Who's that man?
She yawns yet again, her eyelids heavy with the dull ache of boredom. Athena and Lisa have been out for what feels like forever, and the quiet is starting to gnaw at her. She's got that sleepy, dragging feeling, but she's fighting the nap like it's her arch-nemesis—it's nearly evening, and she doesn't want to mess up her sleep schedule.
Shaking off the lethargy, she makes a beeline for the one place she's been warned off—the royal castle. Dodging the guards with a mix of stealth and luck feels like a mini-adventure, and she's living for it. Athena and Lisa's words echo in her head, "Keep away from the castle," but that's like waving a red flag at a bull. The idea of sneaking around the castle is just too tempting.
She slips through the castle gates, her heart thumping with a mix of nerves and excitement. The place is a feast for the eyes, and with every step, she's drawn deeper into its splendor. It's like the castle is whispering secrets, and she's all ears.
She's so wrapped up in the beauty that she barely notices how far she's wandered until she's standing in front of a door that's cracked open. "Just one last look," she promises herself, glancing around to make sure she's still alone. She nudges the door open wider and slips inside, her mouth dropping open in awe. She'd thought she might find another richly decorated room, but this is something else entirely—a lush oasis with a fountain and a river that seems like something out of a dream.
"Wow! So many things to feed my eyes," She chuckles softly as she walks ahead to have a feel of the water. Standing on one of the stones, she removes her long white blouse and lets it fall freely down her body, leaving her with a short skirt and white clothes that's tied around her chest to cover her chest up.
About to dip her leg in the water, she stops abruptly and her eyes suddenly widen in shock as someone pops out of the water with his back facing her. For some seconds, she feels her heartbeat stops, and the world seems to stop revolving for seconds as she stares at the creature in the water. Although he's not facing her, she needs no one to tell her that this man is heavenly cute. His skin is smooth and dripping wet, and his thick black long, and curly hair is soaked in water dripping down his neckline. As his fingers rake his wet hair, her breath hitches and she slowly clenches her fists beside her as she gulps down the sudden lump that forms in her throat. Although she's just getting to see the back and the upper side of him, but he has the most perfect body shape that can drive any woman to the edge of craziness.
Aurora's heart is slamming against her ribs, a wild drumbeat that's way too loud in her ears. She's practically in her skin, the gown clutched in her hands like a lifeline as she ducks behind the nearest tree, its broad trunk offering a sliver of sanctuary. Her breaths come in short, sharp bursts—she's trying to be silent, but it's like her lungs have forgotten how to work properly.
She's all too aware of her near-nakedness, the cool air kissing her skin, making her shiver. She can't help but peek, her curiosity a hungry beast she can't quite tame. And there he is, standing by the river's edge, clad in nothing but his briefs, and oh—he's facing her direction.
Her eyes are wide, drinking in the sight of him. His abs are like a carved masterpiece, his chest broad and strong, with a masculinity that's somehow both rugged and beautiful. And his nipples... they stand out, firm and commanding attention. She feels a blush creeping up her neck as she takes in his wet, pink lips—so inviting and so off-limits.
"Wow," she whispers, a smile playing on her lips despite the madness of the situation. This man—he's like a creature from another realm, too perfect, too stunning to be just an ordinary human.
Then his voice shatters the silence, smooth and authoritative, and it's like velvet wrapped in steel. "Do you know the punishment of peeking at a naked opposite gender?" Her heart plummets. She's caught, and she knows it. Panic grips her, her back pressing into the tree bark so hard it might as well be a part of her.
"Don't let me come there to get you," he says, and it's the nudge she needs. Stepping out from her hiding place, she's grateful she's managed to slip back into her gown, a flimsy shield of decency.
He's visibly taken aback, his eyes widening as they take her in. She can almost see the thoughts flickering behind those eyes as they scan her from head to toe—the thick black hair, the hazel eyes, the curves of her body. She's an enigma to him, a mystery that's landed in his world without warning.
"Who are you?" he finally asks, his voice betraying a hint of awe that he's trying to mask.
"Uhm... I'm sorry. I came to have a bath here, and..." She trails off, her mind racing. What can she say? The truth seems too thin, too flimsy.
"And you saw a hot young man having his bath and decided to peek at him, huh?" His tone is calm, but there's a darkness there, a warning that sends a shiver down her spine. His gaze is intense, and she feels it as a physical thing, a touch that's both thrilling and terrifying.
"Forgive me, young man. I think I missed my way here," she stammers out, her words tumbling over each other in their haste to escape.
Without waiting for his response, she bolts, her feet carrying her across the garden and through the door, leaving the fountain—and the man—behind. She doesn't see the way he stares after her, the question in his eyes.
'Who is that young lady?' It's a whisper in his mind, a puzzle that demands to be solved. But she's gone, leaving nothing behind but the echo of her presence and the mystery that now wraps around him like a cloak.