206 vi. Abducted by the Crown Prince
As the carriage came to a halt, she hurriedly fixed her hair, the crown prince pressing a finger on her lips and uttering a mischievous “Shhh...”
She had to gulp down her own saliva as she felt her throat scorch dry. Damn the crown prince and his kisses!
She hurriedly returned to her seat before blushing profusely as he winked. She couldn’t even utter a word of protest before the carriage door was opened and she had to cling to his arm as he gentlemanly escorted her out of the carriage.
It was summer and the birds were chirping around them with glee. The hot sun greeted her skin before the crown prince draped his robe around her shoulders.
She looked at the crown prince, her forehead wrinkling over the odd prince’s conduct before a deep chuckle can be heard from the prince, “What? I was getting jealous of the sun touching your skin without so much as my permission.”
“You are absolutely crazy, your highness,” she whispered, blushing.
“I am. How can I dare to deny the truth when we both know I am absolutely crazy about you,” the mad prince’s words made her heart quicken.
This bastardly prince. She muttered to herself before being able to plaster a smile on her face for appearance’s sake.
“Where are we going then, your highness? I don’t seem to see a manor in sight,” she frowns as she glances around and finds them to be in the midst of a forest.
.....
“Ahhhh, so you did believe the ruse about the prince living in the manor during his childhood. Indeed that can easily be mistaken for truth. But I lived here,” he took her hand and lead her deeper into the forest.
“Here? Are you saying you lived in the wild for years until you reached adulthood? That’s unfathomable! How can the crown prince live that way?” she exclaimed, obviously taken aback by the prince’s confession.
They would continue to walk until they reach a clearing, an old cabin was in the center of the woods, seemingly out of place and yet somehow able to blend in.
“You lived here?” as she turned to look at the crown prince, she would need no confirmation.
His eyes lit up like a child and a carefree expression would settle on his handsome face, “Here is home,” were his words.
He leads her to the pathway leading to the cabin. His enthusiasm made her unable to remove her hand from his grip, she didn’t have the heart to waste such happiness that shone in his eyes.
He opened the front door and snapped his fingers and suddenly the whole place has been lit up. It was still tidy inside, presumably from his magic or from servants he instructed to clean the place.
“It is beautiful,” she said. She knew it would be rude to ask about something so cold like how did he manage to keep everything preserved.
A chuckle escaped his lips, “It is indeed. I thought it would lose its charm as I explore the world. Instead, I seem to appreciate it now even more. This quaint little place always made me feel peaceful. But right now... it is even more perfect. With you beside me, I feel like I am in all certainty... home.”
She blushed at his words. The crown prince always managed to do that to her, he always was able to render her hopeless to his charms.
“Is this where we will be staying?” she asked the prince.
“Yes. This is where I wish for us to stay until the week is over,” his golden eyes were intently looking at her, making her feel like she is under the heat of the sun.
“Until the week is over?” her eyes were wide in shock as she glanced about.
“Where- where are the other guests? The servants?” she panicked as she tried to back away from him.
He walked closer towards her while she takes a step back every time he comes near. Soon she was trapped against the wall, her heartbeat audible even to her ears.
“It’s just us. There’s nobody else in here except for you and me. I figured since the gentlemanly approach didn’t seem to work. I’ll just do what I really want,” the deep baritone voice excited her even though his words should have scared her senseless.
“You think you’ll get away with this? I am still the granddaughter of the Duchess! Not even the crown prince can do something so atrocious without any consequence,” she struggled as he gripped her jaw, his other hand pulling her close to him until there is but an inch left between them.
“I am not trying to escape the consequence. In fact, I am looking forward to it,” his eyes were serious before he leaned ever close to her, his manly scent permeating the air and making her head dizzy.
“You... you can’t be serious,” she felt panic run through her veins as she stared at the prince’s steely gaze.
“Why do you think I am not serious right now? I am not the type to joke around,” his hand ran across her cheek, feeling her soft skin as a satisfied smile adorned his face.
“Your Highness. If you do this! Then...” she couldn’t say the words. Her mind refused to function at such a time.
“I will marry you. No, rather we will be obligated to marry. The joining of our families is the only remedy for such a controversy. That is what’s going to happen. We will marry, and you will be my wife, princess,” he said calmly, his hot breath fanning her skin.
She tried to push him away, finally understanding why he was calm despite all these. It was what his end goal was. He planned this. All of this.
“Let me go! Your Highness, please let me go!” she screamed at him, horror filled her as he gripped her wrist, making her unable to fully struggle from his hold.
“Let you go? Such a thing has never been possible for me. Do you know how miserable such an existence will be? You have no idea how it would feel to lose someone who means the whole world to you. So don’t say those words so easily. It only shows how much you don’t understand. It only pains me even more,” he claimed her lips before she can utter more of her protests.
The source of this c𝓸ntent is fr𝒆e(w)𝒆bnovel