Confession

Ashtons POV

“What is it?” she asks, her eyes accentuated by the make up look like beautiful pools I just want to dive into.
“Ok so please don’t hate me, I only didn’t tell you sooner because I wanted you to know me without all the complications, but I love you and you deserve to kn—“ I freeze, did I just say that? I didn’t mean to phrase it like that, it just slipped out. I’m so nervous, I’m not thinking straight. I don’t want to take it back though, I do care about her deeply and she is the sexiest woman I have ever seen. I look up from my feet and try to gauge her reaction. She also looks shocked and frozen. I feel myself blushing, I definitely should not have said it. My brain is trying to think of a way to talk myself out of this pit of embarrassment but coming up blank. I shuffle awkwardly and then I feel her lips on mine. She pulls me into an ally way never taking her lips from me. Once I recover from the shock, relief and happiness flood over me. She wants me, she didn’t reject my love or run for the hills. I pull her in tight against me and return her kiss. I want to rip that pretty dress off her body and take her right here in the street, but I also want to take her away from any threat and build her a house to raise our children in. A simple house, not like the palace. Oh the palace. I realise that I didn’t actually get to tell her my truth and my lust cools down with the nervousness returning. I pull away.
“I eh didn’t get to finish. There is something I have not told you about myself and I wanted to tell you before the scouts do. I hope it doesn’t change how you feel about me. My full name is Ashton. Prince Ashton for official purposes.”
“Fuck me” she blurts out and steps away from me like my touch is burning her. I feel hurt.
“It doesn’t matter, I’m more myself around you than I am back home.”
“We can’t be together, I’m a crossbreed, I’m not allowed to exist back home, yet alone marry a prince” she says tears rolling down her face.
“So you want to marry me?” I try to joke but there is a little flutter of hope in my heart.
“It doesn’t matter what I want. I would be killed if the king found out. What we have been doing is forbidden in our law, but its practically treason with a prince” She is shaking but obviously trying to keep her emotions bottled up as much as possible.
“I meant what I said about running away. I have never been a perfect prince, they would be better off without me anyway” I say quietly.
“You can’t run, you have responsibilities, people who need you” She protests
“What about you? Don’t you need me? Don’t you want me?” I ask scared to hear her response
She brushes away her tears and takes a deep shaky breath. “I have lived more in the last week with you than I have my whole life. I have been scared and trying to hide away for too long. I’m scared to want you, to love you, to lose you.”
“If you would rather live a safe loveless life, I promise to leave you and not tell anyone what I know about you, but there is more to life than just staying alive, truly being alive means overcoming your fears, to have the life you dream of. I’d build you that life and protect you until my dying breath” I move closer and pull her back into my arms.
“You are right” my heart practically leaps out of my chest. I think that is the most vulnerable that I have ever been with a woman and I’m both exhausted and elated after the experience. I pick her up and throw her in the air, catching her as she giggles like a small child. I feel a grin spread over my face. This is the happiest I have been in a long time.
“Ok my prince, leave me be and let's make a plan of action. We need to get the scouts before we get our happily ever after.” Leave her be, she has to be joking, how does she expect me to take my hands off her now.
“I’m sure they are fine and can wait just a little longer.” I say trying to lift up her long skirt.
She slaps my hand “you really are a bad prince, no sense of duty or responsibility to your poor people” she teases.
“You are just too much of a distraction, I’m sure they will understand if they see you dressed like that.”
“Come on, I need to remain dressed to sneak into the castle and so do you. I’m pretty sure the only way you are getting me out of this dress is to cut it open and then we would be back to square one.” I hate when she uses logic against me.
“Fine, but I’m very much looking forward to cutting you out of that dress”

Ava’s POV

I don’t know what to think. I have been thinking more and more about the future I’d want with him, where we would go, whether we would have kids. I still want that, but it seems less and less possible with everything going on. I couldn’t say it back, but there is no doubt I do love him. The butterflies in my stomach and the way my whole body reacts to his touch are just confirmation. I can’t let myself get my hopes up though, rescuing the scouts is risky, there is a chance we won’t even have a future and even if we do make it out, would he really leave his family, his country for me?
I needed time to process so I insisted that we continue trying to save the scouts. Part of me just needed to speak to my best friend about all this and I did know that we were running out of time before Kato returned.
Ash had found the castle and the guards entrance earlier so we had agreed that he would go in and look around while I waited outside. Unfortunately not actually being a vampire meant that I would not pass for a servant and Ash refused to put me in more danger.
Ivy coated the castle and so I was at least able to help by checking the route the scouts took. They had definitely entered the castle through the guards entrance, but then it was hazy. The Ivy view was blocked by stained glass windows which meant that the images I saw were blurry at best. I knew that they were 2 floors up but where exactly was unclear. At least I would be able to keep an eye on Ash and I agreed that I would grow the vine through the window if I saw any danger headed his way.
I wish I was going in with him, I’m already nervous and the waiting is putting me on edge. Ash kisses me goodbye quickly and then walks casually into the castle. I admire his confidence. My legs are starting to shake just watching him. I try to stay out of sight of some passers by and touch the ivy to see him. He is still on the ground floor, maybe he can’t find the stairs. At least there is no-one around. I break off to check on my surroundings, the couple has moved out of sight so I’m safe. I check again and he is now on the first floor and moving through the corridors quickly. I lose sight of him so I check on the floor above and freeze. Kato is there. How did he get back already. Shit, I need to warn Ash. I focus on growing a vine up to the last window I saw him at, but to my dismay it is not strong enough to break the window. I try again, desperate to warn him, but it does not work. All I can do is watch as Ash emerges from the stairs and almost runs into Kato.
I’m so caught up in watching Ash, that I don’t notice the presence around me until his arms are locking me in a vice grip. I can’t move as I’m torn away from the Ivy. I don’t even care about myself, I just want to know if Ash is ok. I struggle to reach out and touch the Ivy, but I can’t reach.
“Let me go!” I scream desperately, before a large hand covers my mouth. I start to panic and with ever fibre of my being try to escape to warn Ash. I feel the tree roots growing and I try to will them to trip my assailant. He smoothly dodges them. I try to focus on creating a vine to bind him, but before I can I feel a sharp scratch in my arm and I feel myself passing out, my body goes limp and I feel myself being lifted before everything goes black.