"I can't ever get used to you doing the opposite of what I say," Damien growled in frustration. "And I can't ever get used to your arrogant ego," Nika spat back. "You don't own my life." She regretted ever saying that word because the very moment they left her mouth was the moment Damien swirled her around so that she is face-to-face with him. His fierce gaze zeroed into her eyes as he pulls her flush against him. Her beating heart rate increased and her panting doubled as her chest rose and fell against his chest, rubbing and throbbing pleasurable tingles through her skin, into her vein and circulating all over her body. She stared at him, right back in his eyes, dumbfounded, smitten and unresolved at the same time. He smirked dubiously and leaned dangerously close to her. His plump lips almost connected with hers most daringly. "But what to do?" the corner of his lips turned upside in a smirk. "I own this palace and everything therein," he whispered arrogantly making her freeze for a second, "and that includes you, Nika." As if she will let him have the victory. Instead, Nika, resolving to her strong resolve, leaned even more daringly into the little space that was left, her lips a touch away from his, by now her heartbeat got louder by her daring action, but she cared less. "So what?" she dared to ask him with snidely taunting eyes and a condescending smile that got his blood rushing in an instant. Damien's eyes grew dark at her boldness, and the muscles in his jaw popped as he swallowed, his adam's apple slowly working. His smirk doubled in size, while her smile got twice as bigger too. ||| In the last twenty nine years of his life's journey as a royal and heir apparent to the throne, Prince Damien Armstrong V of the Kingdom of Wamona, has never met anyone who so matches his arrogance as much as Anika Cooley compared to all the other Royal Companion's the royal court had invited into the palace in preparation for his ascension to the throne and the search for a befitting partner to be the queen upon his coronation. The Royal Companion exercise would see to it that the Royal heir, finds one woman, among the ten candidates selected, who are of prestigious backgrounds and most delightful in characters of the Blossoming Petals of Wamona, as the ladies are mostly called, to become his Queen and this year, it is finally his turn after the demise of the Late King, his father. At age twenty-three, Anika Cooley has never for once taught of marriage, neither did she ever think that the day would come that she would be appointed as a Royal Companion by the Royal Court, guess she has her parents to blame for that. But what to do? She has found herself in a pit and can only try to pull herself out while she still can. As for Damien, she was the one he never saw coming and oh, does he have a plan? Yes, a very wicked and unshakeable one at that. And did Anika ever see this coming? No. She never expected to get sunk into the Prince's scheme before she could run.