The Seventh Kingdom - Chapter 5, Part 2!

The room was completely dark except for that rectangle thing that lights up and put your x-ray on it and you can look at it. I was staring at the two pictures of my hands and wondering what the hell I was looking at. I was completely lost, all I saw was bones that shaped a hand and little crack then these really big ones that look like they shouldn't be there. Doc Terri just stood there staring at the x-rays so hard that it looked like she was willing the cracks to heal back up.

I cleared my throat before I spoke, "So, what's the verdict Doc?"
She sighed and looked me straight in the eyes, "Well it looks like you have some small fractures around your knuckles and they work their way deeper into your hand, which makes that big break right here," she pointed to giant black jagged line that went through both of my hands, "By the way they are looking right now, I think you'll heal in one to two weeks tops, but what I'm most worried about is your mental health Katsin."

Her face showed genuine concern and sincerity that it baffled me. Why my mental health? Does she think I'm freaking crazy because I think I'm perfectly fine. Am I crazy? Wait, do crazy people question if their crazy? ARG my heads hurting from all of this crazy talk and the pain in my hands isn't helping either.

"Look right now I don't have time to question my sanity, all I want is to get my hand fixed and some morphine in my system to stop the pain and leave, ok!" My words were a bit harsh, and cold. I instantly regretted them, when the expression of hurt registered on her face.

She just nodded and turned the lights on and turned off the box thing with the x-rays on it.

"I'm sorry, it's just lots of thing have happened today and all I want to do is just sit and not really do anything."

"It's fine. I know you've been under a lot of stress just come and visit me one day during this week. Ok."

I smiled at her and nodded. She went and opened one of the many white cabinets and took out some bandages and started wrapping my hands gently. She wrapped each hand at least three times before being satisfied with it. Then she walked over to a different cabinet and pulled out two Advil's, and handed them to me to swallow. I swallowed them and I felt like I had lump in my throat.

I instantly went over to the sterile silver sink and stuck my head under the faucet, and turned the handle up so water could come out and I drank it. I took a couple of sips then turned the water off. I know it's not lady like and if the woman whom I once called mother saw me doing this she would tear me to shreds. I stood straight up when I was done, and looked at shade and Doc and they both were staring at me.

"What?" I asked puzzled.
Shade shook his head exasperated, "You're the most un-lady like princess I have ever met."

"Well, who made you princess police cause no one told me about it."

I smirked at him, and he just grinned back and slinked his arm around my shoulder and we walked out of the infirmary but of course I said thank you to Doc Terri before leaving. I may be impulsive and rebellious and un-lady like but I still have the right mind to say thank you.

Right before we could open the door and leave she called out to us, "Wait," and we stopped and turned around to face her. I looked at her expectantly.

"You know I have to tell your parents about what happened, right."

"Yeah, and I'm probably going to get hell for it but what else worse could happen." I chuckled darkly while she eyed me worriedly.

She just nodded solemnly, and went back to working with the maid I saw earlier.

I turned back around and left with Shad's arm still over my shoulder. I could feel his warmth that radiated off his side and his arm around my shoulder. It was comforting to have Shade with me for support. It felt nice.

We stopped walking out of nowhere which puzzled me a lot. I turned and looked at him and gave him a confused look.

He just smiled slyly at me, "Now your hands are somewhat fixed what would you like to do Princess."

I gave him dry look, "Why do keep calling me Princess, it annoys the carp out of me, and I told you to not keep doing it!"

He grew amused which annoyed me. Was today national Piss Katsin off day cause I swear my parents made it holiday without my knowledge.

"Because it annoys you, and you look cute when you get annoyed."
I glared at him which made it more enjoyable for him. I huffed at him then just stomped off. I'm tired of dealing with other people's crap and having to play their games.

"Aww, Katsin don't be like that. You know I'm just playing with you." Shade yelled at me pleadingly from a few yards behind.

If I could, I would have given him the finger easily to show my annoyance with him but the fact, my hands are pretty much wrapped up in gauze doesn't help. So, I just kept on walking away, and took a left into my favorite hallway that would eventually lead me to my room. I could hear footsteps following me and I was expecting it to be Shade coming after me, so I just ignored the steps, and started studying the hallway.

This hallway was one of my favorite ones out of all them. It was almost calming like the way the architects that made it 500 years ago wanted it to calm a mad rampage of elephants. I slowed my pace and looked at the light blue walls. They were so light that they looked ivory but when you look closer it's actually a soft blue. The ceiling was so high that it looked like it could have reached the stars and it was so wide that I could have fit twenty Hummers in it. The floors were this beautiful pure white marble, but not so white like the infirmary where it hurt my eyes. The walls were decorated with striking gold swirls that stuck out like it was carved out of wood then glued to the walls, and I stopped and traced the pattern of one of the swirls and vigilantly studied it. I saw how the light played on the gold making it shimmer brilliantly against the ivory-blue, and the texture of the smooth cool wood calmed me down considerably.

This hallway always made me feel at peace. I know it's silly to have your secret place be hallway where people walk through it every day, but whenever things go south this hallway is always a good place to sort out my thoughts and to think things thoroughly.

"You're right, this place is soothing." I stood still and shocked not expecting to have Prince Raffin right behind me. Instantly my soothing calmness was gone and was replaced with annoyance.
Why is it that when I have one moment to myself it gets messed up by someone.

I slowly and deliberately turned around and faced him with a scowl. I felt my hand clench and my body tensed up again. A bit of pain shot through me, and I flinched a bit but the Advil did a great job covering up most of the pain.

"How long have you been here." I asked through clenched teeth.

He just kept studying me like I was the most fascinating specimen in the whole world. His gaze was really unnerving. I felt like all of my secrets, hopes and dreams were spilling out to him, and I wanted to leave but I couldn't. It was like a mouse hypnotized by cobras stare (I'm the mouse).

I saw him smile slightly. Damn it he heard that thought. Why now? Why can't he bother me later because I would be much happier to deal with him later.

That small smile left his face and an expression of hurt crossed his face briefly then it left so fast like lightning that it confused me, "Do I really annoy you that much?" His voice was monotone.

I groaned, no, no I can't deal with this now. "I don't know, really. Look I know this has been a long day and I'm not leaving cause Doc wants my hands to be brand new when I leave, so if you came to fetch me you can forget it." I raised my hands so he could see them in their pretty wrapping. The part about the fetching was mean cause well you know he's werewolf so I guess he's part dog...yeah it was bitchy thing to do but what the hell I don't give a damn.

His face stayed nonchalant and studied me carefully before speaking, "I didn't come to fetch you as you put it but I came to see how you were doing because you looked really pissed before, and If you don't mind I might as well get to know you since I guess you're going to be my wife."

I cringed at the word wife. I guess I could see his point, but this isn't part of my master plan to get rid of him...what the hell I guess it couldn't hurt.

I nodded at him and sat down on the cold marble ground while my back rested against the walls. I patted my left hand against the ground for him to come to sit next to me.

He smiled and sauntered over and sat down so gracefully that it took my breath away and I couldn't help but stare at him. His smile grew as he heard my thoughts. Damn it! His mind reading is getting on my last Damn nerve.

"What do you want to know about me," I snapped at him.

"Why do you hate me?" His voice was quite.

I turned myself so I fully faced him. I studied him for several minutes while he was just staring at his hands. His pure black hair was messy from today's events also his clothes were crinkled too, and He had some mud stains on them. I looked at his tanned hands and face which led me to believe that he was outside a lot. To be honest he was hot. His perfect straight nose with a strong jaw went well together with his heavy-set eyebrows and cool gray eyes.

I inhaled deeply, and spoke in the sincerest voice I could muster, "Raffin, I don't hate you. It's just hard to leave, and go to some foreign land with a whole different race. I don't hate you at all , I actually think if I got to know you better that I might actually like you." Which I is true but I don't want to marry yet even if I still had a month just to get to know him at his kingdom.

We sat there in silence while he let the words set in. My mind started wander around the fact that why in the first place he didn't have a wife yet. He looked well in shape and was extremely good-looking I bet he had girls left and right falling all over him drooling like crazy. Heck if I were I werewolf I would water falling spite out of my mouth for him... eeeewww that sounds gross but it would be true. I laughed imagining myself salivating at the mouth for him and instantly felt his gaze on me. I turned and faced him again and I watched the expression on his face. He looked amused, sad, curious, and with a whole lot more I couldn't place.

"What?"

"Nothing it's just that your thoughts are so interesting and I can't help but listen."

My annoyance shot up two notches. Why does he have to listen? Its bad enough I have to marry him which, I will change soon, but still. I glared at him but his expression stayed calm, and complacent. I swear I was glaring at him so hard that I was expecting lasers to shoot out of my eyeballs and melt which would have been preferably enjoyable.

"You still didn't answer my question?" I asked him hotly

"And which one would that be?" His voice grew amused once again. God I wanted to hit him so bad!

"Why don't you have a wife yet? I'm pretty sure there were bunches of women crawling all over you back home?"

He turned away , and looked at the wall studying its magnificent features while I stared at him expectantly, waiting for his answer. It seemed like hours before he spoke but it was only for a few minutes. He blew out a deep breath and looked me straight in eyes and spoke softly.

"Yes, you're right women, girls everywhere, all over me and I did have fun with them. I enjoyed their company but none of them got me. They didn't understand me at all," he paused seeming to be choosing his word wisely, "They didn't have the same interests as me, heck half of them didn't like me for me just for my looks, and because I was prince, and that annoyed me."

Wow. Who would have known the Almighty Prince Raffin could be so deep.

Well, like I said before that I might like once I get to know you, and look what we're doing now, getting to know each other. To be honest you're not that bad but you mind reading is really, really annoying." I told him trying to cheer up his depressing mood up because it was sort of weighing down on me too.

His face scrunched up in a frown while he was trying to think about how to respond to what I said.

I stared at him for a while and his frowned deepened forming to lines between his eyebrows. Even though I was annoyed at him, extremely annoyed, I just had this weird natural urge to smooth the wrinkles out. I reached up without even knowing and started to rub in-between his eyebrows. He stared at me amazed at my gesture, and I quickly withdrew my hand and placed it my lap. I looked away from him and stared down into my lap avoiding his questioning gaze.

What the hell was I thinking? Maybe Doc Terri is right there's something wrong with my brain. I don't just reach up touch people, especially princes! What was I thinking? I'm not supposed to be doing this; I'm supposed to be running away.

"No, no you're not. Don't go please. I know this is hard on both of us but please just hang in there. I told you before even if you run away or weasel your way out of this which I know you have plan, by the way, my father will see it as an act of war. Trust me for once just trust someone and not be so hot-headed," his hand reached out and gently turned my head so I looked directly at him. He gave me a meaningful look saying he wasn't lying and he was only trying to help. To my surprise I trusted him, and I didn't angry over that hotheaded comment about me. I don't know but I trusted him and to be honest, with just a day of knowing him I trusted him with my life.

I nodded solemnly and I suddenly felt tired like there was a hundred pounds weighing down on me. My eyes felt droopy and irritated and I rubbed them gently with one of my gauze covered hands.

Raffin stared at my hand for a bit, and looked at me then back down at my hand, and shook his head like he already knew what happened. I didn't really have the energy to get mad so I just sat there wishing I was five and I could have my Daddy come and tuck me in bed, and read stories to me and kiss me goodnight...hmmm those good old days where there weren't any arranged marriages in my future.

I felt Raffin shift next to me and I instantly felt my nostalgic mood slip away. He stood in front of me looking imperiously tall. To be honest he looked like a knight ready for battle and he was amazing. I couldn't stop staring at him wide-eyed. He smirked at me giving me the sign that he knew what I was thinking. I just sighed at him. He extended his hand out for me to take but I ignored it and got up to my own feet.

I just grumbled something about how damn annoying he could get, and didn't look at him to gauge his reaction. I started robotically walking to my room taking easy turns here and there. We finally ended up in front of my room's giant cream-colored double doors embellished with silver flowers crawling up the doors like vines twisting and turning making it hard to trace one vine specifically. I was bout to open the doors to enter but I instantly felt a hand on arm stopping me. I turned around found myself a few centimeters away from Raffin's face. His face stayed there for a few seconds trying to determine my reaction. Seeming satisfied he went and kissed me.

He freaking kissed me without my permission! I was about to slap him away but something inside of me told me not too and to just go with the flow. His lips felt warm and soft against mine. He smelled good and intoxicating like the forest but with a hint of colon. His arms wrapped around me and I felt safe and warm. To be honest I didn't feel like leaving, and all feelings of irritation for him went away. I melted into him but he pulled reluctantly. It was just a small short kiss but to me it lasted a lifetime.

He smiled at me triumphantly and just walked away, leaving me in daze. I felt high like this weird happy confused unwanted type of high. I even forgot where I was. I was about to turn the other way Raffin went, but there was someone standing there watching me with an unreadable expression. And guess who it was!!!! Ding, ding, ding, if you guessed shade you're the new lucky winner of a brand new pink Ferrari! I felt the guilt and bile rise up in me and I was about to reach out to him to try to explain but he shook his head and just walked off.

So this is why Raffin kissed me! He knew Shade was thereby his mind Reading so he kissed me! UGH I feel like such an idiot! That's it next time I see that ass I'm gonna knock his teeth out and I don't give a shit if my hand are gonna get worse. I slammed open the door to my room and just ran to bed without brushing my hair or even thinking about changing, and I cried my eyes out until I felt sweet unconsciousness come and take me away. That night I dreamed of me beating the hell out of Raffin, and I could feel a smile on me as I slept.