Throne of Hearts (girlxgirl)

Chapter 15 - P.1.

Castle Library. Wishborne Castle, Ahigarth

Rose

For the second night in a row, I found Rhys sitting down with a book in hand in the library. She didn't seem to hear the library door open so I used this moment to watch her openly.

When Rhys didn't return to duty after dinner, I figured she'd been summoned by Sir Weston, but after two hours of waiting in my solar, I started to doubt my assumption. The day had been so busy. There hadn't been a single moment to talk about what happened this morning. Did her absence have something to do with that? Did Rhys regret kissing me?

The moment Rhys quietly admitted she liked women, something inside me snapped. Something so tightly wound and condensed inside of me was knocked loose like an arrow headed for a target. I don't know what came over me when I lunged to kiss her. 

Rhys's lips sat still, frozen and unmoving, but after another moment, she moved. She kissed me back with gentle force and passion. Her full likes danced with me until the sounds of the outside world broke the spell around us. 

I pictured her handsome face posed above me, lips swollen from my kisses, and eyes so dark, they resembled the ocean before a storm. Wild and full of barely restrained energy. I shivered thinking about it. Except now is not the time for daydreaming. 

I need to check in with the Dame and make sure everything is okay. I'd hate to lose the closeness we've had steadily building between us. Before kissing or feelings or whatever else was going on, Rhys was my friend first. 

Instead of startling her like the last time when I touched her, I pushed the library door closed with a little more force than necessary. It worked. Rhys slowly lifted her head at the sound and looked up with weary eyes. Once those blue eyes landed on me, I saw some of that weariness fade away and she smiled. 

"Hey..." Rhys said softly, setting her book down.

"Hey yourself," I returned, smiling. I crossed the room and sat in the chair beside her. "What happened after dinner?"

Rhys sighed and rubbed her forehead. "I was summoned by the High Chief."

When she didn't explain further, I raised a brow and prompted, "And that explained you disappearing for–" I glanced at the clock behind me, "almost four hours? You can do better than that, Rhys." 

"Rose..." she sighed. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to be gone for so long. After I talked with Chief Darcy, I went for a walk to clear my head. Then I ended up here and I got lost in the books." 

"Apology accepted," I said instantly. High Chief Darcy is an ass. I can't fault Rhys for needing a moment to collect herself. But four hours is a long time...that can't be the only thing weighing her down. I hesitated for a moment but then quietly asked, "Are...are you upset about this morning?"

Her blue eyes sparked to life, and she perked up in her seat, eyes on my face. Rhys shook her head. "No, I'm not upset." Her eyes flicked down to my lips before jumping back up to my eyes. "Are you upset?"

My heart jumped in my chest and I reached over the small gap between us to pull on the sleeve of her tunic. Rhys tilted her head in this cute little curious way but leaned toward me when I tugged a little harder. Gods, she's cute this close to me. 

I whispered. "I've been thinking about that kiss all day, Rhys." I let my lips graze the shell of her ear as I continued, "I can't stop thinking about you." Once again I was feeling bold and brave while my heart ran circles against my ribs. 

Rhys slowly turned her head to look at my face. We were almost close enough to kiss but not quite there. She nibbled on her full bottom lip for a brief moment before she asked, "Can I kiss you again?"