Snow's White | ✓

1. Lady in the Glass

"Lucas," a gentle voice called from behind him. Prince Lucas slipped the red silk ribbon between the pages of his book, placing it atop the leather satchel resting on the rock next to him. The young prince turned his head, wincing as the sun's rays momentarily stung his half-lidded eyes, his large hand pressing against his forehead as a shield. As he blinked and his vision cleared, brown eyes rested on the graceful form of his betrothed.

Lucas felt breathless all over again, the same way he had felt when he saw her lying still in her glass coffin, head dainty head resting on a bed of white rose. Ebony rivulets had cascaded down the supple slope of her cheeks, still flush with colour despite her stillness, the wavy tresses resting just below the curve of her breast. Her lips, slightly parted as if she were exhaling a sweet sigh, were a deep red. Lucas had been captivated the moment he laid eyes on her, and in this moment, nothing had changed.

His fiancé smiled at him, the soft curve of her lips bright against her pale skin, as she waved him over with a slender hand. Lucas found himself mirroring her smile, as he carefully made his way over to the woman, who patted the lush grass next to her. Lucas, lowering himself down, raised a brow as she lightly thrust a bunch of flowers in front of his face.

"And this is...?" Lucas started, earning an amused giggle from Rosenwyn. Rising to her knees, Rose placed the bundle of flowers on top of his blonde head, nodding in appreciation of her work.

"A crown for my prince," Rose laughed, as Lucas's nose crinkled. "Now don't look so put off, Lucas! You look adorable."

"I'm put off because I look 'adorable', Snow," Lucas sighed, plucking the ring of white flowers from his head, and placing it on his fiancé's dark locks instead. He had found it odd how she had insisted he call her 'Snow', her childhood nickname given to her by her father when she was still a babe. He would have thought the name odd with any other person, but taking in his fiancé's radiant, pale complexion, he found the name rather fitting. Pausing for a moment, he took his lover's hand in his, stroking the velvet skin of her palm with his thumb. Her cheeks reddened, as she shyly looked away, her hair spilling from behind a pale ear, obscuring her blush from his eyes. Lucas felt his smile deepen, as he pushed her hair back with his fingers, brushing the flesh of her nape tenderly.

"Stop staring at me," Rose murmured, pressing a hand against her flushed cheeks. Lucas shook his head as his fingers found their way to her chin, pulling her feebly resistant face towards him.

"But you're adorable," Lucas grinned, his thumb caressing the expanse of her cheek. 'Her skin is so soft,' Lucas thought to himself, as Rose leaned in to his touch, her lids fluttering closed in front of her light ocean eyes.

"Your hand is warm," Rose smiled, turning her head so her lips pressed against his palm in a chaste kiss. "I love it." Her words too were warm, and Lucas pressed a kiss to her forehead, the smell of the white flower on her crown mingling with her naturally sweet scent. Lucas opened his mouth, the words 'I love you' tickling his tongue. Suddenly, his throat closed, and his mouth became dry as the words found themselves clamped behind tight lips. Swallowing thickly, Lucas suppressed the uncomfortable tickle in his chest, and once again kissed Rose's forehead, pulling himself up gently. Rose, sensing the distance between them, opened her eyes curiously.

"We best get back to the castle. If we are gone too long, they'll likely send a whole search party out to look for us," Lucas said, answering her unasked question, before pulling his lips up into another soft smile. Taking Lucas's outstretched hand, Rose nodded, pulling herself up. Brushing her flowing skirts with her palms, Rose slipped her thin arms around her love's, leaning into his side as they made their way back to Lucas's tethered horse, which was lazily grazing the plush grasses of the forest.