wishing on a star that's just a satellite.

Savannah let out a defeated sigh, falling back onto her bed, or their bed - she still wasn't used to that. She still wasn't used to being married, or having to share things, to be with someone she would have to stay with her entire life just because their parents had thought they would rule the fae perfectly. Savvy let out another groan as she turned to bury her face into the pillows. She had tried, yet again, to get out of the castle and into the mundane world. She was fascinated by them, but every time she tried to get out, no matter what way she tried to take the guards always caught her. It wasn't like this back home, her real home, where she knew every way to get out, knew every place that had the best view of the stars, knew every little hiding places. Savannah was trapped here, like a bird in a cage, told to dress up and parade around trying to be happy when she didn't even want to go through with this.

Kit bid adeu to the soon to be King Simon and wished him luck on his marriage before heading out. He had been by Simon's side since they were little, a ward of the castle as he had no idea whom his mother was, yet his father was Simon's father's best friend. He was on his way out to the mundane world, as there wasn't much to do inside the castle or on the grounds today, Kit knew the mundane world was always entertaining. They were all so naive, so unknowning of everything that goes on around them.

Simon waved to Kit's retreating back, "Have safe journeys, my friend, I will see you at dinner," He called out, and after he was gone, he sighed heavily to the empty room. He had no idea what he was doing, marrying a random but beautiful girl and not knowing what to do with her. It didn't help that he didn't know why she seemed so sad all the time, if it had to do with being married to him, and he was too afraid to ask. He decided to return to her and see if she was doing well, and began to make the trek up to his, well now, their room. He opened the door to find her facedown in the pillows, and he fought to stifle a laugh. Simon wiped the smile off of his face before speaking. "Good afternoon, Savannah," he said, giving a little bow, "How are you today?" He followed, stepping more into the room and letting the door close behind him, so the guards couldn't eavesdrop.

Clarissa made her way out of the coffee shop on her own, having just spent the afternoon drawing in her leather bound book whatever she saw. She was on her way to the park with yet another coffee in hand, wanting a change of scenery. She always drew best when she was surronded by nature, always feeling more calm and at peace, and that allowed her to freely draw for hours on end. Lately she had been filled up with images in her mind, ones that made no sense to her, but she always itched to draw whenever she saw them. Sometimes it was a hand resting on another, a side of a face framed by dark curls, a slightly pointed ear, just like how hers were. She drew great castles that had climbing ivy and weathered blocks, a crown made of blooming flowers, a fireplace that was carved marble of gorgeous curls and waves. Clarissa owed it to her creative mind and her fascination with fantasy stories, and every drawing made from the images that flashed in her brain were always the best ones, as if she had actually seen it in front of her, she always got every part of the image spot on. Once she reached the park, she laid out by her favorite place, a small little pond overlooked by a far reaching tree that provided ample shade for her on sunny days. She decided to take a break from drawing, laying out on her back in the grass and closing her eyes.

Savannah let out another muffled groan against the pillows when she heard someone enter the room. The sound of boots on the hardwood floor made her think it was a guard checking up on her, but she was surprised hearing Simon's voice sound out. "Your guards are awful," the words were muffled by the pillows until she turned over to speak again, eyes staring up at the ceiling. "I am miserable," she admitted, a hand going to cover her eyes and part of her face. She could not fathom how he could stand living like this: the constant feelings of being trapped. Savannah needed to be out and able to run free without someone nipping at her heels to make sure she doesn't go too far. Her mother must have told them she liked to wander and run away. "I am a bird trapped inside a cage. I cannot go see the stars besides looking outside a window; I cannot explore in the world that is not ours. I am trapped with nothing to do besides look pretty and do as I am instructed; just like a caged bird." Savannah spoke without restraint, not caring if he was insulted by her words. Maybe he was behind this all as well.

Kit always felt drawn out here, like this was where he was supposed to be. He was unsure of why he had these feelings, he just knew he had them. He had dreams of places, of people, of auburn waves and flashes of the greenery of nature. He could smell coffee and lead in his dreams, feel the gentleness of water and the urge of mysteries begging to be uncovered. He took his path through the woods and out into a park he was very familiar with. Then Kit set his eyes on her, a girl with auburn hair laying in the grass by the pond, and he had this intense feelings of being loved, of adoration and he knew he had to say hello at the very least. Slowly, possibly unsurely, Kit made his way over to the girl and stood in front of her as he spoke up, first clearing his throat. "Excuse me, I couldn't help but notice you and I felt like I needed to introduce myself, if that isn't too unsettling. I'm Kit, Kit Oakley."

Simon stayed silent while she took the time to talk, feeling all at once relieved that it wasn't that she was with him that was distressing her as well as angered that the guards were not letting her do as she pleased. When she finished, Simon felt a bit in awe of how she could speak her mind without fearing consequence, not that he would give it, and enjoyed that he had discovered a part of her that he did not know of previously. "I apologize if you are miserable, and I will do everything in my power to make it not so. I'll have a stern talk with the guards to let you have more power and freedom to do as you wish and go where you wish. My only concern is for your safety, not that I do not think you are capable, mostly I fear of other people and their intentions. So if you do wish to travel to the mundane world, if you could take a guard with you, or me at least, it would settle my heart further. If that is too much, if you could inform either the guards or me when you're leaving, I'll lay in wait for your return. I hope that these terms please you, and if not, let me know now," He said, moving a bit closer to her when he spoke so he wasn't halfway across the room. He found that he enjoyed the light in her eyes when she spoke up for what she believed in, and had a small feeling in the pit of his stomach that this whole situation might work out to be not as bad at all like he had anticipated.

Clarissa jolted a bit at the sound of someone clearing their throat, and her eyes flew open when she heard their voice. Something about it made her draw in a quick breath, and when she looked up into their eyes, she felt warmth spread through her, a familiar feeling of love that was odd because she couldn't recall feeling for anyone before, despite how normal it felt. "No, no it's not unsettling at all, uh hello. I'm Clarissa, Clarissa Grayhallow. Have- Have we met before, I feel like I, I've seen you before?" She stammered, somewhat caught by suprise by everything she was feeling, mostly the lingering feeling that she had seen this man before, with his dark curls and handsome features.

Savannah was waiting for Simon to scold her for speaking so outspoken to him about his guards and her feelings of being trapped; waiting for him to tell her that she shouldn't go out at all since she was the soon to be queen. It never came. Instead, he apologised for her feeling that way and tried to compromise on being able to get her out and about, even if it was just with a guard or him. Savannah sat up, eyes brightening with the idea of being able to explore the new land she was in. "Really?" she asked in disbelief, hoping that he just wasn't playing around and lying to her. For the little bit that she had been here and married to him, not once had she really tried to get to know him. They shared a room and now soon to be two kingdoms as both families were united, and that was all that she had thought that it would be (of course, she had assumed that everyone would be expecting her to bare his children, but she was not ready for that sort of thing any time soon). The thought of them actually getting along and seeing eye-to-eye on things came to her mind and it made her feel a bit more at ease, something she hadn't been feeling too much of lately. She bit down on her lower lip as she contemplated on asking him a question before finally speaking up again, "Would you like to go into the mundane world with me? It seems that we haven't really had the time, or possibly want, to get to know each other, and as that we are married, it seems only necessary to get to know one another eventually. We don't have to do it right away if you need not wish it, but with some newly abled freedom, I see no better time to," she said, hoping that she had made a bit of sense as she spoke, words blending into one another.

Kit smiled and relaxed as she didn't seem too frightened at him speaking to her. She had seemed too familiar not to; he had to have known her from somewhere. "I feel like we have, but I haven't the slightest idea if we actually have or not," Kit admitted, crouching down near her. "Have you lived here your whole life?" he asked. Maybe she was just some mundane he had seen a few too many times as he wandered around among them in his spare time. She was stunning, possessing the beauty of the fae with high cheek bones and a dainty body, long fingers, and stunning eyes. But if she were actually fae, then he would have known it; Kit knew every dae in the kingdom unless she was just visiting.

Simon just nodded his head when Savanah expressed her disbelief on his answer to her. He listened as she replied, smiling as she asked if he wanted to get to know her by accompanying her on her journey. "I would love to join you, Savannah. I have been intrigued by you since we married, and it would be nice to become familiar. Would you like to venture out now? Maybe you could change into something that's a bit better for travel, I believe if you look in your closet you can find something a bit untraditional for a queen, but necessary when adventuring. Bring a cloak and wear flat shoes, and I'll go down and arrange us something to bring along. I'll meet you down in the kitchens, alright? I'll speak with the guards and they shall escort you," He told her, his smile bright, and he went over to place a gentle kiss on her cheek before retreating from the room. He spoke with the guards and had all of the terms he had just established with her arranged, and made his way over to Kit's room. Simon had left his old clothes that he used to wear when he went adventuring before he had become a proper prince, and once he found them hanging faithfully in the closet, he changed into them quickly. They were made of worn leather and fit him snug, decorated with detailing of climbing ivy leaves and silver threaded swirls. He hoped the Princess would enjoy the similar yet different outfit he had made for her early on, waiting in the back of her closet. Simon had a small hope that he might find a girl who might enjoy exploring as he did. Once changed, he made his way down to the kitchens, carrying a leather bag for his back. He filled it with ripe fruit and sweet fae wine and fresh baked bread for them to enjoy later, and he ate a fresh pastry from the oven as he waited for Savannah to come down to meet him.

She looked into his eyes and was almost amazed at how soft they were when they looked at her, and she shook her head at his question. "I moved here on my own a few months ago, I just felt drawn to come here, to live in this area. I love it, but I always feel like something is missing, like I'm missing a puzzle piece," Clarissa sighed, looking past him for a moment as it was almost too much to look at him too long, like it almost got to be too much. "Do you live around here?" She asked, meeting his eyes again.

Savannah's smile grew even more as Simon agreed to go exploring with her immediately. "Of course, I will meet you soon," she replied, her cheek tingling from the little moment of his lips there. She waited for him to leave before climbing off the bed to the closet to find something to wear. When she looked through the clothes, she found most likely what he had been talking about. It was a pair of tight leather skinny pants decorated with ivy and silver thread trailing up the sides of her legs. The top fit snugly as well and was decorated in much the same way. They were beautiful, made of the finest materials, and to go with, she grabbed a pair of cute black flats with a little silver bow. Savannah tied half of her hair back with a little black ribbon before putting on a chocker with a little silver crescent moon hung on black ribbon. She tied the cloak around her before stepping out of the room, guards waiting there to escort her down to the kitchens to meet back up with Simon. She was playing with her cloak and admiring the clothes she wore when she noticed Simon walking towards her. "These clothes, they're beautiful," she told him softly.

Kit exhaled slowly, hearing that she had just moved here not too long ago. She could be fae then, just not realising that she was talking to another fae. "I do, actually. I live in the woods, but I wouldn't recommend going in there without a local, it's hard to navigate if you don't really know them," he told her, just in case she wasn't a fae and would get terribly lost. If she were ,in fact, fae she would be able to navigate right to the castle without a problem.

Simon's eyes lit up when Savannah came into view, his eyes traveling the length of her body clothed in the matching leather outfit like his. She looked so utterly beautiful in her cloak and little black flats that he almost couldn't believe that he got matched with someone like her. He had a feeling that they were going to have quite a bit of fun. He grinned when she came up closer, talking quietly just to him. "You look quite beautiful in them, as well. I'm glad you like them. Shall we go?" He shouldered his bag after making sure that it was tied closed, and placed a hand at her lower back. Simon looked to the guards, giving them a quick nod, and they all soon fell away, returning back to their other duties. He then guided Savannah out of the kitchens and through a door that led right out to the castle gardens. There was a secret way out that mostly only the gardeners knew about, but Simon and Kit had discovered so many years earlier. "We can explore a little bit if you'd like, though I do knew a few cool places we can stop by. I know these woods like the back of my hand," He said, really leaving it up to her. His hand fell away from her back a moment later, and he laced his fingers behind his back, letting her lead if she wanted to.

"You live in the woods? Are there houses back there?" She asked, eyes a little wide, as she hadn't realized that the woods were that deep. Clarissa assumed that they stopped at some point and then ended off to some businesses and restaurants.

Savannah smiled at his compliment but nodded her head. She was nervous walking past the guards, but Simon made it okay; he had much more influence over them than she did now. Her lower back was warm and she felt a little funny as his hand rested there for the few minutes it took for them to go outside. She wasn't sure what that feeling was - she could only describe it as "funny". Savannah listened to him explain that he had secret places he could show her, but once they were far enough away from the castle, she felt amazing. "Catch me if you can!" she exclaimed, grinning to the man as she took off running farther into the woods. This felt amazing. She could breathe and feel the woods exhale back to her, hear the rustling of the leaves and little creatures going about their business. Every time her feet touched the ground as she ran it was like she could feel the ground beneath her pulsing, like a heartbeat. She had no idea where she was going, only knowing that she was going somewhere, and that Simon was there with her.

Kit smiled a little at her astonished face, nodding his head. "Yeah, it's really lovely, you don't feel the iron of the town or breathe in any of the harsh chemicals; it's all open, fresh, beautiful," he explained, hoping that he hadn't spoken too much - only the fae would really understand the iron burn their skin and throats as they were forced to inhale it every time they came out here. Still, he felt like she would understand. He could remember a beautiful smile much like hers and the feeling of burning iron in his throat, a voice saying 'c'mon, it's not too far! it's amazing!'.

Simon grinned when she began to run, and he started running after her after giving her a few seconds start. She was quite faster than he had anticipated, and it took him a couple of minutes to catch up with her. The air felt cool and calming as it filtered through his lungs, and he always enjoyed coming out here because it didn't feel so closed in, as the castle sometimes did. He ran alongside her for awhile, just because he could, and noticed they were going in the direction of the waterfall. He didn't say anything and continued to follow beside her, and he slowed when they got a few feet to the waters edge. The water was alive with bubbles and billowing smoke above it, as the water was hot, and the waterfall that fell down churned the water. There was a well worn track up the side of the cliff that many used to jump down into the water, as it was only a little bit shallow before deepening. The most special thing about the waterfall was all of the fauna that surronded it, glowing dimly with assorted colors depending on the plant. The lights even continued underneath the water, making the depths illuminated and easy to see even though it was deep. It was breathtaking, and always had been Simon's favorite place. He always came here when he was troubled and needed to think, and he had many fond memories here that had been spent splashing around in the water with Kit. "It seems you found one of the places I wanted to show you, which also happens to be my favorite," Simon said, looking over to her with a smile. He moved closer and tugged off his boots, stepping into a shallow area and sighing deeply. "The water is amazing, it's the perfect warm temperature, come here, try it," He reached out his hand to her, inviting her over as he looked back after stepping in.

"Well I'd love to see it if you wanted to show me?" She asked tentatively, wondering if going into the woods with this stranger was the best decision. Even though her doubt lingered in the back of her mind, Clarissa couldn't shake the feeling that she would be anything but safe with him, and hardly the opposite. When he mentioned an iron burn, it resonated with her, the feeling that she felt when she was deep in the city and she felt like she was burning up from the inside, almost feeling like she could barely breathe. It was always easier when she came to the park, the farther away from the buildings the better she felt.

Savannah was full of happiness and laughter as she ran through the woods with Simon at her side, but when they reached a little lagoon with a waterfall at the one end. It was beautiful and she was in awe. When he told her to try the water, she toed off her shoes without hesitation and rolled up her pants a little before taking his hand and stepping into the water. It was so warm, like a really nice bubble bath without the bubbles. "I want to jump from the top of the waterfall," she said, her voice soft and still in awe as she stared up to the cascading water. "Can I? Is it safe?" she asked, looking to Simon with large pleading eyes, biting down on her lip a little. She knew that he needed to make sure that she was going to be safe, but that still didn't stop her from pleading and talking him into it if she had to. Even if her wings would get tangled and she would have to reweave them - it would be worth it.

"Maybe someday," Kit smiled to her. It had to make her uncomfortable at the thought of exploring the woods with someone she had just met. He had not quarrels with it, but it was too early. He wasn't sure if she was fae or not, yet. It seemed like she understood breathing in the iron, but it still didn't convince him. He wasn't too sure what would really convince him.

Simon grinned at her eagerness to join him in the water, filling up with happiness at the look on her face and how in awe she was. When she mentioned jumping from the top, he nodded to her. "It's very safe, I have jumped off the top myself many times throughout the years and it has always been quite alright. So go on ahead. Do you want to do it on your own and have me down here, or do you want me to come and jump alongside you?" He told her, letting his hand linger in here, falling gently down tangled together against their sides. Simon thought this was the first time he had seen her so beautifully flushed with happiness that he couldn't believe he didn't somehow miss it or feel sorrow at the fact that she wasn't like this every day. He made a silent promise to himself to try and keep her this happy as much as he could, every day, because she glowed underneath all of the joy, practically radiated it, and he thought that it would be a shame to not be able to witness that every day he spent with her.

When he turned her down she nodded, running a hand through her hair. "Oh, alright," She murmured, her voice soft as she cast her eyes to the ground. Clarissa found herself at a loss for words, desiring desperately for something to say and instead falling short. Her lack of words made her retract in on herself noticeably, feeling insecure that she didn't have much to say, as she never really spent a lot of time talking to anyone, boys in particular.

Savannah's face brightened even more, if that was even possible, at the mentioning of the jump being safe. "Jump with me," she told him, looking up to him, her eyes meeting his. She had had no idea that he was anything like this. She was told a month or so before the wedding that she was to marry him, even though preparations had been going on for a while then. They really hadn't had much time to be together and talk as he was out learning kingly things and she was trapped in her room or partaking in other silly lessons on how to be a proper queen and such from his mother. They had meals together, sometimes, and she never really spoke much to him when they got ready for bed, her usually before him. But Simon was interesting, or seemed so with what she had found out about him today, and he genuinely seemed to care about her and her feelings. Savannah took off her cloak and slowly started undressing down to her panties and bra as she didn't want to get all her clothes soaked. Standing there almost completely naked in front of a guy (her husband, but still mostly just someone she was just getting to know) whom had never seen her in anything less than a nightgown, made her feel a little self-conscious.

Kit felt a little awkward then, both just being there in silence for a few moments before he cleared his throat and spoke up again. "So you draw? May I see?" he asked. He used to draw with the tutors every once in a while, but he was completely rubbish at it. Kit felt more comfortable with a fountain pen and a leather bound book to write in.

Simon smiled when she asked for him to join her, moving out of the water and back onto land. He found himself avoiding his eyes from her as she undressed, giving her the privacy she deserved. He hadn't actually ever seen her bare, or do so in front of him, and the least clothing he'd ever seen was a nightgown. Simon was alright with that, because he was mostly concerned with how comfortable she was rather than his desire to see her in such a way, simply because he thought she was so beautiful. He undressed himself as well, slipping off his clothing and trying to ignore the thoughts of her being so bare, and not making it about him. When he got down to his underwear he realized he didn't have much to hide, and at this point, even if they were just tentatively getting to know each other, they were husband and wife. When he looked back over to her, his eyes quickly roamed down her body before snapping back up to her eyes, where they stayed. "C'mon, follow me," Simon murmured, his voice lower now, and he held out his hand for her and waited until hers rested against his, and lead her to the path. It was a bit slippery at bits, and Simon let her go first so that he could catch her if she needed help.

Clarissa nodded, opening her book and flipping to the first few pages. She angled herself more towards Kit so that he could see better, as well as moving closer so that he could see every detail. The first few drawings consisted of the city and random architecture, some corners of her tiny apartment at random moments, and quickly became jumbled from things that she had drawn from her dreams. There was the castle walls with climbing ivy, an ornate bedroom with bedposts carved with curling designs, a windowsill where a man laid writing in a book, a close up of a cheek that had wildly curly hair and slightly pointy ears ducked down. They were all so familiar to her that they almost seemed real, but she knew that it had all just come from her imagination. The last few drawings were quick sketches from the coffee shop that she had spent the better part of her day in before coming to the park. "Most of these are from my dreams, but some of them are places I've been too and seen around here," She said, holding the book loosely just in case he wanted to take it from her hands to look closer at her drawings.

There were butterflies in Savannah's stomach when her eyes met Simon's once again. It was unnerving standing in front of him like this, and she wanted to know what he thought of her, but didn't ask. She would rather wonder than hear something she would rather not. She hiked with him up to the waterfall, taking careful steps, trying not to fall. At the top, Savannah walked to the edge of the ground and looked down. Her stomach was in her throat already, but it was such an amazing feeling. "On the count of three?" she asked Simon, taking his hand in hers and holding tightly. She started counting, and then, on three just like she said, she jumped, hand still holding onto his tightly like a lifeline. On the way down she screamed, laughing, and eventually hitting the water at the bottom. Savannah let go of his hand only when they were under the water so that she could swim her way up to break the water. She laughed, adrenaline still pumping through her veins as she looked around to find Simon.

Kit looked through her images, feeling a little excited that he was allowed to see what she had drawn. When he heard that they were from her dreams, he felt like he needed to look closer at the images and flipped through them slowly. He was surprised to see the castle there, in great detail and couldn't believe that she has not seen it in person. He also looked at the sketches of curly hair and pointed ears and the images that she spoke that were inspired by her dreams that weren't of the fae castle deep in the woods, felt familiar of some reason. He didn't know why, maybe because it reminded himself of him, but that was always a crazy thought. "They're beautiful, you have a lot of talent," he said after clearing his throat and hoping that he hadn't looked too surprised looking at the fae ones.

Simon nodded once they got to the top, and she said to jump on the count of three. He held her hand back just as tightly and jumped when she said so, laughing at the feeling of falling, his stomach in his throat being a familiar feeling. Her hand left his once they hit the water, and he surfaced a few moments after getting close to the bottom. When his head popped back up, Savannah was already there, but closer then he expected. He had come up right beside her, and her bright eyes were so alive when they looked into his. He laughed again breathlessly, moving a hand to sit on her shoulder gently. "Are you okay, my queen?" Simon asked lowly, his hand sliding a bit down onto her arm softly, barely a touch. "You are so beautiful like this, seeing you this happy makes you glow so bright, I don't ever want to look away from your light," He murmured, realizing in that moment how completely smitten he was with her, especially seeing her like this.

"Thank you so much," She said as she looked at him, as she had been watching him look so intently at her drawings before. He seemed particularly interested in the ones from her dreams, which she also liked best because they were always the better pieces of her work. When he was finished and gave her her book back, she wrapped it up and placed it back into her bag. She checked her watch and found it to be later than she expected, and feeling brave, she gave him a small smile. "Would you maybe like to get some dinner with me? It seems we've been talking for quite awhile already, and it's dinner time, so if you don't have any plans, it would be nice to spend some more time with you," Clarissa asked, her voice soft and a bit timid, as she had never asked out a boy before.

"That.... That was amazing!" Savannah exclaimed, smile and eyes so bright. Her arms slid up and wrapped around his neck, fingers tangled there behind it, feeling his wet curls there. Heat rose into her cheeks at Simon's comment and she ducked her head a little, not wanting him to see her blush. She had realised how wonderful Simon really was and her quick impression of him not going to be this way at all made her feel bad. "I apologise for early assumptions of you, they weren't the fondest," she said, her voice soft and resting her head there on his chest. Gods, she had just assumed that he was going to be a horrible husband, but today, it was going amazing.

Kit handed over her sketch book and nodded his head at her offer. "I would love to have dinner with you; I know this wonderful little place just around the corner, it's right by the park here so you still get the wonderful breathe of fresh air," he told her, moving to stand up. He waited for her to get her things together before holding his hand out to her to help her up.

Simon sighed softly when her arms slipped up around his neck, her fingers tangling in his wet curls. He let his arm slide down to around her waist, his other arm coming from the other side to completely circle her. His hands rested just on the low of her back, and he let his thumb brush against the skin there, massaging into her skin gently. The feeling of her body pressed up against his was one that sent shivers running down his back, and he never imagined it would feel like this. He saw her cheeks flush quickly after his compliment, which she hid by ducking her head. Simon tutted softly, one of his hands coming up to rest under her chin and push her face back up so he could see her. "Don't hide your pretty blush," He murmured, his hand sliding from her chin to cup her jaw, his fingers extending into her hair. Simon chuckled softly when he heard her say that her early thoughts of him weren't kind. "They were allowed, as I wasn't giving you ample attention to realize how unhappy you really were. I was so scared of you in the beginning because I assumed you would hate me and hate being in a new place, because I would've felt the same if I were you. I'm sorry that I didn't try my best to make it as easy as possible for you to transition into this new lifestyle. I was too much absorbed into all of the new things I had to undertake as King, but I was failing at being good to my Queen, above all else, which is what I vow to do from now on," He told her, and let a few beats of silence pass before speaking again. "You do not even know how deeply I desire to kiss you right now," Simon added, his voice even lower then when he had spoken before.

Clarissa got her things together and brought her bag to her shoulder, looking up to Kit once he stood up and taking the hand that he was offering her to help her up. Once up on her feet, she walked alongside Kit, not being able to believe that he wanted to continue spending time with her, and feeling so proud of herself for asking in the first place because it turned out to work just like she wanted it to. She followed him to the restaurant, recognizing the place upon seeing it after she had passed it many times on her way out of the park.

Simon sighed softly when her arms slipped up around his neck, her fingers tangling in his wet curls. He let his arm slide down to around her waist, his other arm coming from the other side to completely circle her. His hands rested just on the low of her back, and he let his thumb brush against the skin there, massaging into her skin gently. The feeling of her body pressed up against his was one that sent shivers running down his back, and he never imagined it would feel like this. He saw her cheeks flush quickly after his compliment, which she hid by ducking her head. Simon tutted softly, one of his hands coming up to rest under her chin and push her face back up so he could see her. "Don't hide your pretty blush," He murmured, his hand sliding from her chin to cup her jaw, his fingers extending into her hair. Simon chuckled softly when he heard her say that her early thoughts of him weren't kind. "They were allowed, as I wasn't giving you ample attention to realize how unhappy you really were. I was so scared of you in the beginning because I assumed you would hate me and hate being in a new place, because I would've felt the same if I were you. I'm sorry that I didn't try my best to make it as easy as possible for you to transition into this new lifestyle. I was too much absorbed into all of the new things I had to undertake as King, but I was failing at being good to my Queen, above all else, which is what I vow to do from now on," He told her, and let a few beats of silence pass before speaking again. "You do not even know how deeply I desire to kiss you right now," Simon added, his voice even lower then when he had spoken before.

Clarissa got her things together and brought her bag to her shoulder, looking up to Kit once he stood up and taking the hand that he was offering her to help her up. Once up on her feet, she walked alongside Kit, not being able to believe that he wanted to continue spending time with her, and feeling so proud of herself for asking in the first place because it turned out to work just like she wanted it to. She followed him to the restaurant, recognizing the place upon seeing it after she had passed it many times on her way out of the park.