~Aurora~

　　I didn't want to assume things so quickly. Especially not from a man who is intoxicated beyond reality.

　　"Prince Emeric. I need to go outside and call the guards to take you back to the room. You- you look very intoxicated to me. Please, allow me to take care of you." I didn't care if he could comprehend my words and politeness which came out of respect, or not. I only wanted him to know he will be going back to his palace chamber. And I will head straight to my room, my bed and sleep the night away! Call it my best coping mechanism to ever exist, but I don't care!

　　Oh! What about Odin, then? If I'd tell him what happened, or at least inform him I'm going back to my room, he'd know something went wrong. He'd question me, and I'm not ready to give lies as answers. I was never good at lying, either.

　　"Aurora, please..." My eyes widened way too huge compared to the size of my sockets. The tone in which he pleased me, the way his voice was draggy and so, so filled with remorse. As if he's trying to tell me to shut up and just listen to him!

　　Suddenly, he twists me around and pins me to the wall instead! I squeaked like a rat in surprise! I did not expect - out of all the madness I've ever imagined for tonight - to be pinned to the wall by PRINCE EMERIC!

　　I'm sure he could hear the sound of my heartbeat. If we were mates, he would definitely be judgemental about the kind of thoughts that were polluting my head ever since he confessed to me. Will I be taken advantage of by the Prince who is literally ten times stronger than me? Will this be a fate forced on me?

　　Or...what if he forces me to marry him after this!? As a person in power, he has the full capabilities of doing that to me!

　　I was on the brink of losing my mind, when suddenly...

　　"Aurora…" his deep voice called me back to earth from my little trip into false dreaming, "...You're very pretty."

　　Oh.

　　...Not even Leif could reassure me, surprise me with these words that make any woman's heart melt. I might have loved and trusted the worst person in my life in the past.

　　The real question is...

　　Am I willing to let a 'man' into my life ever again? Especially after what happened with Leif. The heartbreak of being cheated on is the worst feeling ever for a woman in love. That too, with friends who I thought were close to me and enriched my female friendships. Betrayal from both sides.

　　If my parents leaving me was considered betrayal as well, then it was a three sided hit, all at once within the span of a few hours!

　　And that too, on my birthday.

　　I'll never forget that day.

　　So now, I pulled myself back from my plethora of destructive thoughts. Prince Emeric's gray eyes dance between mine. The proximity made it easy for me to see the dancing of his eyes. It stayed one second on my left eye, and switched to the other the next second.

　　However, after a few of those oscillations...his gaze was caught by my lips. I've accidentally moved them, in the most lame possible way.

　　I wanted to speak, but my throat was dried up!

　　I gulped furiously, while trying to get ahold of myself and get away from him!

　　"Do you feel what I feel for you, Aurora Fangborn?" His alcoholic breath fanned over my face. He is a tall man. A well built man. His arms that now nest by the sides of my head made me feel so vulnerable. All those days of training for strength and power walked out of the window in this situation. I gulped yet again, and committed the worst possible blunder.

　　My gaze fell on his lips as well!

　　Oh my Goddess...his lips are the most beautiful pair of lips I've ever seen on a man. My lips are chast too, I've never been kissed by anyone. Not even Leif Lupus. It was a preservation I was awfully proud of.

　　"Tell me, Aurora." I let my eyes wander away from him, only briefly. However, he brought my face back to look him dead in the eyes. I blinked rapidly.

　　"Tell me that you like me too," I slowly pulled my chin out of his grip. I needed my freedom to move my head and look around. Although, it was snatched away, yet again!

　　"Look...at me when I'm talking to you, darling." My eyes were saucers, yet again!

　　"H-How am I supposed to react to that?" I asked him, my brain isn't working!

　　"You don't have to say anything. Your body, it tells me everything I need to know about your consent."

　　Wait...what!?

　　"And I understand it very well,"

　　No!

　　This can't be happening!

　　My body has never been stuck in the mode of freezing as badly as it is now! What is happening with me!?

　　It's as if every other second that passed by after I've froze...felt like a whole minute. Why was he moving towards me so slowly? Why were his eyes shutting tightly by themselves? Why...is he inching towards me?

　　At that moment...I knew I wouldn't be able to defend myself anymore. I'd just have to accept my fate?

　　No...

　　I'm feeling inferior, yet again.

　　When Leif threw, smashed my phone to the wall that day, I felt so powerless. Even right now, he's locked me between his arms and is trying to dominate me.

　　Do all men like doing this to weak, powerless women like myself?

　　It stirred tears in my eyes, the stinging sensation added with the melancholy that made my lip wobble.

　　And I'm sure...every woman on this fucking planet has gone through such a feeling in one circumstance or the other.

　　It's in my hands to change everything.

　　Drunken or not, he's still a man who's crossing his boundaries.

　　At that moment, I did what my body commanded me to do.

　　A slap echoed throughout the restroom as I was immediately freed. The man, in shock, didn't dare bring his widened eyes back to stare down at me. Instead, his head was stuck in the position of my slap's impact.

　　Scoffing at his face, I tried my best to hold my sobs in until I got to my room!

　　And then, I ran away.

　　Without knowing...that my slap had sobered him up instantly.

　　'What have I done...?'