Connections and perspectives

"=Something feels different about you tonight,=" Seraphina mused aloud, placing her book on her chest. Her head turned right, focusing on Lucas who lay nearby, looking at the stars. His tome sat next to his head, opened on a page depicting some constellations.

"=What do you mean?=" he responded, his violet eyes glimmering as he reciprocated the gaze with a hint of curiosity. His face would be difficult to make out without a nearby spirit that shone for the two.

"=It's just... hrmm...=" the Liveren Princess squinted, her gaze almost piercing as she scanned him briefly. "=You, uh... smell different?=" she half-stated, half-asked, taking a brief sniff to confirm what she felt. However, she could not help but confirm her suspicions. Aside from the tasty smells from the nearby basket, the only definitive smell came from the man, which was undeniably different from earlier today.

The white-haired man looked at her quizzically. "=Smell different? I barely even use perfume,=" he replied.

"=No, it's different from a perfume... I've felt it before back in Inallel a few times,=" Seraphina put on a thoughtful expression, picking the correct words. "=It's like... a salty smell, kind of like sweat... in a way? It's not bad in particular, just... maybe a tinge strange?="

Lucas frowned. "=Well, consider me lost.="

"=Sorry, sorry,=" Seraphina sighed, lifting her gaze to the sky for a protracted moment. The thousands of shiny points above twinkled, creating patterns and figures mesmerizing for most. To her, however, they were only points.

She expanded her senses, letting her ears pick up all the faintest sounds in the area: the gentle buzz of small insects, the quiet harmonies of other small creatures, and the sway of grass in the breeze. The way a mouse ran between the grass blades a couple of meters from them, the gentle rustle of the tree leaves in the distance. How everything moved in a synchronous harmony, almost like a single organism. Amidst that, they two lay, surrounded by rose bushes that hid them completely from an outsider's eye. In the corner of her vision, she could see the arch of the beacon standing strong.

"=That aside,=" Seraphina suddenly chimed. "=Will you be going to Weydan tomorrow as well?="

Lucas shrugged. "=Planning to. Why?="

"=Uhm...=" the elf woman curled a strand of hair around a finger nervously. "=I had a request to make of you.="

"?" Lucas suddenly turned back to her.

"=I may not be able to go there, but can I send someone with you?="

"=...you don't mean your retainers, do you?="

Seraphina chuckled. "=No, not at all. I mean my familiar.="

"=Familiar?="

"=Shall I show him to you?="

The man wordlessly nodded, tangible curiosity written over the contours of his face. Seraphina almost smirked. A bit of power welled up inside her. Concentrating the mana in a certain direction, she felt it prod at something within her mind - a string, or a root perhaps - before pulling it tenderly.

Immediately, she felt the other side respond. It was a simple tug, no more than a singular thought worming its way into her mind, but she understood it perfectly; Cileres heeded her request.

"=He will be here in a while,=" she said softly, focusing on Lucas again. She noticed him reach into his pocket, bringing out a small handkerchief and wiping the side of his head before hiding it. As he met her gaze, Seraphina noticed something unknown stirred within his violet eyes.

"=Seraphina,=" he started. "=I also have a request.="

"=My, a back-and-forth,=" she snickered playfully. "=What is it?="

"=Until the end of your stay here, can you at least pretend that you're having a good time with my family?="

"=Well, I was planning to anyway. Lis'te will not let me hear the end of it if I don't show a good girl's face,=" she shrugged, vaguely aware of how her chest bounced gently with the motion. Shifting her position, she faced Lucas better, supporting her head with a hand while the other one picked the book from atop her dress and put it aside. Then, she made a slightly boisterous expression. "=But if it is my friend that asks, I shall be on my best behavior,=" she said, mockingly using a more formal tone.

Lucas snickered. "=Stuck on the 'friend' thing, aren't you?="

Seraphina exhaled deeply. Forming a small smile, she focused on the book between her and the man. "=Well, you are the only real friend I have right now, so yes, I am.="

"=The only 'real' one? Sounds like quite an embellishment."

"=Make of it what you will, but it's true,=" the Liveren Princess shrugged, her expression a little sour. "=Most who approach me do so because they want to get in my good graces. I mean, I can't blame them. My grandfather is one of the current Five Powers of the continent, and my family has great influences across Inallel. But it's hard to make genuine friends when everyone around you feels compelled to treat you with adequate status. 'Princess this, Princess that', where's the time for 'Seraphina', I ask? I sometimes think people don't even know my name anymore,=" she sighed, her fingers tracing the book's cover. "=And nothing they do feels genuine. It's just tiring hearing them say 'Oh, I know you, Princess, we're friends' and then go silent when I ask what my favorite dish is.="

Lucas exhaled softly, his gaze drifting back to the stars. A moment of silence stretched between them, punctuated only by the whisper of the wind through the leaves.

'It's nice to have a friend for once.' Seraphina considered, the warm emotion in her stomach akin to longing. 'It's a shame we won't see each other after Saturday.' she thought, bitterness swirling in her spirit at the memory of her talk with Lis'te she had had after her meeting with Ophelia and Lucas earlier. Looking at him briefly, she saw his chest rise and fall steadily.

The man, almost unexpectedly, chuckled after a second.

"=I really can't wrap my head around how you consider honey-glazed chestnuts a dish.="

"=What's wrong with it? I like chestnuts, and I like honey.="

"=It's an appetizer, so it doesn't count.="

"=I'm a small eater, Lucas.="

"=Oh, the half of the basket you devoured begs to differ.="

Seraphina's eyes widened as she noticed the sly smirk appearing on Lucas's face.

She pouted, frowning dangerously.

"=What do you mean by that?="

"=Just that you have a big apetite for someone of your stature.="

"=Are you calling me fat?!=" the elf woman raised her voice.

"=I didn't say that. I'm just saying, if you dropped a loaf now and then, many doorframes would be grateful,=" Lucas shrugged, just barely not bursting into laughter. "=Maybe not just the doorframes, but also the poor chairs.="

A brief moment of consternation ensued as Seraphina's expression failed to return from surprise.

However, almost unexpectedly, she laughed aloud. Turning on her back, she continued giggling for several seconds, tears of joy escaping her eyes. Lucas joined her immediately.

"=See? That's what I mean,=" the green-haired elf said as he finally calmed down. "=Nobody in Inallel would dare poke fun at me. Everyone's afraid of what I'll say or what my family will do. But you don't care.="

"=Well, to be fair, I know very little of your family, so I don't have a reason to be scared.="

Seraphina hummed in response. Stretching in her position a little, she slowly sat up, her gaze lingering on Lucas. Her mind surged with many memories - remembrances of her father, brother, mother, and grandfather - making her heart beat a little heavier. Were they fine at this time? Her lips stiffened at the thought.

'I hope you're all well.'

Seeing her reaction, Lucas also sat up.

"=Sorry, I didn't mean to bring up something hurtful.="

"=No, it's alright,=" she responded softly, her hands interlacing atop her hips. Looking at her green nails briefly, she let out a sigh. "=I'm sure that despite everything, they're doing well. Even Dellin,=" she finished with a small smile. Looking at the white-haired man, she noticed the question in his amethyst eyes. "=He's my older brother.="

Lucas nodded with a solemn hum, visibly dissecting her words and picking his answer carefully. "=You mentioned him once before, I reckon. But I wonder, what's he like?="

Seraphina shuffled, getting her hair into her hands. Stroking it gently and letting it pool between her hips, she made a thoughtful expression. "=Strong, capable, intelligent. He's the pride of the Liveren Family, and unlike me, he's awakened our family's Origin Magic.="

"=Sounds like a role model of a sibling,=" Lucas replied absent-mindedly, his voice earnest.

"=He is, although he is quite bellicose as well.="

Lucas looked at her strangely.

"=To give an example,=" Seraphina continued. "=Last year, he broke the nose of one of my proposers when the latter offered we get married once I turn of age, rather than mature completely.="

Lucas snorted, his position relaxing. "=All of a sudden, much less a role model, huh?="

Seraphina responded with a giggle of her own. "=He usually means well, but the results are questionable,=" she closed her eyes for a prolonged moment, recalling her brother's soft face and brilliant, blue eyes not dissimilar from her own. "=He always preferred his fists to do the talking when possible. It's almost strange that he can play chess one moment and then threaten to use his Origin Magic on someone the next.="

"=I wonder, can you tell me anything about your family's Origin Magic? How did your family obtain it?="

Seraphina closed her eyes briefly before focusing on the man. If it were anyone else, she'd have dismissed the question, recognizing it as empty small talk. However, staring into the man's amethyst eyes, she could see genuine curiosity. She did not hesitate.

"=It's said that our family's progenitor, Evelyn Liveren, was the first person to contract a spirit in history. The Origin Magic that came as a result, Spirit Parade, reflects our affinity with them.="

"=What does it do?="

"=Well, to put it simply, it lessens some restrictions on summoning spirits and even lets non-Spiritualists summon them,=" Seraphina explained shortly. Seeing the knowledge-seeking gaze of the white-haired man not waver, she almost smiled. "=Spirits are beings of the astral plane. Spiritualists use mana to bridge a connection between that plane and the physical,=" she elaborated. "=But there are limitations. One, you can only summon so many at once. It's not completely set in stone, but it's difficult for the limit to increase. My father started with summoning three spirits, and now he can handle up to six. I can summon two.="

Lucas nodded silently, visibly soaking in what she said.

"=The second limitation is that summoning a spirit and sustaining their connection to this plane costs mana. The stronger the spirit, the shorter the time one can maintain that connection.="

"=So, Spirit Parade can lift those restrictions?="

"=Partly, yes. My grandfather can handle as many as two dozen summons, and my brother is just a few shy of a dozen himself. The restrictions of power also don't apply. As long as the Origin Magic itself is maintained, the spirits will persist the same no matter how strong they are.="

Lucas whistled, admiration evident in how he gazed into the sky for protracted moments.

"=All of a sudden, summoning a lightning spear doesn't sound as impressive.="

"=I wouldn't say that. Spirit Parade is versatile, but ultimately, it's not that powerful. It's a support-type magic, while your family's Origin Magic is centered on a singular, strong attack. They both have their uses.="

"=Can't disagree with that.="

Some seconds of silence passed. Seraphina stretched lazily in her position. "=You know, all in all, I could get used to this,=" she spoke, watching the stars for a long moment.

"=To what? My company?="

"=Well, that too,=" she nodded, focusing on the man before lying on her back. "=But back home, I could never just lay in the grass and read a book like this,=" she pouted, grabbing her book as though to emphasize her point. "=I always have to keep a proper attitude and posture, and there is always someone breathing on my neck about it. It's nice to be able to just... lie down like this, even if only at night.="

Lucas chuckled. Something about his action told Seraphina that he understood her. "=You know, being on the topic of nightly meetings, there was one thing I wondered about,=" he suddenly said, his gaze meeting hers. "=How come you can be here without anyone by your side? Don't your retainers stand guard?="

"=Well, it's actually thanks to my familiar,=" Seraphina answered. Then, as she suddenly heard a rustle in a nearby bush, she turned her head. "=Speaking of, here he comes.="

The sounds of shifting leaves became louder, immediately picking the white-haired man's attention as well. From between the intermingling stems of rose bushes, the dark cat emerged, stepping silently and staring at the two. Its bronze eyes glimmered in the light, intelligence lurking within.

Her gaze landed back on Lucas, who seemed almost transfixed on Cileres's appearance. The cautious curiosity was directed toward her for a moment until she nodded, after which the man extended a hand as if inviting for contact.

"=It's alright, Cileres,=" she said, noticing her familiar's guarded appearance. "=He's a friend. You may feel at ease.="

Within her mind, she could feel Cileres poking. A singular question pulsed like a vein, to which she immediately answered with the most honest answer she could. Seemingly taking it as confirmation, the shadow spirit stepped closer, nudging himself against his summoner's hip.

Lucas hummed, retreating his hand. A small smile graced his face.

However, that expression turned to shock when Cileres's mouth opened.

-In the morning-

Nimue exhaled shallowly before taking the final sip of her tea. Ina was already hard at work at her counter, the scent of red meat hanging in the air as the woman worked the cleaver in her hand.

The elf's green eyes ventured across the room. Immediately, she felt her heart flutter as she noticed the young master glance at her, warmth and care written on his face, and untold depth in his eyes. He was also just about finished with his food.

"Thank you for the food, Ina," Lucas turned to the woman, standing up and taking his plate toward the sink. "Time for me to get going," he continued, his gaze landing on Nimue for a second longer than necessary.

The black-haired woman immediately stood up, also announcing her leave. Exchanging a glance with the human woman, she noticed a faint smirk gracing Ina's lips.

Nimue's ears twitched in tandem with her rising heartbeat.

Her steps, carried by the hard shoes on her lithe feet, echoed faintly in the corridor. Her large chest swayed and bounced slightly with every hurried step she'd taken to catch up to the tall man ahead of her. And amidst all that, a faint jingle sounded from the back of her head. Nimue almost instinctively lifted a hand, checking the position of the hairpin. She felt the small chains against her skin, the stones embedded in their ends hitting one another lightly with every movement she made. The hairstyle she chose for this occasion - a large bun with tails barely reaching her shoulders - was a rarity for her.

After a few seconds, his trek slowed, letting her catch up. Walking side by side with the young master, Nimue could sense that he looked at her now and again, his gaze capturing her silhouette and movement with scrutiny. A tiny blush entered her neck, extending to her ears. It felt good - knowing that her appearance caught his attention was always a pleasant feeling. Inwardly, she smirked.

"Uh, Nimue?"

Hearing her name, she immediately focused on the white-haired man.

"Yes?"

"I have a request to make of you, if you could do it. I can't trust anyone but you with this."

"Of course," she answered instantly but felt her heart throb faintly with rising nervousness. "What is it?"

"I made a basket of food for Princess Seraphina and put it in the storage room. Could you please deliver it to her around dinner?"

Nimue almost flinched at the mention of the green-haired elf. Sourness immediately filled her heart, and her face grimaced, but she managed to hide her expression in time.

"Yes..." she nodded, though her voice had a tone of hesitance.

"Thank you," the man answered, sincere relief in his tone.

They continued their walk in silence. However, despite the seemingly neutral countenance she held, Nimue's spirit was anything but calm. Anger and disgust alike turmoiled within her.

'...that stupid brat is probably lounging around.' she thought with dismay, reminding herself of the green-haired elf.

Nimue had always been attentive to the ones she served under. It wasn't just because of her duties - for some, like Lucas, she took care to be by his side as much as she could and know about his whereabouts whenever she couldn't out of pure loyalty, both to the family itself and the person in particular. That was why she felt sourness well up in her heart at the mere thought he would risk being exposed and punished by his mother to meet Princess Seraphina.

'To think you'd lose sleep for someone like that, Lucas...' she lamented in her mind, her fist clenching briefly. The stinging in her heart was of twofold origin.

One was straightforward - she feared for Lucas's safety. She, he, and even that annoying elf princess all knew that the latter two's meetings were surrounded by uncertainties and potholes ready to trip them. If one wrong person - like Miri, who would immediately report to Lady Ismeria, or Imari, who had a nasty habit of gossiping - caught the wind of the news, it'd end woefully for Lucas.

However, the second reason was... jealousy. Nimue could not help but feel her stomach turning at the mere memory of the man venturing into the garden with the Liveren Princess yesterday. Watching them from a distant window, she let her mind wander. How it'd feel if it were her in Seraphina's stead. How it'd feel--

"Nimue?"

Hearing her name, her eyes snapped open, thoughts scattering. She jolted upright, meeting Lucas’s gaze.

"Y-Yes?" she stammered, instantly noting the concern in his amethyst eyes.

"Are you feeling well?"

She **** a nod. "Right as rain. Just... spaced out," her neck reddened gently as she swallowed dryly. "W-What were you saying?"

Lucas cleared his throat, smoothing out the wrinkles of his robe. With a sharp exhale, he swiped his hair and took half a step to the side.

"Does this look alright?" he asked, glancing down at himself.

Nimue took in his details. His tall and strong, yet demure and soft posture. His brilliant eyes glimmering with intelligence. His marginally crooked nose and small ears that added to the whole image. With the eyes of her imagination, she could see his toned body move with the very step that brought him slightly closer. Her heart only beat stronger.

She smiled.

"Splendid," the black-haired woman nodded, feeling her heart beat ever faster.

Lucas flinched, seemingly taken off-guard by her honest opinion. After a second or so, he cleared his throat again. "...You too."

"?"

"I mean, uh, you look splendid as well, Nimue," the man said, and she could easily notice the faint signs of nervousness appear as he rubbed his fingers together whilst looking slightly away. "A bun suits you."

"Thank you," she replied, feeling her cheeks blush. Instinctively, she took a step forward, closing the distance. She turned around slightly as though to present herself. The faint jingle of the chains in her hairpin informed them both that she wore Lucas's gift.

A second or so of silence passed. The two only stared at one another, the electrical discharge between them suddenly finding release in their act of stepping even closer and hugging.

"Good luck at the assembly," she said softly, rubbing her cheek against his chest.

"Thank you. Stay safe in here, Nimue," he responded, gently caressing her back.

"I will."

They stayed in their position for several seconds more. Nimue could feel the warmth beaming from Lucas, just as great as the beaming heat of her skin. She could faintly hear his heartbeat in tandem with her pulse.

Barely a breath of space separated them. His amethyst eyes met hers, reflecting something unspoken yet known to them both. The memory of their last kiss flashed vividly in her mind, distant yet tantalizingly close. She could feel that moment when neither of them wanted to let go. So why were they still hesitating?

A fire ignited in her chest.

'Once.'

She decided.

'Just once, I will do what I want.'

She didn’t give herself any time for second-guessing. Rising onto the balls of her feet, she closed her eyes, pressing her lips to his.

It was gentle, delicate, and sweet. Nimue could not tell the numerous sensations apart, only focused on the tender act. In the timeless moment, only the two existed. She felt his lips part instinctively, his body reacting before his mind could catch up. They held each other even closer as they got into the act. Their tongues touched, their saliva mixing. Their breaths were caught up between them. She felt the man caress her back, just as she did his. It was a moment, yet it felt like an eternity.

Nimue felt her heart beat almost unbearably quickly as they dislodged. No further words were spoken as they simply held one another for some more seconds.

...

'I did it...'

The thought felt surreal, impossible to grasp. The small elf woman could not believe it had just happened. Even as she looked at the man, his face red as hers, she could not believe what had just happened.

How much time was it?

How long did they spend in complete silence, filled with nothing but a mutual understanding of what just happened? Of what it meant?

It might've been minutes before Nimue suddenly flinched, hearing Lucas clear his throat. Her earthy green eyes met his gaze for a protracted moment. The chains of her hairpin jingled faintly, reminding them both of their existence.

Then, the man swiped his robe one last time, stepping toward the door.

Although he did not look back at her, Nimue could tell that he sported a similar, demure smile of contentedness on his face.

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