"Then what for?" She asked him feeling angered. How dare he come to her and tease her vulnerable heart. He strolled to her and-
grabbed the flowers from her clutch.
"To visit you of course." He said smiling. She returned the smile, not forceful but since it was contagious. He walked with her to her house. She skipped to her mother that was in the kitchen as usual. After she kissed her cheek her mother glared at Darien.
"I thought I told you no strangers!" She threatened.
"Oh but mother can't you see his robs, there of royalty, for he is Prince Darien from the kingdom Tiler." she explained and chuckled at her mothers face. She quickly wiped her hands and stood before him with a bow.
"Your majesty ! Oh what a honor! You have grow to become such a handsome man. It's amazing that it's been eighteen years since my visit." She said with such joy. Serena giggled.
"Yes it is a great honor. I thank you for your joyous welcome." He smiled at her.
"What business may I bring to you, sire?" She asked.
"Just the company of your magnificent daughter" He asked bowing his head. She curtsied.
"You may certainly." She said holding her hands on her skirt. He smiled and offered his hand to Serena which she took. Serena waved bye to her mother as she followed Darien's lead. He climbed atop his steed and helped her up with him. She squeaked in surprise as the horse started with a face gallop. They rode to the near by lake where he stopped on a grassy bank, helping her down.
"What are we to do here?" She asked interested. He smiled mischievously and took off his cape and laid it on the ground spreading it out like a blanket, then he sat down and patted the place next to him. She scrunched her eyebrows in confusion but sat next to him all the same. He laid back and sighed. She looked down at him.
"I was on my way back from here when I heard your singing." He stated randomly. She laid down along with him.
"And what do you do here" She asked thoroughly interested.
"Well my young Serena I just lay back and watch the clouds." He answered her.
"Thats all!" She asked shocked.
"Yep" He replied dreamily. She looked at him from the corner of her eye and smiled at his enjoyment of doing nothing.
"You like this?" She asked already knowing the answer.
"One of my top three favorite things" He stated still in a dreamy state.
"And what is number two?" She asked.
"Roses, for unknown reasons. Their just so capturing. They seem to show all the good in the world." He said.
"And number one?" She asked with a smile.
"Number one you will learn one day, just not today." He said getting up.
"Where are you going?" She asked sitting up and blushed as he took off his shirt. She looked away as he pulled down his pants. She laughed as she heard a splash and felt a sprinkle of water hit her indicating that he was in the water. She then looked to him. He was swimming and looking at her with a grin.
"And what are you grinning at?" She asked as she stood. He looked away as she took her peasant dress off and diving in as well. She splashed him once she came up for air.
"Hey what was that for!" He asked appalled. She giggled.
"I saw you peek at me!" She stated with a smirk.
"You found my secret!" He yelled with his arms in the air.
"Shush, their might be others lurking about" She stated.
"And what would be the harm of that?" He asked half laughing.
"Well if you haven't noticed that we are both undressed and the fact that I'm a maiden and you a prince!" She stated to him like it's obviously.
"And you think you could disgrace me?" He asked angered. She frowned.
"Wouldn't I?" She asked. His face soften.
"Never" he said sincerely. She smiled at the compliment.
"So what shall we do now?" She asked.
"nothing" he replied swimming backwards.
"nothing?" She asked shocked.
"I do to much on a regular basis so I would like to rest" He stated.
"What ever you want my lord" She said splashing him yet again. He quickly retaliated.
Two weeks pasted of Serena having regular visits with Darien. Her mother always had a gleam in her eye when he was over. Serena dismissed it thinking she was trying to set her up with him. Serena knew there was no possible way. He only thought of her as a friend or a confidant, nothing more nothing less. Yes it was true Serena has slowly fallen in love with him, but knew there was no chance. He was a prince and she a poor maiden. She knew he flirted with her and she dismissed it, saying it was only in his nature to flirt with women. He even started to give her roses of a day and she didn't take it to heart. Today was nothing different She opened the door and smiled as he walked in with a bouquet of new roses. She took them and smelled each. He greeted her mother as she put the flowers in a vase along the three other dozens. She entered the room and saw him talking to her mother about grapes. But once she entered his attention drew upon her.
"Why Serena when I first met you I though nothing could possibly be more beautiful but you wrong me each passing day." He said as he kissed her hand.
"Oh the deceptions you come up with!" She replied with a blush. He chuckled at her comment.
"Some women need reassurance on their beauty, you are not one of them" He said with a quirky smile.
"No not at all" She agreed.
"So are you ready for a journey?" He asked. She nodded and kissed her mother goodbye and followed Darien out the front door. He helped her on top his horse and rode to the lake. He helped her off and saw she was confused. He hasn't taken her here since their first day.
"I want to tell you something." He told her as he sat on the grass. She nodded and sat next to him.
"When I first met you I felt a shock go through my body and still do every time I touch you. But also that day when I returned to my home my father told me of my engagement to a princess. I haven't seen her yet and I will marry her the day I do which will be in two weeks to today. But I must know some thing first." He told her looking her in the eyes the whole time. She nodded for him to continue.
"I...I think...That I love you" He told her taking his eyes away from her afraid of her answer. Which was of pure affection.
"I-" She was going to tell him when a woman approached them. She looked at the women who seemed to glare at her.
"I'm sorry to intrude" She said now smiling at Darien who seemed pissed at her intrusion. "But I saw you in the forest and I wanted to ask directions to the nearest village." She asked sincerely. Darien sighed and stood.
"Wait here, I'll take her to the village, we will continue this conversation." He told her strictly. She nodded. She watched as he helped the women onto his white steed and gallop away. It was then that she felt a dearness take over her. 'I couldn't marry him anyways. He's promised to another. It would only be harder on both of us if I tell him the truth. It would be easier to forget some one who is made at you than to leave someone you love.' She then decided she must tell him that she doesn't love him so she could help him in the long run. She didn't wait long before he came back. She wiped the tears that escaped and faced him. He sat down hopeful. If she could she would tell him she loved him to take away the pain she knew would come.
"Darien I...I don't love you" She said barely above a whisper.
"What?" He said in a whispered sounding between shocked and angry. She looked at the lake.
"So the flirting the teasing, you make it seem that you care for me and when I ask you finally you tell me you don't care at all!" He said angered. She gulped down the tears she could feel coming.
"I'm sorry but I didn't shouldn't matter now should it?" She asked him, hurt.
"But if I wasn't promised to another?" He asked still angered.
"You are a prince and I a poor maiden. It would never work!" She told him getting up to make her leave. But she found a hand grip her arm and spun her around to face him. She felt tears make their way down her cheek. He soften and wiped them away with his thumb.
"Just one kiss, one kiss and I'm gone." He begged. She sniffled and nodded yes. He leaned down and connected their lips. But couldn't seem to let go. Not just because he wanted to but because her arms suddenly wrapped around his neck. He smiled and kissed her more forcefully. He opened her mouth with his and their tongues mated, over and over again. She moaned and felt her legs give away and was glade that he was holding her as well, around the waist. She lost herself in him. It wasn't until he started to make circles on her hips that she woke up from her fantasy. She pulled away and blinked. They were still holding each other. She didn't notice this and looked at him.
"Now will you please leave." She said seriously.
"Can't" He said with a smirk.
"And why not?" She asked.
"Your attached to my neck." He stated with a wide smile. She quickly let go and turned away from him folding her arms across her chest.
"Serena, I will be back tomorrow" He stated getting on his horse. She huffed and still won't look at him.
"You would break your promise?" She asked still not looking at him.
"I would if it means seeing you" He said and galloped away. She then let out the smile she was hiding. He loved her.
Then she frowned. She could never really love him. She felt tears fall like a waterfall as she trudged her way home.