The silent knocking on my door pulls my focus from the horizon where the main village lay in a flat plain spanning as far as my eyes could catch.

Cautious, I peeped outside the door, surprised to see Finnegan standing there. He smiles awkwardly.

"What are you doing here?" I whisper, glancing at both sides of the corridor.

"I couldn't sleep." He confesses.

True, it's obvious from the bags under his eyes. But why? What could be reason for his sleeplessness?

"Right. What do you want?"

He shrugs. "Want to talk with me?"

Great? Late night conversations with a prince. Which girl would pass up that offer?

After a long gaze into his eyes which seemed slightly dazed, I sigh. "Fine. Wait, I need to change into something more appropriate."

He shrugs,allowing me to disappear into my room and out again after a couple of minutes wearing a casual white dress with black stockings underneath.

The couple of guards standing watch in the corridor trail our movement with their eyes.

I snort. This catches Finnegan's attention.

"Why are you snorting?" He asks, amused.

"It's just the number of eyes watching us." I mumble.

He chuckles. "Ignore them, Alanna. That's how I've always done."

My mood sinks with those words. "I can't just ignore people, Finnegan, they're people, they're important and it's necessary you notice them."

Finnegan stops walking close to a ridiculously huge portrait of a former King. "Really, Alanna?"

"Yes, Your Highness." He cringes, making me laugh softly. "These people are in charge of your safety. If that doesn't scream important, I don't know what else would."

Finnegan takes a step forward and I observe his face with confusion, meeting those calm eyes of his. "You are something, Alanna."

The words come out like a mumble but I hear them all. His hand raises to touch my hair. I manage to duck,  moving a step back.

He's baffled by my action but I raise a finger.

"Nobody touches my hair. Ever."

He grins, taking another step forward. "Are you sure, Alanna?"

I edge backwards until there's no where else to go. He has me trapped between his hands on the wall.

I can't say that having a prince hovering over me isn't something to be excited about.

It completely is. However, we are standing in the corridor and no matter how I wish to cave in to his alluring eyes, I can't.

"Speechless?" He whispers, leaning in to my ears.

Okay, I'm going to combust.

Freaking out, I do the only think I can think off.

I knee the Prince in his family jewels.

The playful expression on his face fades into a pained one as he buckles over.

"Ow! Alanna, what are your knees made of? Steel?" He groans, glancing up at my smirking face.

I'm speechless at how he manages to look utterly handsome even in pain.

"Maybe?" I chuckle, nervously seizing a grip over my wild emotions.

He recovers in a short time. My smile falters when he grins like a villain and stalks towards me again.

"I'll give you a head start and count to five. Say your last prayers, witch."

Wait, what?

"One-"

Laughing, I sprint down the corridor, a mischievous prince following behind.

Somehow, I find an exit leading outside the palace. There are so many trees in this part that I've never seen before. In my spare time, I must have covered about 40% of the entire palace which is impressive considering the sheer size.

However, my focus is drawn to the sky bearing numerous stars upon the thick black blanket of darkness.

"That's what I wanted to show you. It gets beautiful on late August nights." Finnegan stands beside me, our shoulders brushing against each other.

"I love it." My words are barely audible but Finnegan must have heard.

"It's hard escaping out here with all the eyes always watching, but sometimes I do."

I turn to him. Our faces are barely visible in the low light but our eyes somehow link together. "Rebel prince, I like that."

He chuckles. "My mother will have a fit tomorrow but I'm sure there's nothing a good chocolate cookie can't fix."

"The queen loves chocolate cookies?"

Finnegan nods. "She does. I heard you went out with her the other day."

Surprised, I blink. "You-"

"I do notice a lot, Alanna."

There. He said it. He notices a lot. But what am I supposed to tell him?

Time passes with our gazes clinging. No words, just looks, sending silent signals.

"I can't wait till all of this is over." Finnegan finally drags his eyes away and shifts them to the sky again.

"Me too. I can't wait to go back to my family."

He chuckles. "In Eaton."

Partially annoyed, I jab him with my elbow. "We're poor, I know. Stop mocking us, Your Highness."

A throaty laugh leaves his lips. "Have you gone tree climbing before?" He asks.

I scoff. "Do you forget who you speak to?"

His laughter deepens into a timbre that makes my heart do haphazard somersaults in my chest.

"That's my favourite tree, let's go up." He points at a fairly large tree. It looks suitable for climbing. No thorns or anything.

"You go first." I prompt him.

"Ladies first." He bows in a silly manner that makes me want to kick him.

"No way. You just-"

"-I'm not going to look under your dress, Alanna. I'm not that perverted." He says.

An impish grin crosses my face but I swallow down any nasty thought in my head, reaching out for the lowest branch.

"If I catch you looking, I'll send bits of wood into your eyes, got it?" My warning is loud and clear but somehow, Finnegan finds it funny and starts sniggering.

Rolling my eyes, I lift myself up and in quick movements, I'm at the top. Finnegan isn't far behind. Soon, we're settled on a branch strong enough to hold our weights.

"Lady Joanne will have my neck tomorrow."

"Just tell her you sleepwalk."

"As tempting as that sounds, I'll pass. The guards pretty much saw us fooling around." I reply.

Finnegan shrugs. "Tell me about your village. The day I met you, what were you doing?"

He listens to me while I speak animatedly about life in Eaton. Subconsciously, a smile stretched my lips while I  talked and the Prince was locked in my eyes until an owl flew very close to our heads.

Together we laugh.

"Your turn."

"Well, my life is pretty boring. Expensive clothes, living in  an insanely huge palace and listening to instructions and lectures about living proper. I didn't have many people to talk to besides my grumpy brother and sister. Eleanor spent her time with her musical instruments so we don't have that close sibling bond..."

I soak up every word he says until the end.

By the time we knew it, it was four in the morning.

Reluctant, we sneak back in. "I'll be at breakfast." He promises after seeing me to my door.

I nod, ignoring the mad race of my heart. He presses a tiny cloth bag into my hand before finding his way to his room.

"Get some sleep." I manage a laugh before sliding inside my room and stealing a look at his gift.

A pendant attached to a gold necklace that has my name engraved on it.

♕♕♕

Love in the air, people. I just want to scream out loud!!! 😌

Who else enjoyed this moment?

Tell me, tell me, tell me!!!

*sighs*

funny thing my characters are more interesting that me in real life. lol.

wish I had some one to take me out tree climbing, maybe not tree climbing, but some fun activity.

I think I'm going to be a cat lady in the future y'all 😭😭😭