Hashih

Just a few ideas

Kind of interested, especially after reading through the schools of magic.

The Betrothed

Luke had always been a light sleeper. Therefore, when Rhiane freed herself from his hold, unwelcomed as it was, the edges of consciousness knocked at the door of his subconscious. Had he been dreaming already? Vaguely, the prince recalled images floating just beneath his eyelids, memories maybe of days long gone from a time when everything was much less complicated. If he could, he would have stayed asleep and dreaming. And that too was something he tried, because even though he was aware of the movement through the shifting weight on the back seat, he kept his eyes closed and hoped that the dream would take him back.

Unfortunately, it didn’t. “Fuck, I’m so tired,” the prince groaned to let her know that he was awake when she cleared her throat. Allowing himself a few minutes of sleep had broken the momentum of wakefulness that his body relied on. It was like being on a sugar-free diet for a month only to allow himself a bite of cake on the thirty-first day – every sacrifice for discipline’s sake from day one to thirty would crumble and the craving for sweets would begin with a vengeance. When his body and mind felt a few minutes of respite from restlessness, it craved for more. He was certain that if Rhiane had also fallen asleep and not moved, they would have been both woken up by a search party dispatched by the queen herself.

He rubbed his eyes and yawned, willing away the remaining traces of sleep. It was already dark and unfortunately, he couldn’t enjoy the tranquility brought about by watching the setting sun. There will be no late-night party for him. All he wanted was to fall face down on his bed and stay there until noon the following day. “Good to know that you’re feeling better,” he commented absently as he reached for the damp clothes he discarded. Although not thoroughly dried, his pants were no longer uncomfortably wet. Rhiane had also finished dressing herself, which was a miracle in itself considering how cold her hand a few minutes ago. Glancing at the digital clock on the display, he exited the craft and re-entered at the pilot’s seat.

Luke waited for Rhiane to claim the passenger seat, adjusting the thermostat to a more comfortable level. His eyelids felt heavy, but he trusted his determination to come home safely and in one piece would carry them both back to the palace. It was not as if he had not yet driven or flown back to the palace drunk, especially when he was younger. He wasted no time after she had settled in. Luke reminded her once to buckle up before their transport took off to start the journey back.

In the middle of the sea was a vast blanket of shadow broken only by the distant moonlight reflected on the waves that disrupted the water’s surface. It was as if the sun took all the colors with it to the other side of the globe. But traveling at night had its own charm. All the lights amidst a sea of darkness, the irony and the contrast, it appealed to him, which was the reason why he enjoyed operating the remote-pilot drones at night time. The uniform darkness was broken by streaks and scattering of dots of light signaling their approach to the mainland. His stomach chose that precise moment to rumble rather audibly. He could only imagine how hungry the farmer girl was at that time, knowing that she barely touched the lunch he ordered. “Freya.” The gadget on his wrist beeped and glowed faintly.

“At your service, your highness,” replied a feminine voice, but as soon as the power was on, the gadget received the messages, notifications, and such making the most annoying noise of almost non-stop ping. He waited for the moment to pass but didn’t even open one message. Dinner was at the top of his priority.

Luke opened his mouth to give the command to notify the royal kitchen of what he wanted to eat, when he recalled what Rhiane said that afternoon about being careful with the food, else she might get indigestion. He didn’t want that to happen either. “What would you have for dinner? I’m sure the palace kitchen will be able to make it for you, unless you prefer to prepare your own food. In that case, I’ll go ahead and demand the chef to make me something pleasant to eat.”

Spiritum - Reborn

“Café by day and bar by night. We capture a bigger market and sell coffee to those who are too drunk to drive.” Sounds like a sensible plan. But of course, it would not be Barghest Squad without a plot twist – arms smuggling, as suggested by his highness, was a heist that the squad would certainly enjoy pulling-off. It shouldn’t be that difficult given that they had the capacity to carry with them items without being identified by metal detectors or customs security. Limited as it was, Katarina had been contemplating about the potential uses of the mist pocket since the day it was introduced.

Speaking of the mist pockets, the mage placed the plastic bottle down as she recalled a certain volume that she kind of borrowed from the Citadel sitting idly in her personal invisible sack. With a flick of her wrist, the fourth and latest edition of A Complete Guide to the Beasts of Yerin materialized in thin air just as a voice called out their attention and the conversation about the future of the squad went hush. Instinctively, she snapped her attention to the source of the voice, but relaxed when Gideon motioned for them to stay put. There shouldn’t be any problem if all these men wanted to see was their papers.

Shrugging off the sudden intrusion, the mage went back to the more pressing business of checking out the book balanced on her thighs. Before they left the Citadel, Kitty had been toying with this idea of a really flashy spell befitting their squad name, but admittedly lacked time to pursue the study. Thus, she came to the library and borrowed the book. She had just made it to table of contents when a sound of a distant blast, distracted her. Straightening up on her seat, she noticed a faint glow above the clouds. Her first thought was fireworks. Mega fireworks, because what else could it be? Then slowly, as her eyes adjusted and the initial blast faded, the shape of an aircraft became more apparent. It sailed across the sky overhead, lighting the otherwise moonless night. Only its momentum kept it in flight, with its main engines probably damaged and gravity pulling it to the ground.

Lori’s initial shock might have taken her to her feet, but Kitty was watched wide-eyed in her seat as helpless passengers who thought that they would escape the claws of death by jumping off the ship were gunned down. Just when she thought they could all spend a quiet night getting wasted together as a squad, an unidentified aircraft literally crashed the party.

Kitty deposited the volume back to the mist pocket then followed Lori to the truck. The Astran was right, they might be the best chance the passengers of the aircraft had. The squad might be off duty, and had no business poking their heads into a potential legitimate military operation, but hey was that supposed to stop the newly graduated WARDENS from saving the world one crash site at a time?

“It shouldn't be that far. Let’s do this shit, boys and girls.” Smiling, she climbed to her feet and stretched her arms over her head, before walking to the truck as if it was just another mission simulation at the Citadel. “Standard recon protocol. Observe and report. Do not engage enemy units – if there are enemy units – unless you are about to get shot in the face. Once perimeter is clear, we’ll start looking for survivors. Lori, we’ll be counting on your tiny scouts.” Her eyes found the Astran, then Lee, who although not a healer, was the closest to one that the squad had. “Sounds good?”

Katarina resumed her position on the truck bed. It was cold outside especially when the truck started to move, but she didn’t want an obstructed view of the surroundings when they approached the site. The more she could see, the less surprises to be concerned of. “The faster we get this incident sorted out, the more time we have to settle our unfinished cases of beers. So, move out, squad.”

The Betrothed

Luke relaxed once they were settled at the backseat. Good thing the vehicle he randomly chose seats five people instead of just two, like most of his cars and hovercrafts. The prince leaned his cheek against the top of her head. If they had more room, he would have asked her to lie down and he would lie beside her and hold her until they were both warm. It should help in hastening the princess elect’s recovery time. Every second mattered. No matter how much he wanted to frustrate the queen by returning to the castle impossibly late, Luke just couldn’t. There were consequences to his every action. His mother was known to be creative in that regard.

“You should be sorry,” he answered lazily, but didn’t follow it through with any of his condescending remarks and observations. Maybe because he was sorry too that his otherwise innocent dare ended up in a near tragedy. Could there had been real danger for the princess elect, Luke had no idea how he would explain it to the queen and to the kingdom. It was safe to say that despite his outwardly annoyance, he felt a tinge of concern for Rhiane’s well-being. Therefore, when she apologized, and he would not admit to her that he felt remorse for his childish dare, the crown prince’s recourse was silence.

Stuttering still, though her temperature was steadily improving, she told him about how the Princess Calista testified about his kindness on his behalf. Luke didn’t even pretend to be flattered by his sister’s pronouncement. Of course, she would say such a thing. She had Luke take care of her since she was just a little baby. “Me? A good person?” He barked a laughter, but it was devoid of humor. “You have seen for yourself what kind of person I am. Would you say that my sister’s assessment is correct? Cally has been protected quite a bit by both mother and me. She’s the spare heir, but she is not up to becoming a ruler. My sister is too kind and caring for this career path, where one is expected to be ruthless.”

The warmth trickling from the a/c vents had warmed him enough to dispel the occasional shivering of his muscles. He noticed that Rhiane’s otherwise smooth skin still had goosebumps, though the shivering had almost left her. It could be a sign that the naked treatment was indeed working. Kudos to the film makers. However, he made a mental note to bring her to a trip to the infirmary right after the interview for a routine check-up, just to make sure that there was no lasting damage done to her physique by the cold.

“Everything I do has an ulterior motive.” And it was true. What Luke did, he did for his own gain. Sometimes the by-product was kindness, but it was not really the goal. “Like I said earlier, I don’t need to lie to you and pretend that I care. You’re a smart woman, you will figure it out one way or the other, so why bother? However, it does not follow that I demand for your honesty.” It was never his requirement in a relationship, and it had not changed even if the relationship was a political one. “Just know that I do have my way of sniffing out lies.”

The less expectations they had from each other, the better. He hugged her closer and held her hands in his, gently and absently rubbing the cold digits, coaxing warmth back. They stayed that way as minutes passed. Slowly, his eyelids felt the weight of being awake for almost more than twenty-four hours. Despite himself, and his vow to get back to the castle soonest, the crown prince fell prey to the enticing touch of sleep.

The Betrothed

“I don’t want to what?”

Truthfully, there were a lot of things he did not want to do, nor asked for. One of which was to be stuck with a patient, who looked as if she had not only caught common colds but something a little more serious, on a night when she was supposed to be preparing for the questions from one of the most reputable talk show hosts in the kingdom. If he did dream of tending to the sick, he would have become a doctor or a nurse at least. That he chose a career path in the military was testimony enough that it was in his nature to destroy rather than heal.

Luke honestly thought that the exertion of the hike would generate enough heat to at least keep their core temperature to acceptable limits, but perhaps because they were too careful and too slow in their ascent. Especially for Rhiane, who might not be used to swimming on a cold autumn afternoon, and who, because of her contempt for him, chose to expose herself to the elements even after they had the chance to hole up in the warmth of the hovercraft.

The crown prince wanted to say something, but he managed to hold back his tongue if only because he had his hand in the situation. Instead, he disconnected the band from his wrist and had it functioning like a normal mobile phone. His fingers moved furiously across the digital keyboard typing a quick message to Ms. Viscomi. After which, he dialed a number and held the phone to his ear.

“Mother,” he said after a few seconds. “Mother, may I talk to you?”

The voice at the other end of the line responded, “If it is not about the implant, then of course, dearest. Is it about the information presented during the committee meeting this afternoon? It is indeed a cause for alarm, the rebellion and its suspected allies who are in pow--” The queen’s voice faltered as Luke heard a notification ping from her mother’s end of the line. He let the silence stretch for a few seconds while the queen probably read a message that he suspected was from somebody in the production team of the interview and he contemplated on his lack of focus lately. The meeting that he missed that day and the message that he ignored that afternoon, because he had favored his selfish desire to run away from his duties, it contained crucial information about the rebellion and its suspected benefactors. He should have been there listening to the reports first hand. And what of the committee’s actions? He didn’t even open the mail.

“That is not the reason I called.” His voice was firm, as if to vent the building frustration. The queen would have already known the reason anyway, but Luke continued with, “I wished to personally inform you that I requested to cancel the interview with our princess elect tonight on account of Ms. Black’s poor health conditions.”

“The peasant?” The queen sounded incredulous. “Poor health condition, a little cold, fever, or flu, my dear son is not life threatening. It is not reason enough to cancel an appointment. Let the make-up artists do their magic and she will look perfect in front of the camera.”

“I do not feel that it’s right to force her to perform like a puppet on stage. Not in her current condition,” he shot back.
The queen laughed. “And since when did you start to care about a peasant’s well-being, Lucius?”

“I care only that she does not collapse on live television and make a fool of us all.”

“She will not, trust me. She has enough motivation to perform and not fail me. Now, accompany her back to her room where her maid servants should be waiting to prep her up.”

Luke smiled, looking out into the sun setting on the west. “If you insist, your majesty. I hope your production team has the patience to wait.” He ended the call and turned off the gadget, effectively cutting off any attempt of communication. It was always tiring to argue with the queen.

With an audible sigh, Luke turned his attention back to Rhiane. It was a good sign that she was shivering, because it meant that her body had not yet given up on generating heat. He had seen enough movies to know what to do in a situation like that, where one was suffering from ailment brought by excessive exposure to low temperatures, but he had no enough medical education beyond the basic first aid training to either validate or invalidate such scenes. It seemed logical. Given that Rhiane was conscious and not entirely suffering from hypothermia, it might work.

If he started overthinking, then Luke would altogether abandon the idea, so he opened his door and exited the hovercraft then jogged to her side. He opened the rear passenger door, then hers, and before she could protest, Luke had princess-carried her out of her seat and again deposited carefully on the back seat. After closing both doors, he ran to the other side and entered the craft shivering. “Cold. Cold. Cold,” he chanted as he pulled his shirt over his head and got rid of his still wet pants.

Pausing to consider what it might look like for her, he narrowed his eyes and warned, “Don’t ever think that I am enjoying this.” He was trying to help speed up the improvement of her core temperature, so they could return to the castle and make no enemy of the queen. He wanted to make it clear that it was pure business, else she might again mistake it as him warming up to her. Without a word, Luke pulled Rhiane to his lap and held her like he would his lover, maximizing the area of their skin that could touch while he shared his warmth to her. She was too cold to the touch and he could feel her shivering. Even then, he could feel her heart beat against him, strong and even, a sign that she was starting to recover.

The Betrothed

When they arrived at the island, the princess elect asked why he kept the place a secret and why he had not brought anybody with him until that afternoon. Almost certainly one of the reasons was that when he went to the island, his expectation was the isolation from his duties and the intimacy with nature would help clear his head and renew his tired spirit. However, allowing himself a companion such as the farmer defeated his purpose of setting apart Luke from the crown prince. She was the representation of the duties that awaited him the moment he was born into the world, of the freedom that he was robbed off. How could he have thought that having her with him that afternoon made him less lonely? She was just another woman, who regardless of how much she convinced herself that she was impervious to his charms, would find it rather surprising that he managed to shatter the fortifications she erected around herself. He thought she was different from all the rest. Unfortunately, she was not, despite the admirable boldness she displayed not an hour ago. Like all the rest, she was but a fragile flower in a garden filled with thorns.

Needless to say, the colors of sunset and the scenic view of the vast sea, was overshadowed by the woman who knelt to gather the clothes she refused to acknowledge with him carrying it. The sun could have reversed its course and the colors of the sky faded back to blue, but he would have barely noticed anything. Luke’s attention was centered around the woman that he had somehow offended, though he did not know when and how. Was she mad because he challenged her to jump? Or that he accused her of flirting with him? Nevertheless, she was not dressing up and had gathered her clothes and was making her way back to him.

Finally, he thought, she had grasped the disadvantages of standing too long in the cold in just her undergarments. She would not hear the end of it. In his head was a string of words that followed the standard ‘I told you so’ phrase. Her behavior would not go without criticism and he would ensure that she understood how important communication was in a relationship, even in a political engagement, that he was neither a mind reader nor did he plan on studying to be one in the near future. Luke was choosing the words to say in his head, anticipating her responses, and drawing up scenarios where he would most certainly end up being the voice of logic. Yet as he watched her approach, he noticed something that he failed to do so on the ascend to the top of the rock. Maybe because he was too busy to watch out for any misstep from her that would endanger them both that he did not see how she staggered to walk. Perhaps it was her ankle again. Perhaps the cold had made it numb just as she feared it would.

The crown prince reached for the latch of the passenger door from the inside the craft. It swung open and he shivered at the cold gust from the sea. At the other end stood the farmer, who was as disheveled as he was, but still beautiful nonetheless. He wondered how many noble women would be as attractive without makeup on and with their hair dried by the sea breeze. There might be wisdom in bringing his women to the island if only to see how they looked like without the help of their talented, and highly-paid, stylists and makeup artists.

Before he could pursue that line of thought, however, the princess elect stumbled to her seat. Her weight seemed too heavy for her feet to carry and she fell heavily against the leather cover. She sat on the passenger seat still in just her undergarments and the prince’s coat, as if the whole world was weighing her down. “Close the – What the hell.” Rhiane, the snow queen, was inviting the outside cold winds inside the craft. If she was not bothered, he was. Luke leaned his body towards her, reached for the door and slammed it shut. He started the engine and adjusted the thermostat to twenty-seven degrees to help fight the cold that had invaded the cabin.

Rhiane was shivering. Her skin was chilly when his forearm accidentally touched her. “Cold isn’t it? Us people from the capital do not go staring into the sunset in just our undergarments during autumn.” There was smugness in the way he articulated the words that would surely provoke her if she was in the mood to fight him. He glanced at the display time, it was almost six in the evening. Luce Viscomi said that Rhiane should be ready for the interview preparation by six in the evening. Viscomi would undoubtedly brief Rhiane about what to say and what not to say, plus prepare a statement for her that would benefit the image of the crown and entice the citizens to shy away from supporting the rebellion. Looking at Rhiane though, it would be a miracle if she made it to the interview at all. “Do you need me to help you put on your clothes?” He asked. It would be unsightly to fly her back to the castle scantly clothed and it would not be possible for him to help her dress once they took to the sky.

Just then his communication band pinged, then a feminine voice forgot to say hello. “Luke, where are you?” Her voice was loud inside the hovercraft, suspicion laced her tone.

“Nowhere. Why are you calling, Cally?” Luke unhooked the system from his band making his sister’s voice a little softer.

“I’m in your room and there’s nobody here. Are you in a meeting? Am I disturbing something?” The princess seemed to hesitate. “I called to tell you I got the pastries you asked for. Nico and Philip recommended the shop.”

Luke’s brows furrowed, but he smiled. “And you trust their taste?”

“They swore by the shop and I kind of think it tastes nice. Anyway, I asked my maidservant to buy two boxes of cannoli for you. Assorted flavors, of course. I’ll leave it in your room.”

He stole a quick glance at Rhiane, who might be listening or not. “Thank you, Cally. You’re the best sister in the world.”

“Of course! I’m your only sister, idiot.” The voice giggled. “See you around, Luke. Oh! By the way, the twins say you owe them.”

Luke opened his mouth to say something, but the line was cut. He was left with Rhiane again. “Sorry about that, where were we?”

The Betrothed

The colors of sunset were lovely, but the crown prince’s priority was warmth. Nature’s stunning painting could wait, but the discomfort brought about by his numbing extremities couldn’t. With the goal of getting as much warmth as he could, he retrieved his shirt from the hovercraft and pulled it over his head. It made little difference, but at least the there was a thin layer of protection between him and the unforgiving breeze. The crown prince raked a hand on his hair, forcing the partially wet wavy brown locks up his head and away from his face. It made little difference though as it fell back over his forehead with the edge of the fringes touching his brow.

Over to the other side of their transport, on the seat that the princess elect occupied, were the clothing she discarded in favor of her undergarments. He looked over his shoulder in time to see the farmer girl walk to the edge where they both stood holding each other’s hand not an hour ago. Since he walked up to her to tease her about flirting with him, she had fallen silent. She didn’t even acknowledge his baiting with any response. Instead, his fiancée was obedient to his instructions regarding their mini trekking adventure. And while doing so, she had retreated into the realm of silence.

For some reasons unknown to him, Rhiane gave him the silent treatment. It was nothing new for Luke, because the silent treatment was a common method used by a woman to imply that she was either offended, annoyed, or both. The approach annoyed him slightly. He disliked uncertainties and guessing. Should she have any problem, she should take it up with him directly and not sulk in the cold inviting colds. Was it calling her with the honorific “Ms.” title that she specifically warned him to no longer use to refer to her? It crossed his mind to leave her alone in the island, and maybe without the implant he would have done just that.

Reluctantly, Luke reached for her shirt, pants, and denim jacket in addition to his coat. She could stand in the cold the whole night for all he cared, but when she caught colds and got too ill to leave the bed, it was his freedom that would be limited to his bedroom. Therefore, no matter how disinclined he was to bringing somebody else’s possession to the said person, he did brought Rhiane’s clothes to her.

Standing behind the princess elect, Luke draped his coat over her shoulders then thrusted his arm forward where her shirt and pants hang. “You will catch colds if you stay that way longer,” he said in a businesslike manner, there was not a hint of apology in his tone. “And here are your clothes.”

Soon it would be dark and the temperature would drop lower. The water and the breeze would make sure of it. When she did not move to even acknowledge his presence, Luke placed her clothes on the ground. “Suit yourself,” he shrugged then walked away. “Don’t expect me to care for you when you catch colds out here.”

Luke turned the other way to the direction of the hovercraft. He stepped inside and shut the door. It was the warmest spot on top of that rock formation away from the wind and the cold autumn air. From the peaceful silence inside the craft, he watched the sunset on the west, as the sun descended ever so slowly. Her back was to him, his coat billowing in the wind. Luke would neither make amends nor would he apologize for something he would not consider a mistake or a blatant disregard of his beliefs. She could freeze outside if she so desired, but he would be watching the sunset from the relative comfort of the hovercraft.

The Betrothed

Luke was not thrilled with the prospect of coming out of the freezing water only to be exposed to the frigid autumn air. Therefore, when the princess elect made her way to the shore, he was content to stay behind crouching and use the water as a blanket against the wind. The flesh under his skin shivered involuntarily in an attempt to generate heat. But even with his mind preoccupied with the icy water and his poorly planned impromptu trip, Luke didn’t fail to notice the smoothness of her skin as water droplets slid down the small of her back. Her complexion glowed under the diminishing light of the sun.

It would be a blatant lie to say that Rhiane Black was just an average woman in terms of her looks. She was, in all sense of the word, beautiful. From the flowing locks that crowned her head and framed the face that would make any man look twice to the perfectly placed curves of her body, nobody sane would claim that she was otherwise. Even his royal snobbishness, Prince Alessandro, was enchanted by her presence at that moment. Then she turned her attention to him and the crown prince had to look away feigning disinterest.

That was the thing with Rhiane. When she opened her mouth to speak it was more often than not that the words begged to argue. He wanted to stay submerged in the water until his fingertips were wrinkly, but the farmer girl did have a point. “Language,” he chided gently unwittingly imitating the tone the queen would use when he cursed in front of her. Then one corner of his lips slightly curved upwards. Intentional or not, she said what she said, and he was taking it at face value. The prince rose to his full height, ignoring the cold, and headed towards his scantly-clothed fiancée. “No matter how dashing -- Are you flirting with me, Ms. Black?” Stubborn as he was, he placed emphasis on ‘Ms. Black’ if only to illustrate how her threats were powerless against his willfulness.

Out of the water at last, he traced the path she took, stepping on her footsteps printed on the moist sand until he was standing in front of her and she would be forced to crane her neck to look him in the eyes. He had taken off his shirt but kept on his pants whose material was clinging to his skin like ice. Droplets of sea water was on the tips of his disheveled hair and was sprinkled all over his torso. His eyes narrowed at her face, but the amusement failed to leave. “Reserve the flirting for later.” He looked her over with a judgmental, not at all smoldering, glance then added, “And the seduction tactic too. Let’s get going before I have to carry you again.”

They were both cold. Much as he would enjoy teasing her, it wouldn’t be as fun as when he was warm and could enunciate the words properly instead of stuttering because his teeth were chattering. The crown prince led the way to the base of the formation where the angle was soft enough for them to climb without encountering any major issues. They could walk up most of the way, but there were one or two obstacles wherein they had to be on their hands and knees. Luke asked Rhiane to go first, instructing her from behind, so that he served as her safety net in case either her ankle or her clumsiness would fail her. They were following the easiest path back up the rock formation. There was a route that he had tried only once, because of the very real danger that he might plunge to his death. He thought of bringing it up as a challenge, but then due to both their competitive spirits, one of them might end up actually falling off the rock face.

They reached the top just as the sun was seemingly sinking into the sea.

The Betrothed

The most terrifying part of cliff jumping was standing at the edge of the rock face then looking down into the pool that waited below. It always looked farther than it actually was. Luke wondered if stood there with her long enough, would fear slowly creep into her consciousness, would her knees give out from under her, or would she tremble not because of the cold wind but because of fear? Any of it would have been the reaction of every highborn woman he knew of, the only kind of woman he was acquainted with. Therefore, when the princess elect wrapped her hand around his for whatever reason, Luke felt a fleeting unwelcomed emotion he dared not name. Was it admiration? Was it respect? Was it bliss?

His hand tightened around hers as they ran the short distance and leapt off the edge like crazed teenagers. The sound of her laughter bounced off the surface of the rocks, filling the secret beach and his senses with contagious ecstasy. For a split second, gravity had no hold on them. They were flying like a pair of seagulls gliding in the wind, watching the blue water sparkle under the sun. If standing on the edge was the most terrifying part of cliff diving, Luke believed the best part was precisely the moment his foot left solid ground, when even for a fraction of a second he had defied gravity. But then, it didn’t last long. Reality kicked in. The couple ceased to be free, they were yanked off the sky and plunged into the cold blue pool below.

Luke let go of Rhiane’s hand before they splashed into the water. He let the momentum of the fall push him further down into the depth of the pool. The water was cold, even colder than the tide that teased his toes on the beach. It awakened his senses like a shock of lightning. He would stay suspended in that moment if he could, swim deeper and hold his breath until his lungs burned, but the prince was not alone that afternoon. Worse, his companion would drown if he did not do something.

Opening his eyes to darkness was not comforting, but he only had to crane his neck upwards to find the light. Luke found her silhouette thrashing above, fighting the water, fighting for her life. Might she have thought that he abandoned her to drown? That would teach her not to be too brave, he hoped. The crown prince exerted himself upward, grabbed her by the waist and hauled her to the surface.

His first gasp of air was accompanied by laughter he was holding back underwater. The sound was carefree and rather melodious. He was behind Rhiane, holding her with one arm around her waist. “Ms. Black, you ought to learn to swim,” Luke gasped, his lips almost touching her ear. “I can’t be bothered to save you from drowning every single time. Lie against me, I’ll bring us to the shallow part.”

He waited for her to calm down and do as she was told before he brought them both to a shallow portion of the pool, where white sand met crystal clear water. With the adrenaline gone, he felt the coldness of the afternoon on the exposed skin of his face and occasionally on his arm. He was going to regret bringing up the challenge later when they both had to trek back up the craft with nothing to protect them from the sea breeze. It was fun, nonetheless. In that brief moment they were allies facing the danger of the fall instead of rivals testing each other’s willpower. She felt no different from him despite her being a commoner.

“The water is only up to your shoulders here.” Luke let her go. He encouraged her to stand on her own, though his left hand grasped her right firmly in case she slipped. The cold forced him to crouch a little so that only his head was above the water and they seemed to be of same height. “See, I can’t let you drown however lovely the idea sounds in my head. It’s not because I was worried about what the queen might do next, but I figured that not being able to save a single woman from drowning is an insult to my skills.” The little vacation did wonders to his mood and his overall disposition that day. He felt somehow refreshed and ready to tackle the issues he left at the palace again. Surprisingly, he did not regret bringing a companion along. If anything, the distraction of her presence might have helped. She was not the buzzkill he initially thought she would be, and he appreciated that the farmer girl had the guts to possibly humor his occasional pursuit for adrenaline rush.

“How did you find your first dive?” he asked out of curiosity.

The Betrothed

“You may of course call me by my given name – Luke, Alessandro, Lucius.” He shrugged, then raked his hand through his hair to keep it off his eyes while the sea breeze reminded the two visitors of the island that winter was approaching. The sun hung low on the horizon as shades of orange and red started to break the peaceful blue hue reflected by the sea. The crown prince stood on his side of the hovercraft, a half smirk on his lips, while the farmer girl took her position on the passenger side. Her hair and her cheeks were not spared from the relentless caress of the breeze, but the determination in those green eyes was unmistakable. “Godzilla,” he added, as if an afterthought, to the list of names he was giving her consent to regard him with. “The latter to be used only in private. Strictly in private. There are enough people addressing me using ‘your highness’ or ‘sire’ or ‘my prince’ to drive me crazy. I was being sarcastic earlier. You were demeaning yourself. I don't enjoy listening to people who does that.” It was his job to belittle people, he wanted to tell her, but it would surely spark another argument that may shatter the fragile sense of civility that they were nursing between them.

Luke slipped into the pilot’s seat after his fiancée, where he took a deep breath before turning to her. Was she really the thrill seeker she was projecting herself to be, or did she just over commit with her words and ended up with more than what she could chew. Rhiane admitted that she could not swim, that it was the first time she had seen the sea, and yet she stood up to his challenge. He wondered if it was bravery or stupidity, or maybe both. Nevertheless, he was going to take her up on her word and make her experience the kick that only an adrenaline rush could give. “Remember that I gave you the option to back out,” he said before pushing the button and taking off vertically. He maneuvered the craft so that it balanced itself on a clearing atop the formation. It was a twenty-meter drop, he recalled. They had to do it together or the pain would most likely hinder his brain’s ability to recall how to swim. Too bad, he was planning on jumping before her so that she could have the moment to herself while he watched whether she would really make the leap of faith or not.

“There’s only one problem.” He frowned, chewing the inside of his cheek while the craft gained elevation. Remembering that he could not be more than ten meters away from his fiancée, he realized that she had to climb back up the rock formation with him. It was not a difficult trek, and it would not take them an hour to reach the hovercraft. He would just need to assist her as best as he could. He could only imagine how angry his mother would be if he brought back an injured princess elect to the castle before her interview.

The hovercraft landed smoothly. Their position atop the formation gave way to a different point of view. They could see the island in its entirety – from the trees and shrubs that seemed to have been sprinkled at the inner part of the island to the stretch of the white sand beach and the turquoise water beyond. Luke eagerly stepped out of their transport fully expecting the roughness of the rock beneath his bare feet. He stretched his arms over his head and breathed in the cold fresh air before shrugging off his coat and pulling his shirt over his head. Both were tossed carelessly inside the hovercraft.

The cold greeted his bare skin, made him want to crawl back into the hovercraft and turn the thermostat to high. It was the logical thing to do, but against common sense, his royal highness welcomed the cold with open arms. It made him feel alive and awake and free. “Let’s go, Ms. Black,” he called behind him, deliberately using her last name. “Take off your jacket, but keep your shirt on.” Because it would be weird for her, and him, if she would be trekking topless.

However, without waiting for Rhiane, Luke walked to the edge of the formation that was facing the inner part of the island. He peeked at the edge where a dark blue pool was waiting for them. Since it was surrounded by land, the water was calm, safer to swim, but at the same time deeper. He did not doubt his own skills, but he was surprised that she did not too. For a self-professed non-swimmer, she was putting much faith in him. Her life was in his hands. And she too knew that the royal family had a reputation of being ruthless. Luke, if he so chose, could let her drown and claim that it was an accident and that he tried to save her, but couldn’t.

“It was easier to admit that I am the most awesome person alive,” he remarked without looking at her when she finally found her place by his side. “Whenever you’re ready, princess.”