The Shadow Court: Midnight Secrets

Chapter 5: Message From The Moon

"Enjoy the moment before it becomes a memory."

Vesper's perspective

I climbed up the stairs of the eastern tower, in hopes of getting to the roof to clear my head.

"Good evening, your highness." a maid called Joanne said as she scurried down the stairs.

"Good night, Joanne!" I called after her.
I'd made it my duty to learn the name of every maid, stable boy, servent, guard and so on, just because my dad had told me royalty didn't need to know the name of anyone unimportant. I resented my father for quite a bit after that so I wanted to get back at him by proving him wrong.

I stepped off the last stair only to see that I wasn't alone. In the street-like area between the western- and eastern towers were only me and her.

There stood the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen.

She had long, thick dark blue hair and her doe eyes—though I saw only one of them—were the richest shade of midnight blue. She had smooth rosy skin and her blue ball gown hugged her frame. She wore a sheen white cloak on top.

Abruptly she spun to look at me, she smiled and I think I forgot to breathe—I guessed I looked stupid based on the amusement in her expression.

"Hi, I'm Amira." she introduced herself and leaned against the gray stone railing. I tried to say something but failed miserably.
"What's your name?" She asked.

"Good evening, I'm Vesper." yeah, I shouldn't have said anything at all. I shook my head a couple times just to clear it out and Amira swirled a glass of wine I hadn't noticed she'd been holding.

"Vesper. What a lovely name, I think I might have heard it before." her voice was angelic.
"Your name means princess, right?" I asked for reassurance and she nodded.

"I haven't seen you here before." I noted.
"I've never been here before. The view is breathtaking." she gazed up at the night sky, mesmerised. I watched her.
"It's my favourite place in the palace." I agreed quickly.

"May I ask why you're up here?" I questioned genuinely curious.

"I'm regretting." she said it as if it was mundane but I couldn't have been more interested.
"What?" I asked swiftly.

"I'd rather not say, nothing fun about meeting someone at midnight if they tell you everything." Amira claimed and sipped her red wine.

"I'd offer you a drink, but I've got just one glass." she continued and I realised she didn't recognize me. Which was something new and I liked that. There weren't any expectations about being the crown prince of Vera I could just be me and lately I've been needing that more than ever.

"I'll manage. So, who are you?" I inquired and strode to lean on the railing alongside her.
"I'm a mysterious fairy from a far away land who has entered the kingdom of Vera on classified business." Amira kidded and I chuckled. Her head snapped toward me as if she'd wanted to see me smile. The faintest blush covered her cheeks, she looked adorable.

I got lost in her eyes as we stared at each other. My eyes traced each one of her features, her small slightly upturned nose, her heart shaped face and long dark eyelashes. I noticed her eyes studying me.

I cleared my throat and asked her,
"What do you like to do?"
"For fun." I added.

"Draw, read, ride horses and go on adventures." Amira's expression turned wistful as if lost in thought—no, memory.

"What kind of adventures?" I continued.
"Usually one's on horseback, alone or with my friends." Amira explained with a wide grin. I smiled at her, she was unlike anyone I'd met before. There was something different about her I just couldn't place what it was just yet.

"What about you?" she asked with bright eyes.
"I don't really have a lot of free time, however when I do I usually spend it with my best friend Adam, my little sister Fae or in the pleasant company of my books." I responded. She probably didn't know Fae was the princess and if Amira did she probably knew her as Fayette—which was her real name.

"I always wanted siblings."she whispered and a silence draped over the night.
"So, you like books too?" Amira interjected.

"Yeah." my answer was short—vague.
"But what's your favourite book?" I asked.
"The Half Moon Lovers, it's a sappy love story about a girl and a boy who fell in love, but the
girl—Celeste—dies before they can live happily ever after."—I blinked a couple of times as Amira sniffed—"Then the boy, Espen, he—he has to figure out who he is without Celeste." Amira finished.

"Are you... crying?" I interrogated.
"No! But it's a very moving story. You should read it. You could borrow it." she suggested with a grin.

"That sounds great, I could bring you my favourite book in return." I offered with a smile.

"Like a book exchange!" she remarked.
"Ye—" I started.
"Wait, what is your favourite book?" she queried.
"The Perilous Passage, by Leopold Payton." I replied.

"That sounds boring." she stated playfully.
"Well, you'll have to read to find out." I insisted.

The clock tower in the background rang twelve. I yawned.

"Yeah, being pretty must be tiring." she joked.
"Then you must be exhausted." I said back completely believing what I was saying, while a light red blush coated Amira's face.

"As a matter of fact I am exhausted, so I'm going to turn in for the night but remember to bring me that book." Amira reminded.
"Of course, same time tomorrow?" I asked for confirmation and she nodded with a smile.

"Good night Vesper." she said her eyes softening.
"Sweet dreams." I wished her and she left, her snow-white cloak flowing behind her. She'd gone down the western tower. I'd gone down the eastern one, yet I couldn't get her out of my head.