WARHAVEN

Thirty-Six

I was so incredibly nervous. I found myself pacing in my large bathroom. The heels Camara had given me, scraping and tapping against the tile floor.

She had brought me a gorgeous gown for our dinner. It was another mystery gown that fit exceptionally well. The dress reached just below my knees. The deep purple was seductive. The bodice was ribbed, accentuating my waist and pressing my breasts forward. The material was the daintest of silks. The side featured a tulle design that bunched its way to my hip, staggering and creating a wing-like silhouette when held out. This tulle was a thinner, more see-through fabric. It gently rested on the ground around my classy black kitten heels. The straps couldn't be thicker than a quill. It was quite scandalous for the time.

I had no idea why there were so many expensive dresses tailored specifically to me. Every time I brought it up to Camara, she simply brushed it off, explaining that the King was a prepared man.

My hair had been done up in a feminine style, a loose bun that left a few pieces free to frame my face and add dimension. Even the hairdo felt expensive, as Camara had spent a good thirty minutes on it. I had some light makeup as well.

"Stop that pacing girl, you'll burn a hole through the floor." She told me as she worked on finishing touches.

"I'm sorry." I came to a stop, looking at her. "Maybe I should cancel. This wasn't a good idea, I mean, the last time we were alone together we had an awful fight and I-"

"No." Was all she said.

"I-What?" I was stunned. I knew she was a bit fiery but this was a little surprising.

"The King has put much effort into this special evening for the both of you. Not only would it be rude to cancel at the last minute, but it would be quite distasteful. And, he is on his way now." She stepped back, examining me like her own personal art project. She nodded in satisfaction.

Two loud knocks boomed on the bedroom door and my heart started up. Even my hands were a bit clammy. I really wanted to avoid another repeat of that horrible night in his bedroom. Things seemed to be going well lately. What if we argued?

"Come, he's here!" Camara nearly squealed in excitement, rushing to open the door. I stepped out of the bathroom, following Camara.

I focused on keeping my breathing under control. Inhale. Exhale.

I nearly fell to my knees at the sight of him. The suit he wore matched the purple of my dress to perfection. We looked perfectly coordinated. The suit fit him like it had been sewn onto his large frame. He wore a few silver rings on his fingers, and a simple silver chain on his neck. His handsome face, an accessory that completed the look.

When his eyes met mine, I almost melted. I felt my breath hitch at the grin that bloomed on his face, causing his dimple to tease me.

"You look..." His voice trailed off, he was clearly stunned, and so was I.

"So do you..." I looked down and clasped my hands, pulling on some of my fingers out of nervous habit.

"Well, go on you two." Camara urged, drawing attention to our obvious nerves. I felt my face heat up slightly at the obviousness.

The King just chuckled then, and reached his large calloused hand out to me. I closed my eyes, taking one last deep breath and steadying my hands so they wouldn't shake so much. I took a step forward and my hand met his.

I would never get used to the way it felt when his skin was on mine. It felt similar to running my hands through the night sky. As though there were little stars, bursts of heat and excitement in every touch. It felt phenomenal. I stopped myself before I let myself imagine what it would feel like to be fully akin to skin with him.

Our eyes met once more and he gave me a knowing smile. My face really heated up then, and I looked away quickly out of embarrassment. I would never get used to the fact that he could see into my mind. I needed to learn how to see into his, at least then I wouldn't feel so exposed around him.

He took us into the hall and we made our way to whatever he had set up. The sun was setting on the horizon, casting a warm glow over us as we continued down the hall. Even the sun felt romantic tonight.

"Thank you for agreeing to dinner with me. I know things ended badly the last time we were alone, and I am sorry for that..." I kept my eyes forward, as I was too nervous to meet his intense red ones.

"Thank you for inviting me." I didn't know what else to say, I was glad he and I had both decided to put our pride aside, at least for one night. I mean, we were linked for eternity, we had to at least try to get along.

"Of course, this should've happened sooner but things were so..."

"Tense?" I let out a short laugh, "Yes, I know."

"That's one way of putting it..." His voice trailed off.

We walked in comfortable silence for a while and I tried to figure out where we were going. A left here, a right there, the occasional stairwell. Eventually we came to a hallway that felt familiar, although it looked different. I nearly gasped when I realized what I was looking at.

The hall was flooded with flowers. There were so many different kinds, I couldn't keep up. The floor was bathed in petals, all romantic colors. Reds, deep royal blues, purples, soft pinks. The sides of the hall were lined with an endless amount of flowers, sticking out every which way. There were almost no gaps. It was beautiful.

"August..." I didn't know how to express the joy I felt when I looked at what he had set up. We walked the hall and I couldn't help but reach my free hand out, savoring the feeling of the soft petals. I even smelled a few. It was perfect. This could've been it and I would've felt satisfied.

Of course it wasn't though, at the end of the hall, lit by seductive candle light, was the castle bar room.