Prologue
“It might hurt, but I’ll try not to cut you too deep.” Six-year-old Adriano said nervously.
Four-year-old Antonina shrugged, not an ounce of fear in her tiny body. She held out her right hand, palm facing up, watching as he grabbed her wrist and took a deep breath.
“Wait.” She pulled her arm back a little “What if I fall in love with a prince like Cinderella did?”
“Then I’ll shoot him with my dad’s gun.” He nodded, determined.
She giggled “You can’t shoot a prince Addy.”
“Yes, I CAN! Why would you care about a stupid prince anyways?” he frowned at her.
“Because Uncle Joey said that’s how I can be a REAL princess, with a pretty dress and a crown and everything.” She bounced up and down in place.
“My dad said when I’m grown up that I get to be in charge of the whole family. I’ll just make you a princess. Besides, I can give you all that junk, you know.”
“IF you promise I get a crown.” she said sticking up her chin “then I will marriage you.”
He huffed “Fine. I promise. Now stand still.”
He pulled her hand closer then dragged the blade of his pocket knife along her tiny palm. She didn’t even flinch. He did the same to his own palm. Taking her bleeding hand in his, they shook on it. When they let go, he reached in his back pocket for the napkins he had shoved in it. She was staring at her hand, her mouth twisted to the side when he looked up.
“Does it hurt?” he asked, worried he might have to get an adult and they would both be in big trouble.
“No” she shook her head, still scowling.
“Then what’s wrong?” he shoved a couple of napkins in her hand.
“You’re s’posed to kiss at the end.”
“Oh.” He frowned thinking about it “I forgot that part.”
He wanted to marry her, but he didn’t want to kiss her! Yuck! She was right though, every wedding he had ever seen had a kiss at the end. Before he could change his mind, he leaned forward and pecked her on the lips as quickly as he could. He felt his face start to heat up with embarrassment as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. She smiled at him and shrugged her shoulders.
“I’ll see you tomorrow Addy” Antonina called over her shoulder skipping off towards her house.
“See ya.” Adriano watched her, then turned to go home. “I could kill a prince.” He grumbled to himself “I would kill a king if he tried to take my Nina.” He huffed as he swatted at the low hanging branches along the dirt path between their houses.
By the time he had woken up to get ready for school the next morning, she was gone.
