Finally, he let go of me and I took a step back but he grabbed my right hand. "I am sorry, for the way I treated you from the beginning. It wasn’t hatred for you just my prejudice resulting from my past experiences. While Lourden just proved to me that people in authority would do anything to get what they want. You on the other hand are like a breath of fresh air for me." He replied in a serious tone.

"What happened in the past? You can share with me if you like, maybe it can ease your pain a bit." I asked him in a calm voice.

"I come from a family who forges weapons and tools for the royal family known as ’ Feigers ’. It has been our occupation for centuries. My father was a master craftsman who forged some exceptional weapons. A few years ago my father was wrongly accused of murdering a royal family member, the weapon used had been forged by my father and was not yet given to the royal family. So, automatically they blamed him and without a trial, he was executed. My father had no motive to kill, he was not a violent person, he was simply a craftsman. We were allowed to meet him once before he was put to death. He told me to be strong and pursue some other career than working for royals. He also entrusted me with the whereabouts of a special sword which has been in our family for generations, being passed down from father to son. From that day onwards I decided to carve my path and not trust them." He looked at me with that intent gaze of his.

My eyes had become moist and I didn’t know how to console him. He lost his father because higher-ups abused their power. "I am really sorry to hear that, Zeph. We have waged wars against each other for centuries and we haven’t learnt much. We are not at peace and probably never will be because we fail to understand that peace can only be achieved when we will stop abusing our power against the weak and for our ulterior motives. Being who I am, I don’t think I can fully understand what you or normal people have to go through at the hands of the elites. But, I can promise you one thing today. You will not be alone from today onwards, I will stand beside you no matter what and no Lourden or anyone else in that category will hurt you." My voice was unwavering and there was no way I was ever gonna leave him alone at the hands of an oppressor.

He let go of my hand and stood up, closing the distance between us. With his right hand, he tilted my chin up so I could look straight into his mesmerising eyes. "And, why would you do that? What am I to you? I know you can’t lie to me right now. So, if you believe I am someone who needs saving then you are highly mistaken, Princess." He asked me intently without breaking eye contact.

I hesitated before answering. After all, I knew he might not like what I had to say or more because I knew he didn’t feel the same way about me. "I don’t think you need saving. You are smart, strong and intelligent and you can hold your ground on your own. But, everyone needs someone for emotional support, you can’t carry the weight of the whole world on your shoulders alone. I, care for you deeply so, I want to be there for you every step of the way like an anchor, supporting you through thick and thin. To be a constant presence in your mind, whom you can always rely on. " I replied blushing. Damn you, Ralph, I was saying things I would never dream of saying to him face to face.

"Are you in love with me?" He asked not letting go of my chin, so I couldn’t look anywhere but into his eyes. His daunting gaze and sudden question fastened my heartbeat.

"That’s a difficult question. From the first moment I saw you, I felt this pull towards you that I have never felt towards anyone else. It only grew in the short time we have known each other. I, deeply care for you and can’t see you in pain. If that’s love then, maybe. But, I think love is a very relative term, what it means to me might not be the same for you. I, myself don’t know where I stand in terms of love, although I very much wanna see where it goes." My my, where was all this coming from? I was feeling so embarrassed and could feel my cheeks going red.

He let go of my chin and caressed my right cheek with the back of his hand, making my legs go all woozy as if they were made up of jelly. " Then let’s explore together, Serene. Because you intrigue me and I have been pushing you away so I wouldn’t develop feelings for you. You are kind and warm and above all, you are not fake. I, don’t know if this is the effect of Heart’s Desire but I want to see where this all goes and I want to experience what it feels like to kiss someone of one’s own accord, without being forced to do so. " He placed one hand in the hollow of my back and pulled me closer to him and placed his other hand on the back of my neck tilting my face up.

My heart skipped a beat as his soft lips touched mine and I felt like melting right there in his arms. His kiss was tender yet ravenous, it intoxicated my senses and drenched my soul. I had never experienced anything like that, I had dreamt of kissing a guy but it would feel this good had never crossed my mind. I placed my hands in his hair and pulled him closer, never wanting to let go as my lips parted to give him access to explore the uncharted softness inside.

Finally, his lips parted mine and I felt sad at the prospect of it might not happen again. Instead of stepping back he hugged me tightly and whispered: "Was this your first time?"

"Yes," I whispered back with my eyes closed. "Mine too, if you don’t count the forced ones with Lourden. This feels a thousand times better. I hope we can make it work even after the results wear off. I am not sure if my heart will remain open to you or not because of how much my rights were violated, but I will try. Maybe, I will need some time to forget all that." He told me very honestly.

"I understand and I will be there for you when you are ready," I answered him.

Just then there was a knock on the door and we let go of each other. After a few seconds, the door opened little by little and Ralph popped his head in with a stupid smile and expression on his face.

"Are you done love birds? Coz all of us have a lot to talk about. So, we are coming in." He announced cheerfully.