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Charms and Kisses (2)
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
Moonlight's Deception The Spirit of Jade (1)
It was one of the last days of summer, and the sun was sitting flush to the horizon, bringing in another warm, clear day to Sierra Kingdom. Clara was to be seen huddled at the back of the palace kitchen near the garden. Her hands were scalded and splotchy and tender to the bone.Since this early morning—when she sneaked in the swarm of buzzing servants—she’d done little more than wash an endless pile of dishes. She worked on scrubbing plates and bowls and gravy boats and whole armies of silverware.The sheer amount of work was astonishing. And Clara didn’t mind the bins of food-caked plates arriving. For someone who was putting on a hard amount of tasks, she was still gleeful. Anyone could see it with the way she hummed a merry tune as her hands and maid's uniform were soaked in bubbles.Unlike the standard eighteen-year-old girl, Princess Clarabelle Zolene had no social life. The Earthal Princess was kept behind the curtains. For them, she was too precious to be left alone with untrus
Moonlight's Deception The Spirit of Jade (2)
The jade dragon named Jade was sound asleep with her tail tucked under her ginormous and beefy hind legs. She sure changed a lot from the last week Clara had seen her. Now, her size grew, reaching half the height of the dimly lit cave. Within the short span of days, her wings became more majestic and defined. Her horns elongated to a full meter, as well as the limbs, neck, and tail. Those beautiful dragon scales embossing her body was more like an enchanting decoration that gleamed like a magnificent green gemstone—an imperial jade.Startled by Jade’s sudden shift in movement, Clara flinched and nearly jumped up to the highest point of the cave’s ceiling. She watched in bated breath as the dragon breathed cloudy puffs of smoke. The crackling of the green fire at the far corner intensified, sending sputters of jewel-like embers.“Duke, are you sure Jade wants us to be here?” Before she could even stop him, Duke ran and whined at the undisturbed sleeping dragon. He nudged her beastly sn
Moonlight's Deception Shattered (1)
At eight o’clock that evening, the guests began arriving through the drawbridge of the palace’s north entrance.Watching from the window in the front hallway as the caravans of lamplit carriages pulled into the circular drive, Clara shivered. The castle was warm with activity. Around her, the servants buzzed, but Clara stood still. She could feel it: a trembling in her chest as the excitement of being around people took over.Her birthdays were rare occasions when she was free to interact with others. However, the guests had always been limited to the rich circle from Sierra and Vermont Kingdom.The castle’s ballroom looked beautiful. Under the glow of so many chandeliers, she almost didn’t recognize the place. Tall pots of violet lilies lined the entryway, and the velvet-upholstered furniture had been pushed back against the wall to make room for the guests.Clara dressed in a fantastic white gown with a soft silk-crepe bodice and an exposed corset back. Her vanilla hair was pinned hi
Moonlight's Deception Shattered (2)
Theon held his sister at arm’s length, and a calm silence fell between them. “Well?”Gabriel shrugged nonchalantly. “Nothing much, cousin. Just a lot of catching up between us.”Theon looked unconvinced, but he chose not to say anything. He pressed his lips in a thin line before nodding his head to let the subject go. “Then it is what it is.”Meanwhile, the two great golden doors at the head of the room were eased open by two footmen, who stood at attention on either side. And then, a hush swept in the room.“Well—” Theon guided her hand to cling onto his left arm “—as much as I want the three of us to have a nice chat, the important guests have finally arrived. We have to greet them with mom and dad.”“Later, then. I’ll be joining Father by their seats,” Gabriel said, and off he walked in grace toward where Uncle Asher and his wife sat.“Come on, Clara. Aren’t you excited to see him again?” Theon asked as they walked over to the center of the ballroom with the king and queen, anticipa
Moonlight's Deception Change of Turn (1)
Fate had a way to weave plot twists in everyone else’s lives.Clara’s dead eyes registered the happy faces, her mind whirring cogs inside her head to find the reason for their joy. Her limbs remained stuck on the ground. Her hands were crippled on her sides. A long static sound rang in her ears, causing temporary lightheadedness. She wanted to hurt herself, to punch her still frozen legs. All Clara wanted was to run away.With trembling hands, she reached for her chest. The suffocating sensation of having the air knocked out of her lungs arose. Everyone at the long table noticed Clara’s sudden heavy breathing. She took in all their worried looks but instead, all she ever felt were hatred rolling in like violent sea waves crashing into huge rocks.With the surge of what little energy left, Clara gathered the strength to go, running away from the people she spent her entire life with—people who had been her anchor all these years—yet, they were the same people who stole her life away.C
Moonlight's Deception Change of Turn (2)
Clara descended through the ladder carefully while he was down there looking up and waiting for her.The moment her feet touched the grass, she was yanked farther away from the treehouse.“Let go of me!”“Just come with me, Clara. The guests are confused. Why did you run away?” Alistair said, his eyes looking straight ahead.“Why did I run away?” she repeated, her tone laced with poison. “You want to know why?” Clara struggled against his touch, but he only tightened his grip, making her grimace in pain.“You’re hurting me.” She whimpered, coming out softly from her lips. She thought he didn’t hear it, so she screamed at the top of her lungs with a few tears on her cheeks.“I said let go! You’re hurting me!” Clara Wrenched her arm back with force, making her fall to the ground. Alistair was stunned as hell, eyes wide open and a gaping mouth in disbelief.Clara never imagined the day would come that she would look at him as if he was an enemy. She never wanted it to be like this. Her e
Moonlight's Deception The Air Prince (1)
The morning air at Eirinia Empire was bitingly cold. Standing atop the floating island, the castle had enough chills amidst the summer season. But no matter the atmosphere’s temperature, it wasn’t something the air-wielders couldn’t withstand. It was to be seen with the way its people go on with their daily activity.At the hillside, where there was a makeshift ring, a pair took turns landing a hit to one another’s body. The northern kingdom’s fourth prince, Prince Heath Alexander Castellan, was having his usual morning battle with his ward and future royal advisor, Maxwell Beaumont.Alexander wiped the sweat off his brow and positioned his legs in a defensive stance. “Again,” he ordered, setting his gaze on his opponent. The prince wasn’t particularly in a good mood. Maxwell had to drag him out to spar when he was supposed to be burrowing his nose among the bunch of books. As much as possible, he wanted to stay away from prying eyes.Maxwell rolled his shoulders and stretched his nec
Moonlight's Deception The Air Prince (2)
“Oh. Prince Alexander, what brings you”—he trailed off, glancing one by one at the portraits—“here?” He cocked one eyebrow and smirked.Knowing what was in his brother’s pea-sized brain, Alexander already anticipated what was about to come. Here came his favorite pastime.“Oh, my bad. Where are my manners? Hello, brother,” he spat as if calling him brother was poison in his tongue.Alexander never expected Thunder to act like an older brother anyway. Their ages were never that far apart, for he was only a year older.“Thunder,” he said, acknowledging his brother’ presence. But his name rolled off his tongue unpleasantly, voice laced with a mocking tone.Thunder’s jaw ticked, and Alex had to fight back the urge to smirk in victory at him.“What?” Thunder huffed. “Is father out to give you another dangerous mission? Maybe father is that desperate to get rid of you. Unfortunately for him, you always come back in one piece.” He clicked his tongue in scornful regret.Thunder still never fai
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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
