Princess Caught Lying

[IsabellaRose]

The knight’s smirk deepens, his amusement turning sharper. He knows you lied. His sword is in his hand, his patience wearing thin. This is where most people break. This is where he expects you to stammer, to beg, to fall apart. So you don’t. Instead, you tilt your head, letting your lips part slightly, softening your expression. You let the tension shift, not into fear, but into something else. Something he wasn’t expecting.

"I lied," you admit, exhaling as if resigned, as if you’re suddenly very aware of the space between you. Your voice is lower now, a thread of quiet vulnerability woven into it. "But only because I didn't know. I thought you'd be like the rest, not so..."

His smirk doesn’t fade, but you catch it, the flicker of interest in his eyes, the momentary pause as he processes your change in demeanor.

"So... what? exactly?" he asks, tilting his head. His voice is still edged with amusement, but now there’s curiosity mixed in. He’s listening.

You take a slow step closer. Not bold, not desperate. Just enough to test the space between you.

"Not stupid," you murmur, letting your gaze flicker over him as if seeing him differently now. As if he is the puzzle worth solving.

That smirk sharpens again, but now it’s laced with something else.

"I was trying to outplay you," you continue, your voice quiet, confessional. "But that was a mistake. You're too smart for fast talk and tricks." Your fingers graze your collar absentmindedly, drawing his attention to the vulnerable curve of your throat. "You need someone who understands what kind of man you are."

His grip on the sword loosens slightly. His eyes flick to your lips, then back to your eyes. "And what kind of man am I?" he asks, almost indulgently.

You take another step, slow, deliberate. If he lets you get close enough, you’ll know if this is working. If he stops you, then you’ll have to try something else fast. "I don’t know," you say, letting your lips curve into something that isn’t quite a smile, something sultry, something tempting. "But I’d like to find out."

For the first time, he hesitates. You’re walking a dangerous line. One wrong step, and you’ll be at his mercy. But if you do this right, he’ll be at yours.

• If you continue, let your hand graze his armor, let your voice drop just enough to make him think of you as something other than an enemy, click here. <link forthcoming>
• If you wait, let him make the next move, let him wonder if this was his idea all along, click here. <link forthcoming>