Chapter 2- Promises and Threats
The sweet smell of chocolate and cinnamon greeted him when he entered the kitchen.
"Something smells good." he murmured and smiled when the object of his affections turned around with a surprised look on her face.
"Your Highness." she greeted shyly, her body stiffening immediately in shock. They hadn't seen each other in days, King George's demand that he visit Midas's kingdom ruining any plan he had of discussing what they had shared. Their kisses, when he closed his eyes at night he could feel them. Fast, frenzied, full of heat just like the heat spreading in her cheeks right now.
"I did not realise you were there." Her back was pressed against the counter and she forgot all about the sweet concoction that was slowly bubbling away instead, focusing on keeping every muscle in her body still as their eyes locked.
"I had to see you." David breathed, immensely thankful to finally be completely alone with her but, she broke away started to move in one direction and then another all swiftly blocked by her charming prince.
He chuckled at the absurdity. "Snow,"
Quiet frustration came tumbling out. "You should not be here."
"In the kitchen?" David quirked but, his new love did not reward him with the radiant smile he loved. "Because Ruby and Johanna told me I should be."
"What? How did Johanna?"
"She isn't blind." David stated strongly using the time to close the distance between them and stroke her face.
"Please don't." A tear slid down and he wiped it away. "Snow the night we met…." She cut his words off like a knife. He could not feel this for her. Whoever he was, whatever his story, being with her would only threaten it.
"Was a mistake." she forced out, hating herself for it. "I am a servant and you are a-"
"A man, who was pulled away from everything. Everything he knew, everything he loved into a life that he didn't choose and the one thing that stops him..." David focused on her solely, her lips. "The one person that feels like home."
Her heart was doing somersaults, back-flips and spinning all at once at the sincerity of his words and she pressed her hand to his chest. It was warm and inviting and she suddenly had this wonderful desire to feel the soft skin under the cream fabric of his shirt. They barely knew each other and yet, this is what he did to her.
"Charming- " Snow said tenderly, eyes going hazy as if mist had filled them. All she could see, all she could feel was him.
"Kiss me." her whisper was almost inaudible but, as their fore-heads touched and he took Snow's lips for his own in a moment of complete and utter bliss, he caught something out of the corner of his eye.
"Snow."
"Charming." Not recognising the worry in his voice the handmaiden sucked lightly on his lips eliciting rich, rewarding noises ones that she knew she could spend her whole life listening to, creating. She would love loving him.
"Snow- the milk."
"The milk." A honeysuckle giggle came bursting from her. "We're kissing what about the?" As soon as she said the words, she realised and saw the hot chocolate boiling over in the pan and creating a puddle of boiling brown liquid. "THE MILK!" Tearing herself away from him she searched for a cloth and wiped it away, while David transferred the heavy mix into the two waiting cups. "I completely forgot."
Merely smiling David shrugged. "It's alright. I won't tell anyone."
"Thank you." Snow beamed gratefully.
Minutes later, disaster averted they sit at the golden oak table and nurse their drinks. "Mmm. Snow, this is delicious." David exclaimed after a careful sip, the liquid was sugary but, not too sweet, bitter and yet, the cinnamon was like a roaring fire simmering in his soul.
Snow sighed happily. "I'm glad you like it."
"Yes, it's wonderful but, who was it meant for?" David asked setting it down again but, the answer she gave next would not be one he expected. "For a woman trying to forget a prince."
The sheer sadness in the beautiful Snow's words pierced his heart. "Is that what you want?"
"To forget me?"
A painful silence enveloped them and a lump nearly choked her. "No."
He couldn't have this, he had to tell her. Away from here. Getting up abruptly he beckoned her to him almost on will alone.
"Come with me."
The summer sunlight warmed their hands as they walked side by side the beauty and softness of the meadow and flowers he imagined weaving into her long curls making it an almost perfect sanctuary from the prison of George's rule.
"It's so peaceful. It's like nothing can touch us here." Snow exclaimed contentedly however, her Prince Charming's face told a different tale. "Charming?"
He turned gently so they were facing each other. Heart to heart. "Please forgive me."
Taking a breath he sighed before telling Snow White the story of a poor shepherd named David, his mother and an imp named Rumplestiltskin who would turn their lives upside down with the flick of his scaly wrist.
When he was finished he was surprised to see her smiling joyful words almost jumping from her lips.
"Snow?"
"I know." Snow said radiantly, the sun reflecting in her hazel eyes. "You know? How?" And then he realised, "When you hit me."
"Yes, and when you were so concerned with what he had done to me." "You gave yourself away and then…"
"You kissed me." he says a little smugly.
"I did." she rocks on her toes but, he stops her pulling her gently by the waist and into the path of his lips for a bone melting kiss.
"I don't know what's happening." Snow nearly roars into his lips, it should scare her, all of this but it doesn't. Threading a hand through her hair, he uses the other to jointly cup her face and deepen the kiss before they break for air.
"Mmm." He emitsbefore briefly stopping to slowly glide his fingers down her neck to ease her worried soul.
"Ah." "That is not helping." Snow chastises pecking his nose hard.
"My apologies, Lady Snow." His voice bows and she laughs. "I am no lady."
"My parents were as poor as church mice and went to their grave because of it."
"Then we are not so different after all."
"No."
"As long as we're together Snow you'll never have to feel that pain again."
Looking up at him with tear laden eyes she sobbed hopefully. "Do you promise?"
"I do."
They walked back to the castle in contented bliss. Sharing one last bittersweet kiss before they parted.
From above King George seethed. "Bring that bewitching whore to me."
"What are you going to do?" Lancelot asked worriedly.
The king only smiled, "Ruin her."