Valerie's POV:
Prince Nova led me through the dark path, his phone's flashlight casting eerie shadows on the trees. I couldn't help but notice that the trees were already bare, their branches like skeletal fingers reaching towards the sky. The cold air stung my skin, and I shivered, wishing the coat I wore was thicker. And to make matters worse, I had forgotten my phone at home.
The path became familiar, and I wasn't surprised when we stopped at the Lovers' Cave. I turned to the prince curiously, wondering why he had brought me here. He smiled and gestured for me to follow him, and I sighed internally, having no choice but to comply.
As we stepped inside, I sucked in a breath. The cave was brightly lit, not just by the crystals but by shiny, flickering lights that seemed to dance on the walls. The Lovers' benches were decorated finely, with roses and candles, and the glowing stars on the ceiling looked so beautiful.
"This is so nice," I said, my expression softening despite myself. "But why are we here, Your Majesty?" I asked cautiously, my eyes scanning the romantic setup.
I didn't know prince Nova had moved behind me until I felt his hand on my shoulder, and I was surprised to find him holding a bioluminescent flower, the same one that grew near the luminous lagoon. He was smiling, his eyes sparkling, and I felt my heart flutter.
"For me?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
He nodded, his eyes never leaving mine, and I took the flower with shaky hands. It glowed brightly, and I remembered how I had come here twice for a date with Magna.
"Thank you, Prince Nova," I said softly.
I turned and decided to walk around the cave, admiring the decorations, I tried to ignore the uncomfortable feeling that I was trapped in a romantic movie. But then prince Nova spoke up, his voice soft and gentle.
"Come with me to Calon City, Valerie. Be my queen."
I stopped in my tracks and snapped my head around to look at him, my expression incredulous. Had I heard him correctly?
He continued, his voice deepening, and I felt my heart race. "Valerie, please don't protest."
He stepped closer to me, his footsteps echoing in the vast cave, and I felt my heart pounding in my chest. He took both my hands, his eyes holding mine, and I felt like I was drowning in their depths.
"Valerie Alaric, Nova Calon likes you."
I stared at him, my mind racing, and finally, I broke the silence.
"Okay, Your Highness, I will be your queen."
His eyes lit up with happiness, but I continued, my voice shaking.
"Let's go outside and announce that you chose me as the queen of Calonia. Let's tell them that we want to get married. What would they say? Would they welcome me with open arms? Won't they ask about my family? Won't they ask how I got to that position? Would they let us?"
The happiness and hope in his eyes vanished, and he said with determination.
"I don't care what they say, Valerie. What matters is that I like you. I want you."
I felt a surge of anger and frustration, and I removed my hands from his.
"How can you be so selfish, Your Highness? I can't do this. I won't try and touch the stars. I have to come back to earth." He looked broken but I forced myself to continue, feeling the overwhelming urge to throw up, "I'm not a debutante, and I can never be one. The sooner you realize that, the better."
I turned to leave, but he shouted, "Valerie, please!" His voice broke at the end, and I heard him try to approach me, but suddenly, he crashed to the ground.
I turned back and immediately screamed, "Prince Nova!"
I rushed to him, kneeling on the floor, and touched his forehead. He was burning up, and his eyes were closed, his breath uneven. I muttered, "He has a fever."
I needed to act fast, but I had forgotten my phone, and we were in the middle of nowhere. I knew it would be hard to find someone to help us in this weather, and I didn't know how to ride a motorcycle. But I had to try and get help.
As I rose up to go and look outside, I felt the prince's hand on my wrist, and he drew me to him. I crashed onto his body with a shout, and he wrapped his arms around me, putting his face to my neck.
I tried to stand up, but his grip tightened, and I sighed, stopping my struggle. How was I going to get help now?
He started whispering, his eyes still closed, "Valerie, Valerie, Valerie," over and over. As his whispers grew softer, I couldn't help but worry about what was going to happen.
After a while, I noticed that Prince Nova's hands had slackened, and I carefully entangled myself from his arms. He was shivering, and I could see that he was still burning with fever. I tried to carry his upper body to the wall of the cave, but his body was heavy, and I struggled. However, I managed to prop him up against the wall, and he was still shivering, his lips turning blue. I immediately stripped off the coat he had given me and helped him wear it, trying to warm him up. Now I was cold, but I didn't mind; he was my first priority.
The cave was starting to get cold, and I wanted to approach the entrance to see if I could find any help. But as I walked towards the entrance, I heard a sound, and soon after, I saw snow falling outside, casting a serene silence over the cave. The snowflakes were delicate and intricate, like tiny ballerinas dancing in the air, and they accumulated on the cave's entrance, creating a white veil. I whispered softly, "Look, we experienced the first snow together, Prince Nova."
I turned back to him, but he still had his eyes closed, his shivering having subsided a little. Now I was the one shivering, and I realized that I had always experienced the first snow with my family and friends, but now I was experiencing it with him, on the night he confessed his feelings for me. The significance of the first snow wasn't lost on me - it was a symbol of new beginnings, of hope, and of love.
The snow was a beautiful thing, but it was also making us colder. I couldn't go outside now because it was snowing heavily, and I didn't know what the time was. I had told my parents I would be back by 9, and I was sure the snow wouldn't stop until later than that.
I looked at Prince Nova's sleeping form, his face pale and clammy, and I knew I had to do something. I approached him, sat close to him, and snuggled against him, needing his warmth and knowing he needed mine too. I felt him grunt, and I snuggled even closer into his arms, not knowing how long we would stay like this.
Beep beep. I heard a sound coming from Prince Nova's pocket and sluggishly searched his pocket. My eyes snapped when I realized it was a phone. I checked his inner jacket pocket and found it. I was overcome with joy and hope. It looked like he had just received a text, but the phone was locked. I groaned in frustration, then noticed it was a phone that used sensory technology, responding to the owner's touch. I gently brought his left hand and waved it in front of the screen. Nothing happened for a moment, then suddenly it showed unlocked. I pumped my fist in the air with a triumphant "Yes!"
Cold immediately attacked me, and I quickly cuddled into the sleeping prince, his scent filling my senses. Now that I had opened the phone, I was struck with a dilemma - I didn't know who to call for help. I considered calling Prince Cadoc, but what would I say? Why was I with the prince? The king and Princess Evie were out of the question, and so was Mira. I scrolled through the prince's contacts and was surprised to see my name there - Valerie. How did he get my number, and why didn't he tell me? Never mind that, we had more pressing issues.
I hopelessly scrolled through his phone, then an idea came to me. I had seen "Jake" in his contacts and recognized it as the name of his personal guard. I decided to call him, hesitated, then looked at the prince's pale face. I needed to make this call; we couldn't last much longer on our own. I held my breath and dialed the number. The person answered at the first ring - "Your Majesty" came the booming and deep voice.
I said, "Greetings, my name is Valerie Alaric, and I need your help." I recounted everything - how we were in the Lovers' Cave, how the prince was sick. I even took a picture of the prince and sent it to the guard via text to confirm my claim.
"We're on our way now," his worried voice said. "Please take care of him, Miss Alaric."
I said "Yes" shakily, feeling relief. Help was coming; I hoped they found us despite the bad weather.
I noticed the text that had made the beep was from Prince Cadoc - "Where are you?" I decided to ignore it, almost dropping the phone when he started calling. I couldn't answer it; the sound had made Prince Nova stir, and he later closed his eyes back. I decided to turn off his phone.
I internally apologized to Prince Cadoc; I knew he was worried about the prince. If he was worried, then my parents must be too. I sighed and fell back against the prince, wrapping his arms around my body. I rested my head against his chest; the warmth was immediately welcoming. We had no option but to wait and believe that help was coming.
_________
"Valerie? Valerie!" I opened my eyes, meeting the prince's worried ones. He sighed in relief, seeing that I had finally come to. I glanced at the cave's entrance, noticing that the snow had stopped, and it looked like I had fallen asleep. I sat up, and the prince sat up too, his arms still around me.
He wasn't looking pale anymore; his cheeks were gradually returning to their natural color, and his eyes were a little brighter, but he still looked sick. He chuckled and said, "Looks like I had fallen ill." I wondered how he was still able to make a joke and be composed in this condition.
"You shouldn't have waited that long in the cold for me," I scolded him.
He started to say, "I told you, I will wait till the starsâ" but I put my palm to his lips, silencing him. I didn't want to hear those uncomfortable words again.
My eyes immediately widened at what I had done, and I was about to retract my hand, but he caught it and pressed his lips to it. His lips were soft and warm, and it made me feel...fluttery. "What are you...doing?" I asked, trying to sound stern, but my voice came out barely above a whisper.
He raised his lips from my hand but still held it. "I'm happy you stayed with me, Val." I wanted to say it wasn't as if I could leave the cave, but I stopped myself, not wanting to hurt him more than I already had. Instead I remained silent.
He continued softly, "We experienced the first snow together, Val." Then, he drew me into his arms, and I felt him smile on my hair. I allowed myself to smile a little.
Just then, we heard a voice coming from the entrance. "Your majesty?" Jake entered the cave alongside two men. I entangled myself from the prince, and he looked disappointed. The men helped us stand, my legs felt numb; I didn't know how long we had stayed in the cave.
As we walked out of the cave, the prince's arm was slung over one of the men's shoulders, supporting him to walk. The ground was covered with snow, and it sparkled in the moonlight. We passed through the path prince Nova and I had used earlier, which felt like light years ago. I shivered, and Prince Nova noticed. He was about to give me the coat, but Jake handed me a puffer jacket instead. I muttered a thank you and wore it.
As we walked through the snow, I noticed that Prince Nova kept glancing back at me, and he would smile while doing it. It puzzled me. We finally got to the car, and I noticed there were two. One of the men said, "Miss Alaric, I will take you home." I nodded and asked him the time; he said it was past 12. I was definitely dead; how was I going to explain it to my parents?
I was going to think about that later; I just wanted to go home. As I was about to follow the man, Prince Nova said, "Valerie." I turned, and his expression was...longing? He asked, "Is this goodbye?" His voice shook slightly. I noticed how the men gave us privacy, looking away.
I nodded, unable to meet his eyes. I might probably not see him for a long time. He sighed and asked, "Can I hug you one last time?"
I looked up, trying to stop the tears from coming out. I said, "Yes, Prince Nova."
He smiled, but it was a sad one. I raised both my hands, ready for him to hug me. He approached me and gently dropped my hands. I was surprised by the sudden action. He made eye contact with me, and his eyes were shining with what looked like yearning. He slowly wrapped his arms around me, his hands going to my waist. I sucked in a breath but wrapped my arms around him too. We just stood there, and I let the tears fall. I didn't know if he noticed or not, but he used his hands to bring me closer.
As we hugged, I felt his heart beating against mine, and it was like our hearts were speaking a language only we could understand. I knew in that moment that this was definitely a midsummer night's dream, and I was definitely going to remember it.
______________
Please don't forget to vote and comment. Thank you.