Roses for Rachel

Chapter 36.

Everyone was careful to be very hush hush about what Calvin's plans were for us today, although I knew that the handmaidens all knew from the way they kept giggling and whispering together. Everyone made less of a fuss when he proposed so I seriously wondered what could be the big surprise.

"Go get dressed." Maria smiled, handing me a bag of clothes.

I looked at her and the other four girls strangely before I went into the bathroom to get ready. They had already done my makeup, and my hair was curled and all pulled into a side ponytail. I dug through the bag and was surprised when I opened it that I didn't see a nice dress, instead it was a pair of nice dark skinny legged jeans and a pale green long sleeved button up. I turned to look in the mirror and I saw that I looked the most casual that I ever have since being here, which only made me even more clueless about what was going on.

I walked back out into the main room, and Maria brought me a pair of dark swede knee high boots with a grin. "Am I going rock climbing or something?" I asked and the girls all giggled. "Ok, whatever." I smiled, zipping up the boots.

The knock on the door sent my heart into overdrive and all the girls rushed from the room as Calvin entered. He grinned at me from across the room. He had on a pair a light tan pants, and a red flannel button up with boots too. He looked like the sexiest lumberjack that ever lived, minus the fact that his face was way too refined and beautiful to be a lumberjack. "Hello, gorgeous." He smiled, walking towards me slowly, holding the tie I'd made him in his hand. He swayed it back in forth in his hands as he got closer.

"What are you doing?" I asked him, trying to contain my smile.

Suddenly he was behind me, his fingers trailing my neck lightly as he brought his hands around to the front of me and wrapping the tie gently over my eyes. "I'm taking you somewhere." He whispered into my ear in a sultry tone.

I sighed, leaning my body back into him. "And I have to be blindfolded to go there?" I asked quietly.

He grabbed my shoulders, spinning me around to face him, and I gasped a little as he trailed his finger from my lips down my chin, then my neck, only stopping at the first button on my shirt. "Yes." He whispered, close enough that his breath blew a wisp of my hair across my forehead. "Are you ready?" He asked and I nodded. "You aren't afraid of heights are you?"

My pulse quickened. "Um, kind of." I admitted.

"Uh-oh." He chuckled, then grabbed my shoulders again, spinning me back and leading me from behind. "You'll be fine."

I giggled as I let him lead me from the room and onto the elevator. "Are you going to give me any hints?" I asked.

"Nope." He answered simply.

I felt like we walked for a long time when we got off of the elevator, and then I was back on another elevator. The ride seemed to last forever, going up into infinity, and then I remembered the long elevator ride I had taken on my first day here. "Are we leaving Castrum de Petra?" I asked a little overly excited.

I felt like his mood changed just for a minute, then his hands were back on my waist and his mouth was on the side of my neck. "Can you please just wait and see?" He asked me gently. "It's called a surprise for a reason."

"Fine."

"Fine." He chuckled and the doors swished again.

"Your highnesses." A woman's voice greeted us and I felt completely awkward knowing other people were seeing me get ushered around like this. "This way." She said and Calvin pulled me in the direction of her voice.