I stood inches away from her, waiting for her response. She suddenly seemed nervous and unsure about herself. I took another step closer, looking down at her. Very slowly I took the basket away from her hands and laid it on the ground. She made no move to prevent me from doing so. My Little Flower stood frozen in her spot.

"Say no and I won't do it." I forced the words out. "But please don't say no." I gently lifted her chin and dipped my head down until my lips were centimeters away from hers. She swallowed hard and her breathing became ragged. I placed a chaste kiss on her forehead to calm her nerves while I ran my thumb softly against her lower lip.

"Can I?" I asked again. This time I only whispered the question. She stared at me with those eyes that held both tenderness and a hint of uncertainty.

"I....I don't know how..." She whispered back. I smiled remembering the kiss we shared in the gardens but that was just a quick peck on the lips and nothing more. I bet she didn't even know what happened that moment.

She was making me fall for her all over again and she doesn't even realize what she's doing to me!!

"Let me show you," I said in a soothing voice but it had a complete different reaction. Her eyes lost its softness. They were now filled with....fear? She instantly backed away. "It will hurt." She blurted out and turned away.

Memories came crashing back. I knew what she was talking about. My words triggered her. When she was under my rule, I always forced her to kiss me and whenever I wanted to kiss her, she didn't have a bloody choice as I would just take what I wanted. I was always rough and demanding. That was the type of kiss she was expecting now.

I took her wrist and slowly turned her around. Cupping her face with both my hands, I made her look me in the eye. "Not like that Little Flower. That's not how it is supposed to be. Let me show you again. I promise you it won't hurt. Give me a chance. Let me show you what a real kiss feels like." She stared up at me but said nothing. Then she placed her hands over mine. "I won't hurt you in any way." I said and I carefully placed my lips on hers. They were so soft and warm. Slowly I began to move my lips against hers. I placed one hand at the back of her neck and the other around her waist, bringing her closer to me. Gently biting her lower lip I slipped my tongue in her mouth. There was a spark as our kiss deepened. She too followed my movements. We savored each other as she wrapped her arms around my shoulders to balance herself.

A moment later we broke apart and she was breathless, her face flushed, her lips slightly trembling. She kept her arms where they were as she couldn't stand on her own.

"Was that too much for you?" I hesitantly asked hoping I didn't go too far. I was completely lost in the moment. She stared into my eyes and shook her head, still breathing hard. Resting my forehead against hers, I hugged her.

"It was....nice." She squeaked out seconds later.

Just nice? I have to up my game.

~~~~~~~

Oh my goodness! That was how kissing was supposed to feel like?! Wow! I was all smiles as he drove us back. We reached the castle just before midnight. We were so very late. I hope my family wasn't awake waiting for me in the hall or something.

"I enjoyed our date," I smiled up at Phoenix. "It was lovely." He visibly relaxed after what I said.

"I really have to go now. See, it's way past my curfew. Goodnight and thanks again." I turned to open the car door but he stopped me.

"I enjoyed the night too and I am ever grateful that you are willing to give us a chance. To give me a chance. Sleep well Little Flower." He said with all tenderness and kissed my forehead.

I giddily walked out of the car and dashed to the main doors. I ran because I was both afraid of my parents waiting for me and because I felt extremely shy after his last action. He's making me feel things that I've never ever felt before.

The moment I reached the giant double doors. A castle guard opened them for me, but not before giving me a low bow.

"Thank you. Is anyone awake?" I quickly asked.

"No princess. They've retired for the night. Your mother, only twenty minutes ago."

"Oh, thank you for telling me this. Good night."

"Good night princess." He bowed again. I was so glad that none of them were awake. The moment I placed my foot inside the castle. I spotted the stairs and ran up.

~~~~~~~~

"Errghhh, she's smiling in her sleep. What do you think they did last night?"

"It was just a date. They wouldn't have done anything.....weird. Right? She wouldn't let him. Right?"

"He's the freaking Dark Prince! He can do things to peoples minds. Who knows what they did or what he did. You shouldn't have allowed her to come back so late moron!"

"Sshhh, shut up."

The young princess began to stir in her sleep. Her brothers couldn't keep it down. Not long after, her heavy eyelids opened. Princess Aeval covered her mouth and yawned as she stretched in her very comfortable bed.

Pulling herself up in a sitting position, she groggily looked around. She spotted two blurry figures but she wasn't fully awake to make out whoever they were.

"Why do you always have to shout?! You woke her up."

"Dude, it's late. She had to wake up anyway so you're welcome."

"A...Alex? Kyle?" She squinted her tired eyes. "What are you two doing in my room?"

"We just came to check up on you Eve-"Prince Alexander's polite explanation was cut short by the ever brooding Kyle.

"You are grounded young lady!!"

"Wh...what? What did I do?"

"He's just being a drama queen. Here." Prince Alexander answered his sister while handing her a glass of water. "Can the two of you please leave? Let me get ready and come downstairs." The princess spoke with her hoarse voice.

"Absolutely not! We need details." Kyle demanded. "Details? Like what?" The sleepy princess gulped down the water. Fortunately, its effect took place quickly as she became more awake but she was still tired.

"D. E. T. A. I. L. S. For example, why did you come back so damn late?! What did you do when you were with him? Did he do anything with you that he shouldn't have-"

"Did he tamper with your head Eve? Where did you guys go by the way? And why didn't you tell me? I mean I know you informed mother and father but you should have told me too!" Prince Alexander's voices became louder and louder as he cut Kyle off.

"Exactly young lady! What were you thinking? That dark guy or prince is extremely powerful and dangerous. I should make you a whole bottle of pepper spray and then I'll let India put in her vo-Doo shit to spice it up a little!"

"Hey how come you're not talking?!" They both asked realising that their sister had been silent for too long. They were disrupted by a

.....snore.

"Are you fucking kidding me?!"

"Oh wow. She actually fell asleep during our interrogation Alex."

"Both of you. Out now," the words were gritted out by a stern, authoritative voice. It belonged to none other than Queen Aurora herself and beside her stood a very disappointed looking Odelle.

"Oh shit." The fae queen narrowed her eyes at Kyle daring him to say another wrong word. "I mean, Your Majesty. We were just discussing political issues." He blurted out. The queen raised her brow and wondered how the boy had gotten so far in life.

"What a topic to talk about in my daughter's chambers with my tired, sleeping daughter." She glared at the duo. "Alex what is this? And why haven't the two of you moved a muscle. Out. Now," she whisper yelled. Now she felt like she had two sons to take care of.

"I told you not to discuss such matters here." Kyle scolded Prince Alexander once they were all outside.

"What the hell?! I told you to wait until she comes down for breakfast!"

"How dare your lie in the presence of the Queen?!" Kyle said making his voice deeper. The young prince wanted to strangle him but his mother scolded them both.

"Why did you have to wake your sister up and shoot her with unnecessary questions before she even starts her day? The poor girl."

"Odelle is right. It's only about eight in the morning now. She came back late and she must be tired so let her rest for a bit. The two of you are so childish."

"What?! We need to know what happened last night. Aeval is a tiny fae in a big, dangerous world..."

".....and needs to be careful and more guarded." Prince Alexander finished his brother's sentence.

Odelle and the queen only shook their heads and chased the boys downstairs.

~~~~~~

"How soon will you be leaving here Kyle?" Prince Alexander and him were hanging out in the hall on the third floor where they could see the faraway mountains near the elven territory.

"Tomorrow or the day after. I'm not sure. Why?"

"So soon?!"

"You're gonna miss me Alex?" Kyle asked waiting for his brother to admit it.

It was true. Prince Alexander was going to miss his crazy sibling. Kyle meant so much more to him than he'd like to admit. Kyle was his best friend and brother and no matter how much Prince Alexander scolded him, he was always thankful for forming a relationship with Kyle. Besides, he appreciated having another male in their house when they lived in the village of Red Kingdom. His crazy sibling was actually a blessing.

"I'm thinking of getting you out of there, if that's possible," the prince mumbled.

"Get me out of where? The castle?"

"Yeah."

"You can do that?" Kyle asked astonished. He was never actually badly treated there but it would be nice if he was no longer seen as a servant. "Hey no promises but I'll try my best. I haven't really thought things through."

"Thanks Alex. I appreciate it."

"We are not meant to be just servants Kyle. The laws in Red Kingdom are disgusting. Hopefully things will change when Prince Phoenix sits on the throne."

"You know, King Caelestinus isn't so bad. I can't believe I'm saying this but he actually seems like a decent guy. Not someone who would come up with laws like this."

"He didn't. His father did. King Rhydian Vlad. They called him The Demon King. He was cruel, ruthless and unforgiving. He killed for sport and he was the most beastly creature to have ever existed. Ten times worse than his father before him. He made sure his kind, the Royal Pure Bloods, were worshiped and kept above all other beings. He was sick and messed up in so many ways."

"Okay let's keep psycho monster aside, but why didn't King Caelestinus change these laws?"

"He was brought up like that. Anyways, things used to be a lot more worse Kyle. I didn't believe it at first but you should really read the history books during the Demon King's reign. You might just puke. Besides, I heard King Caelestinus was badly abused by his father from a very young age. My mother said no child should have gone through the things the vampire king did. He never knew true happiness before meeting Queen Charlotte.

He was beaten almost every day and he watched his mother being abused as well. The laws were carved into his fragile mind the moment he was able to read. One day, his mother, the late Queen, couldn't take the torture anymore. She plotted against the King with her two brothers and together they killed him. History tells us that it was so painful for her to kill her husband and that her cries could be heard throughout Red Kingdom. She held in the torment she was going through and made her son king the moment the deed was done. He was only fifteen at the time."

"Sounds like a cool lady," Kyle said impressed.

"So to think about it, King Caelestinus actually made countless amount of changes and improved the lives of many creatures. I don't know why he didn't go all out though." Kyle thought for a moment.

"Maybe to avoid a rebellion."

"What?"

"Think about it. Things were so tight under his father's rule right? From what you said, people were most probably treated worse than animals so imagine if King Caelestinus Rhydian suddenly gave all the creatures total freedom. They would definitely attack to get their revenge."

"Yeah, good point. Never thought of it like that. Hey have you spoken to Eve?"

"That girl has been avoiding me!! Where is Mr. Darkness?!"

"Shut up will you! In case you haven't already figured it out he doesn't really like you. Don't make things worse. To answer your question, he's talking to my father. Something about extending his stay."

"What?! You better keep a thousand eyes on our little red head!"

"I will don't worry and I want to give you some letters before you go back."

"Eerrgghh! I already know what you wanna say to Bessie!" Alexander wondered who was Bessie for a second and then he blushed, clearing his throat and looking away. "It's not just for her. It's also for Tonya." He defended.

"Cut the crap man. Just go to her already. I know all about your letter writing skills. You really need to do something more than that!" Prince Alexander sighed in defeat. "Okay, I like her. It's funny actually. I was weirded out by her in the beginning and now I really really like this girl."

"She has you under her thumb. Look at you blush."

"Shut up. Just give her the letter." Kyle nodded and as he looked out the window, he spotted Aeval and India walking towards the gardens.

I will see you during dinner! You will not escape this time.

"Do you think she'll love me back?" the prince asked breaking into Kyle's thoughts.

"Are you kidding? She already liked you when you were both working in the kitchen. She's been in love with you for some time now and the girls know this. She's just too much of a chicken to tell you and you're clueless as a rock for even asking me this question."

"Really? Um....what do you think of her?" Prince Alexander somehow wanted Kyle's approval.

"Bessie's good Alex. She cares about her friends a great deal and she's fierce when she needs to be. One of the reasons she didn't confess her feelings to you was because she deeply respected the relationship between you and Aeval. This was before everyone knew the two of you were twins. You need someone like her. She's nothing like....." Kyle stopped himself and looked at his feet. Images of Henrietta suddenly clouded his mind.

"Hey! Look at me! You're gonna find someone. You will find love again or love will find its way to you. You'll get someone far better and more importantly, up to your standards. I promise you this." Kyle shook away the unwanted thoughts and focused on what they were discussing.

"There you have it. She's a keeper."

"Thanks," the prince crushed him in a hug. "If she accepts me, she'll need to learn our ways and probably learn how to be royalty." Prince Alexander whispered to himself.

"Hey, get her first. The rest will fall into place."

"I'll give you the letters tonight-"

"Are you deaf?! Do you not understand what I'm trying to say?! I refuse to believe you're this dumb Alex." Kyle scolded him. "I'm not passing any letters." the prince just gaped at Kyle for a good ten seconds.

"Okay...alright."

"Good. Now I'm gonna take a nap. Do not give away my whereabouts to the little brat. I mean it Alex."

~~~~~~

"The two of you really are twins." Prince Phoenix muttered. We were both in the library. Dinner was over almost half an hour ago. As soon as we were done eating, Kyle snatched Eve away, taking her to his room. India and Prince Timothy followed them as well. Poor Evie, she's probably being interrogated mercilessly.

"Why do you say that?"

"Your sister asked me the same favor earlier today. For the two girls and Kyle."

"Ahh," she was always a step ahead. "And your answer?" I asked hopefully.

"I can release the girls as they are not personal servants. The boy however, I cannot say."

"What do mean by that? He's my family. He's the most important one."

"I know Alex but he's not mine to release. He belongs to another pure blood."

"So I should ask Prince Timothy then?"

"Yes, Angel will have to give the final answer."

"Alright I'll ask him tomorrow-"

"Alex."

"Yeah?"

"My brother has grown to like blondie very much. He has become really close to him and Angel very rarely warms up to people. I ask you to be a little sensitive when you speak with him."

"I see." Something tells me this wasn't going to be easy. "I didn't think about all this. Maybe I'll talk to both of them and listen to what they have to say."

"Alright."

"Soooo, how long will you be staying?"

"Until I win your sister's heart."

What the hell?

"Hmm. I've got both my eyes on you Prince. Remember, I'll always be watching." I hissed and walked away.

~~~~~~~

"Just one, I swear." I bit my nail as I answered nervously. Everyone was making me feel nervous. They wanted to know absolutely everything. It's not fair.

"So you guys did it huh?!"

"Shut up Kyle. You're gonna announce this to the entire castle. So what if they kissed?" India scolded him.

"I should have been there," Timothy whined. That earned him a look from India but she couldn't do much as he was still a Prince. "It's waaaay past your bedtime Prince Timothy." She said instead.

"Come on human, we need to sleep. Long trip tomorrow." I'm going to miss my brother and India. It was too soon to leave. Hopefully, Phoenix will put much thought into what I've asked. He would help. He has too.

I came to when Kyle snapped his fingers in front of me. "What's with the creepy look?"

"I'm going to miss you guys. I can't believe the two of you leaving so early in the morning," I sniffed.

"Hey what about me?!"

"Aww I'll miss you too Timothy."

"It's fine Aeval. You can always visit Red Kingdom. No one can stop you now. Promise me you'll never forget about us," India hugged me. Why were we always being separated?

"Are you mad? I could never forget you. Any of you, so don't talk like that. Sleep in my room tonight?"

"What if Prince Charming barges in?" she smirked at me. I playfully pushed her and shook my head. "No he won't." After wishing one another good night, India and I walked out of Kyle and Timothy's room hand in hand.

We both succumbed into a peaceful slumber that night.

~~~~~~~~

The castle was suddenly quiet without Kyle and the little Prince. Princess Aeval felt lost throughout the day.

How am I going to survive if I miss Kyle already? It has only been a day!

Princess Aeval then decided to help her father in the study to get her mind off certain things. Work often helps to divert one's attention and that was exactly what the princess needed that day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~