"Wipe that grin off your face and do as I say or you will regret it." I hissed. He stopped laughing and looked at me with an amused expression on his face. He was around thirty years old and I didn't understand how such a young man could have such a short-term memory that he had forgotten what I looked like already.
"Look at me." I snapped. "Observe me closely and you will see that I truly am Prince Curtis." The man walked over to me and turned my face towards the light. He looked at the left side of my face, then the right and I knew exactly when he recognized me.
"Your highness!" He stuttered.
"Finally." I rolled my eyes. "My parents are on Yirdo and are being guarded by several men who are under the new ruler's command. They need to be freed as soon as possible."
The boat came closer and closer and I grew more excited every minute. When they had neared the shore I couldn't control myself anymore and ran down the steep slope towards the river.
"Father! Mother!" I exclaimed, before they were even close enough to hear me. I felt like jumping in the water and swimming towards them but the memory of the freezing cold water withheld me from doing that. Why were the men pedaling so slowly? Finally, after what seemed like forever, the boat neared the shore. My mother jumped off the boat into the mud and she didn't care that the whole bottom of her dress and her shoes were now completely dirty. She ran towards me, hugged me and refused to let me go for the next few minutes.
"Oh darling, I'm so happy you're not hurt. I was so scared! I didn't want to leave you in that palace but I couldn't warn you in time. I'm so sorry!"
"It's fine, mother." I assured her. "It's not your fault and I learned quite in the past few months." My father then walked up to me and hugged me as well.
"I am so proud of you." He said. "I knew you would get us off that island." Gawis's mother hugged me and his father shook my hand. And then I stood face to face with Gawis. I had to remind myself to breathe and the mere sight of him caused my heart to beat faster. He held out his hand towards me and waited for me to shake it. I didn't.
"A handshake?" I asked him. "I save you from an island and this is what I get?" Gawis smiled and hugged me too.
"Better." I said, as I hugged him back. When he pulled away and our eyes met I realized that I had never wanted to kiss somebody as bad as I wanted to kiss Gawis now. But this was impossible, my parents and his parents were both standing only a few meters away and it would be much too humiliating if I kissed him. Besides, it was possible that he wasn't interested in me at all and then kissing him would be a huge mistake.
"Tis, tell us what happened while we were stuck on that dreadful island." My mother said.
"Let's go to the carriage first and I'll tell you all about it on the way to the palace." Everybody thought this was a very good idea and so we walked over to the large carriage and climbed in.
On the way to the palace I told them everything that had happened while they were away. I told them that I had been a butler in the palace, that I ran away and managed to get out of the palace.
"Wait," Gawis suddenly said, "what did you say the man's name was? James?"
"Yes." I answered and wondered how this was important.
"Oh no," Nathan groaned.
"What's wrong?" His father asked him.
"James was my friend dad, the person who's father you sentenced to a lifetime in jail. James came over to me and told me to get his father out of jail but I had to refused. He then threatened that one day he would take everything from me. And he did." We were all staring at Nathan in disbelief.
"Well, there's one positive thing you can say about this man, he is certainly determined." Nathan's mother commented and I laughed at her down-to-earthness.
"He certainly is." My mother agreed. "But Tis, how did you get out of the palace? I thought you said James did not allow you to leave."
"He didn't," I said, and wondered if I should tell them how I really got out of the palace. It was going to be quite embarrassing. "I flirted with a guard." I admitted. I saw Gawis's eyes narrow and this caused immediate butterflies in my stomach. Was he jealous, or just protective? The rest of the ride we spent exchanging experiences and it wasn't long before we arrived at the palace. We rode through the large metal gates and I stared out the window like in a trance. Everything was so incredibly beautiful, the bushes that had been cut into various shapes, the flowerbeds and the beautiful palace. I smiled as I saw it and realized that I would soon be able to take a warm bath. But first I had to do something else, I had to bring my new horse, who I had named Liberty, freedom, to the stables, and make sure that he had enough to eat and a warm place to stay. If it wasn't for that beautiful horse, I would never have made it home.
I stepped out of the carriage and told my parents that I would be right back. Liberty was tied to the back of the carriage and I untied him and then pet his nose. He whinnied softly.
"This is your new home, Liberty." I told him. "I hope you'll be happy here."
"I'm sure he will be." I heard a voice behind me. "Especially since you're his owner." I turned around and smiled at Gawis.
"Thank you." I said to him. "Do you want to come to the stables with me? I'm going to assure that Liberty is treated with the utmost care."
"Liberty," Gawis pondered. "Freedom. I like it."
"If it wasn't for this horse, I wouldn't have made it to the army." I told Gawis as we were walking towards the stables. When we arrived one of the servants took the horse from me and I told him to give Liberty an extra treat and to take good care of her. He promised and I kissed Liberty on his nose before leaving.
The path back to the palace was a quiet one, with neatly lined up trees on both sides. Gawis and I walked in silence until Gawis suddenly stopped me.
"Curtis," he said, "I still feel like I haven't thanked you properly for saving me from that island." I turned towards him.
"It's fine." I said, "I'm just happy that everybody is all right. Besides, you saved my life so now I saved yours." Gawis grinned and took a step towards me. He ran a finger over my cheek and I swallowed. He then leaned forwards and gently placed his lips on mine. I kept my eyes open for a few seconds, to make sure that this was really happening and then I closed them and surrendered to his kiss. I slipped my arms around his neck and he had one hand on my cheek and the other around my waist and pulled me closer and closer. I was slowly running out of breath but at that moment I would rather suffocate than make him stop kissing me. When we pulled away we were both gasping for air.
"That was a better thank you." Gawis said, when he had gotten his breath back. I couldn't answer, too stunned and happy to be able to speak.
"I've fallen in love with you, Tis," Gawis said gently. "And I was wondering if you feel something for me as well?"
I smiled and looked up into his dark brown eyes.
"You were all I could think about when I was sleeping on the forest floor or making beds or doing whatever other chore I did as a maid. I got annoyed at myself more than once because I just couldn't keep my mind off you." I bit my bottom lip and then said: "I think I've fallen in love with you too." Before I knew it his lips had captured mine again and I knew that my skin would never stop responding to his touch.
With his arm around me we walked towards the palace. I lay my head on his shoulder and he kissed the top of my head and then smelt my hair. I looked up at him.
"I'm sorry," I said, a little embarrassed, "but my hair probably does not smell very good at the moment.
"On the contrary," he said, smiling, "I was wondering how it could still smell so good after all you've been through." I smiled as well, and put my arm around his waist.
"Will you have dinner with me tomorrow evening?" Gawis suddenly asked me.
"I would love to."
2 Months Later
My parents were having a ball that evening and I spent more time standing in front of the mirror than usual because I knew that Gawis was coming too. When I was finally satisfied with my appearance, I descended the stairs and slipped into the already crowded room. I had asked my parents not to give me a formal entrance because I didn't feel like getting all that attention tonight.
I walked into the room and within a few seconds I felt his arm around my waist. He observed me sideways.
"Now that you're wearing lip gloss I can still kiss you right?" He asked, grinning.
"Of course, I would never take lip gloss over a kiss from you." I smiled. He laughed and kissed me. I loved the fact that we couldn't care less what others thought about us.
"You know, we really shouldn't do this, what if we declare war on each other when we break up?" I asked out of the blue.
"Well, let's just not break up." He suggested. I actually thought that was a perfect idea. And achievable. For the time being.
"You know what I really feel like doing right now? I feel like going out riding. We haven't ridden together since that first day." Gawis looked at me anxiously. I looked down at my clothes and then decided I could ride easily for today.
"Sure," I said, "but don't be surprised if I fall off riding. And I certainly won't win in a race." He laughed. I loved his laugh, I could listen to it all day. Every time I looked at him I could not believe that I had disliked him at first, that I hadn't trusted him. He was absolutely perfect, physically and mentally. I should really stop misjudging people before I've even met them, I thought to myself.
"What are you thinking?" Gawis asked, as we slipped out of the ballroom and walked towards the stables.
"I'm was just wondering how it was possible that I didn't like you at first and I reminded myself that I shouldn't misjudge people." I said, a little embarrassed.
"Well, turns out I taught you a very important lesson in life." He teased me.
I punched him playfully. "That's not the only thing you taught me," I mused.
"What else have I taught you?" He asked, curious.
"Hmm.. You taught me that Prince Gawis isn't the arrogant player that he is rumored to be and you taught me what having a boyfriend is like." I answered.
"I still can't believe that you've never had a girlfriend or boyfriend." He said unbelievably.
"What about you! There are thousands of people who would be your partner instantly. The last thing I expected from you was to have never had a girlfriend." He turned me towards him and looked me deeply in the eyes. We were standing in the middle of the courtyard, in a little house built right in the middle. It smelled like roses all around and added to the romantic atmosphere. "I was waiting for the right one." He said softly. His hand ran over my cheek. "I love you." He plucked one of the roses and handed it to me. It was red and had little water drops from the rain which had fallen a few moments ago. It was perfect. I couldn't believe he had just said that to me and I was so overwhelmed that I couldn't say anything. He looked at me expectantly, waiting for me to reply.
"I love you too." I finally managed to whisper. We leaned towards each other and shared a long, passionate kiss. But I felt like something was wrong, something was bothering him. I pulled away.
"What's wrong?" He asked.
"I don't know. You seem nervous." I said.
"I just told a guy I loved him, guys get nervous when they have to do stuff like that." He laughed it off. But I could see there was something wrong.
"Gawis.." He sensed that I would not let it go and he noticed that I knew him too well to see there was nothing wrong.
"Wait until we get to the tower." He said as he took me by the hand and we continued walking towards the stables. I was extremely curious but knew he would not tell me anymore and therefore decided to wait patiently.
The horses were saddled quickly and I got on. I had needed to learn this for official ceremonies but I rarely did it when I went out riding for fun and I did not enjoy it. But it was a bit difficult to ride normally in the clothes I was wearing. We went slowly at first but then gradually went faster.
"You want to race?" He asked, with a twinkle in his eye. It reminded me so much of the first day I had met him and I laughed when I realized how much had changed since then.
"It's your fault if I fall off!" I shouted at him but our horses were already galloping at full speed. Breathless we arrived at the tower.
"You're still a pro!" He laughed as he got off and then walked over to my horse to help me down. His hands were around my waist and when I was on the floor he did not let go. Instead, he leaned forwards and kissed me once again. I put my arms around his neck, he put his around my waist and then lifted me up and spun me around.
With his arm around me we stood on top of the tower, gazing at the beauty before us. There were mountains and behind the mountains was the sea. Above us were thousands of twinkling stars and it was nearly full moon. There was no light but we didn't need it. I leaned my head against Gawis's shoulder. Suddenly I remembered that he was going to tell me something on the tower and I lifted my head to look at him. He sensed what I was going to ask him and let me go. He got something out of his pocket and then bent down on one knee. I was stunned as I realized what he was about to do.
"Curtis, I love you and I will always love you. Will you marry me?" He asked as he held out a ring towards me. I couldn't speak for the second time today. Had Gawis gone crazy? He was proposing to me but I was only 17! He got up, slid the ring back in his pocket and took my hands.
"You probably think I've gone mad but I can explain. It's a long and complicated story but in the end I had to choose between an instant marriage and loosing Torit. And since there's no one I'd rather spend the rest of my life with, I chose to ask you to marry me." I gasped and stared at him for a few seconds before I forced the words out of my mouth.
"Could I have some time to think about it?"
"Of course, take all the time you need as long as it is no longer than 5 days. I need to know before that." He answered.
"Who knows about this?" I asked.
"Your parents know about it but said that it was up to you to decide. After all, it is you who will have to put up with me for the rest of your life." He grinned, trying to make the atmosphere less tense. I just stared at him. He wrapped his arms around me and suddenly laughed.
"You're speechless, that doesn't happen very often."
"What do you expect? I thought I would have a few more years to decide whom to marry." I said sardonically and still a little shocked.
"Tis, something else is bothering you. Tell me." He said gently.
"Gawis, I love you more than anything in the world right now. But I'm only 17, what if I don't love you anymore in a few years, what if I fall in love with someone else?" I whispered.
"I'll take that risk." He kissed me long and if it was only my heart here tonight I would have agreed to marry him instantly. I took a deep breath.