THE POPE'S DAUGHTER

Chapter 8 - The Alleyway

She turned and let out a dramatic gasp .

"You startled me!"

"What were you thinking?" Mark asked, raising up his voice , unbelievingly.

"Why're you here ?" Venezia yanked her hand back to her to make mark leave. She held her hands together and protected them against her chest. She spoke in disbelief, but instead of being angry, she was worried . As soon as she saw mark she felt hopeless and gave up .

As if they wanted to see each other but had clear reason why they shouldn't . Their mind said something else and their heart something.

But mark's heart took a total control over his mind. He was unaware of the fact that how much he wanted to see her at that moment. He wanted Venezia.

"It's not a good time to leave" he said lowering his eyes in respect and backing off to keep distance.

She remained silent and looked down too. Her mind had mixed emotions and she was overwhelmed but tried to hide it well enough.

Mark saw her eyes, so closely. He had never saw any girl's eyes this closely before .

"Come with me, we have to stay a bit longer" he offered his hand and it was still slowly raining outside .

Venezia kept staring at the ground, pitying her condition right now then she struggled to pull herself together and looked up, she threw his hands away from her and turned her back from him.

"Leave me alone, stop following me" she cried .

One of her tears finally gave up and rolled down her cheeks .

Mark couldn't bear the sight of seeing her like this. He placed his one hand on her shoulder and turned her around, making her, to face him again. He then suddenly pulled her closer to him and she got enraged . It wasn't visible on her face yet but her right hand held the tip of her sword tightly . She looked up into Mark's eyes , first time seeing the concern on his face .

"Stop running away from me !!" He insisted, holding her from shoulders, tight.

"I want you to trust me once" he shakes her lightly, in order of make an effort to make her understand .

"Okhay !" Venezia removed her hands from her sword, and gave up . Feeling no energy inside her .

But, suddenly she pushed him away from her one hand , saying in a deep low voice "But please don't touch me!" Her palm facing his face gave clear signals.

Mark raised up his hand up , like he's been acused of something and then grinned.

"I always love the way she speaks" he thought to himself .

"Very well then" he took his deep manly tone and shrugged .

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Soon , it stopped raining . There was calmness around a large field infront of the tavern . Mark decided to silently walk Venezia back to the convent and she agreed . Somewhere in her mind , Venezia always wanted to know the prince and mark also wanted to know the pope's daughter . But they always denied it themselves .

They walked silently on an empty street , thankfully according to mark . For a brief moment both avoided each others gaze . The doors and windows of small houses making the street were shut and there was a silent awkwardness that creeped inside the moment .

To the surprise , they weren't angry at each other at all .

When Venezia held both of her hands behind , mark decided to break the ice .

"So you like sword fighting huh?" Mark said , being nervous but keeping it casual by taking the help of his deep heavy voice .

"That makes two now" Venezia spoke in such a low tone , as if she's speaking to herself but mark heard it . He could hear every movement she was making at that time , even her heartbeat . From a distance .

"Why don't you try it often , I loved seeing your moves . It looks so professional ."

Mark replied cheerfully , trying to hard to build up her confidence about it .

"It's a sin." She paused "a sin I like to do"

She spoke in a heavy voice , looking down . Like , she's been felt guilty for it multiple times . Like she's a lost soldier who has no where else to go and chooses to die . She has kept these words buried in herself .

"You're a born warrior" mark spoke in a soft tone , looking at her with hope in his eyes . His emerald eyes , glittered at that moment when Venezia looked back at him . They stared at each other for a while, walking like a snail . Both , holding their hands behind themseleves , locked .

A rat , a squeakling rat decided to break thier concentration and they both looked at the ground at the same time , blushing .

After some time of walking , Venezia got a little more comfortable And mark kicked a small pebble casually . She said while turning around at her place itself and started walking backwards , looking at mark .

"So , now you tell me what's your biggest insecurity ? Like you got to know mine ..."

"Ahahaha , you didn't tell me your insecurity . To be very presise , I happened to know one" mark chuckled and then looked up at the moon .

After a nervous silence he continued .

" I...I don't know , I just .. okay so if you wanna know about me I'll tell you " he shrugged as if he's giving Venezia an honour to know him .

To which , Venezia mocked at him "Hmmmm, secretive enough ?"

Marked ignored "well , you see as a kid I lost my mother ... Thennnn ..." He took a brief pause , shortlisting information in his mind "I had an interest in painting but I'd love to be the next king . And I've always had friends , girls who never disobeyed or talk rudely to me . You were the first to not treat me like a you know "prince" and those different things made to find something in you . "

"Ahaa !! ......bwahahahaahahah !!!" Venezia let out a huge laughter in reaction and then explained herself still walking backwards. "I don't think you even deserve to be the pri.."

Suddenly mark heard some footsteps and panicked . He didn't let Venezia finish and held her immediately .

He held her hand and pulled her to a nearer alleyway . The Alleyway was so narrow that only one individual could pass through it . They both got stuck in between the walls and there was only a meanial distance that was kept between them .

Venezia's hands got placed on mark's chest and she suddenly closed her eyes. she was still trying to process what just happened.

The Prince was totally distracted , making sure whoever was coming doesn't get to spot them .

Venezia started breathing heavily , not sure that if it was because of suffocation or because of mark. When she slowly opened her eyes , both of her bodies were in such a close connection that made her heart beat so fast.

She couldn't utter a word and looked up at him. He was on a constant outlook. Venezia couldn't help but notice all the details about him , his jawline , his biceps , his body smell. Everything made her hypnotised.

She held his collar and her mouth got slightly opened . That made mark's attention go back to Venezia . He calmly grinned at her and slided one of her hair strand behind her ears when she was sweating so bad .

The adrenaline rush Inside her made her wanting him at that very moment. No thought came in between.

He noticed her face so close to him. His arm was pressed against the wall while caging Venezia and his other arm wrapped around her waist .

All he was waiting was for that one last signal from Venezia and when she gripped his collar more tightly and slightly pulled him , he didn't waste any time .

He leaned towards her lips and kissed her softly.

Part of her didn't wanted that , but the thing she was feeling at that very moment was like a wave. A wave washed over her mind and removed all the bad memories of the prince .

When her lips was pressed against his , slowly and softly , she craved it more . She didn't let him go and that made mark want her even more.

She held his face from one palm and other arm wrapping around his shoulder. She started kissing him more passionately , pulling him closer to her body. It felt like as if she craved for this kind of affection for decades.

Mark picked her one leg towards his waist and brought her even more closer. Thier bodies were pressed close to each other. Even that narrow alleyway felt like a floating sky when he kissed her passionately.

Her palm went to his upper biceps and held it tightly. She kept kissing him without breathing. Mark got it and moved down from her lips towards her neck.

Venezia closed her eyes when he started kissing and biting her neck.

Then suddenly , she opened her eyes and looked up. All the thoughts from the past came rushing down like a dark gush of a wave when mark was on her.

She looked at the moon , through in between the walls of the narrow alleyway and pressed both on her palms , one which was placed on his shoulder and other on his biceps and slightly pushed him away.

She didn't wanted to but she had to.

That was what she thought to herself while looking at the moon. Her face expression went all serious all of a sudden.

Mark stopped and then realised. He stepped a little back in a very narrow space and looked at her with a hint of concern in his eyes. She stared at the floor and he got back.

They both were ashamed of themselves of what they just did right now but concerned for each other.

Endnote: hey there reader ?? , don't forget to vote and comment and lmk what you think about this chapter ?