Twisted Love

Chapter 23

Cress

"Well," said Thorne, lowering the ramp once again, "I suppose we can walk around and wait."
Jacin bolted out of the jet as soon as the ramp touched ground.

Scarlet snorted and stalked off the jet, Wolf scampering behind her, which left Cress and Thorne by themselves.

"So," Thorne started, rolling his eyes. "I suppose you won't mind if we take a tour around the gardens? I know them quite well."

Cress nearly died by the sight of his dreamy blue eyes. "Uh, yeah. Sure." She coughed awkwardly. "Of course. Captain."

Thorne grinned at her, seemingly sensing her discomfort - and liking it. "Let's go then, Damsel." He offered her his arm, which she took shyly.

She took this as an opportunity to really inspect him. She had, of course, suspected him to be in love with Ci- Selene, since there was no doubt she was pretty, just like her mother. But it has been proven just how much Selene and Prince Kaito care for each other. There was no way he and Scarlet would be in any relationship beside friends, so that left Winter, who was in love with Jacin.

Oh, that also left Cress.

But Thorne wouldn't fall in love with her, would he? She, who was barely five feet tall? Her beautiful blond hair had just been cut a couple of days ago, so that only left her eyes, which were blue, but not his kind of striking blue.

And his hair-

"Say, Cress, how're you so good at hacking?" Thorne was glancing at her with a small smile. "I, for one, am a dunce at technology." He rolled his eyes. "Although I wouldn't normally say that, but I have been trained by-" he coughed, "-certain people to suppress my ego."

Cress started, and met his eyes with a timid smile. "Well, my father was a palace doctor. I was around some of the best technology in the world. That's how they discovered I have a gift with computers." She glanced at Thorne shyly. "What about you?"

Thorne laughed. "Well. That's hardly interesting. My father worked in the palace, too, except in the Commonwealth. He was the captain of the personal guards, so I was appointed as the prince's playmate after the empress died. Since then, I've succeeded my father as Captain when he passed, and I've also learned how to fly a jet." He winked at Cress. "Which explains why I am also a captain in the Air Force." Thorne turned right at the fork in the path. "See these peonies? They were planted by the empress herself. There are rumors," said Thorne, lowering his voice, "that Prince Kai and your Princess Selene, it would seem, visited these flower beds together and picked flowers for the youngest Linh."

Cress giggled. "I can't imagine Cinder doing something so-"

"Sappy?" Thorne smirked. He glanced at Cress again. "So, Cress, how's life in Luna? Is it beautiful there?"

Cress bit her lip. "Well, I have never left Artemisia."

Thorne raised an eyebrow in her direction. "Really? Never?"

"Never." Cress looked out at the gardens wistfully, but contently at the same time. "I was either in my house or at the royal palace."

"Alright then." Thorne glanced at Thorne again. "Haven't met many men in your life, then?"
Cress blushed and shook her head. "No. Besides my father, Jacin and Wolf are the only male close to me. Jacin and Winter are obviously for each other, though," she giggled, "they won't admit it. And Wolf was... like my older brother, just like Jacin."

Thorne nodded. "Ah, so no romantic interests?"

Her heart started up again, but she managed to keep a straight face. "None."