The Raspite Prince

"Council, silence please." the gentleman in the center finally speaks. Everyone finally stops yelling and arguing, with not one peep being said after he spoke. "It seems that we cannot reach an agreement at this time. I say we take a break and get some lunch. Princess, captain, lieutenant. Meeting is adjourned we will reconvene in two hours." with that the screens goes black and look at Patrick. It is strange that this silent vigilant has so much power over the council. It seems that there is more to the old man then just being the council. Patrick's reaction when he spoke was different then the reaction to the rest of the council.

"Well Laoonica, I guess we should head down to the cafeteria." Patrick says pulling my chair out allowing me to stand.

"Who is he?" I ask as we head out toward the elevator.

"Who is who?" Patrick asks a bit confused as we stepped in and he hit the button to take us to the cafeteria.

"The older gentleman in the center of the screen. I saw your reaction to him when he spoke. Who is he?" I ask again but he doesn't respond right away as the expression on his face changes into one of worry. "Please tell me." I look at him with a look of concern on my face at his reaction.

"He is my father. He shouldn't have been involved today he has been very ill and well, I would rather not go into details." He says, but he does so politely.

"He was watching us you know." I say wondering if he had noticed his father's watchful eye.

"Yes I saw him watching." He is leaving a lot out but I cannot say that I blame him. I myself have left several details of my own story out including a sure way to control my powers. We are in the elevator by now headed down to the cafeteria. He reaches out and pushes the halt button.

"Do you or don't you have feelings for me?" I look at him shocked by what he is asking. It came out of the blue as we had been talking about his father.

"I told you it does not matter. The best option is for me to be alone." I reply. I look at him with a bit of fear and surprise as I do not wish to reveal my true feelings at this point. I myself do not fully understand my feelings so how can I tell him?

"It matters to me. If the council decides to put you on an isolated planet I want to join you." I am even more shocked at this point as I have no intentions of having anyone around I can hurt.

"No I will not allow such a thing to happen." There is no way he can possible understand what dangers would await him.

"It is a simple question; why will you not answer it?" I stand in silence staring into his green eyes. How can I make him understand that this is the way I have chosen? It is better than giving up my own self, I have feelings, strong ones but, not enough to give him the ability to control me. We stand staring at each other in the frozen elevator. I back up to the wall and lean against it. Patrick moves closer to me and putting his hands around my waist he leans in and goes to kiss me. I put my hand up to his mouth. "Please. Patrick you don't understand." I want to kiss him I did enjoy it, but I have to stop this now.

"Then explain it to me. I know how I feel and I don't want to lose you, but if you don't feel the same then let me know. I want to know why you won't let me in." He hasn't let me go even with the blocking of his kiss. He is still holding onto me.

"Fine if you must know, no I don't have feelings for you so let me go." I say the first thing that comes into my head. I think to myself, if he believes it that he will stop trying to stay with me. It is the only thing I can think of to make him realize it is necessary for me to leave. He lets go for a second and walks to the other side of the elevator. He looks at me and I see the turmoil gathering in his eyes. I hide my emotions as I cannot allow him to see the lie I have just spoken, he has to believe me. I have to make him believe that I do not have feelings for him.

He is extremely quiet for a long time looking at me as I begin to fidget under the discomfort of his gaze. He seems to be studying me as though he is trying to detect something I am hiding, which I am hiding more than he can possibly know. However, I think he is trying to process rather I am being honest on my feelings toward him. I am not, yet I have hope that he will buy into the lie I have just spilled out to him. He leans on the opposite side of the elevator beside the control panel for the elevator. Even if I knew how to restart the elevator at that point I would have had to get really close to him to do it. That is exactly what I am trying to avoid at this point.

"I don't believe you." he quickly comes back over to me and kisses me, placing one hand on my cheek and the other around my waist. It comes as a bit of a surprise I don't have time to try to stop him. After but a second I give into the passion I feel coming from him and the glow now brighter than ever fills the elevator around us. The desire I have for him is overwhelming and completely out of my control at this point.

"Why did you do that?" I ask when he slowly pulls his lips from mine. I still have my eyes closed for a moment after he stops. I open and stair into those emerald green eyes.

"If you have no feelings for me then explain this." he says as I watch him look all around. Fortunately I don't have time to respond. The captain's voice comes over the intercom.

"Wolf is everything alright?" his voice seems a bit worried.

"Yes Captain I stopped the elevator I just needed to speak with the princess for a moment." He says as he places his hand on his shirt intercom while still pressed up against me. He is looking deep into my eyes and I back into his.

"Well, get the elevator going again." The captain demands. Patrick has a huge smile on his face despite the captain's tone. I just look at him a bit upset that he did not in fact believe my lie.

"Yes sir." he reaches over and presses the button again. The elevator starts moving again. I step out and away from the wall to face the door trying to calm the glow around my body.

"It doesn't change anything Patrick. I have to do this I have to be alone it is the only way I can protect everyone including you, and me." I say not looking at him as I impatiently wait for the doors to open so as to escape the small room. I just want to get into an area less private as it might discourage his actions. My heart is still pounding despite my best efforts to control it.

"What do you mean everyone including you?" he asks as he looks over suspecting that I am hiding something.

"Nothing." I abruptly say as I don't want him to pry any further. I have no intentions of letting him know the truth.

"I think there has to be another way. I love you and I am not the kind of man that just gives up on what I want." I look over at him as he now stands beside me.

"This is a battle you cannot win. My father loved me as well and you see where it got him." he looks at me then steps slightly away and holds out his arm for me to take it as the doors to the elevator open. I hesitate for a moment then took it. I don't want to be rude but at the same time I do want to feel his touch.

"Even if you believe an isolated planet is the best option, even if that is the only way. You shouldn't have to be alone. I think we have both seen that I can help you control your powers." He says as we walk down the hallway as I hold his arm. We walk towards the cafeteria slowly as we talk.

"And what if I am attacked like on the passenger vessel?" I look over at him as we walk into the cafeteria and I let go of him. I grab a tray to be filled with the foods I point to while we continue to talk.

"I won't let anyone get that close to you, well other than me." He smiles as he had intended the last part to be a joke but I am determined to go alone. I have no intentions of letting anyone else I love suffer at my hands. Wait no, not love, care for, yeah that's it because there is no way this is love. I cannot let it be love.

"I will not allow for you to join me I can't." I say working my way to a table a little bit out of the way from the main crowd of people. I would like to keep our conversation as private as possible.

"Even if you are determined not to let me join you I will still treat you the same until our paths part or..." I interrupt him.

"Or what?" I ask looking up at him.

"Or until I convince you that my love for you is strong enough to help you." I let out a sigh and a gentle smile then begin to eat slowly as I am trying to avoid an argument that I might actually continue until I leave, or worse that I might lose. The rest of lunch is quite. We both have things that we want to say to each other but neither of us speak up at first. We just spend time together. I sit reflecting on all the things we have talked about. He is the oldest of four kids with only younger sisters. I am an only child because my mother could have no more after me. I have told him of spring days, time in the garden, and out of all of it he had never spoken of his father until he was surprised by his appearance today. I know obviously that he has a father but the fact that he never speaks of him lead me to believe something had gone wrong between them.

"Are you and your father close?" I finally break the silence.

"We were when I was younger, but not anymore. He doesn't like the ideal of me wondering around space." He says.

"Oh I kind of envy you. I wish sometimes that I could have seen as much as you have." I really do wish I had seen more than the rooms of my castle and the surrounded fields. I have enjoyed what little I have seen from the point I left my home till now it is amazing.

"I am his only son and he had always hoped that I would enter the family business and settle down with a nice young woman." He smiles at me. I pick up on his implementations of me being that girl.

"I don't think I would quite be what he had in mind seeing that if I stubbed my toe I might destroy the family business." I smile back.

"You made a joke, how cute." It is the first time have joked around him and he chuckles at my attempt. I blush a bit as I giggle as well. It is well needed after the first installment of the council meetings.