Chapter Ten:
Take Me to the Clouds Above
Dmitri
A little over a week passed, and before I knew it, it was the day before Valentine’s. The holiday fell on a Monday, and Andrew allowed us to have it off since he and Cerelia had their own plans. We all were celebrating on Sunday so we could, basically, have a bunch of sex Sunday night and recover all day Monday. No one complained about the plan, that’s for sure.
Today also was the day my father would be returning to England to prepare for when he would bring his first batch of soldiers to Andrew. The royal couple and my mother asked Riley and I numerous times if we would be fine with his presence, but after reading our letters from him, we agreed to be civil. Mom was pretty tense, and still hadn’t touched hers, but she was trying to be professional about the situation since she had agreed to it first admittedly.
Michael and Martha left Saturday night for a romantic weekend in The South, and weren’t due back until mid-Monday morning. Stefan and Aveline booked a cabin on the beach and were determined to have as much hot tub sex as possible, which was gross yet cute at the same time. With the boys being gone, Gwen and I were left to do as we pleased. I had spent a week extensively planning an elaborate evening that was equally extravagant yet simple, because she would murder me if I went overboard.
╬
The foyer was quite packed for a Sunday morning, and the noise was getting to be pretty annoying. I was curled up on the main couch going over every step of my plan to make sure it was flawless while Ramah slept with his chin on my leg. He kept kneading my pants in his sleep, which was the single cutest thing in the world.
Mom and Cerelia were talking about a secret ‘girls only’ room they had been decorating for days, and were gushing over which wallpaper to use. Andrew was rolling his eyes to Riley, who laughed at the look on his uncle’s face. A few minutes later, a car door opened and closed outside, which made Andrew and Riley turn to peek out the window. Riley sighed painfully and ghosted to Mom’s side, which made her pause her conversation to casually reassure him.
I didn’t bother looking up from my notebook as Atticus opened the doors for Levi, who nervously walked inside. He nodded to Andrew and bowed respectfully before shaking his hand, and Andrew stiffly returned the gesture before asking him how the trip here was. Mom glared daggers at Levi from across the room with her best friend, which made me giggle, while Riley shook his head playfully to me. Andrew led Levi to where he had his plans set up on the table behind me, which made Levi swallow when he realized he would have to walk past me.
As he passed Andrew flicked my forehead; I smacked him with my pen as he chuckled. Levi awkwardly ghosted to a stop beside the couch as he waited for Andrew, and kept his head down. I sighed to myself before pausing on the sentence I was writing. “Hey,” I simply called, which made Levi physically jump.
He blinked in shock at me before a small smile formed; “Hey…” he chirped back. Andrew smirked in approval before the two began discussing where the first batch of soldiers would be staying; Mom sighed happily, but still watched us carefully.
A minute later a door on the third floor slowly opened, and the shuffle of slip on sandals echoed through the castle. I started giggling automatically because I knew damn well who it was, which made Levi and Andrew pause to raise an eyebrow at me. “What?” Andrew asked.
“She’s awake,” I said, making him laugh light heartedly as Levi titled his head curiously.
“Morning, Gwen!” Riley called as she finally descended the last flight of steps. She had on a pair of my joggers and a tank top, which she had thrown an oversized jumper over. Her hair was in a disheveled bun that had been birthed by tossing and turning through the night. She raised a sleeve covered hand to Riley before slinking to the couch. I raised an eyebrow as she stood still for a moment before collapsing dramatically into my lap.
Everyone laughed unanimously as I rolled my eyes and set my notebook down to squeeze her in a loving hug. “Morning, Medusa,” I teased as she smacked her cheek into my neck.
“Morning…” she moaned.
“You’re looking as radiant as ever?”
“Shut up, you stupid Pretty Boy…” she snapped into my shirt, which made me snort a giggle. She let out an exaggerated yawn before her arms smacked around me playfully, “What time do I have to be ready by…?”
“Preferably four; I put your outfit in the closet this morning.”
“It better not be a hooker skirt…”
“Gwenevere, I value having a heartbeat, so I know better than to make you wear anything above knee length.” I joked. Levi smiled lovingly at us, and his eyes burned with pure happiness.
She patted my face blindly, “I’ve trained you well…” she tiredly teased.
“Did you drug her last night?” Andrew laughed as she began kissing my neck while making little, “Mew, mew,” noises that made me shake my head.
“Far from; she was up all night watching that dumb ghost documentary show.”
“You were the one who wanted to watch it!” She barked.
“And you stayed up till four a.m. staring at a tv screen and shoveling down crisps.”
“Correction; it was three forty five, and I was eating chocolate covered raisins.”
“Eww, you like those!?” Riley scoffed.
“We like to pretend it’s healthy because of the raisin part,” I joked.
Gwen snapped her fingers at me, “And that right there is why I love you,” she said simply. Riley and the girls laughed at us as Gwen sighed and flopped to a sitting position, “Well, I should probably eat something sustainable and get dressed. Man, I am gonna need a lot of caffeine to make it through the day…”
“I think you’re fine the way you are?” I teased as I flicked her temple.
“Shush, you!” She giggled, kissing me sweetly before going to the kitchen.
“There she goes, off to steal all of the sesame bagels when no one is around,” I teased, though the loving tone I wore made each person in the room smile infectiously.
╬
At three thirty, I fixed the collar of my button up and sighed at myself in the mirror. Gwen had gifted me a really beautiful suit for Christmas, and I decided today would be a good time to wear it. Admittedly, it was extremely outside my comfort zone. The button up was short sleeved, so if I had my jacket off, I would have to show my scars. The pants were a blinding bright yellow, and the jacket was the same with vibrant flowers plastered all over it. She bought it expecting I would never touch it, but she really wanted to see me outside of joggers and a long sleeve, so I promised I would eventually wear it. I tied the laces of my loafers, spritzed my best cologne, and tucked aside one last strand of hair before grabbing my wallet and keys.
Andrew and Cerelia were downstairs waiting for Atticus, who would be escorting them to their own romantic dinner. Mom and Riley had plans to indulge on chocolate covered cherries and watch dumb rom coms, and Levi was busy with work and only in the foyer to see the royal couple off. I came down the stairs with my hands in my pockets, a blush already forming as I descended the many staircases. “Oh my gosh, Dmitri!? You look so handsome mon cherie!” Mom cried as I shuffled into the foyer.
“Think so? It’s pretty eccentric for me?” I awkwardly tried.
“Where did you get that suit! It’s stunning!” Riley cried as he rushed over to poke at it.
“Gwen got it for me for Christmas.”
“Tell her to get me one,” he scoffed, which made me laugh, “I didn’t think such a pattern would work for you, but you wear it well!”
“I hope so; I'm trying to break out of my comfort zone a little, ya know? With summer coming up, I kind of need to start gaining some confidence…?” I trailed off as Riley’s eyes sadly faded from their initial excitement.
“What do you have planned tonight?” Cerelia chirped as she helped tuck a stubborn strand of hair behind my ear.
I shrugged casually, “Dinner, dancing, walk in the park… just simple things, but their all things she enjoys. What about you guys?”
“Well, since this is our twentieth anniversary, we’re headed to the first place we met,” Andrew began as he slid an arm around Cerelia’s waist, “a little ruin of a castle in Carlisle.”
“The Committee was trying to figure out what to do with the old place, and had asked Andrew to accompany them since it was soon to be part of his country. My parents were visiting with Jeremiah to discuss some kind of trade transfer, which left Andrew and I alone to wander the old building.” Cerelia explained.
“I remember that day like it was yesterday; we were just about to turn sixteen, and I was explaining that I would be king within the next year, and was expected to marry as soon as possible. You couldn’t believe Jeremiah would make me do such a thing, nor that I would have to rule a country all on my own.”
“Do you remember what I said to you?” She teased, ruffling his thin beard playfully.
“I absolutely do. ‘Well, your majesty, if you are to be married within the next year, then please let me know as soon as possible what day you’ll plan our wedding for’. I will never forget that day, especially because of how well our small joke turned out to be.” Andrew cooed.
“How long did you know each other before you were married?” I asked.
“Three months,” Cerelia replied a little self-consciously.
“Wow, that’s crazy to imagine. Though, look how well it worked out for you both.”
“Speaking of love at first sight…” Mom giggled as the sound of heels clicked on the tile floor. I turned in time to see Gwen nervously smile to everyone with a simple wave. She wore a short-sleeved navy blue dress with flowers that matched my suit. The dress displayed every curve in her gorgeous body, and was one of the first pieces of clothing she’d ever worn that was meant to do so. Her shoulders were exposed, and the top fell just right so that it let her show a little cleavage while still being conservative. The skirt was fitted but very non-restrictive, and came down to below knee length as she liked.
She had begrudgingly wore a pair of respectable heels, and put extra effort into accentuating the waves in her hair so they fell on her shoulders. Pearl earrings and a matching bracelet were the only jewelry she wore and or needed, and her yellow clutch popped brightly against the dark fabric. She finished the look with a blinding red lip, eyeliner, and mascara, and her beauty was so intense that I forgot how to function for a few seconds.
Everyone gushed wildly over my stunning girlfriend, who laughed carelessly with a blush that matched her lips. Mom spun her around so we could all marvel at the outfit before kissing her hands sweetly, “How gorgeous do you look, Ms. Lee!? Where have you been hiding these hips?!” She accused with a loving smile.
“Under large amounts of t-shirts and joggers,” Gwen teased.
Riley nudged me, which made Andrew, Cerelia, and Levi giggle, “Now would be a good time to tell her yourself?” He joked.
“Yeah…” I mumbled before robotically moving forward, which made them laugh harder.
“Nice of you to join us; doesn’t she look amazing?” Mom coaxed.
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“Incredibly stunning…” I breathed, unblinking, which made Gwen turn even redder and Mom’s eyes fill with absolute happiness at whatever look was on my face.
“I have to give you credit where credit is due; you absolutely picked the perfect outfit.” Gwen admitted as I kissed her cheek warmly.
“You may not think it, but I actually listen when you talk.”
“I won’t lie; I was half expecting a bright pink mini skirt.”
“I hate to break it to you, but I find a classy dress much more attractive then skimpy skirts,” I said, winking as she rolled her eyes playfully, “Are you ready to-…?”
“How much?” She snapped.
“Oh come on, Gwen…!” I whined.
“We do not leave this castle until I see receipts!” She barked, crossing her arms cutely.
“Why can’t I just take you out for a nice night?”
“Because I'm cheap and I don’t want you blowing hundreds!”
“Two-twenty-six, that’s it!” Her eyes narrowed in anger as I threw my hands up, “It was the cheapest I could go for everything I wanted to do…!”
“I told you…!?”
“Michael spent over a thousand!?” I roared back as everyone laughed hysterically.
“Instead of bickering, maybe you should just got enjoy yourselves?” Cerelia sang as I held my arm out to Gwen.
“I couldn’t agree more,” I snarkily retorted as Gwen sighed in defeat and took my gesture lovingly. Mom snapped a few photos for Cerelia’s album that made the two giggle, “We’ll be back later tonight!” I called over my shoulder with a playful smile.
“Have fun!” Everyone cried as the doors shut behind us gently.
╬
Andrew happily let me borrow one of his cars, which I drove through the streets of The North Kingdom with an enamored smile. Gwen held my free hand and gazed over my outfit with the same blush that hadn’t left her cheeks since we left the castle. “I'm so happy the suit fits you well; it looks absolutely incredible…” she cooed as she kissed my temple delicately. The gesture made butterflies dance around my stomach, and my smile only grew wider.
“I agree; I was quite nervous to wear it, but I'm happy I did.”
“So am I; the flowers make your eyes absolutely sparkle!”
“Thank you, but let’s talk about how gorgeous you look for a moment. I actually forgot how to speak for when you came downstairs.”
“Oh, shut up,” she laughed as I kissed our interlocked hands.
“I only speak the truth, mon chérie.” I pulled into the parking lot of a Japanese bistro, which made Gwen gasp when she realized where we were. “Activity one: sushi dinner.”
“Are you serious?!” She squeaked excitedly, in a tone that made my heart sing.
“How often do I get to take you to your favorite restaurant?”
“Who told you?” She accused playfully, though her excited blush was betraying her.
“Your mother; she actually helped me plan much of tonight,” I opened the door for her before leading us inside the packed restaurant. Gwen tried to hide her disgust, which made me automatically laugh. “Relax; I got us a special reservation far away from society. If you think I'm spending my night in a cramped booth with strangers, you are sadly mistaken.”
“I am so attracted to you right now.” She cackled before we shared another giggle and were escorted to the back of the restaurant. Our booth was in the back in between two walls, and was just far enough that the noisy patrons were down to a tolerable yapping. We both ordered various rolls off of the all-you-can eat menu before I poured us drinks and set my chin in my hand. “This was an incredibly sweet surprise; thank you so much…” Gwen sighed as she took my other hand and squeezed it lovingly.
“I am trying my best to spoil you within my constraints…” I pulled my list from my pocket and laid it flat, “I have two more events tonight, the last one being free so you can’t complain.”
“I like free,” she said-matter-of-factly as she sipped her drink.
“The only rule I broke was with your gift; I didn’t count it in the final total, but you aren’t going to make me take it back no matter how much you argue.”
A guilty smile tugged at her red lips, “I know I'm being a pain, but I hate when people spend money on me. I want to do something equally special for you too. I hate the stigma that men have to do everything on their own, and the women just soak up the gifts.”
“I understand, really, I do. It’s our first Valentine’s together, so I really wanted to make it special is all. I probably could have wiped my savings account if you let me,” I chucked.
“Let’s not do that, shall we?” She smiled lovingly and played with my hand to distract herself, “I'm quite excited to give you your gift as well. I just hope you like it.”
“I'm sure I will; you know me better than you think,” I paused, which made her eyebrow raise. “Honestly, I think you know more about me than anyone else in this world. I forget that sometimes, and take it for granted.”
“What do you mean?” she mumbled sadly.
“I dunno… I'm just rambling to myself is all.” She went to speak just as our food was set down, which made me sigh softly in relief. I clipped a shrimp tempura roll in my chopsticks and wagged my eyebrows, “Commence sexy sushi eating time!”
“You are such a dork,” she laughed, plucking the roll free with an adorable eye roll.
╬
After we ate, I drove us into the gleaming town just beyond the restaurant. The sun had begun to set, so lights of bars and stores illuminated the streets. Our next destination was a sweet little club that was holding a Valentine’s night. When we walked inside, we laughed at the rose petal covered floors, and made our way to a free spot in the room to set our things down. “Isn’t this a quaint little place?” She sang as I slid my jacket off nervously. Her eyes fell on my bare arms, and began to twinkle happily.
“Well, since we enjoy dancing together so much, I thought we should give it a go again tonight.” I said as I held my hand out.
“Really? We’re dancing?” She asked in a sparkling tone of astonishment.
“As long as you don’t mind doing so in heels…?” I offered unsurely.
“You’re kidding, right?” She snorted playfully before we headed out onto the dance floor. Around twenty couples were casually turning about the space; some shared soft kisses while others were trying to find their rhythm for the night. Each one varied in age; the older ones smiled over the fresh, new love of the youngsters, while the young ones whispered about how cute the older ones were, all nestled into one another’s arms.
I slid my hand onto Gwen’s waist and before we began to sweetly sway to the rhythm. She squeezed our interlocked grasp and caressed my shoulder warmly with a slight blush and small smile of her own. “I can’t get over how beautiful you look tonight. You’re always beautiful of course, but God, that dress looks exquisite…” I complimented lovingly.
“I do feel bad sometimes that I dress like I'm homeless,” she teased before turning serious, “I suppose we both have to work on some body confidence, eh?”
“Definitely; there is nothing wrong with us, no matter how much body dysmorphia wants to pretend like there is.” I lightly joked to try and lighten the mood.
She ran her fingers down the brand in my arm with a sigh, “I know it sounds odd, but I really love to just, touch you. It’s not a sexual thing; if I can feel the warmth of your skin, it reminds me that you’re real. I constantly just, want to have a hand touching you. Is that weird?”
“I don’t think so; I feel the same way. Sometimes it just validates those primal human feelings. If I can touch you, then I know your by my side, and it provides a sense of security.”
“I suppose that’s true…” she scoffed once in between sentences, “I feel like I joke around too much sometimes…”
“About what?” I asked sadly.
“We all know the running gag in the castle about you being so attractive, and I foolishly feed into the stigma because it’s funny. The truth is, I am terrified that it hurts your feelings. I don’t want you to think I'm with you because your pretty to look at. I genuinely love everything about you, and I don’t make that clear all the time…” she fell quiet for a moment.
Instead of reassuring her, I decided to try and do something a little different, “Tell me what you love about me?” I prompted.
She stumbled at my odd question, but a breathtaking smile followed her response, “I mean, where do I begin? For starters, you are incredibly smart. I’ve read through numerous books that you fiddle with, and the notes and such you take are marvelous. The way you pick apart the smallest details is very intriguing, and I end up reading for hours if I'm not careful. I’ve also found your secret stash of poetry…”
“Oh no…” I croaked as she laughed at my horror-filled expression.
“Don’t worry, I only read one poem, but it was absolutely amazing. I wish you would share these little things with the world, but I understand why you don’t. I don’t exactly sell my paintings, so I have no room to judge. I also understand the escape; when your writing you enter your own world, where only you and your work exist. As much as I’d love to tell everyone, there are some things that are kept private for a reason.” She paused to let her fingertips travel down my neck lovingly, “Do you know what I truly love? I love how odd you are. You are the definition of a special little snowflake. You have an envious talent to match your personality to those around you, but when you truly let yourself go, you are the quirkiest thing! Some of your mannerisms are adorable. I can watch you organize your pencils for hours.”
We laughed obnoxiously at her comment before I shook my head, “What you call a quirk, I call obsessive compulsive.”
“Maybe, but I do know that it’s very cute. As mature as you are, when you let your inner child out, it really is a sight to see. Admittedly, you and those damn roommates drive Martha and I up the wall, but when you run around like kids even I can’t deny that it’s heartwarming.”
“Can I ask you something that’s a little, abrupt?” I hesitantly said.
“Of course you can…?”
“I don’t mean offense by this, so please don’t take it that way…?”
“Cavalry honor,” she teased.
I took a deep breath before whispering, “You aren’t with me out of pity, are you…?”
The air between us grew very cold. I winced slightly at the blank look that overcame her face, and the way her grip loosened a little as she processed what I said. “Um… Gwen…?” I stammered, trying to clasp her hand again, but she wasn’t putting any effort to allow me to do so.
Her eyes narrowed, and she scoffed in disbelief, “I have never been angrier with you than I am this very second…” she snapped in such a cold tone that my blood solidified.
“Gwen, I'm sor-…!”
She looked up to me with a dangerous glare, “I have never done anything for you out of pity, Dmitri, and that sure as hell is not going to happen now. I am with you, because you get up early every day to say good morning to me…” her voice broke slightly, “Because every time you walk by me, you say, ‘Hello, Beautiful,’ without ever missing a beat. No matter how stressed you are you find a smile for me, and only me. When you hold me, I feel so incredibly safe in your arms that I could drown in happiness. When you tell me you love me, I genuinely can feel the unconditional devotion behind your words. When we have sex, you spend every second making the event as enjoyable as possible for me. The things you whisper, how gently you hold me, or the fact that every single time is romantic and blissful, is the reason I love you….”
“Gwenevere…?” I breathed in awe.
“Do you want to know the moment I realized I truly did love you?” I nodded wordlessly; she slid a hand up to my cheek and brushed her thumb over my face, “The first night we slept in the same bed together. You had fallen asleep in my arms after we wrote those dumb essays, and while you slept, I watched you for what seemed like hours. I listened to the way you breathed so I would never forget the pattern, and felt your heartbeat under my fingertips to know you were safe.
Halfway through the night, you had a bad dream. You twitched a little, and a look of just, pure agony, fell over your face. I kissed your cheek, and whispered your name to try and coax you out of it. As soon as you heard my voice, you laid still… and you smiled. You genuinely smiled, and moved even closer to me. To think that I was the thing that saved you from another bad dream… I could barely contain the happiness. All I wanted from that moment on was to be the person who made you smile no matter what happened.”
“You surely have accomplished that goal,” I lovingly replied, pulling her closer to me, “Had it not been for you, I would still be strapped to a hospital bed in Slane’s office. You are absolutely right; your voice takes away all of the bad in this world. A perfect example is our first date, down at the art store. By the time you realized it you had been talking for three hours, yet I had absolutely no desire to make you stop. I could have listened to you talk about paint brushes until the day I died, Gwen, and I truly mean that.
People joke and say you always obsess over your first love, but I believe, truly, deep within my heart, that you are more than just my first love. I’ve had a few crushes before, kissed a girl at a school dance and such, but I have never loved anyone as much as I love you. Sometimes, it’s hard for me to remember why I'm actually here because of you. You have made me so happy that for the first time, Alexei does not exist in my world; I can go days without him even crossing my mind. I thought I would be consumed by my own demons and eventually succumb to their will, but you not only pulled me out of their grasp, but you’ve banished them to return from which they came from.
That’s what I meant when I said I take you for granted. I’ve become so used to having you by my side that I forget how hard it is to actually, be with me. I, I know I’m a lot, that I carry a lot of baggage, and I try to make up for it with my gestures and devotion as passionately as I can. The women in the castle see me as a sexual object. None of them have the patience to actually see me as a person, not a prince, not a Calvary, not Alexei’s brother… just, Dmitri.
But you did, and always have.
I’ve become so enamored with you that after that horrendous meeting with Alexei, and everything that happened with my father, the first thing I did was begin planning this night. It was the only thought on my mind, and once I was an hour into it, that day never existed. Before I met you, an event like that would have put me out of commission for weeks, if not a month, but you brought me back in just under a day. If that isn’t the definition of a soulmate, then I don’t know what is…” I breathed at the end as I gazed into her eyes passionately.
I trailed off as she closed her own, which made me smile and press my lips to her forehead. “That may have been the sweetest thing you have ever said to me…” she whispered finally, her fingers trembling slightly against my cheek.
“I promise I can do much better than that.”
“I don’t doubt it… Not with you…” she teased as I tilted her chin up and kissed her under the beautiful twinkling lights of the club.