The kiss thief

What I am supposed to do in this situation? He is sitting so close and facing the bed reading quietly for who the hell knows how long, and the only way I can make a run for it is to slide from the other side of the bed, not sure if he is going to catch me or look at me strangely.

No, let's think first. If I run now I am going to make a fool out of myself and he showed up unexpectedly and without prior notice, therefore I am the one who should struggle to convince him.

Sigh! Who let him in here in the first place? Whoever it is, they better start searching for a hole, because if I find who gave him permission to violate my personal space with his presence, we are going to have a good one-on-one talk. But how he has not noticed that I am awake yet, is the story he is reading that good?

Huh?! That book is untitled. Black leather cover and a stamp of a gold feather on one of the corners, I think I have seen it before, but where? …Hmmm…! Ohh right, I put that book in one of my…wait… no, no, no, no….NO how did he find it, I thought I had hidden that book in a safe place! If he reads my notes everything will be ruined.

I thought that if he had not noticed me yet, and if I reached and grabbed my notes as faster as I could, he wouldn't have time to proceed with what happened or prepare beforehand, that's why I was confident. But I couldn't be more wrong!

I got up and took the book off his hands and backed away quickly to what I thought was a safer position. As I expected he didn't react, in fact, he didn't show any sign of surprise or shock rather he was suspiciously calm and kept his eyes down.

This is awkward. I don't know what to say to break the silence, and this is oddly scary.

"Greeting your highness. I was not aware of your visit today and I thought you were on bedrest not too long ago."

My heart is beating so fast, I can feel it since I am holding the book so close to my chest, griping it because I am afraid he has read it all, and because I cannot imagine what his utter motive is. Now that I am having a better look at him, he still is looking away from me, and… why is he clenching his fist so hard for? I better be prepared for anything, I can't act rashly.

"Raeliana, you… no never mind that. I heard from the duke that you got a cold and had to spend time alone in your room until you got better, but it seems like you are fine now."

"Y-yeah, I think that was thanks to the sleep I took earlier. But you didn't answer me about this unexpected visit."

"I don't have a particular answer for that, and I can't think of a reason why I have to give any."

He finally decided to face me properly, and making eye contact with him gave me goosebumps. He got up and started walking slowly toward me. I started shaking uncontrollably and my body got hotter. I don't know if it was triggered by the cold or the stress of his sudden move, but then his face calmed me down for some reason. He was looking directly at me with soothing eyes, he seemed down but still, it was a warm expression, and somehow I didn't feel threatened or at a disadvantage. That gave me a strange feeling, a painful one right in the middle of my chest.

What is this? It hurts so much, it feels like I have been stabbed with a knife. There is no blood or a visible scare there, so why?

"Raelian, or should I call you Raeliana since that's your actual name? It seems like you took good care of the flower that I picked for you that day in the hidden garden of the palace. I thought that someone might have thrown it away when they escorted you, and it makes me happy to see that it had bloomed so beautifully!"

Well, I am happy to see that he is keeping a safe distance between us because I thought that he was gonna come closer. Sigh… calm down, breathe and stay collected.

"That is a gift from your highness, of course, I can't just throw it away when I was the one who accepted it in the first place. Since it has magic indicated on it, to make the flower stay fresh even in the cold winter, that makes it even more valuable to me."

"Hmm, I see. So, because it was me who gave it to you, that made it valuable right?"

That's not what I… okay that's what I said, but I definitely didn't mean it that way. Accepting a gift from the royal family is a great honor, and in this case, it was something that contains magic on it. Even if it is small or useless, a portion of magic plus it was picked by the prince himself equal to a "national treasure". Even though it seems ridiculously crazy, he is like the idols or celebrities from the modern world here. So, who am I to just throw it away, when some lunatics will probably murder their relatives to have it in their possession? And of course, I didn't mean it in a romantic way either, it is just an expensive souvenir for profit purposes, but…

"Yes, your highness knows that I like flowers, and having one dedicated only to me by his highness himself is the reason why it is so precious."

That smirk just now gives me the chills, he looks satisfied by my answer, but I don't like where this is going.

"Obviously, I choose that specifically because it reminded me of you, and staying in the palace like that without an owner was going to dry it out even if I added more magic in it. Certainly, that's not a normal flower, its petals change form depending on the owner's mood."

"I have never seen it change your highness, so I am afraid that that's not correct."

I know that this world contains magic from the book I have read, but no one can actually wield it. Sorcerers or magicians must use crystals and other artifacts that are under the church's jurisdiction to cast small and specific spells. No one can actually change the weather, avoid death or curse someone like in fairytales, they can cure injuries and protect themselves from an attacker, but anything else is normal, besides me and this man obviously. I can't be sure if this is not an artifact described as a normal flower since he was the one who choose it. Ugh…this is giving me a headache.

"Hmm, maybe I was mistaken, but Raeliana do you have a fiver? You are quite warm."

Where did he…no that's not important, but how did I not notice him until he put his hand on my forehead? It would have been easier for me to back away if I saw him come sooner, but I got too comfortable. Still, I have to move his hand if I don't want to make this more awkward.

"Your highness, in case you forgot I am still sick, so it is normal for a person with a cold to have a fiver."

Huh. I moved his hand off my forehead but, why is he touching my neck now, did he not get the hint? And he looks so concentrated which makes his motive even more unclear. Sigh, control your anger Raeliana, if you attack him now, yesterday's work will go to waste, I need him alive. But he is moving my hair and touching my skin with bare hands, they are cold and ticklish every time he moves his fingers…I can't, this is making me-

"It seems like they all faded."

"Huh?! What?"

I opened my eyes wildly as he slid his finger down my chest until the book stopped him, he smiled so comfortably while looking at my face flushing, but my mind was blank.

'The hickeys, he was looking for THE HICKEYS?'

"Anyone can easily leave a mask on you. You have such pale skin, and anyone can be seduced by your power and pretty face. You mentioned it before that you are like the sirens that bring sailors to their deaths, but why plural when it can only be one?"

No way he is talking about himself, that makes no sense. Who in his right mind would make himself a tribute?

"What do you think Raeliana, or should I say, my beloved fiance? Don't bother thinking about anything else."

He moved his finger and I saw how he took the book from my hands and threw it away on the other side of the room. I panicked while feeling the change in the atmosphere, it was a weird feeling coming from him and I instinctively backed away, but he was much faster than me. I could see his ice-cold eyes while he pushed me, it was the same as mine, but also different.

He took both of my wrists and forced my hands on the bed, pinning me under him. His face was so close to mine and he put so much force on my wrists that I thought he was going to break them. I was scared and could hardly breathe let alone break free from his grip. I thought that if I moved my leg I could punch him in the stomach or lower, but both of his legs were in between mine. I was trapped!

"Your highness, why are you so on guard, do you think I am going to attack you?"

"That's a good question, but if it is you, I have to be prepared for everything. The last time I had to stay under supervision until I recovered. So much time was wasted when I could at least have started planning a wedding! But would you look at that, it seems to me that you have other planes on your mind."

Where is he looking at? …There is no way…the flower… did really change form. From a normal red flower to an actual spider lily, I can't believe it! Did he do all of this to make me change its form?

As I was focused on the flower, I felt something falling on my face. I turned to the man in front of me and I saw tears rolling down his face. He released my hands and tried to wipe away his tears. His sad expression when he was on top of me left me blindfolded and frozen in place.

"Now you saw it. As I told you, the flower can actually change depending on the owner's mood. I wanted to show it to you, but I didn't need to see this. Raeliana…you want me dead, do you?"

Everything that happened for the past two weeks is still fresh. From the meeting when I expected him to be like anyone else, a sociopath or worse that sought power, to the warm feeling in the garden and the rage I felt when I woke up, everything leads me to the hate I have for this person. I can't change it, there was no time for me to heal or believe otherwise, but I can change this.

"Of course not. If I wanted you to die I would have proposed to you in the first place."

"Raeliana, I know that you are lying. Please don't make it harder for me!"

I know that this is hard to understand, but Alan seemed to have feelings for me, and that might be because I look like his first crush, but I don't know anything about Alastair. If he left marks all around my neck, took me to his room without anyone knowing where I was, gave me a gift that it is much more expensive than I thought it was, and it is not against the fact that I proposed to him, that means that he has feeling and I will try to find the reason for it. But first I will not let my work go to waste because of a stupid flower. He has to understand that I am not lying and for that, I need to act fast.

As he was about to get up from the bed and fix his hair, I grabbed him by the collar and used all my force to push him down, and then I did it. I know I wanted to prove that the flower was wrong, but I felt something. I felt satisfied when I saw his shocked and flushed face, I don't know how to describe how accomplished I felt at that moment.

"Your highness, now do you think that I am still lying?"