Not My Fairytale

Chapter 24

A Magical Place

"It's just a little bit farther, princess," Angelo's voice floated back to me on the breeze, "don't forget that you promised me no peeking."

I grumbled a little at that, but continued to let him pull me forward by my sleeved arm, eyes pressed firmly shut. The sound of twigs and leaves crunching beneath my boots was the only way I knew that we were still somewhere within the forest that surrounds the castle and capital city. I had initially tried to keep track of our path, in case the desire to leave on my own should arise, but after various twists and turns, he had my inner compass so turned around that I had lost track of all sense of direction within the first fifteen minutes. That sneaky little–

He stopped walking without warning.

Blind, I stumbled clumsily into his back, but before I could go careening to the forest floor, strong hands found their way to my arms, steadying me, "Careful now," he chuckled, so close his breath fanned out across my face. His touch disappeared for a moment, and I was floored by the sudden longing coursing through me for the return of that proximity, before I felt the warmth of his body against my back as he came to stand behind me a mere hair's breadth away. "We're here," he leaned in to whisper in my ear, earning an involuntary shiver down my spine in response. Why am I letting him affect me this way? "You can look now."

The tinge of excitement in his soft words, filled me with a strange mix of worry and anticipation. I hesitated only a beat before opening one eye, then the other.

Whoa.

"What is this place?"

Before us lay a large meadow, carpeted in an assortment of wildflowers, all swaying softly in the breeze like the waves of the most colorful ocean. The meadow was flanked by a steep cliffside on the far end,  while the thick treeline surrounded the remaining perimeter. The field was split in half by the sparkling trail of a creek, winding a lazy path through the vibrant blooms, fed by the thin whisper of a waterfall cascading down the side of the cliffs. Mist rose from where the water met the small pool at its base, and when the clouds shifted, allowing rays of sunlight to shine through, a rainbow appeared for a moment before the sun was once again blotted out by the cloud cover.

I tore my gaze from the view to look to where Angelo now stood a few feet away, only to find him already watching me. "Do you like it?" He asked, voice lacking its usual mirth, eyes scanning my face as if searching for something.

At a loss for words, I could only nod dumbly, returning my attention to trying to memorize each detail of this magical place. "I didn't even know something like this existed so close to home," I finally managed, voice barely more than an awed whisper.

He hummed deep in his chest, before grabbing my wrist in one hand and scooping up the mysterious basket from where he had dropped it to the floor to save me from falling with the other. "Come on," he pulled me gently through the sea of flowers until he found the spot he was looking for, close to the babbling stream.

He set down his basket, pulling a blanket from beneath its lid and spreading it out before us in one swift motion. He plopped himself down, dragging the basket closer and began digging through the contents. "Care to join me?" He drawled, not bothering to look up to where I still stood awkwardly beside the blanket. Was this... a picnic?

I stepped cautiously onto the fabric, sitting down and curling my legs under me. He started pulling various foods from within the basket as I continued to stare dumbfounded: a container of fresh berries, what appeared to be pita and hummus, a charcuterie board wrapped in cellophane that contained at least four different kinds of sliced meats and cheeses each and, finally, skewers of roasted shrimp and vegetables. He shot me a look that was strange to find on his face– could the ever-cocky Angelo be nervous? It was so uncharacteristic, I could only look on. "I wasn't sure what kind of food you liked, so I brought a bit of a variety."