Chapter 185: What now?
All her thoughts came crashing into her mind, even through this magical atmosphere and an Ice Prince holding her against him. They kissed, they were ’enemies’, there was still the price of her crimes to pay for, and the gem was in Lyvaria.
"*What now?*" Evanna breathed. Arawn searched her gaze and must have read something on her face for his softened eyes to slowly harden. He loosened his grip on her, watching her carefully until he was confident she would not fall; then, his hands went over hers on his chest.
"*It is simple. We get the gem and save your mother. Where is it?*" He asked confidently as though he already knew she had a plan. Of course, he did; the Prince seemed to know her quite well.
"*I am to go to Lyvaria next,*" Evanna replied quietly and watched as his lips twisted in apparent displeasure. "*But what I meant was...*" She swallowed as her nerves began to show. "*What should we do now? We can pretend all we like right now that I am not a Princess of Dunhurst and you the Prince of the Flori, but we are, and I have caused great offence to your kingdom..*"
Evanna trailed off at seeing the glint behind Arawn’s eyes and the growing smile on his already too handsome features. What was he planning? "*It is true, my father will not be too kind to hear that you are a Princess of Dunhurst, but maybe the gem could be a wedding gift?*"
Evanna stopped breathing as she stared back at Arawn. "*Be mine, Evanna. Marry me.*" She searched his face, waiting for a smirk or amusement behind those dazzling eyes, but there was none.
He was dead serious.
The Princess swayed on her feet but forced herself to breathe again as one of Arawn’s hands freed itself and wrapped around her waist again. "*I know I should have waited until after marriage, but I have only just stopped feeling the warmth of your touch on my lips, Arawn,*" she said, aghast with her cheeks brightening into a rosy hue.
Arawn chuckled and leaned his head into the crook of her neck, making her heartrate spike, her breathing troublesome, and she knew he could feel her pulse. "*It solves our problems, does it not?*" He peeked up at her, and she shivered when his lips brushed against her neck; those shivers turned into goosebumps as they followed his mouth, trailing kisses up her neck.