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"Alicia! Alicia? Allie? Allie? Princess? Princess, can you hear me? Princess?"

My head was spinning and I felt sick.

I dragged my eyelids open a little and the world around me was startlingly bright. I tried to push myself up, but everything spun again and my head was all woozy. I fell back down again, but I didn't hit the ground. A strong arm held me up. I prized my eyes open again and found myself looking into two soft, albeit worried, black pools. "Princess?" a low voice asked, full of anxiety. I attempted to speak but no sound came out of my mouth. "Can you hear me?" the gentle voice probed again. "Blink twice if you can." I fluttered my eyelids and I felt him relax at my consciousness.

A gust of wind blew past us, and a lock of his silky black hair fell in my face. A large hand brushed the hair out of my eyes ever so tenderly and stroked my cheek in doing so. I shivered at his touch, and the charcoal orbs looked at me intently, as if trying to work out the reason for my shiver.

"I'm going to help you sit up now, Princess." He lifted my back as if I was as light as a feather, but he still kept his arm around me. It was as he moved to sit beside me that I noticed he had been on his knees the whole time. Leaning forward, my prince tucked my flyaway hair behind my ear and murmured, "How do you feel?"

"Dizzy... and my head hurts," I mumbled, rubbing the side of my head. I slowly turned my head to look at him, and was greeted with the crooked smile that could only belong to Damon Salvatore.

"D-Damon?" I asked drowsily.

"Yes, Princess?" he answered immediately, grabbing my free hand and holding it protectively.

"You... you almost killed me..." Why did I say that? Why? He'd just kind of saved my life and I told him he almost killed me. God I hate my mouth sometimes! Damon looked baffled, and then frowned at our intertwined hands. "What makes you say that?" he murmured carefully.

"I...uh...I don't know why I said that. You didn't - I don't think... My head still hurts, Damon..." I said hopelessly, and stared at the side of his head - he seemed to be very engrossed in his wrist.

"Damon?" I questioned with a little more force and he raised his head to look me in the eye. His intense gaze was enough to momentarily wipe my memory of what I was about to say.

"Yes?" he queried, but he seemed guarded somehow.

"I... I... I..." I couldn't find any words to express myself – I didn't even know what I wanted to say – so I just sighed and rested my head on his shoulder in a similar fashion to how we were in the clearing.

We stayed like that for a while, in complete silence.

Damon broke the silence, saying, "So... I almost killed you, did I? His tone was mocking, full of laughter. I felt my cheeks heat up violently and he chortled, stroking my face.

"I didn't mean to say that... You were riding so fast... I thought we were going crash... I was scared... But you're alright...and I will be in a little while," I muttered as I lifted my head, attempting to redeem myself.

"Oh, it's alright, Princess. But I suppose I could say the same about you. Because, after all, you were riding straight towards me as well." He grinned cockily at me. I rolled my eyes and tried to stand up.

"Whoa! Where do you think you're going in this state?" Damon exclaimed, standing up and seizing my hand.

"I need to get home. Mother is making us have lunch so she can lecture us – well, me – on ladylike behaviour before we visit Giuseppe this afternoon," I explained, then realised that our visit would involve him.

"You're visiting my father this afternoon? Why?" he asked, fairly startled.

"Um... Mother wants you to...er...marry...um...Arianna. Arrie doesn't want to, don't worry. I mean it's not like she doesn't like you, she does, but she doesn't like you like that, and she knows that I do and... well... that's it, really." I glanced at him and he just stared, dumbfounded.

"Damon?" I questioned hesitantly when he made no sign of acknowledging what I had said. He just stared.

"Damon, look, I know that was a lot to take in, but I was just as shocked this morning when she announced it to us. I don't know what to do because I don't want you to marry her, but if you do, then I suppose I could live with it... If you were happy..." I trailed off once more. I shouldn't have said anything. Anything. I just wish he would say something...

Suddenly his lips crashed down on mine, and for the second time today I forgot about everything but him. His left arm snaked around my waist, pulling me to him, and his other hand caressed my hair, holding me close all the while. I kissed him back with all the emotion I had, losing myself in the moment. My arms circled his neck, refusing to let him go, should he try to pull away. My fingers tangled in his silky hair and I melted into him.

But, all too soon, his lips left mine and curved into his beautiful smile. "So you like me then?" my prince whispered, barely audibly, but I could hear the smile in his voice. Rolling my eyes again, I pressed my lips to his for a second and felt my heart turn somersaults in my chest.

"I'll take that as a yes then, my princess," he chuckled, and I swear he emphasised the 'my'. But I didn't mind in the slightest.

Without any warning whatsoever, he scooped me up and carried me bridal style to where Castagno and Mezzanotte were chewing on the field. He sat me on my horse, bowed and kissed my hand, then said solemnly, "My lady." I grinned, elated, even when I saw the cocky smirk I happened to love. He turned on his heel and headed towards his midnight black horse, swinging himself onto the saddle like the accomplished rider he seemed to be. Mezzanotte trotted to meet Castagno and I, and together we set off back to the DiGrazio mansion.

"How's your head feeling, Miss Alicia?" Damon asked playfully after we'd ridden silently through a couple of fields.

"Fine. Well, it's stopped throbbing, so that has to be a good thing," I returned, beaming.

"Oh. So I don't need to take you back to my house and look after you, do I?" he drawled suggestively, cocking an eyebrow, "If you're sure you didn't injure yourself anywhere else from the fall, then I guess I won't have to check you over, will I?" I giggled, sounding like all the airheads at finishing school, but I couldn't help myself.

"When you put it that way..."

"So is that a yes?"

"I'm sure you'll have plenty of time to 'look after me' when we visit you this afternoon, Mr Salvatore. It might even convince my mother to change her plans," I smirked, imitating his flirtatious tone.

"We could always practice now," he said, mock thoughtfully.

"Is that an offer?"

"Why, Miss DiGrazio, it is." Without needing further invitation, I jumped down from Castagno and put my arms around him, kissing him softly. Slowly, he pulled away and gazed at me with his penetrating orbs. His beautiful face took my breath away; I could barely breathe. Before I had time to register what he was doing, his hands cupped my face and he was kissing me hungrily. My heart exploded with passion so I did the one thing it was telling me to do; I knotted my hands in his hair and held him closer, kissing him with everything I had.

Completely ruining the moment, my stomach rumbled, reminding me it was lunch time – and also that I hadn't eaten breakfast. Damon pulled away slightly, and murmured in my ear, "Do you want to run away, just the two of us, and we can do this forever, without any interruptions?"

"Yes," I breathed, "But my stomach has other plans. Lunch being one of them." He laughed softly.

"I'll be waiting, Princess," he drawled, but I wasn't sure if he was joking or not.

I remounted Castagno, and he got back onto Mezzanotte, and we reached my family's stables in no time at all.

"Miss Alicia, I believe this is goodbye for the time being," he said formally, mocking all the 'perfect gentlemen' we'd both come across at various points in our lives. Assisting me down from my horse, he whispered suggestively, "But I'll be seeing you later, my Princess." I smiled shyly at the floor, feeling a blush coming on. But before my cheeks had the chance to completely redden, his mouth was pressing down on mine, and the explosions in my head started again. A moment later he was gone; just a figure on a horse in the distance once more.

I was rendered both breathless and speechless.

Snapping myself out of my reverie, I made my way towards our mansion, ready to await the reprimand that my mother was sure to give me.

Author's note: I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I will try to update by this time next week. Feedback of all kinds is very appreciated, so please REVIEW!

Love, Beth :)

PS – I know that in Stefan's Diaries, Mezzanotte is his horse, but as it translates to 'midnight', I thought it suited Damon better.