Sorry I forgot to respond to reviews last time! Here they are!
allifeelisfake- Thanks! I fell in love with Kile x Eadlyn the moment he knocked her over in the hall. And if the last few chapters got to your feels, just wait. :)
Anna- Thank you! I love having enthusiastic readers and I hope I don't disappoint!
Guests- Thank you! :)
The next day, I awoke around eight to be prepared for my dates. Last night, I had announced that the winners were Hale, Henri, and Kile. Now, I sat before Neena, having my makeup applied for my morning walk with Hale through the gardens to collect flowers for my mother. To appear fresh, and to rid my face of the growing dark circles that marred my face, Neena applied an iridescent powder over layers of concealer. Now, looking in the mirror, you could only find them if you truly searched for them. Because of that, I was not surprised when my father came to visit me this morning; the first words he spoke were "Eadlyn, you look tired". I sighed as gracefully as I could. "I'm fine Daddy, but am I really the one we should be worried about?" she questioned, her eyes tracing the bags that had formed over the past few days. Waving it off, her shook his head "I'll be fine" he reassured, giving me a quick kiss on the head before returning to his office, which had been set up temporarily next to Mom's bed in the hospital wing.
Walking down to the garden doors in my pale pink dress that Neena had assured me would go nicely with my loosely curled hair. Hale stood by the doors, "Your Highness, you look lovely as ever." He commented, his eyes beaming. The surprise on his face when he was chosen was truly heartwarming; he hadn't given the suggestion to try and sway my emotions and win the date, he honestly wanted to do something nice for Mom that I would enjoy. "Thank you, you do look quite nice yourself".
Once outside, we both grabbed a basket that had been set outside the doors and began to work. Staying by his side, I began to take a few of the white roses from the bushes near the bench, remembering Mom telling me this had been a special spot for she and Dad. "So, what will it be today?" I asked, giving him a smile as I crossed over to the lilacs he was taking from. His smile broadened as he looked down at me. "Today I will distract you from the troubles of your life and allow you to relax" he told me proudly. I breathed a sigh of relief "Right now that sounds exactly like what I need". We worked for a few hours, talking about his home providence of Belcourt, his family, his job. From what he had told me, his parents were ecstatic when the opportunity for the Selection came along and he was twice as much so. "I've always admired you Your Hi- Eadlyn". This caused me to smile lightly, seeing the conflict on his face for that split second, "Not to mention, you are absolutely gorgeous. A man would have to be crazy to not want to spend time with you". An image of Baden yelling and the pain of his words struck me for a minute, before shaking it off. Ending the date, he walked me toward the doors and up to the hospital wing. We placed the large assortment of flowers by my mother's bed. As we left the room, I could have sworn I saw her smile.
"Thank you Hale, that was wonderful and unbelievably thoughtful of you". The idea of wanting to go on a date to try and make me happy, and not try to seduce me such as Ivan's late-night swimming date idea had been, was truly touching. As we walked down the hallway towards his room, my arm looped around his. Once we came to his door, he turned to face me "Thank you Eadlyn, for the lovely morning". And in that moment, his lips came down to mine. They weren't careful like Henri's, or sure like Kile's; they were an endearing mix somewhere in between. It was a nice kiss, leaving us with smiles and a pleasant end to the date as he retreated into his room. Yet when I thought upon it, I didn't feel driven crazy yet absolutely exhilarated like Kile's kisses had done to me.
Henri had asked me to meet him in the dining room around two, giving me a little while to freshen up in my room and relax. Neena touched up my makeup and massaged my hands, giving me the perfect energy boost to feel ready for my date with Henri. When I made it down to the dining room, Henri was already there with a wide variety of foods surrounding a small round table with two chairs. His date idea had been to take me on a tour of Swendway through food. Happily I obliged to this date, excited to see what other delicacies he had in store after that amazing dessert last week. "Hello today!" he said happily, taking my hand and kissing me on the cheek. His greetings always made me smile "Hello Henri, hello Erik" I said, looking back behind Henri to where he stood quietly. He smiled at me "Hello your Highness". The two of us were seated at the table, with Erik in a chair behind Henri "We have here Swendway!" he said excitedly, causing me to laugh. Through the next four courses of unbelievable food from roasted chicken with a creamy sauce, to a strange crispy fried thing he had described as "stekt ost bollar", and a flaky dessert that ultimately left little remaining for Henri to enjoy. He laughed it off though, seeming truly pleased that I had enjoyed his food and his idea. "Henri that was wonderful" I told him earnestly, taking his hands and squeezing them happily. With all the power I possessed and mountains I could move, I felt so helpless watching Erik translate my compliment to him. I wished so many times I could speak with Henri and tell him how amazing he is, and I fell that he wishes the exact same of me. We bid goodbye, this time with only a kiss on the cheek, seeming still nervous about last time.
Reaching my room, I excitedly jumped out of my dress, begging Neena to help me find something for y date with Kile. After a good twenty minutes of deliberation and eye rolling from both sides, I decided on soft, fitted black pants, a yellow structured sleeveless top, with different sized circles cut out all over it, including a large on in the back that was completely open, with no nude fabric underneath such as the rest of the shirt had. We decided to pair that with a flowery turquoise necklace, and nude heels. My hair was swept back into a curly ponytail with just enough volume on the top. Neena applied some coral lipstick before sending me on my way with an excited push. Walking down the stairs, I came to a rest at the door to Kile's temporary residence. Upon my knock, the door opened a few seconds later to his face, now tamed into a light smile. "Hi Eadlyn" he said, closing the door as he stepped out next to me. Looking down at me, his eyes seemed to soften "you look great". Being completely honest, he looked pretty attractive himself. His usually disheveled hair was slicked back, yet a few hairs fell loose. A few buttons on his pale blue shirt were undone and the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. As we walked, I could feel my excitement building. "So, what point in time are we going to first?" I asked, wrapping my other hand on his arm as I watched him for an answer. He chuckled lightly, turning to look ahead "Ahh Eadlyn, you never were patient". I rolled my eyes as we continued down the stairs and around a corner to a rarely used part of the castle. Stopping outside an old oak door, Kile turned to face me "Ever since the day we were born, we have been constantly at each other's throats. We never realized who the other person really was, because we never gave the other a chance. And so tonight, we fix that". The door opened with a turn of the knob, revealing a pale green nursery with mobiles fluttering from the ceiling, luxuriously soft carpet on the floor, and stuffed animals piled against the walls.
Taking my hands, Kile leads me inside and into the center of the comfortingly familiar white carpet. In the center of the room lies a picture. It captures Ahren, Kile, and I, on one of our better days, laughing on the floor as we played with our toys. "One day, when you, Ahren, and I were in here playing, you were hiding on your side of the room hoarding all the stuffed animals, and wouldn't share with anyone," he says with mock annoyance, yet a smirk tints his appearance with humor. I roll my eyes and cross my arms as my face mirrors his. "So, I came up with bright idea to walk up to the princess of Illea and take her teddy bear. I expected you to scream and yell; but instead, you began crying. I actually felt badly afterwards, seeing you so upset. So, I decided it was time to change the past and start off on a better foot". He finishes, reaching behind the crib to pull out a soft, furry brown teddy bear. I laugh happily, noticing a little tiara on its head. Leaning up, I kiss his cheek, feeling strange truly kissing him in a room where children are supposed to play.
Kile seems to feel the same way, taking my free hand and walking with me out the door and down the hallway. The moon was beginning to shine through the windows, illuminating the whole hallway. Kile's hair seemed to be glowing itself, making me turn red slight at how attractive he really was. He seemed to be having the same thought, since his face also turned red and gave my hand a light squeeze. He swallowed nervously as we came down the hallway. Stopping in front of the Woman's Room, he looked over his shoulder "May I enter Your Highness?" he pleaded, only causing my smile to grow as I tipped my head, "Well, I suppose if you must". Kile took this news happily, brushing back the stray piece of blonde hair that fell in his face.
Inside, the lighting was dim and a small box sat on the floor with a picture on top. Looking at the glossy photo, Ahren and Kile were playing on the floor with blocks while I was in the background, occupied with my dolls. Laughing at the obvious separation, I would love to go back and tell my younger self where Kile and I stand now. This idea brought a new thought to my mind: where do Kile and I stand now?
Taking my hand, Kile led me down to the floor before sitting down next to me, taking the box in his hand. "Not too long after that picture was taken, you decided you were jealous of how much fun I was having with Ahren, which granted I was rubbing in your face, so you decided to come over and kick out tower down. Now, after many years I have been able to forgive you, but maybe we wouldn't have resented each other if I hadn't been holding a grudge. And because of that," he took the lid off the box, dumping a pile of bright multicolor blocks all over the floor in front of us, "we have to fix the castle so that I will like you". With his stupid smirk, he began taking the blocks and creating the foundation of the castle. Taking the blocks, I begin to build the walls of the castle, moving around to the other side to build their defenses as well. As I build, Kile stops me, "No, it can't be just a normal castle. Ours has to be special". Something about the way he said 'Our' made a chill go up my spine.
After some discussion, we decided to make a castle style that our ancestors described as Gothic, meaning it had, as Kile described, "Pointed archways and flying buttresses". His enthusiasm for architecture has no ends. "Come on Eadlyn, you can't tell me you've never heard of Gothic style buildings? It was one of the most applied building styles of the old world!" Even if I had been spending more time with him and letting him teach me, he expects way too much. I shook my head as I placed the last brick at an angle on top, per Kile's requests. Taking my hand and pulling me up, we looked down at it with a sense of pride. Suddenly, Kile's foot came out and flew through the castle, sending bricks across the cream carpeting. Looking up at him with a stunned expression, he surprisingly smiled as he shrugged his wide shoulders "I liked how you knocked it down; made me realize you weren't one to just sit down and take things; and how right I was". He chuckled, talking in my mock irritation as I walked ahead of him.
Catching up, his hand soon found mine, pulling me along with him as we began traversing the castle yet again. His thumb rubbed lightly against mine, stopping short in the middle of the hallway outside the ballroom. Looking up at Kile's expression, he seemed to soften his usual grin into an almost shy smile, reaching up to his transfixing eyes and encompassing his whole demeanor. "What?' I asked insistently, now wanting to know what exactly was making him that way, and why his expression suddenly made me the same way. Taking a breath, Kile walked slowly with me towards the wall, "This is the alleged spot where you kissed Leron at the Christmas party. Sorry I don't have a photo for this one. Anyway, while you were back here with him, I should have been the one to kiss you instead". And with that his lips were on mine, kissing me in a way I was unaware he even knew how. Unlike the usual blissful numbness I usually felt, this one was electrifying. His lips conveyed the want he had to have taken Leron's place, and the regret he wanted to make up for now. His hands slid from their place on my face down, brushing my bear arms before resting firmly on my hips, making heat rush through me in an exhilarating way. My hands slid up his neck, tangling my lithe fingers in his golden hair. At this movement, an almost low growling sound came out of his throat, so faint that I had almost missed it. His arms pulled my body closer to his, causing one of my hands to slither down to his chest, playing with the next button on his shirt. As I do so, his hands slide under the bottom of my shirt and now rest on my bare hips, increasing both of our breathing. All too soon, his lips left mine with breathy gasps escaping from the two of us as we sat in awe of the kiss. His forehead rested on mine as I was finally able to form some combination of words that fit the English language, "Well, that beats my kiss with any day". Although I could have come up with something wittier and sarcastic, my brain was lucky to keep myself breathing.
Kile didn't respond, deciding rather to take me into the ballroom. The lights were dimmed and there was a warm atmosphere to the room. Leading me to the center of the floor, Kile left me momentarily, walking over to a device that was kept in the corner of the Women's Room and some of the older libraries in the castle. You put a disk on it and a needle slides around the top and produces music; they had been my mom's favorite discovery upon becoming queen. In my hands Kile places a photo. It was me, in my gown from the celebration last week, smiling as I converse with Henri and Kile. I had wondered where he had gotten those photos, and now I remember a certain sneaky King who had be snap-happy with his camera. Daddy. "And last week, when you walked around in that beautiful gown and all I wanted to do was tell you how amazing you looked, even though if I did, you would have told me I needed to lay off the Champaign". At this, I couldn't help but laugh, considering the fact those probably would have been the exact words to come out of my mouth.
Kile extended his hand to me, and I took it happily, smiling with pure glee as I swirled into his arms. Unlike proper ballroom dance etiquette that Silvia taught me, I wrapped my arms around his neck as Kile held me close, his calloused hands resting in their usual place on my hips. We swayed to the music, as he looked into my eyes. Something about the euphoric look in his eyes as he watched me made me shiver with bashfulness. I am Eadlyn Schreaver; I am never bashful. I looked up into his eyes, wondering how I had ever been able to feel any warmth without them. I wondered how I would be able to feel warmth ever again once he left.
The drop in my mood must have been visible to Kile, because his face fell as well. We stopped dancing, letting the music go on without us. "Eadlyn, what's wrong?" he asked, his voice doused in a concern that only made the lump in her throat bigger. "To think we wasted all these years, and now we are counting the months we have left. I- I just don't know how I'm going to go down the halls and not have you knocking me over or pulling me into closets for kisses". Turning on my heel, I detached myself from him as my shoes clicked toward the ballroom door. His heavier footfalls came closer before a hand rested gently on my shoulder. I resisted the overwhelming urge to turn around, steeling myself to keep my head tilted at the floor. We stood there for what felt like years of silence, statues passing through time and crumbling away with the years. Finally, he shifted "Eadlyn," he began, his words carrying the weight of every emotion he felt. I turned around, pulling a small envelope out of my pocket and pushing it into his hands. "I spoke to your mother yesterday. You leave next week. I found a prestigious architecture program in New Asia through some research. I sent them a letter of recommendation and some drawings of yours. They were delighted to welcome a friend of the royal family" I told him with a sad smile.
Kile stood there, the opened envelope in one hand, his blonde hair in the other. His eyes conveyed excitement, shock, sadness, confusion. "Eadlyn, no, I can't just leave you…" Finally turning to fully face him, I folded his fingers over the envelope and laid my hands on top of his. "You would have to be stupid to pass up this opportunity Kile, don't waste all the reading you've done over the past twenty years". The corners of his mouth tilted into a smile, but it did not reach his eyes as he watched me. I leaned up and kissed his cheek softly, feeling as if a piece of me had broken off with him as I pulled away. "You were right, you can't stay here forever. I won't let the world pass by you from the other side of these windows. You should be out there leading it". I walked away from his statuesque form, plucking my bear and my pictures off the floor before walking out of the room, hearing the record scratch behind me as it ended.
My room felt foreign, solitary as I realized that the rooms around it were empty. First I lost Ahren, then Mom, and now Kile. I fell on to my bed after hastily dismissing Neena. My hands wrapped around the horrific piece of fabric that had been lying under my pillow for the past week or so, it scent calming and heartbreaking all at the same time. That night I fell asleep in my clothes and makeup from the day, a bear wrapped in one arm and horrendous tie in the other as I dreamed of a smaller world.