Prince Kazune's POV

Ragged breaths and shaky moans permeated the night air. It was a rather quiet and peaceful night out, but there was nothing particularly peaceful about the fire currently raging within me.

Karin and I had run away from our foolish, pestering knights to be alone together. I brought her to a lake in the middle of the forest so we could sit and enjoy the enchanting waterfall.

So much for that idea, though. We hadn't been able to stop embracing and kissing since we first sat down. I was currently sitting in the grass with Karin seated sideways in my lap, her little arms wrapped around my neck. I held her close enough to me so that our hearts could beat against one another.

"Mmm...Your Highness..." she sighed through her kisses as my hands ran over what skin I hadn't already revealed after unraveling her clothes. In the heat of our impassioned kisses, we had begun to undress each other, intrigued by the brilliant idea of going into the lake together. I'd carefully removed her gloves and boots, discarded her long, flowing cape and started to play with her enticingly tight trousers.

Karin dropped my tunic somewhere after taking my cape off of my shoulders, her soft, dainty hands running across my bare chest. The cold chill of her touch sent shivers up and down my spine. I couldn't help but tilt my head back and groan into the night sky at the sensation, deciding this teasing had to stop. I lifted the smug little princess into my arms and stood to my bare feet, carrying her out into the water.

"Enough. I'll undress you further in the lake."

As soon as I touched it, it began to boil in my wake. Bubbles flew to the surface and a thick fog started to rise up over the lake like a veil of privacy. Karin never took her eyes off of me as I carried her out far enough that the water was at my waistline.

I gently set Karin into the water, and the boiling ceases, but the fog becomes thicker from the steam. The water becomes a gentle, perfect warm temperature. It was a comforting feeling — a balance. It was very similar to how it felt for Karin and I to touch each other.

I gaze down into her eyes, my arms wrapping around her. She places her hands on my chest, gazing up at me tenderly. She may have been an ice woman now, but there was an undeniable warmth in her prepossessing eyes, just like always. When I first met her, they would burst into the most beautiful dancing flames. It was just another great part of her. She had such vivid emotions that she wore on her sleeve.

"When I was a boy," I started without thinking, "My mother would tell me stories about how all of the fire people were savages and all they did was burn people. I was taught to hate them. My cold, frozen kingdom and all of its like minded people were taught to do the same. When I first met you...you weren't anything like I imagined you would be."

My hand came up to touch her cheek. She sighed shakily, a tenderness in her gaze. I briefly wondered why I was telling her all of this — they were my honest feelings, but I'd never imagined I would tell anyone. Let alone admit them to myself.

"I wasn't expecting you to be so beautiful...or for you to feel is warm when we touched...I thought I would hate warmth, but now that I feel it, I don't want to ever be apart from it. And to think, now that we've switched elements..."

"I never understood why our people had to be enemies. It was all I knew, but I never knew the real reason. It seems absurd now, all of a sudden. Can't we all just live in harmony?" She looks up at me and I feel my heart melt at her words. She was so unbelievably sweet!

"I used to wonder the same thing, Karin." I draw her into my chest, "I used to think it was impossible. It seemed a childish thought."

"I'm beginning to think we're not all that different. If we work together...if we can love each other and work together, maybe we can show our people that we can all do the same." Karin sighed, and at that moment, I didn't think I'd ever agreed more with anything in my entire life. I take her by her shoulders and push her gently away so that I can look at her.

Princess Karin's POV

Was it possible for a frozen heart to feel so warm in my chest?

I met Prince Kazune's gaze with equal admiration, feeling an undeniable spark between us. It was so strong, causing so much tension and frustration so suddenly between us that I wanted to do something to relieve myself. I wondered if he thought the same thing. I felt like running my hands all over every inch of his skin, showing my appreciation of his magnificent build with thousands of kisses. I wanted him to do the same!

Kazune's finger's slide into my wet hair as he leans down to capture my lips. My fingers dig into his back as our lips press together, a magical sensation running through me at the contact. As our lips began moving together passionately, I felt just a little relief, but not enough. I wanted to be even closer to him!

I've never been so attracted to someone in my entire life...It's like I can't control myself! What's happening to me?

As we pull away, never breaking our gazes from one another, Kazune bends down slightly to slide his hands under me to lift me. I wrap my legs around his lower back tightly, kissing him again as I settle into his arms. As our kisses deepen and we tug at the remainder of each other's clothes, I feel my body beginning to gradually warm up again. It began at my core, where I felt my body reacting the most to my gorgeous prince, but soon it had spread to the very tips of me. My chest felt like it was burning from the inside out, like it would explode!

Kazune's hands began to feel a lot more cooler as time wore on. My lips brushed against his, our breaths mingling as I slowly opened my eyes and saw them greeted by a pleasant, frost ice blue. When I pulled away from Kazune, his hair was a snowy blond again.

"Ah..we're back to normal." I sighed shakily.

And then, as suddenly as it had consumed me, the intense, passionate desire I felt for Kazune went away all at once. The constant craving for his touch vanished into thin air, and my annoyance at his character returned until it was unbearable. I remembered suddenly all of the kissing and touching and embarrassing words we had said to one another under the witch's spell.

My cheeks burned, and I shoved my hands into Kazune's face as I let out a scream. Kazune dropped me in the water instantly, shouting out a curse in his own embarrassment. We half swam and half ran back to the edge of the lake for our clothes and hurriedly dressed back in our attire so we could run and hide. I hid behind a tree, mumbling about how I'd never be able to get married if anyone found out all of the touching and kissing their princess had just done unmarried. One more moment, and the two of us would have...

"I'LL NEVER SPEAK TO ANOTHER WITCH AGAIN!" I yelled loud enough that I'd hope she'd hear.

"You guys are finally back to normal. Are you alright?"

Kazune and I had met back up with Jin and Himeka, who had gotten out of the traps we'd put them in and were really upset after looking for us for so long. They stared at us both as we reunited with them, but we couldn't look them in the eye. I mumbled something about us continuing on our journey to find an inn to rest for the night before either of them could ask what had happened between Kazune and I.

I didn't want to tell them. I didn't want to relive everything I'd just done and pass it on. I didn't want my best friend and knight to know I'd thrown myself all over a guy I barely knew! It was humiliating enough knowing I was under a spell for so long that I couldn't control myself. It made me feel disgusting.

I'd never look Kazune in the eye ever again!

The walk toward the next town was at least another hour. It was filled with painful silence and awkward, forced conversation. Jin and Himeka were doing all of the talking, trying to break the silence, but Kazune and I kept our mouths shut. After losing control of ourselves, we probably wanted to keep our mouths shut, just in case something slipped out when the spell hadn't completely worn off yet.

I'd never blushed for so long in my life. My cheeks were inflamed - hotter than usual, and I didn't imagine the color and heat going away any time soon. Everytime I thought I felt someone's eyes on me, my skin prickled with nervous sweat and I turned away and refused to meet their gaze. Jin and Himeka eventually gave up trying to ease the silence and decided to just laugh at us instead.

"They were like something out of a novel!"

"Haha! Did you hear what they said! Like we were their parents that forbade their relationship!"

"IT'S SO HILARIOUS AND EMBARRASSING!"

"Will the two of you please shut up.." I said weakly. I didn't have the heart to put any of my usual force into it. In fact, I just felt like crawling into a hole to die. Kazune didn't sound all that high spirited either when he mumbled something back.

"You know...I should kill you all. And then myself. I want to take this to my grave."

Something told me we wouldn't be living this down anytime soon.