SOMEONE KNOCKED on my door just as I had woken up. “Just… put my breakfast over there,” I told Sophie. Her eyes were brighter than usual, making my heart throb. “Louie,” she replied. My eyebrows furrowed at the use of my nickname without permission. “Don’t ‘Louie’ me! I didn’t give you permission to call me that! You’re just a peasant!” “Louie!” she insisted. Will she stop calling me that? I thought. “Don’t call me that!” I howled, tears forming in my eyes in anguish. I shoved her towards the door, trying to keep away the memories rushing at me. “You told me to call you that!” she said just as she was shoved out the door. “When?” I demanded. My head was swimming in the sound of her voice. It was oddly familiar. “At the school! When you told me your identity!” she said. Tears formed in my eyes in realization of who she was. “Hana,” I said. I pulled her back into my room. I stepped closer to her, wrapping my arms around her, doing exactly what I had been wanting to do for a long time. I could feel her heart beating wildly against my own. I pulled a little away from her and gently tilted her chin up so she was looking into my eyes. “What’s wrong?” she asked, placing her hands on my shoulders. I shrugged to move them off, then reached up to position them on my chest so she could feel my heart as it beat harder than hers. “Nothing,” I smiled, leaning into her. I closed the distance gratefully, drinking in the feelings rushing through me at that moment, holding her lips to mine as long as I dared. Hana pulled back from me, confused. She barely uttered one word before I couldn’t stand being this close to her without kissing her. I planted one on her cheek, not knowing where I was going. She fell silent, trembling at my touch. I felt around for a while and placed a gentle kiss on her lips again. I pulled back to find her eyes filled with tears. I suddenly felt a burst of concern. Not only for her but because I had a faint feeling I knew what was the matter. “Sorry,” she sniffed, wiping a tear away. “Sorry!” “What are you sorry for?” She laughed. “Don’t you think these tears,” she paused, motioning to her face, “are just the tiniest bit silly?” “Never,” I said, pressing my lips against hers again. She pulled away to give me a twitching smile. I closed the distance again, and she lifted her arms around my neck, pulling me closer, and kissed me back. I felt as though I were about to burst with happiness. Tears threatened to show themselves in my closed eyes as I kissed her more passionately, holding her tightly against me. It could have easily been hours later. I didn’t feel any time pass by, I was gone in a world of fantasy, with only Hana beside me. I pulled away from her, training my eyes on hers. She blushed, and stepped back, leaving my arms to fall to my side. I wondered what was going through her mind. “What was that?” she asked. I shook my head, unable to say it aloud. She ducked her head so I wasn’t opted to look into her eyes anymore. I took a few steps toward her, putting my hands on her waist. Hana looked up, her eyes shining with tears, foreboding to spill. With a determined look in her eyes, she warily reached her arms around my neck, pressing her cheek against my chest. I took a deep breath, trying to hold back a delighted squeal. She loves me! I thought, over and over again. She loves me! Her hair smelled good. She kissed me back! The silence stretched for several minutes, me and her remaining like that. My breathing turned heavy at the unasked question: How did Hana get here? I opened my mouth to speak just as the door creaked open, my fiancée stepping in. “Vigilius!” she retorted, “what are you doing with that peasant?” Maeryn’s gaze landed on Hana’s dress; a signature of all the servants of the palace. Hana pushed away from me, face turning red. “I’m sorry, your highness,” she curtsied in my direction and ran out of my room. My eyebrows furrowed. I hadn’t been this mad since Kieser had brought my grades back. I bit my tongue, refraining from saying vile words. “You scared her away, you oaf!” I said, unable to keep those from getting out. She smirked. “I was just protecting you, Vigilius,” her hand brushed mine, probably only meaning to get to know me more. “Sure you were,” I replied, wanting to leave the conversation. I opened the large pair of doors, not caring that my parents would demand I get back into my room once they found out I had left. “Hana?” I called. There was no response. She was gone.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH That's really all I have to say for this chapter.... EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEALFJDSLFJDLFJLSDJF LSDJFLDJ THEY ARE TOGETHER!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HANA IS FIGURING THINGS OUT! IT'S ALL GOING SWIMMINGLY!!! BECAUSE LOUIE K!SSED HERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR SOOOOOOOOOOO HAPPY!! -Oreooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo AH!
