The Omega Princess

Chapter 14

“Here!” I said with conviction, placing the picnic basket onto the golden sand. Dale smiled looking slightly amused as he sat down next to it looking up at me with those glittering blue eyes. I smiled back, then looked away quickly before my heart raised. I didn’t want him to ask me about because I would not know how to answer him.

I sat down looking at the rest of the beach. I closed my eyes for a second feeling the cool breeze wash over me. It was autumn yet the breeze was ever so pleasant, as I opened my eyes to look out to the sea front a smile flirted onto my face. The sun looked perfect, a giant glowing ember of yellow, orange and red sinking into the beautiful dark blue of the sea. Although it was succumbing to the night it wasn’t going down without a fight, instead it shone proudly allowing us to witness it burning power.

“It’s beautiful isn’t it?” Dale murmured softly

I nodded absently, hugging my knees and tucking them beneath my chest. As I looked down at my black dress I noted that it had sand all over it but it was not something that bothered me. Beside me even with the basket between us I could feel Dale’s presence, something warm was emitting from him that seemed to help me calm down, to relax.

Another small smile lit my face, I was glad that Pietro had given me this job. The preparations were well under way and it was less than five days until the ball. For the past few days I had used Cara to help get him out of the house, I had wanted to distract him myself but after that afternoon being around him made me flustered and unable to speak as I usually did. Today however I had no choice but to steel myself, as Cara was to get her dress fitted. I had spent the first of the day assisting him with his role as healer and then I had coerced him into having a picnic on the beach

“My mother used to come out here all the time”

I turned to look at him, I had never heard neither Kai nor Dale mentioning their mother. In fact there was no trace that Pietro had ever even gotten married. Even when I had been princess I could not remember having met their mother before.

“Where is your mother?” I asked softly

He looked to me with eyes that seemed a little hurt

“You don’t have to answer that” I said after looking into them, I looked away quickly. I knew what it was like to not be able to talk about something that was so close to the heart. Something that seemed to hug your heart, yet stab it at the same time.

“I should tell you, but not yet” he said turning my face to the side

I nodded not looking into his eyes. I turned again to the sunset, only the silent flares of the sun remained flicking out in agony to the cold, silver stars. We watched it in silence until the last flick was gone and all that remained was blanket of starry diamonds. The sea washed in and out, the gentle sash lulling us further into silence. The wind blew again whipping my hair around like a silky scarf. I turned to the basket only to find Dale staring at me, I looked away from him sharply before looking up again.

“Are you happy here?” he asked suddenly a seriousness overcoming him. For once in the last few days I was able to meet his eyes and stare into him. Amidst the blue I could see honesty and concern swimming in his eyes staring back at me.

I smiled thinking about the question sincerely. It had been many years since I had felt so free, when I felt confident. I was in a place where I was encouraged to be proud of who I was, where each day was a lesson, each lesson one that made me stronger that was slowly but surely morphing me into the woman that I was yearning to be. Here people didn’t just chuck me into a tower because I was different instead they offered me comfort and security and cherished me.