Time for the Truth: a story of a sleeping beauty

part 8: Gardens and games

"Sian? Are you alright? you seemed agitated running out on the prince." Rior stopped speaking, and I gave him a weak smile.

"were you there?" he nodded, and I felt myself sink.

"I don't know what I'm doing, and how can I marry someone that I barely speak to?"

"It will get easier." I felt his strong hands gripping my upper arms, and I stopped hanging my head to look at him. Something tickly warm flickered across my chest at his touch.

"Rior, can we go for a walk? I need to learn my way around here if I am going to stay and marry the prince."

He nodded, and I wished he didn't seem so happy for me to be marrying someone he claimed was his friend.

I wish he felt what I did, I could have sworn he did earlier.

What was going on with my head? I pulled my arms out of his.

"Would you like to see the flower gardens?" Rior scratched his neck, almost pretending that me pulling away hadn't bothered him. I nodded and followed him up a flight of worn cut-rock stairs.

"Rior, I couldn't sing for him."

"I heard you tell him that. Can I ask why?"

I was silent for a bit, trying to come up with the nerve to tell him- not what I felt, but a coded way of it perhaps.

"I feel as though he hasn't earned something so personal from me. At home, I wasn't a very musical person, and so I never performed in public, unlike my sister. I doubt my voice has gotten any better with lack of use, but singing has so much emotion in it. It makes the singer so vulnerable, and I just couldn't show that to him. I couldn't."

Immediately I wanted to bury my head where Rior couldn't see my burning face.

"Pretend I didn't talk."

"Okay, but I liked hearing it. like I said before, you are truthful." I turned to see his handsome face blush, bemused. My heart clenched, and I walked ahead of him now.

He ran in front of me. "Close your eyes! I want you to get the full experience." He smiled, and I tried not to stare, wishing desperately that things weren't so different suddenly.

I closed them, and felt him spin me around before placing one of his large hands over my eyes, and pushing me along with the other.

I heard a door creak open, felt his breath stir my hair, and I could hear the soft scuff of our feet on the stone. I tried not to breathe too loudly, noticing the careful heat of Rior's hand at my back.

"Open your eyes." His words rolled over me and I shivered, goosebumps popping up on my arms and neck.

I opened them, seeing a similar but smaller version of the gardens we had visited earlier today.

It was like being in one of the books about jungles, with flowers blooming on top of one another, fighting for the light that streamed down, barely letting it touch the floor. I gasped and Rior chuckled.

"Do you like it?"

I turned to him and flung my arms around him. He stiffened and then tightened his arms around me. I laughed, but it sounded wrong to my ears.

I was glad to see this, but scared about this future.

Why couldn't it be Rior?

I pulled away as soon as I thought that, but Rior grasped my waist and spun me, starting to hum one of the dancing songs I had learned both of our kingdom's shared variations of.

It was one from a faraway land, and I had loved the words since I was little and my father and I had sung it back and forth.

"I'll swim and sail on savage seas with ne'er a fear of drowning, and gladly ride the waves of life...." I skipped that part, humming as if I'd forgotten the words, but really if I said the word 'marriage' right now, I might throw up.

"No scorching sun or freezing cold, will stop me on my journey, if you will promise me your heart." Rior was surprisingly good, but I could feel my heart sliding into his hands.

"And love me for eternity, my dearest one, my darling dear, your mighty words astound me, but I've no need of mighty deeds when I feel your words around me."

"but I would bring you rings of gold, I'd Even sing you poetry, and I would keep you from all harm if you would stay beside me!" We shouted it together. My heart was soaring now, and I sang the next in a silly voice, letting him see me for the goofball I could be.

" I have no use for rings of gold, I care not for your poetry. I only want your hand to hold..." Rior slowed his dancing, and I faltered with the words, realizing the way his hand was treasuring my waist, encompassing nearly half of it in his long-fingered hands.

He looked like he wanted to kiss me, and I wanted to kiss him, which only made it worse.

This was wrong. He may have my heart, but he could not be my husband.

I pulled away, performing a curtsy, the way my mother had taught me after a dance.

"Thank you sir, it was wonderful. But...I suppose we should get back." I could barely make myself smile.

"The prince is a lucky fellow indeed, if he ever gets to hear you sing." I ducked my head.

"Thank you, Rior."

"Please promise me something?" I looked at him.

"What?"

"That you won't ever hate me- at least enough to not call me Rior." I shook my head at him.

"you are mylerrgio." I teased.

"Ahhh, using my own language against me!" I couldn't help it, no one else was more puzzling than him, perhaps that was why my heart felt something new around him. I hoped the prince could keep me guessing this much, or else we would have a very boring marriage indeed.

Meanwhile, I wondered what Rior's lips tasted like- if it was as good as they looked.... I would be jealous of his wife forever.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Walking back, I felt nausea and a pounding headache come back. I struggled to keep my breath even.

Rior asked if I was alright, and I waved him off, bidding him goodnight, although it was only dinnertime.

My stomach was too upset to eat anything.

I undressed and fell asleep more quickly than I ever had before. 

A/N I may or may not have used the song from how to train your dragon 2... it's so cute how could I resist?! 

I'll keep updating regularly, but there hasn't been anyone reading this for the last few updates... it feels a little like I am writing into the void, which is fine, and I'm mostly writing for myself anyways, and it's a good way to grow. XOXO 

hope you enjoyed!