1845, Varpiria

I love Ion Ionescu, he's the most perfect person I've ever met. He has eyes of rubes, and the way his eyelashes flutter with his eyelids to protect his light sensitive eyes just makes me want to cover his face with butterfly kisses. And the way he giggles when something stupid happens just make me explode on the inside.

So when he decided to join us in the garden, I couldn't keep my eyes off of him. So here I am now, staring at my fiancé's little brother.

Don't get me wrong, Ioana beautiful, but I'm just not into that. Ioana somehow always find something to start bickering about. She's more concerned with assets and finances and not why I never look at her when Ions around.

I was snapped out of my trance when Ion looked back at me, I corrected my posture and widened my eyes.

I think he caught himself staring too when he looked away with a light blush forming on his cheeks, now that, was worth the staring.

"So?" Ioana asked, putting down the paper work in front of me. I looked up at her, startled, standing next to me, bending down.

"Um, sorry, could you repeat that?" I asked scratching my face, knowing I was on thin ice.

Ioana just smiled fakely. "Why not."

That's what scares me about Ioana, she's not physically strong, or even threatening. She's just, condescending and passive aggressive. She won't directly hurt you, but the mind games she plays with you feels like it.

And the power her family holds is also a concern. Knowing that the twins somehow got red eyes when both of they're parents have deep brown ones tell me something's up.

Not that I'm complaining, I could get lost in Ions bright red eyes for days, maybe even months on end.

"Excuse me, but I would like to know where the The Last Tear would go, that sword means a lot to this family, so I would like it to stay with blood." Ions smooth, sweet voice said, placing down his cup of tea.

Danei, his yet to be fiancé, just nodded absentmindedly, reaching for her fifteenth spinach roll.

Ion smacked the roll out of Danei's hand, she was quick to glare at him. He just stifled his giggle.

I also almost laughed at the ridiculously over the top glare. Danei looked over to me with a challenging look.

"What, you want some of this knuckle sandwich?" She threatened, raising her hand in the shape of a fist.

I put on a fake scared face, placing a hand over my forehead, "oh no! That would be an utter shame." Ion covered his mouth as his cheeks turned rosy out of laughter.

"Well, ma'am, I would hate for you to die, but you know, sense we're such brutes, I must kill you." Danei joked about politics at a table with a princess who it that very seriously.

I winked at Ion and pulled out my handkerchief to wipe a fake tear. "Oh, woe is me..."

Ion burst out laughing, earning him a look from his sister that could kill.

"Okay, I think this little game can be concluded, Florian," Ioana looked over to him with a evil side-eye, "please come with me." She made her way out, flipping her hair off her shoulder.

I followed reluctantly, taking my poncho with me. I saluted to Danei and Ion, getting one back from Danei and a sweet wave from Ion.

Man, how I loved that boy.

I followed Ioana into the kitchen, she stopped walking and turned around to face me.

"Look, I get that you and my brother have some kinda thing-"

"Woah, let me stop you right there. Me and your brother don't have a thing, I just think he's cute, definitely cuter than you. And he doesn't even like men, he only sees me as friendly." It hurt me to say it, but it was the truth. Ion was straight and showed no interest in me, or, of the romantic kind at least.

All I needed is for him to be close to me and be comfortable around me. All I need is him around me. All I need is him.

"All you need is him?" Ioana said, putting her hands on her hips.

"What!? I d-didn't say that..." Shit, that was meant to keep my mind at bay, not literally confess to his sister, not that I needed to anyway.

"Well, just so you know, he's single and has never been in a relationship before. So I expect you to show him love and care." Ioana patted my shoulder comfortingly. "But if you hurt him I will quite literally rip you apart and feed it to our hound dogs."

I nodded sympathetically and waltzed towards the castle, that homed the Ionescu family.

—————————

I plopped down on to my bed, lying back in relief.

Trying to act sophisticated and proper all day whist trying to keep you mind out of the gutter about your fiancé's little brother was exhausting.

I slowly closed my eyes and let my mind drift. Soon it landed on the first time I met Ion.

The sun shone beautifully overhead as I was ecstatic to meet the women I was gonna marry. I was around 13 at the time.

At the time my parents had no clue I was only into men, they thought I was happy to meet the love of my life. But being sheltered from the world did a number on a kid.

I walked out from behind bushes to see a pretty young black haired girl wearing a simple sage gown. She had her hair tied up into a bun and was wearing a pretty silver crown.

Her parents were equally as beautiful, her mom had long loose curly black hair and dark brown eyes. She had on a white floppy garden dress. Her silver crown was extraordinary with its turquoise gems.

Her father had tight curls that were tied behind his head, he had on a summer suit with a smaller crown with the same gems. His eyes were a lighter shade of brown.

"Hi! My names-!" I reached my hand out speaking loudly. My parents gripped my mouth shut before silently scolding me.

I rolled my eyes, fixing my posture and demeanor, "Greetings, my leige, my name is Prince Florian." I stiffly reached my hand out.

The girl giggled and shook my hand. "Nice to meet you, Prince Florian, for I am Princess Ioana." Her accent was something else.

Once our parents were busy with each other, she quickly pulled me in whisper in my ear. "Wanna see how dumb my little brother looks?"

"Heck yeah."

She leaned away and started to drag me away further into the garden. The blue roses were beautiful.

I would have looked longer at them if another sight didn't catch my eye.

It was a dark haired boy, about 2 years younger, running around with nothing but some small shorts and with a girl, about the same age, yelling at him to give her, her toy back.

"Nuh, uh! It's not my fault you're too short." He stood up on his tippy toes, holding the toy high above her reach.

"ION! GIVE IT BACK YOU MEANIE!!!" The girl practically screamed, placing her hand on his shoulder, the other reaching for the toy.

Ion was laughing before he caught us in his view and dropped the toy, hands flying behind his back.

"M-my apologies, s-ir. This was not an ideal first meeting." He bowed, blushing a deep shade of red. I could get used to him in this position.

The girl picked up her toy and bonked him on the head.

"There, now we're even." She huffed.

"Im gonna beat you up later." Ion hissed through his teeth, glaring up at her.

"I'd like to see you try." She crossed her arms, smirking confidently.

"I'll tell mom if you beat Danei up, you know she loves her like a daughter." Ioana said, cocking an eyebrow.

Ion stood up and slightly punched Danei's arm before practically running behind me. He held my shoulders and pressed his face against my back.

"YOU CANT TOUCH ME, IM BEHIND AN SEINOR!" Ion yelled out from behind me. Danei stomped her foot and growled.

"I will eat your arms." She turned around and started for the garden house.

Ion stuck his head over my shoulder giggling, I laughed with him. Ioana just rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"That was awesome! Dude you should totally come over more!" Ion jumped up and down using my shoulders as a boost.

"I would love to!" I replied happily. My blush impossible to hide at this point.

I mean, come on, this boy was beautiful AND he didn't have anything one but some short shorts? That's a recipe for disaster.

"Okay, come on. Mom wants you, I need to talk to Florian anyway."

"Florian? That's a pretty name!" Ion just looked at me with the prettiest smile.

"Y-yeah, see you soon..." I waved him off as he was dragged away by his sister.

He was perfect. I sat up from the bed, sighing in relief.

But then that memory came back, it was why they weren't close anymore, why Ion avoided him like the plague.

I had been feeling angry all day, because my parents sent away my twin brother to get married in some random country in the west.

So when Ion jumped on me, it made me irate.

"Please get off of me..."

"Whyyyyy? Your so strong and the only one who wants to carry me right now." Ion teased as his arms snaked around my waist.

"Ion..."

"What?" He perked up like a puppy.

"I said get o-"

"I KNOOOOOW, BUT WHYYYY-" Ion whined. I snapped and pushed him off of me. His back slammed against the floor, causing him to start crying.

Apparently that still wasn't enough so I pulled out a knife on him, pointing right in the middle of his face.

"I said. Get. Off." I hissed, not thinking straight.

Ion just froze at looked at me like I had stabbed him, which I did, mentally.

My face fell and I immediately dropped the knife and quickly retreated to the room I was staying in. Leaving the love of my life in the gardens, crying with a bruised spine.

I scolded myself forever since that day, I got up from the bed to grab a drink from the kitchen.