Black Keys (The Colorblind Trilogy #1) - Rose B. Mashal Page 0,131

that, it felt like I would do anything in my power to make him like me again.

It was like I wanted to hear him calling me Beautiful Princess more than calling me just Princess, and I actually wanted him to call me his princess more than calling me anything at all.

I was developing feelings for him–of that I’d become very aware–and the thought was very worrying. Not because of what he was, or who he was, but because I’d never allowed anyone to have that kind of power over my heart, over me.

I’d liked someone before, and had admired another, was maybe head over heels for yet someone else, but for the prince? It was something stronger, much stronger. That wasn’t only worrisome, it was actually scary. Because if that ended, I wouldn’t handle the heartache very well. I had never been able to, and I knew that with him, it’d be even harder, almost impossible to get over.

Oh, God! Did I just say ‘if that ended’ and not ‘when it ends’? That’s not good.

“Princess?” The prince’s voice brought me back from my thoughts, and I turned to see him standing beside me, a smile on his lips and warmth in his eyes. “Welcome back to Earth.”

I returned his smile. “Yeah, I didn’t hear you coming.”

“What were you thinking about?” His smile remained as he asked me the question softly, the sun’s rays shining from the window and into his eyes, causing them to sweetly narrow a bit, and for the green in them to brighten even more.

You.

I shrugged one shoulder, because the answer to that question wasn’t something I wanted to say. Then I asked, “Any news about Janna?”

“Yeah, they stopped for fuel a few hours ago,” he said. “She’ll land in an hour or so.”

I nodded, pursing my lips, and then fidgeted with the sleeve of my dress as I gazed out the window. I wanted to know about her condition so badly, but I knew I couldn’t ask him that. I figured I’d just ask Mona later when the chance arose.

“Why didn’t you wear something more comfortable, Princess?” he asked. “No one is visiting us today.”

“Um…I–uh, I just thought it looked nice.” I twisted my lips to the side and looked away, hoping the embarrassed blush would go unnoticed.

“You look stunning in anything you wear, Princess,” he said. My embarrassed blush turned into a shy one, deepening even more and causing me to look down while smiling bashfully. But then, the prince’s hand touched mine and he held it, causing me to look up at his face. “But I have to admit that this–” he brought our hands up and made me spin in my place, showing off my whole dress to him with a grin plastered on my face, “makes you look exquisite.”

I giggled softly and bit my bottom lip, and his hand pulled me closer to him.

He put his other hand on the middle of my back, then kissed my hair. I closed my eyes and sighed, wishing he’d leave me there for a few moments–or a long while, because I liked his closeness so much, more than I liked to admit.

I didn’t get my wishes answered, though, because we heard a knock on the door the next second, and the prince pulled his head away slightly. “Come in,” the prince called.

Mona entered, and her smile grew, then she looked down, the smile still on her face as she spoke. “The food is ready; where should I put it, Your Highnesses?”

“Wherever the princess prefers,” he said, smiling down at me as he spoke.

I smiled back. “Here would be fine. Thank you, Mona.”

“My pleasure, Princess,” she nodded before leaving the room.

“You seem distant,” I told the prince. The whole time we ate, he smiled and would comment now and then on this or that, ask me if I liked the food and so on, but then he would space out and it was like he wasn’t even in the room.

“Yeah, sorry about it,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck, then relaxing back into the armchair he was sitting in.

“What is it?” I asked him, folding my legs underneath me as I adjusted myself on the couch right next to him.

“It’s just...lots of things are on my mind,” he sighed.

I wanted him to tell me, to talk to me, but didn’t know how to tell him that. I didn’t know if he trusted me–not after what had happened, anyway. “What were you writing on those