Crowns and a Rose 2: The Cupid's Game

"Heysh! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!" Ron rants while hitting the back of his head. Then, he kicks the lush bush beside him.

"Don't kick that innocent bush 'coz it has nothing to do with your stupidity," a woman says.

Ron looks around and sees Sophia walking towards him. He stops and turns to her.

"Why are you here?" Ron grunts.

"Hah! I understand that you guys own this campus, but as far as I know, ~ students are free to come here," she replies sarcastically.

"Sorry~"

"What's with the rant?" she asks.

He sighs. "Why are women so hard to please?" he exclaims.

Sophia smirks. "Huh! You mean, a WOMAN is so hard to please!" Sophia corrects as she removes her sandals.

"Hey~ what are you doing?!" Ron shouts nervously while watching her jumps onto a stone bridge crossing the edge of the artificial waterfall.

"Wanna join me?" she says, gesturing him to join her.

"What if we fall? What if~"

"Hey~ hey! It's alright. I trust your architects and engineers! How about you? Do you trust them?" Sophia encourages.

He gulps. He looks down the falls and gasps.

"It's very high!" he says.

"Do you have a fear of heights?"

"Not that I know of~"

"Then, you will be fine!"

After a while, he removes his shoes. Takes a deep breath and jumps onto one of the stone bridges next to where Sophia sits.

Sophia looks at him as he sits uneasily and his carotid pulse is faster than normal.

"O-oh my gosh!" he utter's nervously when he feels the strong current of the waterfall.

"Sometimes, it is easier to face your fears if you don't look at its size~ Besides, personally speaking, don't look at the risk rather look at the prize!"

"What?"

"Look at the nice view up here!" she exclaims.

Ron follows her gaze and is amazed at the verdant rolling hills and valleys carpeted with wildflowers. Willow trees and oak trees are scattered around providing shades to weary souls that wander in the land.

They watch as the golden sun spreads its last rays giving magic to the orange and crimson sky.

"Oh my gosh!" he exclaims when from a distance, ten beautiful stallions gallop through the grassland until they reach their corral.

"This is magnificent, Donmari!" he blurts out.

"What did you call me?" she asks.

"Nevermind!"

"Oi! Tell me or I will kick you!" she warns.

He smirks. "You are so tiny, yet you are fearless~ which makes us think that Sophia is so feminine for you."

"Your point is?"

"You're Spanish, right? So, Don Mari is better!"

"Uh-huh?"

"You have the power of a Don~ the master of his dominion! Plus, you are the only woman who bravely hits us~"

Sophia laughs.

"Do be so flattered!"

"Na~ it's just funny coz you think like my father! He always compares me to a don!

Ron laughs. Then, they keep quiet as they watch how the night takes over the day.

"She's not mad, she's just confused right now. Who wouldn't?" Sophia says while removing her sunglasses and lean back with her feet still plunged in the water.

"What?"

" Camille~ you like her, right? Stop doing crazy things in front of her."

He is quiet. And exhales.

"Shameful to admit, but I just don't know how to act well when she's around," he explains.

Sophia laughs.

"Is it funny?" he asks in confusion.

"The famous WOMANIZER finally loses his cool in front of a woman!" she exclaims with a sardonic smile on her face.

"Heysh!" Ron scoffs. Sophia stands up and jumps back to the side. Then, she puts on her sandals.

Ron follows, standing and jumping with more ease. She looks at him intently.

"Don't break her heart, Lord George Cameron Spencer! She's been through a lot already~ she might not cope up with another heartbreak~" she says before leaving him.

Ron is perplexed by her words, but he already makes up his mind on how to deal with his problem.

That evening, Ron looks for Camille and finds her at the veranda, sketching.

"Hi~" he greets.

"What?" she asks without even looking at him.

"Uhm... I wanna say~" Ron apologizes.

"Get away from me! I am busy~" she says as she continues sketching.

After what happened at the lagoon, Camille becomes reclusive. She stops eating with the lords and ladies at the mansion and refuses to go home with them--- even with Primrose. Sketching helps her escape from her problem.

"Camille, please... I am really sorry~"

She looks at him but says no words as she is torn whether to believe him or not.

"Look... I know I did something crazy~"

"Childish!"

"Yeah~ crazy and childish. But I have my reasons," he says.

"Like what? To toy with me? To humiliate me? To~"

"To get close to you!"

"What?!"

"I want to get close to you--- to know you more and~"

"Hah! Stop! Enough of your foolish words," Camille says. Then, she leaves him.

She isn't mad at Ron, instead of to herself since she allowed him to play with her emotion. And she is scared that if she trusts him again, the pain would be much worse.

"Camille!" Ron shouts as she runs inside. He sighs.

"Fuck!" he shouts.

Laughter.

Ron turns and sees the other lords drinking on one side of the veranda. He is too focused on Camille, so he doesn't notice them.

"Why don't you run after her?" Jay teases.

"Yeah~ this is the part of the love story wherein the guy chases the girl and professes his love~" Ben adds.

All of a sudden, Leo runs in slow motion. Then, Mon runs after him~ also in slow-mo.

"Come~back~to~me!" Mon says dramatically.

When he reaches his brother, he hugs him tight and kneels.

"Camille~ I can't live without you! Please~ please, don't leave me alone. You are my northern star, without you, I will lose my way! Will you shine by my side forever?" Mon romantically delivers.

Leo covers his mouth as if surprised and wipes his imaginary tears.

"Oh my gosh! Yes, Ron! I will shine with you forever!" Leo says, mimicking Camille.

Then, they all laugh out loud. Jay even claps exaggeratedly while Ben opens some more canned beers.

"A toast to Ron and Camille's love life!"

"Cheers!"

Ron can't stand their teasing any longer.

"Fuck y'all! You're hopeless!" he yells at them before storming off. A burst of roaring laughter follows.