Rini found herself whisked away by her servants, but before she left his
side, Rini kissed Elios goodbye. This caused her servants to start
gossiping wildly, and giggling so much that they could barely speak. "It
is time for you to get your new dress on milady." Zara said, and she found
herself rather miffed at the girl. "You are two faced Zara, and I shall
not tolerate your insolent flirting, especially with my fiancé." The
girl's eyes went wide, and she protested loudly. "I would never."
"Lie? Neither would Elios, I often find that he is too honest for his own good." That kept her mouth shut, and Rini allowed herself to smile.
Much later in the day, Rini stepped into the announcement hall, and waited for her name to be announced. Elios came in, dressed in a black tuxedo, and she almost took his arm when the Princess of Mercury pulled him over to her, and their names were announced. Her own was announced with the Prince of Jupiter, Aaron, and she reluctantly took his arm. "So princess, long time no see hmm?" Before she had fallen for Elios, Rini had not seen through the prince's handsome exterior, but now she could see his arrogance that clung to him like a stench. They walked down the staircase, and she answered him. "No, I don't suppose we have spent much time together during these past few months." The first dance started, and before she could protest, the prince pulled her close, and she was forced to dance with him. Of what she saw of Elios, he was dancing with the princess, and he seemed very interested in what she was saying. "So, I heard of your unfortunate circumstances, about how you are being forced to marry that arrogant snob over there."
"Nonetheless, that 'arrogant snob' is my fiancé, and I fully intend to ally our two kingdoms at the expense of my own free choices." A new dance started, and they left the floor. Her hair was bothering her, as it had been put up into a bun, with little pearls and diamonds worked in.
Later in the evening, Aaron said; "You look very lovely tonight you know." She was getting uncomfortable. "Really?" He leaned in, and Rini saw his intention. "Really." Aaron kissed her, and she pushed him away. "What are you doing?"
"I know that you like me, the way that you always blush when you see me, except for tonight, tonight you did well to hide your feelings." She tried to push him away again, as he forced himself on her, but he had her pinned up against the wall. "I may have liked you in the past, but now." He kissed her again, and she felt him wriggle his tongue into her mouth. Her lips began to bruise and sting as he nipped the corners of her mouth. His kiss was more forced than Elios', who was always gentle when his lips captured her own. Being in the corner, not many people could see her distress, and she was helpless to do anything as Aaron opened a guestroom door and again pressed her against the wall as he kicked the door closed.
Elios had just turned away from the princess when he saw Aaron in the corner, apparently not alone as he opened the door to his room and took the girl in with him. As he looked around for Rini, something caught his eye. A pink tress of hair fell out of its bun and settled on the floor just as Aaron's door closed. Angrily, he threw open the door, walked over to the prince, and pulled him off of Rini. She looked angry and violated, and he felt some relief that she was not responsible. He quickly took her in his arms, trying to soothe her anger and hurt, and pulled her under his cape. Then he punched Aaron square in the jaw. "If you ever so much as touch her again, I'll break your neck!" Elios quickly exited the room, and they went to the courtyard. As soon as he let Rini go, she started apologizing. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean for that to happen!" Elios shook his head as a sob escaped her mouth, and lead her over to the fountain. "I know, I saw everything. It wasn't your fault."
He sat, and reached up, pulling Rini down into his arms. Her tears spilled onto his jacket, and he comforted her. "It hurt Elios, it hurt so much." The prince would be lucky if Elios never had the chance to get back at him for what he had done to Rini. "I did not expect anything like that to happen tonight, I am sorry that I wasn't there to protect you."
"But it wasn't your fault!" She looked up at him, and he once again shook his head. "I should never have trusted Aaron, his reputation." He pulled Rini closer and put his cape around both of them, as the night was rather chilly. "Reputation, what do you mean?" Elios looked away, but he could feel her gaze upon his cheek. "If I hadn't seen him, he would have gone a lot further than just kissing you." Looking back at her, he saw realization dawn on her features. "Surely I would have heard."
"Aaron keeps his secret hidden well, it is neither common, nor noble knowledge. Many know that he fancies princesses, what they do not know is how he handles that fancy." Rini went pale, and Elios stopped. "So you're saying that you thought he would behave tonight." He nodded, and sighed. "I thought that since he hadn't done anything yet. well, I was wrong, and I put you in danger because of that." Now she shook her head. "No, you didn't know that would happen, and I'm not about to point fingers anyway. It was Aaron's fault, not ours, if it hadn't been me, it would have been someone else, and she wouldn't have been so fortunate as to have you come to her rescue." Rini concluded, and he allowed a hint of a smile to touch his lips. "I hadn't thought of it like that, but you are probably right. We should really go back in." Elios added the last as he checked his watch.
They stood, and he waited for Rini to get up her nerves again. "Are you going to be all right?" She turned back to him and nodded. "I think so." He shook his head again, and caught her up in his arms. Elios then kissed Rini softly, and worked the wild spill of her hair loose. "Why did you do that?" She asked, though not angrily. "You know that I like it when you wear your hair down better than anything else on you." Rini laughed softly, and he kissed her again. "Okay Elios, you're right, we do have to go back in sometime tonight so let's."
Everyone was dancing except for Aaron. He was talking to the Queen, and she seemed slightly agitated. "Elios, get over here!" She yelled into his mind, and he, leaving Rini in the doorway and telling her that he would be right back, walked over to his mother and Aaron. "Yes mother?"
"You are far too old for me to mediate the spats that you get into with others, but why, I ask, did you hit this boy?" He raised an eyebrow. "Do you even have to ask? Rini saw the whole thing, I only saw part of it." She looked at Rini, and then back at Aaron. "Get out of my face. Go home to your planet and never return." He raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
"Goddesses can read minds moron." Elios muttered, and Aaron scowled and took a swing at him. He caught it, and twisted his arm behind his back, making him bend over. "Clearly you don't understand, she told you to get out, now leave, and your things will arrive at your home in due time." He felt a tap on his shoulder, and turned to see his father. "I can take it from here Elios." Elios shook his head. "We have score to settle." Aaron struggled in his grasp. "Let your daddy take care of it you loner, you can't handle it yourself anyway." Fighting the urge to overreact, he said; "I'll accept your offer, I have guests to attend to."
"Who would want to be around a loser like you?" Elios sighed, unable to give an answer without sparking more anger between them, luckily, a response was heard. "I would." Rini had obviously said that, and he temporarily let go of Aaron, knowing that he would be too shocked to move. His father took the boy by the collar, and Elios pulled Rini into his arms. "But you don't like him!" Rini shook her head. "I don't like Elios, I love him." Then, his father and mother left the room, and he was alone with Rini again.
"Lie? Neither would Elios, I often find that he is too honest for his own good." That kept her mouth shut, and Rini allowed herself to smile.
Much later in the day, Rini stepped into the announcement hall, and waited for her name to be announced. Elios came in, dressed in a black tuxedo, and she almost took his arm when the Princess of Mercury pulled him over to her, and their names were announced. Her own was announced with the Prince of Jupiter, Aaron, and she reluctantly took his arm. "So princess, long time no see hmm?" Before she had fallen for Elios, Rini had not seen through the prince's handsome exterior, but now she could see his arrogance that clung to him like a stench. They walked down the staircase, and she answered him. "No, I don't suppose we have spent much time together during these past few months." The first dance started, and before she could protest, the prince pulled her close, and she was forced to dance with him. Of what she saw of Elios, he was dancing with the princess, and he seemed very interested in what she was saying. "So, I heard of your unfortunate circumstances, about how you are being forced to marry that arrogant snob over there."
"Nonetheless, that 'arrogant snob' is my fiancé, and I fully intend to ally our two kingdoms at the expense of my own free choices." A new dance started, and they left the floor. Her hair was bothering her, as it had been put up into a bun, with little pearls and diamonds worked in.
Later in the evening, Aaron said; "You look very lovely tonight you know." She was getting uncomfortable. "Really?" He leaned in, and Rini saw his intention. "Really." Aaron kissed her, and she pushed him away. "What are you doing?"
"I know that you like me, the way that you always blush when you see me, except for tonight, tonight you did well to hide your feelings." She tried to push him away again, as he forced himself on her, but he had her pinned up against the wall. "I may have liked you in the past, but now." He kissed her again, and she felt him wriggle his tongue into her mouth. Her lips began to bruise and sting as he nipped the corners of her mouth. His kiss was more forced than Elios', who was always gentle when his lips captured her own. Being in the corner, not many people could see her distress, and she was helpless to do anything as Aaron opened a guestroom door and again pressed her against the wall as he kicked the door closed.
Elios had just turned away from the princess when he saw Aaron in the corner, apparently not alone as he opened the door to his room and took the girl in with him. As he looked around for Rini, something caught his eye. A pink tress of hair fell out of its bun and settled on the floor just as Aaron's door closed. Angrily, he threw open the door, walked over to the prince, and pulled him off of Rini. She looked angry and violated, and he felt some relief that she was not responsible. He quickly took her in his arms, trying to soothe her anger and hurt, and pulled her under his cape. Then he punched Aaron square in the jaw. "If you ever so much as touch her again, I'll break your neck!" Elios quickly exited the room, and they went to the courtyard. As soon as he let Rini go, she started apologizing. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean for that to happen!" Elios shook his head as a sob escaped her mouth, and lead her over to the fountain. "I know, I saw everything. It wasn't your fault."
He sat, and reached up, pulling Rini down into his arms. Her tears spilled onto his jacket, and he comforted her. "It hurt Elios, it hurt so much." The prince would be lucky if Elios never had the chance to get back at him for what he had done to Rini. "I did not expect anything like that to happen tonight, I am sorry that I wasn't there to protect you."
"But it wasn't your fault!" She looked up at him, and he once again shook his head. "I should never have trusted Aaron, his reputation." He pulled Rini closer and put his cape around both of them, as the night was rather chilly. "Reputation, what do you mean?" Elios looked away, but he could feel her gaze upon his cheek. "If I hadn't seen him, he would have gone a lot further than just kissing you." Looking back at her, he saw realization dawn on her features. "Surely I would have heard."
"Aaron keeps his secret hidden well, it is neither common, nor noble knowledge. Many know that he fancies princesses, what they do not know is how he handles that fancy." Rini went pale, and Elios stopped. "So you're saying that you thought he would behave tonight." He nodded, and sighed. "I thought that since he hadn't done anything yet. well, I was wrong, and I put you in danger because of that." Now she shook her head. "No, you didn't know that would happen, and I'm not about to point fingers anyway. It was Aaron's fault, not ours, if it hadn't been me, it would have been someone else, and she wouldn't have been so fortunate as to have you come to her rescue." Rini concluded, and he allowed a hint of a smile to touch his lips. "I hadn't thought of it like that, but you are probably right. We should really go back in." Elios added the last as he checked his watch.
They stood, and he waited for Rini to get up her nerves again. "Are you going to be all right?" She turned back to him and nodded. "I think so." He shook his head again, and caught her up in his arms. Elios then kissed Rini softly, and worked the wild spill of her hair loose. "Why did you do that?" She asked, though not angrily. "You know that I like it when you wear your hair down better than anything else on you." Rini laughed softly, and he kissed her again. "Okay Elios, you're right, we do have to go back in sometime tonight so let's."
Everyone was dancing except for Aaron. He was talking to the Queen, and she seemed slightly agitated. "Elios, get over here!" She yelled into his mind, and he, leaving Rini in the doorway and telling her that he would be right back, walked over to his mother and Aaron. "Yes mother?"
"You are far too old for me to mediate the spats that you get into with others, but why, I ask, did you hit this boy?" He raised an eyebrow. "Do you even have to ask? Rini saw the whole thing, I only saw part of it." She looked at Rini, and then back at Aaron. "Get out of my face. Go home to your planet and never return." He raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
"Goddesses can read minds moron." Elios muttered, and Aaron scowled and took a swing at him. He caught it, and twisted his arm behind his back, making him bend over. "Clearly you don't understand, she told you to get out, now leave, and your things will arrive at your home in due time." He felt a tap on his shoulder, and turned to see his father. "I can take it from here Elios." Elios shook his head. "We have score to settle." Aaron struggled in his grasp. "Let your daddy take care of it you loner, you can't handle it yourself anyway." Fighting the urge to overreact, he said; "I'll accept your offer, I have guests to attend to."
"Who would want to be around a loser like you?" Elios sighed, unable to give an answer without sparking more anger between them, luckily, a response was heard. "I would." Rini had obviously said that, and he temporarily let go of Aaron, knowing that he would be too shocked to move. His father took the boy by the collar, and Elios pulled Rini into his arms. "But you don't like him!" Rini shook her head. "I don't like Elios, I love him." Then, his father and mother left the room, and he was alone with Rini again.
