There was still light coming from the room, so Athena knew he was likely still awake. She carefully made her way up and entered the balcony. Her movements were light but still, Darrion was alerted.
As soon as he saw Athena, he almost fell out of his chair. He thought he had seen a ghost. He was just about to yell but Athena was already beside him, covering his mouth with her hand.
"Are you mad?" She whispered to him harshly, "Do you want everyone to know I'm here? In your bedchamber?"
Darrion was glaring right at her with a look of horror on his face. He didn't know what to say or what to think. When he finally recollected his thoughts, his eyes softened.
"Promise you won't scream?" She asked.
He nodded.
Athena slowly removed her hand from his mouth and took a seat across from him. Unfortunately for them, the movement in the room still seemed to have caught the attention of the guards outside.
Before Athena could say anything, a knock on the door made them both jump.
"Lord Darrion, is everything alright? We heard a commotion coming from within," one of the guards' muffled voices could be heard from the other side of the door.
"Everything's fine. I… I just fell over, that's all."
Athena lightly chuckled at the excuse Darrion came up with. He shot her another glare when he noticed her laughing so she quickly stopped. He'd been in the midst of reading a book and some documents when she came in through the balcony.
"To what do I owe this meeting, princess?" He asked sullenly.
It was clear what transpired earlier in the day still bothered him. He didn't even give her any eye contact.
"Sorry, could you speak up a little? I can't hear you," she whispered to him from across.
They had resorted to whispering in fear that others outside might hear them. Darrion, a little annoyed by everything, repeated himself again. This time, he whispered a little louder.
Still, Athena could not hear him.
So, she took a seat next to him instead to hear him better. This time, he didn't move away from her. Perhaps due to the lack of proper lighting, he was not aware of what the princess was wearing.
"I said, why did you come looking for me? After everything that happened in the garden and prior…" he bit his lip, uncertain of how to continue.
Athena let out a soft sigh as she leaned her head back. She didn't like situations like this but she was the one who put herself in it.
"I came here to apologize, Lord Darrion. I didn't mean for things to transpire that way. It's just that there were so many people watching us. If we suddenly became all chummy…"
As soon as he heard what she had to say, it clicked in his mind. How had he not considered that? The castle was filled with deceit and danger. Now he was beginning to understand the intentions of the princess.
"So you know I truly did not intend to mock you? That my comment was genuine?" He asked her carefully.
The princess was a little taken aback. She had not expected him to be so forthcoming with his statements. She had even predicted he might think she was fooling him into more tangled webs.
"I considered it, but you sounded genuine enough," she said how she truly felt.
"I meant what I said, Athena," he promised.
She didn't know how to respond. She avoided looking at him, choosing to look down at her hands instead. She was suddenly nervous, uncertain of what to say next.
Feeling the awkwardness growing between them, she decided to push on forward.
"So, do you accept my apology?" She asked again.
"On one condition."
"What condition?"
"You let me take you on a date," he explained.
Athena could barely believe her ears. She turned to glare at him, expecting to see a grin or a smirk. But his expression was genuine. He meant what he said!
"But if people see us all made up, who knows what other schemes or ploys they will come up with? That's just more trouble for the both of us," she reasoned.
"That is why, I propose a secret date," he continued, "I'll come and find you. I know a place that would be suitable."
"Alright, fine," she agreed to it begrudgingly.
On the surface, Athena and Darrion maintained their distance from each other. Apart from formalities, they barely spoke to each other. But that night brought them closer to each other for the first time.
"Well, I'll be going now," Athena said as she got up from her seat and walked towards the balcony once more.
As she walked into the moonlight, Darrion's jaw dropped.
The soft glow of light enveloped her with an ethereal glow. The colors she wore reflected the light. She was dressed in a loose-fitting night dress that only went as far as her knees.
Unlike during the day, her hair was down, loosely held together by a singular hairpin at the back. Even her eyes were glowing.
Had the princess always been this beautiful?
"That's what you've been wearing?!" He whispered loudly as he got up from his seat too.
He grabbed the nearest robe he could find and draped it over her shoulders to cover her up. Athena didn't notice there was anything wrong with her dress. But she appreciated the robe he draped her with.
"It's nighttime, no one can see me anyways," she replied dismissively, holding the robe a little tighter.
"I'll be taking my leave now. It was nice speaking to you, Lord Darrion," she headed towards the balcony railings.
"Wait! I'll carry you down," Darrion said as he grabbed hold of Athena's wrist.
There would have been fabric between their skin. But Athena's night dress did not have such long sleeves. Their bare skin was touching. Skin to skin.