This story follows the life of Princess Maiena, the second and youngest child of King Thaddeus-- the strong, wise, and uncompromisingly orthodox ruler of Reidonia which is a kingdom set in the modern age with customs, laws and traditions that seem t...
Blood pumped loudly through my veins. I could hear it rushing, no, raging hot all over my body as my senses started to lock the world out and focus on her-- the sweet smell of her hair under my nose, the rapid rhythm of her heartbeat that matched my own, the silky skin of her neck that brushed against my cheek, the softness of her body that perfectly molded into my embrace like she was meant to be there, to stay and be there forever.
The sleepless night of watching and securing the palace and the royals must have taken a toll on me because for a few heavenly seconds, my mind, body and soul were elevated and carried away to a universe that knew nothing but Maiena.
When she leaned against me, I almost lost it. Almost.
Just then, I saw some thick red liquid seep through the satin fabric on the shoulder of her robe.
What the hell?! I knew her sneaking off even to the safest place in the palace would get her in trouble.
I immediately snapped out of my crazy trance and fell crashing back to reality.
"Where'd you get that wound?" I asked. I waited for her to answer then realized I was muffling her.
Aidan, you moron! You have to let her go first.
I was sure she wasn't going to scream anymore and alarm the entire palace so I moved my hand away from her mouth and held her arm. Although peeling her away from me felt more excruciating than expected, I still did it despite every cell in my body screaming otherwise. I turned her to face me so I can get a closer look at her and check if she was okay.
Without thinking, I pushed the fabric of her robe away from her shoulder and revealed the smooth skin there. She gasped in surprise as I suppressed a groan.
God damn it, Aidan! Get it together!
She looked down on her shoulder then angrily brushed my hand away as she pulled her robe back up and glared at me. "It's paint, you simpleton!" She hissed furiously.
Quite frankly, I couldn't disagree because I truly felt like a complete idiot for everything that transpired in the last five minutes between us.
I wanted to say something back but I was stumped. I struggled to gather my thoughts back together as I watched her furiously rant at me and land weak punches to my chest.
"Why do have to be such a pain in the ass? Why can't I just have a few moments of freedom from all your high noses looking down on me like I'm just a stupid little princess who can't think well enough to choose for herself, to live her own life, to make decisions for her future in her own kingdom? Why can't you just stop torturing me? Why do you hate me so much?" She sobbed and angry tears flowed from her eyes as her knees buckled. I quickly caught her in my arms and let her cry there for a little while.
"I don't hate you, Princess." I whispered as I held her close and gently stroked her back to comfort her. She didn't answer, she simply pressed her face to my chest and wrapped her arms around my waist.
That was how it felt.
I remembered how it was like to be her friend, to not be just the head of the security of the royal family. I was reminded of how it was like for the Princess and I before my duty took over my life and I realized that our friendship wouldn't be healthy for either of us when the King and the Crown Prince started entertaining prospective future husbands for her after her 21st birthday.
"You're upset and tired, Your Highness. You need sleep. Let me escort you to your room." I suggested.
She shook her head and I sighed. "I don't need sleep." She then looked up and I found myself staring into her beautiful brown eyes.
For the first time in a long time, I did not want to look away. I allowed myself to drown in them.
"I need to get away from here, Aidan. Please. Just for a little while. Before I start another month of courtship with another strange Prince." I saw the sadness in her eyes and heard the desperation in her voice.
I closed my eyes to break away from the spell of her stare, to clear my head and make a decision from my heart.
When I opened my eyes, I knew exactly what to do. I gazed back at her. "Come with me, Your Highness."
***
A/N:
Okay. So I slightly exceeded the word count by 35 words. Please forgive that and let me pass two requirements from this prompt. 😅
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Thank you for reading. See you next chapter. Have a wonderful weekend! 💚
