Chapter Text
Someone was approaching her. She could hear footsteps and just barely make out the sight in front of her. She was…in a cage of some kind, with blue roses adorning it. The only other sound she heard was her rough breathing, gasping for whatever air she could get.
Then the footsteps stopped and she heard an unfamiliar voice.
“I don’t wish to hold you captive here.”
She looked up from the floor she had been staring at to the owner of the voice, revealing a blonde man she did not recognize. He was wearing a crown and dressed like a king, but for some reason, that didn’t strike her as strange.
“You have a bright future ahead of you. It would be a shame to take it away from you,” the man commiserated almost mockingly with her. There was something sparkling in his hand…a necklace, one she recognized and her heart stopped when she saw it. It should not be in this man’s hands and if it was, that meant…! “Stop indulging in these fantasies and move on. He’s never coming back.”
As the man said this, he tossed the necklace carelessly to the ground, causing the beautiful blue gem to shatter. Then, for good measure, he stepped on the necklace, destroying it even further.
“I’ve won. I will trust that you will choose the victor,” the man stated, confident and self-assured in his arrogance. She looked up at his face, meeting his blue-green eyes as he smirked down at her, like a glimmering gold dream. Or, perhaps, a nightmare. “After today, I hope that all of us can witness everything that happens…together.”
His gaze was cold-blooded and remorseless, stabbing her in the heart with each subsequent dream. Because this had to be a dream, surely. She’d experienced them before, but never so realistically as she did now. Every instinct in her body was screaming at her to wake up, right now.
And wake she did, almost as if she were being dragged from under a deep sea to her first gasp of air in quite some time.
“Ophelia! Wake up!”
Ophelia startled awake, her eyes focusing on the paper in front of her where a comic panel she must have finished before she fell asleep lay. Her fountain pen must have rolled off to the side, lolled to sleep as she was by the soothing motion of the waves beneath her.
“You sure were out of it. We’re heading to St. Shelter Academia and you still managed to fall asleep while drawing,” Autumn, her twin sister, teased. Her pale blonde, almost white, hair fell over her shoulder as she leaned into Ophelia’s space, her violet eyes sparkling. “Sometimes I wonder how you even manage to draw for our comic.”
“Now you’re just being dramatic,” Ophelia scolded, rolling her eyes. She straightened her back, feeling an ache where she had been laying for far too long. It’s a wonder Autumn let her sleep as long as she had. She threaded her fingers through her black hair, dreading the curly mess it probably looked, compared to the smoother waves Autumn had. At least their eyes were the same beautiful color, according to their mother.
“So this is where you left off, huh?” Autumn asked, drawing Ophelia’s gaze back to her sister. She was holding the comic page Ophelia had finished, examining it. “The Emperor of the Otherworld is declaring his victory over the Silver Knight to the maiden, yeah?”
“Yeah.” Ophelia nodded. “I’m not sure what scenes could come next, but you might.”
“Hmm, I dunno,” Autumn frowned as she sat down, staring hard at the page. “See, I really can only get the plot once you draw out the art. Once I see it, it’s like the plot just writes itself. But right now…I can’t see anything. I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault, I’ve been having artist’s block too, you know,” Ophelia reassured her older sister, reaching out to squeeze her hand. “I’m sure we’ll figure it out before our deadlines for Calypso and Theodora.”
“I hope so. Theodora is far too strict on deadlines,” Autumn groaned, laying her head dramatically on the table. Ophelia just rolled her eyes fondly.
Theodora was pretty strict on deadlines, but that was just because she was the only one of the four person team that knew how the publishing world worked. Ophelia still thanked whoever had sent her and Autumn’s original rough copy of their comic, In Passing, to her. Calypso had been the final edition to their team, though Cael had never explained how he found such a talented colorist, only that he had.
But thanks to both of them, the dreams that Ophelia had been having for a year, full of snow and ice where the chivalrous Silver Knight defended the people from the Tyrannical Emperor until the arrival of the mysterious maiden from another world, had found its way into the hands of many others.
“You forget we’ve missed two so far already because we have no idea where to take the story next,” Ophelia reminded her sister. Autumn rolled her eyes right back.
“Please, like we’re the first comic team to not make some arbitrary deadlines,” she scoffed. Ophelia could only sigh in response, her sister’s opinions far too familiar to her.
As her eyes fell down to the table set between them, she found them drawn to the sketched out finale of the first volume, the one she and Autumn had planned very early on in the whole process. The Silver Knight had succumbed to his injuries and laid on the ground defeated while the maiden had fallen into the Tyrannical Emperor’s trap. But despite the plans the two of them had made, neither of them had truly been happy with it.
“Tugging on readers’ heart strings is always a good way to keep them coming back, but…it just doesn’t feel right for this one.”
That had been Autumn’s argument and Ophelia had found herself agreeing. So they’d been delaying as much as they could, to Theodora’s annoyance. Ophelia could still remember the last email she’d sent them, promising they’d see her very, very soon, and it had not sounded like it’d be a pleasant meeting.
A knock on the cabin door startled Ophelia out of her thoughts.
“Ophelia, Autumn, I brought you some breakfast.”
At the sound of Cael’s voice, Ophelia turned roughly to glare at her sister. Autumn, who had been moving to stand and try to scare Cael, sat back down with a pout as their guardian stepped inside, bringing with him the salt tinged air.
“Thanks Cael, but I’m not that hungry,” Ophelia admitted. Cael set the tray he held between the two sisters on the table before he turned to frown at Ophelia.
“Neither of you have eaten anything since you boarded the ship last night,” he stated, scolding clear in his voice.
“Yeah, and would you rather we eat and throw it up again?” Autumn challenged, raising an eyebrow and daring Cael to argue with her. “It’s not like this is a calm ride, you know. We can’t all have perfect sea legs.”
“I’d have them stop the ship if I could, but I’m afraid that’s out of the question,” Cael said, as if it were a reasonable response. Before Autumn could argue, Cael smiled down at the two of them softly. “We won’t reach Harp Island until late this afternoon. Try to hang in there ‘till then.”
“We’ll manage, I’m sure,” Ophelia smiled. Hopefully, that would be enough to defuse any tensions. Cael had moments like this sometimes, where he said something odd as if it were perfectly normal, which could either make the sisters laugh or set Autumn off on an argument. There was never any other option, unfortunately, so Ophelia did her best to mitigate peace where she could.
At the very least, the one thing both sisters loved about Cael was his cooking. He was extremely talented in any kitchen and Ophelia was mourning losing it once they started school, even if Cael was still gonna be there with them as a staff member. Though what he did, neither she nor Autumn knew.
Cael could be infuriatingly vague when he wanted to be, both in terms of his words and his expressions. More often than not, his face was in a very placid smile that gave nothing of his thoughts away. Some days, Ophelia just wished she could read his mind.
“I’ve got a lot on my plate this semester. I may not be able to visit you two as often as before,” Cael warned as they slowly dug into their breakfast. “But I will be there whenever you need me.”
“You promise?” Ophelia asked, soft and almost childlike. If she had said this in regard to anything else, Autumn would have kicked her. Instead, she reached out and squeezed Ophelia’s hand.
Cael had become their guardian after their mother passed away and he had rarely left the girls alone since that moment. Ophelia had never done well with sudden changes and the idea of having Cael far out of reach terrified her, just as it had terrified her to not have her mother nearby anymore when she passed. She always had Autumn she could count on, of course, but there was a difference between a sister and a parent. One could walk beside you and the other could catch you if you fell.
Maybe that had been why Ophelia had always drawn the Silver Knight as looking similar to Cael, now that she thought about it. He was a guiding, protective figure in her life, it made sense she’d dream of him in a similar position in her dreams.
But Cael didn’t answer her. Instead, he turned his gaze to the drawings littering the table.
“I know that you two have been feeling frustrated with your comic lately,” he commented out of the blue. “Remember what I told you? Knowledge and experience are equally important to artists. The weather is nice out. It’d be a good opportunity to go for a stroll around the deck. There are many St. Shelter Academia students abroad. If you’d like, perhaps you two could go and make some friends.”
Without another word, Cael took his leave and the cabin was quiet once more. It’s only then, as she’s staring out the window at all the strangers walking on the deck, that Ophelia truly understood how far from home she truly is.
Her heart ached in her chest at the thought.
Autumn’s hand reached out to squeeze hers once more and Ophelia returned her sister’s grip just as tightly.
“Up for exploring then?” Autumn asked, gentle as she always was when Ophelia got like this.
“Yeah…let’s go,” Ophelia agreed, with only just a hint of fear in her heart. She could do this, she could.
This was a new start, after all.
After the two sisters had done a lap around the deck, Ophelia spotted a hanging ladder which led to the upper deck platform and she scrambled up it.
“Hey, slow down!” Autumn called after her.
“Autumn, look how beautiful it is!” Ophelia gasped as she gazed around at the open water, the sun glistening off it in a pattern she longed to capture through her own art. Without stopping to consider anything else, Ophelia began to set up her easel and canvas, sitting down to paint just as Autumn joined her.
It was quiet between the two of them as Ophelia painted, getting lost in the wind and sea, following her heart without thinking about it. By the time she was done, she had painted a portrait of Cael, standing on the boat at dusk and watching the birds fly by.
“You think we’ll ever meet Emerald?” Autumn questioned. Ophelia let out a surprised hum, turning to her sister at the strange question. “It’s…look, we know he’s a professor at St. Shelter and he’s been your idol for our whole lives. Can’t blame me for wanting to show him your art and prove you’re better than him.”
“I’m not,” Ophelia pouted, feeling her cheeks heat up. This was a common argument at home, one neither of them ever won.
“You are though,” Autumn insisted, as she always did. Ophelia rolled her eyes, getting ready to put the painting away when she heard footsteps approaching behind her. They must’ve been tall, considering their shadow cast entirely over Ophelia when they stopped.
She glanced at Autumn, only to find her sister gaping in shock. Curious, Ophelia turned around to see just who approached the two of them herself.
Instantly, she understood her sister’s shock as she fell back herself.
The man standing before the twins was identical to the Tyrannical Emperor. It was as if he stepped out of Ophelia’s dreams, the resemblance was so uncanny. If he wore a crown and held a sword, she would have said the character had somehow escaped the book. But instead, this man wore a leopard print shirt and his coat had a large fur collar, meaning he had to be flesh and blood or both twins were going crazy.
“Hi there, is it okay if I take a seat here?” the man asked, perfectly polite.
Ophelia felt as if she were insane or dreaming still. Without thinking about it, she began to back away from the man, as if distance would help her to wake up. Instead, the man followed behind her at a steady pace before he suddenly reached out and grabbed her. She could feel the warmth of his skin and the strength in his arms from that touch, and it grounded her, confirming that this was reality and not a dream.
“Sorry to grab you like that, but you were about to fall over the railing,” the man apologized as he pulled Ophelia forward, away from the railing. “I’m a decent swimmer, but you’ll have to excuse me for wanting to avoid diving in the ocean and bringing you back on board.
Instantly, Autumn was on her feet and fussing over her.
“Thank you so much, sir. My sister can be a bit clueless sometimes,” Autumn laughed nervously, pulling Ophelia further away from the railing with a tight grip.
“Yes, thank you for saving me from taking a tumble,” Ophelia added, leaning into her sister’s touch to anchor her here. It was just a coincidence that this man resembled one of her characters so much, that was all. She could relax now, everything was fine.
“How rude of me. I should introduce myself. My name is Lars Rorschach, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” the man, Lars, smiled down at the two.
“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Ror…sch…ach,” Autumn said, sounding his name out slowly. Ophelia was pretty sure laughing would be rude and besides, she’d probably be no better at pronouncing his name.
“You can just call me ‘Lars’,” Lars smiled, shaking his head slightly. “May I ask your names?”
“I’m Autumn Cidvani and this is my sister, Ophelia,” Autumn introduced.
“I never would’ve guessed,” Lars chuckled good-naturedly. “Though I suspect you hear that all the time.
“A bit. By the way, what were you saying before my little mishap?” Ophelia asked, curious despite herself. Besides, it was only polite since he saved her from an unplanned swim.
“Oh yes, I’m trying to find a place where I can read, and this seems like the perfect spot,” Lars explained. Ophelia felt her shoulders relax even more. Not too many people would read while on a ferry to an exclusive school island, which was another point in Lars’ favor on the ‘suspicious or not’ list she was tracking in her head.
“What are you reading?” she questioned, innocently interested.
“This.” Lars holds up the thin book in his hand so the twins could see the cover.
Instantly, Autumn’s hand clamps on Ophelia’s elbow, this time to keep them both in place. Lars was holding up a volume of In Passing…to the artist and author themselves.
“Isn’t that…” Autumn started to say only for Ophelia to elbow her this time. Lars must have gotten the wrong idea, as his eyes lit up at the half sentence.
“Do you read this comic as well?” he asked, his voice taking on a childlike joy.
“We used to, but we’re a bit behind currently,” Ophelia lied, hoping her awkward smile came across in a friendly way instead of the ‘oh my god, you’re talking about our comic’ way her thoughts were running.
“I see…well, that’s too bad.” Lars shrugged, even as his face fell in disappointment. “I really like this author and artist. I hope to get their autographs someday.”
Now both Ophelia and Autumn were gaping up at Lars like fish, even more so when he dropped the comic directly on Autumn’s lap.
“You two are more than welcome to this one. If you want, you can thumb through it when you’ve got time. If you end up liking it, you can keep it,” Lars smiled, as if he had just bestowed a great gift onto the two of them. Perhaps to someone else, he would have.
But he’d gifted the comic to the author and artist behind it.
Lars must have misread the looks the twins wore, as he continued to speak.
“Don’t worry. I have lots more at home. I saw that you’re an artist too, so I thought that you might be interested,” he smiled reassuringly.
“Ophelia, Autumn, are you up there?” Cael called out, breaking the tense air that had fallen over Ophelia. She could feel Autumn relax against her side as she called out a confirmation and their guardian climbed up to join them on the upper deck. His eyes, once he came up, landed directly on Lars. “Oh, I can see Mr. Rorschach is here as well.”
“Do they know each other?” Autumn whispered in Ophelia’s ear. All Ophelia could do in response was shrug.
“Autumn, Ophelia, this is Mr. Lars, CEO of the Feinz Group. He’s also one of the principal investors of St. Shelter Academia,” Cael introduced, glancing at the twins after clearly hearing their whispered conversation, like always. Ophelia smiled slightly at Cael in apology while Autumn grumbled next to her. Lars just outright laughed at the two of them.
“Much appreciated, Cael, but I believe the ladies and I have already met,” Lars grinned. He then winked at the twins and Ophelia wasn’t sure what was more likely to kill her: the mortification of what Cael could read into Lars’ wink or the fact that she was standing right in front of the Silver Knight and the Tyrannical Emperor in reality.
“Hey, look!” Autumn cried, pointing out at the sea. As always, Ophelia was grateful for her more outgoing sister as she followed her gaze. It seemed that the sky had darkened in the time since they’d been talking and she could see Harp Island in the distance.
“The weather’s great. Shouldn’t have any issues docking today,” Lars commented, completely at ease.
“Well, Ophelia, Autumn, congratulations on officially becoming a part of the St. Shelter Academia student body,” Cael smiled gently at the two.
“I’m sure you’ll enjoy your new life here. Who knows, if you’re lucky, maybe you’ll end up like me,” Lars grinned. Ophelia smiled back, just to be kind.
“...I have no comment,” Cael stated.
And that practically sent Autumn collapsing on the deck as she laughed.
“I’m sorry about her, I don’t know why she’s laughing,” Ophelia apologized, glancing at her sister to make sure she was alright. Once that was certain, she turned back to the two men. “Still, thank you…both of you. I’m sure both of us have bright things ahead of us.”
Her smile was real as she said that and Ophelia could feel hope and excitement swelling in her chest as the ferry foghorn blew and Harp Island loomed ever closer.
Once the three had disembarked from the ferry, Ophelia found herself swept along with the crowd towards the gate that announced the beginning of St. Shelter Academia’s campus. It was an elegant iron gate, simple in design excluding some beautiful flourishes that Ophelia couldn’t help admiring. They were elegant in their simplicity, giving the gate an almost mythical air.
“I’ll let you know when your off-campus housing is all set. Are you okay going to the temporary dorm on your own?” Cael questioned as he glanced down at his two charges.
“We’ll be fine, don’t worry so much!” Autumn grinned, throwing an arm around Ophelia’s shoulder. Ophelia fell into her sister’s grasp, smiling just as widely.
“Okay. Take care of yourselves now,” Cael smiled. Ophelia shared a look with her sister, taking that as their cue to leave, so the two of them began to walk towards the gate that separated their old life from their new one. They hadn’t even crossed the courtyard when Cael called out to them again. “Girls, about your comic…I’m confident you’ll know how to progress the story when the time is right.”
Ophelia felt warmth spread through her chest, the sort that only came when someone you loved praised and encouraged you, before she waved goodbye alongside Autumn. Then, the two of them turned back around and walked towards the gate.
They crossed the line separating the courtyard from the campus together, perfectly in sync like they were in so many different ways.
Not that they had a lot of time to dwell on that, considering the crowd that was forming in front of the academy entrance. Some were obviously upperclassmen, returning for a new semester and meeting up with old friends, while others were freshmen like the sisters, nervous and excited in equal measure.
“Let’s see, where’s the temporary dorm…” Ophelia hummed as she took out the campus map every freshman was given. She traced her finger along it, only half listening to the noise of the students around her.
“I didn’t play a single note the entire break…I’m gonna have to hit up the practice room for a few days or I won’t be able to pass the evaluation for the Music Club.”
“I was looking at the constellations last night, and they told me something big is gonna happen at school this year!”
“What’d you use to look? I couldn’t see anything on the boat last night…”
“With a telescope I bought over the break.”
“Attention all freshmen! Over here, please! I’m William, your Student Council President…”
The last comment caught Ophelia’s attention, but before she could look around, Autumn was already pointing towards a boy with pink hair.
“Over there!” she exclaimed, smiling widely.
“I’m going to be giving you a tour of the entire campus. Follow me if you’re interested,” the boy, William, smiled brightly as he waved at them all. He seemed to be enthusiastic and his energy was practically infectious at a glance.
“C’mon, let’s go!” Autumn declared, taking a hold of Ophelia’s wrist and dragging her over to the slowly growing crowd.
“You didn’t have to pull me,” Ophelia huffed once they came to a stop. She tucked the map back into her jacket pocket for safe keeping, glaring at her sister.
“Knowing you, you’d insist we head straight to the dorms,” Autumn countered, smirking when Ophelia had no comeback. “Come on, it’ll be fun! And it’s a new place, we need to know how to get around after all!”
Ophelia had no argument against that, so she sighed and leaned against her sister’s arm, following William as he led the tour around the campus.
In the end, the tour was a good idea as Ophelia could now confidently say she could find the administrative building, the Law Department, the Music Hall, the Observatory, and even learned a few anecdotes about the campus. The two that most caught her attention was the fact that the school’s founder, Headmaster Heinrich, was a professor at the Astrology Department and the off limits cave in the mountain behind the school.
It was obviously a story meant to scare the freshmen, which failed for Ophelia, but she noted it all the same, just to avoid any trouble. Then William began to talk about various activities and events that were planned for orientation, which would put the cave in the mountain far out of their minds.
“For example, we have the Stellaris Cup a few days from now, which is a real student-favorite,” William grinned as he explained. By the time he said this, they’d reached the final stop on the tour: the student dormitory. The tour group began to disperse, but Ophelia found herself approaching William.
“Hey, William,” she called out once she was closer. “Thank you for the tour.”
“Yeah! It was really informative!” Autumn agreed enthusiastically. She then leaned closer to William and stage whispered, “Plus, I didn’t have to try and follow my sister’s map reading, you really saved me.”
Ophelia pouted but restrained herself. It would be a bad first impression if she kicked her sister directly in the shin right now.
“You’re most welcome! If you ever need anything, feel free to come and find me in the Student Council room. The Student Council President’s Assistant is always at your service!” William grinned, winking at the two.
“Wait, I thought you said you were the Student Council President…?” Ophelia questioned. Her head was starting to hurt, probably because the day had been too long.
William’s expression fell into a wince as he frantically looked around, trying to see if anyone else had heard what he and Ophelia had said. He must’ve seen nobody paying them any mind, because his shoulders relaxed before he turned back to the girls.
“Shh! Keep your voice down!” William whispered, raising a finger to his lips. He pushed his hands together as if in prayer. “Please don’t tell anyone! Especially the President! Or else I’ll be…” He slid one of his fingers across his throat dramatically.
“Are you thinking about taking his place or something?” Autumn asked, tilting her head to the side slightly.
“Ambition is food for the soul!” William stated, laughing slightly in relief. He still looked a bit tense, so Ophelia slid her fingers across her lips as she waved goodbye, hoping he understood his secret was safe.
He must’ve, because he repeated the gesture himself with a bright grin.
Autumn just laughed as she led the way into the temporary dorms.
The temporary dorms, unlike the regular student dorms, were in a separate building. They had been designed with the students who stayed in them only being there until they moved off-campus in mind.
Ophelia and Autumn each had their own room for the night and Ophelia found herself breathing a sigh of relief once she stepped inside her room. It wasn’t too bad, after all, with a bed and desk provided, allowing her to take out whatever she needed for the night without packing everything away. Autumn was right next door too, so Ophelia didn’t have to worry about her wandering off.
Actually, this would probably be a good time to try continuing work on their comic. With that thought in mind, Ophelia put her luggage on her bed and prepared to unzip it so she could get out her supplies.
Her plans were interrupted, however, by a gentle knock on the door. It couldn’t have been Autumn, considering her sister was much more outgoing than that almost timid knock implied, but Ophelia didn’t know anyone else besides her and Cael on campus. Curious as to who waited in the hallway, Ophelia opened the door only to find a girl she didn’t recognize standing on the other side.
She had dark brown hair which fell around her shoulders and gentle amber gold eyes. Like all the other freshmen, she wasn’t wearing her uniform, but instead a cute yellow and white dress with a matching little yellow top hat decorated with a black ribbon and white roses.
“Hey, I’m Naledi. I live in the room next to you…” the girl, Naledi, smiled nervously. Though Ophelia was certain they’d never met before, there was something about Naledi’s gentle features that looked…familiar to her. “I’ve been waiting to see who my neighbor will be. I heard someone moving around in the hall, so I poked my head out to take a look, and I saw you.”
“Well, do I live up to all the hype?” Ophelia asked teasingly. She spread her arms out to the side, as if showing off for Naledi’s inspection. Naledi’s smile grew wider and less nervous at Ophelia’s reciprocation.
“Very much so. This is great!” she smiled. Her shoulders relaxed and she tilted her head slightly. “Do you need help organizing your stuff? I moved in yesterday, so I’m already finished unpacking.”
“Hey, Ophelia, are you—” Autumn cut herself off when she saw Naledi. “Oh, I’m sorry, I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Autumn, Ophelia’s big sister.”
“By two minutes,” Ophelia scowled, crossing her arms. Naledi, however, took Autumn’s appearance in stride, returning her handshake with a bright smile and repeating her offer of helping the two unpack.
“Oh, don’t worry about it. We move out tomorrow,” Autumn explained, shaking her head. Naledi only looked confused.
“Huh? But this is the regular dorm,” she explained. At those words, Ophelia quickly pulled out her registration information, searching until she found the section where her temporary housing was marked.
Sure enough, Naledi was correct. The school had placed the two of them in the wrong dorm.
“The school must’ve made a mistake,” Ophelia sighed, running a hand through her hair. “At any rate, between the two of us we have a boatload of sweets. Care to join us?”
“I’m sorry, but I’m preparing for my dance performance at the Stellaris Cup, so I’m on a super strict diet.” Naledi shook her head, looking disappointed.
“Oh, so you’re a dance major then? Don’t worry about the candy, but good luck with your competition!” Autumn grinned, squeezing Naledi’s shoulder reassuringly. The two sisters kindly walked Naledi to her door next to Ophelia’s, until Naledi herself paused outside.
“On second thought…I’m sure a tiny bite wouldn’t hurt,” she said, soft and hesitant even as she smiled at the two of them. “Plus, we can get to know each other a little bit. And my sister won’t get mad at me for being so strict with my diet.”
“My thoughts exactly,” Ophelia smiled. She then ushered Naledi back to her room where the three of them spent hours sharing candy and getting to know each other.
Ophelia was standing in an expansive banquet hall, wearing a beautiful red dress and her hair pinned back in an elegant bun she could never pull off herself. The hall was decorated in an almost ostentatiously lavish fashion, with gold sparkling in almost every spare space it could fit and diamonds glittering on many of the patrons of the party.
Ophelia’s gaze wasn’t drawn to anyone else though. Instead, her gaze was solely on a young man who looked to be her age. He had hair as black as the shadows cast by the candle light and gleaming red eyes that burned when she met them. He was dressed as elegantly as everyone else, but there was something about him that was almost…understated, as if he didn’t want to wear as luxurious clothing as everyone else in this hall clearly did.
Ophelia found herself approaching him, unsure of what she would say when she reached him.
All she knew was that her heart was tugging her towards him, this princely young man who’s name she didn’t know.
When she stopped in front of him, he raised a single eyebrow at her.
“So you are the girl the emperor was so intent on capturing then?” he questioned. He looked thoroughly unimpressed with her, but there was a gleam in his red gaze that whispered another story.
“Indeed, Your Highness,” Ophelia confirmed, falling into a curtsy even though none of this felt like it was under her control. “I have heard tales of you but never seen you.”
“Of course not,” the young man scoffed, a glare entering his gaze. “I am the Lord Inquisitor, after all.”
Ophelia didn’t know what to say in response to that. It almost seemed as if the young man were challenging her, to see if she would back down when he implied how dangerous he was. If that was true, well, she’d never backed down from a challenge so blatant. And the music was just starting to sway through the air, creating the perfect atmosphere.
Ophelia smiled.
“May I have this dance, Your Highness?” she requested, extending a hand forward.
The young man scowled, clearly seeing he had no way to say no.
But his eyes…oh, his eyes were gleaming in a way that lit Ophelia’s skin on fire.