*Warren*
Sitting on the bench in the gardens, sipping wine, and listening to Ciana’s story, wave after wave of confusion washed over .
She was speaking about an incident eight years ago, and yet... I didn’t rember it at all.
Lost in the woods? Wounded? Collecting a flower blossom for her from the top of a mountain on the cliff? I was fairly certain that if I had been there, I would rember at least a bit of this.
When she concluded her story with, “When I saw your bracelet, I knew for sure... you were the one. You were the young man I found in the woods all of those years ago. All this ti, I have been dreaming of eting you again.” Her cheeks blush a dark crimson, and I understood that she was saying these things as more than just a girl who has found a long lost friend.
She had feelings for this young man—for ?
“Wow...” I said, not sure how else to respond. “All of this ti....”
“Right?” She bead and then looked away from , sipping her wine. “I can’t tell you how happy I was to find out it was you.” She wouldn’t look at now, and I felt my own heat speeding up.
Ciana was a beautiful young lady. Her long blonde hair and light colored eyes that glimr in the moonlight make her stand out, even above all of the other girls that had been brought to the castle by my father to court my brother.
Any man would be happy to be paired with such a lovely woman. Any, except for my brother. Just thinking about Theo set my mood off, so I decided not to think about him at all.
But the story Ciana had told didn’t line up at all with how I’d gotten this bracelet. She seed certain that this was the sa bracelet, too, the one she’d given to the young man.
So... how had my sister co across it?
I rember distinctly the day my older sister, Maggie, gave it to , slipping it onto my wrist as she told it would be a good luck charm for , that she’d found it in a special place, and it would bring blessings if I wore it every day.
Well, if it brought to Ciana, then... my sister was right. It was definitely good luck.
Nevertheless, sothing wasn’t adding up here. Perhaps I was so injured in the woods that I simply couldn’t rember the events?
No, I was positive I had never been in that sort of situation. Whoever she’d t in the woods, it wasn’t .
When she turned to look at again, her cheeks were still pink, and she was smiling so happily at , I couldn’t bring myself to be the one to make that smile fade. Rather than telling her the truth, I said, “I’ve always wondered what happened to that girl in the woods.” Her smile widened even more. “It’s amazing that fate has brought us together again.”
“Yes, isn’t it?” she agreed, laughing softly before she diverted her gaze again. She raised the red liquid to her perfect pink lips again and took a sip.
I was lost in her smile for a mont.
I thought about the research I’d done after she had so easily awoken from the curse only a few weeks ago. I could tell Dottie hadn’t told everything, and that made curious. I’d wanted to know how it was possible that Ciana could wake up on her own from the evil words that had been hurled at her.
In the library, I’d found a few helpful books. I’d spent quite a bit of ti reading them because, honestly, my schedule was fairly empty most of the ti. No one had noticed I’d been in the library for days, just like no one had probably noticed that I’d left the castle yet either.
One of the books talked about how so of the most dangerous, deadliest curses could not be completely cast on those who had been blessed by the Moon Goddess.
Was it possible that Ciana was one of those special people?
Not a lot of people in my kingdom believed in the power of the Moon Goddess anymore or worshiped her much at all, but I got the impression Ciana might.
It would also explain how my brother had beco slightly interested in her. Perhaps he could sense she was special and might be able to help him with his... affliction.
A shudder went down my spine, just thinking about it. All of a sudden, I’d made up my mind.
“Are you all right?” Ciana asked .
I forced a smile, despite my thoughts lingering on Theo. “I’m fine. I was just... rembering my injuries. I’m so glad that you were there to help .”
She blushed again, but it seed like sothing was bothering her. I couldn’t help but reach over and brush her hair back over her shoulder, my fingertips grazing her skin.
Touching her skin sent a bolt of heat and excitent up my arm, leaving slightly breathless.
Beautiful, intelligent, kind, and... brave. She seed to always know exactly what she wanted and took actions to make them happen. Like this ti, she escaped my brother’s dungeon to make her way ho when it was so far away, over such rough terrain. I couldn’t imagine any other girls in her group would’ve even thought about trying such a thing.
Not like ... born as a prince, but had lived a life that was filled with boredom and emptiness.
Ever since she ca to the palace, she was like sunshine, brightening the days for those who were around her, making the usually dull and gloomy palace life full of pleasant surprises.
She was truly special.
Now, she was running away from my brother, and my heart longed to help her....
“I’ll make sure you don’t have to worry about Theo anymore,” I told her, continuing to run my fingers through her hair. She was smiling at , but there was a slight shift in her eyes. I thought perhaps I should pull my hand away from her, but I didn’t....
“Ciana,” I said, my voice so quiet, it was almost a whisper. “What would you think about the two of us... spending so quality ti together?”
Her eyes widened. “Haven’t we been doing that?” she practically whispered back to .
I couldn’t help but grin and chuckle at her. “Well, yeah, I guess so. But I ant... like a date.”
“A date?” She looked surprised but not horrified.
It was my turn to turn bright red. “I an, if you want to. You don’t have to or anything.”
“I think that would be nice,” she said, still smiling, but I thought I saw sothing behind her eyes, sothing that told there was more to what she was thinking than what she was saying to . I didn’t question her though.
I was just glad she’d said yes.
Her face was bright red, and she was absolutely adorable. “But...” she continued.
I sighed inwardly. There was a “but,” of course. Why was she shying away from ?
“My pack is in crisis right now. If anything that I’ve been told is happening there is true, I need to find out about that first, and then, if you still want to...”
“I’ll wait for you.” I placed my index finger against her lips and assured her again, “I’ll gladly wait for you.”
“Thank you for understanding.” The red on her face deepened, and I felt my insides lting.
I poured myself so more wine and took a long drink. The day had been full of revelations. Just when I thought I was starting to understand this girl, it turned out... maybe I was not.
“You’re most welco, my sweet Ciana.”
***
*Ciana*
I may have just ruined everything!
Finally, I’d had the conversation with Warren I’d been thinking of starting since I’d first seen the bracelet on his arm, since I’d first seen his eyes the day I arrived at the castle.
And now, here I was, refusing to go out on a date with him!
It wasn’t as if my reasoning wasn’t solid. How could I possibly consider going on a date with a handso prince when my pack lands might be in jeopardy? I’d have to be very selfish to even entertain such a thought.
But I knew in my heart that it wasn’t just concern for my pack that had turn him down.
My mind flickered back to the ti that Prince Theo had kissed in the pavilion. I knew, logically, that he’d only been doing such a thing because he wanted my blood and whatever essence he thought may have remained in my mouth from that berry.
Still, kissing him had been exhilarating to in a way I couldn’t quite put my finger on, and the feeling lingered on my lips even now, after all of this ti had passed.
Prince Theo had treated horribly. He’d made feed his animals, not realizing I would enjoy it, asked to clean his filthy part of the palace, accused of trying to kill him, and threw in the dungeon without food and water for a long ti.
So... I should hate him.
However, while I did hate so of the things he did to , for so reason, I couldn’t bring myself to hate him as a person.
It was so confusing! What was wrong with ?
All of these years, I’d thought that I was in love with the young man from the woods. I’d never let my mind drift to another man, thinking that once I found him, I’d confess my feelings for him, and he’d take in his arms, kissing deeply and telling that he loved , too.
Now, I was sitting on a bench in a beautiful garden, sipping delicious wine, enjoying the company of that amazing person who’d been in my mind for years, but sothing felt off, sothing felt... wrong.
Why hadn’t I tossed my arms around Warren’s neck, hugged him tightly, and told him I loved him?
Could it be that my feelings for him were not as strong as I had always thought that they were for all of these years?
I couldn’t even think of the possibility. He was a good man, so much better than his brother in every way possible, and yet... I was letting thoughts of Theo interfere with my feelings.
It didn’t make any sense. I was self-sabotaging!
“Ciana? Are you all right?” Warren’s rich tenor sang out to . I turned to look at him, seeing concern in his dark and gentle eyes.
I managed a smile. “Yes, I’m fine, thank you. Only thinking.”
He reached over and placed his hand on top of mine. I should’ve pulled it away, but I didn’t. As much as I didn’t want him to think that I was giving in to his romantic advances, I also couldn’t bear to hurt him, not when I was just confused.
I was certain that was all it was—confusion. I had loved him since long ago, and I was attracted to him when I was in the palace. That must an I loved Warren, right?
I turned to look at him again, but in my heart, the only thing I was certain of was that I wasn’t certain.
We fell into silence for a short mont, until so commotion from the main building caught our attention.
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