The Lantern Festival (Part 3)

I was happy to see how Amelia reacted to my little speech which I must say was a little feisty back there but I feel like she was just pushing me so hard. She should've known that I might push back as well. Besides, family or not I am not going to let her belittle me like that and get flirty with my Henry, yes my Henry. I also have some choice words for him but that can wait when we are at the Manor. But I was also not aiming to divide the GABC over this matter instead I sought to unite everyone in this especially now that the Gala Performance is just around the corner. We need to be in sync for us to give a performance to remember.

After that drama in the studio we were all dismissed for the day and we all headed back to our own quarters but before everyone left, I went back to look for Chase to talk to him and make sure that he was okay. I found him sulking inside the studio with only a few lights on. He must be letting some steam off. He looked so mature under these lights, like he was far older than he really was. If I wasn't so into Henry I could've sworn that Chase and Anthony would make me swoon but my heart has found its target and I am sorry to say that it has latched on for dear life.

"Hey, (gentle tone) why are you still here? Everyone has gone home already." I gently talk to Chase.

He turns to face me and his eyes were brimming with tears and it just broke my heart so much to see someone so jolly, strong and free willed to be this broken. He stood up and hugged me tightly and cried. His tears were falling down on my shoulder, his back was heaving as he cried. Chase was genuinely broken and the reason for his melt down was sweet old Amelia. I don't understand how could she break Chase into a million pieces. It's not in my place but if she really loved Chase she never would do something like this to the man she loves. I know I sound ridiculous because you might say that Henry and I are the same we can't really stake a claim publicly on each other so there will be times when we will get jealous because of a touch, a smile and even a stare form someone else. But what Amelia is doing is deliberately breaking poor Chase's heart and she's using Henry to do it.

I pat Chase's back softly and I try to soothe the poor fellow.

"Hey! You can't sulk like this Chase. The fight is over until it's over or when you decide to surrender and I know for one that you are not a coward. So rise and fight for the one you love." I try to encourage him.

"You don't understand Christie, it hurts so much. I think my chest is about to explode from this pain." Chase tearfully confesses.

"Then all the more reason not to give up unless you hear it straight from her that she no longer has feelings for you then I think there is still hope right?" I try to sound more positive.

I stood up and held my hand out for Chase beckoning him to stand and fight for his love because God knows I would fight for Henry. I gave Henry up before but I realized then that, that was the biggest mistake I made so now I won't give him up so easily unless Henry himself tells me to go.

Chase takes my hand and says "You are absolutely right, I shouldn't be sulking just yet. Unless I hear it from her I won't know for sure that we're over. (Hugs Christie) Thanks a lot for cheering me up."

Chase and I went our separate ways after that, he went straight to the boy's dormitory and I headed back to the Archer Manor. As I walked through the hidden door and into the beautiful garden I saw Henry sitting by his mother's gazebo. I waved at him and he smiled at me. The thought of this lovely man waiting for me to come home just makes my heart flutter. I ran towards him and hugged him tightly.

"Hi!" I half whispered to him.

"Hi" he says and then gives me a soft peck on the lips.

I blush at his sudden gesture and he sees it and smiles coyly.

"After all this time you still get so shy around me eh?" Henry teases me.

"Uhmm. . . It's just. . . I was. . . You surprised me that's all. . ." I embarrassingly state.

"Well, I like that about you. You keep me wanting to make you blush more. . ." Henry whispers in my ears.

I cover my face as I am blushing even more. . . "You shouldn't tease me like that Henry." I take a peek from the spaces that my fingers made when I covered my face and I see him blushing as well. "Why are you blushing?" I curiously asked.

"I don't know, I guess I like the sound of my name on your lips, then I thought of something. . ." Henry confesses

"What did you think of?" Again I asked.

"Uhmm. . . If. . .how it would feel to hear you say my name when . . ."

"When?" I urge him to continue.

"When we make love to each other. . ." Henry whispers in my ears.

We both look at each other, each one getting lost in the beauty of each other's eyes him in my olive green eyes and I in his cool grey eyes then we both blush at the thought of his suggestion.

"I am sorry but I'm just not ready for something like that," I gently touch his face. "I wish to remain chaste and save myself for you until we are wedded. I hope your love doesn't change because of this." I sorrowfully tell him.

"Come here (Henry pulls me towards him), I understand and because I love you so much I am willing to wait for you and I promise to cherish and protect you with all my being my dear princess."

"Don't call me princess, I am not a princess, not anymore. . ."

"You are to me." Henry kisses me softly on the lips again as if to appease my melancholic heart and it does work. "Come, you still haven't had your dinner yet."

Henry accompanied me at the dining table while I ate. Something about what he said has made me a little wary about Henry. I wonder if he truly meant it when he said that he would wait for me, a boy his age is just raging with hormones, as a girl my age would also be but in a world where sex is just another norm for people who aren't even married, will chastity still be honored? I don't want to give myself up until I am wedded. It is the duty of a woman to keep herself chaste and pure although this might not be the case for everyone and everybody values things differently. But this is my stand and I still want to keep that part of me special. If sex is a way to tell the person you love them then what better way than to do it with the one you have promised to love forever. So I will wait and the person who loves me must also be able to wait and prove his true intentions.

He looked at me quizzically as I was making a face while doing my internal monologue. He laughs at me softly as I realize that I was making a face.

"You seem to be engrossed in something?" Henry asks.

"Ah. . . well, it's nothing. . . I was just thinking about how I was pushed to play the lead role in Swan Lake like that." I lied about what I was really thinking.

"It's fine, I know you'll do great."

"Hmmmm. . . I was wondering about that. . ."

"About what?"

"About why you didn't say anything when clearly Amelia was up to something."

"I trust you to make your own decisions so I wasn't worried about you. Besides, my Princess won't lose that easily, you're too stubborn for that."

I smile at him and say, "you're right, it's just not in me to give in without a fight."

"Just one more thing I love about you. . ." Henry caresses my cheek but across his face was a worried look.

"Hey, what did you remember? Your face just became so somber."

"Uh. . . I just thought of how your stubborness saved your life when you got abducted. I would've lost you if. . .if. . ."

I stood up and hugged him, "hey, hey, come now I am here and that was in the past so don't worry about it anymore."

He pulls me to his lap and puts his forehead against mine, "I promise to keep you safe my princess. I will forever be your knight. I swear my life to you. I love you."

He then kisses me again but it wasn't the soft, gentle kisses he gave me from before but now he was kissing me as if he was hungry for me. We were engrossed with each other when we both heard a voice that snapped us both back into reality.

"Ahem! Young master, you have an urgent phone call." Mr. Reniel spoke stoically.

I was out of breath and embarrassed that someone caught us in such an embarassing moment. I stoop up from Henry's lap, straightened my uniform, bid Henry goodnight and I greeted Mr. Reniel as well. I didn't bother to look Mr. Reniel right in the eye because I was too embarassed and just decided to go straight to my room.

After a nice bath, I laid on my bed and the next thing I know, I was slowly falling asleep. I was having a dream about my mom and my dad back when they were still alive and we were all happily living in the old house. But it suddenly got warm then warmer until it was too hot that it felt like I was suffocating in my dream. When I was about to faint as the old house was burning I woke up with something heavy clingin on to me. When my eyes slowly adjusted I saw Henry clinging on to me like a child to his favorite teddy bear. No wonder I was really feeling warm, he was clinging to me I try to make a mental note.

Wait?! What is Henry doing inside my room? I nudge his arms and his left leg away from my body and I try to wake him up.

"Henry. . . Henry. . . Henry!"

"Wha. . .What's the emergency?"

"You are the emergency. Just what do you think you're doing inside my room?"

He stretched out his long limbs like a cat and yawned while rubbing sleep off of his eyes.

"I just wanted to keep an eye on you that's all. I was sleeping and had a night mare. Men came into your room and took you away from me. So I checked on you and you were fast asleep. I couldn't stop myself from worrying and I didn't want to leave so I slept on your bed."

His sentiments are sweet but this is slowly becoming a habit of his, climbing into my bed and sleeping.

"Hmmm. . . But you can't always do this. What if one of the maids see you or worse what if Mr. Reniel sees you?"

"Then I'll fire them."

"Even Mr. Reniel?"

"No, not Reniel of course, but the maids. His loyalty lies with me so he won't say a word if he does see me."

"Urgh! That's not the point here. The point is you shouldn't be here this is such an uncompromising situation for a young lady and a young man. Even if nothing happens what would they think of me if anyone finds out?"

"But no one will find out, this is my house. Who else is going to come here and find out?"

"I give up. I can't win against you when it comes to this but I hope you can respect my wishes and not barge in here again. Okay? (soft tone)"

"Okay, but can I stay here for now?"

"No. . .go back to your room. . . Your house is in the middle of nowhere so how could those bad people find me here? Go on, I am safe and If you like I'll keep the windows locked."

With that he got up and went away, my bed feels empty all of a sudden without the presence of a certain somebody but this is for the best. We aren't even married yet so things like that shouldn't happen yet.