Memory
The heel of my shoes clinked against the sculpted stone steps of the castle, echoing alongside the beat of my heart.
We had always spent time near my home, but now… Now he wanted me to come to him.
A guard in black armor greeted me, but before he could open the doors himself, they burst apart on their own. In the empty space before me stood a tall, young-looking man, with blonde hair that fell to his shoulders, and a smile that could melt any woman’s heart.
“You’re here!” he yelled out. “Truthfully, I wasn’t quite sure if you were real. Kaiden and a girl? Well, Kaiden and… anyone, actually.” Just as he made to speak again, a hand punched at his arm, and the man winced in pain, but a smile still tugged at his lips.
“I told you to stay in the dining hall.” The hiss came from the only voice I truly cared to hear tonight. Kaiden moved past the blonde stranger and reached his hand out to me, waiting for me to offer my own. “I apologize. I should have warned you what our Saturday dinners consist of.”
“It’s okay,” I answered quietly, giving him my hand and blushing as he brought it to his lips, kissing my knuckles. Beside him, the blonde man seemed to smile even wider as he pranced back into the castle.
Kaiden wrapped my hand around his arm, pulling me in the rest of the way, and leaned down to place his lips against my cheek. “Are you ready to meet them?” he asked.
“I don’t seem to have much of a say in the matter,” I said with a nervous chuckle.
“Don’t worry,” he assured me, giving my hand a quick squeeze. “They’re going to love you.”