Chapter 21: Chapter 21

“Prince Damon.” Belinda called as he pulled her with him. Tears rolled down her eyes as she stared at him from behind.

‘I don’t understand what is going on. What does he mean by he needs me?’ She asked herself.

Surprisingly, Prince Damon was taking her to her chamber. He grabbed the door knob and opened the door. He walked inside the chamber and pulled her in with him.

He locked the door behind them and that was when he finally let go of her hand. “What is going on, Prince Damon? I am so confused.” Belinda mumbled tearily.

Damon brushed his hair backward with his hand as he kept panting hard. Belinda could see he was shivering too. It looked like he was having a panic attack.

“Prince Damon?” Belinda called, this time, worriedly. He seemed not to be doing okay.

“Why do you always let him get so close to you?” Damon mumbled and gazed at her. Belinda creased her brows in confusion as she gazed back at him.

“Reggie! I mean, Reggie! Why do you let him touch you like that? Why does he always want to be so close?!” Damon smacked, making Belinda flinch.”

“Prince Damon… please relax.” Belinda uttered fearfully.

When Damon noticed Belinda was scared, he grabbed his head and fell to the ground. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.” He mumbled in tears.

Seeing him cry made Belinda even more confused about what to do. She watched him from afar as he broke into more tears.

“I shouldn’t have yelled at you, Belinda. I…” He took a pause and looked at her face. Tears freely streamed down his cheeks as their gazes locked.

Belinda couldn’t hold her tears back anymore, so she began to cry too. “I’m sorry.” Damon whispered, and Belinda bounced her head.

“It’s okay, Prince Damon. It’s okay.”

Belinda went on her knees where she stood and slowly crawled to where Damon was. It took her so much courage to pull him into a hug and comfort him.

“It’s okay, Prince Damon.” She said in a whisper. Damon held her and sobbed. He raised his head and looked into her eyes.

“I shouldn’t have lied to myself, Belinda. I should have been courageous enough to say what I truly feel. Everytime I see you with Reggie, I try so hard… so hard not to kill him. I tried bottling up the anger I feel anytime you are together, but I couldn’t take it anymore when I saw both of you today. The way he looked at you and moved close to you. It drove me crazy. I wanted to kill him, Belinda. I wanted to end his life, right there on that dance floor. If you stayed a minute back, I would have hurt him.”

“Prince Damon.” Belinda called in tears again. He never broke eye contact with her. They watched themselves cry.

“I know it’s wrong to feel that way, especially when I told you to get away from me and made you feel awful. I’m sorry, but I can’t help it. I keep thinking about you every time. Even when I’m with Maisie, I see you, not her. I am in love with you, Belinda. I love you.”

Belinda’s hands fell from Damon’s body weakly, and she sat on the floor. The words he uttered crushed every strength in her in a way she didn’t understand.

“I have never been myself since I kissed you in the tower. I wanted more of you, but I kept lying to myself.”

Belinda’s eyes widened as her eyes searched for him. “It wasn’t a dream.” She asked, and Damon shook his head.

“It wasn’t, Belinda. I couldn’t bring myself to believe I fell in love with the stranger I was supposed to despise. I thought it was because I was getting too close to you, so I decided to stay away. I thought Maisie would be a good distraction, but it only worsened it. I can’t do it anymore. I can’t keep bottling how I feel, Belinda.”

Belinda laid flat on the floor and spread her arms out. She stared at the ceiling, letting her tears out freely. It was like a dream to her.

The fierce prince was crying and confessing his love to her, just the way she had always fantasized. She shook her head and closed her eyes.

“It’s time to wake up, Belinda.” She uttered.

Damon moved closer to her and laid on the floor too. He placed his head on her belly and said; “It’s not a dream, Belinda. This is me showing you my weakness. I’m in love with you.”

Belinda's upper body shook as she cried even harder. She touched Damon’s head with her hands and lifted it carefully. She looked down at him and they made another eye contact.

“Why me? I am an ordinary girl who brings bad luck and danger to those around her, just like people say.” She muttered.

“I asked myself that same question, Belinda. I kept telling myself she is an ordinary girl and doesn’t deserve what I feel, but when I saw you tonight. I shut up that stupid voice in my head, Belinda. I don’t want to feed myself with lies anymore.”

He moved up to have a better look at her face, without breaking eye contact. “You love me too, right? Please tell me, you do.” He touched her face with his hand and lowered his head, waiting to hear from her.

“I have always loved you, My Prince.” Belinda answered.

Damon buried his face in her chest and began to weep again. It was like a huge burden was lifted from his heart.

“I love you so much, Prince Damon. But I am just…”

“Shhh.” Damon placed his finger on her lips and looked her in the eye. “Let’s forget about the buts tonight. I’m so weak, and all I want for you is to hold me… Please.”

Belinda bounced her head and wrapped her arms around his upper back. Damon rested his head between her cleavage and closed his eyes. He felt so comfortable as she held him.

Soon they stopped crying, and they just laid right there on the floor, breathing.

“We need to return to the feast, Prince Damon. If nobody notices my absence, they will definitely notice yours. Remember, Miss Maisie is also out there.” Belinda said.

Damon let out a loud exhale and murmured; “I want to be like this forever.”

Belinda giggled and shook her head. “You can’t, My Prince. Remember you’re still the prince of MoonLove Kingdom. You can’t live your whole life on a woman’s chest.”

“And what if I can?” Damon asked and raised his head to look at her. Belinda also looked down, and they both smiled at each other.

Damon lifted himself from her body and moved up. Belinda’s eyes fell shut as he slowly planted a kiss on her forehead. He looked down to her eyes and smiled.

“Remember, you have a lover now. Do everything you can to stay away from Reggie, or I’ll have to kill him.”

“But we can’t let people know about us, Can we?” Belinda asked, and Damon shook his head sadly.

“Not yet, no one would approve of us now. But we will, in the future.” He said with a reassuring nod.

“That is if there will be a future for me here.”

“Stop saying sad things, okay? Of course there is a future for you here. A future for us. All we need to do is keep it quiet until the right time comes. Can you please let me keep pretending to be with Maisie until I find a way to let go of her?”

“You don’t have to ask me, My Prince.”

“No, I have to. I need to know you’ll be fine with me pretending to be with her. But I’m letting you know I can’t let Reggie touch you, ever again.”

Belinda smiled warmly, showing her white pretty teeth. “Okay. We should go back now. We also shouldn’t step out together, people may be around. You go first, Prince Damon.”

Damon nodded and moved away from her. He cleaned his eyes and checked himself out in the mirror to see if he was looking okay.

“I don’t look like someone who just cried his eyes out over love, do I?” He teased, and Belinda laughed and also stood up from the floor.

“No, you don’t.”

Damon nodded and approached her again. “See you at the feast. My eyes are on only you tonight, gorgeous.” He kissed the side of her head and headed out of the chamber.

Belinda smiled and touched her chest after he left. ‘It is really happening! He is in love with me!’

*

Isla was passing by when all of a sudden, Belinda’s door opened. She hastily hid behind a tree and stared at her door.

‘This is the perfect time to threaten Belinda and tell her to stay away from Reggie.’ She looked around to make sure no one was around.

She stared at the door and to her greatest surprise, Prince Damon walked out and headed down the corridor.

‘Prince Damon? Why is he coming out of Belinda’s chamber?’

As she kept reminiscing about it, where she was hiding, Belinda also stepped out of the chamber. Her eyes popped wide open as she watched her leave too.

‘The Prince and Belinda in the room? At the same time?!’