The Crown's Obsession

The very same night, while one person laid on the bed thinking about the girl who had kissed him, on the other side of the castle, the very same girl was dreaming what her heart craved for. There wasn't a smile on Lucy's lips as she dreamed about Theodore in there, but her heart was beating loudly in her chest.

Lucy ran in the forest, her feet bare without the shoes that often restricted her. She placed her feet one after another on the soft grass on the ground, feeling the slight wetness from the dewdrops that had formed on the blades of the grass—how strange, thought Lucy to herself. It wasn't even morning as the sky was dark, yet she could feel the ground be wet.

Her heart continued to beat faster, and before she could run farther away, a hand came to wrap around her waist, picking her up and making her shriek in surprise.

"I caught you," were the words that whispered next to the shell of her ear.

Lucy's breath was uneven, and she could feel a shock of desire deliciously run down her spine. Blood rushed up to her cheeks, and she couldn't help herself but steal a quick look at Theodore, who had his hand snugly wrapped around her waist.

"I thought I told you to count until ten," Lucy breathed the words, her voice uneven, and she noticed the way Theodore's eyes had turned dark. Almost black without a hint of red in there.

Theodore didn't reply to her words, and instead, he pulled her and had her back pressed against the tree's bark.

"You didn't answer my question," whispered Lucy when Theodore came to stand in front of her, placing both his hands on either side of the tree.

"I don't think there's any need for me to tell when the answer is as clear as day, amare," said Theodore, leaning forward, and even though nothing happened, she could already feel breathless.

"What does that mean?" asked Lucy, her eyes sinking into the depth of Theodore's eyes.

"Which one?"

"Amare," said Lucy, her toes dragged behind, and she placed the sole of her foot flat on the uneven bark of the tree.

Hearing this, a faint smile came to form on Theodore's lips, "My answer." He brought his hand towards her face, running his finger across the side of her face to have her heart hitch. He then brought his finger to place it under her chin and raised it so that he could have a better look at her. "Why did you propose to play hide and seek?"

This felt much different from what she had experienced earlier. Her tongue peeked out to wet her lips as it had turned dry, and she gulped when Theodore's hand came to settle on her waist.

"I...I was hoping for you to catch me," she whispered, and he leaned even closer than before.

"Mm, now that I have, I think it is time for reward," after his lips hovered above hers, it came to plant on her-

Lucy was woken up with her room's doors opening with a loud noise, and she sat up on her bed. The images of her dream were still fresh, and her cheeks turned red, remembering it. Her eyes stared at her mother, who had come with guards, scouting her room.

She sighed. Couldn't her mother come after a few minutes?

"What's the matter, mother?" questioned Lucy, not knowing what exactly her mother was looking for.

The guards opened every cupboard while looking under her bed and then going to the patio. When her mother didn't respond, Lucy asked again, "Mother?"

Her mother snapped her scrutinizing gaze at her, "Did someone enter this room, Lucy?"

Lucy blinked her eyes, and her throat turned slightly dry. "I was sleeping. I wouldn't know," she answered her mother's burning question.

"There's no one here, milady," informed one of the guards to Lady Samara. The woman stepped outside the patio to look at the height of the patio from the ground.

Lucy could feel her heartbeat rising while her mother looked around the room. Did what she feared to come true? Did someone catch Theodore when he was jumping in and out of the room? She could feel a light sheen of sweat forming on her back.

Her mother stepped back inside and asked, "Are you going to tell the truth, Lucy or do you want the person to be punished?"

Lucy had been caught before, and right now, she hoped it would never come to this. One word from her, and it would be the end of Theodore.

Her mother came forward and snapped her fingers in front of her face, "Stop being quiet and answer me, Lucy."

"I-I don't know what you are talking about. I was really asleep and don't know which person you are speaking about," answered Lucy.

She wondered which person had seen Theodore come and go, and she couldn't help but internally curse. She didn't want anything bad happening to Theodore! She had lost Ruby, and she was not ready to lose another person! Her family couldn't do this to her. She refused to accept it.

Lady Samara glared at her daughter.

"I thought an example that was set yesterday by your grandmother would make sure the others wouldn't step out of line, but this," Lucy's mother looked frustrated. "I ordered that no one was allowed to enter your room, yet this happens. Where is she?"

"Mother I really-She?" Lucy was confused now.

"Fabel told me that Amice is missing since last night. She came here, didn't she?" Lucy's mother didn't seem pleased. "She's nowhere to be seen. Did you send her to her village?"

"Why would I do that?" Lucy's eyebrows furrowed. "What's going on?"

"Amice is missing. Her clothes and her other belongings. Everything is missing and she left a note telling she was leaving the castle," Lady Samara's eyes flared. "Did you have run away after what happened to Ruby?"