The courting trap

Savior

"Nicholas?" She stares up at me with wet eyelashes.

"Yes?" My voice cracks, she sits up hugging her knees to her chest. She stays silent staring up at me. Her eyes move from left to right, as if she can't choose which of my eyes to focus on. "What are you doing here?" She finally says.

"I uhm..." Unexpectedly she leaps forward and wraps her arms around my neck. I hover my arms above her unknowing of what to do. I have rarely ever felt the comfort of an embrace. Though we are both freezing, I can still feel her warmth.

My heart drums against my chest, I wonder if she can feel it. Slowly I put my hands on her sides, then wrap my arms completely around her back. "Thank you." She cries.

"What were you thinking?" My anger comes out from all the stress she had just put on me. I grab her waist and push some distance between us, so I can look at her, her arms still around my neck and mine still at her waist as we sit on the ground together.

"I wasn't." Tears roll down her cheeks. "It was like I couldn't control myself anymore, all I felt was sadness and I wanted it to end."

"Don't say things like that." My voice raises. "You can't just give up every time something goes wrong." My hair falls in my eyes, I run a hand through my hair to push it back.

"I know." Her head hangs low in shame. I grab her chin to lead her gaze up. "Don't you ever scare me like that again." Then she looks at me in a way she reminds me of her. A wave of sorrow washes over me, but I try to suppress it.

"I didn't think you you'd care." Her lip trembles.

A thousand answers run through my mind, I'm not sure what to say, "I don't want to marry you, but not like this." I stand up from my sitting position on the ground, her cold hands slipping from my body.

I consider leaving on Darius and letting her walk back, but I decide not to do it.

"I'm really sorry, you know?" She says as I stare down at her and frown my brows. Sorry can't bring the letters back.

I stick out my hand for her to grab and help her up. She shivers due to the cold. I grab the cloak I dropped on the ground earlier and put it over her shoulders. "Thanks." She softly smiles.

Victoria's POV:

He ties the ribbons on my cloak together, his hand trailing down my arm when he's done. He's so close right now, I stare up at him towering over me, and right now I cannot remember why I hated him so much. "Lets head back." He trails back into the forest, I'm right behind him.

Darius is grazing in the meadows, " Hey boy." I rub his nose. I close my eyes and envision him as Willow instead, tears forming in my eyes.

Suddenly I feel hands on my waist and my feet leave the ground. And just like that I'm sat sideways on Darius. Nicholas lingers his hands on me a little longer than necessary and butterflies erupt in my stomach. "Thank you." I try to look anywhere but at him.

He goes to jump on too but I stop him with my hand on his chest. "A second please." I throw my right leg over Darius so I'm now straddling him. "Alright you can climb on now."

He effortlessly jumps on the huge horse. He's now so close I can feel his chest expand against me when he breathes. I get a warm feeling all over and clear my throat awkwardly.

"Hold on." He says while his thumb ever so slightly caresses my wrist when he grabs the reins. I grab ahold of Darius' dark manes and off we go.

It would be a lie if I said being so close to him didn't make me feel something, feelings I don't quite understand.

I feel like I haven't ridden in forever so I grab ahold of the reins too. "Can I?" I ask, turning back to look at him. We're so close. "Sure." He mummers.

I smile as I flick the reins and Darius flies forward even harder. Nicholas' hands snap to my waist in response. "Not used to riding this fast?" I laugh loudly over the wind blowing in our ears.

"I don't usually drive this recklessly no." He yells back.

Within minutes we arrive at the castle, which I didn't expect to ever see again.

Nicholas jumps off first, and yet again helps me get off. I smile up at him. In the corner of my eye I see someone walking towards us, it's Matthew. "Hello!" I smile brightly. At least I still have him.

"Good afternoon, your royal highness." He says coldly as he grabs Darius and immediately walks away.

"That was strange." I turn around and realise I'm talking to myself. Nicholas has already headed inside.