Ray

4

Every night after that, I visited Val’s cottage, wasting hours talking about anything to distract ourselves from our lives. I’ve always thought that he and I were miles apart, but as we slowly begin to unravel, I realize that we’re a lot more similar than I thought. With my coronation slowly creeping, my days are filled with dress fittings and planning. But no amount of sparkling lace or beaded beauties can seem to tear my mind away from him. For so long I’ve ignored everything within me telling me to get closer to him, but giving in feels so exhilarating, like nothing I’ve ever felt before. A feeling so intense, it almost scares me. But it doesn’t. It sets my heart alight and makes me burn with a fire so strong, my fear just coal to the flames.

I admit, sneaking out of the seamstress’ house was probably a bad idea and the news will no doubt reach my father in no time, but as I come face to face with Valentino, I can’t say that I care at all.
“Rae, did you run all the way here?” Val asks, smiling almost. My chest heaves as I desperately try to catch my breath. He takes my hand in his, leading me to a field.
“I’m glad I’m amusing to you,” running from a small seamstress shop in the village to a field out beyond the castle walls in a f*cking corset is certainly the only thing I’ll regret this evening, I’m sure. My heels came off before I even started running. Although, despite it all, I don’t think it’s the running that took my breath away. Valentino leads me through the tall grass of the field, though I’ve never been to this part of the kingdom before, I can tell that he knows exactly where he’s going. We reach a patch of daisies that spreads on as far as I can see, over the hills and towards the sea.
“I used to come here with my mother,” Val remarks, as we sit down amongst the daisies. His eyes fixate on the small white flowers. I remember, months ago, he looked at me with that same expression in his eyes and it was incomprehensible to me, but after studying him so intensely, I think I’ve figured it out.
Love.

“Your mother?” I ask softly, careful of the ground I may be treading on. Valentino’s slender fingers pluck a dozen daisies from the ground.
“She smuggled us here from Italy,” his lips part, but he speaks no more words. Instead, he looks up to me, signaling for me to come closer to him which I oblige without even having to think. He reaches up to my hair, as red as ever in the late afternoon sun. “She was incredibly brave,” he begins again. He tugs on the soft curls in my hair. “We came here every night, daisies were her favourite flower, and mine too I guess,” he pauses, reaching for the daisies he’d plucked. “She would braid them into my hair,” as he says those last words, he ensures that our eyes meet. His dark eyes are illuminated by the sunset, making them shine with almost identical shades to my dress, deep honey, and rich browns. His hands finally tear away from my hair, his lips creeping into a small smile. “Like this,” In the vibrant reflection of his eyes, I can see my red hair dressed in beautiful small flowers, intertwined with my curls and braids. How did he do that?
“I can teach you if you’d like,”

As the hours slipped by, Valentino and I sat in that daisy field. Hours spent brushing out his dark locks, then hopelessly trying to braid the small, delicate flowers. He assures me I did good, but anyone with a pair of eyes can tell that hair isn’t my specialty. Sneaking back inside the castle walls with the moonlight showing us the way, we make it to the back entrance of the gardens. Val stops me, suddenly.
“Rae, I made you something,” he reaches into the pocket of his trousers and pulls out a small, ceramic daisy. Maybe it’s how tightly I’m packed into my dress, but my breath is instantly taken away. He reaches out to me, placing it into my pale hand. “When this flower begins to wilt,” he begins, taking a step towards me. His tall, slender frame almost dominating over me. He’s so close I can feel his warm breath tickle my skin. He moves, his lips resting against my ears. My heart stops, before starting again, faster. Stronger. It takes everything I have in me not to pull him close to me. “When this flower dies… that’s when I will stop loving you,”

That’s all it takes. As the words flow from him, his lips resting upon my cheek, I snatch him. I snatch him into my arms, holding him so close that I can hear his heart beating in tune to mine. I can’t breathe, but I don’t care. Now, he’s mine. His hand snakes up behind my neck, pulling me further into him. His scent engulfs me and it’s a feeling I don’t ever want to let go of.
“Rae!” he exclaims, his head burrowing into my neck. I don’t think I’ve ever held onto something so tightly. The cool night air prickles my skin but the fire inside of me is so strong, so fierce that I couldn’t care less. All I want is him. He pulls back slightly, making my breath hitch in my throat. I reach up to his cheek, delicately tracing the freckles splattered across his soft, golden skin. The sun hasn’t been kind to him, but he pulls it off. At least, I think he does. My fingertips skip over his eyebrows, over his cheek, over his lips. They stop. My eyes refusing to tear away from them. The space between us feels thick, unnecessary. He moves closer to me, turning his head. His nose hits mine a little and I must stifle a laugh that I can feel building up in my chest. However, he lets a small giggle out, before finally, all at once, his soft lips reach mine.