Alexander groaned and pulled completely away. He ran his fingers through his hair and laughed internally that Corina was making a mountain out of mole hills related to such an insignificant woman. "You really are adamant about it, aren't you?"
Corina nodded. She waited in silence for him to speak.
"When I was eight, I proposed marriage to a girl around my age," Alexander began. "It wasn't anything but out of pity for the poor girl."
"Why did you do that?" Corina wondered.
"The other noble boys at our school were quite cruel to her. They would tease her relentlessly and call her names. Some of the boys would pull her pigtails and push her around. They were mean."
"Why would they make fun of her?"
"Well," Alexander groaned. "I don't want to sound disrespectful, but she was a very unattractive girl."
"She was? That's why they were mean to her?" Corina asked.
"Yes," he confirmed. "I know it sounds terrible because it is. I felt so bad for her, I told her, in front of everyone, I would marry her someday."
Corina grinned. "Did it make her happy?"
"Yes, too happy," Alexander sighed. "She began to follow me around like a puppy. Everywhere I went, she seemed to be there like a shadow. Looking back, it was cute in a way, but at the time I was super annoyed but too polite to say anything."
"Aww, she liked you."
"She did," Alex chuckled. "It continued as we grew. It became quite embarrassing in my teenage years. Helga even approached my father during a party when we were 16 to introduce herself as my future wife. The girl had become so overjoyed and was serious about it when she spoke to him. It took years of explaining the situation for Father to understand I had no intentions of making her my bride."
"Why didn't you?" Corina asked, tilting her head.
"Because, while I felt bad for her, I couldn't see her romantically. She felt more like a sister to me. We did so much together as children. It would have been impossible for me to fall for her."
"I bet she's disappointed you're getting married," Corina said.
"Yes," he nodded. "Very much so, but she was invited to our wedding as a curtesy. I wonder if she'll actually attend."
"Oh, I want to meet my rival!" Corina smiled and clasped her hands together. "I hope she shows up."
"You're too excited about it." Alexander sighed and leaned his head back. "I'm just glad you understood the situation."
"Of course," Corina shrugged her shoulders. "I want to hear her stories about you. Maybe I could charm her into becoming my bestie."
Alexander's eyes widened, and he let out a small laugh. "You would become her friend just to embarrass me, wouldn't you?"
"I definitely would!"
Corina hummed to herself as she watched a few birds playing around the water fountain. She kicked her legs and swayed her upper body slightly from side to side.
"You seem happy," the Duke pointed out as he watched her joyful actions. "Do you like birds?"
"Yes," she replied. "But I like dogs, cats, and mice more!"
"Mice? They're pests."
Corina looked back at him and shook her head side to side. "They're not just pests! One time we had a mouse infestation at the castle, and they'd scurry by with all kinds of crumbs. When I was tiny, a baby mouse came up to me and let me pet him. I named him Bob! I kept him for a long time!"
"You kept a random mouse?"
"Uh-huh. Bob was not any mouse! I kept him hidden in a little cage in my closet until Miss Elsa found him. She told my mama, and I was made to get rid of him."
Alexander reached over and gently stroked the back of Corina's head. The sensation of his fingers against the back of her neck sent a shiver down her spine.
"Sorry, I can't promise you a mouse," Alexander replied.
"It's okay."
"A cat? If you want a cat, we could introduce a kitten to the castle," he suggested.
Corina's eyes sparkled at the mention of getting a kitten. She had a bright smile as she nodded, placing a finger on her chin. "Could it be a wedding gift?"
"Of course," he agreed. "I'd give you the world, but if you'd simply be pleased with a fluffy friend, we shall pick one out together."
"I'm so happy!" Corina couldn't contain her joy. She moved over and sat on Alexander's lap in a quick motion. She wrapped her arms around her neck and buried her face against his neck. "Thank you so much, hubby!"
Alexander's cheeks flushed pink from the sensation of feeling the smaller body on his lap. He felt the gesture was a little too intimate, especially in such a public space, but she didn't have it in him to push her away. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her waist. He closed his eyes and groaned lowly, as he could tell his body was overly sensitive to her touches. It was reacting in a rather uncomfortable way to the feeling of her bottom against his lap. "Corina," he whispered.
He still couldn't believe that underneath the exterior appearance, the woman he loved wasn't actually born as one. Even though he had felt for himself it definitely was the case, her dainty figure was more tempting than any other woman he had been in the presence of.
The princess nuzzled her face against his neck and also closed her eyes. She held onto him tightly as she felt his fingertips brush against her sides, then his hands boldly moved to cup her bottom. "Alex, why are you touching my butt?"
The words she spoke further fueled his desire. He loved how honest she was and how it never seemed to him she beat around the bush. "Corina, I love you," he purred against her ear.
"Mmhm," she moaned softly against his neck in reaction to the sensation of his warm breath against her ear.
"You drive me crazy," he whispered, kissing underneath her right ear.
"Being crazy isn't good!" She whined.
Alexander smiled and continued to press soft kisses against her neck. He slowly trailed his lips down to the base of her neck, and nipped gently at the spot before pulling back. "It's a good crazy, my love."
Corina buried her face against his shoulder. "But I always heard being crazy is a bad thing! Crazy people get locked up in the dungeon."
Alexander smirked as he squeezed her bottom with both hands. He heard her let out a surprised yelp in response and felt her body squirm against him. "Like that," he whispered. "You make me crazy with desire. How I want to explore your body to the fullest extent. I wish I could carry you to my bed and undress you."
"O-oh," she blushed and attempted to bury her face further against his shoulder. "What would you do exactly?"
"I wonder," he teased as he moved a hand between the center of her bottom, brushing it down against the bulge through her dress. "I suppose you will need to wait to see."
Corina could feel the blood rushing to her privates as she stiffened from his touch. She squirmed more, which caused her to grind against his hand. When she did, she felt the Duke press his hips up against her, when she felt how hard he was even through the fabric between them. "Ah, don't do that!" She whined. "You're not going to do more. It'll make it uncomfortable."
"I can't touch with my hands?" He asked as he moved his hands away, placing them onto the bench on both sides of him. "What a shame, really."
"Alex," she protested to him, moving his hands.
"So, you liked it?" He grinned.
"Y-Yes," she exhaled, then pulled away to look at him. She bit her lip and stared into his eyes.
Alexander felt his cheeks grow hotter to the way her face looked in the moment. If they were already married, he wouldn't be able to resist the temptation of such an expression. He sighed. He was an honest man and had been brought up to do the right thing. He felt he had already crossed the line too far as it was, so he couldn't give in to the temptation of the princess.
Just a couple of weeks. He knew he could hold out. At least, he hoped he could. He was going to show her sensations and make her body react in ways she never dreamed.
"Let's go back inside," he reluctantly said.
Corina nodded and sighed, then stood up. She brushed off her dress and clasped her hands in front of her. She followed Alexander back inside. As they walked, the two spoke of their plans for the next day. Later, they would have dinner with their parents.
"Tomorrow, would you like to visit the village with me?" He asked her as they walked.
"I would love to!"
Corina felt excited. Her last visit was one filled with sadness, so she looked forward to exploring with the duke.