I am the Queen

Stars twinkled over the midnight sky. The only sound puncturing the quiet night were the crashing of waves against the shore.

A gentle yet chilly breeze drifted across Evangeline's mesmerizing face, and the salty ocean smell tickled her nose. The foams created from the waves against the shore sparkled in glowing blue dusts, illuminating the dark. It created a dancing sea of stars reflecting on her astonished lilac eyes while she stood there, still as a sculpted ice statue.

The place where Eric brought her was literally a sea of stars!

Her hand itched to feel that firefly-like glowing foams, and she unconsciously reached out.

"I won't touch it if I were you. Those are firefly squids. They emit a blue glow produced by the moonlight captured by their outer membranes."

At the mention of squids, Evangeline hastily retracted her hand, and her eyes locked at the man behind her, standing with no emotion on his face wearing only his vest and pants. His coat was long ago, draped around her shoulders, which made her feel warm throughout the journey.

She never dared to make a sound nor ask any question when Eric led her to ride a taxi and stopped here. She was afraid that any slight disapproval or complaint from her, he would change his mind and avoid her once more. That was how much she unknowingly yearned for his company.

Smiling, she said, "It's a lovely place, Eric. How did you find it?"

Eric placed his hands inside his pocket and answered, "An accident. I found this place one time when I took a detour from work. I guess this is the reason why this city is called blue river."

He then added with a slight tilt of his head, a soft smile playing on his lips, "Come with me. I'll show you something more interesting."

Evangeline beamed, yet her bright smile froze when she almost slipped out from her heels. Frowning, her head swept her shoes drowned by the soft sands.

She clicked her tongue and bent down to remove her heels.

Only, Eric was much faster.

Evangeline was stunned to find him appearing in front of her out of nowhere and without warning, he kneeled on one knee to personally remove her shoes.

She felt something tickling her toes, which crept to her head, and she unconsciously let out soft giggles. But Eric was too focused on removing her heels that he didn't stop nor paused from what he was doing.

By the time she recovered from her giggling, one-sided romantic state, Eric already stood with her shoes in hand while his other hand reached out to her, which she readily accepted.

Even the freezing night breeze couldn't withstand the warmth Evangeline gave off when she held his big, warm callous hand.

Smiling even more, she let Eric led her towards the secluded bundles of rocks that formed a cave. Her breathing hitched in her throat while her eyes wandered in the direction of the stream coming from inside the deeper parts of the cave and drifted towards the ocean.

And before she could ask Eric's intentions of bringing her here, she heard a thud and the startling smashing of waters against waters, disturbing the peaceful atmosphere.

She turned to him and found herself unable to form the words which got stuck in the traffic of questions inside her brain.

Eric was now standing on a boat. It was nothing fancy, some pieces of wood and logs put together, which could carry two persons. And at the side of the small ship, there was a stick for navigating.

Evangeline blinked. Didn't even saw that boat there. And before she could let out her voice, Eric's hand, which held hers moments ago, was now extending towards her once more –– waiting for her hand to envelop his.

Couldn't help a smile, she decided to remain quiet. Didn't want to ruin the romantic moment with her needless questions.

Once she rode on the boat, with little difficulty considering her dress, Eric navigated the small ship towards the deeper parts of the cave, silent and expressionless. But beneath his eyes laid conflicting feelings.

While Evangeline, on the other hand, enjoyed the slow rocking of the boat and the serene night together with the man she likes. She closed her eyes to savor the moment.

Though she was drowning with questions, she didn't want to ask for she didn't want to ruin this rare moment she had with him. She pushed those questions at the back of her head.

When the boat stopped moving, she opened her eyes, and a gasp escaped her lips.

If the sea of stars made her breath hitched, this scene before her made her feel like she was transported in the universe where only the stars sparkled before her eyes. She didn't expect that the unappealing cave would hide something so breathtaking inside.

Twinkling turquoise illuminated the darkness, appearing like emeralds dancing all around while the rippling water reflected the sparkling clouds of dusts. Nothing but tiny glittery moons sparkling everywhere!

She was hypnotized, stealing her breath away!

Smiling from ear to ear, she glanced at him and saw that he was already intently staring at her, a small smile playing on his lips.

". . ."

". . ."

For a while, the two were just staring at each other. Though their faces were calm, harboring smiles, their eyes, however, glinted in different emotions, reflecting the sparkling wonders of the enchanted cave.

After a period of time, Eric broke the silence, and his low, somewhat hoarse voice echoed in the cave.

"Happy birthday, Eve."

". . ."

The different lights reflecting on Evangeline's eyes intensified, and her blurred vision mirrored Eric's smiling face.

Once upon a time, her favorite day was her birthday. She was showered with gifts, delicious foods, attention –– it was her special day. But the happiest part was when her father and mother vacant that one day for her. They would spend it together, one whole happy family. But as the years went by, as her father gradually disappearing from her birthday, as she watched her mother smiling at her with reddened eyes, her love for her birthday turned to hate that she even detested just mentioning it. She even forgot about it.

Only, Angel kept on reminding her when the wretched woman changed her birthday to that exact date as hers.

But now . . .

Just like he changed the ugly memories whenever it rained, he once again turned something unmemorable . . . into a memorable one.

Her lips quivered, didn't know what to say nor do while her cold facade completely melted. If she was the deadly ice sculpture that everyone scurried away from the freezing fog she released, now . . . she was a clear puddle as warm as the hot spring and mellow and docile as a serene lake.

For a moment, Eric found himself unable to turn away. His pupils constricted, zeroing on the beautiful woman sitting opposite him while he stood at the other end, gazing down at her. Her face was supple and incredibly soft while the sparkle of lights and the bluish water glowed against her almost translucent skin.

He unconsciously tightened his fingers when he had that undeniable urge to touch her while all of him screamed to ravish her then and there. He shifted his gaze when his self-control showed signs of cracking from the alluring submissive face she was showing.

Clearing his throat, he broke the heated silence between them. "It was Álvaro who told me."

Evangeline's eyelashes fluttered while her cheeks blossomed a rosy pink. Eyelids dropping down, appearing shy as she whispered.

"Mmm . . . Thank you . . ."