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The blankets fluffed around me as I sat on my bed, and I adjusted my head onto the headboard as I stuffed the pillow under my back deeper.
I felt like I was forgetting something, but I... couldn't remember.
I stared into the dimly lit room, lashes lowering in annoyance. "This is baloney."
But I just slipped from my bed and stepped over to the bathroom, looking at myself in my mirror before I sighed and stared into my eyes.
My father called me a child, but...
I kinda was.
"Just a little," I stuck my tongue at myself in the mirror.
I was bored, though... what was I going to do? There was nothing to do... just sleep...
Which was boring, ugh.
But I finally stepped out from my bathroom, adjusting my night dress down before I gazed up.
I immediately stopped.
He stood there... at my window, the man I saw earlier today.
I remained in place, throat constricting.
But not from fear. Never from fear.
The man in the mask.
How did he get in here? Could he climb castle walls?
I should ask him about that later... but he never really talked. He was always quiet, staring at me.
Did the wicked witch tear out his vocal cords?
What was I talking about? She was a myth.
But not a lot of stuff was a myth.
Like him; the man in the black mask... a lava-like glow streaming through those stitches on the plastic.
I stood there, clasping my hands together in front of me.
He remained quiet.
I just tipped my head to the side. "Have you come to spend the night again?"
He tipped his head to the side with me, not responding.
I knew he was, though. Every time he showed here at night he wouldn't leave until morning.
He'd been doing this for weeks now.
"I asked father for a bigger bed for you," I said then, and he straightened his head, watching me. "If you're interested, of course." I smiled. "You don't have to sleep on the floor, you know."
He still remained quiet.
See? Never talked, but I knew he could hear because he always understood me.
I just stepped over to the bed, slipping in and shuffling over to the right side. I then gazed up at him. "You can get in now. I'm not afraid of you."
He stared at me for a long moment.
I just pulled the covers over myself. "If you're able, of course."
I then turned to the side, smiling at him.
He just stepped over to me, making me blink when he slipped in on the other side of the bed.
I watched as he settled in next to me, now looking at me fully with those dark eyes. I barely even noticed the stitches anymore.
"You never told me your name," I reminded him.
He remained quiet.
"Why do you never speak to me?" I asked him. "Are you just shy?"
He shook his head, locking eyes with me.
"Will you show me your face?" I asked him.
He shook his head again.
"Why?" I wondered.
He just held out his hand, making me blink.
I just set my hand on his.
He kept eye contact, making me gaze down when he started tracing something on my arm.
I gazed down immediately, lips parting when I realized he was tracing letters.
W.H.Y. A.R.E. Y.O.U. N.O.T. A.F.R.A.I.D. O.F. M.E.?
I gazed up at him. "Because I know you are not a monster."
He tipped his head to the side, tracing:
W.H.Y.?
"Because I know it's a mask."
H.O.W.?
"It doesn't look like your face." I giggled, gazing up. "And... I guess I'm the only one who dared to get close enough to you to realize that."
I. A.M. N.O.T. A. G.O.O.D. P.E.R.S.O.N.
"I am not either," I replied.
He watched me for a long moment.
I. K.N.O.W. Y.O.U.R. S.E.C.R.E.T.
I shuffled further in the bed. "I know you know. You watch me all the time."
Y.O.U. H.U.R.T. P.E.O.P.L.E.
"Only bad people," I told him, smiling. "And you hurt people, too... bad people."
He remained quiet, now tracing:
Y.O.U. A.R.E. T.H.E. P.R.I.N.C.E.S.S.
"I never wanted to be," I said quietly, looking down at the bed. "I was forced to be."
Y.O.U. W.E.R.E. B.I.R.T.H.E.D. I.N.T.O. R.O.Y.A.L.T.Y.
I gazed up at him. "No, I wasn't."
He tipped his head to the side.
"I wasn't. My father... or... the king kidnapped me while I was buying stuff from the streets. And... and he did so because the queen was unable to birth a child, especially a princess, so he took me so I could marry the prince from another land... so he could have... money."
The man's eyes raked me, I could feel it.
Y.O.U. D.O. N.O.T. W.A.N.T. T.O. M.A.R.R.Y. H.I.M.?
I looked up. "No. I don't want to marry for money. I want to marry for love."
I. S.E.E.
I just gazed up at him. "I never knew your name... will you tell me...? To just give me the satisfaction?"
W.H.A.T. W.I.L.L. I. G.E.T. I.N. R.E.T.U.R.N.?
I smiled innocently. "I can give you belly rubs. My doggie likes that."
He watched me.
Y.O.U. A.R.E. N.O.T. L.I.K.E. O.T.H.E.R. P.E.O.P.L.E.
I shook my head. "No... I was kind of... struggling for a while and something inside me snapped. Now I'm a little childish."
E.S.P.E.C.I.A.L.L.Y. W.H.E.N. Y.O.U. T.U.R.N. I.N.T.O. H.E.R.
I gazed up immediately. "What?"
He just brushed his fingers along the long, black rune that barely peeked from under my collar.
He knew I was fallen.
My cheeks flooded red then. "How did you know?"
His eyes flickered up to mine.
I. K.N.O.W. E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G., P.R.I.N.C.E.S.S.
L.I.K.E. H.O.W. Y.O.U. A.R.E. A.N. A.S.S.A.S.S.I.N.
I blinked hazily and gazed up. "Yes... but I only kill those who cause harm. To good people."
L.I.K.E. Y.O.U.R. F.A.T.H.E.R.?
My father? I would never kill my father.
My eyes flickered to his. "Well... he has my best interests at heart. He feeds me, clothes me, makes me look good for everyone."
S.O. Y.O.U. C.A.N. M.A.R.R.Y. T.H.E. P.R.I.N.C.E.
T.H.E. P.R.I.N.C.E. W.I.L.L. N.O.T. W.A.N.T. A. B.A.D. L.O.O.K.I.N.G. P.R.I.N.C.E.S.S.
I felt a chill slide through me. "My father really thinks that?"
H.E. K.I.D.N.A.P.P.E.D. Y.O.U.
W.H.A.T. D.O. Y.O.U. T.H.I.N.K.?
"What would I do...?" I said, shaking my head. "I mean... they're like a family now."
R.U.N. A.W.A.Y.
S.O.M.E.W.H.E.R.E. H.E. C.A.N.N.O.T. F.I.N.D.
"Where will I go?" I wondered.
T.H.E. W.O.O.D.S.
"The woods?" I echoed. "Where in the woods?"
M.Y. C.A.B.I.N.
N.O. O.N.E. D.A.R.E.S T.O. N.E.A.R. T.H.E.R.E.
"I can't do that... my mom would break, and I have to serve my people. The good people." I felt my eyes glistening as I watched him, trying to read his eyes but it was near impossible.
But he traced one last time, clearly noticing my uneasiness:
D.O. Y.O.U. T.R.U.S.T. M.E.?
I nodded instantly.
But I didn't know why. I couldn't understand why I trusted him, but I did.
I did.
"Will... will you stay with me?" I said, gazing up. "Until the morning?"
I. W.I.L.L. S.T.A.Y. U.N.T.I.L. T.H.E. S.U.N. R.I.S.E.S.
T.H.E.N. I. W.I.L.L. V.A.N.I.S.H.
I let my eyes rest on his. "Who are you...? What's your name? Please, help me."
He finally gave me the satisfaction:
E.L.I.A.S.
"Elias...?" I echoed. "Is your name?"
He nodded, gazing up at me seconds later.
"Elias..." I whispered, loving how it slipped off my tongue. "Elias."
I looked up to find his eyes glowing in amusement.
"Well... goodnight,Elias. Sleep here, if you would like."
Right as I closed my eyes, I heard a voice:
"Good night, my princess. If you ever need me, just think of me."
My eyes shot open at an instant, but he was gone.
My heart pounded hard against my chest, but my soul seemed to crush at his absence.
"But... you said you will stay until morning..." I whispered solemnly.
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A/N
The pacing for this? Was it okay? I was really trying to get her to be obsessed from the very beginning. I'm worried about pacing lol
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