I'm falling for the man I hate ~ But is he falling as hard as I am? ~1~

"You shouldn't have done that." His eyes opened slowly as he regained his composure, letting his hands slip from holding her.

"I wanted to." Irena looked at his pained, conflicted eyes and couldn't resist. She flung herself against him again, matching his kisses with her own.

"I knew the rumba was the dance of love, but I never knew how much that statement held true." Both Ethan and Irena broke apart at the sound of Synthia's voice. Irena's hands went to her mouth as she looked down.

What had she just done…?

"So when did this happen?" Synthia asked as she walked more into the room.

"Its not what it looks like." Ethan spoke up. Irena looked over at him, he had his thumb and finger pressing against the bridge of his nose.

"I'm pretty sure it was… unless Irena was suffocating and you were helping her breathe, I can't see how it was anything else." Both Ethan and Irena couldn't say anything to counter Synthia's comment. "You shouldn't feel ashamed… after all this is what was supposed to happen."

"But we hate each other!" Irena spoke up as she wrapped her arms around her self. Ethan looked at her frowning then quickly looked away.

"Right." He agreed slowly.

"I mean… do you hate me?" Irena said as she took a small step toward him.

"Yes. But… no, not really. I mean… it's complicated. Do… do you hate me?" Irena looked down.

"I don’t know what I feel about you."

"So there you go! You don’t hate each other!" Synthia butt in. "And from what I saw of that dance and the kiss I would say the both of you were feeling quite the opposite of hate."

"You saw the dance?! We thought you had left!" Irena said.

"I know, and I did, for maybe a second then I came back in to make sure that you were going to do what you were supposed to do. And I was going to leave again, but then I heard what dance you were doing…. The rumba. I couldn't leave! After all these years of making the two of you do it separately because you both swore you wouldn't do it together… it was…. Simply amazing." Synthia said in true awe. Irena looked over at Ethan as he slowly looked back at her. Just looking at him sent shivers through her body. "Well! I really do need to go. I hope you continue to work on that dance." She said as she started walking back to the door. "And I'm sure everything will work out between the two of you. Two people that dance like that cant hate each other, it just doesn't happen. Well I'll see you later darlings! And have fun at the ball tomorrow!" Synthia said over her shoulder as she opened the door and walked out.

The ball… tomorrow… oh crap. Irena thought to her self as she stared down at the ground.

"So…" He said quietly as he breathed out.

"Yea…" Irena said as she glanced up at him.

"Ethan!" Ethan's father burst through the door.

"Yes?" Ethan answered as he turned toward his father.

"Irena, you're mother wishes to see you." Irena nodded and walked from the room, her head twisted back as she walked, still watching Ethan. He looked back at her as she walked away.

"Irena, dear!" Her mother said once Irena had walked out of the ballroom. "We need to talk."

"About what?"

"Well Gorge believes that this year at the ball instead of just inviting the royals from this land we would invite the royals from other lands as well… and actually more specific royals."

"Who?"

"The princesses. All the princes are married off, but the princesses, like your self are still searching for a husband. Gorge wants to widen his horizons just in case you and Ethan don't work out."

"WHAT?! But the two of you have an agreement! Me and Ethan are to be married, why would he go looking for some other girl."

"Honestly, I don’t know… but it's his castle, and it's his land. He has the right to invite who ever he wants to the party." Irena didn't say any thing as she turned from her mother. She took two steps to the stairs when Ethan stormed out of the ball room.

"I WONT DO IT! NO! YOU CAN'T MAKE ME!" He screamed back at his father who came out of the room as well. Irena looked from Ethan to his father, both men were red in the face with anger.

"YOU WILL DO AS I SAY! I’M YOUR FATHER!"

"I DON'T CARE IF YOU’RE MY FATHER! I'M NOT DOING IT!"

"Doing what?!" Irena's mother spoke up.

"He wants me to greet every princess that walks into the room and dance with her. Then pick one to court for the rest of the evening. I WONT DO IT!"

"WHY NOT!?!" His father burst out.

"Every girl in the place will be drooling on my feet! It will be a disaster if I actually talk to them! And then a full out war if they find out that I'm going to pick one to be with! No! NO! I won't do it!"

"Why would you ask him to do such a thing?" Irena's mother asked.

"Because! I don’t have to explain any thing to any one! My mind is made up! And you will walk up to every singe woman in that ball room tomorrow and you WILL dance with her, and you WILL pick!"

"BU-" Ethan hung his head, as he let his hands fall into fists.

"AM I UNDERSTOOD!?!"

"Yes." He said quietly then turned from the group and ran up the steps. Irena quickly went up after him. She followed him down the hall, walking toward her room. He smashed a vase that had been on a pedestal, then pushed over the pedestal over in anger. It was only then that he saw her. He looked away from her shocked eyes down to the floor. "I'm sorry…" he whispered out. He reached out his hand for her. She took it and walked carefully across the glass. Once across he dropped her hand. "It's just… its my life! If I want to talk to a girl I will! And if I don’t than I won't! I hate it when he tries to control me… And I don’t even know why he wants me to do it! It's not like I'm going to marry anyone but you! That’s already set in stone… I just don’t get it!" He started to walk down the hall a little more slowly. Irena followed beside him.

"I don’t understand it either." She commented quietly beside him.

"I'm sorry."

"Its not your fault."

"No, I shouldn't have lost my temper. I guess it's not really a big deal."

"Yes it is!" He looked over at her, his eye brows raised.

"Why are you so concerned?"

"I'm not. Just… like you said, it's your life, right? And I mean there's really no point to it… And you're not really interested in those girls… right?" Ethan didn't answer her, and her nerves tore at her as he stayed silent. "Unless you are interested…" Ethan's head snapped over to look at Irena's downcast look.

"No… I'm not interested… Not in them." Irena looked up frowning as Ethan stared back at her. They reached her room and Irena stopped walking.

"So uh… about today… I mean the kiss." Irena looked down, blushing.

"Yea?" He asked as he casually moved closer to her.

"Well… I just… I… I should go." Her hand snaked around to feel for the door handle as Ethan inched even closer to her. She felt his warm breath against her lips as he leaned down even further. Her hand found the door handle and before she really knew what she was doing the door swung inward and she fell with it. "AHH!" She screamed as she toppled down. Ethan couldn't help but laugh as she still held on to the door with on of her hands. "Hi." She said looking up as Ethan continued to laugh. He leaned down and gave her his hand to help her up. She took it and pulled her self back onto her feet. "It was the high heels… I haven't worn them very much… and yea… you get it…" Irena slowly started closing the door as she spoke to Ethan. Ethan just smiled as he watched her awkwardly trying to say goodbye.

"Well I'll see you tomorrow." He said smoothly.

"Right… Tomorrow. Bye!"

"Bye."

"Bye…" She smiled quickly then shut the door. She leaned against it and slid down till she sat on the floor.

Irena looked at her feet and realized only then that she was missing a shoe. How did that happen? Suddenly there was a soft knock at the door. Irena turned around till she was on her knees and then opened the door and looked out to see Ethan still standing there, he held her shoe by its strap on his finger.

"I think you missed something."

"OH! My shoe!" She said and pushed herself up onto her feet. She opened the door fully and reached for the shoe. He moved it out of her reach in the last second.

"I wasn't talking about the shoe." He said as his other hand suddenly snaked around her back and pulled her closer to him. His lips pressed softly against her's and her knees grew weak as she leaned her weight against his body. He groaned as they parted. "Here's your shoe." He said and placed the strap into her palm. She weakly held it as she couldn't look away from his face. He stepped away from Irena as her legs started to function again.

"Thanks…" She managed as he started to walk down the hall. He turned around and walked backward.

"Thank you!" He said smirking then turned back around and kept walking. She watched him walk then walked into her room and closed the door. That was the moment she realized she definitely didn't hate him, but she definitely didn't just like him either.

She loved him.

With out doubt.

But did he love her?