Blu walked down the hall, her head beating out of her chest as she wondered what Jonathan's reaction would be once she told him how she felt.

She was so caught up with the king, she hadn't payed much attention to how strangely Rachel was acting. Why did her emotions change so suddenly? Was she actually only looking through her trunk to find an apron? Why did she encourage her to go to the king? It was all unclear to her. But all she cared about at that point was Jonathan.

She was so eager to see him. Her feel padded quietly on the cold, hard floor as the walls of the castle rose high above her. It seemed quiet. Eerily quiet.

She glided along the ground as she got closer and closer to the king's room. What would he say? She thought. How would he react? She would find out soon enough.

She scurried around the many twist and turns and the king's bedroom door was finally visible to her. She smiled like a fool and walked up to the wooden door. Her breaths were heavy from coming up here so fast. She waited for her breath to become steady before entering.

Here goes nothing

She tightly grasped the steel door handle in her hand. And with that, she shoved the door open. A loud creaking sound followed as it usually did. Blu shuffled into the room and pulled the door shut.

Eagerly, she scanned the room for any sign of the king. She walked forward to the center of the room. It was just the same as it had been the previous time she had been here. His bed was unmade, meaning he had already awoken. Was he in the dining hall already? Breakfast was to be served relatively soon But the king never came down the until the food was just about ready.

Blu approached his bed and breathed in Jonathan's fresh sent. Where was he? She spun around the room, wondering. She wanted to see him, to tell how she loved his gift.

As she took a final look, her eyes landed on the glass doors to the balcony. One of them was slightly open, causing a cool breeze to fill the room. She looked at the door, puzzled.

She slowly walked towards it and swung it open. A blast of light filled the room and Blu let the sweet scent of December fill her nostrils. She looked at the snow which had evenly fallen on the stone as the cold tickled at her skin.

She poked her head out more in hopes of finding Jonathan. Sure enough, there he was. Leaning against the wall of the balcony, he stood stiffly. His eyes gazed over the snow-covered lands that stood before him. He wore a long fur coat, keeping him warm from the brutal cold. Snowflakes stuck in his hair which was fixed somewhat. His eyes seemed like glass; like he was looking into another world.

Without any warning, he twisted his head towards Blu who had been as quiet as a mouse. His eyes quickly locked on her's. His expression remained blank for a moment until a genuine smile grew on his face revealing his white teeth. His body parted from the wall and he slowly approached the girl in front of him.

"Blu," he said softly. "What are you doing here?" His eyes remained fixed on her's.

Blu gazed into his Hazel eyes which seemed more lighter than the normal blue at the moment. She felt a gust of wind rush through her, but she ignored the piercing cold. Her lips then stretched into a smile as well.

"I saw you're present," she said. "You didn't have to do that," she continued, looking at the white ground. She felt Jonathan's body come closer. His finger reached out under her chin and lifted it so she could face him.

"Of course I did," he said generously. His breath was visible in the cold air. "I wanted to." Blu gulped, her heart beating in her chest as thousands of butterflies flew in her stomach.

"I also saw Ryan today," she said hesitantly. Jonathan's smile slowly faded. He slightly backed away and Blu had quickly regretted her statement. He looked out towards his lands and sighed.

"I just wanted to thank you for, you know, not killing him," Blu said, hoping Jonathan's mood would change. He looked at her with sincerity.

"When I saw the look on your face, I didn't have the guts to do it," he admitted. He moved his body closer to her's and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. He felt her cold cheek and looked at her pink nose. Blu shivered. Jonathan slowly slipped off his fur coat.

"It's cold out here," he said as he came closer behind her and wrapped his large coat around her tiny body. "Let's go inside."

He lead her inside to his warm, toasty room and shut the balcony doors behind him. Blu was immediately filled with warmth. She took a seat on his comfortable bed and delicately took off his warm coat.

Jonathan sat next to her and looked at her with admiration. Blu looked back at him with flattery.

"I also wanted to sat one more thing," she said slowly. Jonathan chuckled.

"You are just full of things to say aren't you?" He laughed with a playful smile. Blu giggled.

"Yes I am." She put her hand on his large one. Blu looked at her hand and back at her.

"You are so beautiful," he said in a low voice. He impatiently crashed his lips against her's. Blu's heart leapt with excitement. How she missed that feeling.

Jonathan pushed her back onto the bed and kissed on her neck. Blu let out a breath as the butterflies in her stomach were uncontrollable. He eagerly pulled her shirt up over her head and threw it to the side. He did the same with his. Blu felt his perfect abs on her bare stomach and traced them with her hands.

The king kissed down her stomach, as Blu fumbled with his expensive pants, Jonathan roughly connected his lips with her's once again. His body moving with her's. They parted for just a moment to catch their breath. And that's when those words slipped out.

"I love you Jonathan," Blu whispered.

The king froze. He stopped whatever he was doing and Blu quietly whimpered. He brought his hands up from her pants and set them on each side of her head.

"You- you love me?" Jonathan asked shakily all of a sudden. Blu's eyes furrowed and the butterflies started to die out. She looked at him as if she was expecting him to feel some way.

"Yes," Blu said. "I- I do." Blu searched Jonathan's eyes for anything that would indicate he felt the same. She realized her hands were still in his chest and she could feel his heart beat speed up. She withdrew her hands from his soft skin.

Jonathan sighed and rolled onto his back next to Blu. What was the matter? Blu thought. Was she not good enough for him? The king stared at the ceiling in pure silence. Blu flipped to her side and looked at him helplessly.

She felt broken. Completely broken. The only thing that made her happy in this castle was him. Only him. She didn't know why she was feeling this way or how it came to be. But whatever she was feeling was true.

She felt like she had been stabbed in the chest. Rejected. An awful feeling formed in the pit of her stomach. A feeling she could not escape. The king sighed once more and opened his mouth to speak.

"Love is a strong word Blu," he breathed. Blu just stared at him in disbelief. "You don't love me. It's just a phase. Do you even know what love feels like?" He turned to Blu for an answer but she just stared blankly at him.

"Love is the best thing and the worst thing that will ever happen to you. Being in love is the best feeling you will ever feel in your whole entire life. It was for me. But sometimes it hurts. Love hurts Blu. And I don't want it to hurt you."

Blu remained silent. Was she truly, deeply in love with him? It certainly felt like it. But how would she know since she's never been in love before? Maybe this was just all in her head. Maybe Jonathan was right. Maybe it was just a phase. Maybe she was pushing things too quickly. After all, good things come to those who wait.

The king sighed in fustration.

"You don't want to be in love with me. Why would you want to be in love with a monster?" He ran his fingers through his hair.

"You're not a monster," Blu said softly. "You've changed, for the better." Jonathan turned his head towards her, gave her a sad smile, and looked back at the ceiling.

"I used to be so in love," the king started. "When my wife died, I turned into a horrible monster." He shook his head.

Bang Bang Bang.

Blu and Jonathan's heads cranked towards the door.

"Breakfast is being served you're majesty," they heard through the door.

The king looked at Blu with wild eyes. He put his finger up to his lips, signaling Blu to remain silent.

"I'll be right there," he hollered. He turned his attention to a sad Blu.

"You must go now," he said silently. Blu slowly nodded. She threw her shirt over her head and adjusted her loose clothes.

She took one last look at the king who was still frustrated with himself for some reason. She frowned and retreated for the door. Opening the door, she looked both ways, making sure she would not be seen.

When she saw the coast was clear, she scurried away into the dark halls.

* * *

"I'm sorry for acting weird today," the voice of Rachel said. It was finally nighttime. Blu had felt like the day had stretched longer than ever. With the king's response to her statement running through her head all day, she couldn't help but feel distressed.

Blu gave her a small smile.

"It's okay."

"It's just-" Rachel started but stopped herself. Blu gave her a look.

"It's just what."

Rachel looked hesitant with her words. Blu could see her lip trembling. She looked nervous.

"What's wrong Rachel?" Blu asked.

She remained silent for a few moments before answering.

"I think I like Ohm," she said in almost a whisper.