[Music Recommendation: Tattoo ~ Loreen]

Oriana sat on the fallen branch of a tree, her hand moving to push away insects. She stood up to check if Adric was already there. When she didn’t see anyone, she sat back down, wondering if she had gone so deep into the forest that nobody would find her. She started counting numbers with her hand while waiting for time to pass, but then she became restless. A thought hit Oriana: what if Nicholas found her first? She needed to find somewhere to hide so she could see who would come in first.

Finding a small space in a tree, Oriana slipped in, raising her dress to avoid being seen. Though the space was cramped, she had to manage until Adric came. He’d promised to come for her, and she clung to this hope. But as minutes passed with no sign of Adric or even Nicholas, her feet started to feel cramped. She moved out a little to stretch when she saw Nicholas approaching. Quickly, she ducked back into her hiding place, covering her mouth with her hand.

This moment reminded Oriana of her childhood days when she was terrible at hide and seek. She prayed she had improved, even if just a little bit.

Nicholas stopped walking and stood in front of the tree where Oriana had been sitting earlier. His eyes scanned the area.

"I’m sure it went through here," Oriana heard him say. Maybe he had already seen her. She sighed, ready to come out from her hiding spot. Nicholas had already won.

"Oh, look at that beauty," he muttered, taking out his bow and arrow and aiming at a fallow deer not far from him. The deer noticed the movement and ran deeper into the forest. Nicholas cursed under his breath before chasing after it.

Oriana nodded in understanding. Nicholas was here to hunt, not to find her. She sighed, realizing that it would be Adric who would come for her now. But how could she be sure he would? Despite her newly developed feelings for Adric, he was still crazy and twisted.

"Why do I have a feeling you’re badmouthing me right now?"

Oriana held her breath when she heard Adric’s voice. She hadn’t even noticed his arrival. Crawling out of her hiding spot, she saw Adric popping something red into his mouth, his back resting against a tree.

"You want some?" Adric opened his hand, revealing more berries. "Don’t be shy. I know you were badmouthing me, but I’m too kind. If it helps you relieve stress, I won’t judge," he shrugged.

Oriana stood there, speechless. She had a lot to say but didn’t know where to start, and Adric was talking so much that her mind was all over the place. When she finally spoke, her voice sounded croaky.

"H-ow did you..." Oriana stopped. It was useless to ask; he would obviously say something annoying. But that wasn’t the point right now. She was ready to tell him her feelings. It was now or never, and nothing was going to stop her—not even Adric. She cleared her throat.

"Prince Adric, I have something to tell you..." Oriana started, looking at her feet. "I...um, I—"

Adric pushed himself up from the tree. "Yes, you’re ready. Let’s go," he said, starting to walk away without waiting for Oriana to finish.

Oriana blinked. She hadn’t even finished talking. What did he mean by she was ready? She quickly ran after him. "I didn’t even finish talking, and where are we going?" she asked, running with small steps to keep up with Adric’s long strides.

Adric didn’t stop walking. "You wanted to tell me that you were ready to hunt, yes?" he said, popping the remaining berries into his mouth.

"No," Oriana blurted out before she could stop herself. Adric stopped and turned to look at her. "I mean, yes...hunting," she added in a small voice.

Adric nodded. "I guessed right. Come stand here," he pointed to his right.

Oriana obeyed, fumbling with her dress, unsure where to keep her hands. She bit her lip, trying to calm her racing heart, that was about to betray her before she even mouthed her feelings.

"There is our beautiful game," Adric pointed. He turned to look at Oriana. "Are you ready for your first hunt?"

Oriana licked her lips and nodded. "Yes," she said, bringing out her small knife, ready to act on Adric’s command.

"No, Princess. It’s not time for you to use that. Here, take this." Adric handed his bow and arrow to Oriana, their fingers brushing in the process.

Oriana felt a spark when their fingers touched. Her palms turned cold, but she tried maintain her composure.

"Now, wait here and make sure our game doesn’t leave your beautiful sight," Adric said, touching her shoulder before leaving.

Oriana stood there in shock. Adric had touched her and called her beautiful, or had she imagined it? When she recovered, she tightened her grip around the bow, keeping her eyes on the deer. She didn’t want to lose sight of it as Adric had instructed.

Oriana moved her hand, ready to shoot, but when the deer noticed her presence and tried to run, Adric caught it first. When his knife connected with the deer’s neck, Oriana closed her eyes and turned away. The deer was so adorable, and she had hoped it would go free.

"You can turn now," Adric called to her.

Oriana slowly turned her head, afraid of seeing blood, but was surprised to see Adric standing alone. There was no deer or blood anywhere.

Adric grinned at the look of surprise on Oriana’s face. "I was only teaching you how to hunt. You looked like you didn’t want me to kill it."

Oriana let out the breath she had been holding, touching her forehead. Adric knew how to play with her emotions, making her heart race and calm in turns.

Adric smiled, taking out a canteen and uncorking it. "You should have seen your face when I had the knife to its neck," he chuckled, raising the canteen to his lips.

Oriana watched Adric, unable to deny her feelings any longer. Her heart beat loudly, but she didn’t care. The happy look on Adric’s face warmed her heart. Every time he smiled, the dimples on his cheeks made him the most beautiful person she had ever seen. Oriana’s feet moved on their own as she walked closer to Adric, she dropped the bow and arrow, now standing in front of him.

Adric raised his eyebrows, wiping water from his lips. He was about to say something when Oriana stood on her toes and planted her lips on his, sucking the drops of water still on his lips.