A Kiss
“Your highness, Yvlies has refused to send human ointment.”“Your highness, the…the princess” This time, it was Lia who spoke. She stood beside Elora, doing her best to calm her. “If we do not find a solution, I fear it will leave a scar.”Rafael tore his gaze from the servants and returned his attention to Elora, his eyes darkening as they fell on the wound. A small trail of blood trickled down her hand.“She’s bleeding, your highness,” the servants panicked. At the sight of the tiny trail of blood, they turned their backs to them.“Damn it,” he groaned, standing beside Elora as if to shield her from the eyes of the vampire servants. The sharp screech of her chair echoed through the hall as he dragged it back while she was still seated on it.“Wh…what are you do… your highness.” Her words were barely completed before he hurriedly lifted her and dashed out of the dining hall immediately.“It’s just a scratch and a burn. I can walk.”“Shhh. I’ll find a solution.”She wrapped her hands tightly around his neck as with urgency, he sped through the hallway of the mansion. In a blink of an eye, he arrived at the chamber she’d woken up from a few hours ago. He gently lowered her onto the bed.“Does it hurt?” He gazed down at her, his eyes clouded with worry.Teary-eyed, Elora gave a tiny nod.“Wait here.”He dashed into the washroom and returned as soon as he went with a wet cloth in his hand. He crouched down on one knee and took her palm in his. As their skin met, she flinched and jerked backward, her gaze filled with surprise at the sudden contact of their skin.“Your highness, the servants can….”“It’s dangerous.”“But you’re...”“Stop being stubborn and let me treat your burn, Elora.” His voice was firm with authority as if leaving no room for question. “This is not the time to oppose.”Reluctantly, she returned her palm to his and he gently began to wipe the spot with the wet cloth. She didn’t think that the prince would treat her wound and even get on his knees to do it. His hands were warm, she noticed. Weren’t vampires rumored to be cold-skinned?Or perhaps it was because he was a halfblood?“You don’t serve yourself next time,” he added. “The servants are employed for a reason. Do you understand?” Rafael lifted his gaze from the injury to meet hers and the moment their eyes met, Elora felt her heart skip two beats. Not one, but two.‘Heavens, Elora. Behave yourself,’ she scolded herself inwardly. Ever since her arrival at Elyria, the beauty of the man had her in a chokehold. It was like every time he stared at her, her ability to think or breathe flew through the window. If his looks continued to affect her, she feared that she might not be able to complete her mission and return to Yvlies.“Princess.”“Yes?” She sharply replied, snapping back to reality at his words. “Yes?”“Do you understand?”“I do,” she stated almost immediately. “I…I’ll be careful next time.”“I did not ask that you be careful. I asked that you never serve yourself again. Is that understood?”A curt nod, she gave him.“You’re also not allowed to visit the royal castle.” With that, he returned to wiping the blood off her palm. But when the bleeding didn’t stop and a scar began to form, he paused.She pulled her gaze from his face down to her injury and a worried expression settled on it.“Is it going to leave a scar?” Her tiny voice was laced with worry.“It will.”Her face fell and her eyes began to be teary again. Seeing her expression, Rafael rose and said. “I do have a way to stop the bleeding and get rid of the scar.”She peered up at him in curiosity before standing to face him.“What is it?”“It would rid itself if you let me kiss…”She took two steps backward instantly. She passed him a wary look, like he’d completely betrayed her trust. The tiny trust that she might’ve developed. ‘How could he? Is he going to force himself….’ Her fingers bunched the side of her dress and she sharply turned her eyes to the other side of the room, blinking back her tears.“I did not mean it that way.” He attempted a step but she took two steps backward again, giving him as much distance as possible.“You did.”“No, believe me. I won’t touch you without your permission.” Rafael shut his eyes for a second and weaved his fingers through his thick silver-black hair. “I meant that a kiss would get rid of it. On your hand.”“Huh?”“My saliva could treat such small scars.”“Is…is this like a vampire thing?”“Only a few.”She slowly returned her eyes to him but just as quickly averted them to the floor.“A kiss on the hand?”“Only just a kiss. On the hand.”Her ears turned red and her face burned. What had she thought he meant? Was her mind so corrupted she’d thought of that at first? And now, she couldn’t look him in the eye. Heavens. It might be the effect of the books Lia gives her sometimes. Or the steak she hadn’t had for years.“O…okay,” she managed to say.With a sigh, he took a step forward and this time, she let him, until he stood before her. “Just a minute.”Gently and slowly, he brought her hand to his lips. She bit the side of her lower lip nervously. And as his lips made soft contact with her palm, her breath hitched and a small involuntary gasp escaped her lips. His tongue darted out to lick the spot.His mouth lasted on her skin for less than 30 seconds and after he pulled away, she could still feel its weight on her skin.But just then, a soft knock caused their eyes to snap to the door.