The Destiny of the Villainess is Tears

Prince

I groan and shift, blearily blinking the sleep out of my eyes, and stare up at the unfamiliar ceiling of my dorm room.

Ah, it's that time, again.

I close my eyes.

I must have fallen asleep in his arms last night. We stayed out too late, and when we tried to go back to my room we got caught in the rain and it was late and we tumbled giddily into bed together. We must have been exhausted, because we don't even remember changing out of our wet clothes. The candlelight has burned out, and it's still dark. The warmth of Viktor's body beside me is the only thing I feel.

The front of his chest is pressed against my back, and an arm is thrown across my chest protectively, as if he's afraid of losing me if he doesn't hold onto me tight. His head is nestled on top of my shoulder, his warm breath tickling the side of my neck. Viktor has always been a clingy sleeper. It's endearing. I would stay here with him forever, if I could.

...I love him. I love him.

My hands find his and grasp them in mine, pulling them closer. "I love you, my Viktor." I whisper.

He stirs slightly, and mumbles something incoherent in his sleep. It's so cute. I bite back the urge to squeal. I shush him and curl into him, closing my eyes and drifting back into sweet nothingness.

The next time I open my eyes, the sunlight is peeking through the windows. I can see the rays illuminating the carpeted floor and the empty plate on my table. A little pot of violets is beside it - Viktor had brought me one the other day and I'd been taking care of it.

It's late morning, and Viktor has already gotten up and left. As he actually has magical abilities, unlike me, he has more classes than I. Thus, he's already left for his morning classes.

I stretch, then reach for my discarded dress, tossing it on the bed and smoothing it out. I rummage in my drawer, reaching for my hairbrush. It's always difficult to comb my hair in the morning. It's long and tangled and frizzy. The dry air in the Academy makes it even harder for me to manage, even with my expensive hair oils and perfumes.

I manage to tie it back into an acceptable braid and knot it up to keep it together. The bell chimes loudly from downstairs, indicating it's time for another class. Unlike Viktor, I don't have any classes today. Since I have the whole day free, I spend an hour baking, making pastries. Once I finish the dough, I pop it into the oven and cover it with cloth to keep the heat contained.

I clean up after myself and wash the dishes and counter. When I check the oven again, I find the dough has finished rising and is ready for the next step. I lose track of time while I'm baking and preparing pastries to be cute enough to make Viktor smile. A pile of delicious tarts, muffins, and cakes slowly appears on the counter as I hum to myself and cook away the afternoon.

Once I'm satisfied with the number of tarts and goodies I'll need to feed myself and Viktor,I leave my room and head out to the gardens behind the main building. Viktor will be waiting for me there, once his classes have concluded. I carry the treats wrapped up in a cloth covered wicker basket.

As I walk, I notice the tall figure of Prince Hedrim approaching. He pauses in the corridor as he spots me, his eyes turning to look in my direction. The two of us have passed by one another once or twice before. We're cordial, but little else. As I'm not pursuing him or harassing him, I'm merely a near-equal with no other connection to him. By now he should already be intrigued by Eileen and on the way to enamored, so any opportunity I might have had to get to know him if I'd wanted to is already gone.

I tilt my head curiously as I smile politely, nodding my head respectfully in greeting.

Hedrim inclines his head towards me as well, crossing the distance between us with a quick stride. He pauses about an arm's length away. "Good afternoon." He greets, in a cool, aristocratic tone. He speaks well, and is respectful in a formal manner. He is polite and restrained in public, as the prince of the country is expected to be.