The cool night air caresses my skin as Octavia and I stroll hand-in-hand down the cobblestone streets of the capital. Lanterns flicker to life along the thoroughfare, bathing the campus in a warm, golden glow. The sky above is a tapestry of stars, twinkling like scattered diamonds against the inky blackness.
“Octavia, we really could have just had my servants make us food,” I say, glancing at her profile illuminated by the soft lantern light.
She turns to , a gentle smile playing on her lips. “Elwin, for most of our lives, your servants will probably make us food,” she replies, her golden eyes sparkling with amusent.
I can’t help but chuckle at her words. “That’s not true,” I counter playfully. “Technically, once one of my sisters takes the throne, they could kick out of the castle.”
“None of your sisters would kick you out,” she says firmly. “In fact, if I had to guess, none of your sisters would let you leave. Why else do you think I was so quick to tell your mom I was willing to relocate to Sunhaven?”
Her words aren’t terribly surprising. Images flash through my mind, the way my sisters always hover around , their overly affectionate touches, the jealous glares they shoot at any woman who gets too close.
I feel a pang of guilt twist in my chest. “You don’t have to uproot your life for .”
She pulls in close, her eyes wide with panic. “I’m not uprooting anything,” she insists, her voice trembling slightly. “I want this. I want you.”
The desperation in her tone makes my heart ache. I can see the fear in her eyes, fear of losing and being left behind. Without thinking, I lean in and press my lips to hers in a gentle kiss.
“I’m not going anywhere,” I murmur against her mouth. “I promise.”
As we break apart from our kiss, the world seems to shimr around us as if touched by magic.
Suddenly, a familiar voice shatters the magical mont.
“Elwin, are you fucking kidding ?”
We turn to see Rolo standing there, her crimson eyes blazing with fury and hurt. Her jet-black hair whips around her face in the cool night breeze, giving her an almost demonic appearance. The muscles in her arms flex as she clenches her fists at her sides.
“You were just with Sufri the other day,” Rolo continues, her voice rising with each word. “Now you’re with Octavia? And I heard you were doing little lunch dates with Saria while we dated, too.”
The pain in her eyes is palpable, a stark contrast to the anger in her voice. Her lower lip trembles slightly, betraying the heartbreak beneath her rage.
“Are you just so royal slut?” she spits out, the words dripping with venom.
Rolo’s accusation hangs in the air, each word a dagger to my heart. The pain in her crimson eyes is unbearable, a stark reminder of the misunderstanding that led us here.
“Rolo, I...” I begin, my voice cracking with emotion. “It’s not what you think. Saria and I were just friends, I swear. I never cheated on you.”
The words sound hollow even to my own ears. I can see the hurt etched into every line of Rolo’s face.
I feel Octavia’s grip on my arm tighten painfully, her fingers digging into my flesh like talons.
Before Rolo can respond, Octavia’s voice cuts through the tense silence, cold and sharp as a blade of ice.
“Did she say you were with Departnt Head Sufri?”
The temperature seems to drop several degrees as Octavia’s words hang in the air. I turn to face her, my heart pounding wildly in my chest. Her golden eyes are distant and rageful.
Panic claws at my throat as I struggle to find the right words. “It was just a one-ti thing,” I stamr.
Octavia’s grip tightens on again. The pain is sharp, but it pales in comparison to the icy terror that grips my heart.
Suddenly, Rolo’s voice pierces through the scary vibe emanating from Octavia.
“Octavia, stay away from that guy!” she yells. “He’s bad news. He only dated because so girl that looks like raped him.”
“I’m sorr…” I try to apologize but get cut off by Rolo.
“He’s just gonna use you for sex and throw you away.”
Before I can try to de-escalate the situation, Octavia speaks up.
“Rolo, shut the fuck up,” she says, her tone dripping with disdain, “you will not speak to my devoted pet like that.”
The world seems to tilt on its axis at Octavia’s words. Rolo’s eyes widen her expression a mixture of confusion and dawning horror.
“P-pet?” Rolo stamrs, her earlier anger giving way to bewildernt.
Suddenly, as if materializing from thin air, Saria appears beside us. She clutches an box overflowing with an assortnt of cookies, chocolate chip, oatal raisin, and sugar cookies dusted with colorful sprinkles. Her erald eyes widen as she takes in the tense scene before her.
“Oh hey, Elwin, hey girls,” Saria mumbles through a mouthful of cookie crumbs.
‘Those look fire.’
I stare at her, utterly lost as to how this surreal situation is unfolding.
“Hey Saria,” I reply, my tone a bit lost. “Those cookies sll good.”
As soon as the words leave my mouth, I feel Octavia’s breath hot against my ear. “Stop talking to them,” she whispers, her voice low and dangerous.
Saria’s gaze darts between Octavia and , noting our closeness. A flicker of nervousness crosses her face as she swallows her mouthful of cookies.
“Oh, you two are a couple now?” she asks, her voice trembling slightly.
The air grows thick with an indescribable tension. Octavia’s grip on my arm tightens further, her nails digging into my skin.
“Yeah, we’re in love,” Octavia declares, her voice dripping with a possessive edge that sends shivers down my spine.
Rolo’s face contorts with indignation. “He’s just using you!” she yells.
Saria looks utterly lost, her erald eyes wide with confusion as she glances between Rolo and Octavia. Cookie crumbs cling to the corners of her mouth as she speaks.
Before I can respond, Rolo’s accusatory voice rings through the air again. She points a trembling finger at Saria. “Did you fuck Elwin while we were dating?” she demands.
Saria’s erald eyes widen sohow even further in shock. She clutches her cookie box closer to her chest as if it might shield her from Rolo’s fury. “I swear on the World Tree, we did not do anything!” she exclaims, her voice quivering. “We were just friends, I promise!”
“Enough, we’re leaving.” Octavia yanks away from Rolo and Saria. The sudden movent nearly causes to stumble, but Octavia’s iron grip keeps upright as we begin to walk away.
Behind us, Rolo’s voice cuts through the night like a blade. “He’s no good, Octavia!” she yells, her words dripping with venom and hurt. “He just wants to hurt you!”
We continue walking, our pace quickening with each step. Finally, when we’re far enough away that even the mory of Rolo’s voice has faded, Octavia cos to an abrupt halt. She releases my arm and turns to face , her golden eyes blazing with an intensity that makes my breath catch in my throat.
“Gods, I hate Rolo and Saria,” she spits out, her voice low and venomous.
I swallow hard, my throat suddenly dry. “I’m sorry,” I manage to croak out.
Octavia’s eyes narrow, her gaze piercing through like a physical force. “Did you sleep with Sufri?” she asks, her voice deceptively calm.
“Yes.” As much as I’d like to lie and say no, she deserves the truth. The admission hangs in the air between us, heavy and suffocating.
“Why?”
I take a deep breath, trying to steady myself. “Well,” I begin, my voice shaky, “Saria convinced that you didn’t want to show your identity because you were hiding a relationship, and I was looking for my fated one.”
Octavia stands still for a mont, her face going blank as she processes my words. Her golden eyes seem distant as if she’s looking through rather than at .
Finally, after what feels like an eternity, Octavia lets out a deep sigh. The sound is heavy with frustration.
“I was too anxious to show you my identity,” she says softly.
“Was it the curse?” I ask, seizing on this potential explanation.
“It must have been,” she replies, her voice tinged with uncertainty.
“Did you have anxiety with anyone else?”
“No,” Octavia says, shaking her head slightly.
I feel a chill run down my spine at her answer. “Isn’t that a bigger problem than Sufri?” I press. “That we don’t know who it was or why they cursed you?”
Octavia’s eyes flash with irritation. “Of course it is,” she snaps, her voice sharp. “But I don’t like that you slept with Sufri.”
I run a hand through my hair, frustration bubbling up inside . “Octavia, you’re not being fair,” I say, my voice tinged with exasperation. “I asked you out, rember? And you said you weren’t ready, with no explanation. What was I supposed to think?”
“And Saria was just my friend,” I continue, the words tumbling out now. “I don’t even think she had ill intentions. She was always there for , listening and offering advice. She helped through so really tough tis.”
Octavia’s brow furrows. “Did Saria ever make a move on you?” she asks, her voice low and intense.
I sigh heavily, knowing my answer will only complicate things further. “Yes,” I admit. “The last ti we t, she asked out. But by then, I knew who you were, so I declined.”
As soon as the words leave my mouth, I see sothing shift in Octavia’s expression. Her eyes go distant again as if she’s looking at sothing far beyond . Her lips move silently, forming words I can’t quite make out.
“Everything is out of order or just plain wrong,” she mutters so quietly I almost miss it.
“What?” I ask, utterly bewildered by her reaction.
Octavia’s eyes snap back to , suddenly blazing with renewed fury. Her face contorts with rage again. Before I can react, she lunges forward, shoving roughly against the cold stone wall of a nearby building. The impact knocks the breath from my lungs.
“You fucked Rolo too, didn’t you?” she snarls, her voice trembling with barely contained anger.
Her hand flies to the hilt of her sword, fingers curling around it white-knuckled. The tallic rasp of steel against leather fills the air as she partially draws the blade.
Despite the aggression of her actions, I catch a flicker of sothing else in her golden eyes, a deep, raw hurt that makes my heart suffer. Her lower lip quivers almost imperceptibly. For all her strength and fury, in this mont she looks achingly vulnerable.
I et her gaze steadily, refusing to look away even as nervousness coils in my gut.
Slowly, carefully, I reach out to cup her face in my hand. “Yes,” I admit softly.
Octavia’s eyes widen. With a resounding crack, she slaps my hand away. The sting spreads across my palm.
“Well, were they better than ?” she asks, her voice a mix of anger and insecurity.
I honestly speak. “No”, my voice gentle but firm. “Rolo used too much teeth and ca the second she took all the way. Then she asked if I was done too and fell asleep.”
Octavia’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise, her anger montarily forgotten. “Really?”
“I know, crazy, right?” I continue, encouraged by her reaction. “And Sufri asked to piss in my mouth and left basically the second I said no.”
A surprising scoff escapes Octavia’s lips, her golden eyes widening in disbelief. “Really??” she repeats, her voice tinged with disgust.
I nod, a wry smile tugging at the corners of my mouth. “I know, it’s insane.”
Octavia’s hand finally drops from her sword hilt, her posture relaxing slightly.
Taking advantage of this mont, I slowly reach out again, this ti successfully cupping her face in my hands. Her skin is soft beneath my palms.
“Octavia,” I begin, my voice low and earnest, “I know we have a deep connection I don’t quite understand, but after we t, I was so enchanted by you I literally could not get you out of my mind.”
Her golden eyes shimr in the moonlight as she gazes back at . “I know,” she says softly, a hint of a smile playing at her lips.
“I’m obsessed with you,” I continue, the words tumbling out in a rush. “Once I had all the facts, I handcuffed myself to you. That was TODAY, Octavia.”
A chuckle escapes her. Her smile widens, transforming her face into sothing breathtakingly beautiful. “Yeah,” she says, “today was wild.”
I can’t help but grin back at her. “I saw you piss,” I chuckle.
Octavia’s gaze intensifies, boring into with an almost predatory gleam. “Yeah, you did,” she purrs. She stares at unblinkingly.
Without warning, she grabs my hand, her grip firm and possessive. “Alright, we’re heading ho,” she declares, her voice brooking no argunt. “We’ll have Jarnathon make us food and then go to bed.”
As we start walking, the campus Octavia’s hand slides down to grab my ass, giving it a firm squeeze that sends a jolt of electricity up my spine. I let out a surprised yelp that echoes off the nearby buildings.
“I’m moving in tomorrow night,” she announces. “But I’ll be busy tomorrow morning, okay?”
My mind reels at the suddenness of it all, but I find myself nodding eagerly. “Alright,” I agree, my voice slightly breathless.
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