Days flew by so fast.

I think we've been in New Zealand for almost a week?

I have no idea. All I know is that I slept like Aurora for the past days.

Why wouldn't I?

During our time in the air, I only slept twice. And I couldn't exactly call that sleep because it lasted only for five hours and my second sleep lasted only for less than thirty minutes.

So, I was awake the whole remaining ride to this country.

While Nate was working on his laptop, I was brooding inside the bedroom.

I couldn't sleep, and I couldn't also control my emotions whenever I'm near Nate.

When he entered the room, I would plop myself back in bed and pretend to be sleeping.

Not very hard except for the fact that I think he somehow sensed that I was just pretending so he would stay for longer than a while. Then after going out, he would come back again a few seconds. So, I decided that when he goes out, I will count to sixty-five just to be sure that he won't be back.

There you have it. I stayed in the bedroom for the remaining duration of the plane ride doing nothing but listen to my music.

When the pilot announced that the had plane landed, I was beyond relieved.

Finally!

There was a limo waiting for us at the runway.

I felt Nate's presence beside me when we were disembarking the plane. And help me because I just felt a jolt of electricity run through my body when our shoulders grazed each other.

I can feel myself warming up, so I cleared my throat, hoping to push down my emotions. "Where are we?"

And without even looking up at him I know that I got his attention and he's staring down at me. I don't have to look to know. I can feel his intense green eyes piercing my whole being.

With that in mind, I suddenly felt the urge to melt into a puddle of water.

"Where do you think?"

I glared at him and as it turns out, it was a mistake. When I met his eyes, I didn't miss the teasing glint in them. And not to mention he's wiggling his eyebrows again.

But instead of giggling like a complete idiot, I narrowed my eyes at him.

As he started walking down, he turned his head back with a smile and held out his hand. "I'll let you guess while we were in the limo."

Although all I wanted was to sleep, I accepted his challenge.

I know it's not a challenge but being with him seemed like everything becomes a challenge.

I took his hand and together got ourselves in the limousine.

As we drove off, I noticed that wherever I look, mountains are nearby. That's when I started drawing assumptions in my head. I was about to ask him something but when I looked at him, I lost my words. His eyes are expecting something from me. But that only lasted for a few seconds because when his eyes registered that I was looking at him, he started wiggling his eyebrows again.

Ugh!

I can't take it anymore. "Stop that!"

He smirked, satisfied that his actions are getting on my nerves. "Stop what?"

"That!" I said, pointing at his face. "You keep wiggling your eyebrows at me like a perverted maniac."

He laughed. "I can't help it. You look really cute when you're annoyed."

"I am not cute."

"You're right," he said. His voice held seriousness. "You're not, because you're breathtaking."

Oh my Gosh.

I can't help but blush at that. And I know that there's no way I could hide my face away from him.

I heard him chuckle again before clearing his throat. "So, where do you think we are?"

His question halted my embarrassment.

I thought to myself before saying my answer. "New Zealand," I proudly said.

He smiled. "And how did you come up with that answer?"

"Let's see..." I placed my thumb and forefinger on my chin as if I was thinking thoroughly. "There seemed to have mountains everywhere I look. The place looked serene. The number of hours it took to get us here, and I remembered telling you that I want to go to New Zealand. Hmmm."

He grinned like he was either proud that I guessed correctly or just proud of himself.

"Switzerland has mountains too."

"So does Norway," I countered. "But the flight was too long if we're still going somewhere in Europe. I mean, it took like what, more than twenty hours to get here."

"Touché"

After that, the ride was filled with silence. Although I could feel his eyes on me, I ignored it and kept looking out the window.

I felt my eyelids drooping and Nate probably saw that.

"Why don't you take a nap here?"

"Why?" I yawned. "How long is it going to take to get there?"

He looked at his watch. "Less than an hour"

Sleep sounds good, but I can't. It's not because he's beside me or the fact that I think he wants to hold my hand. Okay, maybe it was partly because of those reasons. But the main reason is that I just can't sleep in a moving vehicle. Especially that I'm in the place where I dreamed to be.

I leaned my head on the window as I felt my eyes starting to close. Being awake for more than fifteen hours is finally taking a toll on my body.

When my eyelids finally gave up, I just let it close.

And that was the concrete memory I remember since I arrived here. After that, I just had bits and pieces like how I woke up the next day in the afternoon and slept again after eating something.

*****

I woke up. My eyes followed the light flowing through the balcony.

I sat up and stretched my whole body. Somehow, sleeping like the dead felt really good. I felt very much alive.

I got up from bed and walked out in the balcony.

The breeze of November chilled my bones and I covered myself up in a robe and stared up at the magnificent view outside. The moon is shining so brightly.

Very majestic and mysterious

The place is peaceful. The road is devoid of any vehicle.

There is nothing in front of me but the fields, the mountain beyond, and the stars that accompany the full moon above.

I inhaled the fresh air.

This feels so good.

I could stay here forever.

The silent evening was suddenly broken by a shattering glass somewhere beneath me.

Panicking and thinking that the house might be getting robbed, I took my phone and slowly slipped out of my room. I then carefully climbed down the stairs; the flashlight in my phone is my only source of light.

When I reached the dining area, I saw a crouching figure outside the patio. I quickly, and as quietly as possible, sprinted towards the kitchen and took the closest thing that touched my hand.

A pot

Holding it to my chest, I approached the glass door, thankful that there's a curtain inside so the intruder won't notice me yet.

Deep breaths

Inhale

Exhale

I heard the doorknob rattling.

The last thing I saw before closing my eyes was the door being opened as a head of a man came to my view.

Without warning, I swung the pot with all my might.

Fortunately, I felt the impact of the pot as it hit the head of the intruder.

Unfortunately, I heard a familiar voice howling in pain. I snapped my eyes open as I realized that it was Nate's voice.

"Fuck!"

"Oh my Gosh! I am so sorry!"

He kneeled and sat on the floor, rubbing his forehead. "What the hell did you just hit me with?"

"A pot?" I bent forward and took the pot on the floor.

"Okay, don't touch that," he warned. "I don't want to get hit with that again. Damn."

I chuckled. I know I shouldn't have. "I didn't mean it. I heard a glass breaking so I thought we were getting robbed."

"The house was in the middle of Greenfields where other houses are practically miles away from here. And we still have security people guarding the place."

"I'm really sorry," I said while placing the pot back to the counter. I knelt in front of him. "Are you okay?"

"Just don't hit me with the damn pot again, I'll be fine."

I tried to suppress my laughter, but his sense of humor just caused me to erupt in laughter.

"It's nice to see that my misery is making you happy."

I laughed even more at that. "I'm really sorry." I looked at him. His face may look annoyed, but his eyes have glint in them. "The patio has an amazing view of the fields and the moon. Why don't you have a seat there while I take some ice pack?"

*****

"Are you okay now?" I asked after a couple of minutes.

We were sitting at the lounge chairs outside. After the incident a few minutes ago, I decided to stay with Nate for a while and, well, apologize for what I did.

The night was silent except for Nate's constant grunt of pain whenever he presses the ice pack to the part where the pot landed.

"I really am sorry," I said when he didn't reply. "But for the record, it was your fault."

"Great," he called out. "I am the one who received a very painful ordeal yet it's my fault."

"Well as far as I know, people who receive ordeals are actually at faults," I pointed out. "And anyway, what were you doing here in the middle of the night?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

"Well, I woke us," I told him. "I saw the light from outside the balcony, detected that it was coming from the moon, so I went to gaze up at it."

I received no reply. "Now, answer my question."

He tore his gaze from me and looked in front. "Same thing"

I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Except I brought a glass of champagne with me."

He pointed his finger at my left. "Just right there, I dropped that glass because I tripped on the chair that you're currently sitting on."

Oh so that's what it was

The space between us was filled with silence.

But that silence seemed comforting.

In any cliché love stories, this particular scene is very romantic.

Me, Nate and the quiet night.

I blushed.

Don't go there! A voice in my head reprimanded me.

You will remain a virgin until the day you get married.

Is that my mother I'm hearing in my head, right now?

All this would be over soon. I know because I can feel it in my heart. I can sense that this freedom will be taken away from me anytime.

My parents are not idiots. They know if something is wrong. If I'm intuitive, my parents are better when it comes to sensing things.

I know I will get busted. I know I will go back. Yet part of me can't simply let go of the freedom I have tasted.

It's true what Mark Twain once said: There is a charm about the forbidden that makes it unspeakably desirable.

I am forbidden to go outside the palace walls. Yet here I am tasting and savoring the freedom I have outside those walls. I can't seem to get enough of it. I want more. And as much as I hate to admit, I don't want to go back anymore.

I want to stay here

In this moment

With Nate

I want this moment to last long. If I could I would freeze the time, so I will never have to worry about missing anything. I want to explore this. I want to know more.

Feel more

This love I have I want to—

Again with the love?

See this is what happens when I think about love. I no longer want to go back. I no longer want to take the responsibility of being a princess. I no longer want to lead and govern my people.

Love complicates things.

Get yourself together, Laura. You're just having a vacation. You can't fall in love. It'll ruin you. It'll ruin everything.

It'll break you.

So control it if you don't want to feel the pain.

"Are you okay?"

Huh?

I looked at Nate and saw that his eyes seemed to be shining even brighter under the moonlight. His forehead is creasing, his eyes showing concern.

"You're face turned sour," He commented. "You were looking ahead dreamily and then slowly your face became—"

"I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

I exhaled. "Look, you're the one who's hurt. You should worry about that swollen forehead in the morning. I just probably still hadn't caught up in my sleep."

He was about to say something else but decided against it. He must have sense that I'm having a war with myself.

"Let me walk you to your room," he offered, following me inside.

"You don't have to."

"Fine."

I gave him a weak smile and turned towards the stairs.

Before I could have a first step, Nate pulled my arm and gave me a soft kiss on the cheek.

I looked up at him. Green eyes mirroring my own. His hand moved up and I realized that he had placed a flower behind my ear.

When I saw his head moving down, I closed my eyes.

I felt him kiss the tip of my nose and muttered a small goodnight before moving up my forehead.

"Sweet dreams," he said.

And I took a step up the stairs.

The whole time I was walking up, my brain was working overdrive; trying to convince me something.

I'm not in love

I'm not in love

I'm not in love

When I reached my room, I plastered my back against the door.

I'm not in love

The moon still lights up the balcony. I walked towards it.

I'm not in love

My brain was still trying to convince me but then I felt my heart ask a question. It flowed through my blood, seeped in my veins, drove in my nerves until it reached my brain, interpreting the message.

Are you sure?