Starlight Academy Part 7 - I Will Never Hurt You

The next morning Juliana woke feeling tired, and anxious. The events of the night before still plagued her haggard mind, and she dressed mechanically. Marlo noticed this, and asked, "Hey, you okay?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. I'm fine," she yawned, adjusting the ruffles around her neck. "Just a little tired."

"First night take its toll on you?"

"Yeah," she said, deciding that telling her new friend about the night before would not bode well if she had not heard anything either. So she kept it to herself, and they headed off to breakfast. They stopped once, because Marlo had tugged at Juliana's arm, jerking her to a stop beside a small garden.

"What?" Juliana asked, irritated at her friend's sudden stop. "Did you lose something? Like your mind?" She smoothed out the wrinkles in her sleeve, watching as Marlo crouched in front of a clump of purple flowers.

"Aha!" she exclaimed, plucking a flower and leaping to her feet. "This will look great in your hair!" She lunged at Juliana, tucking the gorgeous flower behind her ear before she could protest.

"Thanks. Why did you just put a flower in my hair?" she asked, fixing the flower into a better position.

"It brings out your eyes. Prince will love it," she said, grinning.

"Wait a second! What makes you think he would like this?" she asked, trying to brush away the blush blooming in her cheeks.

Marlo scoffed, waving the question away. "He likes you, Juliana. It's obvious. Trust me, I know guys." She winked, and pulled her helpless friend along behind her. They strolled into the dining hall, arm in arm until Marlo spotted Prince moving toward them. "Good luck," she whispered, smiling, and hurried off.

"Wait! Marlo, what do you mean? Marlo!" she would have tried again, but Prince was already at her side, touching her elbow gently.

"Good morning, Juliana," he whispered, his voice rumbling within his chest. It made Juliana's heart beat a little faster.

"Good morning, Prince," she returned, turning half-way around to smile at him. It made her feel like she was some sort of beautiful vixen, the way he smiled at her, his eyes smoldering just above that sweet grin.

"I trust that you slept well?" he asked, his hand migrating to the middle of her back, his palm hot through the material of her shirt.

She did not have the heart to tell him otherwise, and said, "Yes. It was a very good night."

"Excellent," he said, his voice giving away his excitement. "I would like it very much if you would do me the favor of taking a morning walk with me. We won't have our classes until tomorrow. Today is the day for exploring, and making new friends. Why don't we explore a little?"

She nodded, completely forgetting her empty stomach in preference for his company. "I would like that," she said, barely able to find her voice beneath the feel of his hand.

"Then, come with me, and I'll show you my favorite paths to walk down." He guided her from the hall, his hand still pressed gently to her back, and they started down a deserted path.

Bushes, flowers, and small trees sprang up all around them, sometimes encroaching on their path, other times shrinking away from them. They walked along, enjoying the silence of the calm morning and the small touches that they exchanged occasionally. At last he stopped them, and leaned against a tree.

He took her hand, pulling her toward him. "You look positively stunning this morning, especially with that flower in your hair."

Juliana chuckled. "Thank Marlo," she said, smiling.

"I will. Juliana, I would like very much to kiss you now, if it's alright with you."

A flush exploded in her face, and she could not keep the joyous smile from her face. "That's perfectly fine with me, Prince," she whispered, hardly believing what was happening.
He smiled, and tugged her closer to him so that she was pressed up against his chest. His left hand found its way to the back of her head, cradling it carefully, while his right hand moved to the small of her back. He held her off for a moment, his lips just an inch from hers and his breath lolling over her face. Her chest heaved a bit, and she struggled to keep from shuddering. He let his mouth fall against hers in a firm, loving kiss.

This one was so much different from the first sort-of-kiss. It was in the moment, and impossible to ignore. There was a fire as hot as a bolt of lightning in the kiss, and their lips crashing against each other's were like thunder. When they pulled away, Juliana's head rested against his chest, and she whispered, "Prince!" Her breathing was shallow with passion.

"I care for you so much, Juliana," he said. "And you can trust me. I will never hurt you. I promise."

"And I won't ever hurt you," she said, and they embraced, wrapped in each other's arms.