"Who was that!?" Ocelia fumes, and hits me as if on cue.
"That was...Ima..." I whisper still entranced by her thrilling presence.
"Theo! Hello!" She snaps. "Hey! Pay attention" she claps, breaking me out of my trance.
"Oh...Celia, I was distracted—" I try to let my mind catch up with my tongue but still had Ima on my mind.
"Theo! Theo!" she tries to kiss my lips to distract me, but I hear my father calling me in the distance.
——
"Gather! Gather everyone! Ah Prince Théo! There you are!" My father announced loudly. The party of people slowly gathered around the stage as my father made his presence known. "I would like to make an announcement!" I stare at my father as he puts an arm around my shoulders, "My son, Prince Theo is a free man no more. He is finally marrying."
"What!" I choked on my wine, hearing the news myself.
"Whooo!" "Wow!" "The lucky bride!" The crowd murmurs at the news.
"He just proposed to a young woman named Ima!"My father announces to the eager claps of the crowd. "IMA! Come forward, child! Where are you!" So my father was truly an agent of chaos? I made a mental note to repay him with hostility once this fiasco was over.
I scan the crowds full of princes and digantires and see Ima in a corner, frozen in her spot. Maybe if my father didn't see her---
"Aww! There you are!" He points to her, "Don't be shy. Come here and join your husband dear child" She slowly tiptoes to the center stage and forces a smile to her lips.
"Make it good son" my father whispers into my ear before leaving me alone on the stage.
"Yes. Umm I...have been courting... I mean." I stutter, my tongue moving faster than my undeveloped thoughts.
My father grabs her hand and leads her to the stage, pushing her into my arms. I force a smile as she stares at the crowds.
"Your stiff"
"I know" She whispered through clenched teeth.
"You do this in front of 20k people nightly at the collessem, why is this different"
"Well, last time I checked prince, I was being proposed to in front of a crowd of people I don't know"
"And who said I was proposing to you" I scoff. She tries to step away but my father prohibits her path.
"Aww, they are shy! KISS KISS!" My father goaded, lifting his arm and conducting the crowds to follow his chant.
"Kiss! Kiss!" She looks into my eyes and frowns.
"Theo...don't" she begs, resting her hands against my chest. I almost felt pity for her but I remembered our time in the colosseum and her spit on my hand. What kind of prince would I be sparing her from embarrassment?
And why was she acting like we were not linked two minutes ago?
I snatch her jaw, forcing her gaze to mine. "Sorry Princess" I whisper, lifting her into my arms and planting a deep and passionate kiss. She somewhat returns it before pushing me off and stepping back.
She lifts a finger to her lips before pushing a curl behind her ear. Slowly, she makes her way back to me, lifting a palm to my chin with affection before lifting her foot and---
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