The Wizard Prince's Secret Soulmate

Chapter 10

“You’re usually not someone, who leaves the party early.”

Matteo scoffed as his sister sat down next to him. He had come to the Outer Bailey to have some peace and quiet, and to relax his poor facial muscles a little bit after forcing them to smile the entire evening.

“I’m tired, Altea,” he replied, although what he was feeling was more than that.

“I thought that would only happen after the wedding,” his sister teased him, but she stopped laughing when he didn’t react.

“I’m sorry, Matteo. Do you want to talk about it?” She took his hand in his and he felt comforted at the familiar touch.

“I don’t know, I’m just… I don’t know,” Matteo admitted and rubbed his face in frustration.

“Is it because of her?” Altea asked quietly, and he laughed humourlessly at her question.

“Is that stupid? I don’t even know her, sorellina. I met her twice.”

“Maybe it’s not her specifically, Matteo. Maybe she just made you realize that you are not allowed to choose for yourself, that your wife has been chosen for you by our father.”

They sat in silence for a few minutes, as Matteo was pondering over his sister’s words. She had a point, yet… he couldn’t shake the feeling, that it had something to do with Aurora.

“Emma is nice, though. She would make… a good wife,” he finally stated, desperately trying to find a positive side to all of this.

“Yeah, sure. She is pretty, and quiet, and demure, and obviously very smitten with you,” Altea laughed, making Matteo look at her in surprise.

“You think?”

“What, that she is pretty? Yes, of course, everybody who has eyes can see that.”

“No, that she is smitten with me, scema (i***t),” Matteo growled at her.

“Matteo,” Altea patted his forearm, trying to calm him down. “The way she looked at you tonight… This girl is head over heals for you, fratello (brother).”

“I don’t know if that makes it better or worse,” he sighed, and they stayed in silence once more.

“We should get back,” Altea whispered after a while, and Matteo knew she was right. He couldn’t hide any longer, someone would come looking for him soon.

“Go ahead, I’ll be inside in five minutes, ok?” His sister nodded and gave him one last concerned look before leaving him alone again.

Matteo pulled out his phone and pulled up Aurora’s number, debating with himself whether or not it was a good idea to text her. But everything he had done so far had probably been a bad idea, adding to it couldn’t possibly make it any worse.

Matteo: Hey, what are you up to?

Aurora: Nothing much, just got off work. Shouldn’t you be at your party?

Matteo: Yeah, I’m taking a break, too many people… We still on for tomorrow?

Aurora: Sure, if you’re not too tired from talking to too many people?

Matteo: I’ll never be too tired to spend some time with you. Did you have anything in mind?

Aurora: Good to know, lol. Up to you, just tell me when and where and I’ll be there.

Matteo: Alright, wanna go for a swim?

Aurora: Sure, but isn’t it a little cold for swimming?

Matteo: Don’t worry, I’ll keep you warm :) I’ll pick you up at 9.

Without waiting for a reply, he put his phone away and walked back to the party, the smile on his lips was real now, knowing that he would see her again tomorrow. Emma approached him with a curious look as he joined the party, but he just shook his head. Reminding himself of the day he had planned for tomorrow allowed him to stay upbeat for the rest of the evening.

~~~

He woke up fairly early, before anyone else, and quickly organized everything he wanted to do today, before he went downstairs and got his breakfast. Thankfully, because it was so early and the rest of his family was sleeping in after last night, he was able to drink his coffee and eat his usual croissant in peace, and by the time his parents arrived, he was done and ready to leave. Even though his father was unhappy about it, he managed to get away saying that he had to return to Milan. Matteo kissed his mother goodbye and grabbed his already packed bag, throwing it into the back of his car, before speeding off to Aurora’s place.

He didn’t have to ring the bell, as soon as she heard his car parking, she stepped out of the door, holding a bag with her swimming stuff, and got into the car, giving him a small peck on his lips.

“Good morning, luce mia,” he greeted her, and Aurora smiled.

“Good morning to you. You still haven’t told me where we’re going today,” she asked, but he didn’t want to spoil anything just yet.

“You’ll see. But you brought your swimsuit?”

She pointed at the bag she had thrown on the back seat and nodded.

“I did. Even though you are clearly trying to hide something from me, for some reason, I do trust you.”

He grinned but didn’t answer her silent question, just turned up the volume of the radio. He had connected his phone and was playing his playlist, and currently, 883 were singing about meeting their soulmate, and he couldn’t help but hum along to it. Eccoti finalmente sei arrivata / E sei qui non sai quanto mi sei mancata / Speravo tu esistessi però non immaginavo tanto (Here you are, finally you got here / And now that you’re here, you don’t know how much I’ve missed you / I’d hoped you existed, but I didn’t think so).

It took him less than 10 minutes to bring them to their destination, and as he parked his car in the underground parking, Aurora had realized where they were headed.

“Oh, that’s nice! I love coming to the Therme Meran!”

He was glad that she liked it, but he had planned something more than just swimming in the pools. When they got to the reception desk at the entrance, he could see her inhaling the mixture of chlorine and aromatherapy oils from the spa section swirling around them. He gave the receptionist his name, and she handed them their chip bracelets that would grant them access, before escorting them to the first floor, where the private pool suite he had booked this morning was waiting for them.

Aurora looked around the room, that had floor to ceiling windows overlooking the indoor pools below. Matteo thanked the receptionist and placed his bag on the double bed, watching as Aurora walked around, discovering the whirlpool, the steam bath and the private bathroom.

As she turned back to him, he was holding the bottle of sparkling wine.

“Isn’t it a little early to start drinking?” she joked, but accepted the offered glass.

“It’s Sunday, let’s eat some fruits and pretend it’s brunch,” Matteo replied while pouring some wine into both glasses and putting the bottle back into the icewater.

“To a wonderfully relaxing day, then,” he clinked his glass against hers and they both took a sip.

“So what’s the plan?” Aurora asked as she took a few grapes before sitting down on the bed and looked at him expectantly.

“Well, we can go for a swim, then have lunch, and at 2 o’clock we’re getting a massage. Does that sound ok?”

“I’m starting to enjoy the way you guys live,” she laughed, and Matteo frowned.

“I don’t get it…”

“Come on, I’ve been to your apartment in Milan, I’ve seen your car, now this… you’re obviously not in my tax bracket, Matteo, I’m not stupid,” Aurora replied, snickering, but he could see that it did bother her a little bit. He sat down next to her, close enough for their arms to touch.

“I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable…”

“You don’t,” she interrupted him, “I’m very, very comfortable right now. I’m just teasing, Matteo, I don’t care about these things, really.”

The look she gave him told him that he should just let it go.

“Alright, I’m glad to hear that you don’t only like me for my good looks,” he smirked, and they both laughed, the moment of uneasiness forgotten.

Aurora grabbed her bag and walked towards the bathroom to change, and Matteo watched the people below swimming in the pool. It wasn’t warm enough to stay outdoors this time of year, so everyone gathered around the indoor pools, but it wasn’t too busy yet.

Matteo went to change after Aurora came back outside, wrapped in a white, fluffy bathrobe, before they walked downstairs, hand in hand, to enjoy the morning swimming in the large, heated saltwater pool, that was connected to the pool outside.

In the afternoon, they enjoyed their couple’s massage and stayed in the whirlpool inside their suite for a little bit, finishing the sparkling wine, chatting and occasionally touching and kissing, but Matteo kept pulling back each time Aurora thought he would go further. It was starting to get frustrating, but she didn’t want to complain. After all, she was having a great time, and she didn’t want to spoil it.