The Princess and the Soldier

Revealing my feelings (Part 2)

Alya POV

“…I love you.”

Leo had finished reading the letter. He looked up at me with widened eyes. He let them roam around my face, perhaps to see any movement or hint that I was kidding. But then he found my eyes again and let them rest there.

I felt like fainting but I could no longer back down. Suddenly, I felt stupid for doing what I did.

What was I thinking about confessing my feelings? It was in the past anyway.

“Hey,” I said softly as I placed my hand over his cheek. “It was five years ago. I still wanted you to know as it was not only you who have kept a secret.” I smiled a bit but Leo’s expression did not change one bit.

“Alya.” He said my name huskily, which brought another bout of shiver down my spine. He gulped before continuing. “I—”

“You didn’t have to say it back.” I pursed my lips. “I told you I didn’t want to get things awkward between us.” And there I was still sitting on his lap. Talk about being in an awkward position.

“Do you still feel the same thing now?”

That’s a good question. It was the same thing that Mom had asked me.

“I’m not sure. We just saw each other again.” He nodded in understanding. I still wanted to hear his reply. What exact words, I didn’t know. “Leo? Did you even care for me?”

“Yes. You knew that. I started caring for you when we were kids.” His reply was immediate.

“But as a sister? As a best friend?”

It took him quite a while to reply.

“I cared for you more than you ever knew, My Princess. I swore to myself and to you that I will there with you until the end, didn’t I? My loyalties are with you.” He quickly folded the paper and placed it back in the envelope before folding it again to fit his pocket.

However, loyalty and love are two different things. He could still be loyal to me without loving me.

He made us stand up again. However, this time he only held my hand with a small space between us. His lips were pursed making me brace myself for another devastating truth. He shook his head before speaking.

“You wanted the truth, Alya? Yes. I have loved you more than a sister, more than a best friend.” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. However, I knew it was too good to be true as Leo continued speaking. “I considered myself to be lucky to have the chance to spend time with you, to hold you, and even to be your first kiss.” He chuckled at the thought. He looked up into the sky for a second and then faced me again.

We have learned of this ‘first kiss’ at one of our afternoon tea with Leo’s family many years ago. Dad was joking about having to get his guns ready in preparation for my possible suitors. John was then teasing me about having my first kiss. But then we saw how Mom and Aunt Betty looked at each other like they have a secret. That was when they spilled that my first kiss was Leo during a weekend at the mountain house. But we didn’t mind back then. We were too young to put malice into it.

Who would have thought that Leo would be my first kiss!

“I was shocked to know about your secret, Alya. Never had I thought that you would feel that way towards me even it was years ago. You have made me happy.”

Then there was the ‘but’ that I have been waiting for.

“But I am a nobody, my princess. I am just a soldier. You could do better, choose better. I had faced the truth when I was in the academy. You and I cannot be together. Think about that while you sort your feelings towards me at present.” Leo looked heartbroken. “From what I have heard from John you have a long list of suitors.” He smiled sadly. “A famous actor, a politician, big-time CEOs…”

“Hey, don’t belittle yourself. And don’t listen much to John. He’s exaggerating. There’s no list.” I pouted as he laughed softly. “Leo, do you have anyone at the moment? A girlfriend?”

“No. I don’t have a girlfriend.”

“Are you dating someone?”

“No.”

“Why don’t we give ourselves a chance? Let’s go back to being friends?” I bit my inner cheek as I waited for Leo’s answer.

Leo POV

“Being your friend is all I can offer, Alya.” I sighed as I rub my thumb across her palm.

I couldn’t believe that this stunning lady in front of me had loved me and wanted me more than a best friend and a brother. I have loved her, too. I had hoped before that maybe we could be together. It looked like John had no problems with me courting his sister and that was a plus for me. He was even teasing me about being his brother-in-law. But it was too soon to tell. Hell, we were only teenagers!

How could I get so lucky? If we had been together before I went to the academy, would we still be together?

However, during the time when we were separated, I felt how Alya was far from me. Not only in distance but also in status. I could not offer anything to her, unlike the ones I had read in the news. Alya was always on the celebrity pages with news about her current suitors.

Riches, status, power – I don’t have any of that.

“Don’t say that.” She whispered the words and then took the step to close the gap between us. “Let’s see where this friendship will take us.”

“I’m afraid I will only hurt you.”

“You are not going to intentionally hurt me, right?”

“No. You know that I will never do that to you.”

“How about we sort our feelings together? Let’s start from there.” From the forlorn Alya earlier, she was smiling already. “Don’t think about anything or anyone else.”

I couldn’t shake Alya away from me. She was stubborn. I shouldn’t be surprised. She was like that ever since.

“For goodness sake, Alya, you are the future ruler of Solandia. You are our future queen. You need someone who will help you succeed.”

“For someone so smart, Leo, what had gotten into you that you were being dumb?”

“Ouch. What was that for?”

“Just trust me, okay? I am not asking for anything else, Leo. I just wanted our friendship back. Let’s go from there. Don’t hinder anything that is supposed to happen.”

“I don’t think I like this but you are really stubborn.” I shook my head as Alya took my hands to hold her slim waist.

“I know.” She stood on her toes and swiftly pressed her soft lips to mine.