I'm Forbidden To Love You

Chapter 9

Ryan could see nothing but her frightened expression, and the feeling rose inside him was all consuming and a powerful emotion he had never felt in his entire life.

That’s when she looked up at him with a helpless look; her eyes immediately turned downcast as if she was feeling shameful about the situation.

The anger he felt now was so intense that all he could think and see was her face.

Nothing mattered, it seemed. Ryan couldn’t care about anything at this moment except her.

The call of violence.

God! He had heard some war veteran’s story about how that man had almost gone crazy with the call of violence. Ryan hadn’t believed that, but he wanted to give in to the call of violence now.

He wanted to grab Perro’s head and smash it repeatedly on the pillar nearby.

No, no, he cannot think like that because it seemed too easy for what Perro did.

When it seemed that none of the girls started dancing after the music began, everybody became disgusted with how Perro seemed to bark orders at them to dance by forcing them. Everyone could guess that these women were here against their wishes.

While s*****y and forcing women were still present in society, it was not common. And, in their Avera country, it was abolished by his great great grandfather.

Perro did the unthinkable by grabbing Zelda’s hand, dragged her around, ordering her to dance when it seemed like none of these women would dance.

Her dress was thankfully not of knee-length like some of the girls; hers was worse in the way only he could see how the few inches between her fitted top and her floor-length skirt, which thankfully didn’t have any slits or he must have gone mad with anger.

The pale blue color dress she wore strangely didn’t hide her in the background. It only made her stand out among everyone here.

The beaded hip belt around her waist was drawing attention to her exposed waist.

Ryan could feel anger rising in him that had reached beyond control.

The waist Ryan grabbed had been put on display for everyone.

How dare him!

Ryan grabbed Perro’s hand and gripped it tight.

Just as soon as he did that, the music and the chatter stopped, leaving an utter silence in the hall.

“Prince Ryan.”

Perro stuttered his name as if he was familiar with him.

“It’s Prince Burton to you, Hoich.”

With that, he dragged him away from her, letting everyone focus their attention on him and away from her.

Yes, look at him. Don’t look at her….

Don’t you all dare to look at her..

Ryan knew that his grip was tight, and he could hear Perro’s painful whimpers he was trying hard to suppress, but he didn’t care.

“What seems to be the problem, Prince Burton?”

“What is the problem? Is that what you can ask me now, Perro? Ask me how your parents are going to get you out of Avera’s Hell Prison?”

Avera’s prison was called Hell prison because none had ever escaped, nor had anyone been left alive after serving a sentence there.

“W-Why?”

“Why? Did you forget the rules of the sacred courting? Did you forget that Avera had abolished the s*****y system, and forcing on women against their wishes is severely punished here?”

“But Prince Burton, th-they’re just maids…”

“They’re not just maids. They’re humans too. And, have you forgotten that they’re the maids of other princesses? Do you want to create conflict between countries? Was that your intention Prince Hoich? If you wanted to create conflicts in Avera, then you would be considered an enemy to our country.”

Hoich face paled, hearing that, now realizing what crime he had done.

“But.. But..”

Perro Hoich stuttered like an i***t. He pitied the falcon land for having a Crown Prince like this.

“There are no buts.. I will see you in the royal court tomorrow.”

Ryan called the guard outside and to take Prince Perro Hoich in custody as he would be made to stand in front of Avera’s royal court for judgment.

“I am the Prince of falcon land. My father, the King of great falcon land, will hear about this. You cannot break the peace treaty and go to war because of a maid.”

“Just keep him there securely, Knight Lory.”

With that, he turned away from the sorry sight of Perro being dragged midst his cries for someone to help him and what injustice he was going through.

As he turned towards the guest, he was disgusted that everyone was happy to stand by and watch even though everyone here knew that what happened here was wrong and out of the law.

“How can you all watch this happening? This is sacred for a reason. How can we send our sisters or our relatives when other countries hold this session next year and expect them back safe?”

He took a deep breath, getting tired of all this s**t. This was one of the times he hated being a royal family member. But, it was no use yelling at these people, and he didn’t want to upset the guests.

He cleared his throat to gain the attention of the girls, who all were huddled in a corner, their expressions still fearful as they were all forced to participate in this.

“I am sorry about this event. I will personally look into how this event got approved and how you were all pulled into this. Rest assured that this won’t happen again. And please, enjoy the rest of your stay here safely.”

He gave a slight bow, not making eye contact with any one of the girls as he didn’t want to look at her again or else he will lose it.

He would cut the hand that dared to grab her and to touch her.

No..

He cannot lose it here.

No…

He gestured the servants to guide the maids out and leave this place, not wanting them to be a part of this anymore.

He turned towards the rest of the guests with difficulty as he wanted to check on her whether she was safe or not but stopped himself from it..

“I apologize for the inconvenience. I assure you all that this won’t happen again.”

He gave a full bow to them as an apology. Seeing him bow, going out of what his status dictates, the guests seemed to calm down.

“I will ask the guards to guide you all to your assigned quarters.”

Ryan ordered the guards and the rest of the servants to guide every guest to their respective rooms. He ordered the remaining servants who waited to clean this hall away. He told them to leave him alone.

As one by one, they all left the hall, leaving him alone to rage around silently.

The rain had long stopped, and the light from the blurry moon, which could be seen from the window nearby, was partially covered by the clouds yet, illuminated the room.

He closed his eyes to calm down.

He took deep breaths to relax and clear away her frightened expression and to not give in to the urge to beat Perro into a bloody pulp.

The sound of steps distracted him from his thoughts.

“I said to leave me alone.”

The sound of beads made his eyes open, and he whirled around with a skip in his heartbeat.

It took all his etiquette lessons not to gasp aloud.

He was stunned, speechless.

His molten lava of anger now turned into a calm sea on a summer.

He was angry before, yet he was distracted by her beauty. But, now…

How can anyone be this beautiful?

How can it be possible?

He was sure even royal poets would fail to come up with poems for her beauty.

Words failed him.

Zelda….

Zelda….

His mind uttered her name, synching with the beats of his heart.

It was just him and her as everyone had left this hall.

The girl he wanted to meet for weeks and had finally decided to forget about her. Fate seemed to laugh at him, thrusting her in front of him like this as if daring him to forget her now.

The sound of the beads when she took steps towards him drew his eyes to her waist, making his eyes widen. He immediately averted his eyes, not wanting to get caught looking at her.

God!

It should be a crime to be this beautiful.

The way she moved, like some exotic human from a fairy tale, the tantalizing sway of her hips, the kohl of her eyes, her hair in a messy bun flashed in his mind repeatedly.

Nope.

No…

He was not ready for this at all.

So, definitely no.

Ryan wanted to leave this place immediately, for he didn’t know what he will go through if he stayed alone with her like this.

Oh my God!

Why was she moving towards him?

The girl he wanted so badly to speak; now the ability to form words had left him.

He didn’t want to embarrass himself in front of her.

But, the more steps she took towards him, the more his emotions changed, from a calm pond to a burning fire of something he never felt.

How can anyone hurt her?

Looking at her turquoise eyes, he only wanted her safety.

All of a sudden, she hugged him.

Ryan didn’t know if there is a possibility to be more shocked than he already was.

The hand against his back, the press of her body against his, lit the already burning fire inside him.

The tremble in her body betrayed her true emotions.

She had not once cried or shed tears throughout this night. She had stood there with an act of silent courage which he had admired just a few minutes before.

Now he could tell that she was scared.

He couldn’t help but hug her back and pressed her against him tightly.

It was the wrong thing to do, it seemed.

The feel of her bare waist against his hand made him shudder. He had never felt this intense desire to possess something.

He wanted the girl who was pressed against him.

He wanted all of her. He wanted to possess her, own her.

There was a madness growing in him, and Ryan wanted to give in to that desperately.

The feel of her against him, the press of her bosom against his awoke something dangerous inside him.

He tightened his grip on her waist as the seconds passed. The breath of her against his neck gave rise to goosebumps on his skin.

He didn’t know what sort of perfume she used as he had never smelt something so out of normal.

Like a lightning strike, he was struck with the realization that she was a mermaid. Their land was not accessible to humans. So, of course, he didn’t know the smell of her perfume.

The happiness he felt now started to morph into a feeling of deep sorrow.

Just as he was feeling miserable, she pulled away from the hug.

“I apologize if it was inappropriate, my Prince. I.. I just wanted to thank you. If it were not for you,…”

She didn’t finish the sentence, but he can understand how frightening it must be for her.

And to think Perro was ruining a mermaid of all people when already the treaty between humans and merpeople was delicate; Perro was, again and again, proved himself to be an i***t.

He could see that those turquoise were refusing to meet his eyes.

He took a step back and looked over her from head to toe.

He noticed the blush on her cheeks, his fingers shape imprinted on her milky waist. He relished in that.

Fuck…

This was getting out of hand.

“No need Miss. It was my duty as the servant of Avera country to serve and protect every guest here.”

She frowned at his formal words but accepted it just as much and bowed down at him as if to leave.

No….

He caught her hand to stop her.

She turned towards him with widened eyes, and he let go of her hand.

“I wanted to apologize for my behavior that day if it was inappropriate, Miss.”

She looked at him for a second before giving him a small smile, which made his attention zero in on the small mole below her lips.

He gulped down his desire that was too inappropriate to even voice out in his mind.

Calm down, Ryan….

The images that rose inside his mind startled him with their intensity and how dirty his mind could be.

“No need, Prince.”

“Surely I must apologize for that, Miss. As an apology, please accept this.”

He removed his outer coat and gave it to her.

It was for two reasons. One, Ryan didn’t want anyone to ever look at her like this. He would gouge their eyes out. Two, he wanted her to wear his clothes, for it will be like marking her as his.

She looked at him with widened eyes at his gesture but accepted it all the same.

With that, she gave a deep bow in gratitude,

“I will take my leave now, your royal highness.”

He wanted to stop her, but he didn’t know how to make her stay with him.

He should be glad that he got to see her and properly apologize. He shouldn’t be greedier.

Finally, she can leave his mind now.

Then why could he not take his eyes off her leaving from where he stood?

It was definitely some weird magic of a mermaid, bewitching him into feeling like this.

It definitely had to be.

~~~~~~~

The star wing was beautiful in its way, unlike any other wing.

As the name indicated, every chamber of the star wing had paintings of different constellations, and through the window from any room of this wing, you can get the first seat for star gazing as it was built for this purpose by the skillful architect.

It felt like she was living in a fairy tale.

Every second, every day of it, she loved it here.

As a lady of the great Mirabel house, she didn’t lack any luxurious things. But, being in a royal palace was very different compared to that.

It made her feel how small she was even though she was born in a noble family.

But, it’s okay.

She didn’t come here to attend the courting session like her brother Nora thought and was angered with her, thinking she was too young to even think like that.

Well, brothers are like that.

Why she came here then, you might wonder.

As Tilda Mirabel, she was known to be the queen of Mirabel’s house, everyone pampering her. None denied her, and even though her mother was a little strict, she was allowed to learn horse riding and even sword fighting.

She had always been given the freedom to stretch her wings in the sky.

But, the one person she wanted to be recognized refused to see her as nothing but Norman’s little sister.

She wanted to be seen.

She really, really wanted to be seen as Tilda Mirabel.

And she came here because of that reason alone.

For one person to see her.

For one person.

Ryan Burton.

Her brother Norman’s best friend and his Prince, whom he has sworn to protect with his life.

They had been childhood buddies. The Mirabel family had always been the supporters of the Burton family. Prince Ryan had come to their home to be trained in sword fighting when he was eleven because the Mirabel family was known for their sword fighting skills.

And she was fascinated with him from the moment she met him.

He was beautiful; even though he was a boy, she cannot help but use the word beautiful, for he was beautiful and breathtaking with his crimson and black hair and his hazel eyes. When he looked at you, it felt like he was seeing your soul.

She had been shy and hesitant to speak with him when they were a child. But as years went by, she became courageous, letting her shyness go; she spoke with him whenever he visited their home.

Nothing much.

Just some casual talk and serving him tea and snacks, sometimes even food. Tilda’s parents knew her obvious attraction towards him and had only snickered, informing her that it’s fine if she can court him. If not, after twenty-two, she would marry a person of their choice.

She knew that it was not possible for him to fall for her of all people.

She had been quite confident before coming here as she had the advantage of knowing him when they were children.

But, after reaching here, she could feel how much different their status was, how different their life was.

The Princess and ladies here were beyond pretty. She was nothing in front of them.

She was wild and never did learn to sit still. Her father had let her when she sneaked away from etiquette classes. She wished that she had stayed at least long enough to learn the uses of different spoons and forks.

But none of these difficulties stopped her from loving him.

She knew that they were not meant to be as Prince Ryan’s parents would never allow their son to marry someone below their status.

Yet, she loved him with all her heart. She had always loved him from when they were children. She had wished for his safety and happiness even if he didn’t become hers. That’s how much she loved him.

She didn’t fall for him because of his status or his handsome face.

What had fascinated her was that he was kind beyond his status. He had been well behaved and a good boy to everyone around him.

Yet, sometimes, only sometimes, his eyes looked like he was asking for help. Like he was a caged bird that wanted to be set free.

And, she wanted to free him.

That’s how her fascination and attraction morphed into a love so deep that it didn’t let her sleep.

She tried to become beautiful for him, wanting him to acknowledge her as a woman and not just his friend Nora’s sister.

That was why she had been attempting to tame her wild hair for a long time, spending her precious time in front of a mirror instead of going on an adventure.

The castle was so big, and there were many places she hadn’t visited yet.

But, she wanted to spend some time in front of the mirror, using all the products her mother gave to become beautiful. For once, she listened to her mother, knowing that she had captured her father’s heart.

She didn’t have to do all this, but she wanted to become someone that could stand near Prince Ryan.

She tried hard to forget him, but she cannot help it.

And even more after what had happened yesterday.

Yesterday, the castle gossip reached the star wing, maids and princesses staying here talked about one thing only.

Prince Ryan.

Even if he was a second Prince and cannot ascend the throne, he was the talk amid the ladies.

He had won almost all the woman’s heart after hearing what happened in the royal court that morning. He had held a Prince captive just because he wanted to save some maid.

His courageous action and how much he respected women reached every corner of the palace and how even the King was pleased with his quick thinking and brave action in saving a woman’s honor.

Every Princess, every lady attending the courting session, had their own choices in choosing their partner, whether for love, politics, or something else. Almost all of them wanted a husband who would protect them despite anything.

That was why Prince Ryan, who could go to extreme levels even to save a maid, was the hot topic among every girl here.

Imagine being his wife.

And Tilda couldn’t stop herself from trying even if she wanted to. Unlike the other girls here, she wanted to understand him, to know about him, to support him in everything he wanted.

After finishing what Tilda dubbed as the annoying task, which was taking care of hair, she sighed and decided to call it a night and go for bed.

She ordered the maids to go to sleep, leaving the candles lit, not wanting to stay in the darkness.

Even in the dim light, she cannot help but admire how beautiful and grand the room assigned to her was. It was an understatement even to call it grand.

The windows and bed were adorned with the finest fabric of silk. The art pieces hung around the wall would invite you into their world, making you lose the sense of time.

Red and gold silk upholstered furniture to match the curtains of the bed and windows. It was a grand room of the likes she had never seen.

If she became the future wife of Prince Ryan by some miracle, she wanted to stay in a room like this with him.

She chuckled at her foolishness, laid down on the bed, hugging the pillow, hiding her blush.

If her parents saw her, they would burst out laughing at her blush as she had never done that like a normal girl.

Only Prince Ryan made her blush.

God! She loved him.

She loved him so much.

As she finally gave in to sleep, her dreams full of sweet memories of her childhood and imagination of a future to come.

While, the Prince of her dream lay on his bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep as thoughts of a certain girl with turquoise eyes refused to let him sleep.