Celestia | A fantasy romance

Chapter Eighteen

"Would you like to have one?" She asks, gesturing to a her big bowl of popcorn.

"No thank you." I bite out through gritted teeth.

"Your loss." She shrugs and throws a popcorn into the air. It does not land in her mouth. There has never been one moment I remember when she did not have that thing on her lap.

I groan in frustration. Why does she have to be the one I live with? I jump off my bed for what seems like the hundredth time today. The window is just a few feet away from my bed.

I peer through the window. The flowers Amber placed near it make me think of the ones back in Mallum's home. I ignore the sudden jolt of pain in my heart. Warm sunlight goes through the glass and lands on my cheeks. They're all training today. I want to too. With a frown, I plop back down on my bed.

"You must be the only one on earth who dreads day-offs." She tells me.

"I doubt that." I mutter, thinking of all the shattered souls I'd seen on my first day here. You could tell by just looking at them that they'd seen things worst than I could ever imagine. My nightmares wouldn't hold a candle against theirs.

"Do you have a boyfriend?" She suddenly asks, taking me aback.

I feel myself stiffen. I wish I did, Amber. I wish I did.

"No."
"So you do have a boyfriend."
"I just said that I don-"
"What's he like?" She asks excitedly.
"I dont- he's not my-"
"Is this he cute?" She asks, propping her face down on her hands as she lies down on my bed. Normally, I couldn't care less about whether or not I hurt her with my words. But she's smiling so happily right now that I'm too afraid of lighting out her grin.

"Yes." I mutter out. She's squeals. I laugh at her outburst. My laughs come to an abrupt stop when her eyes widen.

Did I just laugh at something she did?

"Man are you pretty when you're not scowling." Her voice could not have been more in awe.

I think I blush. Because her lips twitch even though she tries not to smile.

"I asked because you keep muttering someone's name when you sleep. Mallum, if I'm not wrong." She smirks to herself.

This time, I know that I blush.

"Let's go. We'll be late for lunch." I say softly.

She doesn't press on the matter that lunch is an hour away.

We're not supposed to roam. The coach made it clear that just because we live within palace walls, doesn't mean that we can think of it as home.

We're something else entirely. We're less respected than guests but more so than prisoners.

I don't know if any of those would be any better at this point.

I walk through the gardens anyway. I know they won't kill me because that wouldn't be any different than them doing me a favour.

And I don't see how worse things could get.

I never realised how pretty butterflies are. The ones near my house are always of the same yellow shade. Tiny yellow wings flapping against flower petals.

It barely does any justice to the beauty of other butterflies.

One lands on my outstretched finger. Pretty lavender wings with exquisite designs on it. It almost looks like it was crafted by the hands of an embroiderer. It flies away towards the sky. It's free to leave and come as it wishes.

I envy it.

"Enjoying the view?"
I don't have to turn around to know who's speaking. And I certainly won't give him the pleasure of seeing me jump in surprise.