[Original] The Alchemist of Rozarre [Novel-Length] [Complete!]

Chapter 11

Chapter 11
"The Soreno Kingdom has been known for producing the finest Mages in history," Caspian said with pride, while Cerise found herself nodding off while she read the tenth book that Caspian forced her to read out of the many piles of books that she must still read. "If you want to be someone befitting of Roselle, then I will train you to become someone who could hold the Grand Duelist title alongside her. It's the least that I can for my previous sins."

"Are you still going on about that?" Cerise said while stifling a yawn. Damn it, she couldn't keep her eyes open! She just needed at least a five-minute nap, or maybe a ten-minute nap...maybe longer. Her head started to swim with histories and dates and names that all jumbled together like indecipherable hieroglyphics. "Caspian, you were one wrong move down to the path of darkness, but I believe that anyone is capable of redeeming themselves. Some people may make a mistake, some may have even taken innocent lives, but it's never too late to change oneself. However, you managed to overcome your weakness and you're managing it just fine...though still, you're devoting all your taskmaster sadisticness on me, aren't you?"

Prince Caspian smirked at Cerise.

"You may have won over Roselle's heart, but you haven't won mine yet, dearest Cerise de Vernase. You need to prove to me that you're a worthy bride for the Princess, you know."

"Since when do I have to prove anything to you?" Cerise said with slight irritation, her right eye forming a tic. "You're just overloading me with books and boring crap of the history of the Soreno Kingdom."

"Oh, are you saying you're ready to handle my training," Caspian said with a smirk and a dangerous gleam in his eye. "You're not even a tenth of the way there, Miss de Vernase"

"Yeah, yeah," Cerise said, suddenly letting out a great big sigh and plopping her head into the book that she was reading. "Wake me up in ten minutes."

"You can't stop now!" Caspian said. "You need to study! You need to understand the ley line layout of the Soreno Kingdom! You need to be someone of ambition! You can't be satisfied with just stopping there. No matter how tough or boring it, you must do it for your own betterment. That's how you become excellent. That's how you become the Grand Duelist. Did you think Roselle sat idly by and took ten-minute naps when she was studying under her assassin tutors? Not a chance or they would've wiped her out!"

"I'm not Roselle," Cerise said with a yawn, though Prince Caspian lifted up her head and tilted her chin towards him, his face dangerously close.

"Listen to you," Prince Caspian aid, his golden eyes narrowed towards her. "I will whip you into shape if I must. Now get reading or else I'll have Viola inject you with a poison while you're unaware, which you'll need to discover the antidote for somewhere in this library."

"That's not fair," Cerise groaned. "I'd die."

"That's what you keep telling yourself," Prince Caspian muttered. "Honestly, how could Roselle love a hopeless girl like you."

"I honestly don't know," Cerise said, shrugging her shoulders. I'm not as amazing or talented as her. And to be honest, my match with you was won by pure luck as well. No matter how much I try to avoid my destiny, it seems like the world is conspiring against me to put me in the role of the hero that saved the world."

"Your indifference unsettles me," Caspian said in amazement.

"Look at you two," Roselle said with a smile on her face. "Bickering and squabbling like siblings. I think that you two can become very good friends."

"No," Cerise and Caspian said, frowning towards Roselle, before frowning towards one another.

"She's slacking off on her duties!" Caspian said. "How am I supposed to make a Grand Duelist out of her? She can't possibly hope to share the same title as you as long as she has this kind of work ethic."