Cinders & Gold (Celeste Academy Fanfic👑)

Cinders & Gold ◇ Humility

short chapter! this is one of my favourite chapters of this book by the way xD

♠chapter fourteen♠
HUMILITY

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"I see what you did there but did you really have to?" Valeriana asked Corvan as she closed the infirmary door behind her.

"Did what?" he asked.

Val gave him a deadpanned look. "Lie to Zion that he's pathetic when it comes to his sword skills. You know he's anything but that."

Corvan kept walking in long strides, not bothering to spare a glance at the fifth ranker. "He'll thank me later."

Valeriana couldn't help rolling her eyes as she tried to keep up with him. "Don't be so conceited, you jerkwad! What can you possibly teach Zion anyway? You do know that he's the only one in the Academy who's got the guts to challenge you without backing down, right?"

"I'm aware," Corvan said stiffly. "But he's still got a lot to learn, just as I do."

The fifth ranker frowned. "What do you mean by that?"

"I'm not only doing this for the mongrel, Valeriana," he faced her with a serious look on his face. "I'm doing this for my sake as well. As much as I'll be teaching him, I also have something to learn from him."

"Seriously? Mongrel?"

Corvan kept walking.

"Hey," Val took a hold of his arm and stopped him, making Corvan face her with a questioning look. "This is your chance and Zion's chance to create a bond. Can't you see?"

The two of them were standing outside the infirmary. The sky was getting dark and the wind blew harshly. Val subconsciously savored the breeze that blew in her hair, grateful that the summer heat was no longer scorching. She looked at Corvan as she waited and hoped for an answer but not expecting one.

Valeriana sighed. "Look, I know that you and Zion aren't the greatest fans of each other, but I hope that you can take advantage of his memory loss and show him that you're —"

"A good person?" Corvan interrupted.

"No, I wasn't going to say that," Valeriana told him. "I wanted to say that you should show him the mature move of being humble and letting go of the animosity between the two of you."

Corvan scoffed. "He'll use it against me. I absolutely cannot allow myself to do that."

Val rolled her eyes. "Is this your pride again? Do you consider yourself way up there that you can't be humble at the times it is deemed crucial?" she gave him a challenging stare. "Because right now, for you to take full responsibility of Zion's amnesia, your humility is needed."

The first ranker folded his arms across his chest as he frowned. "Whatever humility that's needed is already incorporated. I've already offered my time to teach him sword skills and trying to make him remember, haven't I?"

"Yes, I know," Val was on the verge of raising her voice. "But you made it sound as though he's supposed to be entirely dependent on you. I heard the tone of voice you used back at the infirmary."

Val cleared her throat as she readied herself to mimic a not-so-bass intonation. "Oh, hey Zion. Did you know you're pathetic when it comes to fighting? But worry not though. I, the high and mighty Lord Corvan will teach you not to be pathetic any longer. We start tomorrow ho ho ho—"

"I did not say that." Corvan fumed at her, the muscle beneath his right eye twitching furiously.

"But that's how you sounded, you conceited idiot devil." Val said, poking him in the chest. "Be humble, will you?"

The lord turned sharply around, his tailcoat flying and hitting Valeriana on the face. "I can't tolerate having this conversation with you any longer." He began walking away.

A few students who had been lurking around had noticed the slight fiasco between the two of them and kept throwing furtive glances towards the duo.

Val stamped her foot in frustration as her cheeks swelled in annoyance.

"Do you know what I read in your journal?" the girl yelled out loud. This caused Corvan to stop in his tracks as his blood ran cold. The fifth ranker took advantage of his still state and jogged towards where he stood.

"That's right, Corvan. I read something in your journal. Wanna know what?"

His jaw twitched, but he didn't say anything.

"Oh, wait!" she scrunched her eyebrows in a thoughtful manner. "It's your journal so you probably know everything that's in it anyway. And besides, I don't think my pride will let me confess what I read. Shame." She began walking away from the young lord with a spring in his step.

A force yanked at her elbow and spun her around. Valeriana met the cold hard stare of Corvan.

"Tell me." He said through gritted teeth.

She prolonged the silence between them, her index finger resting on her chin as though she was thinking hard and contemplating.

Corvan's patience grew thin. "Godsdammit Valeriana! Tell me what you know!"

Val sighed. "Your pride. I read about your pride."

The Arlandian heir gave her a cold look.

"Remember the entry about the Autumn Ball?" she went on to ask. "You said that some matters need to be confronted without pride in the way. And you also said that you would gladly swallow your pride if it means that you'll be accompanied by whoever at the Ball or something."

Val took a step forward and reduced the distance between them. "And I think that Zion's situation is one of those cases which you should deal with without your pride interfering, don't you think?"

Corvan avoided her intense blue gaze. "Whatever humility that you want me to show to that mongrel will come to bite me in the back once Zion regains his memory." He gave her a meaningful look. "I cannot risk my dignity again to him, Valeriana. He humiliated me once. I won't let that happen again."

"Hey," Val said in a soothing voice. "Who said he'll humiliate you again? Maybe if you show him a humble side while he's still an amnesiac, he'll change his attitude once he regains his memory."

"Maybe," the young lord said in a stiff voice. "It isn't a guarantee."

"Are you really not willing to try? You'll never know if you never take that risk, Corvan, as much as it pains you," she said.

The fifth ranker looked around and noticed that the darkness around them was getting dimmer. She strayed her eyes back to Corvan.

"Look, don't be scared to take that risk. Never be afraid of being humble, because the worst that can happen is being in regret, but you can take that as a lesson learned. Think about it."

Valeriana gave the young lord a small smile as he continued avoiding her eyes and kept on wearing his trademark frown on his face.

She placed a hand on his shoulder. "You know, it would really make me happy if you'd become the Corvan that you wrote about in your journal. The one who gladly swallows his pride when it comes to certain situations. It would make me think very highly of you if you'd do it for Zion. I'd really like to see that."

The fifth ranker took a few steps back and bid the young lord goodnight before walking away from him, leaving Corvan standing there in silence as he watched her go.

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