Cinders & Gold (Celeste Academy Fanfic👑)

Cinders & Gold ◇ Dance Rehearsal

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♠chapter twenty three♠
DANCE REHEARSAL

Valeriana stared at Corvan in awe once he finished the story. She wondered if Corvan had really finished the story (because how could it end so tragically without a happy ending?) or if he was being silent for reasons best known to him.

"That's it?" the fifth ranker finally asked. "It ends like that? The buried village is gone?!"

Corvan gave her an indifferent look and slightly raised his left eyebrow. "You expected more?"

"Duh!" Valeriana raised her arms at her sides, as though she could not believe the story had just ended like that. "It doesn't explain why this Autumn Ball exists."

"To commemorate the legend of Yegon, of course," said the first ranker nonchalantly.

"Oh." Valeriana felt stupid for a moment. "So let me get this straight. Yegon saved Quiden by stamping her foot and flinging lava to the side?"

"In summary, yes." Corvan stood before the last painting in the room which depicted the strays, the soldiers and Quiden holding an unconscious Yegon at the top of a hill staring down at the valley.

"Seriously," Valeriana sighed. "What happens next? There has to be some explanation for the dance routine that exists."

Corvan turned to her, walking soundlessly towards where she stood frowning. "What happens next . . . is the interpretation of the story. It's what yielded the dance."

The Arlandian heir stretched out his right hand to Valeriana. She simply stared at it, wondering what was in his hand that he wanted to show her.

The first ranker let out a frustrated sigh. "Valeriana . . . take the goddamn hand."

She gently placed her hand in his, and immediately felt the contrast of his skin to hers. The honey golden blonde took note of how callused his palm was. Once Corvan enclosed his hand with hers, she tried to ignore the roughness of his skin, but found it difficult.

"Since I'm apprehensive of the fact that you are a quick learner," started Corvan. "I'll show you."

The blue eyed girl frowned in confusion. "Show me what?"

In one sweeping motion, Corvan pulled Valeriana to his chest and she gasped in surprise just as his free left hand went to her lower back to hold her steadily in place.

"Show you the dance routine." He almost whispered, staring intently into her blue eyes.

Valeriana heard herself gasp as she felt slightly uncomfortable being under Corvan's hellacious gaze which bored deep into her soul. His emerald green eyes seemed to search hers, digging for whatever mystery that her eyes held and Valeriana could see Corvan's green orbs darting back and forth, looking for something in the two mirrors of her soul and trying to unfold whatever secrets that she never knew she had.

"You look . . ." he began.

Valeriana waited with bated breath, holding onto the words that were yet to be said and that hung between them. She was even afraid to let out a breath; scared that if she did so, whatever Corvan was about to say would vanish even before he uttered it.