King | j.b

XX

Ariana walked down the hall, her heart beating out of her chest as she wondered what Justin's reaction would be once she told him how she felt.

She was so caught up with the king, she hadn't payed much attention to how strangely Rachel was acting. Why did her emotions change so suddenly? Was she actually only looking through her trunk to find an apron? Why did she encourage het to go to the king? It was all unclear to her. But all she cared about at that point was Justin.

She was so eager to see him. Her feet padded quickly on the cold, hard floor as the walls of the castle rose high above her. It seemed quiet. Eerily quiet.

She glided along the ground as she got closer and closer to the king's room. What would he say? she thought. How would he react? She would find out soon enough.

She scurried around the many twists and turns and the king's bedroom door was finally visible to her. She smiled like a fool and walked up to the wooden door. Her breaths were heavy from coming up here so fast. She waited for her breath to become steady before entering.

Here goes nothing.

She tightly grasped the steel door handle in her hand. And with that, she shoved the door open. A loud creaking sound followed as it usually did. Ariana shuffled into the room and pulled the door shut.

Eagerly, she scanned the room for any sign of the king. She walked forward to the center of the room. It was just the same as it had been the previous time she had been there. His bed was unmade, meaning he had already awoken. Was he in the dining hall already? Breakfast was to be served relatively soon but the king never came down until the food was just about ready.

Ariana approached his bed and breathed in Justin's fresh scent. Where was he? She spun around the room, wondering. She wanted to see him, to tell him how she loved his gift.

As she took a final look, her eyes landed on the glass doors to the balcony. One of them was slightly open, causing a cool breeze to fill the room. She looked at the door, puzzled.

She slowly walked towards it and swung it open. A blast of light filled the room and Ariana let the sweet scent of December fill her nostrils. She looked at the snow which had evenly fallen on the stone as the cold tickled at her skin.

She poked her head out more in hopes of finding Justin. Sure enough, there he was. Leaning against the wall of the balcony, he stood stiffly. His eyes gazed over the snow-covered lands that stood before him. He wore a long fur coat, keeping him warm from the brutal cold. Snowflakes stuck in his hair which was fixed somewhat upright. His eyes seemed like glass; like he was looking into another world.

Without any warning, he twisted his head towards Ariana who had been as quiet as a mouse. His eyes quickly locked on her's. His expression remained blank for a moment until a genuine smile grew on his face revealing his white teeth. His body parted from the wall and he slowly approached the girl in front of him.

"Ariana," he said softly. "What are you doing here?" His eyes remained fixed on her's.

Ariana gazed into his hazel eyes which seemed more green than brown at the moment. She felt a gust of wind rush through her, but she ignored the piercing cold. Her lips then stretched into a smile as well.

"I saw you're present," she said. "You didn't have to do that," she continued, looking at the white ground. She felt Justin's body come closer. His finger reached out under her chin and lifted it so she could face him.

"Of course I did," he said generously. His breath was visible in the cold air. "I wanted to." Ariana gulped, her heart beating in her chest as thousands of butterflies flew in her stomach.