A/N - Another chapter! Hope you enjoy it :)
Minutes after trying on her gown, Cordelia walked out of the room and down to the garden, wanting to see if there were any fruits edible. "Your highness!" she heard someone call her from behind, a smile appearing on her face as she turned and looked into the younger girl's blue eyes."I mean, Cordelia." she smiled widely, running next to her to take the older girl's hand. "Would you mind if I went with you? One of your maids told me you had just headed here for a walk."
"Of course, my dear. I was just heading for the greenhouse, I would be pleased to show it to you" the other told, causing a wide blush to spread onto Misty's face as she freed Misty's hand for a second and offered her arm. The younger princess grinned, eyes shining as she eagerly interlocked their arms. They spent nearly half an hour walking through the garden, Cordelia explaining to Misty the properties of the marvelous plants she took care of in her spare time. "Asafetida, banishes evil. Don't go near it, though. It is quite… malodorous."
Misty giggled. "Of course it is. It's name means fetid." They passed some apple trees and rose bushes, then entered a small greenhouse through an old wooden and glass paned door. Vines covered some parts of the walls, stopping the daylight from completely flooding the inside, but still allowing enough light to get in to let the plants grow, with flowers planted next to the walls and in the center. "This place is beautiful, your highness." Misty told, entering and gently dragging Cordelia inside with her as she started observing the colorful flowers before freeing the princess' arm and walking around the space. "These are lilies, aren't they? They're similar to the ones we have in the swamps next to our castle, although ours aren't quite this beautiful… I guess everything is alluring here." she whispered, looking over and meeting the older girl's eyes. Cordelia blushed deeply, having caught the real meaning of the girl's words and smiling widely.
"And those are white roses, my favorite. They mean purity, virtue and sincerity, and they show that a person's affections are from a place deep inside the heart and as pure as virgin snow. Still, there are more hidden meanings in a white rose than what you can observe, Myrtle taught me. White has ever been a symbol of innocence, of a world unspoiled and untarnished. A bouquet of white roses means innocence and spiritual love. The white rose glorifies a love that is unaware of the temptations of the flesh and resides only in the soul, as opposed to the red rose that speaks of passionate promises." she told, guiding Misty to the large bush and leaning onto the table to grab a small knife. Seconds later she was cutting some of the bright flowers, then walking towards a bush of crimson red roses and cutting some more. Misty looked at her with curiosity, watching Cordelia look around and grab a flexible vine to wrap around the stems of the roses. "I think this will prevent you from getting pricked with the thorns…" she muttered as she kept wrapping the vine around them. Once her work was finished, she turned around and smiled widely, offering the handmade bouquet to Misty. "For you, my princess."
"Oh my…" Misty was the one blushing now, having watched Cordelia's skillful hands create something so beautiful just for her. "Cordelia, this is so…" her words died in her mouth, overwhelmed by how kind and loving Cordelia was. And her lips, they were something Misty had never seen before. So alluring, so inviting. "Can I kiss you?" she questioned bluntly, her straightforward manners surprising the other for a second. The older princess' eyes were wide, voice caught in her throat as her mouth went dry. Lord, Misty, you scared her. the southern girl thought to herself as she impatiently waited for a reaction.
Cordelia smiled soon again. This was her favorite place in all of the castle's grounds, the place where she went to have a moment of relaxation, away from her mother's humiliations and instead to focus on her own musings. There is no better place than here, she thought happily, taking Misty's free hand again. "Of course you can." she stepped closer to Misty, caressing her cheek with her thumb carefully. It felt so right, despite being taught that this simple, innocent touch was inappropriate. Misty approached her too, eyes fixated on Cordelia's own brown ones as she inhaled deeply and leaned forward, pressing her lips to the shorter blonde's eagerly, but gently. Cordelia's eyes closed, squeezing the other's hand she pulled her closer carefully, feeling the younger but taller girl lean into her even more. Cordelia's lips parted slightly and Misty took the chance to deepen the kiss eagerly for a second before pulling back almost immediately, rethinking her actions.
"Sorry." she told, blushing deeply and then looking down, giggling slightly. Cordelia laughed too, resting her forehead against Misty's and closing her eyes, letting out a happy sigh. She felt something inside of her that she had missed for a long time, something that she had lost after realizing that she would marry someone she didn't love— of course things had changed now, Misty was... perfect. "I got… overwhelmed with emotion." Cordelia giggled, freeing Misty's hand to cup her face and kiss her again, eyes closed as her tongue slipped inside the other's mouth and explored it. She sighed against the girl's lips and started to pull from her to lean her back on the vine-covered wall of the greenhouse, feeling Misty reciprocate happily. Their tongues danced together, Misty's hand trying to leave the bouquet on top of a nearing table to put her hand on the back of her neck. They spent minutes like that in a long, unbreakable kiss that seemed to be an eternity for them. "You are a really good kisser." Misty giggled happily, eyes still closed as she finally pulled back and rested her forehead against Cordelia's. "I don't want to, but… Shouldn't we go back to the castle? It's almost evening."
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The knight walked through the halls of the castle with his sword still hanging from the side of his belt. Very little protection was needed whenever people of the court visited the queen, particularly if they were to meet her alone. He knocked on the door of the enormous bedroom and waited for a response, hearing a faint 'come in' from inside. He walked through the door and then stared with wide eyes at the woman who sat in an armchair next to the window. "My queen, you wanted to see me?" he questioned.
"Yes." the woman told with a distant look, head held high as she gazed through the glass at the distant lights of the nearest town. Dark brown eyes were focused on a campsite on the outer part of the town, where the southern knights had camped. Fiona figured they were probably spending their nights in the brothel of the town, since she was well-aware of the fact that in the southern swamps men being unfaithful to her wives was not well seen. "I have orders for you, Sir Foxx." she told, never dropping her distant yet commanding tone. "Tomorrow, before the sun sets, I want these morons from the south dead, all of them."
"But your majesty, what will happen with the arrangement? When the southern knights find out their king is dead, they'll want revenge. And Cordelia… what will happen to her?" the man questioned with bravery, receiving a glare from the royal woman. He did not want Cordelia to get married tp anyone else but him, and a small part of him was already craving the throne, so he said no more and waited for her response. Fiona looked thoughtful, lips pursed as she pondered her options once more.
If Cordelia married Hank, she would have no problem figuring out a way to control him like a puppet, and even if he dared to stand up against her she would only need to use her powers to actually manipulate his mind. But Cordelia… she was special. Just as Fiona had been, and how the queen's mother had been before. Cordelia had magic running through her veins, even if she thought that her only power was making potions— and she didn't even know that they were more than just 'herbal infusions'. She still remembered the first time the princess had come to her saying she had a remedy for her back pain, and since she hadn't accepted to drink it, the girl had slipped it into a beverage thinking that she wouldn't know. Still, she had drank it. In that moment she needed to know that Cordelia did not have powers, that the prophecy was not about the woman Cordelia would be eighteen years from then. Now, she would not be able to control Cordelia's mind, she simply couldn't. Cordelia was unwillingly growing stronger, to the point that sooner or later she would surpass her own mother. And there was only one decision to be made.
"Kill them. All of them." she said nonchalantly. "And Cordelia…" She cared some about her daughter, but preferred her to die than to lose her throne to such disgraceful of a woman. Cordelia had never been powerful, no matter how hard the queen had tried to make her stronger. After the king's death, she had tried to make Cordelia's powers manifest by physically abusing her with her own powers, making her fly through the air and hit the wall numerous times during her childhood and teenage years. In the end, the girl's bruises covered almost every inch of the skin that could be covered by her dresses. When Cordelia was twenty three, Fiona had finally accepted that her daughter was worthless except for creating potions— and still, that it could not be completely regarded as a useful or even remotely good skill. She would never be a powerful queen anyway, she was too hopeless for that.
"Kill her. Kill her once, kill her good, kill her dead."
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Since she was just a little girl, Misty had been raised with knowledge of not only the southern traditions but also foreign lifestyles, and she knew that she had been lucky enough to grow up in a loving family. While in Cordelia's kingdom most of the marriages were arranged, in the south no one would commit for life with someone that they didn't truly love. Misty had been the only exception in centuries, her marriage not only necessary to prevent a war but also based upon a prophecy that she knew nothing about.
It had been one of the only secrets that her parents kept from her, a secret that they had been careful not to reveal to anyone but Queen Fiona, the seer that had made the prediction, and themselves alone. To the King and Queen, it seemed that the secret was well kept, and that there would be little problem with how it carried out. It was because of this, that they were oblivious to the other kingdom's evil Queen's intentions, and without much thought had drank from poisoned wine, meant to keep them in a deep sleep when it fell into effect. They each kissed their daughter on the forehead with their respective bows to the queen and princess, thanking them for the food and heading back to their chamber. The King and Queen of the Southern Swamplands had fallen into a comatose sleep minutes later, just as Hank and his men had entered and carried them, slack and in deep sleep as they were, to the dungeons of the castle— then slit the King's throat.
Many floors upstairs, Cordelia walked with Myrtle and some of the other maids through the castle, not yet ready to sleep. Many of them were usually flirting with the soldiers and knights that wandered through the fortress and the barns, and the visit of the southern knights was making them giggle with excitement— when Myrtle went to sleep, they'd escape to meet their newfound lovers. Still, Cordelia's mind was focused on her memory of the kiss, still fresh on her mind. Her happiness had been obviously noticeable during the dinner, the furtive looks she exchanged with the other princess being caught by both families of royals. While Fiona's expression was infuriated, the southern majesties were more than pleased with the almost immediate chemistry that had been built between both girls— the prophecy was starting to come true. And Myrtle, who was now talking about braiding the girl's hair for the wedding, knew that the end was near.
"Princess Cordelia!" they heard someone gasp in front of them. The older princess' eyes rose and met blue ones, Misty smiling shyly in front of her. She really loved that shy smile— that had been constant since the kiss for what she had seen during the dinner.
"I didn't expect to see you here, your highness." Cordelia commented, knowing that the younger girl's chambers were exactly on the other end of the castle. "It's still a pleasant surprise. May I have a short conversation with you?" she asked, looking down to her feet and swinging forward slightly. Cordelia smiled and looked at the maids, giving them a nod. Myrtle nodded back and instructed the maids to follow her, giggling and gossiping as they walked away. Misty approached Cordelia and took her hand, smiling shyly again. "I had the idea that maybe tomorrow we could go for a swim in the lake while the servants prepare everything for... the wedding." she let out a soft giggle at the last word.
"I would love that, Misty." Cordelia told with a smile, leaning forward and standing on her tiptoes to kiss Misty's lips again softly. "You are wonderful." she whispered after pulling back slightly, lips hovering over the other's as she placed her free rested on Misty's shoulder. "I think I'm falling in love with you." she added before kissing Misty again, pulling her gently closer, feeling the younger but taller girl lean forward again. Cordelia's lips parted and Misty deepened the kiss immediately. She cupped the girl's porcelain face and kissed her again and again, eyes closed as her tongue slipped inside the other girl's mouth and explored it while the older princess' back was once again resting against the wall.
The kiss seemed unstoppable, the older girl's hands starting to move up and down Misty's sides as the taller placed her hand on the back of Cordelia's neck, bodies pressing against each other as her other hand cupped her face. Cordelia moaned into the kiss, hips grinding against Misty's for a second before the other pulled back, breathing heavily. "P— Princess Cordelia, I..." she began, looking at the other's chest, that rose and fell in excited breaths, perfect braids now disheveled with strands of hair out of place and cheeks flushed in heat. Despite trying hard to gather her words, Misty found herself speechless. "I…"
"I don't want to sleep alone tonight." Cordelia interrupted, wide brown eyes staring into Misty's as she silently begged her to stay with her.
I know, you all want to know what happens in the next chapter... Will be M rated ;) As usual, reviews will be very appreciated!