Chapter 5
1581 Words
“You’re so slow!” Serina laughed.
She reached the statue, clinging to it while glancing back at me. I smiled, enjoying the playful glint in her eyes.
“You’re supposed to catch me!” she challenged.
“But then the game ends,” I replied.
She shook her head and circled the small statue of a lion in the center of the expansive garden. Her blonde hair fluttered in the warm summer breeze. Serina and her family were visiting once again. They were close allies and friends of my family, which meant I got to see her more frequently.
“That’s the point,” she said with a grin.
Serina had grown just as I had. She hadn’t been here the last time they visited a year ago. Now seventeen, her parents were preparing to marry her off, a prospect I found unsettling. Serina was like the sun—whenever she smiled, I lost all sense of my surroundings.
“But what’s the fun in catching you?” I inquired.
Her smile widened as she began to slowly retreat, her dark red dress swirling around her.
“You’ve never played tag, have you?” she teased.
I shook my head as I walked closer to her, my thumbs resting on my belt where my sword and the blade Will had given me were sheathed.
“I’m the next king, remember?”
She rolled her eyes, a defiant gesture I indulged because her playful demeanor was simply too endearing for me to resist.
“Oh yes, how could I forget?” she responded. “As if you don’t remind me all the time.”
“Well, I just want to make sure you know who’s in charge,” I teased, spreading my arms wide.
“In charge?” she challenged. “I don’t see you taking control of this game, or you’d have caught me by now!”
“Oh, really?”
She nodded, excitement lighting up her face as she bit her lower lip. We stared at each other with an intensity that made me pause just before she saw me advancing. She squealed and dashed away, with me hot on her heels. I had only ever felt this carefree around Serina. Only she saw this side of me.
“Got you!” I grabbed her arm and gently pulled her back, pressing her against a larger statue where we wouldn’t be seen from the castle.
“What happens now?” I inquired.
Her sweet blue eyes locked onto mine, and then, unexpectedly, she leaned in, pressing her lips to mine. The warmth that spread through me was powerful, quickening my heartbeat and breath. No other woman had ever had this effect on me, despite my past experiences. It was clear to me now—she was the only one I wanted.
I had seen lords and dukes flirt with her, and each time, I felt an unfamiliar pang of jealousy. It struck me then that no one else should have her but me. Sadly, as the next king, my path was dictated by duty, not love.
“What are you thinking?” she whispered as she pulled away slightly.
I sighed and let my head drop before feeling her hand on my cheek, which prompted me to meet her gaze. I still held her arms gently.
“You,” I murmured.
She shook her head slowly. “No, your mind is somewhere else. Where?”
Another sigh escaped me. I struggled with what to say. The reality that Serina might never be mine weighed heavily on me.
“I shouldn’t be kissing you,” I admitted.
“Don’t you want to?” she asked softly.
A smile touched my lips as I nodded slightly. “I want nothing more,” I replied, “but—” She placed a finger over my lips, cutting me off. It was Serina who had initiated our first kiss.
I watched once again as Serina stood near the dance floor, looking almost lost, not being asked to dance. Men often swirled around her, vying for her attention, but tonight I had prevented it again. I was doing it more often than I should, making it obvious something was wrong, but I didn’t think she had connected the dots yet.
When another man, ignoring my warning, walked up and asked her to dance, I watched from the sidelines, furious but biding my time. The moment he let go of her, smiling and receiving her polite return smile, I stalked him. I followed him out of the ballroom—he was clearly seeking some air—and grabbed him, pushing him into a secluded corner.
“Lady Serina is not yours to ask for a dance,” I warned.
“M-My Prince, I was just—”
“You won’t ask her again, correct?”
He seemed both irritated and frightened, but because I was the future king, he nodded. I let him walk away, feeling satisfied, only to spin around and see an annoyed Serina.
“You. It’s you, isn’t it?” she snapped.
“Me, what?”
“Who’s been forcing me to stand in dark corners all night.”
“I don’t know what you mean.” I tried to move past her, but she stepped in front of me, arms crossed, meeting me head-on, as she always did. I had enjoyed that.
“Why?” she demanded.
“Why, what?”
“Why chase them away? Do you love tormenting me that much? Can’t get enough, Your Highness?”
“That’s not true,” I insisted, hating that she was accusing me of acting childish when I had outgrown that part of myself.
“But it is! And here I thought you had more honor,” she spat.
“You’re questioning my honor?”
“Yes!”
I felt fury rising in me. I didn’t know what came over me, but just as she turned to walk away, I grabbed her and pulled her to me. To my shock, I caught a glimpse of a smug smile before she grabbed me and kissed me. I pulled back, staring down at her, stunned, but she continued to smile smugly.
“Don’t want me to leave, Your Highness?” she taunted.
“I…”
“You know actions speak louder than words. I just wanted to see what it would take to get you to admit it.”
“Admit it?”
“You want me.”
I couldn’t deny it. I knew she was right. So instead of speaking, I pulled her closer and kissed her again.
That had been over a year ago. I had hoped that during her family’s next visit, we could discuss our feelings—or at least I could confess mine. But her absence had delayed that conversation. Now that she was finally here, I found myself struggling with a new problem: the fact that she might never belong to me.
“Let’s not ruin this,” she whispered. “We only have now.”
“I don’t want to ruin it,” I replied.
“Then tell me, do you want me?”
“Of course I do!”
“You want to… marry me?” she inquired.
Serina’s bravery always impressed me. She never hesitated to speak her mind.
“Yes, I want to marry you.”
Her smile widened, and she moved closer. “Then I’ll be waiting for your proposal," she said playfully, leaning closer. But just as our lips were about to touch, she turned and walked away, glancing back at me with a teasing look over her shoulder.
“You will be mine, Serina!” I called after her.
She gave me one last look before heading toward the castle.
“You two should be more careful…” I turned to see Will standing there with a bow in hand.
“And you should avoid lurking in shadows like an assassin,” I retorted, starting to walk away.
Naturally, he followed. “James, this isn’t a joke,” he said.
“Am I laughing?” I shot back.
“Serina is a lady.”
“She is,” I agreed with a smile.
Will grasped my arm, stopping me. “A lady, not a princess. Not a future queen.”
“She is my queen,” I said firmly.
“Perhaps in your eyes. In Father’s…”
I sighed and looked away. I knew that, in our father’s view, she wasn’t a suitable match for me.
“It’s not like he has anyone else planned for me.”
“Not right now, maybe, but one day,” Will responded.
He was right. Eventually, our father would arrange a marriage for me, just as he would for the rest of us. But until then, there was still hope.
“One day, yes, but not right now,” I replied, starting to walk away.
Will kept pace beside me, clearly unwilling to drop the subject, but I was done with the conversation.
“Don’t you have some deer to shoot?” I asked.
“I was practicing,” he replied.
“Then go practice some more. I’m sure you could use it.”
He shot me an annoyed look and shook his head, clearly disappointed that I was avoiding the topic. But I wasn’t ready to discuss Serina with him.
“Wake up, brother,” he warned. “Before it’s too late.”
- Writer
