Mountain Sweets – A Special Scene with Evann from The Five Princes
“I didn’t think you’d want to go so high,” Evann said with a coy smile.
I bounced up the trail, the cold mountain air biting my nose along with the forest scents of bark and untouched ground. The streams had dried, but their skeletons were just as beautiful, showing us the pathway up the winter mountain.
I smiled back as I tried to catch my breath. “Go big or go home, you know. What’s the point of coming all this way if you’re not going to the top?”
Evann had suggested a winter hike for two, and I couldn’t have been more thrilled at the suggestion. After months of interior work on my family’s castle, learning about all the ins and outs of Paijeana, and studying books upon books about history and politics, I needed the break.
At least through all my lessons and castle construction, I had Evann. He had not only been my personal bodyguard but my best friend, supporting me and encouraging me with his older-but-wiser advice.
The romantic side of our relationship was still a secret from my parents. Well, maybe. Dad was asking a lot of questions these days and Mom was nicer to
Evann than the other castle guards. So maybe I hadn’t needed to lie to them about this hike with Evann… but I wasn’t willing to take any chances.
And I wasn’t going to tell Evann that I had lied to my parents. He would lecture me to death if I did.
“We’re almost there!” I shouted. “I can feel it.”
He chuckled. “How do you have so much energy? We’ve been hiking for hours.”
I wrapped my hands around his arm. “Being around you gives me energy.”
He smirked and leaned in to kiss my temple, taking my hand as we hiked the
rest of the trail.
The top of the mountain was breathtaking.
From the edge of the mountain, I could see the entire layout of Paijeana. I could see the sharp towers of the castle, the twinkling lights of the capital city, and the barren winter mountains surrounding the country. There was nothing like this place in America, surely. Nothing so vibrantly pure and humble, yet at
the same time, bright and welcoming.
“I could get used to this view,” Evann said behind me.
I looked over my shoulder at him. “It’s gorgeous, isn’t it?”
He wrapped an arm around me and leaned in close to my ear.
“I was looking at you, actually,” he whispered.
We decided to pitch the tent we had brought and build a fire pit. Evann dug a hole with his hand shovel and I collected the branches. We threw them into our makeshift fire pit, Evann lighting a match and throwing it in after. The fire sparked and grew until it was cackling and cracking against the setting sun.
The flames got bigger and bigger as the sun got smaller and smaller, as if we were growing our own sunlight.
The wind bit at my arms through my sweater and I pulled my scarf up.
Evann’s arm came around me.
“Cold?” he asked.
I gave a dramatic sigh. “Freezing. You’d better hold me real close.”
He chuckled and pulled me tight against his side. “As you wish, Princess.”
At the sound of my title, my smile faltered a little. “Evann…? Do you think I can ever tell my parents about us? What do you think they would say?”
He softly sighed through his nose. “A princess and her guard? Historically, it wouldn’t be a new romance, but it’s not looked well upon. They might make you choose again.”
That’s what I was afraid of. It was hard enough to agree to give up my old life to become a princess. I had my own dreams and plans to do so many things after I graduated college, but I had to give up all those dreams in order to take over the throne for my parents. I knew that the laws stated that if a royal wanted to marry a non-royal then they would have to give up the throne.
But I wasn’t ready to give up more things.
And I couldn’t give up Evann.
He squeezed my shoulders. “We will figure it out. Don’t worry so much. I’m here to protect you… no matter what the outcome is.”
I leaned against his shoulder, his natural earthy scent calming me instantly.
There was no one I felt safer with than Evann. Not only was he the biggest badass in my royal guard, but he was also the one that had never left my side regardless of the circumstances.
“Oh!” I cried, sitting up straight. “I brought you a treat!”
He gave an innocent smile. “I thought you were my treat?”
“N-not that kind of treat,” I replied. “I brought us s’mores!”
I grabbed my backpack and brought out the graham crackers, chocolate bars, and large marshmallows. Grabbing a couple of long sticks I had found while gathering firewood, I put a marshmallow on one of the sticks and handed it to him. He took it, his eyebrows matting together.
“You roast the marshmallow first,” I instructed.
He did as he was told while I unwrapped the graham crackers and chocolate bars.
“This looks incredibly sweet,” Evann noted.
I nodded. “It’s really popular in America. I can’t believe Auijinians have never tried this before.”
“We’re only partially Westernized. Our part doesn’t include these mellows.”
He pulled the marshmallow out of the fire and looked at it so seriously that I couldn’t help but giggle. Seeing that it was caramelized, I clamped it between the chocolate and graham cracker, the marshmallow oozing out the sides.
“Try it,” I commanded, sticking it in his face.
He hesitated, then leaned forward and took a bite, squinting as he chewed.
“Yes…” he said. “It’s very sweet.”
Feeling somewhat offended at his tone, I took a bite myself.
“It’s perfect!” I said, annoyed at his reaction.
He swallowed, licking his lips. “I don’t like sweet things..”
Now I really was offended.
“How dare you,” I teased. “I might have to reconsider our relationship now.”
I shoved more of the s’mores in my mouth, feeling his eyes on me. As I chewed and swallowed, I started to feel intimidated by his gaze.
“What?” I asked.
“You have mellow all over your lips,” he said with a smirk.
“Really?”
I tried to lick it off, but was interrupted by Evann’s lips on mine. It was a gentle peck at first, but when he went in for a second time, he sucked lightly on my lower lip. Then on the corners of my mouth. I shivered as his tongue grazed the corner of my mouth right before he pulled away.
He licked his lips, brushing his thumb against the corner of his mouth to remove a sticky piece of marshmallow.
All I could do was stare at him.
“Hmm…” he said thoughtfully as he smiled. “What do you know? Maybe I do like sweet things.”