Her eyes pleaded with me, but my mind was made up, and I closed my eyes. My heart beat wildly from the proximity to her. I willed my arms to stop quivering and wrap themselves around her waist. In moments, we were closer than before, our lips a hair’s breadth from touching. Then—
“SHAGYAAAAAAAAAAAH!!”
With a hair-raising screech, something thudded heavily into my face. My eyes flew open to find nothing but shiny white scales.
“Prince Vincent?!”
By the time I realized it was Lars, I had already lost my balance and begun to fall. I attempted to release Elizabeth so that she wouldn’t fall with me, but to my surprise, she wrapped one hand around my back and clenched my hand in hers in an attempt to keep me upright.
What happened next felt like an eternity in the blink of an eye. Elizabeth began to fall upon me, threatening to sandwich Lars squarely between us. Lars reflexively sprung off my face, digging his claws into my chest to use as a springboard. Luckily, his horns passed clear of the both of us. With nothing between us, Elizabeth was suddenly drawn closer once more, and unable to fight our momentum, we connected. I felt something soft against my lips.
…What?
Something warm passed into me from the point of contact.
Is this…mana?
A blinding light flashed before my eyes, and within the light, I saw Elizabeth as a young girl. Her eighth birthday party. Countless exchanged letters. A banquet we’d attended together. The painting of her I kept in my pocket watch. Day upon day in the Royal Academy. The day I confessed my love for her. I saw the first day she called me Prince Vince and the day she flubbed her confession of love pass each other by in a flash. It was back. Everything was back.
“M-My memories… My memories are back!” I shouted.
Elizabeth pressed a hand to her mouth in disbelief. “Really? Are you certain?!”
“Yeah… I remember everything, Elizabeth.”
Lars’ attack must have been the trigger—the metaphorical life-flashing-before-my-eyes was the natural culprit.
After carefully checking each other for injuries, I took her hand and helped her to her feet. I even brushed the creases out of her skirt. Then, with every bit of humility I could muster, I dropped a knee to the floor and begged for forgiveness as though my life depended on it.
✦ ✦ ✦
💕 💕 💕
AFTER a chaotic flurry of events, I found two men pleading on the ground before me—one Prince Vincent and one Lord Harold. Lord Lars fluttered above their heads, spitting and hissing insults.
“I’m so, so sorry!” my prince wailed. “My common sense must’ve left me along with my memories!”
“I’m dreadfully sorry for failing to restrain Lord Lars properly.”
“Lord Lars! Leave them alone!” I scolded the dragon before hurriedly crouching before the kneeling pair. “Neither of you have anything to apologize for. Please, raise your heads.” I touched His Highness on the shoulder, encouraging him to stand. “I was…startled, of course, but there’s no need for all this.”
I was half-grateful for Lord Lars’ intervention, so there was nothing for Lord Harold to apologize for whatsoever. That must have been what granted Lord Lars the ability to break free at all.
“There are plenty of things I should’ve done better myself,” I added frankly.
If only I’d been less bashful about, um, k-kissing, this never would have happened. I suppose there was no avoiding that, though…
I averted my gaze and blushed, and I could hear His Highness sigh.
“You’re such an angel, Elizabeth…”
“Thank you. I’m flattered.”
I was admittedly somewhat unsure what he was referring to, but it was likely my forgiving him.
He clamped his hands over his mouth. “I-I’m sorry… I can’t believe I said that.”
“No need to apologize.”
They both finally stood, though Lord Harold’s gaze was still dropped to the ground in deference.
“I believe some of Lars’ magic must have flowed into me when he tackled me,” my prince started. “Then, with the two of us so close after that, it must have affected the seal somehow.” He grew progressively redder as he talked.
I wonder what he’s so embarrassed about?
“Have you full command of your memories now?” Lord Harold asked him.
“Well… I’m not sure. I can remember Elizabeth, but it feels like some things may still be lost to me.”
I recalled what Her Majesty said about forcing the seal open possibly confusing him. “Does that mean you’ve lost other memories?”
“That’s the thing… My head feels oddly clear.” He explained how he’d felt the same way after first awakening from the attack. “What memories I could be missing now, though, is anyone’s…”
As his gaze passed about the room, something made him freeze. I caught him muttering in disbelief as he strode to the bookcase and removed a volume from the shelf. It seemed to be part of a 37-volume encyclopedia collection, and as he flipped through it, he grew visibly more confused. He returned the tome to its place on the shelf and faced me again.
“Could you ask me something history-related?” he asked.
“Of course. What was the name of the general who vanquished the Shudian army at the Battle of Noxheim?”
“I… I don’t know. It sounds distinctly familiar, though.”
“Do you remember what ‘tekkel’ means in the Old Tongue, and can you use it in a sentence?”
“…Try math.”
“Please state Varisch’s Formula and what it represents.”
He shook his head. “Geography, maybe?”
“Please name the three largest veins of manacite in the kingdom.”
Prince Vincent sighed again. A horrible sinking feeling gripped me as I realized what this implied.
“It can’t be…”
He nodded sadly. “I believe so. It seems all my knowledge has been sealed from me now. I’ve even forgotten who I’ve invited to our wedding, let alone anything about them.”
I was struck silent and watched blankly as he tried to take stock of the situation. He had been studying for a great many years now, and I was genuinely impressed he was still so composed.
Perhaps he would’ve been better off forgetting me instead…
He seemed to read my thoughts as he shook his head at me. “Don’t be like that—er. Please. I’d much prefer it this way. I can study as much as I need to compensate for lost studies, but I can’t remember you so easily. You know why you were the one I forgot, don’t you?”
“Well…yes…”
It was because I was his greatest treasure. With that back in his grasp, he seemed willing to give up whatever else he needed to. As I blushed from the thought, he nodded, if a little awkwardly, and smiled warmly like always.
It wasn’t long before his expression clouded again, however. “But, er… My earlier attitude was due to my love for you becoming too intense to bear. I swear that was nothing like me, so please trust that I’ll never do that again.”
He seemed almost limp and frail now, and his voice was scarcely above a shameful whisper. What he did not seem to notice was that whether he played the bold amnesiac or the weak, soft-willed man before me now, I loved him with all my heart either way.
Wait… I what?
Prince Vincent caught the surprise on my face and misconstrued it as a reply. “Ah, I’m sorry. Here I am, spouting nonsense… Forget I said anything. More importantly, we have an evil feline to find.”
With that, he spun around and hurried out of the room.
Again, that was far from the truth. I could feel heat spread across my cheeks once more as I thought back to my revelation.
I was hoping to tell him anything and everything, but I suppose this alone will be my little secret. I did enjoy how upfront he was in professing his love for me, and how he teased me was…well, it was incredibly attractive.
I saw both sides as him, but given how appalled Prince Vincent seemed by his actions, I supposed he wouldn’t try to be so bold again in the near future.
As I tried to wrangle my arousal, my eyes met with Lord Harold’s. His expression was as masked and indecipherable as always, but he raised his thumb to me—a “thumbs-up,” as Lady Margaret called it. Supposedly, it was a symbol of approval.
I suppose that means there’s nothing wrong with it.
I dipped my head to him, grateful, then hurried to catch up with my still-oblivious prince.