The Lantern Festival (Part 10)

I sat absent-mindedly on the bench where Henry and I first met. Breathing in the fresh air and trying to calm myself from the stand off a while ago with Henry's father and my own uncle. I closed my eyes and started to meditate in this quite and serene place. I was in that calm mood already when a familiar gentle touch stroke my face and when I opened my eyes, Henry's face came into focus.

"Hey! Are you okay?" Henry asked as he sat down beside me.

"I am, now that you're here." I nestle up to him closer.

"Hmmm. . You know you really did a number on those two." He says as he puts his arm on my shoulder.

"I'm sorry. I know I should've been better at controlling myself but I just couldn't let them get away with insulting my classmates like that when they were only doing it for the sake of our class." I apologize and lower my head.

Henry cups my chin and raises my head so that my eyes meet his. "I know. . . You know I love that about you. The way your passion spills over everything you do whether it be in your dancing or the way you defend the people around you."

We stare at each for some time then he strokes my bottom lip with his thumb as if contemplating if he will kiss me or not while we were out here where anyone can spot us. Then he says, "But you know that sometimes that same passion could also burn you right? There will be fights that even you can't win. Just promise that no matter what kind of trouble you get yourself into, you won't hesitate to ask for my help."

Somehow the promise of someone always there ready to offer his help to me warms my heart knowing that I have no one with me for so long. No one on my side. No one asking if I was okay. Henry brings in warmth like the sun. I just hope unlike Icarus I won't get burn. I nestle even closer to him and relish in the comfort of his warmth.

We stayed that way in our own little world not thinking of what happened before and what would happen next. Right now it's just us.

"So, what will you do now?" Henry breaks our silent reverie.

"I have a few hours of free time before we need to go and prepare for the Gala Performance Tonight." I reply but still refusing to leave his side. I'm just being clingy today.

"I see. Do you want to come with me for a while?" He asks.

"Okay, but where will we go?"

"It's a secret but if you give me a kiss, I might just tell you." Henry playfully says while putting his lips dangerously close to mine.

Now me being awfully clingy today for some reason, I give him a light gentle peck on the lips which catches him off guard. I guess he didn't expect me to be this bold when people could see us together.

"So, will you tell me?" I smile sweetly at him.

He touches his lips and then says "Nah. . . I think I'll keep it a secret and surprise you instead."

I feign disappointment and try to use my cuteness to coax him but he wouldn't budge so I let him take me to this secret place he was talking about.

Henry held my hand as we walked towards the back area of Graceland Academy where there was a beautiful small field of wild flowers growing beautifully in that area.

"Henry this is amazing! It's so beautiful." I tell him

"I found this when I was wondering around, back when I was still in my first year here in Graceland." Henry confesses. "I always come here and visit whenever I have time. These flowers grow untamed in this area and yet they bloom beautifully without anyone's intervention just nature taking its course."

I sense his deep thoughts on these matters. He must be having a hard time being told what to do and how to act. In a way that would be my way of life had my father and mother survived and along with the the monarchy that built this nation. But Henry is facing a different uphill battle with his destined role with his father's ambitions and here I am playing tug-of-war with his father and my uncle. I inch closer to him and hug him tight I want him to comfort him as much as I could, as much as I am allowed.

"Yes, there really is beauty in untamed things. . ." Henry speaks but not about the flowers he spoke more about me. I didn't need to guess he was directly looking at me when he said it. I smiled at him and chose to pull him lower so that I could kiss him. I kissed him gently but passion took over as he was now moving his lips a little forceful and a little more demanding. His hand held my face firmly in place so I could not move away then only one hand to my chin and the other arm snaked around my waist pinning my tiny body against his. Until he did something I had never experienced before the hand that held my waist was slowly sliding down my skirt, scrunching up the fabric until he was able to feel the bare skin of my thighs. This sudden boldness in him made me gasp which maybe was his original intention as he smiled and locked lips with me once again only this time he now had access to my mouth and he slid his tongue inside my mouth and started a whole different dance from our innocent and gentle kisses before. I was trying to stop him and push him back but he kept a firm grasp of me with his arm back around my waist again. But just as I thought that he could not be any bolder than he was already doing, he pinned me even closer to him and I could feel something hard from him and he rubbed it against me. If this is what I think this is I better put a stop to this before we both end in a predicament that I wouldn't want to. I try one more time and push him which makes us both fall in the bed of flowers.

After a few seconds of catching both our breaths he turned and looked at me and said, "I'm sorry. . "

Henry moved closer and whispered in my ear. "I just couldn't help myself. I guess I just wanted you more than I let on. I hope I did not frighten you?"

For a moment there I thought I was with a different Henry when he was ravaging me quite forcefully but now the sweet, easily jealous and childish prince of mine was back. I caress his cheeks and tell him my honest thoughts. "For a second there you had me scared, I was afraid of wanting the same thing that you want to happen and that would come to ruin me in the end that's why I did what I had to do. I love you, you know that don't you?"

"Yes of course I do. It's just that sometimes I get these thoughts about you that I confess are a bit unholy and impure but I promise that I will not do anything that might scare you ever again."

We looked at each other and embarrassment overwhelmed us both and we looked away. Henry stood up and held his hand out and asked if I was ready to leave. I took his hand and we both left the beautiful field of flowers that were witness to our passion for each other there they remained silent and knowing.