"Oh, little bird, what a pleasure it is to see you again, dear princess."

Maka felt her blood run cold at the honey-covered words being uttered by the prince in front of her. Regardless of her fear, her facial expression did not change, and she regarded the young man with a steady gaze.

"Good afternoon, Wesley. We are so honored to have you here in Emerilli again."

Prince Wesley was leaning against a pillar in the hallway that led to one of the libraries on the second floor of the Emerald Palace. He wore a tunic of deep blue and black trousers that were tucked into his boots. On his head with the golden crown that signified him as the heir to the throne of Venaria.

But it wasn't his attire that struck the princess as odd.

It was his demeanor.

While Wesley had always been devilishly handsome, he rarely wore an expression akin to the one he had at the moment.

As children of royalty, they were accustomed to schooling their features into masks of indifference, hiding their feelings to avoid conflict. But Wesley didn't look like he was hiding anything.

There was a smirk on his lips, as if he knew something that Maka didn't. His eyes were dark and hardened, narrowed into slits as he looked over the princess appraisingly, like a horse he was intending to buy.

The princess clasped her hands in front of her tightly as she looked for the nearest escape. She considered simply excusing herself and leaving the prince, but knew that her actions would be regarded as rude.

At her actions, Wesley's smirk widened. "Do I make you nervous, princess?" he asked with a sinister chuckle. He crossed the hallway, his boots creating a soft thud against the polished stone as he approached her. "I truly hope that isn't the case."

"Not at all, Wesley, I was simply admiring my engagement ring," Maka said sweetly as she lifted her hand up for the prince to see. On the gold band was a large diamond, surrounded by emeralds, the same shade as the girl's eyes.

Wesley looked over the ring with a sneer. "Ah yes, I do remember hearing about you engagement to Kiddford. Tell me, how is the young duke handling the loss of his father?"

Maka's face whitened slightly, but her lips curled into a snarl. "He's doing well, and learning as much as he can about his kingdom. Now, if you will excuse me, I was headed to see my sister," she stated, sweeping past him without the customary bow.

The Prince's eyes raked over the girl's slim form as she walked away, noticing the lithe grace in her every step.

"We'll see how long this "engagement" of yours lasts, princess."

00000000

Maka stood against the railing of her balcony, her fingers rubbing circles on her temple. Spending the day trying to avoid Wesley had been exhausting, and she couldn't wait for the prince and his retinue to head back to Venaria for another year.

Growing up, she had always disliked the elder prince, but he had seemed harmless. Sure, he would flirt with her occasionally, despite her well known betrothal, but it was always in a passive way so she never paid it much mind.

Unlike this evening, when his gaze had seemed almost predatorial. As though he wanted nothing more than to hunt her for sport. The thought made her shiver.

Wrapped in her nightdress after dismissing her maids for the evening, the princess wanted nothing more to settle in her bed for the night with a thick book.

As she turned to face the door, she let out a small gasp.

Standing in her doorway, was Wesley.

When her eyes widened in surprise, the prince leapt forward, putting his hand over her mouth before dragging her inside through the doors.

She tried to resist his grip, but it was too strong and Maka felt herself losing the battle. As he shut the door behind him with his foot, he angled her so that she was pushed up against the wall, trapped between him and the cold stone.

Maka bit down hard on his hand, causing the prince to pull back in surprise. The girl seethed in rage, her arms straight against the side of her body and her fists clenched tightly.

"What the hell are you doing here, Wesley? This isn't exactly proper!" she hissed at him, letting her rage cover her fear.

"Are you really going to marry him?" Wes asked suddenly, his voice thick with emotion. His burgundy colored eyes bore into hers and it took all of Maka's willpower to stand up to him.

This Wes wasn't casually flirting and he seemed sincere.

He seemed . . . hurt.

Maka shook the thought from her head. This was Wes. He didn't have a sincere bone in his body.

"Yes, I am," she stated proudly, jutting her chin forward defiantly. "Now get out of my room."

Wes shook his head and took a step closer to her. "No. I'm not letting you do this," he snarled at her.

"You can't stop me, Wes. It's been set in stone for over a decade, and I'm very happy with the conditions. Kid respects me, he cares about me."

The prince scoffed at her remark. "But does he love you?"

Maka's lips curled in disgust at his remark. "You know as well as I do that love has no place in our lives, Wes. I'm lucky to get someone as good as Kid." Her eyes softened as she thought about how good Kid was to her.

She knew there would never be any Earth-shattering love in their marriage. But there was so much genuine affection and kindness in him, even with his eccentricities, that she knew it would be okay.

Wes put a hand against the wall just above her shoulder, making Maka tense. "I know you, Maka. All those books you read. You want love, princess. Real love. The kind that makes your knees weak and your heart pound," he whispered darkly. Wes wasn't looking at her anymore, his mind lost in thought.

Maybe that's what he wanted as well?

The kind of devotion that transcends time and space, the kind of love that leaves you breathless and exhilarated with just one touch. That's what he wanted.

And there was nobody that made Wes feel more breathless and out of control than this slip of a girl, with her piercing green eyes and her enormous will.

She made him feel alive.

Wes turned his attention back to the girl, leaning in closer, his breath ghosting over the juncture of her neck and shoulder. "We could have that, princess."

Maka resisted the urge to shove him away, knowing the action would only anger him and cause retaliation. Instead, she bit her lip and shut her eyes, trying to block him from her mind.

She felt sick to her stomach.

He was so different from his brother, or at least how Maka imagined his brother was now. Soul was sincere and genuine. In all the years Maka had known Wes, she had never seen a genuine action from him. Everything was plotting and manipulative.

So what did he want now?

Was it her? Did he want her to sate his temporary desires whilst in her country?

Or was he after something much more sinister? Was he after her throne?

When Maka finally opened her eyes, she realized that Wes' gaze lingered on her own, his crimson eyes startling her with intensity with which they bore into hers. She bit back of a yelp of surprise, biting down on her cheek in the process.

"Wes, you should go. This isn't appropriate," she said calmly, steele lingering in her voice.

The look he had been giving her, one that seemed to look right through her, slowly shifted from burning intensity to a mask of passivity. Reluctantly, he pulled away.

"You're right, princess. Where's the fun in doing things this way?"

A/N: Miss me? Yeah, me too. I missed you guys a lot, but I'm glad you followed the story and hopefully kept up with it. College has basically kicked me in the face, but I love it. Heads up, the next few chapters will all be in the past, covering the arc where we discover how Maka came to be in Venaria. I hope you guys love it! I know it's a short chapter, but I really wanted to introduce you guys to this arc in the story and post something because you guys have been so amazing!

Side Note: I got a tumblr, feel free to follow me. My URL is acrossthestars. I'll try to keep the tumblr up to date on what's happening, so if you need anything, feel free to PM me. I check my messages almost every day! *Hugs*