Cursed by Bandits (Once Upon A Curse)

8. Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

I scurried out of the library as fast as a rabbit running away from a dog, looking back only briefly to make sure I wasn’t being followed. Unfortunately, when I looked back, the lanky man who had discovered me was definitely behind me, his dark curly hair flopping over his forehead with every step he took. He paused his loping pace to push his spectacles up before continuing his chase.

My legs slowed until I was standing in the middle of the hallway staring at the man moving towards me, his every movement bringing back memories of traipsing through the keep and its surrounding grounds while my friend Milo had pointed out every plant, bug, and animal, and told me all about whatever it was we were looking at in that moment. His knowledge was vast for someone so young, which made sense because his curiosity was insatiable.

“Milo?” I choked out, not sure I believed what my eyes were telling me.

He squinted through his glasses as he closed the distance between us. “Rowan? Is it really you?”

The squeal that escaped my body surprised even me. I leapt on him, my arms and legs wrapping around his neck and waist, holding on for dear life. His arms slowly crept around me.

Laughter penetrated my brain, reminding me of where I was and how I should be behaving. I let my legs drop to the floor and took a step back. Milo’s hands lingered on my waist, warmth radiating where they rested. Butterflies erupted in my stomach, their riotous fluttering bringing back all of the feelings I had for him as a girl.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” He chuckled as he took a step back, his arms falling to his side. “I see you’re still causing trouble.”

I gasped. “What do you mean, trouble? I haven’t done anything to disrupt the ball . . . yet.”

He threw his head back as he laughed. “You would add the word yet . Like you have something in mind to ruin the ball and just haven’t acted on it. ”

I glared at him, arms crossed. “What makes you think you still know me? It’s been years since you’ve seen me.”

He glanced towards the library door. “Are you forgetting I just found you lying on the floor?”

“I thought I was by myself. It’s not like I thought you or anyone else would walk in on me. The room is the family’s library.” I huffed, turning my back on him.

I stood there, waiting for Milo to respond. The strains of music from the great hall drifted towards me, a reminder of the celebration I had stepped away from. Time stood still as I continued to wait for Milo to speak. Each moment that passed stretched on for an eternity, and I eventually turned back to see if he was still there.

He was, and he was laughing.

The sound of my leather-soled shoes hitting the stone floor as I stomped my foot wasn’t as impactful as I had imagined. “You are so annoying.”

“If I remember correctly, that was one of the things you loved about me.” He moved towards me, his stride casual, and yet, I felt a bit like I was his prey.

“Who said I loved anything about you?” I cursed at the slight tremble in my voice.

I took a step back, then another, until my backside was firmly pressed up against the cold stone wall. Milo leaned over me, supporting himself with one hand. I looked up into his blue eyes that were made slightly larger by his spectacles. A lock of his dark hair fell across his forehead, forcing me to refrain from pushing the curl out of the way. He leaned down until he was so close I could feel his breath on my lips. Memories flooded my mind as my eyes fluttered shut.

I heard him gasp as the air stirred around me. When I didn’t feel his lips on mine, I opened my eyes.

Somehow, Milo had lost his balance. His head hit the wall, causing his glasses to fly off his face. He stumbled backwards, his feet flying out from under him.

I watched as he landed on the ground, his lanky limbs sprawled across the stone floor.

Laughter erupted from me. I didn’t even try to stop it. My entire body shook I was laughing so hard. Pushing myself off the wall, I glanced back at his prone position before I walked back into the great hall, leaving him right where he was.

Sweltering heat hit me as I crossed the threshold to the great hall. It was so hot I almost turned around and went to my room. Anything to escape the celebration I hadn’t wanted.

I turned to leave but was stopped by a heavy hand on my shoulder. Suppressing a shudder, I turned to see my Uncle Jonathan.

“Going somewhere, Rowan?” His cold eyes stared at me.

I wanted to stare back, but knew I had a character to play if I wanted any of my half-made plans to succeed. Instead, I stared at my hands, clasping them in front of me.

“Of course not. I needed to catch my breath. It’s so warm in here I couldn’t dance another step.” I looked up and back down quickly.

“At least you’re back now. There are more suitors for you to meet.” Uncle Jonathan took in my appearance before escorting me towards the sheriff.

I wanted to pull my arm out of his and walk right back out of the room. My duty had been performed earlier when I danced with Jocelin Montfort. I had no intention of stepping out on the floor with him again. To do so would be very close to announcing my intentions to let him court me, which I was not about to let happen. My eyes darted around the room, searching for someone I could use to halt our progress. There was no one to aid me in my desperation .

The final notes of the dance filtered through the air, light compared to the stifling air. Amidst the silence a throat was cleared.

“Excuse me, Laird Jonathan, Lady Rowan.” A young man who was very easy on the eyes stood there with his hand outstretched. “I believe this is our dance.”

I looked at his hand, then over at my uncle, who was glaring at the young man with such animosity I was surprised my rescuer was able to withstand the scrutiny.

“Of course, your highness. I will leave Rowan in your capable hands.” Uncle Jonathan bowed before walking off, his posture tense as if he was not happy.

My uncle’s disappointment at me dancing with a prince was so ironically funny I couldn’t hold the laughter in no matter how hard I tried. At first, I giggled, but the more I thought about how he looked walking away, the louder the escaped laughter was, until I threw back my head and let it out.

The prince stopped. “What do you find so amusing?”

I wiped my eyes with the sleeve of my dress. “Did you see my uncle’s face? He was so set on me dancing again with Jocelin Montfort he couldn’t hide his disappointment that a prince was going to dance with me instead. I can’t thank you enough for rescuing me a moment ago. ”

“I did what I could: your distress was written all over your face.” He took both my hands as the band started to play once again.

I followed as he led me to my spot for the contradance. “Your timing was impeccable, Your Highness.”

We turned and walked away from each other as the dance started, skipping around the couple next to us and coming together in the middle for a spin.

Before we broke apart, he leaned over and whispered, “It’s Connor. You can call me Connor.”

My feet tangled as I turned into the next steps and I felt the tips of my ears burn and my cheeks warm, probably becoming the exact color of my bright red hair. What could I say? I was a sucker for a rescue followed by an intimate moment.