I walked down the stairs and into the small dining room where I saw Helia and Oscar sitting and talking.
I cleared my throat to signify that I was in the room. Oscar looked up and smiled. Helia did not move.
"Flora, you look beautiful as always. I swear that my collection was made for you without me not knowing." Oscar beamed as he stood up and walked over to me.
"Thank you." I smiled lightly, trying to be polite and trying to hide the fact that I didn't want to be in the same room as Helia.
"Come sit. Dinner will be served shortly." Oscar smiled as he took my hand warmly in his. He led me over to the table and pulled out a chair for me to sit at. He sat me across the table from Helia. I kept my head down. I did not want to look at him and it was apparent that he did not want to look at me.
My stomach dropped and all I wanted to do was throw up. I needed to get out of that room. I needed to be away from Helia.
"I don't think that I am hungry." I sighed running my fingers along the top of the chair.
"Are you sure, Flora? Would you still stay for dinner?" Oscar asked.
I looked at Oscar and his face looked concerned. I looked down at Helia and all he did was look down and to the side. I could not be in the same room as him right now.
"I think that I would like to go to my room. Thank you, Oscar."
"If you get hungry, I will ask the chef to leave something for you."
"Thank you."
I smiled at Oscar as he gave me a parting kiss on top of my hand. I walked out of the room and back up the stairs to my room. I lightly closed the door and turned with my back against the wall. I felt the tears leave my eyes and my legs felt weak. I slid down the wall and buried my head in my knees.
How could I let someone like Helia Saladin get to me? I could not stand to be in the same room with him. Just last night we were crammed in a pantry and today, I did not want to be within a mile of him. Just being in the same building was too close. But we had to find a way to work together and get home. I know that I can't do it without him.
But for tonight, I just wanted to be alone.
I stood up and walked over to the vanity and saw the same pitcher of water and a small towel. I placed the towel in the water and placed the wet towel over my face to hopefully to get rid of the redness on my face from crying.
I removed the towel from my face and looked at my face in the mirror. I looked like a mess. I felt like a mess. I walked over to my bed and sat there, thinking about what to do next. I had to be civil with Helia, there was no way around that. I would talk to him when only necessary. I would not talk to him about anything else than getting home. He was a partner in a mission. That was all. Nothing more.
There was a knock on the door and thinking that it was Miss Prism at adjusted my clothes and hair. "Yes?"
The door opened and it was not Miss Prism, it was the last person that I wanted to see. Helia.
"What do you want?" I sighed as I turned my head away from Helia, trying to avoid Helia's gaze. He stood at the entrance of the room.
"May I come in?" he asked.
"If you must." I replied not wanting him to come closer but the door was already opened, there was not much that I could do.
Helia shut the door and walked into the room and took a seat at the chair by the vanity across the room from my bed. He sighed and looked out of the window at the side of the room.
"Is there any reason that you are here?" I asked Helia. "I really just want to be alone right now."
"I know, I just wanted to talk about what happened today?"
"What do you want to talk about? The library? The girl at the library? How I was almost raped by some crazed racist asshole? About the kiss? What could you possibly want to talk about Helia?! Because quite frankly, I don't want to talk about any of it!" I crossed my arms while still avoiding contact with him, my voice raising.
"Flora."
"Don't, 'Flora' me!" I finally snapped. "Today was a shitty day and I would just like to forget about it!"
"Do you think that I've had a great day too?" Helia stood up.
"I am sure that it was a million times better than mine! You were smiling with some other girl as I was fearing for my life! You don't get to talk to me about having a bad day!" I shot up and walked over to Helia.
"What are you talking about? What girl?" Helia asked as he narrowed his eyes and stared at me.
"The blonde in the library. I saw you smiling." I looked down and sighed. "You never smile."
"Blonde? Flora, that was just a friendly patron. She helped me find a book and I was thanking her."
"I am sure more than thanking was being done." I felt my voice begin to crack. Helia's filled with confusion.
"You know what, Flora. Just forget it." Helia groaned as he started to walk out of the room.
"Unbelievable." I shook my head.
"What?" Helia snapped his head to look towards me.
"Do you even care about me? The only time that you have ever been nice to me was when you were drunk and when you pulled Kipling off of me." I sighed as I sat back down on the bed.
"What are you talking about? Of course I care?" Helia narrowed his eyes again.
"Yeah...right. You have a funny way of showing it." The tears threatened to fall from my eyes and I refused to let Helia see me so weak.
"Flora, I do care about you." Helia sighed as he walked back over to me and sat next to me on the bed.
"Helia, you don't need to lie to me. I know how you feel about me." I moved away from him on the bed.
"You don't know anything about how I feel?"
"I don't? Really, Helia? You have barely said anything to me all day, you don't look at me, you pushed me away. I was stupid to think that you cared about me." I felt my voice raise.
"Flora, you are being ridiculous! I love you!" Did I hear him right? Did he mean to blurt that out? Was he really talking about me?
"Excuse me?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
"As much as I have tried to fight it, I am in love with you." Helia looked up at me and I met his blue eyes. Was he drunk again? Was he lying to me?
"Helia...I..."
"Please, I know that you don't feel the same way. I have been nothing but obnoxious towards you. I fell in love with you from the moment you commented on my painting. Your smile captured my heart and your voice was like music to my ears. I had to save you from the monster, I knew from those few moments that I could not live without you. When I saw you cowered in the wind, I had to come to you. You are the one for me. I am so glad that I am here with you. You are perfect. You are the light in a dark world. Everytime that I try to talk to you, I become at a loss for words. I become paralyzed with fear and I kick myself every time that I say something rude or stupid. I tried to put my feelings for you aside. I had to move on. But when I saw Kipling on you, I became so enraged that everything that I am had become an afterthought. You were all that mattered. You have always been all that has mattered. When you kissed me, I had to pull away. I was starting to lose control. You drive me insane. Flora, you are everything to me." Helia moved closer and closer to me until he was seated right next to me, my hands in his.
I once again was lost for words. All I could look at him in shock. Come on, Flora. You have to tell him that you feel the same. Stop being so scared! Tell him!
"I understand." Helia sighed and let go of my hands.
FLORA! DO IT!
"I love you too." I said, just above a whisper but it was enough for him to hear me.
Helia looked up and placed one of his strong hands on my chin, lifting my gaze towards his. I smiled lightly as he smiled back at me. Helia was smiling...at me!
"You have made me the happiest man in the world."
"I never thought that you would ever love me back."
"Well I do, so I guess you are stuck with me." Helia chuckled as he looked at me in the eyes.
I felt it again, that fire inside of me that threatened to boil over. That feeling of wanting and longing. I needed Helia. I wanted Helia. Now he was mine.
I leaned in once again and placed a soft kiss on his lips. I pulled back, not wanting to upset him again. I didn't want him to fear losing control. But instead, he pulled me back in. My lips gently collided with his and his hand found the back of my neck, bringing me further into the kiss. His cool breath mixing with mine, our lips moving in sync with each other. I could no longer feel anything in my body other than this kiss.
I broke away for air, panting. I smiled at him and he smiled back. I think that I could get used to this. His perfect teeth sparkling at me and his already high cheeks rising up higher with his smile. His laugh was infectious and I loved everything about him.
"Why did you pull away?" Helia asked.
"I'm hungry."
Helia chuckled and we both stood up. I started to walk forward until he grabbed my hand. I looked up at him and smiled before heading downstairs to eat.
We arrived downstairs and walked into the dining room where Oscar was sitting in front of a pile of food.
"Ah, you came back. I thought that I would have to eat all of this food by myself. I am glad that you made up, I hate it when people are fighting." Oscar beamed.
Helia and I looked at each other and smiled.
"I see that you have done more than make up." Oscar's eyebrow raised and looked down at our hands. I blushed forgetting that I was holding Helia's hand. His hand felt like a glove around mine.
"Yeah, I guess you can say that." Helia chuckled.
"That's great! Now, come sit down and join me. Tell me what you two found in the library."
Helia and I walked over to the table and took seats across from each other.
"Well, I found out our dilemma of the elusive cloud feather. I think that it is from a mute swan." I informed as I shoveled steamed vegetables on my plate.
"Oh, I have plenty of those. I get them as gifts from Alfred. He usually places them in the letters. Don't tell the Queen that I have a box full of them. I could be thrown into prison...again." Oscar laughed as he took a bite of his food.
"Great! What did you find Helia?" I asked as I looked up at him.
"I found the answer to the Goblet of the Traveller King. I looked in a book of monarchs and I found out that the horn of the famed viking king Leif Erikson still exists. But it is in a museum in Iceland." Helia sighed.
"Helia, my friend, we have steamships that can get you there in no time at all. I can ask Alfred to secure passage for you on one tomorrow morning if you'd like." Oscar pointed his butter knife to Helia before turning to me. "I will tell Miss Prism to pack warm gowns for you."
"Thank you, Oscar. That sounds amazing!" I beamed and looked up at Helia who was smiling at Oscar as well.
"Very well. I will send a courier out tonight. I suspect that it will be an early boat but you will need to take carriage across the island to Reykjavik, that is where the museum will be. It will be a two day trip but I will see if Alfred can find an inn for you two to stay at. You will have to act as though you're married, nobody will rent out a room to an unmarried couple. It is just not done, yet that is." Oscar winked at us and I could not help to blush. I looked up at Helia and his face had hints of rose.
"I think we can do that." Helia said firmly. I looked up at him and he smiled at me. Yes, I could definitely get used to this.
"Now we have to figure out what the other piece of the puzzle is. A Sword to End Wars." Helia said before taking a bite of bread.
"I am not sure what that could be but when you are in Iceland, I can help you. I want to help in any way that I can." Oscar said.
"Really?" Helia asked.
"Of course, I want you two to get back to your friends as soon as possible." Oscar shrugged as he looked down.
"Oscar, you have never told us how you knew about us or about magic on Earth. You also seem to know a lot about the things that are to be. Are you from the future? Another dimension? Are you stuck here too?" I turned to Oscar and placed a hand on top of his. I looked up at Helia who was leaning in to listen to Oscar.
"I am from the future. Not too far though. Just a hundred years. I am from the 1980s which may explain my affinity for bright colors." Oscar lightly chuckled. "But stuck here? No, not at all! I have made wonderful friends, established myself as a writer, created mischief, and found a lover in a member of the royal family. What else could a man want?" Oscar beamed.
"I could see how you would never want to leave. This place has a certain charm." Helia smiled.
"I can't wait to get out of here. I haven't even been here for 24 hours and I can say that my time here has been anything but pleasant."
"I am sorry to hear that, Flora. I suppose that this is not the best place for someone that looks like you. No offense." Oscar sighed.
"None taken." I softly grinned at Oscar and he smiled back. I looked down at my plate. "Well, I think that I will be heading up to my room to prepare for our early morning. Thank you again, Oscar." I stood up.
"I will see you tomorrow morning." Oscar said and I turned to walk out of the room.
I left the room and soon heard footsteps behind me and then felt arms around my waist. I jumped and turned around to see Helia standing behind me.
"Don't do that!" I yelled as I hit him the chest.
"I'm sorry." Helia said with hurt in his voice.
"No, I am sorry. Just after this afternoon, I just don't think that it would be wise to come behind me." I sighed as I looked down.
"Flora, you have nothing to be sorry for. I am the one who should have thought. I will hug you from the front from now." I giggled and wrapped my arms around Helia. "Have I told you how beautiful I think that you look in all of these fancy Victorian clothes?" Helia asked as he wrapped his arms around me.
"You mentioned something but you were also drunk." I laughed.
"Ugh, remind me never to drink whatever that green liquid was." Helia groaned.
"No, I kind of liked it. You were very...honest."
"Were there any other embarrassing things that I said?" Helia asked as he looked down at me. One eyebrow was up and I had to admit that it was very sexy.
"When I was taking care of you, you thought I was taking you to bed." I smirked.
"Well, is that not what you did?" Helia asked, not getting what I was saying.
"No, I mean take you to bed." I emphasized. Helia's eyes widened.
"Oh...OH!" Helia exclaimed. "Wow, that is embarrassing. Anything else?" Helia asked.
"You told me you loved me." I whispered.
"Oh man. Well, I guess you were right. I am very honest." Helia smiled down at me.
I looked into his eyes and brought my lips to his and gave him a soft kiss. It didn't last long, but I felt his breath linger on my lips.
"Goodnight, Flora." I felt the whispers rest on my lips and in my ears. Never had a good night sounded so sweet. I stepped out of his hold and started to walk up the stairs to my room.
"Goodnight, Helia."
Yay! They said it! There will be plenty more HeliaxFlora moments and plenty more drama! Stay tuned! Thanks to all who have reviewed, it sure makes me feel loved!