body. I wanted it all. I wantedher. Body, mind and soul.
“I didn’t mean to upset you,” she muttered.
We kept saying things that upset the other and I didn’t understand why. We’d created such a beautiful friendship growing up.
Even after I was caught by my mother and father for disappearing all hours of the day. I made it worse when they found out who
I was sneaking off to meet.
Although, my mother never stopped me. Simply warned me to stay hidden and to never get caught while father tried many
times to keep me home. Perhaps they always knew Ornella and I would end up on this path.
“You didn’t upset me.” My voice was cold, but I didn’t mean it. My ego was bruised.
She clung to my hand, her fingers entwined with mine. For a moment we stood there in silence. The warmth of her body
broke through the fabric of my shirt. I tried not to look down at her. I tried to avoid making eye contact with her, but when I
glanced down, her eyes were on the floor. She didn’t want to look at me either.
Was this how it would always be?
Near touches, glances from afar, longing for a person who may never want you? I’d always craved a relationship like my
parents had. One filled with passion and heat. One where the other fought beside you and always stayed by your side.
Closing my eyes, I homed in on Ornella and hoped I could hear some of her thoughts. She’d still not mastered blocking me
out. I could only hear a faint little word here and there. Her mind was racing with a million emotions and questions. How was
it possible to want someone that vexed you so much? I wanted to tear the world apart for her but also tear her apart at the same
time. I wanted to destroy everything she held dear and to hold her close at the same time. I wanted to protect her at all costs.
But most of all, I wanted to love her deeply and freely.
“Nicholas, please don’t push me away. You’ve done that once before and it was the worst pain I’d ever felt.”
The day she tried to kiss me, I fled. I ran home and no matter how much I wanted to go back to her, I couldn’t. She was the
daughter of our enemy, and as far as I was aware, she had no idea who I was. If anything, to her I was a simple stableboy and
she deserved better.
She only became a part of my plan when I found out the whole story of my aunt's death and made it my mission to take her. I
didn’t intend for feelings to get in the way. She was still that young girl in the woods I found crying, and I was still the boy who
befriended her and showed her magic for the first time.
“Ornella, I think we need to forget about who we were in the past.”
Turning to face her, I met her glassy eyes. She kept her fingers in mine, no matter how many times I tried to shake them off.
“We were children. We were free spirited and didn’t know any better. Now, I am king, and I have a duty to my people.
Please don’t mistake this as anything but a business transaction. I meant what I said. I will be a devoted husband to you on the
