The Pirate and the Princess

Chapter 9

"You may take only your essentials. One servant, some clothing, and maybe your plush, Mark,"
"Mink. His name is Mink..." Melody had interjected, more irritable than usual. Her mother glanced to her, dabbing her cheeks clean of food.
"Right, Mink. When Prince Garrick comes, you must have everything ready for your departure. I suggest taking Suzan along wi—"
"I'm taking James," Melody interjected yet again, sitting up from her seat and slamming her hands on the table. Her mother didn't seem to flinch, cutting her pork and tasking a bite.
"James isn't one of ours, darling. Unless designated otherwise, you must choose someone else." Her mother stood, but less abruptly and taking a passive step back. "Please retire to your room Melody."
"It's not very late, yet."
"I know. I have to speak with the king in private and I can't have you roaming the halls and overhearing business not yours."
"Fine." Melody stomped back to the door, huffing off into her room. As her head was buzzing with the words her mother had given her during dinner, she felt a hand brush to hers. With a quick twirl, she stood facing Jim. She wanted to be happy, she desperately wanted to smile at him. Though days just seemed to be growing shorter as the Prince drew nearer.
Instead she took his hand, and pulled him into the common room, filled with a piano, books and their shelves, a chess table, a love seat, and a glass table. It was not as big or as extravagant as other rooms, but Melody had taken a liking to it, the meek privacy of it. No one else had ever come into it, at least whenever she was in there. She crept silently, striking a match to light the array of solemn candles.
Jim eyed her over, and Melody noticed it, sending a thick rush of blood through her face. He smiled at her, pulling her close to him once more. His hands skimmed up and down her back, giving Melody a gracious comfort. She leaned up to him, staring into his viscous brown eyes that seemed to melt into her every second they watched her. His hands pulled through her hair and she pressed her lips to his once more. Every time they kissed, it seemed to pull their spirits closer together in romance, in passion, in everything. This bliss. Is it love? Is it lust? She thought to herself, deeply hoping it was love, wishing that she needed him. The jack hammer in her chest didn't stop for anything. She wanted to feel love, the only way she understood it.
Melody started pulling off Jim's shirt as she pulled back from the kiss, exposing his chest and shoulder. Jim stared at her, grabbing her hand and halting her process.
"What are you doing?" He inquired, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles. Melody pressed her free hand to his groin.
"I want to show you love." She replied, trying to he seductive as she gently rubbed her fingers over his crotch. Jim pushed her back, furrowing his brows and pulling his shirt up.
"Melody, sex isn't love. You know that, right?" Melody cocked her head, staring up at him as she sits on the couch. They'd never called their actions sex, it was always making love. Jim furrowed his eyebrows further.
"You do know what sex is, right?" He asked further. Melody shrugged, with a minute detail of what it could be.
"It's when the guy and the girl get naked and touch each other, right?" She tried reassuring herself. Jim nodded in response, sitting next to her.
"Yes, and you know that sex doesn't prove love, right?" Melody shook her head, genuinely confused. Only people who loved one another could have sex, right? That's what the stories said, and the only way to prove you love someone was to have sex with them. Jim sighed and tried explaining sex to the best of his ability. She was sixteen for gods sake, how sheltered was she?
"So... You don't want to have sex with me, even though you love me?"
"Yes. We can still do other things, but I don't want to have sex right now." Jim smiled and took her hand, placing a kiss on her knuckles. Melody smiled back to him, understanding a bit better.
"Okay. That's fine," Melody gently kissed his cheek. A small smirk crossed Jim's lips before he lightly pecked her neck.
"We'll meet tonight in your room when the moon is highest. We can do things, other than sex, okay?" Jim suggested, pulling away from her neck. Melody coyly nodded, her pink cheeks shining softly as the candle light reflected off her cheeks. He still leaned in close to her, giving her a sweet taste of his lips against hers. This kiss was more intense than the others, in the affect that it stayed longer than the others, pulling out a little piece of her with it, and replacing it with a piece of him.