The Elements of Forbidden Love

My eyes fluttered open, and I groggily sat up. I saw a blurry white ceiling, and as my vision cleared, I realized that I was in an infirmary.

"Princess Sleeping Beauty is finally awake," I heard a voice say from beside me. I turned over on my side and saw Aidan.

"What happened?" I asked him confused.

"What is the last thing you remember?" He asked me worriedly.

"I remember running out of the castle to make sure you were okay," I told him honestly.

"You touched me. You got too hot. You really shouldn't have touched me. That was an awful idea," he reminded me.

I rolled my eyes, "I thought that I killed you. Can you really blame me for being concerned?"

"It wasn't your fault. I shouldn't have been that close to the pond anyway. It was really just an accident waiting to happen. Plus, you saved my life. I would have died in there without you," he admitted.

"You wouldn't have fallen in if I hadn't been there," I reminded him.

"Maybe, maybe not. It doesn't matter. We are both okay. Let's just forget that it happened," he told me sitting up on his medical cot.

I rubbed my eyes. I noticed that there was a thin wall of glass separating us.

"The glass is there because in your room, it's freezing cold. In my room, it's extremely hot," he explained to me.

I nodded, "Your parents hate me now. Everyone probably hates me right now."

I frowned. I knew that I was never going to be queen. I thought that I had completely lost every opportunity of that.

"No, when they rushed us in here, everyone was talking about how much of a hero you were. You literally saved my life and then risked your own life to make sure that I was okay. Everyone loves you. Even Aria seemed worried about you," he explained to me.

I smiled to myself, but then I looked back over at him, "I'm really sorry that I caused you to fall in."

"It wasn't your fault. Stop blaming yourself," he told me.

"Also, I don't hate you or your brother for what happened to my sister. I'm still not convinced that your parents had nothing to do with it, but I really don't think that we should blame all Fire Elementals for the actions of a few of them. I would never do that," I told him honestly.

"I know. I can tell. You wouldn't have been so kind to me yesterday if you hated me," he joked.

That was when Lance came into my room.

"Nixie, you're awake," He observed with a large grin.

I nodded.

"I'm glad you're alright. When you fainted, I was so worried about you," he told me kneeling beside my cot.

He had a bouquet of lilies in his hands that he put in a vase on the table beside me.

"Did you grow these?" I asked him curiously.

"I did. Your cousin told me that they were your favorite," he explained to me.

"They're beautiful," I told him honestly with a small smile.

"Nixie, I know that we didn't get to spend very much time with each other at the ball, but I really like you. You're gorgeous, intelligent, and witty. I think that we are great together. I've been wanting to ask you this from the moment I first saw you. Water Princess Nixie Caldwell, would you grant me the greatest honor of allowing me to court you for this year?" He asked me with a glint of hope in his eyes.