Chapter 48 Excitement

Isla
WORDS IN MY THROAT are trapped in a bubble. I struggle to form something coherent but all I come up with are stutters. Ross steps back, fright marring her features. "I was just—"
"Rosa isn't going to be my maid after we marrying because I'm going to be staying in your room, right?" The words come out in a jumble, I don't think it through.
Kyan's eyes darts at Rosa's face and then mine. "I suppose," he says suspiciously.
"I have delivered the food, your Majesty." Rosa curtseys and turns to leave.
"Wait," Kyan calls out and my heart gallops in my ears. "Make sure my sister eats something, force it down her throat if you have to."
Rosa nods quickly and scurries away.
"How are you doing?" Kyan asks me. I can feel his warm emerald eyes on my face, heating it till it's flushed.
"Fine," I say in the most flat voice I can muster.
I walk over to the rose bushes and reach for the newly bloomed rose. I don't flinch or wince when the pointy thorns prickles me. I bite my lip and hover the rose under my nose inhaling gently. It smells like a perfectly good rose to me but how did I get it to bloom? I can not believe wistful thinking did this.
I hold out the flower to him, a daring move. I expect him to crush it's velvety petals and stamp on the stalk. I didn't expect him to collect it from my hand, which he doesn't. Instead, he curls his hand around my wrist and brings it closer to his face. His warm misty breath tickles my hand as he scrutinises it. "Look," he says, "you are bleeding." There is something about the way he says it. Like a dotting brother.
I pull my hand out of his grip and make a silly move by hiding it behind my back, hiding the flower too. He chuckles and reaches into the rose bushes and he comes back with a big bloom. I begin to shake my head before he even offers it to me.
"What's wrong with it?" He enquiries. Do I hear a hurt in his tone?
"Nothing. I just prefer this one." I hold up the newly bloomed rose and he stares at it for a long while with a smirk playing on his lips. "It's small", his eyes darts to my face, "like you."
I want to laugh out loud. "I'm not small."
He raises an amused brow, "you manage to reach my shoulder."
I clench the rose tighter and the sharp thorns pierce into my fingers and I yelp in pain letting it fall to the ground. Kyan looks at my dripping hand, and then rises his heavily booted foot.
"No!" I bend and pick it up with my uninjured hand, "I bloomed it, Kyan. I can't let it go." I don't know why I'm telling him this but the words tumble out easily.
He freezes, he watches me sniff the flower again. "What do you mean by that?"
"Exactly what I said!" I don't mean it to sound rude.
He doesn't seem fazed at all. "Let me." He conjures a handkerchief from his pocket and ties it round my hand. Tossing the rose he was holding to the ground, he links his fingers in my uninjured hand and tries to lead me towards the Palace. "We should get you cleaned up."
"No," I snatch my hand back, "stop being so bossy!"
Something dark flashes in his eyes and his jawline becomes stubbornly set. "I'm not bossy," he retorts, "you are just being stubborn."
I roll my eyes and using my uninjured hand, I push open the flap of the basket. Luckily, Rosa packed a blanket. I try to grip it and spread it on the grassy ground but it's too heavy and weighs down my hand. Kyan takes it from me and spreads it on the ground.
I remove my sandals and step on the blanket sighing at the fuzzy feeling it has as it tickles my foot. I sit leaning on a tree. Kyan follows my lead watching me like he is expecting me to do something spontaneous.
"You made it bloom," he nods to the flower in my hand, "have you done it before, make a flower bloom?"
I shake my head. "I didn't do it on purpose. It just happened."
He nods likeit makes perfect sense, as if it's a completely normal thing.
My stomach growls again. I shut my eyes and wish away the embarrassing blush of my face.
I feel Kyan pull the rose out of my relaxed fingers. "You should eat," he says without looking at me. He fishes out a small knife from his boot, I dink my teeth into my lower lip to suppress a gasp. Carefully, he cuts out the thorns and slices off part of the stem. Before I can open my mouth to scold him, he tucks it into my hair just above my ear.
"It suits you." His voice is rough like gravel.
"... Thanks..." My voice trails off
He peers into the basket and fumbles inside with a too serious look. I hear the clanging off plates and can't help feeling surprised, Rosa takes her job too seriously.
Kyan arranged a tempting display of loaves of bread, a few buns of honey cakes and a flask of hibiscus tea. The combined aromas are enough to sate.
"Go on," he encourages, "or do want me to feed you?" He smiles easily with a ghost of laughter on his lips.
I scrunch my nose in feign disgust. "As if I'll ever let that happen."
My attempts to be rude only makes him chuckle. I like the sound of it, the low vibrating hum. It makes my insides clench, in a good way.
"We'll see." He turns his eyes away already seeming bored with me.
I bite into one the honey cakes, the soft velvety food melts in my mouth making me hum in delight. I take a sip of the pineapple infused drink to chase it down with. I indulge in another bite, bigger than the first and close my eyes as I savour the delicious taste of it.
"You should see your face now," he grins.
"And how does my face look?" I ask a bit irritated, for a moment there I forgot he was beside me.
"I don't know how to describe it. That's why I said you should see it,"he replies cheekily. "Go and check it in the river." He waves a hand towards the river.
I bite back a hiss and finish off the honey cake. I lick my fingers noisily, purposely smacking my lips and take another lousy gulp of the drink.
Kyan tuts softy, shaking his head and clicking his tongue. "Not the proper actions of a soon-to-be princess."
"Who cares?" I shoot back.
"I do," he replies, "you will be tinting my name."
I turn my face with a sneer. Stupid, arrogant Royals... Except Lyza, of course.
Finally annoyed and irked with his presence, I ask,"why are you here, anyway?"
He seems taken aback by my question but recovers immediately. "I came to check on my sister but the girl... Eluded me."
Lucky her.
"Well, she isn't here." I point out.
"Are you trying to say something, Isla?" He tilts his head and gives me a pointed look.
"Maybe," I can't help grinning.
He rises to his feet surprising me. I didn't think he would be so easy to get rid off.
"I came to tell you that I'll be out of the Palace, Kingdom to be more precise for a few days," he tells me with all seriousness.
My heart leaps for joy. "Where are you going to?"
"Nowhere and everywhere,"he replies vaguely.
"I'm coming!" I jump to my feet but try to damper the excitement in my voice, "it will do me some good to get out of—"
"You aren't coming with me," he says with finality.
My brows meet in a frown," and why is that?"
"I don't want you to come with me," he says flatly. His eyes are bland.
I sink my teeth into my lower lip. "Please—"
"Don't even consider it."
"Why?!" It comes out like a strangled plea.
His lips purse into a hard white line. "I'm not a fool, Isla. I know what you are up to."