As the sun slowly set over the palace of Castlebury, casting hues of golden yellow and orange in the sky, Jules and Ashton retreated by themselves to one of the upper floor balconies to spend some quiet time together.
"I can't believe Christmas is almost over so soon...It's like a flash!" Jules smiled a little wistful as Ashton held her close to rest on his shoulder. The brilliant view before them raised the sentimental mood shared between them during such a moment of privacy.
"Though we could not stop time from running, I've found myself much happier than last year's Christmas...I found you...and you too...We have endless possibilities to look forward to...Don't you feel the same?" He wrapped his arms around her waist, turning to face her with a tender smile.
When her eyes met his gaze at just a hair breadth's apart, she could not help blushing pink and giggled. "I...don't know...If we could have a choice, I'd rather replay everything that happened this Christmas...because..."
"Because...?"
She bashfully looked away and pointed towards the sun in the far off distance, "Because winter sunsets are amazingly beautiful!"
He chuckled at her innocence and took out a cellphone from his pocket to take a snapshot of her against the scenic backdrop.
"That was quick of you!" She smiled with pleasure and grabbed her turn at snapping a few pictures of him and them together.
As he hugged her close again, Jules felt it was time for her ask the question which repeated in her thoughts lately. Fingering his coat button, she avoided looking into his eyes and lowered her gaze as she said, "Ashton, I honestly don't know for how long I will be able to stay here with you...I don't come from here...and it seems like a suddenly when things changed so much and too fast...for me..."
Just feeling her tone, he could sense her well-kept insecurity. It was true of this which she had confessed to him and he could not deny the reality behind it, though recent events felt completely like a fairytale. He knew it was time to get a bit of her perspective, the point of view of a commoner who chanced upon meeting a noble like him.
He held her hands again and kissed those slender fingers of hers, "I understand, Jules...We can't control destiny...but I won't let you go through it alone...because you are a part of me...and us..."
She has never heard a more soothing voice coming from him, something much more gentle than before. Lifting her gaze to lock with the certainty of his, she seemed to see a lesser known different side of him. It was princely, yet no longer detached but sweetly endearing.
