Dustfinger looked closely at Agi, who is facing down, and saw her sobbing.
He suddenly got worried and tilted her chin, "What's wrong?"
Agi wiped off her tears and looked at him, "I don't know, I guess I got worried"
It's been a long time since Agi cried and worried about someone. Dustfinger suddenly has this torrid feeling towards her and pulled her. Agi couldn't move back from his tight hug and her heart is really pounding. Her green eyes wide open as dustfinger kisses her so hard. It made her tremble and blush a deep red. Dustfinger pulled back, breathing hard, looking at the shocked maiden.
"This time I'm not drunk" he explained, "I don't know why I like you so much"
That's the second time Agi heard someone tell her that he likes her. But, Agi is still in a state of shock. She never knew that a kiss would be something like this. Dustfinger just kissed her again, but rather than getting mad, she liked the feeling.
Agi clutched her chest and turned to red, "I-I can't explain what I'm feeling right now. My heart- it's really- it's really pounding"
"Is that bad?" he asked.
Instead of answering back, Agi suddenly kissed him passionately like a wild animal and dustfinger did the same, despite his injury. The wind started to blow hard, trying to cool the heat they're making, and the trees swayed its leaves. A few fruits fell from the trees and on the ground. Dustfinger gave Agi last three kiss before really stopping. Agi breathed hard with their forehead leaning on each other. Everything felt weird between them, but they liked it.
"For someone who haven't kissed anyone before, you're a good kisser" dustfinger complimented.
"Tell me, how can you love someone who'll someday leave you?" Agi asked.
"Well, love is strange. You have my heart for some reason"
Agi smiled shyly and dustfinger couldn't resist and kissed her again, "You're beautiful, you know that?"
Roxanne left what she's cooking, to simmer, while waiting for the thymes and apricots she asked for.
"What's taking them so long?" Meggie mumbled, leaning on the table.
Just then, the front door opened and they saw dustfinger being helped out by Agi and limping. Roxanne ran towards her husband while Agi went to the kitchen with fresh thymes and apricots.
"Goodness, what happened?" Roxanne asked, getting some medicine and bandage in a pantry.
Mo and Farid help dustfinger sit on the small sofa and he moaned again in pain, "I fell- from a tree"
"Couldn't you be a bit more careful?"
"Good thing the apricots didn't got damaged" Farid blurted out.
Dustfinger smiled in annoyance at him, "Thanks for caring"
The apricots didn't get damaged because of Agi, thanks. She used her air and earth powers to get the apricots from the tree. After rinsing and chopping a few thymes, Agi sprinkled it on the dish on Meggie's commands and she noticed something odd about her 'big sister'. She's smiling a lot differently than before.
"Did anything good happen?" Meggie asked.
"What, oh no. I'm just excited to eat" Agi managed to lie, but it was so unlikely of her.
Farid prepared eight plates, glasses, and spoons and forks on the rectangular table. Mo carefully placed the hot food on the middle and everyone sat around the table. On the left side is dustfinger's family and across them are their guests.
"This is really delicious, Roxanne!"
"Yes, it's quite something"
Roxanne thanked Farid's and mo's praises. After their nice lunch, Agi volunteered to do the dishes.
Roxanne went up to take her kids to the room for a nap; Meggie brought the garbage out, and the three men resting their full stomachs on the living room.
"Well, I better go. I need to fix more books in town" mo said as he slowly stands up, taking his coat.
Dustfinger also stood up and took his fire juggling equipments, "Me too, I need to go to the square"
"Take care, both of you" Agi said from the kitchen and looked at them.
The two left without saying another word, but dustfinger smiled at Agi. Meggie went back in the house and quietly passed by the living room, just not to disturb Farid's nap. Agi is busy scrubbing the plate when Meggie took it from her.
"I'll take this" she said and starts to scrub.
"Come on, megs. I can do it" Agi answered with her soapy hands.
"Megs? That's new. But, someone is waiting for you outside"
"What, really?"
Agi washed her hands and wiped it on a hand towel in a hurry. Standing with a single red rose on hand, adeon smiled. Agi shyly took it and smiled.
"What's this for?" she asked.
"Let's walk again"
Things are happening a lot faster in only one day. Earlier, Agi didn't care about the love nonsense and now- two men like her. Love is really an unpredictable thing. Adeon took Agi to the castle's garden and stayed at the gazebo surrounded by wild roses.
"This is a wonderful place to rest" Agi said and took a sit.
Adeon agreed and looked nowhere else but at her. He couldn't stop admiring her beauty and he smiled, "Are all women from Italy as pretty as you?"
Agi slapped him hard on the arm for such flattering words, "Shut up"
"Okay, I guess not. But this I want to know; am I really arrogant?"
"Sort of"
"Well, I can change for you"
"That's too sweet of you, adeon, really"
Adeon moved closer to her, that he could already smell her sweet fragrant and their lips just an inch away.
"Tell me" he said, letting Agi feel his breath, "Have you kissed someone before?"
Being so honest, Agi told him the truth, "Yes, I did"
"Who was it?"
"Dustfinger"
"Dustfinger, when was this?"
Agi cringed, "Just- awhile ago"
Adeon's eyes widened in surprise. Not only because he found out that it was dustfinger, who's married with two kids, but the fact that it happened earlier. Worse, Agi could still feel his lips on hers.
"I'm sure you know that he's married"
Agi groaned at the fact. Of course she knows that very well and pulled her stressed face.
"Yes and I feel horrible. But dustfinger is just a great guy" she explained.
"So, do you think he's a- good kisser?"
"How would I know? He's the only guy I kissed- ever"
Adeon's eyes sparkled in delight with what Agi said. He gently holds Agi's smooth face and touched her soft pink lips with his thumb.
"You judge who the great kisser is" he whispered.
Agi nervously closed her eyes and felt adeon's soft and warm lips. She felt different than when she kissed dustfinger. It's harder to pull away from adeon.
"Adeon, my boy!"
Unfortunately they had to stop. Adeon and Agi pulled away, as if nothing happened, when king primo and queen viola appeared with a servant carrying an umbrella.
"Father, what is it?" adeon asked, slightly annoyed for interrupting them.
"Adeon I was- oh- who is this beautiful young lady?" king primo finally realized that his only son wasn't alone.
Adeon pulled Agi to his side and introduced her, "This is Agi. Agi they are my parents; king primo and queen viola"
"N-nice to meet you" Agi greeted with a curtsy.
Queen viola seems to like Agi and held her hands, "Come on dear, how about some tea?"
"I'd be happy to"
Agi walked towards the castle with queen viola and adeon followed with his jolly old man.
The maidservant went to the terrace with a tray of hot milk tea and freshly baked butter cookies. The king and queen just loves relaxing in the terrace with a little chit chat.
Queen viola elegantly puts her tea cup down and faced the young lady, "Agi, dear, is that your real name?"
"Oh no, madam. My real name is Agatha Inez, Agi is just my nickname"
"Do you mind if I call you Inez? I think it's a lovely name"
Agi's second name is really nice, but it is solemnly heard. In fact, the last time she heard someone called her by that name was when she was four years old and was her mother. She could remember that it was her mother, but she couldn't remember anymore what her mother looked like or sounded like.
She smiled at the queen, "I don't mind at all"
King primo ate half the cookies on the plate and has little crumbs on his white mustache, "So Inez, let's talk about fa-"
The king got interrupted when adeon, who's beside Agi, starts signaling him that it's a bad idea to bring up family matters and king primo instantly, changed it, "About, uh, flowers?"
"Flowers?" Agi asked amused.
"Yes, what are your favorites?"
While Agi talks about her favorite flowers with the king, queen viola took a glance of her son. Adeon looked relieved while sipping his tea. For years, the queen never saw adeon be so happy with a girl. Every time he was introduced to a princess, he'd act stupidly and play pranks just to drive them crazy and make them leave. But now, adeon looked at Agi like it's the first time he laid eyes on a girl.
After a wonderful cup of tea, Agi decided to go home.
"I had a wonderful time, thank you very much" Agi said as they walk.
Indeed, she really had a great time. Agi felt that she was a part of a family with a loving father and a mother. King primo laughed merrily, making his ball of a stomach bounce, and pats Agi on the back.
"You're welcome anytime" he said.
The royal family waved goodbye at Agi and watches her leave.
"Agi never felt a parents' love before. That's why she doesn't like to talk about family" adeon opened up.
That's also the reason why adeon stopped his father from mentioning it. He didn't want Agi to get hurt. Queen viola hugged his son tight and kissed him on the forehead, leaving a red kiss mark, like a kid for being so thoughtful.