Words of Affirmation

Maria had taken Arthur to the palace library, the place she was known to get lost in for hours at a time.

A smile warmed her face as she had not visited in weeks due to being nervous about the suitors coming.

She had had difficulty relaxing, and had not been able to focus on a book until the other day in the gardens with Alexandria.

The library that her family had was absolutely gorgeous and one-of-a-kind; since it was on the top floor, the entire ceiling was made of glass which meant that the room was full of beautiful, natural light during the day, and at night, you could look up at the moon and stars.

The walls were lined top to bottom with books, new and old, and the ancient books were stored in locked boxes to preserve them from being damaged by dust and light.

Rolling ladders were placed on each wall so that whoever was looking for a book could climb and find whatever they wanted.

"Wow," Arthur said while he looked around with wide eyes to take it all in, "I can see why you like it here".

"I more than like it here," Maria said with pride as she looked up at the bright blue sky through the glass ceiling.

Arthur turned back to Maria and watched her admiringly as she took a mindful breath, finally looking relaxed for the first time today. "I more than like you," he replied in a wholehearted tone, still looking at her from a few feet away.

He noticed how her jaw dropped from his words, and how she spun to meet his piercing eyes that were glued to her.

She felt her heartbeat quicken and felt as if time stood still for the two of them whenever they caught each other's gazes like they had just done.

Seeing how shocked she looked made Arthur smile, and he laughed quietly to himself as he took a few steps towards her. "You always look so shocked when I compliment you or share my affections," he noted, "Why is that?" he curiously asked.

"It's just surprising how forward you are," she said, "and confusing because I don't know if I should take you seriously or not," she added as her forehead wrinkled.

What she had told him then had been completely true and honest to what she had been feeling with him.

She couldn't pin-point her feelings, she realized, because she wasn't even really sure if his feelings for her were real or if he was playing some type of game with her because he simply liked the chase.

And she refused to let herself fully fall for someone who could be using her for his own amusement, which is how Arthur had made Maria feel sometimes.

But at the same time, after how he had taken care of her all day, now she wasn't so sure that her feelings for him could be denied.

She had always felt a strange pull towards him, but the thought that she could actually fall for him had never really crossed her mind before that moment because since the day she had met him, she had always considered him to be, frankly, an ass.

"You know," he started, "I find it totally amusing how you could possibly be unsure of if my feelings towards you are genuine or not". Despite the fact that he said he was amused, his smile had dropped, and Maria could see the seriousness printed on his face and reflecting in his eyes. "Are you really that insecure where you couldn't possibly believe that I am falling in love with you?" he asked.

"I'm a future Queen-- I'm not insecure!" she shouted at him, now angry and feeling like she needed to defend herself.

He remained calm and stoic, but a soft chuckle came from his lips before he responded, "Is that really all you heard me say just now?"

She took a step back and looked away; her face showed the befuddlement she felt as she wracked her brain to try to remember what else he had said.

"I said, I'm falling in love with you," he repeated, sternly, to jog her memory.

Maria felt her entire body go numb and still, yet that strange magnet feeling made her ache; all she could do was look over to stare at him, dumbfounded.

It was as if her brain completely turned off and not one thought could push its way to the forward of her mind.

All she could do was look at him and hope that she would be able to form a response.

She watched Arthur as his face slightly fell before it turned distant and his body turned frigid. He let out a small breath and slowly nodded his head before he swallowed hard and said, "I can tell that either you don't feel the same way, or that you do, and you wish that you did not. I'm just not sure which one it is".

Maria, knowing now that she felt the latter, looked down and felt the heat rush to her face in shame and guilt.

It only took a second before she heard Arthur's shoes move on the marble floor, and she looked up to see that he had turned and was walking away towards the door.

Her heart throbbed in pain, but the magnetic pull forced her to chase after him before her brain could stop her. "Arthur, please wait," she said desperately as she reached out and grabbed his arm to stop him. He stopped when he felt her hand on his arm, and he turned to search her eyes for an answer. The intensity of the sadness in his eyes that had met hers made her eyes swell with tears, and the only thing that she could think to say was, "I'm so sorry".

He closed his eyes tightly, for just a moment, before he gently brought Maria's body close to his, and wrapped his arms around her so that he could hold her in a tight hug.

Maria held onto him as if he were her lifeline, while she choked on a sob and felt the tears that had started to break free from her eyes hit her face.

"Me, too," Arthur finally replied as he pulled away from her and left her alone in the library.