Ooh, bliss, love compliments! I eagerly leaned closer. He did too and cupped my face. Such a romantic gesture, even if his hand was a bit clammy.
“Oh my dear, darling Rosie, you’re so beautiful. How could I have been so blind as to not see that there’s no one more worthy of my heart than you?”
I couldn’t resist casting Alastar a smug look. His expression was horrified. “What have you done, Rosie?” he hissed.
Prince Liam gently turned my face back towards himself. “Please don’t look at anyone else but me, dearest Rosie. I can’t survive without staring adoringly into those gorgeous eyes of yours for as long as possible. They’re windows to your beautiful soul, which matches mine in every way.”
Wow, such poetic phrasing, although the love spell was a bit more potent than I’d planned. I tried to glance at Alastar in order to measure his reaction to Prince Liam’s…intensity, but before I could manage it—
“Don’t look away from me, Rosie.” Prince Liam flung himself off the sofa, dropped to his knees, and seized my hand to plant a wet kiss on it. “Dearest Rosie, never look away from me ever again. I couldn’t bear it.”
Aiden gaped at Prince Liam practically drooling at my feet while Eileen covered her mouth in horror and Prince Liam’s personal guard stared at him in bewilderment. “Rosie, you didn’t—”
“Win the heart of the prince?” I said with a smirk. “I most certainly did.”
“Indeed, dear Rosie,” Prince Liam gushed. “My heart is only yours forever. Please allow me even a piece of yours to always treasure, for you’re my crown jewel.”
I pressed my hand to my heart. My love spell had actually worked! Now my happily ever after was back on its proper course. A royal wedding and a castle awaited me in my blissful and magical future.
Aiden groaned as he rubbed his temples. “I can’t believe this.” He pierced me with the full force of his hardened black eyes. “You have to reverse it.”
“Would you really wish for me to lose love now that I’ve found it?” I asked. “Just look how happy your friend is. You don’t want to break his heart, do you?”
“Yes, Rosie, I’m so happy now that I’ve at last found my true love. I never knew true happiness until you entered my life.” Prince Liam pressed kiss after kiss along my knuckles, all while I smirked triumphantly, Aiden and Eileen continued watching helplessly in horror, and Alastar scowled darkly from his place against the wall.
I tried not to pay him any attention, but midst my prince gushing praises at my feet, I couldn’t help but steal several glances at Alastar, all while experiencing an emotion that almost felt like…regret, as if I’d just lost something precious.
I took a deep, wavering breath. “Come on, Rosie, you can do it.” But despite my best attempts to convince myself, my hand remained frozen on the doorknob. Goodness, it shouldn’t be this difficult to leave my room. By the way I steeled my resolve, one would think I was going into battle rather than encountering my prince under a love spell that had worked perfectly…a bit too perfectly, actually.
I frowned at that thought and the secret hope that followed that I could slip away before encountering Prince Liam. My forehead furrowed. Why would I not wish to see my prince, especially considering we were a perfect match and he now finally realized it? Perhaps it was merely because his affections were rather…startling. Yes, that had to be it, but surely I’d grow used to them. He was my true love, after all, and as such, nothing would get in the way of my determined happily ever after, even if so far it wasn’t exactly what I’d had in mind.
Ever since Prince Liam had eaten the spelled chocolate during yesterday’s tea, he’d been following me around like a lovesick puppy, never letting me out of his sight for even a moment, all while gushing compliments that surprisingly had quickly grown wearing.
And then there had been dinner. I squeezed my eyes shut at the memory. Oh goodness, dinner. No moment could be more awkward than having a man gape open-mouthed at me, watching every movement I made so hungrily, without bothering to touch his own food. The worst had been when he’d actually drooled, right into his soup. Eileen nearly choked while Aiden buried his face in his hand with a groan, all while I died a slow, agonizing death of mortification.
Prince Liam’s drooling gaze wasn’t the only one I’d felt throughout dinner. Several stolen peeks revealed that Ali—or rather, Alastar—appeared to be exclusively watching me, with a rather intense look that seemed to say, “Is this really what you want to live with for the rest of your life?” And I couldn’t help but privately admit that Prince Liam’s…obsession would take some getting used to. Perhaps the love spell would lose some of its intensity over time.
A note slipped beneath my door just then. Although the handwriting was unfamiliar, I immediately knew who it was from. This was my first love letter, but despite having spent my entire life yearning for one, Prince Liam’s words left me feeling strangely…empty as I read them:
Never have I hated the night until it separated me from my very heart. I’m longing for you.
Your Adoring Liam
Multiple hearts had been drawn around the single line, but they did little to add emotion to the empty words. I tossed it onto my desk before trudging back to the door, knowing Prince Liam was undoubtedly waiting on the other side for me to emerge. He’d likely stand there all day until he saw me, which meant hiding in my room would do absolutely nothing except cause me to waste away with hunger.
With a steadying breath I yanked the door open to reveal Prince Liam, unsurprisingly waiting with wide, hopeful eyes, which lit up the moment he saw me.
“Darling! I didn’t think it was possible, but you’re even more beautiful this morning than when we were forced to part last evening. Good morning, my love.” He swept a kiss across my hand.
Why did his sweet words feel so shallow? In books, such sentiments caused the heroine’s heart to flutter. He was supposed to make me feel that way—after all, my heart had fluttered as our eyes met across the ballroom at Eileen’s reception—but there was definitely no fluttering occurring within my heart now. As it was, it took everything in me to stifle my groan.
“Good morning, Prince Liam.”
“Liam.” He offered me his arm, which I took after a strange moment of hesitation. “There’s no need for formality between two whose hearts are one. And yes, it’s a wonderful morning, for the unbearable night that separated us is finally over. What a horrible night it was. I thought of you the entire time, of course, and dreamed of you most longingly. Did you like my love letter? I hope it pleased you, for I so want to please you. Please tell me I did.” He gave me a pathetically hopeful look. I forced myself to smile.
“It was quite lovely.”
He brightened. “I’m so glad you liked it. I shall compose you infinitely more in our future together.” He suddenly jerked us to a stop. “What’s wrong, darling? Why are you frowning?”
I didn’t realize I had been until he mentioned it. I forced another smile. “No reason at all. Please don’t worry yourself.”
He traced my frown with his fingertip, and it felt nothing like when Alastar had traced my smile during our time beside the pond several days earlier. “How can I not worry about my precious petal? Perhaps food will cheer you up.”
He led me into the private dining room. A chorus of good mornings greeted us, seeming slightly insincere with the way Eileen and Aiden exchanged wary looks when they saw me on Prince Liam’s arm.
Just like last night, Aiden and Eileen had arranged for us to dine with Prince Liam away from the king and Princess Seren—seeming keen on keeping his condition a carefully guarded secret for as long as possible—but although his lovesick behavior was hidden from their scrutiny, we couldn’t escape the attending servants, who gawked at Prince Liam with every infatuated action he performed; his personal guard in particular seemed to be having a difficult time containing his bewilderment. Undoubtedly, the gossip about Prince Liam’s condition would quickly spread and soon re
ach His Majesty’s ears. By Aiden’s dark expression, he feared the same thing.
I quite determinedly didn’t look at a certain guard as Prince Liam helped me into my seat, although I was strongly aware of his presence. Prince Liam had no sooner assisted me than he scampered eagerly to take the one across from me. Oh dear, I couldn’t bear to endure another meal of his gawking. Would every meal be like this for the rest of my life? I gnawed at my nail at the thought.
Obviously, drooling royals weren’t far from the mind of a certain individual, for that guard suddenly broke his protocol of remaining a silent and invisible presence in order to speak up.
“Shall I fetch His Highness a bib, Prince Aiden, considering he’s once again sitting across from Miss Rosie?”
Eileen snorted into her juice but Aiden’s hardened disapproval didn’t even falter. “Thank you, Alastar, but that won’t be necessary. Will it, Liam?” He gave him a sharp look.
Prince Liam sighed. “I suppose not, but how can I not stare at this most lovely of women? Rosie’s beauty is like the sun. Can you expect me not to bask in her presence after an entire night without her?”
Aiden blinked at him—for once, in all the time I’d known him, seeming at a loss for words.
“It was the longest night of my life,” Prince Liam continued. “Immediately upon waking, I wrote of my torment in a love letter for my Rosie. Shall we share it with them, love?”
I became extra occupied with my poached eggs and bacon. “I don’t have it with me.”
“You don’t?” Prince Liam gasped so sharply you’d think I’d left an essential body part behind rather than a piece of paper. “But I thought you were planning on cherishing it forever.”
“I didn’t want to get it dirty,” I said hastily, praying that my white lie would wriggle me out of this mess before Prince Liam burst into tears, which he looked precariously close to doing. To my immense relief, his expression cleared.
“So thoughtful, darling. It’s quite alright; I have it memorized. Would you all like to hear it?”
Oh, please no. He wouldn’t really…. “Prince Liam, that won’t be necessary.”
“It’s Liam, my sweet,” he said. “And of course it is, Rosie. Shouldn’t our love for one another be declared openly?”
Already my face flamed as Prince Liam swelled up to share what would likely be one of the most humiliating moments of my life, all while Eileen wore an expression bordering between curiosity and dismay and Aiden became extra preoccupied with his food, his jaw tight. I was immensely grateful I wasn’t facing that guard; the thought of his reaction bothered me more than all the rest.
Prince Liam cleared his throat and recited with the utmost tenderness, “The words I penned my petal this morning: ‘Never have I hated the night until it separated me from my very heart. I’m longing for you.’”
An awkward silence that was anything but reverent followed, broken only by a snort from him, which made the situation all the more humiliating. Eileen cast Alastar a puzzled look while the meaning behind his snort gnawed at me. Was he unmoved by romantic sentiments? Was his heart made of stone? And why wasn’t he bothered by Prince Liam’s affections? Shouldn’t he be? And if he wasn’t, why not? Because for some reason, I felt he should be.
And the fact that he apparently wasn’t caused inexplicable anger to bubble within me. I turned to glare at him and his twitching lips. “Is something amusing?”
“Oh, just—” He snorted again and I narrowed my eyes.
“You find such romantic sentiments humorous?”
“It’s just so…ridiculous.”
Prince Liam gave him a scathing glare, as if any insult towards a poem about me was a slander to my character.
“Not in the least,” I snapped, despite that having been my exact thought when I’d first read the love note. Why did such sentiments seem so romantic in books but so out of place in the real world?
Alastar cocked his eyebrow. “Oh? You’re truly moved by such shallow words?”
“They weren’t shallow,” I said. “His note was perfectly romantic.”
He snorted again. “If you say so, Rosie.”
“Rosalina.” I twisted back around so I could avoid looking at him. Prince Liam had the most peculiar look on his face that bordered on amusement. It cleared the moment our gazes met, a gesture that was strangely still absent of any flutters I was still waiting for. How long did they take to arrive when one was with their true love?
“You really enjoyed the letter, my sweet?”
“Oh yes,” I lied, determined to do so for no other motive than to bother a certain guard. “Very much.”
“Excellent. I shall write you another before the morning ends.”
“How…lovely. I mean…that sounds wonderful.” That response was sure to rile that guard.
The rest of breakfast stretched endlessly and was almost as unbearable as yesterday’s dinner. Once again Prince Liam spent the entire meal gawking, but thankfully he didn’t drool again—I likely would have died of humiliation if he had.
Unfortunately, the rest of the meal didn’t fare much better. I was left with Prince Liam reciting accolades to my unparalleled beauty. I promptly tuned him out to daydream up other places I’d rather be than here. There were so many wonderful options—from exploring the dungeons at midnight to being kidnapped by an evil witch and carried off on her broomstick. I’d just settled on curling up next to a sleeping dragon as a nice alternative to enduring this visit when Prince Liam once more demanded my attention.
“You’re daydreaming again, my darling love. Won’t you share the thoughts of that delightful mind of yours?”
“Just thinking about dragons.” Despite my annoyance with him, my gaze instinctively darted sideways to Alastar’s. His lips twitched and I managed a half-smile back. Unfortunately, Prince Liam noticed our exchange and his eyes narrowed as he once again tried to tug my wavering attention back to him.
“What about dragons?”
“Just how pleasant it would be to be currently sleeping next to a particularly hungry one.”
Prince Liam seemed thoroughly perplexed while Alastar snorted and winked, clearly knowing exactly why I’d been thinking of starving dragons and how pleased I’d be to offer myself up as a tasty morsel for them to enjoy.
The endless meal continued. Despite it thankfully remaining drool free, Prince Liam embarrassed me in other ways, particularly when he shushed Aiden right in the middle of speaking. “Hush up, Aiden, Rosie looks like she’s about to say something.”
I most certainly hadn’t been. I glanced up, my mouth still full of my recent bite of toast, which I hastily shallowed. “I wasn’t, so please allow Aiden to finish his comment.”
Prince Liam waved that idea away. “Who cares about his comment; I’d much rather hear yours. I want to hear every thought that passes through your pretty head.”
Aiden raised both eyebrows in shock. I doubted he’d ever been shushed by anyone his entire life. My jaw tightened. “I wasn’t going to say anything, Prince Liam.”
“Liam,” he corrected. “If not, then please do, my sweet, so that I can hear the melodious sound of your voice.”
I gawked at him for a moment before I glanced incredulously at Alastar, whose normally expressionless face clearly radiated, I told you so. Oh, how I hated his annoying tendency to rile me. I’d play this tedious game with Prince Liam, just to wipe that smirk off Alastar’s face. I glared at him before turning back around to smile extra sweetly at Prince Liam.
“What shall I say that’ll please you?”
He closed his eyes and clutched his heart. “Anything. Indeed, those words you spoke just now…sheer poetry. Please give me a moment so I can commit them to memory.”
My determination to play along evaporated immediately and I glared at Alastar again. He gave me another knowing look, which I responded to by sticking my tongue out at him. Instead of the gesture annoying him like it was supposed to, his lips merely twitched in his Alastar wa
y of smiling. Throughout the remainder of the meal, I felt him monitoring me. I refused to warrant him a single glance.
When at last the tedious meal finally drew to a close, Eileen cheerfully turned towards me. “What are your plans for today?”
Before I could even open my mouth to answer, Prince Liam did so for me. “Spending time with me, of course. We’re to spend every waking moment together.” He took my hand while I bit the inside of my lip to suppress my sigh. There went what had initially promised to be a pleasant morning.
Eileen glanced sideways at Aiden—whose expression had darkened once more—before forcing a smile. “Oh, how…lovely.”
“Indeed,” I said through my teeth. “But Eileen, surely you want to spend time together—just us girls—after lunch?” I gave her a desperate look.
“Of course, Rosie. I always welcome time with my dearest friend. In the meantime, I shall occupy my time with my dear husband.”
At least one of us would have a good time. No, Rosie, I scolded myself, time alone with Prince Liam would undoubtedly be more romantic than this embarrassing breakfast. After all, this was what I’d been fighting for—an opportunity to be courted by my true love. My encounter with the storyteller at the bakery had specifically told me to keep my eye out for a prince, not to mention His Highness and I were practically engaged after his near marriage proposal during the tour of his palace, so time alone with him would surely be happy, wouldn’t it? And hopefully less intense.
We all rose from the table. As I passed Alastar on my way out of the dining room, he grabbed my wrist to gently tug me to a stop. The heart flutters I’d been waiting for with Prince Liam overcame me at this single touch, a surge of heat encircling my wrist.
“What do you want?” I demanded.
Up went his eyebrow. “Hostile, hostile. I just wanted to explain the meaning of my laughing at His Highness’s…delightful letter to you. I didn’t mean to make light of romantic gestures of the heart or to offend you.”
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