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"Co always loved my own birthday

"I suppose," he took a sip of his wine and looked at me intently "I just wish I just wish that it didn't have to be such a big deal You know? Father is planning this god-awful party in which he is inviting half of the Kingdom and I will have to sit there and pretend to like everyone and dance with hundreds of snotty and single girls, while their parents plot and plan how to break off hter a crown instead of Seraphina"

"Oh," I stared at him, a little shocked That wasn't really what I had expected from a royal birthday party

"Don't they believe you love Seraphina?" I asked

"Nobody believes that," he laughed bitterly "Everyone understands Father's agenda" When I gave him a curious look he continued, "There hasn't ever been a royal wedding where the couple edom understands that So, they hope that they can find a way to convince Father their daughter, or niece, or granddaughter, or whoever is asped, finding it hard to believemore than a business transaction

"Well, I don't know Seraphina was very carefully chosen, and her father played his cards right A very co case would have to be made And I am pretty sure Father would lose a lot of money, should the betrothal be called off"

"What does that otiated very shrewdly I don't know all of the details but I do know that there was a lot of h for land and end up here" Kiran looked around the restaurant with the tiniest hint of disgust

"So your birthday party is just one big dating show?"

"Most likely," hehis pocket once more

"Well, that sounds awful" I looked down at our clasped hands, not excited about the prospect of all those girls oogling Kiran at all

"Are you jealous already?" he smirked at me The amusement in his eyes was un either one of us

"You've nothing to worry about, Eden," his eyes grew serious, their light turquoise turning to a dark blue in the span of a thought, that see less than bound to you" He s as if it would escape from the confines of my chest "I cannot escape you"

"Kiran, I" I didn't kno to reply, I couldn't define the feelings that echoed his out loud, they see his jeans pocket and forcefully quieting his buzzing cell phone "when you were dy-, when you were infected with the King's Curse, I knew that would be the end for me If you wouldn't have made it, if you wouldn't have survived, I don't kno I could have" His voice dropped and he looked away, ashah I ," I said casually, hoping to erase his fears, but reed for death in those torturous ht, the invincible Eden," he sain, but his eyes remained serious "When I said before that I couldn't lose you, Iyou would be the end of me"

"I love you," I whispered,

"I love you, too," he leaned in and kissedthe two together in a rapturous web and I felt his words to the very core of

"So, is there any chance that I can convince your father-"

"Bloody hell!" he exclai his phone out of his pocket and answering it roughly, "What?"

He had withdrawn his hand and I reached for row ued for severalcoot on the phone He listened for a fewanother word

"Would you mind terribly if we finished dinner with my parents?" he asked quietly, clearly annoyed