oh, Skander, please don't do that again. At least not with classical music. I feel like Beethoven is probably shrieking on his grave."

Skander grinned and shook his head. "Well then, let's honor his piece a bit, don't you say? May I have this dance?"

Just as he extended his hand and gave Adeen a blessed smile, a camera's flash went off, followed closely by more light bursts. They both turned as at least half a dozen papparazzis snapped pictures. Skander, used, threw his arm around Adeen's waist and pulled her close.

"Majesty, Lady! Here!" They screamed in unison.

Skander grinned and turned to plant a kiss on Adeen's cheek. The flashes blinded Adeen, who could only stare and grin, Skander so close to her she could feel his warm breath on her cheek. He pulled back and led her into the dance-floor, waving the cameras off.

"Annoying."

He said and the music slowed down. Skander grinned. He took Adeen's waist and she wrapped her hands around his neck. She pressed her face against his chest and he rested his chin on top of her head.

"Are you ready?" He finally asked.

Adeen didn't open her eyes. "For what?"

"I want you to be my Queen, Adeen. And I want to know that you want to be my Queen as well."

Adeen pulled back and looked at him. Skander leaned in slowly, and Adeen's heart sped up with anticipation. As much as she had wanted to kiss him before, she didn't know if she was ready after Dax. She simply stood there in anticipation, trying to make up her mind. Voices screamed inside her head, telling her to kiss him! And to turn around and leave!

But when Skander's lips were pressed against hers, those voices stopped.

For a second, silence. The music playing in the background. Then, she realized she was kissing him back, and her heart thrummed so hard she heard it on her ears. A few seconds later, it was as if the world realized it, too, because a dozen flashes went off. Skander pulled back. He turned to the photographers, flushed.

Adeen was sorry for them.

They took a step back, realizing their mistake a moment too late. Skander opened his mouth to scream at them, but Adeen pulled him in again. He was to surprised to do anything, and kissed her back. She pulled back, turned to the cameras, smiled. As much as she yearned to give them her middle finger, she knew no princess would do that.

But princes did.

And Skander was no exception.

He smiled and flipped them off. The photographers, startled, stared at him, for the first time of the night looking at someone with their own eyes instead of with their lenses. Skander and Adeen decided it was the moment and walked off the dance floor. They didn't stop until they were outside Adeen's door.

Skander and Adeen stared at each other and Adeen sighed. She opened her door and they went in. Skander sat on her chair and Adeen remained up.

For a few more minutes, they stared at each other.

"I lied." Adeen finally says.

Skander turned to her. "About what?"

Adeen opened her mouth. Closed it. Shook her head.

"When I said you didn't know me. You know me better than anyone. I don't know how or why or when... but you do." She took in a breath and looked down, knowing it was the only way she could keep talking. "And I lied to myself. I told myself I didn't want you. That I couldn't want you. But it was a lie. Because I do want you. And it's twisting my heart because you're Skander and I'm Adeen and you're the prince. And I blamed myself for wanting you because it was selfish. It is selfish. I've never wanted anything more in my life, not even something for my family. And I thought that was bad." She looked up.

"What do you mean?" He asked, frowning.

"It is not bad. Feeling this way... it's not wrong. The simple fact that I feel this things makes them real —right."

"Adeen."

"I love you." Adeen finally choked out. Skander stared at her. "I love you and I want to be your Queen and I just want to be yours. I want to be yours."

Adeen was jealous of the photographers as she saw Skander cross the room. She would have killed to capture him in that moment, seconds before he grabbed her waist and pinned her against the wall.

They kissed, deeply and desperately and so energetically Adeen wondered how the world was unaware of their energy spending. And then Skander lift her up and carried her to her bed. He fumbled a few times before managing to take her dress off. When he was finally done, Adeen pulled back just enough to say 'your turn' and fumble with the buttons on his jacket. One by one they came off and when Adeen was finally over, they had both lost their patience and Skander nearly ripped her dress off.

The world tilted as he laid her down, his body on top of her. Adeen was alive and dead and her mind was blank but the voices screamed as Skander continued to kiss her.

At some point, after the seconds had transformed into minutes, Skander began to whisper three words into her skin before kissing her scars and everywhere. The three words that made Adeen smile and shudder.

"I love you."