Prince Leonidas
Axelia and I sit beside her bonfire for perhaps an hour in silence after she was able to admit her feelings. She's been on edge since I suggested she let Aries return to Cadomia, so I wasn't surprised when her temper erupted.
Glancing over, I watch as her fingers relentlessly fumble against each other while her gaze drifts off into the flames. Her shivering has stopped, but the beating of her heart maintains its quick tempo. The entire situation has left her on the brink of one of her panic episodes.
After fighting with Herakles and all that's followed, my energy is draining fast. The longer we sit like this the more I can feel my body's longing to shut down, especially since I've fed. Most of my wounds are healed externally but damages inside won't fully regenerate until I rest. It's the reason why her attack materialized my wings. I couldn't have fought her off if I wanted to.
Regardless, she chose to stab me with her lips in an aggressive kiss that enlightened me of the array of emotions synchronously flowing through her ranging from guilt to love.
She respects her father and values her relationships and position as Princess of Cadomia which is why her rage snapped after burning the fallen soldiers. Maynard's mention of her betrayal isn't helping either. As passionate as she is about doing what's right, the thought alone has probably been tormenting her.
Axelia.
I can't imagine how truly scared she must be.
Choosing not to return with Maynard and sending Aries back to her home has left her in the hands of the very person her father fears most, me. Although she wanted the engagement broken with Herakles, my doing so has greatly disrupted her father's plans to advance their Kingdom in the way he wanted.
Valerio will have to search for a Prince outside of our region now if he wants her to marry someone of his preference. If he finds out that she is with me confessing feelings or even that she helped me escape, there's no telling what he might do to her.
What's more troublesome is the odd phenomenon within her own heart. Memories adrift, she is at war with herself. I can tell from the way her actions contradict and by her constant state of confusion when she is with me. It also probably doesn't help that I'm her first experience with romance and a blossoming friendship.
Her father kept her away from me and everyone else for so long. She's lost. An entire history and part of her identity, stolen from her.
Xeli.
Getting her to remember would give her clarity and restore her confidence, but I can't just tell her what her father and Cassius have done.
It could kill her.
At least there is hope. Despite all her father has done to keep her from me, she chooses to return-- to trust me. Now, admitting feelings and wanting to know me the way she once did which leaves me at a crossroads.
Should I wait for her memories to return, for Xeli, before committing myself to her? Or, can I let go of my past love for Xeli to fully commit to Axelia?
Though they are the same girl, my feelings are unusually different between the two. Perhaps because I knew Xeli in the same degree that she knew me when I fell in love with her. It would be easy if her memories came back to simply pick up where things left off.
However, this woman sitting beside me now hasn't done anything the easy way. I want to give her the world and my heart whether her memories return or not.
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Royal Renegade
Fantasy"Let me have your throat again," he beckons, and despite how airy and thin his voice is, it's still powerful enough to possess my soul. •◇••◇••◇••◇••◇• Princess Axelia is a human and warrior. She fights for her Kin...
