"Good." Ethyn kept his hands in place on the wall around the woman.
The sight of nearly losing her to the water below had disturbed him more deeply than he cared to admit. Covered in the mist of the falls, he unconsciously shivered.
Suddenly feeling that he was invading the woman's space, Ethyn started to move. But Rose's hand flew to his chest, causing him to freeze in place.
"Thank you," she said so softly that the words were swallowed by the roar of the waterfall beside them.
But Ethyn could read those lips. Those lips...they were tempting. The knight gulped. "You are welcome. Rose..."
"Ethyn." Rose's voice overlapped his. It was full of pleading.
The young man blinked, coming back to his senses. "You are right, I should move away."
The lovely woman looked down, her eyes misting like the falls. "Wouldn't want to give that girl you are pining over an extra reason to despise me."
"That would be very difficult." Ethyn turned his head and blew out his cheeks.
"Oh, she already hates me then?" Rose looked at him from below her eyelashes. A small droplet trickled down her face.
Ethyn instinctively reached over and wiped it with his thumb. Now the girl had an escape if she wanted to move from the cage he had placed around her, yet she didn't move. He smiled.
"She cannot hate you..." the young man pressed into his words, straining against his judgment. "She cannot hate you... because she is you."
"What?" Rose's eyes widened. She clearly had not expected him to utter those words.
Ethyn tried to think quickly. Was there anything he could say that would keep the princess from despising his presence? Anything that would stop the backlash of the admission he had just made!
Instead his mouth continued without his permission. "You are the one."
The knight recoiled inwardly. He wouldn't blame the blue-eyed beauty if she fled after such a bold statment. But Rose still didn't run. Instead the corners of her lips moved upwards in a tentative smile.
"You aren't just saying that because you feel like you have to?"
Ethyn couldn't help but balk. He swept the water of the falls from his face. "I am saying it in spite of my reason! If you don't have me executed for my insane admission, then your brother certainly will. Yet if I let this moment pass without telling you how I felt, I am as good as dead anyway. Seeing you nearly fall broke something in me. I realized part of my heart would be going with you below, and you didn't even know it. Well, now you know."
Had he said too much? Surely if he had then Rose would have cut him off and put him out of his misery. The princess liked to tease, but she was not cruel. Surely...surely...
"I think," Rose found herself stammering beneath he man's piercing gaze. "I think I like the way you feel. I think I may feel the same way."
"You think?" Ethyn was no longer afraid of falling. At this moment he felt he could fly. "Is there anything I can do to make you know for sure?"
The princess eyed him shyly. "Well...you could try what you saw Ashton do the other..."
Rose couldn't even finish her sentence. Ethyn ran his fingers along her jawline and cupped the back of her head. He pushed his lips against hers, causing Rose to snap her eyes shut with a soft sigh.
Beneath her eyelids, a kaleidoscope of colors flashed across her vision. Each one represented a different good but overwhelming emotion that flooded her senses. His touch had felt pleasant, but this?
This was so much more.
Her body was on the verge of being completely overcome. Her skin felt like it was on fire, especially where his fingers had grazed her chin. What was happening?
The princess's knees buckled, but the wall braced her up before she could slip to the ground. Sensing her loss of balance, Ethyn began to pull away only for her to grab onto his armor and deepen the kiss.
The young man wrapped his hand around the lady's waist and cradled her in his arms. In two seamless side-steps, they were under the water fall in a much wider part of the path. Ethyn set her on the ground as he reluctantly pulled his face away from hers.
Rose did not immediately remove her hands from around the knight's neck. When had they even gone there? It was like they had a mind of their own. Her whole body was reacting without her consent. What had this man done to her?
She didn't care.
"A first kiss," Rose tried to find more words.
"Yes." Ethyn's voice was husky as he struggled to catch his breath. "I told you I wouldn't kiss just anyone. I meant it." He smiled at her as he knelt beside her. Something deep inside told him that he had found the one his heart longed for.
"And?" Rose bit her lip shyly.
"I am very keen to try the experiment a second time to see if I get similar results." The man's green eyes shimmered with amusement. He stole a second kiss, causing Rose to inhale sharply.
Ethyn pulled back quickly, concerned. "Did I hurt you?"
"No. I just did not expect my first and second kisses to be so close together." Rose smiled weakly at him, her head feeling very light.
The knight's jaw dropped. "I..." he started to apologize only to realize that she had asked him to kiss her. Ethyn might have been a little overeager, but he had not taken anything that wasn't offered. "I am honored."
Pulling himself from Rose's grasp, Ethyn sat and leaned against the wall beside her. The spray from the waterfall floated into the alcove, covering them with its mist. The droplets cooled their heated skin. The wall of water infront of them obscured their vision to the outside world, leaving them to their thoughts.
"What do we do now?" The princess pressed her lips together, hoping to keep the tingling sensation just a moment longer.
The knight wasn't sure exactly what she meant, so he gave the most obvious answer. "We wait until you can walk again—which by the way I am very flattered—and then we continue on to the point you wanted to show me. Unless this is the spot...?"
"No, not that. I mean. What do we do about...us?" The princess had a small worry that now that the knight had gotten her affection, he might be satisfied to go back to the way things were.
"Oh, that. Well, I am happy to say that I am fully at your mercy. I am willing to move as quickly or slowly as you deem appropriate. I am willing to shout it from the rooftops—this would be my preference with how I feel just now—or tell no one. But I fully intend to never let you go unless you send me away."
"If you make me feel like this, I want to be around you every moment of my life." Rose sighed.
Ethyn took her hand. "I cannot promise such happiness, but I will promise to be present no matter the feeling."
"That is enough for me." Somewhere deep down, Rose knew this was true. Happiness or grief, life was better with this man nearby.
"Good." They sat quietly for a moment before Ethyn chuckled to himself. "Hmm…I guess this really is the Falls of True Love...."
Rose stared at him slack-jawed. "Wait, you knew?!"
Ethyn winked. "I do now."