Chapter 15

"Princess Eliena, you are looking simply lovely this afternoon," a voice remarked smoothly. Eliena turned and saw Roger emerging from the shadows of a hall near the gardens.

"Do you always spend time in dark halls, Roger?" Eliena asked coolly.

He chuckled. "I see your parents have told you the stories about me," he replied.

"Who said anything about my parents? I could've heard it from anyone," she reminded him. He nodded.

"You could've at that. But, really, your highness, you look simply ravishing," Roger flattered.

"Flattery gets you nowhere, but thank you," she said. He smiled. He slimy, Eliena thought. Slimily charming. Like a snake.

"Who said anything about flattery?" Roger questioned, taking her hand and kissing it, holding her eyes. "I speak the truth."

"Roger, if you're looking for royal favor, I'm afraid I can't give it to you," she told him. "And if you're looking for anything else, I probably can't give that to you either."

"Not even a companion?" he asked. Eliena yanked away.

"How dare you speak to me like that? I'm the princess, not a common street whore!" she exclaimed.

"Oh, you thought…" Roger looked amused. "By 'companion' I meant friend, simply a friend."

"I don't befriend snakes," she informed him, tossing her hair. "Good day." She walked off, and Roger went back into the hall. She was slippery, that one. And polite if it killed her. She'll be hard to take down, he thought. But I can do it.

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Eliena's musical laugh traveled though the ballroom. Neal turned and saw Leo spin Eliena, her black hair flying out. She looked beautiful in a dress the same color as her eyes, with a bodice that fit like a corset and a loose, flowing skirt. Her sheer, billowing sleeves cinched at the elbow and wrist and amethysts dotted the scoop neckline that showed off just enough of her bust to be appropriate. The gems sparkled in the lights of the ballroom, but the princess's eyes glittered brighter. Neal sighed.

"Uh oh, he's seen Eliena," Cleon joked.

"She looks radiant tonight," Neal remarked. "Like a precious amethyst."

"Right," his friends said together, rolling their eyes. He glared at them.

"Sometimes I forget that you are not as old as I, and have not felt love as I have," Neal told them.

"Love? Since when have you been in love?" Kel wanted to know.

"See that sparkling jewel over there?" Neal acknowledged Eliena.

"You know, Neal, its really starting to get annoying," Merric said.

"What is?" he asked.

"You moaning about how she's broken your heart. We could find at least ten other men here who could claim Eliena has broken their hearts. You're nothing special," Kel replied.

"But the other men-" Neal began.

"Shut up!" his friends cut in. Neal glared at them.

"You are all unromantic simpletons. You will never understand." He sniffed and walked off.

Meanwhile, Eliena and Leo were smiling at each other, eyes never straying. "Have I mentioned how beautiful you look?" Leo asked.

"Not in the last three seconds," she replied.

"Well, then, you look beautiful tonight, El," he told her. Eliena laughed.

"Thank you so very kindly, Leo," she said.

"May I cut in?" a voice asked. Eliena looked and saw that Roger stood at their side.

"No," Eliena replied.

"Is that polite your highness?" Roger asked.

"Of course it is. Squire Leonard is courting me, which means I can decline dance invitations from anyone I choose," she replied. "Please leave." Leo moved them away. She is quite determined to avoid me, Roger realized. Well, I'll just have to make that impossible.

"Jonathan, can I please kill him? Please?" Alanna asked, looking at Jonathan, who was sitting beside her on the dais.

"For the thousandth time, Alanna, no. He hasn't done anything worth that," Jonathan replied with a sigh.

"Jonathan. Be reasonable. Look at him. He's definitely up to something with Eli," Alanna said.

"And? Alanna, she's as good as—or better than—you with a sword, she's beat Liam at Shang, and she's close with some of the best knights, squires, and pages in the kingdom, not to mention the realm's most powerful mages—and the Wildmage. Do you really think he stands a chance?" Jonathan told his wife. Alanna glared at him.

"I still want to run my sword through his middle," she informed him with a pout.

"Oh, stop it," Jonathan said. "You're acting five or six."

"You didn't know me when I was five or six," Alanna retorted.

"Then you're acting like a spoiled child," Jonathan shot back. "Now stop acting like a brat and start acting like the queen you are." Alanna glared at him, but Jonathan's blue-eyed gaze was steady. She sighed—it always irked her that Jonathan could make her back down.

"Fine. But one slip up and I get to kill him," Alanna conceded.

"I'm sure there are others who would be perfectly willing to assist you," Jonathan remarked coolly. "Including myself."

"So you do think he's up to something!" the queen exclaimed happily.

"Think? I know," Jonathan responded. He sighed and looked at Eliena. "I only wish I knew what."

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Eliena giggled as she leaned on Leo. They were walking to her chambers. "Shh! Do you want someone to hear?" Leo stage-whispered, but his hazel eyes were laughing.

"Oh, poo them," Eliena replied. "Let everyone know. I don't care anymore."

"Stop it, El." Leo pushed her away from him. "I think you had just a touch too much wine at dinner."

"Oh, poo," Eliena said, flicking her hand. "It's the moon and the atmosphere." She sighed. "A perfect night for romance." She smiled at Leo and he smiled back.

"Then it shouldn't be wasted," Leo remarked. He took her hand. "Let's go."

They went into her room. Eliena bolted the door and Leo was right there, pressing her back against the door as he kissed her deeply, sending her head spiraling. She lost her fingers in his messy brown hair and let Leo carry her to the bed, where he lay her on her back and kept kissing her. She gently pushed him away and sat up. "You lie down," she instructed. He did so and she straddled him, kissing him intensely. Leo reached for the strings of her bodice, but Eliena pulled back. "Ah, ah, ah." She smiled wickedly as she slowly undid them, loosening the tight material little by little. Leo growled and pushed her hands aside, undoing it quickly.

"It's a gorgeous dress, El, it really is, but I really don't care for it right now," he murmured.

"Mm. But I like your outfit. Its very swashbuckling knight," she told him. Leo wore tan breeches tucked into spit-shined black leather boots, a billow sleeved white shirt tucked into his breeches, and a forest green tunic which brought out gorgeous greens in his hazel eyes. "And I love what it does to your eyes."

"No time for talk," Leo said. "I hate it when you tease me like this, El."

She grinned at him. "That just makes it all the more fun, Leo. And you're wrong about no time—we have all the time in the world. I'm all yours—forever and ever."

Leo looked at her seriously. "Does that mean that you want to marry me?"

"We've gone over this. Yes, I want to marry you, dolt! But I told you, we can't get engaged yet," she reminded him.

Leo groaned. "Then don't say things like that, El. You make me eager." Eliena kissed him tenderly.

"I'm sorry. But, here." She removed the ring George had given her for her sixteenth birthday and held it to him. "Keep this as a token of my promise to you." He smiled and took it, clasping it between their hands.

"I'll get a chain for it in the morning. I only wish I had something to give you." Eliena kissed him.

"You already have—you've given me your heart. That's all I need."

Author's Note- I LOVED that chapter to DEATH. I loved the whole Eliena/Leo thing. (It was Thumbelina inspired, FYI.) I am OFFICIALLY in love with Leo. My love for him challenges my own for Jon. And I'm SERIOUS. So… yeah. REVIEW.