Lillie's room smelled of vanilla and old paper. On the dresser, plush toys accumulated, forming a small mountain of soft fabrics and button eyes. Books rested on the desk, some open, others with marks between their pages. It was a space that spoke of a girl who studied diligently but still clung to the vestiges of childhood. Unlike the palace, where the twins still slept in the same room attached to their mother's, at the academy each had her own quarters.
Sharon stood behind Lillie, holding a brush of natural bristles. The younger princess's hair was considerably less long than her sister's, a golden cascade that reached the middle of her back. Each brushing was slow, meticulous, as if she were combing silk instead of hair.
"Don't move so much, Your Highness," Sharon murmured, catching a rebellious strand.
Lillie snorted but obeyed. Her fingers played with the edge of one of the nearby books, though her gaze was lost somewhere on the wall.
(I see him every day.)
She thought, as the brush ran through her hair once more.
(In the hallways, in the dining hall, in class. And every time I see him, my chest does this... this uncomfortable beat, as if something wants to break out of its place.)
She remembered the first time she noticed it. She had thought it was an illness, perhaps a misplaced cold, or maybe nerves from being away from the palace. But then her sister had hugged him. That day, in the main hall, Alicia had thrown herself at him with all the effusiveness that characterized her, and Lillie had felt something she had never experienced before.
(I didn't want her to hug him.)
The thought had frightened her. Not because it was malicious, but because it was visceral, primal, almost animal. Her fingers had curled on her dress, her teeth clenched, and she had had to look away so no one would notice the frown that had settled on her face. That frown that many interpreted as anger or distance, but which was really just her way of staying on the defensive, of not showing what she truly felt.
It was that night, in the bed shared with Alicia at the palace, that she understood. She had brought a book from the fortress library, one that talked about feelings. She had leafed through it secretly, with the faint light of the moon coming through the window, and she had found a phrase that stuck with her.
"Love comes like a stab. And you only want to feel it if the person who causes it returns your feelings."
At that moment she hadn't understood it. Who would want to feel such pain? Why would anyone wish to be hurt?
But then she remembered how Razel had appeared in that hallway of the fortress. She remembered the shadow rising before them, the fear that had frozen her blood, and then him. His aura cutting through the air, his body interposing itself between them and the danger. The sudden, overwhelming security of knowing they were protected.
(He was the one who saved my sister and me.)
Lillie thought, and that thought brought another, more complex one.
(He is the one who makes her smile that way. She is the one who looks at him as if she truly appreciates his existence.)
And then another truth had arrived, one that Lillie kept deep in her heart, unknown to anyone. Not even Alicia.
(I am the strong one here), she thought, gripping the book tighter. (Alicia onee-sama thinks that by protecting me with her smiles she helps me, but she doesn't understand that I see further. She is fragile, even if she doesn't seem it. She is the one who needs protection.)
Since her father's death, Lillie had observed everything. She had seen how Alicia began to smile more, to laugh louder, to fill every space with her radiant joy. And although everyone thought it was her nature, Lillie knew the truth. Her older sister was pretending. She was striving to be the sun that would illuminate the darkness left by her father's death.
But Lillie didn't need that sun. Or maybe she did, but not the way Alicia thought. She had decided to be the rock, the one who frowned, who seemed distant, because someone had to be alert. Someone had to see the dangers lurking in the palace, in that oppressive atmosphere that had settled after her father died. Alicia could smile all she wanted, but Lillie knew the world was not a safe place. And she would make sure her sister never had to face that danger alone.
(She thinks she is strong), Lillie thought, feeling Sharon's brush slide through her hair. (But I know the truth. I am the strong one. I always have been.)
(I love my sister and I must protect her. But still there are things that I wish only I could have, despite us being together forever.)
She had never told Alicia. She never would. Because seeing her sister smile, even if it was a fake smile, was better than seeing her cry. And Lillie preferred to carry the weight of vigilance, the frown that made her seem unfriendly, rather than allow anything bad to happen to the person she loved most in the world.
But then Razel had arrived. And for the first time, Lillie felt that perhaps she didn't have to carry everything alone.
The brush stopped for a moment and Lillie blinked, returning to the present.
"Are you all right, Your Highness?" Sharon asked, leaning to see her face reflected in the mirror.
"Yes," Lillie replied, though her voice came out drier than she intended. She frowned instinctively, a habit she had developed to protect herself.
But then she thought of Razel. Of how he looked at her when she spoke. Of how his presence calmed her, as if nothing bad could happen while he was near.
(It's the first time I've felt this way), she admitted to herself. (And it's horrible and wonderful at the same time.)
Sharon finished brushing her and stepped back, observing her work with satisfaction.
"Ready, Your Highness. Now for Princess Alicia."
Lillie nodded, but her mind was already elsewhere. In an empty classroom, in a conversation she had carefully planned, in the words she needed to say to Razel even if her cheeks burned just thinking about it.
(I can't go on like this), she decided. (I have to know. I have to know what he thinks of me.)
◇◇◇
The classroom was empty when Lillie arrived. The afternoon sun filtered through the windows, creating golden patterns on the wooden desks. Dust floated in the air, slow and lazy, as if time itself had stopped in that place.
She had arrived early, intentionally. She needed a few minutes to organize her thoughts, to rehearse what she was going to say, to keep her cheeks from flushing ahead of time.
"It's not difficult," she told herself. "I just have to ask. Directly. Without beating around the bush."
But her hands trembled, and that angered her. She clenched her fists against her skirt, digging her nails into her palms, as if anxiety could anchor her mind to the present.
The door opened.
Razel entered with calm steps, looking around before fixing his attention on her.
"Lillie, why did you call me to this place?" he asked, closing the door behind him. "Sharon told me you wanted to talk to me."
She nodded, but the words got stuck in her throat. Her face, which she normally kept firm and neutral, began to show signs of an internal battle. Her eyebrows furrowed more than usual, her lips pressed together, and a pink stain began to spread from her cheeks to her ears.
Razel watched her curiously, tilting his head slightly. There was something about that girl that intrigued him. Her facade of a serious and efficient princess often cracked when she was near him, revealing flashes of someone much more insecure and vulnerable.
"Lillie?" he repeated, this time in a softer tone. "What's wrong?"
"I..." she began, and her voice sounded strange, almost alien. She coughed to clear her throat and started again. "I want to know what you think of me."
Razel blinked.
"What do I think of you?" he repeated, as if needing to confirm he had heard correctly. "You're very nice. And very efficient."
Lillie shook her head, the gesture abrupt, almost violent.
"That's not what I mean," she said, and this time her voice trembled slightly. She forced herself to look up, to hold her red eyes against his. "I want to know what you think of me... as a woman."
Silence spread between them, heavy and electric. Lillie felt her heart beating so loudly that surely he could hear it. Her fingers clung to the edge of the nearest desk, her knuckles white with tension. Her expression, normally frowning and defensive, had softened, revealing the scared girl inside.
Razel looked at her for a long moment. His expression was hard to read, but there was no mockery in his eyes, no discomfort. Only a calm that Lillie found almost frustrating.
"Lillie," he said finally, his voice low and careful. "I can't answer that so easily. Not that much time has passed since we met."
She nodded, because she understood that. She understood it perfectly. But she also understood that if she didn't ask now, if she didn't get an answer now, the uncertainty would consume her from within.
"I know," she admitted, and for an instant her facade of a serious and efficient princess completely cracked, revealing the insecure girl beneath. Her red eyes, always so distrustful, grew slightly moist. "But I want to know. I want to know what you feel, even if it's just a little."
Razel sighed, but it wasn't a sigh of annoyance. Rather one of understanding what was happening.
"Do you find me very unattractive?" she finally said.
"I find you very beautiful. Even though your attitude seems tough, you are very sensitive and you really enjoy spending time with your family, which is rare in royalty," he said, smiling at her honestly.
"And your personality, that way you have of seeming aggressive when you're really just shy... I find it very charming."
Lillie's cheeks burst into an intense red. Her eyes opened slightly, and for a moment all the hardness of her expression vanished. It was as if someone had melted a mask of ice, revealing the fire burning beneath.
"Re... really?" she asked, her voice so small it was barely audible.
"Really," Razel confirmed, and there was an honesty in his tone that Lillie couldn't question.
She lowered her gaze, her fingers still clinging to the desk. Her heart was beating strongly, but now it wasn't from nerves. It was from something else. From a hope beginning to bloom in her chest, fragile and luminous.
"Then..." she began, forcing herself to look up again. "Could you get to know me better? Could we... spend more time together?"
Razel watched her for a moment, then nodded.
"We can try."
Lillie felt the ground solidify beneath her feet. And for the first time in a long time, she allowed a timid smile to curve her lips. It wasn't her sister's radiant smile, not at all. It was a small, almost imperceptible smile, but for someone like Lillie, it was equivalent to an outburst of joy.
◇◇◇
The following days were a whirlwind of stolen moments. Lillie looked for excuses to be near Razel: questions about classes, comments about books she had read, observations about the weather or the food in the dining hall. And he always responded, always accompanied her, always listened with that attention that Lillie began to appreciate more than she wanted to admit.
But there was a problem: Alicia.
Whenever Lillie found a moment alone with Razel, her sister appeared as if she had radar. She slipped into their conversations with a naturalness that Lillie found exasperating, smiling with that radiant joy that characterized every one of her gestures. Her blonde pigtails swayed with every movement, and her blue eyes shone with an insatiable curiosity.
"What are you talking about?" Alicia would ask, leaning between them. "Can I join?"
And Lillie couldn't say no. She could never say no to Alicia.
But something inside her twisted every time she saw her sister touch Razel's arm, or laugh at his comments, or look at him with that admiration that Lillie recognized because it was the same one she felt.
(It's not fair), she thought, though she knew life rarely was.
That's why, when she had the chance, she called Razel to the same empty classroom again. She needed to talk to him alone, needed to understand what was happening between them, needed to know if her feelings were returned or if it was all just a product of her imagination.
This time she arrived even earlier than before. The classroom was in twilight, the sun already lower on the horizon, painting the walls in orange tones. She walked among the desks, running her fingers over the wooden surfaces, trying to calm the nerves churning in her stomach.
The door opened.
Razel entered with his usual calm step, but this time there was something different in his gaze. Something more alert, as if he knew this conversation would be different.
"Lillie," he said, closing the door. "I was told you wanted to see me."
"Yes," she replied, and this time her voice didn't tremble. She had prepared for this. She had rehearsed the words so many times they were already part of her.
Razel leaned against the wall, crossing his arms.
"What do you want to talk about?"
Lillie took a deep breath.
"I want to know what you think of me," she said, then added quickly. "Not just as a classmate. As a person. As... you know."
Razel looked at her for a moment.
"I already told you last time," he replied. "You're attractive, your personality is charming..."
"That's not enough," Lillie interrupted, taking a step toward him. "I want to know more. I want to know what you see in me when I talk, when I study, when... when I look at you."
Razel straightened up, letting his arms fall to his sides.
"You're intelligent," he said, his voice more serious now. "Efficient. Someone who works hard to fulfill her duties as a princess. I notice that, and I respect it."
Lillie felt her heart accelerate. It wasn't exactly what she wanted to hear, but it was something. It was more than she had gotten the previous time.
"I imagined that," she murmured, taking another step toward him. Now they were only a few meters apart. "But I want to know something else."
"What?"
Lillie lifted her gaze, her red eyes fixed on his.
"I want to know why you like me."
Silence fell between them like a cloak. Razel didn't move, but Lillie saw how his eyes darkened slightly, how his shoulders tensed.
"I should be the one to tell you that," he replied, his voice low.
"Then tell me," Lillie challenged him, and this time there was no shyness in her tone. There was determination. "Tell me why I feel this every time I see you. Why my chest beats faster when you're near. Why I can't stop thinking about you even when I try."
Razel watched her in silence, and Lillie continued, because once she had started speaking, the words flowed like an overflowing river.
"I've never felt this way before," she admitted, her voice softening. "In the palace, I know the problems my mother faces since my father died. I want to help her, but I'm too young, and also... I'm scared. The palace, I mean. The atmosphere there. I don't feel safe in the place that's supposed to be my home."
Razel remained silent, but Lillie noticed how his expression changed. The tension in his jaw softened, and his eyes became more attentive.
"But with you it's different," she continued, and this time her voice trembled slightly. "When I'm with you, I feel safe. I don't have to pretend, I don't have to be the strong princess everyone expects. I can just be... me. And that's something I've never experienced before."
She took one more step. Now they were so close that Lillie could see the small imperfections on his face, the lines that fatigue had drawn under his eyes.
"That's why I want to be with you," she said, almost in a whisper. "Because I've never known anyone like you, and I doubt there's a more trustworthy man in the whole world."
Razel closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, Lillie saw something in them she couldn't interpret. Resignation? Acceptance? Something else?
"Lillie," he said, his voice strangely calm. "You know I'm a commoner, right?"
She nodded.
"I don't care."
"You should care," he replied, and there was a subtle bitterness in his words. "Royalty doesn't mix with common people. Your mother..."
"My mother has nothing to do with this," Lillie interrupted, and this time her voice was firm. "Besides, Alicia is the royal heir. Not me. She can keep the throne."
Razel opened his mouth to respond, but before he could say anything, Lillie lunged forward.
It wasn't a planned gesture. It wasn't something she had rehearsed in her long sleepless nights. It was simply the impulse of someone who had spent too long holding back.
Her lips collided with his.
It was a clumsy, inexperienced kiss, but Lillie didn't pull away. She closed her eyes tightly, feeling the warmth of his skin against hers, the beat of his heart that she could now feel through the contact.
When she finally pulled back, her cheeks were flushed, but she didn't look away.
"I'll take you by force if I have to," she said, and although her voice trembled, there was determination in it. "I'm royalty, remember? I'm used to getting what I want."
Razel looked at her for a long moment. And then, to Lillie's surprise, a small smile curved his lips.
"One or two hits from Eli won't make a difference," he murmured, and Lillie frowned without understanding what he meant. But before she could ask, he continued. "But Lillie... I'm a very selfish man. And a womanizer, according to some."
"I know," she replied, her voice calm. "I've seen you go out with the headmistress and the librarian. They go drinking, though they return separately."
Razel raised an eyebrow.
"Have you been watching me?"
"Observing," Lillie corrected, and her tone was almost proud. "There's a difference. They look happy and you look tired. I can tolerate some secrets."
And before Razel could respond, she stood on tiptoe and kissed him again.
This time it was slower. Deeper. Her hands clung to his shirt, as if she feared he would disappear if she let go. And he, after a moment of surprise, returned the kiss.
Neither of them noticed the small figure watching from the crack in the door.
Alicia's blue eyes were wide open, one hand raised to her lips as if trying to stifle a scream. Her blonde hair, tied in pigtails that Sharon had done that morning, vibrated slightly from the trembling of her body. Her expression, normally radiant and cheerful, had tightened into a grimace of surprise and... was that pain?
(It's not fair), she thought, as a strange tightness settled in her chest. (It's not fair that she got ahead of me.)
But she didn't enter. She didn't interrupt. She stayed there, watching her sister kiss the man who had also stolen her heart, and felt something inside her break and rebuild at the same time.
(It's not fair), she repeated in her mind, as she walked away silently, her steps muffled by the hallway carpet. (But I'm not going to give up.)
◇◇◇
That same night, as the moon began to rise in the sky, Alicia walked through the academy gardens. She couldn't sleep. The image of Lillie kissing Razel repeated in her mind over and over, like a melody she couldn't stop hearing.
(Why her?), she wondered, though she knew the answer. Lillie had always been braver. Lillie had always been the one to take the initiative, the one who frowned and seemed angry but was really just protecting herself. Alicia, on the other hand, smiled. She always smiled. It was her shield, her armor, her way of telling the world that everything was fine even when it wasn't.
But that night, walking alone under the stars, Alicia remembered something she had almost forgotten. She remembered the day her father died.
It had been a gray morning, one of those where the sky seems unable to decide whether to cry or carry on. Her mother had entered the room with a disfigured face, and Alicia had known it before she spoke a single word. Something terrible had happened.
Lillie, who at that time was still barely aware of her surroundings, had looked at her mother with those red eyes that were already beginning to frown with distrust. And Alicia had done the only thing that occurred to her: smile.
"Everything will be all right," she had said, with a voice that sounded much more confident than she felt. "We're together. Everything will be all right."
And from that day on, Alicia never stopped smiling. She did it when her mother cried secretly in her room. She did it when the royal counselors whispered behind her back. She did it when Lillie looked at her with that frown that worried her so much. Because if she smiled, if she showed the world she wasn't afraid, then maybe Lillie would believe it too. Maybe her little sister, the one with eyes as red as fire and a heart just as fiery, could feel safe.
But there was a truth that Alicia had never told anyone. Not even Lillie.
(I'm not as strong as I seem), she thought, stopping by a small pond. The water reflected the moon, creating a silver mirror that stared back at her. (I smile because if I didn't, I would fall apart. I smile because someone has to be the light in the midst of so much darkness. And Lillie... Lillie needs that light more than she thinks.)
Because Alicia had noticed it. From the very first moment, from the day her father died, she had seen how her little sister hardened. How her gaze became sharper. How her shoulders tensed as if she were carrying the weight of the world. Lillie believed she was the strong one, the protector, the one who frowned to keep dangers at bay. But Alicia knew the truth.
(Lillie is fragile), she thought with immense tenderness. (She is fragile and doesn't know it. Or doesn't want to admit it. That's why she needs me. That's why I need to smile, so she knows she doesn't have to carry everything alone.)
But that night, by the pond, Alicia encountered a new truth. One that frightened her more than anything she had faced before.
(I love Razel. And not just as a friend. I love him in that way the books describe, that way that makes the heart beat faster and the knees go weak.)
And as she thought of him, as she remembered the way he had held her in the fortress, the way his arms had wrapped around her as if she were the most precious thing in the world, Alicia knew she had to tell him. She had to confess what she felt, even if Lillie had gotten ahead of her. Even if her sister had kissed him first.
(I'm not going to give up), she promised herself, clenching her fists. (Not this time.)
That was when she saw him.
Razel was by the pond, kneeling on the grass, rubbing his shirt against a wooden washboard. Soapy water splashed his pants, and his hands were already red from the effort. The moon illuminated his broad back, his tense shoulders, the way his hair fell across his forehead.
Alicia smiled. It wasn't the radiant smile she showed the world, but a smaller, more intimate one. A smile that only she knew.
She approached silently, stepping carefully on the grass, and when she was close enough, she extended her hands and covered his eyes.
"Good evening," she said, in a singsong voice.
Razel didn't startle. Instead, he let out a small laugh.
"Alicia."
She giggled, jumping to sit beside him on the grass. Her blonde pigtails swayed with the movement, and her blue eyes shone with that particular light that only she seemed to possess.
"How did you know it was me?" she asked, tilting her head.
"I saw you out of the corner of my eye," Razel replied, resuming the washing of his clothes. The water splashed a little, and Alicia moved skillfully to avoid it.
They sat in silence for a moment, sharing the night. The song of some distant cricket, the whisper of the wind through the trees, the sound of water being rubbed against wood.
"The academy is pretty at night," Alicia commented, looking around. "But it's cold. Shouldn't you wash your clothes during the day?"
"They got dirty recently because of Sha... me," Razel replied, shrugging. "And I don't want to bother anyone with my things."
Alicia watched him for a moment, her blue eyes tracing his profile.
"You're weird," she finally said.
"I've been told."
"I don't say it as a bad thing," she clarified, her voice softening. "I just say you're different. Most of the men I know don't wash their own clothes. They wouldn't even know how."
Razel let out a small laugh.
"Commoners learn those things."
Alicia nodded but said nothing more. She stared at his hands moving over the fabric, the constant, almost meditative rhythm of the task.
"Hey," she said, and her voice had changed. It was no longer the cheerful, carefree princess. It was someone deeper, more serious. "What do you think of me?"
He stopped the movement of his hands for a moment, then continued.
"You're cute," he replied. "Nice. Very charming."
Alicia nodded her head, and a small sad smile curved her lips.
"That's true," she admitted. "I also work hard in my studies and my politics classes. But that's not what I want to know."
Razel set the shirt aside and turned to look at her. Water dripped from his fingers, and the moon illuminated his face unevenly.
"What do you want to know, then?"
Alicia looked directly into his eyes, and for the first time since he had known her, Razel saw something in her gaze that wasn't joy. It was vulnerability.
"I want to know if you're attracted to me," she said, her voice as clear as the water of the pond. "Sexually, I mean. Because I'm attracted to you... as a woman. Since that day."
Razel watched her in silence. He remembered the day at the fortress, the fear in her eyes, the way she had clung to him when he had picked her up from the ground. He remembered the warmth of her body against his, the rapid beat of her heart, the way she had sighed his name.
"Alicia," he said, his voice low. "I'm a commoner."
"You already told that story to my sister," Alicia replied, and although her tone was light, there was firmness in it. "And I don't care. But also, I want you to know something."
"What? How do you know?"
Alicia leaned toward him, closing the distance between them.
"I saw you by accident. I know you're holding back," she said, and her blue eyes shone with an intensity that took Razel by surprise. "I can see it in your eyes. You feel suffocated here, don't you? As if you're wasting precious time."
Razel was stunned.
No one had ever told him that before. No one had looked at him and seen beyond his calm facade, his apparent composure. No one, except her.
"How...?" he began, but Alicia interrupted him.
"Because I feel the same way," she said, her voice now a whisper. "In the palace. Life there is luxurious, but I don't feel alive. That's why I got so excited when we went to the fortress. I rarely leave home, you know? And it was incredible, until..."
Her voice broke slightly.
"Until we were attacked. And I got scared. A lot. But then I saw you. I saw you save us, and I knew... I knew that by your side I could live without any danger."
Razel felt the ground move beneath his feet. It wasn't the first time a woman had said something like that to him, but it came from Alicia. From the princess who always smiled, who radiated joy, who seemed not to have a single worry in the world.
"Alicia," he said, his voice hoarse. "Are you sure about what you're saying?"
"Completely," she replied, and this time her smile wasn't her usual radiant one. It was smaller, more intimate, but also more real. "I want to be with you, Razel. And if necessary, I'll give Lillie the throne. I don't care."
"Would you be willing to abandon all that for a man?" he asked, and although his tone was neutral, there was something in his eyes that betrayed his own internal struggle.
Alicia moved a little closer. Her knees almost touched his.
"My happiness matters more than any throne," she said, and before Razel could respond, she kissed him.
It was a sweet, almost innocent kiss. But when she pulled away, her eyes were bright with determination.
"If you don't want me to hold back," she murmured, her warm breath against his lips, "then I won't. I can be very aggressive when I make a decision."
Razel looked at her for a moment, and something inside him surrendered.
"Really?" he asked, his voice a low growl.
"Really," Alicia replied, and kissed him again.
This time it wasn't sweet. It was intense, deep, almost wild. Alicia's fingers tangled in his hair, and Razel's found her waist, pulling her toward him. The soapy water from the washing spilled, soaking the grass around them, but neither of them noticed.
The moon covered them with its silver light, and the stars twinkled as if keeping the secret of that moment forever.
◇◇◇
Neither of them noticed the figure watching from the shadow of the trees.
Professor Connor stood motionless, arms crossed over his chest. His black hair, straight and perfectly combed, shone faintly under the moonlight. Thin-framed glasses rested on his nose, framing blue eyes as cold as ice. His expression was strict, almost severe, with lips pressed into a thin line and a tense jaw. Everything about him radiated a rigidity reminiscent of a freshly sharpened blade.
"Bad influence," he murmured, so low that not even the wind could carry his words away. His voice was precise, sharp, like every one of his movements. "That man is a bad influence on this academy."
He adjusted his glasses with a finger, a meticulous gesture that seemed to calculate every millimeter. His blue eyes didn't stray from the scene before him, observing every detail with almost surgical attention.
Connor was known at the academy for his strictness. He did not tolerate breaches of discipline, inappropriate behavior, distractions that took students away from their obligations. And what he was seeing that night was, without a doubt, everything he abhorred.
A commoner, a man without title or lineage, kissing a princess of the realm. Not one, but two. He had seen Lillie in the classroom that afternoon, and now he saw Alicia in the garden.
"This cannot continue," he said to himself, turning on his heels with a precise and efficient movement. His black cloak billowed slightly with the turn, before falling back over his shoulders in perfectly aligned folds.
He began to walk away, his steps firm and measured on the grass. But before disappearing completely into the darkness, he stopped for an instant and looked back at the silhouette of Razel embracing Alicia.
"I'll do something about it," he murmured, and this time there was a promise in his words, cold and sharp as a steel blade.
And then he left, leaving behind the romantic scene, the moon, the stars, and the whisper of the wind through the trees.
Razel, meanwhile, continued kissing Alicia under the moonlight. His hands roamed her back, his fingers tangled in her blonde pigtails, and she clung to him as if he were the only solid thing in a crumbling world.
When they finally separated, both were breathless. Alicia's blue eyes shone with a new light, a mixture of happiness and wonder.
"That was..." she began, but couldn't find the words.
"I know," Razel replied, his voice hoarse.
They stayed silent for a moment, simply looking at each other. The moon illuminated them both, creating a scene that seemed taken from a fairy tale. Or a nightmare, depending on who was watching.
"Razel," Alicia finally said, with a small smile. "I want you to know something."
"Tell me."
She took a deep breath, as if gathering courage to say something important.
"I'm not as strong as I seem," she admitted, and for the first time, her voice truly trembled. "I smile a lot because... because if I didn't, I would fall apart. When my father died, I decided I would never stop smiling. That I would always show the world that everything was fine, even when it wasn't. Because Lillie needed me. My mother needed me. Someone had to be the light."
Razel listened in silence, without interrupting.
"But with you," Alicia continued, and her blue eyes met his, "with you I don't feel like I have to pretend. I don't feel like I have to smile all the time. With you I can be... me. The one who is afraid. The one who doesn't know what to do. The one who sometimes just wants to cry and have someone hold her."
Razel raised a hand and caressed her cheek. Her skin was soft, warm, and Alicia closed her eyes at the touch.
"You don't have to pretend with me," he said, with a gentleness that few had ever heard. "Never."
Alicia opened her eyes and smiled. But this wasn't the radiant smile she showed the world. It was a small, fragile smile, but more real than any she had shown in years.
"Thank you," she whispered.
And then, without saying anything more, she leaned against his chest, listening to the beating of his heart. Razel wrapped his arms around her, and for a moment, the whole world disappeared.
Only the two of them remained, the moon, at least for one night, under the moonlight, everything had been perfect.
Because somewhere in the academy, Lillie was awake in her bed, staring at the ceiling, thinking about Razel. And Alicia, in her own room, was doing exactly the same.
And neither of them knew that the other also loved him.
Or at least, that's what they believed.
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The fanservice is for Principal Sophina.
https://danbooru.donmai.us/posts/11136136