The MagiArtist Collection

Light Up Her Life (Maria Campbell x Reader)

Tears streamed down her face. You knew full well who she was. Maria Campbell. Her reputation preceded her as a commoner who knows how to preform the rarest magic known to man: Light Magic. For as useful as she could be, people disregarded her as an undesirable at best and a bastard child at worst.

Your own parents tried to warn you to stay away from her, but fate had drawn you two together. You were relaxing on a field when you came across Maria with a basket full of cookies. It didn't take you much to realize what had transpired and you did the one thing you were told never to do.

"Excuse me, may I have one?" You talked to Maria. She looked surprised, though her widened eyes allowed you to see how her tears made her blue iris glitter like diamonds.

"S-sure... Here you go." She took one of the star-shaped cookies from the basket and handed it to you. You took it and immediately dug in, furthering her surprise. Admittedly, you weren't aware of what kind of cookie it was and thought it was of the warm, gooey variety. Once your tongue felt the rough texture on the back, your mind immediately switched to it being the crunchy kind. You broke a piece off with your teeth. As you chewed it, you could feel the sweetness overcome your tongue. Once the pieces were small enough, you swallowed.

"I love it!" You gave a grin as Maria, while still shedding tears, gave a smile.

"T-thank you..." She said. She looked ahead and saw a large oak tree, then pointed to it. "If you like, we can sit over there."

"That'd be fine." You followed her to the oak tree where the two of you sat down. Over the next hour, you and her ate from the basket and shared pleasantries about your lives. Not only were the cookies sweet, but so was Maria herself. Maybe it was the soft glow of the setting sun giving her a much more enchanting aura. Whatever it was, you knew this wasn't the work of her light magic...

Though this did set up that elephant in the room. You were worried of how to approach the topic. You didn't need to worry for long.

"Thank you but... Why are you so nice to me?" Maria's smile faded into a frown. "Is it because of my magic?"

"Of course not." You shook your head. "Well, I knew who you were, but... all I saw was someone crying who needed someone. That and... the cookies were good." You gave a small smile as you took a cookie.

"Thanks... You're the first person aside from my mother to try it. It makes me glad you like them." She gave such a delicate smile that it pierced your heart from its adorableness.

"No problem..." You wanted to say more. You wanted to tell her that she should accept her magic... But you knew that, deep down, she'd resent her magic all the same, regardless of what she's told. "This is going to sound weird, but... You're a very kind and beautiful girl. Don't let what others say discourage you from thinking otherwise." You had so much more... but you knew that any more would cause her to believe you were trying to butter her up for some offer. As the sun set completely, you and her got up. "I should get going."

"M-me too." She had a nice smile on her face that complemented her blush.

-_-_-_-_-_-

You two departed and a chance encounter wouldn't occur again until a few years later, when you came to the magic academy. Of the first faces you saw, such as important nobilities like the Stuarts, Ascarts, and even the enticing Catarina Claes, you managed to encounter Maria, now all grown up and wearing a fitting pink dress.

"Y-you're..." She spotted you first. You gave a smile before she came to you.

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" You asked her. It was a moment before the uncomfortable question came up.

"You... you were a noble..." All those years ago, the fancy suit you wore was a dead ringer for someone in nobility, and as such, knew more about using magic than a commoner. It was something you worried about having brought up all those years ago.

"Yes. I am. Though... coming here wasn't my original plan..." You looked around before you continued. "If you don't mind, I want to continue this conversation somewhere discreet." You said.

-_-_-_-_-_-

You took her out into the garden. Only a few students come here from what you were told, so this was as private a place as it could get.

"Maria... I'm sorry if I wasn't honest about myself. My family used to talk a lot about you and the rumors. I doubt I have to say what they are." Maria shook her head. "However, when I saw you, I knew those rumors had to be fake. Especially since..." You hesitated. "I wasn't able to use magic myself back then."

"But... I thought all noblemen knew how to use magic." Maria put a hand to her lips.

"That's the thing. My parents expected me to be able to use magic at a young age, but to no avail... There were rumors spread around me too... So... when I heard about you, I knew exactly how you felt. I wanted to tell you what I wanted someone to tell me all those years ago. Though... half a year ago, my magic appeared... It turned out I was a late bloomer. So... I wasn't like you at all... And... I'm sorry about that..." As you frowned, you felt a small tackle from Maria as she held you.

"Your words helped me back then... You were the only person to look at me for who I am, not what I could do. It didn't matter if you used magic or not... So... thank you." You felt her tears soak your suit, but you didn't care. You hugged her and patted the back of her head.

"If... anyone tries to attack you for your magic... I'll protect you. That is my word as a [house name]." You said. As you embraced her, you gave a smile. This girl was definitely the light of your life, just as you were the light of her life.

Though, now that you saw her watching you two, you had to ask yourself why Catarina was reacting at you and Maria hugging with utter shock and horror.