Red Princess

45. More than an Imposter

Ariel

"Ariel..."

"Ariel..."

"Mom? Is that you?"

My vision was shrouded in darkness, and that was the moment I knew that I was in another dream. They say that acknowledging a dream makes you wake up from it, but it never seemed to happen for me. I could always see it, feel it; as if it was all real; as if I had lived it. Was this more than just a dream?

"Ariel..." A gentle female voice echoed from a distance. I turned on my heel, and a bright light blinded my eyes. I saw the silhouette of a woman who held her hand out to me.

"You need to wake up, Ariel..."

I desperately tried reaching out to her, but something held me back- someone- and then her shadow got engulfed by the flames.

I jerked awake with a sudden intake of breath. My old copy of "The Little Mermaid" slipped out of my grasp, and I bent down to pick it up. Instead, another hand grabbed it for me, and I rose my eyes to lock them with his—my dear boyfriend's.

My fiancé's to be precise. I still hadn't gotten used to that term.

His eyes twinkled in delight as he handed me my book. I tried to take it away, but he pulled back at the last minute. I raised an eyebrow at him, and he chuckled.

"I don't understand your obsession with "The Little Mermaid," he remarked as he inspected the title of my book. "The Prince forgets about her, and she just ends up becoming foam."

"My dear husband-to-be," I answered as I snatched the book away and then circled my arms around his neck, "If you haven't forgotten my name already, it's from this exact fairytale."

"Is it?" He asked, his eyes sparkling with mischief, and his hands tightening around my waist, "What was it again? Cinderella? Snow White? Oh I know, Rapunzel!" He gently put a flick of my long crimson hair behind my left ear, his touch lingering and caressing my skin softly.

I pouted and pulled on both his ears, and he cried with pain. "I know you are bad with fairytales, but at least you could have called me "Alice". If not all the letters, at least the first letter would be correct!"

The sudden change in his expression was so evident, but he immediately schooled his emotions behind a teasing smile. He can try to hide it, but it didn't escape my notice. I have been blessed with these gifts. Everything related to emotions, I can sense. I sensed that momentary pain when I took that name.

Why?

Does he have a painful memory attached with that fairytale? He did tell me his mom used to love reciting fairytales to him when he was a kid. Was this one of them?

I rose myself on my toes and pressed my lips to his. It took him a moment to realise it before he took the lead and tightly wrapped me around in his arms. My feet left the touch of the floor as he lifted me in his arms and backed us against the bed, not breaking the kiss. Then he gently lowered me on my back and continued to kiss my throat, and I moaned. His soft silvery strands tickled my neck, and I giggled, lazily running my hands through them. He stopped tormenting my throat as he slowly raised his head and locked eyes with mine.

Will he do it finally?

The sapphire hue of his eyes betrayed the lust in his heart, but like always, he gathered himself, smiled, and then pressed his lips to my forehead.

Yes, we were an engaged couple, but in the last five years, he hadn't touched me even once. As if, he had taken a solid, silent oath of celibacy.

Or maybe not, who knows, perhaps he is enjoying his life outside?