Royal Academy Diaries II

The Missing Crown ⚜ Ch. 9

After a while, Teyrn decided to go to Faline, bringing a small bouquet of enchanted flowers. He went to the dorm common area and started sending flower petals up to her room, drifting on an unseen current. Soon, she came to the stairs, looking confused.

"Countess. I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" he asked casually.

She shook her head and came down to meet him. "No, I finished my homeworks a little while ago. What's this?"

He handed her the flowers, noticing the glint of gold on her hand. He shrugged, smiling. "I just wanted to see you."

Her hazel eyes widened in surprise. "You did? Oh. That's, um, that's kind of you. These are lovely."

He watched her with a small smile as she smelled the flowers. "Would you like to come away with me for a bit? I know of a spot I doubt you've seen before."

Faline raised a brow. "I doubt that. I've explored just about every inch of this castle."

He smirked and took her hand. "Not quite." Heading towards the door, he led her along a series of corridors and up a few flights of stairs, then went out onto a small balcony. "Are you scared of heights?"

"Um..." She eyed him warily as he enchanted both their shoes.

"I'll take that as a yes." He stepped over the railing onto the roof and held out his hand. "I've done this a thousand times. Do you trust me?"

Faline sighed and took his hand without another word. She followed him up the low rise to a flat part of roof. "Oh wow..."

He looked at her as she took in the sweeping view. Towers and the nearby mountain rose majestically around them, overlooking the seemingly vast forest. "Incredible, isn't it? Being up here surrounded by stone and sky."

She nodded. "It is. How did you- Well never mind. I guess it's pointless to ask a boy why he went and climbed on the roof in the first place."

He laughed. "You're probably right. Come, sit down."

They sat down together and she admired her flowers again. Teyrn felt a strange sense of satisfaction that she was wearing his ring.

"So. What did you come to the academy for?" she asked.

Teyrn thought for a moment. "I came here to hone my magic and learn as much as I could."

She leaned back on a hand, setting the flowers beside her. "What do you want to do with it?"

He hesitated. "I want to change the world, make a difference. Especially for Ireland."

"I see. I always thought it would be fun to be a royal wizard. Even if I wasn't in the Netherlands, it would be such an honour. You get to help the people who are changing the world, with less of the pressure."

"Hm." He nodded and looked back at the view. "Is that what you really want?"

"Well, sure," she shrugged. "It's an important job. And helping people is what is most important, right?"

Looking back to her, he said, "I guess you're right."

✧❈✧

Later that night, Teyrn sat in his dorm, looking at the crown again. For the first time, he was a little conflicted. Faline's mention of what was 'most important' had him thinking.

Could he be satisfied with being a royal's assistant? What about all the people who were counting on him to return Ireland to a monarchy? Sure, some of them wanted power, but he and his family were strong enough in magic to be safe.

But was it worth it to scare everyone who ever cared about him? His friends, professors. What would they think of him? He wasn't power hungry, just utilizing a means of protecting his people.

Closing the box, he slid it under the bed and laid back against the pillows. His mind turned to Faline again. He liked her, though he couldn't fully understand why. Her shy and gentle nature was just appealing to him, comforting somehow. She was calming, which helped him have clarity. Of course she was beautiful too, which didn't hurt. The thought crossed his mind of making her his queen when he restored the throne.