27 — Love?

By the gods, this man was nothing short of a miracle of a face and a hot bud for a body. She looked at him longingly and willing that he would pin her against a wall and ravage her with his eyes only, like she was currently doing.
She couldn't believe her eyes, after all the despair for her to be married and now looking into her lover's eyes, she wanted to shake everyone, to hug everyone... Everyone and anyone that had ever gone in favor of her getting married. It was right, it felt right with him, in this moment and right now.
They took a break from their dinner, seeing as her father still threw a party for his arrival despite everything that had transpired before he came, her eyes wet at the realization that her father, the wolfking loved her as deeply as he loved himself, some might even add 'more than he loved himself'
The moon peaked out of the starless sky, out in pearls that cast their glow on the withered gardens and the little pond as they walked by it in silence. Laura couldn't help but sneak a peek at her soon to be, forgetting how to breathe and her manners... She let out a dreamy sigh, one that any girl who was in love would do.
Nicolas would much rather duel with his father than be here right now, eight here with this simp of a girl. Alot could be achieved, more books could be consumed but instead, he was to marry her but he needed her, she was his last ticket to show his father that he was a good son. Not a disappointment and he was going to be a better leader than what his father already thought of him. A disappointment and a short step from a failure.
He had caught this girl, Laura staring dreamily at him. He knew he had the charms, all vampires did but what she didn't know was that she had just given him a free gateway to pass through her walls and invade her heart, mind and soon her body. It was only fair to continue from what she had started, exercising some form of control, he took one breath and decided to play along, just until he was sure of a plan to get what he wanted and when he wanted. He was sure she had no experience at anything in life and everything had been handed over to her, at its peak. It would be easy manipulating this one.
"Enjoying the view?" Nicolas asked, striping the dreamy eyes off of Laura and replacing it with astonished embarrassment. It wasn't everyday you got to call the princess out, on her shit. This was new for her especially since he was a stranger.
"Um" she said, cheeks were flaming hot and burning and giving off a pink hue, she knew she was blushing so hard and what more, he was staring at her with eyes that could remove her clothes if they so ordered.
"Since we are to be married, what say we get to know each other first?" Laura said. Cool headedness was the best in all situations...she couldn't believe that her princess lessons paid off, it was chic, on time and straightforward even though she had blush so hard, it could have dyed her cheeks if she had maintained it for longer than usual.
She was smart, he'd give her that, the way she whipped up an answer even though he had caught her, naked and very much under a steamy spotlight,she had managed to unwound herself and danced towards a different light, softer and one she was able to control.
"I'd say, I'd be delighted to get to know all about you my princess" Nicolas answered. She was so sure that he would never have obliged but he seemed genuine and really interested. Maybe he was getting the feeling that she was into him, from the moment they locked eyes with each other and stood side by side, it was a far stretch but it wasn't impossible either. She was capable of love too, she was sure that was something that could at least have meaning.
"How about we keep on walking, I love the moonlight, it gives me this special power... Do you mind?" Why had she said that? She shouldn't have said that at all. This wasn't the way she had planned it.
"Power?" Hmm, curiosity had started to gnaw on his nails and curiosity was Nicolas right now, stopping in his tracks and casting a look at Laura, he would know if she was lying or not.
"Yeah, power. It gives me the edge and nicer skin" she gave a soft laugh that got replied with a similar laugh. She wasn't stupid, she was sure that he didn't believe a word she said but for her sake and all the secrets in box that had her family's name in it, this flimsy excuse would have to do.
"Oh, that? It does? That's how girls get so pretty? I always thought having sand baths and basking under the sun was for them. Like don't get me wrong, the moon is for you guys right? But the sun also has your name written on it... Unlike us, we just want to be left alone in our little covens, watching and wondering how the hell can you guys love the sun? That's insane" those were alot more words that were supposed to be kept in on a normal day but this was not a normal day.
She gave a laugh, nervous but real at what he said " hey, I know that joke was a bit insane but tomorrow we're going to talk so much, you'd have my head removed" he needed to level the ground before planting a seed that would spread into love and perfection for her and total domination and manipulation on his part.
She sighed, closed her eyes and nodded perpendicular to the moon, she wasn't lying about the moon giving her special powers. It felt real but right now, she couldn't wait for tomorrow.
"Mmhmm, I agree" she had to, more of him any day would add sugar to whatever she was eating.
"Then it is settled milady" he took her hand and gently kissed it. Here came his brilliant way to get what he wanted.
She couldn't believe she had his lips on her skin, she was never going to wash it again.
****
The next day came quicker than Laura had expected, she was to have breakfast with her father and banks. Her face wrinkled up in disgust but for her dad's sake, it was imperative that things stayed the way they were. Even though he could not see.
Her eyes watered at the thought ' he really can't see me' she never believed that all those years where she would complain about him or even wishing that she could disappear before his eyes, she never comprehended how real it could get and how alone she would feel and the anger she would feel at herself or at what happened to her father
The maid was dragging her corset, with every drag, a breath being taken away and her anger inventing new ways to force itself out. The maid gave a final drag that stung, she looked up at the mirror the same time that the maid looked at the mirror and her face... God help the maid was a pallet of anger and misery and frustration, all mixed in the different colors of sunlight and with a stroke of a brush, her face reddened and the maid's eye grew from remorse and fear and she saw the opportunity.
"You stupid girl, leave that corset and get out!" She yelled at the skinny, scrawny looking year as she scurried away with shoes that could fill up two baby rats judging by the size of the holes on the sole, a sole that exposed a sore foot.
She sighed to herself and sat down at her chair, facing the mirror that had well polished bronze, she would have preferred silver but as a wolf and a were one at that, she hated the palace but she never said she hated life.
She was wrapped up in tears and anger as to how the hell had her father been so alive, not so well she'd give him that but could tell if she was dancing wrong or if she wore two different shades of the same shoes... How one would pisses such a good sight and then suddenly, like the snap of her finger it was gone.
She vividly remembered how her father had shot up on the bed and exclaimed 'I can't see!' She held his hand throughout that night as the doctor kept going and coming, each entrance bore a different look but each look had the same meaning 'hopelessness' she was enraged at it.
He started to weep at all the beautiful things that her father had yet not seen, for example her wedding to Nicolas of the vampire kingdom or her cute soon to be babies that didn't seem so far off. She was distraught and honestly, she needed a little time to herself.
****
Twenty minutes and food untouched, Laura had found her way to the dinning hall where her father awaited with banks by his side. Curse that man, she didn't like him and never will.
"Ah, my dear! Is that you Laura?" She wanted to choke on something and pass. Just die and forget this ever happened. She couldn't breathe for a second, this was really happening. It was happening, she could see that Banks was holding a cane in his hand, his expression hard to read but a slack in his movements showed that he expressed what his heart could not say.
She rushed to the table and gently kissed him on the cheeks, she never did that but god knew that he needed all the love that existed in the world.
"Yes papa, I'm here" he breathed a sigh of relief and a maid came forward because now that he was blind, he needed someone to feed him. She wanted to do it, she so badly wanted to do it but one look from the banks and she decided maybe he was right, maybe she should be more princessly. She needed to show him now that she was a capable and better leader of the kingdom. She needed to prove herself.
****
As promised, she was with him again tonight, there was a shade of light from the moon and he was walking in step with her.
"So tell me, how'd you feel knowing that you were to marry me?" He started. She didn't have time to think or even google him properly and he was already getting to ask questions. The fact that he asked what she thought of him was thoughtful.
She smiled inwardly, he was such a gentleman and she didn't need him to tell her but there was a way he looked at her, she knew they were perfect together.
She smiled.
"Well, I honestly didn't want to hear it. All I did was yell and scream no but here I am" she honestly replied.
Well, he'd give her that. So bad that he came here for a different mission, maybe he could have pretended to care.
"So ew?" He asked with a brow raised.
She gave a hearty laugh, is this what love felt like? She inwardly asked herself as Nicolas gave her the puppy eyes as she laughed. All she could think about, underneath the laughter was ...
'He's so hot!'
"Well yes actually and what did you think about me?" Her expression got a bit serious there.
He could say the truth right here and now. He could say ' as an opportunity' 'last Chance's 'life changer' 'a miracle worker's but instead he looked deep into her eyes and dropped his eyes to a sexy level and said " Cute"