Bab 20: STICKY SITUATION

[MUSIC RECOMMENDATION: DAWN OF FAITH ~ ETERNAL ECLIPSE]

Oriana tried to bring down her dress, which was revealing her legs, but her hands were quickly caught above her, leaving her legs exposed to the man's eyes.

"Look at that..." Adric drawled, his words flowing like honey as he raised his hand to touch the skin on the girl's leg, where he noticed the scar above her knee.

Oriana breathed in and out, trying to control her breathing. This wasn't what she wanted. When she noticed the man's hand was about to touch her scar, she cried out.

"Please! Please don't do it!"

Adric stopped moving his hand, raising his face to look at the girl's golden eyes, same colour with her hair, which now glistened. "You make beautiful sounds...now I want to hear you scream." He grinned mischievously, rubbing his finger gently on her skin.

Oriana felt goosebumps rise on her body. "Please, I've not done this before!" she begged.

"Even better, don't worry. I know how to handle my ladies. You won't even notice it was your first time, trust me." The Crown Prince said to her with a smile.

This man is cuckoo. He is just roaming the streets covered with silk so people don't understand what he is capable of doing. Why was he even smiling? Oriana asked in her mind, trying hard not to curse the man out loudly because right now she was at his mercy.

"Ah!" Oriana gasped when she felt his thumb rub her scar trying to trace it. "I'm not even a barmaid! I don't belong here. I'm a Princess. Please don't do this."

"Why?" She heard the him ask, not loosening his grip on her. "Why shouldn't I do this...when it's something we both can enjoy? Who knows, you might even come back for more."

This man is a psycho! What kind of man did she get stuck with? Oriana cried in her head. Her sins have finally caught up with her, and this man was her retribution.

"Because you're a Crown Prince? You won't want your reputation to get ruined for bedding an untouched princess."

"People who care about reputation tend to die quicker..so I chose long life. You know what I mean?" His dimples showed again.

He doesn't care about his reputation. Fuck!Oriana cursed in her mind. She needed something else to make him let her go.

"Also the question would be what is a princess doing in a place like, and you looked so confident when you walked in. I guess I'm not your first customer, so you should stop acting coy."

Oriana felt her breathe hitch when the Crown Prince traced on her scars, running his finger on it like he was making a shape out of it.

"You know, you deserve to be punished. Coming here, a princess to pretend to be a barmaid. First you mock these hardworking women, and second you lied. If I don't make the corrections now, you'll become a chronic liar in the nearest future and nobody wants that." The Crown Prince continued, this time his thumb rubbed on Oriana's wrist causing her to scrunch up her face.

Oriana seeing that there was no way out for her inhaled deeply, this was time to take a bow. "I promise I'll never pretend to be what I'm not, and I'll always say the truth. Let me go this one time, and I'll owe you a favour." She threw the bait.

Adric shook his head, "I hate people owing me, I prefer to take it immediately. Also how am I sure you won't pretend again, you have this naughty eyes that makes me certain you'll misbehave again. Now relax lady, let's get these legs moving."

Oriana bit her lower lips, nothing was working with this crazy man! What else did she have under her sleeves, oh yes! And the last hope of idea flashed in Oriana's head.

Tears dripped down from her eyes, falling behind her ears. She tried to sniffle them back, but she continued to cry.

"I did this because I was told that any man who should bed me would die...I've been so scared so I decided to try it out, but seeing you now. Young and an heir of a great kingdom, I didn't want to be so heartless." Oriana continued crying.

The Crown Prince stared at her for few seconds, then he nodded. "Is that how it is?" He asked thoughtfully. "It's bad then.."

Oriana nodded, "So bad... I've been scared that I would live a life of loneliness, where no man would want to touch me.." her voice trailed as she continued crying.

"That's sad...your life is a tragedy, and it can't be helped." He sympathized with her.

"I know, if you can let me go. I'll go to a temple and dedicate my life, you don't need to thank me for saving your life." Oriana nodded, as more tears flowed down from her eyes, the moment became so emotional.

Adric began to loosen his grip on the girl, "Thank you for saving my life, and also pray for my soul in the temple."

Oriana nodded, seeing her freedom as the Crown Prince was finally letting go. She grinned at the back of her mind, these fake tears always came out handy for her everytime she found herself in trouble. Oriana was almost grasping her freedom, trying to stand when she felt herself pinned on the bed again.

"What are you doing?" She widened her eyes.

"A good work before I die, imagine you, living in the temple for the rest of your life with no man taking care of you. You might resort to doing sinful things to yourself, and it might be dangerous. Bizarre even." Adric shook his head, fake worry marred on his forehead.

Oriana widened her eyes, "No! I don't want to kill anyone, I just want to spend my life in the temple. I won't do anything to myself." What kind of man did she get stuck with, Oriana cried in her head. Her sins have finally caught up with her and this man was her retribution.

"Of course, you'll go to the temple and pray for my soul. Remember the man who died trying to make you happy." Adric said, his hands leaving the girl's leg and moving up to her stomach.

Shock! Which man gives his life just to sleep with a woman? "What about your throne? You're the crown prince!"

"What good would the throne be if I don't help a woman in need? Worry not about me. I've always been a kind man." The Crown Prince said with a small smile. "You worry for things that are unnecessary."

Oriana tried to wriggle herself out, but this was no normal man. "Don't help me..please let me go." She begged as the man's hand moved forward, Oriana's heart raced.

Finally touching the girl's chest, he moved his finger on her bosom. "Where is the confidence I saw when you stepped inside the room?"

Oriana felt her head turning fuzzy with his hands now on her chest. This wasn't what she wanted.

"So scared yet so brave.. Moth-brained," The Crown Prince finally let go, taking something from her neck. "I'll take this since I'm not getting a taste. You're making it boring with your racing heart." Adric said, raising the necklace as it dangled between his fingers.

Oriana touched her neck, her grandmother's pearl. It was either her or the pearl. I'm sorry, Nana, she apologized in her head before standing up from the bed.

"T-hank you," she bowed with gratitude.

The Crown Prince picked up another cigarette, lighting it. "Be careful so you don't get consumed by your own flames." He warned.

Oriana didn't wait. She bolted out of the room, running for her dear life.

The Crown Prince raised the girl's necklace, a smile on his face as he watched her skitter out of the room. He could remember the anxiousness in the girl's eyes, akin to a cornered mouse. He remembered the girl, but it turned out she didn't remember him.

"Icarus.." he trailed, as she was when she was still young. The girl grew up being careless, with her pursuit for freedom, and it was going to be the very end of her if she wasn't careful. Moving to the side of the bed, Adric rang the bell to summon another attendant to serve him.