Sebastian and Scarlet were removed two days ago leaving the boys with one extra person. I know what you thinking, Rayanna if one boy and one girl left wouldn't have the numbers already have been odd? The answer to that is yes, but there was a reason for that. My mother, the hostess of this event, did plan a surprise and wanted to see how everyone here interacted before picking one in particular, and today is the day that surprise comes.
We were all sitting in the common room Linda and Jessie sitting by the stage, Ace and Ashley sitting in the dark room, the dark room is behind the stage it's kind of like a relaxing room with a hot tub, silk couch, and a massage table. June and Grayson sit on the couch in the main room, and the rest of us Leon, Xander, Colin, Lillian, and myself are sitting at the bar area in the commons room I sit on the right, Xander in the middle and Leon on the end, both Colin and Lillian pulled chairs up to join our conversation.
"Leon what's with the new look? Wait did you shave your arms?"
"What, no, why would you ask" he says embarrassed.
He total did by the way. I had never actually REALLY took the time to look at each of the boys. Leon he didn't look terrible his hair was brown with a slightly curled and waved texture, his eyes were their chocolate brown, witch I do remember, but if you studded his eye long enough, you can see green in them. He was tan, but not intensely tan, he had dark brown eyebrows shaped in a way that complimented his jaw with hidden facial hair recently shaved away trying to make an appearance.
"What made you go brown" Xander asks.
"Well," he answers ",my hair is naturally brown, and I missed it. I'm not feeling the blond anymore."
Leon and Xander are very similar in some ways, which, I guess is why they get along so well, one of the things I noticed is that , from what I can tell, they are the only ones here with tattoos. Leon's is a little more obvious, he has a mountain range on his neck and upper chest done in black ink. I haven't seen Xander's tattoos but he has told me that he has some. I look at Xander and realize how handsome he really is I don't know what I feel for him, so I haven't said anything to anyone about it. As he talks to everyone they all laugh together, and I wish in my soul that I could listen to his angelic laugh and look at him for the rest of my life, feeling this new emotion. Suddenly my peace is broken as my mother barges in with eleven letters in her hand. She has each of our maids bring them to use, and she leaves telling us the destination to meet will be at the stable. We all read the letter.
"Dear person who receives this letter,
Today you will be partnered with someone of your choice. Together you will take one steed and camp in the cherry blossom grove. You will be provided all that you will need. Food, water, grill grate, foil, recyclable plates and utensil, matches, wood, a tent, two pillows, tree blankets, and bug spray. See you then.
The Queen of Sicarrea."
Everyone goes to pick their partners and they're predictable. June with Grayson, Ash with Ace, Colin with Lillian, Linda and Jessie, and to Xander's choice was me which leaves Leon with no one, and we all wonder how this is going to work.
After hours of doing almost nothing the time finally rolled around we are all ready for this activity, except for Leon who now has no one to go with. When we arrive there a six foot by five foot present box waiting next to my mother who is standing in front of the blue walls of the barn. We all get there and stand with our partners, I stand next to Xander looking up at him as he talks to Leon who's standing on my other side.
"It sucks that you have to go along Leo,"Xander says to Leon, he's been giving all of us nicknames Leon is Leo, Lillian is Lil, Colin is Co, and I'm Ray.
"Ya, I've been on hunting trips before so I have slept outside, I'm sure that it won't be much of a issue if I go alone, but it would be nice if I could go with someone. No offense to any of the people here, but the only person that I WAS interested in has no interest in me at all, so I was thinking about leaving,"
"No," I say" don't give up that easily, we have the whole year more people will come as the people here settle on someone. There might still be a chance for someone new to come that you might be interested in."
" I don't know Ray," Leon says to me, as my mother calls everyone's attention our conversation ends.
"Good afternoon young royals, welcome to the stables. Each of you will be receiving a pouch and saddle bag with supplies in it, but I know that's not what all of you want to know. I'm sure most of you are wondering what's inside this box." She waves her hand calling maids to pick up the light shell of the box to reveal a girl standing underneath it. " This is our new princess Erin she will also be Leon's partner for tonight's activity," I look over at Leon who is staring at her like his eyes were glued no her. She was the princess of Carinda a kingdom formed in what people used to call Canada. Erin had strawberry blond hair, and Icy blue eyes. On her cheeks and along her nose you could see light freckles. She wore a lightly colored gown with blue diamond earrings which complimented her eyes. She walked up to Leon and introduced herself, he seemed nervous I could tell that he was into her, and considering what he said before that I might know who he was talking about. The entire time I was watching this unfold I was blocking out the sound of my mother talking, when I focus my attention back onto her she is rapping up whatever she was talking about. I did catch the last thing she said ", ok cupples go and pick a steed." I bounce with excitement, I tell Xander to follow me as I walk to Cisco's stall. Xander volunteers to carry the saddle bag and pouch as we walk to his stall, I drop by the tack room on my way there and get his gear. When we get there Xander helps me get him ready, I pass his some brushes and we both work on different sides of him trying to make the process go faster. While Xander dose Cisco's saddle, bag, and chest plate, I work on brading his main and put on his bridal. I walk him out of his stall and let Xander get on first, so that he can pull me up onto the saddle. He sticks his arm out and grasp my waist and I grip onto his arm as he swiftly lifts me onto the saddle in front of him and I let his steer. We walk back over to where my mother was.
"Well looks like your the first group ready to go feel free to go anywhere you want after you pick a spot the other cupples won't be able to go there, so where will it be."
Xander talks into my ear with his deep and calming voice " I'll let you choose Princess of Sicarrea," I can hear him smile as he says that, I feel my face get hot. WHY I think to myself, why does he have to be so hot.
"Comet falls" I say to my mother.
"Well prince Xander I hope you brought something to change into. Very well see you tomorrow morning."
We start our journey at a trot through the cherry blossoms forest. I can feel Xander's muscular and warm chest against my back, his breaths are hot and sometimes blow by my neck giving me shivers as the air around us gets colder while the sun goes down.
"How long have you been riding," he asks me", I don't meet a lot of princesses who know how."
"I've been doing it my whole life it's a tradition passed down on my father's side. W-why do you ask?"
"You just seemed really excited that we were going to be going on horseback"
" I think we're here," I say. He gets off Cisco and walks him towards the sound of the waterfall. The forest here has more green trees and life, it is part of the cherry blossom forest, but it is so far back to a place where there haven't been planted yet. While he sets up the tent I look through our supplies and take out the wood setting it up for a fire later.I take off Cisco's bridle and put on his head collar. When Xander finishes the tent we both walk over to the falls which has a small lake built of rocks separating it from the river flowing away from the waterfall. We decided to play a game we stand facing one another. He points at his hair looking at me I get the message and take the braid out of my hair, letting it's soft strands fall over my shoulders and cover part of my back. We both start with a game ring that I found in our bag along with other things my mother packed trying to stir the pot a little, game rings come in pairs they're something new used when playing truth games, to tell the other person with you, if your telling the truth. The game we are going to play is were we ask each other questions who ever tells more truths gets a reward, and after every question the person asking the question choose a article of clothes for the other person to remove. You can decided to refuse a question, but it will be marked as a lie.
We both choose a prize and start to play. I go first. " When we were playing the last game and the question was about relationships you stood, did you only have one and was it serious?"
"I have had more than one," he answers ", none of them were serious." His ring flashes green telling me that he is telling the truth. He earns a point.
I choose his shirt, and he remotes it, unbuttoning the white fabric he takes it off and puts his red and gold jacket back on to protect him from the chill of the night. I don't really complain but I do ask him if I could see him all the way around before he can leave his jacket on. He complies and dose a slow circle. I can see his tattoos now one on the top half of his right arm and on other on the right side of his chest, the one on his chest is a landmark in his kingdom in color, on his arm was a peace in black ink full of animals like horses, dolphins, lions, exa all put together to form the silowet of a wolf.
"You like what you see,"he says and I look away embarrassed and realizing what I just asked him to do.
He asks his question next after putting his jacket back on. " I'm going to assume that when you said that you had been skinny dipping, that it was true, so curious what I'm going to ask you is, is this the place you did that?" He asks motioning to the waterfall.
" I was telling the truth, and this is the place" my ring flashes green. He tells me to remove my cloak, I take it off and feel the cold breeze fondle at my cloths making me cold as I hang it on a tree branch. It was probably a good choice to wear a shirt a skirt instead of a dress for this.
"Do you want to take your next relationship seriously?"
"Yes," he answers while staring into my eyes. He tells the truth again and I ask him to remove his gloves. He dose and throws the white silk to the side next to his shirt.
The stars shine reflecting on the water to our left as well as the full moon softly lighting up Xander's face. Mist from the water in the air fall on both of us, the water makes me cold they also form water drops on my eyelashes and hair falling on me.
"Are you lonely in that castle?" He asks in a voice that sounds concerned.
"N-no." I lie and the ring flashes red. I look away shamed as he looks at me.
He tells be to remove my shoes. I lean down and unzip the back of the sandals and toss them to my right, placing my uncovered feet onto the grass.
"Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be free of responsibilities?"
"All the time," Xander says with his eyes closed. I tell him to unbutton his jacket and remove to gold sash from around his chest.
"Has everyone ever told you that you are the prettiest woman alive"
"No"
"Take your shirt off," he says I take it off as he walk closer to me making me back up into a tree I look up at him in the corner of my eye my ring flashes green. He looks down at it and removes it from my hand throwing his as well as mine in to the water next to us. He brings his lips close and places both of his arms beside me trapping me between him and the tree. I could feel his hot gruff breath on my ear as it sends a pleasant shiver down my spine ", I guess I get my prize know."
All of a sudden his lips touches my neck peaking and nipping affectionately down only slightly. I feel myself go fuzzy and lean back into the tree as he kiss my collar bone above the last article of clothing on my chest letting him get rid of all unnecessary space. A feeling washes through my body, and I bite my lip trying to not make any sounds.
"Xander"
He silences me as he trails nips and kisses back up my neck. I don't what this to go any further than this, but I want to enjoy it longer. All the things I was feeling was new and exciting.
"Can I," He whispers into my ear then he pulls his face in front of mine holding my head in his hand his thumb pulling down my bottom lip he looks at my lips then into my eyes. I stare into his light coffee brown eyes The way he looks at me lights something inside me and I feel the words fall from my mouth.
"Yes."
He wraps his arms around my waist and pulls the bottom half of my body against his rubbing them together. As he kisses me he makes a sound like a hungry wolf and I think I know why his tattoo is of a wolf. As we kiss I shiver from the cold and goosebumps appear all over me he squeezes me with his muscular arms sensing my chill and I slip my hands under his jacket feeling his abs and savoring his heat. He slowly stops and pulls away then plants a kiss my hand.
"Thank you princess that was a lovely prize."