The Choosing Game

Dragons Awaken

Lilliana's POV:

"What?.. How can you hate cheese cake?" He spurted in disbelieve.

"I don't hate it.. I just don't like it" i scrunched my nose. It has been two weeks since the day Alex and i became friends. The polo tournament ended a week ago. As weird as it sounds, it was really great hanging out with Alex, I'm still close to Eric even though he and Alex haven't been on best terms lately.

“What about the chocolate mouse?” He asked, he scoped some of the chocolate moused and fed it to me. It was kind of awkward but i couldn’t say no.

“Mhm.. mhmmm” i hummed “i love this” i commented. The moused was surprisingly delicious.

He smiled fondly, then picked up a strawberry and dipped it in the bowl of chocolate. He picked it up and brought it my lips, i smiled shyly and parted my lips. I took a bite out of it and the juice dripped down my chin, he used it thumb and wiped it off my chin.

While his eyes remained glued to mine he brought his hand up to his lips and licked his thumb, we remained static, staring at each other with so much tension swirling around the room.

I looked away after a while and he cleared his throat. I looked around and took in our surrounding, We were seated in the kitchen at the main wing alone, sampling desserts. "Ugh i'm stuffed" i said pushing the plater away, trying to break the tension in the room.

"Me too" he agreed with me, probably understanding what i was trying to do.

"I'm going to go take a nice, long nap now" i said sipping my glass of lemonade.

"I have lunch with the turkish Ambassador and i know i'm going to doze off half way through it" he said chuckling

"Sucks to be you" i stuck out my tongue at him.

"Come with me to lunch" He blurted spontaneously making my heart beat fast and my tummy flip.

"I hate business meetings. I will be snoring before the first coarse comes besides, i am too full to even look at food" i quickly covered up.

"Come on pl.." He was cut of by the ring of his phone. He answered and listened i heard him say "she's with me" and "ok i will let her know" he looked annoyed and disappointed at the same time.

He cleared his throat again "my mother wants to see all the ladies in the drawing room upstairs now" he said, sounding annoyed.

"Alright" i stood up not saying anything else and start heading out.

I felt him grip my shoulder making me turn around "i will see you later?" He smiled hopefully. I just nodded and smiled back.

I opened the door to the drawing room, walked in quietly and took a seat next to Emily who smiled teasingly at me. I don't know how Emily feels about this whole choosing thing or the prince, she never talks about it. Once i asked her and she said if it's meant to be it will work out. She's a sweet person and i love her like a sister.

Leah was eliminated yesterday, i wasn't even angry at that elimination when i received my white flower. The poor girl was in tears being in a position i wanted to be in. Ruby's army grew less and that was the only thing that made me happy.

"Hello ladies. Now that you all are here we can begin" the Queen spoke breaking my train of thoughts.

She was seated on a chair opposite us with Miss may seated beside her. "The five of you seated her today have proven to be outstanding and remarkable ladies and for which, i not only compliment you but thank you." She smiled at us. "I have decided to have a talent show in your honor in two weeks time" and the girls cheered annoyingly.

Why? Was the first thing I thought, why would you want to reward us by giving us more work to do. As if this choosing was not sucking the life out of me.

"A professional coach will be provided for each of you depending on the talent you have chosen to display" and they cheered even more. I rolled my eyes at all of them causing Emily to burst out giggling. The queen shot us a skeptical look but smiled too.

"Now for the first time ever the crowd will have a say in who gets to stay" she uncrossed her legs and adjusted herself "after all you are the prospects of their new queen"

She stood up and Miss may stood up too "when you decide you meet Miss may to arrange for a coach. Thank you for your time" with that she left me with a lot of questions like what i have to do to get out of the whole thing and who gave her this backward idea.

..........................................

"So....." He taunted.

"So?.." I mocked right back at him.

"Have you decided yet?" He asked. It has been a week since our meeting with the queen and I still haven't decided on a talent. Emily is dancing, I've seen her practice, she's amazing; so poise and graceful but it only made me more nervous about deciding on what to do.

Now i was seated in the library with Alex and he is on my case thinking I'm stalling in order to get kicked out. Do not get me wrong, i want out of this competition even now that Alex and i are friend but i did not want to go home because the people of Arindele have dimmed me unworthy; untalented. I have thought about it though, i would be lying if i said i didn’t.

"I have not. There's time, so please calm down" i said nonchalantly even though I was freaking out a bit on the inside.

He looked at me as if i was crazy and sighs "if you say so"

There was something on my mind that I have been afraid to ask him but I decided I'm just going to do it. I stood up, went to the bookshelf and started searching through slowly " what is going on between you and Eric?" I asked not daring to look at him.

"Nothing" he grumbled lowly.

I took a deep breath and turned around to look at him. His expression was hard and his jaw clenched. "It's obviously something" i said in a hushed tone which I'm sure he heard. I sighed and turned back to the bookshelf. I took my sweet time and finally picked Persuasion by Jane Austin.

I went back to the other end of the couch and sat down. After a while I couldn't concentrate on the book, i just let it go. I moved closer to him, he was reading some documents looking very serious. "Come on.. Tell me please?" I put my hand on his arm send volts of electricity through me.

He looked up at me and stayed quiet for a while "it's nothing" he repeated

I was getting annoyed "it's not nothing. It has to be something for you guys to be acting like this" i said defiantly, i was not going to stop, i did intend on it.

"Just drop it okay? It's none of your business" he half yelled at me. I was shocked but I could tell he regretted it almost immediately.

I stood up, took the book back to the shelf and started making my way out of the room. I was pissed. How dare he yell at me like that? After all i was only trying to help? How dare he?

As i got to the door occupied with angry thoughts, I felt a hand snake my waist and spin me around. "I'm sorry" he said in a soft tone

I was angry but I felt the anger subsiding as soon as i saw his apologetic eyes. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you, you were just trying to help but I don't want to talk about it just yet.. I'm sorry" he pulled me close, I feel his hot breath fanning my face.

I have heard about having butterflies flutter in your stomach but that wasn't my case, i felt something stronger and more vicious than butterflies whenever he did things like this. I felt the dragons in my stomach waking up and flying around. What is wrong with me? Why does he affect me like this? Ughh!

"Forgive me?" He asked in a sweet tone.

"Don't use that tone with me ever again" I warned him. He has no right to yell at me.

"I'm sorry" he whispered again. He was truly sorry. His eyes were full of remorse.

"Fine" I mumbled.

"Come back and read your book. Please?" He asked softly. I nodded and went back in.

This man right in front of me was not the cold and controlling person i have heard about, or the business no messing around prince they always talk about or the arrogant and self righteous man i meet when i first got here, he is a big softy. He makes me forget, forget things that hunt me at night and it's a good thing I guess.

“Alex?” I called out to him.

He looked up at me and smiled brightly “yes?” He replied.

I stared at him in confusion as to why he is smiling like that “why are you smiling like that?” I voiced out my thoughts.

His smile grew “you” he simply replied, confusing me more.

“Me? What did i do?” I asked cautiously.

He shook his head “forget it, what did you want to ask?” He tried to change the topic.

“No no no. Forget about that for a minute and tell me why you keep smiling like a kid in a candy store” i said defiantly.

He chuckled at that “fine. It’s just that you have never called to me using my name, you always say Your Highness or My Prince” he pointed out.

I felt my cheeks heating up, i was embarrassed and surprised that he even noticed that and worst of all i did not intend to ever be informal with him. I used my palms to cover my face and groaned into it. “It doesn’t mean anything” i tell him trying to convince him of it even though even i was not very convinced at that very moment.

“Are you sure it doesn’t?” He asked in a zestful tone.

“Yes, i am sure” i said, still hiding my face.

“If you say so.. but i don’t believe you” he sang, mirthfully. It was kind of weird seeing him like so carefree like this.

I stopped hiding my face, trying to look at him properly “why don’t you believe me?” I challenged him.

He looked a bit hesitant to reply at first but did anyway “Because you my dear have always been cordial towards me but just right when you called me by my name you let your guard down, even if it was just for that split second. Your guard was down and now you wish you could go back in time and erase just that so that we won’t be having this conversation.” His words were only increasing the rate at which my heart was beating. What did he mean by i let my guard down? My guard is never down.

“It’s just your name!” I rolled my eyes “do not go on acting like it is more than that” i mumbled and turned back to my book.

He laughed “Lilliana you just confirmed my suspicion” he jested.

“Shut up” i mumbled. “Besides, you only ever call me Lilliana” i pointed out.

He smiled again “well that is because Lilliana is a beautiful and Unique name just like its owner, that is breathtakingly beautiful and extremely unique”

The dragons in my stomach awoken right at that moment and started breathing fire and roaring at his words.