A few kilometres from the castle of Olympia, Princess Zaria stood naked in the shower with the man she aught not have gotten close to. He was standing so close behind her, planting light kisses on her shoulders. Kisses she still felt despite the water dripping down on them.
Everything about Oscar was a fulfilment of her deepest desires. His confession everything her heart yearned for, yet her heart ached.
Still standing behind her, Oscar called her name lovingly. "Zaria?"
She was too quiet, he was wondering if she heard him.
She turned to face him, her nakedness completely forgotten.
"Did you hear what I said?" he asked.
Always practical in her approach, she shook her head. "You don't have to say that. I.."
"You what?"he cut her short before turning off the water, grabbing a towel and drying her.
"It's okay. Please don't feel bad about my stupid tears. I have no delusions about what this is. You don't have to say that to make me feel better," she finally spoke, breaking his heart.
"What do you think this is Zaria?"
She tried to grab the towel from him but he would not let her have it. The way he was gently drying the water from her body was making everything worse. She masked a gasp when he proceeded to dry her still sensitive thighs and genitals.
Unable to take it anymore, she walked out of the shower, intentionally ignored the mirror before her and headed into the bedroom where she picked up her panties and gown. She needed to get out of there and hopefully force her treacherous heart and mind to forget about him and the intimacy they shared.
"I have to go or I will be late for my appointment," she explained.
He laughed at her lie and followed behind her. Grabbing the gown from her hands and throwing it on the bed, he started applying lotion on her.
"That…that's a women's lotion," she pointed out, unable to hide the possessive feeling rising inside her.
"Yes it is. Your favourite I am told," he responded, amused. "It was sealed," he added with a smug, making her blush and curse inside. She was becoming too transparent to him and she did not like it.
She objected when he knelt in front of her and attempted to apply lotion on her legs.
"I will do that myself, thank you," she quickly said, moving away from him.
"Afraid to end up in my bed again?" he teased, not aware of the fear he was raising in her. She had concluded that he did not love her. She had once again fallen for a man who did not feel the same. Quickly putting on her gown, she hurried towards the door, forcing him to run behind her with only a towel wrapped around his waist.
"You are not going anywhere, Zaria. We both know that there is no appointment. You are stubborn and crazy enough to turn my life upside down. I would rather we are on the same page about this before you run off," he said decisively, blocking her way.
"I don't know what you want me to say."
"I just said I love you and you don't believe me. You think I go around pissing off powerful monarchs for fun. Do you think I went to war for the thrill of it?"
She shrugged her shoulders, not knowing what he wanted from her. She was hurting enough just being so close to him.
"I don't know," she responded.
"You don't know?" he repeated the words that pierced through his heart.
"You know what? Just leave," he said coldly, opening the way for her. He had done enough to show her his love but she obviously did not want to see it.
"I was doing that!" she snapped, his attitude getting to her. She would have long gone had he not stopped her and suggested she took a shower.
He leaned against the wall, his eyes fixed on her. This was not how this played out in his dreams. She was completely his and him hers, not this.
"I am leaving today. I will probably be away for two months or more. If you care that is," he said with the same cold voice, stopping her on her tracks.
She turned to look at him, her irritation dissipating, her heart aching more.
"I don't think we will meet again then. Thank you for everything, truly."
He narrowed his eyes, her statement taking him by surprise.
"You are going to wed not die, Zaria. Surely we will meet again."
She teethed and shook her head. "There shall be no wedding. My disgraced burial probably but no wedding."
"Zaria," he called her softly, the implications of her words shuttering him.
"The less you know the better."
"Princess Millia?"he asked, ignoring her warning. Her reaction confirmed his suspicions and fear.
The princess looked at him shocked by his guess."How do you know about her?"
As far as she knew, only royals were thought about the disgraced princess.
"You are following her steps aren't you?"he asked, ignoring her question.
"I shall not be forced into a loveless marriage. I would rather be disgraced and executed," she said decisively.
"Zaria,"his already shuttered heart was now throbbing. He underestimated her contempt for her fiancé. Guilt for losing his patience with her consumed him. He knew how stressed she had been and still lost his patience.
"I would move heavens and earth for you. How can you not believe that I love you?"he asked with a shaky voice, pulling her heartstrings.
She shook her head and blinked back the tears threatening to fall down. His words were everything she yearned for but it was not real. She finally knew the man he was.
"That's because you don't. You give out this arrogant, ignorant attitude but you are in fact a kind gentleman who would say anything to end heartache and suffering. You don't love me Oscar. Maybe an element of lust but mostly you pity me."
He chuckled and shook his head before pressing a button on the wall next to him. The automated doors slammed shut behind her.
"What are you doing?"she asked when she found herself locked in the house with him.
He approached her, his eyes locked on hers.
"You are terrified of falling in love. You are so in denial, you can't even see what's right in front of you. I tried showing you, now I am telling you but you still don't believe me. The question is do you love me, Zaria?"
Her mouth opened and closed, words forsaking her. All she could do was nod her head as his head dropped to ravage her lips.
"I believe you. Tell me what I should do to prove to you that I really love you?" he asked when they finally broke off their kiss.
She shrugged her shoulders and looked away, not willing to be turned down again.
"Zaria?"he asked. She was holding something back and he wanted to know what.
"I am following Princess Millia. It's the only way out of the treaty," she said instead.
He studied her for a few seconds, digesting her words.
"No sane man is going to come near you and risk execution. You know that right?"
Very few people outside of her kingdom had met Princess Zaria in person, but everyone knew who she was. Most importantly, they knew that she belonged to King Vincent. Beside him, he could bet his on his life that no man would ever attempt getting on King Vincent's bad books.
"I know that."
"How exactly are you planning on executing your plan?"
"I don't know yet. All I know is that is the only way out of the treaty," she confessed. She had not yet gotten to the details of her plan.
Her response sent chills down his spine but also got him so jealous he could not help it.
"You don't know yet. Which means you are planning on welcoming another man to your bed? What am I to you Zaria?"
She looked at him, dumbfounded. Oscar really looked hurt yet he turned her down. "I asked you and you turned me down. You don't get to be jealous now!"
"You need to stop misinterpreting my words. I always say what I mean and I don't remember turning you down," he said firmly.
"Again, you were being a gentleman," she insisted. She preferred hard truth than deception.
He chuckled, her reaction finally making complete sense.
"I was not. I meant exactly what I said. I don't plan on ever having a quickie with you. I want to kiss and taste every part of you. I want to hear you scream my name over and over again. I want to hold you in my arms and fall asleep with you beside me. I will need at least a day alone with you to do that. Two days, a week, but a lifetime would be even better. Can you give me that?"
She hesitated, not quite sure what to believe anymore. Did he really love her?
"Woman please!"he yelled impatiently. Her doubting his motives was getting him frustrated.
"The royal ball. It won't be a full day but close," she blurted out, replacing his frustration with laughter and making his heart dance.
"I will be there," he quickly replied.
"Really?"she asked, unable to hide her excitement.
"Do I look like I like sharing my woman?"
She rolled her eyes, earned herself another passionate kiss before she left.