Igor withdrew from behind the curtains as soon as he saw Angela with the Prince, with his nephew, Daniel. Things had just complicated. He wasn't expecting this so he decided to leave the ring for some other time. He panicked when he saw Daniel. He ran out of the room as fast as he had come but not before placing a kiss on Rose's forehead, making her dizzy, her heart racing in her chest.
He was out of the orphanage just as Angela was entering. She went straight to her room, all blushed and happy. When she entered, she found Rose with her cheeks red too.
“Angela, you won't believe what happened!” Rose said in an agitated tone. But there was also something else in her voice, emotion and fear and something more.
“You won't believe what I am about to tell you, Rose!”, Angela said at the same moment with Rose.
They were looking curious at one another, each wondering what the other was going to say.
“You first, Rose. What could have happened here, at the orphanage!? You seem excited about it.”
“A lot since you left, I don't even know what to start with”, said Rose.
“Maybe with the beginning?” Angela invited her.
“Yeah, guess that makes sense. Ok, first Clark and his gang were here. They know or at least they highly suspect you are the one with the leather costume and that it was you who they fought in the forest. They were looking for the leather costume.”
“Hmm, pretty bad, so much for my disguise them. But you said there was more. Anything else happened while I was away?”
“Yeah, something even worse, I reckon. Some weirdo came to take your ring. He knows about you ring, Angela! But then he looked out the window and suddenly fled. I don't know what made him change his mind because he seemed pretty determined to take your ring. It seemed important to him”, Rose told her deciding to forget about the part where he had kissed her before leaving.
“Oh….this sounds bad. Have you seen him before, Rose?”
“No, I don’t think he is from around here. But he looked dangerous, he was armed to the teeth. Maybe you should return the ring from where you got it?”
“Not in a million years, Rose! Anything but that! It's the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I mean I was a good fighter and archer before, too, but with the ring I feel ….invincible! And I am not kidding. It must be magical. Felt it since the first time I wore it on my finger. I don't want to take it off, ever! And besides, I am sure it doesn’t belong to him, either! He just wants it for its magic!”
“How do you know it's not his ring, Angela?”
“That’s easy, did you see any guards with him? If it was his ring, he would have gotten me arrested by now. So he wants to steal it from me. Well, let him try. I am not afraid of him.”
“That makes sense….just be careful, ok? He will surely make a move soon to take it. I don't want you to get hurt, that's all.”
“I won't. I promise”, said Angela smiling to reassure her that everything would be fine.
“Ohm, what happened with the bed? Why is it broken?” asked Angela when she saw the bed broken in half.
“Clark and his gang fought the stranger and broke the bed…”
“Okay, help me fix it or we'll sleep on the floor”.
Half an hour later the bed was usable. Not quite fixed but they had put a stool under it and a plank to be able to sleep in the bed. It was good enough.
That night Angela went to sleep thinking of Daniel, of the time they had spent together, wondering what her life would be like if she lived at his castle with plenty of food and even butlers to get it for her instead of living in this dump. Then she wondered who the stranger was, the one who wanted her ring. But as she was falling asleep, her last thought was of Daniel kissing her. She fell asleep with a large smile on her face next to Rose who also fell asleep with a smile, thinking of the handsome stranger who had kissed her forehead. That was her first kiss, even if not on her lips…