After breakfast I really didn't want to go back to my room, nor did I want to go to the Women's Room where Contsnace was even though Ora insisted she'd take care of he rif things got out of hand. So I decided it might be nice to roam around the palace halls humming my favorite melody.
I didn't really take into account how large the palace was, and it was only until I found myself a bit lost did I realize the extent of its enormity.
Oh great. Now how will I find my way back?
I made another left and tried to remember where I came from. I walked down a large wide hallway with a window that took up the entire wall on one side and on the other a wall of portraits hung. They were some of the most beeautiful paintings I'd ever seen. Most of them were of landscapes, parts of the palace, and of people at odd angles doing strange things. One portrait was of the side of a woman, the sunlight blurring the features of her face, as she very delicately stroked the strings of a violin.
Another was of the back of a man holding hands with a tolder. There was another portrait of the gardens, in beautiful water colors. I stroked the frames they in and I caught sight of a portrait of the horses Shalom and Amberly riding across the perimeter of the palace grounds.
They were beautiful, magnificant portraits and the shadow of the sun made them even more incredible. I took into account one of my favorite, a picture of a blonde little girl kissing the head of a bunny. I smiled. I wonder who painted them all.
Walking further down the hallway I saw what must have been an oil painting. It was of a little girl with dark hair, picking up the delicate fabric of her dress to look at her feet. And then another one assumably painted using acrylics was of a boy with dark red hair touching the water of what seemed to be the pond behind the palace.
I kept walking and realized there was a wall ahead but, I could turn left or right and there were doors. I tried to think of which door would lead me back to the part of the palace I memorized. Until I heard something. I stopped humming some time ago and realized that the noise wasn't coming from me. Someone else was humming. It was deeper, more melow tone than mine.
I turned around and there was no one behind me. I began to wonder where the sound came from.
Up ahead I kept walking and when I stole a glance around the left corner I saw another much larger room. I walked inside and saw a couch, a grand mirror, large rugs and a fireplace with a clock rested on the mantle. The far wall was made of glass and I heard the humming grow louder. I walked toward the window and again on either side of the room a door on the left and a door on the right.
How many doors does one palace need?
I carefully pushed the door open, squeezing into a narrow hallway and when I caught sight of who was in the room I blinked twice to make sure my eyes weren't deceiving me.
Will stood in a room lit by only the rays of the sun coming through the window. He stood in front of a canvas paint smudges on his white button down shirt and his cheek. He had a painting board and a brush in both of his paint covered hands and was working vigorously on what was in front of him. His eyebrows drawn together, his jaw tense, and his lips pressed together. That's when I noticed I must have stumbled upon an art room.
I didn't know Will liked to paint. There was some furniture from what I could only see was a table covered in bushes and tubes of paint. A desk with several pencils and note books thrown on top of it and a board hung on the far right of the room with penciled pictures tacked to it.
I held my breath carefully stepping back when I made the door creak and I cursed myself for being so loud.
Will had his paint brush held between his teeth as he touched something on the canvas.
"Godfrey is that you again?" He said.
I winced.
"I told you today is my day off"
Figuring I might as well show myself I carefully pushed the door open and stuck my head in.
"Not Godfrey" i admitted, embarrassment turning my cheeks scarlet. "Just me"
Will looked up immediately dropping whatever he was doing and grabbed a rag on the chair next to him, making his way over to me in strides.
"Alessa"
"I'm sorry" I backed away. "I didn't mean to intrude I was just roaming when I got lost and I-"
Will smiled. "You seem to have a knack for finding me in all my secret places."
I smiled a bit, relieved. Will cleaned his hands with the rag he held and walked further into the room wavign me in.
"You can come in and sit, you know"
I rubbed my hands on the skirt of my dress and walked further in, taking into account the room's apperance. It was a big room but small compared to the others in the palace. There was a fire place with paintings hun over the mantle. There were strings criss crossing over head on the far end of the room near a huge desk and couch that from them hung smaller pictures. Some paint, some drawn.
Hugepaint boxes cluttered the corners of the room piled on top of each other. Some sitting on chairs and others on tables all containing different kinds of paints, brushes, tools. Even boxes with different markes, colorful pens and pencils, charcols and pastles littered the room. It looked messy but oddly neat at the same time.
It looked like an artist's room.
"I'm surprised you aren't in the least bit annoyed someone found you secret hidding place" I sat on the windowsill which seemed to be the only free space in the room.
Will flashed me one of his side smiles, the kind that made a girl feel like she might melt in her spot. "Had it been anyone else I would have been rather annoyed"
I laughed.
"But you, I don't mind so much"
I often found it hard to accept compliments especially from Will and judging by the way he smiled at my flushed look he knew the kind of effect he had on me and I found it entirely unfair I couldn't play his little game either.
"Are you flirting with me, Will?" I crinkled my nose at him.
He laughed, the same musical laugh I wish I could bottle up and save for a rainy day. "I cannot think of anything better than the look on your face right now"
I shook my head at him. "You should see your face right now."
"And what exactly is wrong with my face?" He demanded.
I laughed unable to look at him seriously with the paint smudges on his cheek and chin. I slid off the windowsill walking over to him and taking the fabric he had in his hands.
"Most princes," I inquired, unable to tame my giggles. "Don't usually have paint on their face"
I brought the towel up to his face wiping the paint from his cheek and chin unable to smile at how dumbfounded he looked.
"I had paint on my face this whole time?"
Smiling, I nodded.
"Well then," he caught my hand before I was to pull it away and kissed my fingers sending lightining bolts of energy through my viens. "I thought it was the princes that were supposed to save the day, not the damsels."
"I'm not a damsel in distress, just a hero in a pretty pair of heels"
He smiled, flashing his beautiful teeth. "Well thank you for coming to the rescue."
In an attempt to get my hand back I pulled farther away despite eagerly wanting to close the distance between us. Suddenly I was melting where I was, my heart ready to escape my chest, and there was a dizziness in my head. What was I doing again? I can't remember.
Unable to control my thoughts anymore I lingered on the way his lips felt on my fingers, like the delicate touch of the petals of a rose. And my mind was drowning in the sweet sensation of him being just inches away from me, his heat bouncing off his body and warming mine to the core.
When I bumped into one of his boxes, stepping so far back I snapped from my daze. Will reached out to grab my arm and uncomfortable with him holding me so close I kind of shook him off.
"I uh..." I put the towel down and looked everywhere but his eyes, focusing on the window. "Was just lost I was wondering...um...how to get back. I have to get ready the Report is starting soon."
Will nodded clearing his throat. "Of course. I'll show you the way back."
I nodded, grateful he didn't advance again.
Walking out of the room Will turned to me and said, "Am I allowed to hold your hand?"
"As long as you don't try to flirt with me again"
Instantly a wide grin spread across his face and I felt his fingers lock with mine. "I won't make any promises."