love is in the air

As they were parting, the king told Alexis that he was always welcome in his kingdom and if he desired to stay he could.

The king understood that King Loannis would eventually kill Alexis as he was the crown prince so he wanted him to stay as far away from Adonis as possible. Alexis too felt the same way. He knew at the back of his mind that once his uncle sees him as a threat then he is done for.

"From now on you will dine at my table, if you decide to stay." King Amon said.

"Thank you my lord, the king." Alexis bowed and left.

Alexis loved it here. And not just for Rosa and the kind king but because of the people too. He felt at home, thousands of miles away from home. At Adonis no one dared talk to him as they feared the paranoid king. That's what they called king Loannis.

He was a very paranoid man and with power in his palms, he did explicable evil to whoever he felt they were conspiring against him. Talking to Alexis in Adonis is a crime of the same nature as treason, if not three times worse. And here in Onis, everyone adored him. He was the first person of a different blood group to live among them.

After no thought at all, Alexis decided to stay. His right hand man, Duncan stayed too and the rest of his men went back to the kingdom of Adonisia.

Rosa saw the men leaving from a distance and she thought Alexis had left too. Heartbroken and despondent she stopped going for her sword practice. She stayed in her chambers, sombering all day about a guy she had just met and barely knew. It was so despairing that she didn't even dine at his father's table.

Alexis who was looking forward to seeing more of Rosa was disappointed when days passed without seeing the apple of his eyes. Well she was a forbidden apple but still she loved her beyond measure.

He stood by his usual spot everyday hoping to see the most beautiful view from his window but his bad luck seemed have caught up with him. Each day presented an opportunity to see her but to his dismay, it seemed she had vanished into obscurity.

It was a hard pill to swallow as he couldn't stop thinking about her. He loved her beyond reason. And It seemed like the world and everything in it was against him. Firstly her forbidden blood group and now just to lay his eyes on her was something he had to turn the world upside down for.

Three days later when all hope was lost, Rosa bumped into Alexis in the courtyard and her heart skipped a beat. It was ironic for her heart to skip a beat because she believes her heart beats for him.

"Hey princess." Alexis said in adoration.

Rosa choked on her response, not believing her eyes.

'I saw this guy leave three days ago. Adonis is 6 days away, how on earth is he in front of me.' Her mind raced and somehow words found their way to her mouth.

"Hello Alex." She responded shyly, blinking more often.

"Ain't you supposed to be at Adonis?"

"No I decided to stay because I wanted to talk to you." Said Alex in a defeated voice.

"But I haven't seen you since."

"I haven't been well." She said softly, realizing that she had been grieving over someone who have been living in the same palace as her all along.

Not feeling well was an understatement though. She was very sickly and weak. She had not eaten much food since three days ago but she was still beautiful and graceful as ever.

"When are you going to practice?" Alexis asked.

"I want to practice with you." He added.

" How about tomorrow morning?" She said and immediately regretted.

'Why didn't I say today.' She snapped at herself.

"Alright tomorrow morning then." Alexis replied.

She went towards the garden and Alexis went to the see the king.

The next day couldn't come fast enough for them both. As it dawned, the morning sun was shining in variations of red and mellow yellow.

The beautiful morning was unlike any other and their jovial and convivial moods were hard to miss. They prepared themselves for their date. It might be a sword practice session but to them it was a real date.

When Alexis was done breaking fast, he looked over the window and there was Rosa, already waiting for him to come down. He hurriedly went down to her and upon seeing her, he fell in love with her all over again. He just couldn't get used to Rosa's angelic beauty .

The whole session was magical to say the least. It was filled with laughter and excitement but Rosa did not learn a thing. She couldn't focus on anything Alexis was saying. All she could think about was Alexis's voluptuous volume lips and his handsome facial features.

It was such an upgrade as her sword trainer was a 55 year old man with a burnt chin and a half burnt left cheek.

As for Alexis, he was having the best time of his life. He had never imagined sword practice could be this fun and sexy. It was a dream for him and he would curse anyone who would dare wake him up.

As they were practicing, he softly swung at Rosa with his wooden sword and swiftly circled behind her.

With his left hand, he tightly held her waist to restrict her from moving and with his right hand he put the wooden sword to her neck.

"I yield Mr Adonis." She said breathing heavily.

They were so close that Alexis's body was touching and rubbing against the back side of Rosa. His lips were just a kiss away from Rosa's neck.

He tried to let go of Rosa with his left arm that was wrapped around her tummy while letting down his wooden sword but she clung tight to his arm, not wanting him to let go. She already loved being wrapped around his muscular arms. There was no safer place.

After a short while they let go of each other and the training continued until Rosa lost her footing and as she was about to fall down, Alexis quickly jumped, shielded her with his body and she fell on top of him. They literally fell for each other.

Rosa was right, there was no safer place in this world than in Alexis's arms. There was something about that moment when she was on top of him that made them forget there were people in close vicinity.

There was a clear physical attraction between them that they were not able to control. It was their first time together and who would have thought she would already find herself on top of him?

If there was no one around they would have stayed like that a bit longer.

Alexis gently pushed her away because he could already feel eyes piercing him and he didn't want the king to learn of this.

They had the best time of their life's in the most unexpected way possible. Never had Rosa enjoyed training this much and she was already looking forward to the next session.

"Can you be my guide? I wanna tour the city." Alexis asked as he was putting away the wooden sword.

"Yes I'd love to." Rosa replied excitedly, a cheery smile radiating through her lovely face.

"I haven't left the palace in ages."

"Okay thanks. We will meet at the stables after lunch." Alexis said.

The two walked happily together. Along the way Rosa turned merrily towards her chambers and Alexis sauntered toward his. They were all looking forward to seeing each other again in about three hours time.

They freshened up and waited impatiently for lunchtime. Not for the food though but for ride to the city center on horseback. They both had thought at least two times about when Rosa fell into Alexis, if not a hundred times.

They had lunch at their chambers and they met up at the stables. Rosa climbed on to a ghost white royal horse and Alexis climbed onto his dark stallion. They made their way out of the palace to the city center.

Alexis had never toured the city in his short stays at Onis. And he found a perfect tour guide. Along the way he didn't know what was more beautiful. The city or the girl in front of him.

It was a majestic place contrasted by the dense rain forests. The pyramids were a sight to behold. The large pyramid temples had elaborate stucco façades. There were gigantic stone monuments all around the city and the buildings had sophisticated interior decorations of jades, intricate wall paintings, ceramics, wood work and prestige furniture just like the royal palace.

The city center comprised of ceremonial and administrative buildings surrounded by an irregular sprawl of residential buildings.

The two went to the city market where the already dumbfounded Alexis jaw dropped. There were many animals and birds he had never heard of. Odd looking creatures and beautiful colorful birds.

"What is that pink bird?" Alexis asked.

"That's a flamingo."Rosa replied.

"You want one? She added jokingly.

"I'll buy it for you."

"No I dont think I want it." Alexis replied with a slight grin.

"But there is something I want you to buy for me."

"What is it you want?" She asked curiously.

"I want you to buy you for me." Alexis said.

"Buy me for you?" She asked.

"No you buy me from my family."

"I'm sure the king wouldn't want much gold as he is already rich."

"I don't think your father the king will approve of that." Alexis replied gloomily.

"So I guess the best thing I can do is buy you a rose." He added as he was picking two red roses.

He paid the woman 2 pennies and gave one rose to Rosa. Her eyes lit up with emotions and a seraphic smile spread across her reddened face from ear to ear.

"Thank you Alex." She said shyly as she was smelling the sweet scent of the rose.

"They smell divine."

"You're welcome princess." Alexis responded with a shy grin cutting across his cheeks.

"I bought this one for myself, I'm going to love it, care for it and nurture it forever."

"I know you don't mean the rose Alex." Rosa said with a slight smirk.

"Yes I mean you Rosa." Alexis responded.

"I love you and I wanna be with you."

"Ever since I saw you, my life changed."

"I really don't know what's happening to me because I have never been in love before."

"But what I can say is, I don't know the person I am right now because the person I was is long gone.

"This new me is in love with you and he just can not stop thinking about you." Alexis said in a dejected voice.

As he was saying that, the thought that he will never be with Rosa crossed his mind and the speech became more gloomy.

"I love you too." Rosa said while reaching out her hand to Alexis's arm.

"And I wanna be with you as much as you want, maybe more."

"But there is no way we can be together because of our blood types."

"You will die before you even get to know me."

"I know and I also believe there is a cure for the toxin out there." Alexis said firmly.

"Nobody has looked into it yet but I am motivated to because I love you and I wanna be with you."

"I don't mind to wait even 10 years for you to find the cure but the problem is, the king expects me to find a suitor by the next full moon ceremony. And it's just 26 days away. Rosa said in a strangled voice.

"I will do everything it takes to find the cure within that time frame." Alexis said.

"Let's go to the library, we might find something there." Rosa proposed and the two love birds left the city market.

They planned to watch the magicians doing tricks at the circus but since time was of the essence, they decided to go straight to the library.

Along the way Alexis told her about his life at Adonis, his father, uncle and the kingdom. The sad stories left Rosa in tears. She is an emotional person. It was bittersweet because everything that happened to him made their path cross. She was very grateful to have met him. Her life started when she first saw Alexis.

"I did not know you were the crown prince your highness." She said.

"Yea I am the crown prince who will most likely never be king." Alexis said dismally.

"Well not that I want the crown."

"I have found the one thing I want."

Rosa's cheeks roseated.

"You're really living life on the edge right?"

"You have an uncle who probably wants you dead so that his son can be king without any contenders and now you want to be with a girl of blood type O." Rosa said humorously.

Alexis chuckled realizing how accurate she was. If it's not his uncle who will kill him then the toxin will. But he would gladly choose the toxin over his uncle's sword.

"Stay here with me Alex, and don't ever go back to Adonis."

"If the cure doesn't work then we will run away from my father and go to Botswania.

"It has to work." Alexis said assertively.

"I don't want to repay your father, the king by taking his dear daughter away from him.

"Yea I understand. He is a good king and a great father but I'd run away with you if you ask me to." Rosa said defiantly.

They arrived at the library and scoured it looking for any book on the blood type O until the shadows were long. It was getting late and Rosa had to return to the palace. They were running out of options and Alexis decided to ask one of the maesters about the book but he said he had never heard of such a book.

They were forced to leave as they didn't want the sun to set before Rosa was at the palace. Alexis took her to her chambers and before they parted, Rosa tightly and warmly embraced him. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead.

"I love you." Rosa said softly, love gazing into his eyes.

"If there is a safe way to be immune then I will support you but if it's dangerous then you shouldn't go on with it.

Just as she was finishing talking with him, a servant came to her and told her the queen, her mother was looking for her.

They hugged goodbye one last time and parted ways.

The next day word reached the king that Alexis was looking for the book on the O toxin. They poisoned him into believing that Alexis wanted the cure for his people of Adonisia so that they can be immune and attack Onisia. As Alexis was resting on his bed, looking up the ceiling, his thoughts of Rosa were abruptly interrupted by a sudden and loud knock at the door. The royal guards bursted the door wide open and took him to the king.