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Castle of the Golden Fire (2)
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
Moonlight's Deception Blaire Academy (1)
“Haven’t you taken a bath before coming here? And of all places”—the prince waved his hand at the soft streaming water — “the lake. Really?” Alex and Willow searched for Clara around the campus when they didn’t see her emerge from the portal. They were about to send a report to the court when they heard a loud splash at the lake behind them.The prince was back from being grumpy and hot-headed. No sign of the gentle and caring prince who went after Clara at Rovenshire. Being an air prince really suited him—unpredictable and inconsistent.He stared back at Clara with the same intense amount of her glare. His face showed how bored he was, but she didn’t miss the sly smirk he failed to conceal. Clara removed her eyes from him to stare at her wet clothes.“What am I going to do? I can’t go in there all soaked.”Clara felt a change in the air around the prince as he brought his clasped fists up to his mouth and blew through them. A gust of wind blew past her, its warmth the same as the sum
Moonlight's Deception Blaire Academy (2)
As they reached the massive double doors at the front of the school, an elevated podium was the first thing to be seen, facing an open area where a large crowd could gather.Floorboards were carpeted. The walls and solid wood foundation were perfectly carved with intricate complex carvings. Aside from the huge chandeliers and a few floating crystal lights, the candle sconces lighted up the whole room.Alex started toward the staircase, but the loud chiming of a bell stopped him. He looked at his golden pocket watch from his vest. “That’s the bell that signals that breakfast, as well as the orientation, have started. Come on.”She followed him up the stairs which led into an adjoining hallway. They passed through a number of doors in the hall. A short while later, they stopped in front of a pair of red ornate double doors with glistening golden handlebars.He gestured his hand towards the door, but before Clara could speak, he was already bounding away down the right hall, waving an arm
Moonlight's Deception No Magic, No Problem (1)
Clara could hardly concentrate on what Holly was saying, for the prospect of the placement exam was starting to weigh on her. She imagined herself in the middle of unknown faces without anything—not even her powers—in case something went terribly wrong. The placement exam was supposed to be a measure of strength. It wouldn’t start in the next few hours, yet Clara feared she would flunk it.Holly showed Clara to a bathroom. It had a large bathtub, kidney-shaped and made of the smoothest white porcelain. The high ceilings were covered by enormous frescoed portraits, depicting Hiestora’s beginning of time—how it was created by the Guardian Deity. Against each of the walls—which were papered in elaborate swirls of turquoise, pink, and gold—was an oversized, lavishly carved wooden armoire.“I sleep in Chamber 5, Your Highness,” Holly said, leaning against the bathroom doorway. “That’s downstairs. In case you need me, there’s a communication system that’s set up in your bedroom. It’s directl
Moonlight's Deception No Magic, No Problem (2)
No, Clara didn’t know about it. Not a single thing about the problems this empire was facing. But there was one thing she understood. Right now, she was one of those who belong in the attuneless population, considering her inability to wield this body’s attribute.“Can I also have those marbles, Neith?” The two girls looked at her like she had said something unbefitting. A rift of confusion danced in their eyes. “Uh, first day jitters. Just like everybody else.” The side of her lips quivered from the forced smile. Holly did mention it was forbidden in the placement exam, but Clara would surely find a way to get past that hurdle.“Neith, can I?” she repeated when no one made a move.It was Neith who was first to recover. “O-Of course, Your Highness. I just happen to have the right one just for you. Although I think you’re strong enough on your own. Just a minute while I get it.”Neith disappeared behind the curtain that was beside the shelf. When she came back, she looked at Clara, her
Moonlight's Deception Two Moons (1)
The sun had kissed the horizon and the sky was tinged with a scarlet pigment. It went down and down until a soft glowing light brushed the atmosphere.Twilight was a foreshadow of the inevitable rising of the sun. And it only reminded Clara of the danger that would chase her even in a completely different identity.“The portals from the north, east, and west had all been checked. No malice was detected,” Maxwell informed first thing he arrived. Prince Alexander, Holly, Maxwell, and Clara were gathered in the academy’s open grass field. Even Willow was summoned from the Groven House. And the growing tension was thick.“And the south?” Alex enquired, a grim expression manifested on his face.“It hasn’t been opened since this morning, but I still checked. And I’m positive there’s no trace of energy from a suspicious entity,” said Maxwell, his stance guarded. He was stiff and very unlike the loud and fluid-as-a-water version of himself.Alex turned around, ever so slowly, taking away Clar
Moonlight's Deception Two Moons (2)
“Witch,” Willow called.“Can you stop calling me a witch? I am not.”Willow released a small wisp of sigh. “The Zephyrian council wouldn’t hold their tongue for too long. It’s only a matter of time before they bombard you with so many questions. How are you going to deal with that?”“Can’t you do something about it, Willow?” She tried to give the air spirit a puppy look even though she knew there wasn’t any soft spot in the Familiar’s heart.“Don’t try that on me. What happened to Princess Ariah isn’t something simple. They’ve been investigating the accident ever since, and now that they know she’s awake, they’ll be extracting answers from you in no time. The king and queen and the council had been generous to give you time when they thought you couldn’t remember.”She sighed. “Then I’ll just keep on pretending not to remember.”“And how long will you keep doing that? For all I know, they’re finding ways to help you remember. A divine healer will be coming from the south to treat you.”
Moonlight's Deception Placement Exam (1)
A morning unlike all others.Emi rested under the shade of a mushroom, her bright blue eyes turning their gaze to the palace servants who each carried a harvest basket. If this was like any normal day in the castle, their laughs and jokes would shower the garden as the trees gift them with fruits in delight. Her skin that was naturally green turned blue, expressing her somber mood. And the little fairy’s perky pointed ears drooped to the sides of her head.She closed her eyes, drawing a shaky breath. Even nature had gotten silent this time. Their songs and melody turned into hushes of melancholy.Emi welcomed the cool and damp air, her face in the open and her delicate, transparent wings shivered. She could hear the silent cries of the trees, the flowers’ silent prayers which echoed the same wishes by the people of this kingdom.But when others saw gloom, she saw the world in silver blues. When there was freezing rain kissing the earth and grass, she saw coldness that brought her to a
Moonlight's Deception Placement Exam (2)
Maxwell looked at the prince, prompting him to continue. Alex raised an eyebrow in question then he simply shrugged before busying his eyes as if inspecting the whole place.“That’s what the initial investigation reported,” Maxwell answered in the prince’s stead.“And any student from here can actually pull that off?” Clara asked.“Actually, I…” Holly interrupted, wanting to say something. But she stopped herself, biting her lip. “Never mind. You’re probably right.”“Well, since that case is sort of closed... for now, on to a more important topic—the placement exam.” Maxwell nipped over to Holly and pulled her up by the arm from her seat. “Come on, Miss Vanders.”“Hey! Let go of me, twerp.” The pair exited the hall, their pointless bicker drowning behind the double doors.Then, someone’s hand obscured Clara’s view. Looking at its owner, Prince Alexander was looking somewhere else, refusing to face her.“What?” she asked. He whipped his head with a creased forehead, visibly annoyed.“Wh
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Moonlight's Deception Charms and Kisses (2)
Together, they exited her temporary chamber inside the palace of the Castellans. The ceilings were high, reaching a thousand feet, decorated with thick thunder clouds that Clara couldn’t quite place if they were mere illusions or not. They navigated through silent halls, past numerous private chambers, until they reached the huge oak doors, leading to the grand ballroom. There were two guards stationed on both sides. As they bowed their heads, pulling the heavy doors open, Clara squeezed Alexander’s arm, her nails digging on the hand-tailored fabric. “Say, Prince Alexander,” she whispered beside him, barely opening her lips, “would you be so kind as to explain what that kiss five nights ago meant and the reason why you ran away as if I was a bee who stung your lips?”Clara could feel the tightening of his arm’s muscles under the layer of fabric. The prince’s jaw tightened and he looked at her narrowingly from the corner of his eyes. Oh, to be reminded of that night. Clara didn’t kno
Moonlight's Deception Charms and Kisses (1)
Grunts and heavy, shallow breathing pierced through the deafening silence of the room. Bullets of sweat traveled down past Clara’s chin as she gripped on tight at the edges of the mirror’s frame. She grimaced as the Castellan’s chambermaid tightened the laced corset around her body. “A little more tight, Princess?” “No, no, please. That’s enough. Thank you.”Clara blew a loud breath through her mouth. The cursed fabric was like a tight vice around her lungs, rendering her incapable to breathe. The chambermaid stepped back and bowed her head and Holly took her place, holding the burgundy and gold ball dress that Clara would wear at the prince’s party. At the mere thought of the fourth prince, Clara’s cheeks were painted red in an instant. There were a lot of things playing in her head. Would Alexander like how she’d look in that fancy gown? That kiss.She heard from Holly that the two royal families decided to order a matching pair of attires for them.That kiss. But wasn’t the g
Moonlight's Deception The Invitation (2)
The night arrived, and so did the masses, turning it into a lively place. Young and old filled the streets with laughter and joy.Caelholme at night was a sea of sparkling lantern lights, a luscious breeze of food delicacies, and a music of sizzling fryers and boiling soups. Food stalls and carts that were not there during the day were now parked at the sides of the square. Tents had been set up along with plastic chairs and tables. It wasn’t the usual picture of Caelholme with people just in for a stroll around the town’s twisting cobbled streets, or to buy and sightsee around the shops, or to have a pleasant chit-chat with friends among fancy tea shops. The scene Clara was witnessing right now was a picture of unwinding, a time for people to vent off. Everybody else was there to simply have fun or get wasted just to forget the rest of their horrible day. Dressed in coarsely woven linen and wool fabric, Clara, Alexander, Maxwell, and Holly blended with the crowd. With Holly’s backg
Moonlight's Deception The Invitation (1)
“A charm is similar to an incantation or a spell; a practice believed to have magic power. It is not something tangible, but any sort of charm can be stored in an enchanter’s possession, may it be precious jewelry or some old photograph. Hiestorans first learned the craft of charm-binding during the Light Age…”Ever since Clara attended Professor Kendrick’s Charms and Relics class this afternoon, her eyes could not set themselves on anything but the girl sitting two rows down from her seat.The rest of the First Class had moved on from their slight ruckus upon the transferee’s arrival and now had shown disinterest in the new girl’s presence. But not Clara. Not when her tiny and petite frame knocked on the doors of her memory. The girl’s paper-white skin and rose blush set Clara keen to know her more. A spark of recognition flickered, but a heavy dark curtain prevented her from remembering.She leaned further to the right, knocking Holly sideways so that she could have a better look at
Moonlight's Deception The Essence (2)
‘Did she just shut me out of the Royal Residence… where I have the right to go in and out?’ The two guards stared at him, both torn apart from letting him in to keeping the doors closed. Alex could barely process that the princess, who was head over heels for him, denied him entrance. “Alex, you princely prick!” The voice rang like a gong in Alex’s ears and that, too, made everyone stop to see who was mad enough to call such a name to the prince. Seeing it was only Maxwell, Prince Alexander’s right-hand man and royal advisor, the onlookers went about their ways.“Where have you been? I was looking for you,” Maxwell said as soon as he skidded to a stop in front of him. With the way he was breathing so heavily, he must have run a mile. Or he might be walking for hours and hours under the glare of the early morning sun.“And you know better not to worry about me.” Alex bit back a scoff. “It doesn’t matter. What do you have for me?”“King Lucian, your father, had sent his Orin this morn
Moonlight's Deception The Essence (1)
Clara had barely squeezed herself inside the office when Professor Rhyb hastily banged the door shut. His fast-paced steps, sweating forehead, and shaking hands struck suspicion to the princess. Whatever it was which made him lock all the doors, shut the windows and block every possible exit, she wanted to know; she won’t take just a simple shrug to the topic as an answer.The woody scent and minty breath of lemons and herbal plants wafted around the closed quarters. Various healing instruments were filed inside the wooden cabinets, apart from pots of plants hanging around the hollow walls and littering the floor. His office was so much like the one found in Terralis, the home of earth-wielders like her. She had been in their palace’s Healers’ quarters before, and being in the sage’s office resembled it so much. Professor Rhyb was a satyr, a creature of the earth, but it was no surprise that Blaire would hire a non-air wielder like him. Their kind had mastered the practice of medicin
Moonlight's Deception Ill Omens (2)
“Alexander! The rock… where is it?”The prince raised an eyebrow in question, nonetheless, he took the stone in his hand, which sat idly beside him all this time. “This? You were holding this before you fainted. I have to have this investigated.”Clara snatched the red rock, much to Alex’s surprise, and enclosed her hands around it, afraid that it might disappear. She waited for something to happen; she was patient. She rid her mind of unnecessary things and focused on what she really wanted: the truth. But much to her dismay, it did nothing and it remained like any ordinary rock.“Why won’t it let me see?” she said on the verge of crying, biting her lip in frustration.“Let you see what?”“The past.” A short breathy laugh that was so unusual of her escaped her lips. Her fingers tensed around the red rock. By now, it was not hard for Clara to tell the expression on the prince’s face. Perhaps, he thought she was being crazy. “Do you know what this rock is? W-When you touched it, has som
Moonlight's Deception Ill Omens (1)
It was hell. That was the only thing she could describe the sensation assaulting her head. And the distasteful stink of rancidity was so oppressive for her sensitive nose.Clara stirred in her sleeping position. Her body screamed of soreness from the hard ground she slept on. As she skimmed her hands over the fabric serving as her cushion, she felt the grease clung to her skin. She sat up with a start, looked around through her half-opened eyes, and realized that her makeshift bed was from the pile of unwashed musty clothes from the wooden chair in the corner. Clara grimaced. She was already on her knees, about to stand up, when she spotted the prince slumped back against the wall, his head lolling to the side. The memory of what unfolded last night came rushing back and it only worsened the pounding in her head. She closed her eyes for a minute, took a deep breath, and picked up a rangy cloth in an attempt to cover him with it. As she was about to drape it over his body like a blan
Moonlight's Deception Vision (2)
Alex strode without delay towards it and up he climbed the tunnel. Clara waited apprehensively at the bottom. Seconds turned to minutes and each time, Clara wanted to go up and follow him. She could only hear Alex’s grunt and the sound of struggling, and that alone sent a relief that at least she knew he was alive.Clara took a few steps back when Alex came back, sliding down the tunnel. His eyes held danger and he was clearly annoyed as he brushed off the dirt from his black dress robe. And this expression alone made Clara worried.“What is that noise?” “We’re trapped.” Alex huffed. He ambled towards the desk, ancient and frail-looking, but he managed to sit on it, arms and ankles crossed. Through the small curtain of hair that covered his midnight eyes, he looked at Clara with the kind of stare which held a power to render someone as stiff as a stone.“Trapped?” she asked and Alex gave one swift nod. “You looked rather… calm. What trapped us here?”“A boulder was jammed in the entra
