"You weren't really coherent when I got it for you, so I figured it would be better to wait till you were actually better."
"Aww." I gave him a loving smile. "Thank you for waiting for when I could actually tell the difference between blue and red."
"How did that even come up when you were sick?" Rain inquired.
"Ugh. I don't even know." I accepted the gift as I thought about it. "I barely remember what I did when I was awake last week. Camilla said I was arguing with her about how the sky is red instead of blue?"
Thinking about it brought up a quick image I remembered from my dreams. "Also, that you were some sexy, muscled god with really long hair, and something about a silly fairy. I think I was dreaming a lot about you."
Rain smirked, lifting an eyebrow at me in question. He didn't even need to say a word for me to groan. "I was sick and hallucinating. Don't give me that questioning look. It could have been real!"
"Uh-huh," he responded but leaned in closer. "I was a sexy, muscled god, huh?"
I blushed at his closeness. "Y-Yes. Stop judging me!"
He chuckled. "I'm not." He then kissed me.
"Hey. You can get sick," I tried to reason when he released my lips.
"You’re better."
"Lingering germs!"
"I'll be fine." He smirked and kissed my cheek before leaning back. "Open your gift."
My lips curled upward as I returned my eyes to the bag of hidden goodies. Moving the gift paper that hid the contents, my eyes went wide as I pulled out the box.
"Wait." My eyes darted at him in shock before looking back at the box. "Is...is this for me?"
"Of course." He pointed to the card that said my name that was lightly taped to the box. "See. Rosadette Campbell, aka my girlfriend."
"I saw that, silly," I huffed, already trying to blink back tears. "This. It's too expensive."
"A phone is not expensive," he announced like it was a fact. "You should already have one. It's a necessity, especially when you're in the fae world. It's the only way you can be tracked from a far distance versus magic that's hard to trace. Plus, you need to be able to contact me, Camilla, or even Alicia if you're in danger or Xavier's being a dick."
"Xavier's always a dick so that would be a daily call for saving."
"Go ahead," he encouraged. "I'll come down and make his scowl grow."
"Tease," I said with a giggle, my tears falling as I looked at the brand new pink phone. "Do all phones have trackers?"
"In the fae world, yes. It's not like our government has time to track us, but it's a safety feature because some areas in this world cut off all magical energy. I'm not sure how the exams for this year will go, but it would be a good idea to keep your phone with you just in case. It's the latest one so I think it has a few new features and connects with the watch that comes with this package."
"There's a watch, too!" I squealed, turning the box over to read the contents that came with it. "Rain! This must cost an arm and a leg! No. A whole damn body!"
"It's not that expensive." He reached out to rub my back. "The price doesn't matter. Your safety is important to me. I want you to feel safe here, and it'll just help us keep in contact if you feel lonely or isolated by Xavier."
"Rain." I looked to him, more tears rolling down my cheeks.
"Hey. Don't cry, Sweet Rose," he whispered and kissed me again. "My princess deserves to be pampered."
"I...don't deserve your kindness," I quietly cried.
"You deserve everything this world has to offer, Rosadette. Don't you dare say you don't. Kindness, compassion, love, abundance. You're a queen and deserve everything that glitters."
He kissed me again, making it impossible to argue with him as we carried on with the deep, affectionate connection. His gift was so touching, and the fact he got something with a tracking function out of my safety versus using it to keep me bound to this school only proved how amazing he was in comparison to Xavier.
I don't know why I subconsciously kept comparing the two. It wasn't like Xavier was dating me or anything, but my mind must still crave his approval - something I'd never obtain at this point.
"Thank you," I whispered breathlessly when we finally parted from the intense kiss. "This means a lot to me."
"Anything for you, Rosadette," he replied and kissed my forehead. "Now, let's set it up and get to the castle. We gotta see Alicia today."
"Oh, we do?"
"We're picking weapons today."
"You mean the special lesson and weapon we're going to be gifted by Alicia after what we did on the first day of school?" I recalled.
"Yup! That's today." He grinned. "But first, set up the phone."
"Is it okay for me to have your number though?" I inquired. "I mean, you're the prince."
"My title has nothing to do with whether my girlfriend receives my phone number or not. Remember, Rosadette. You are worthy." He graced my cheek with his hand, and I closed my eyes while a smile took over my lips.
"Sorry for being so negative at times."
"It's a mindset that everyone has to face time and again. It's only so drilled into you because of a certain negative partner."
"Only a few more weeks," I assured him.
"Can't wait." He grinned. "We should wear sweaters. It's cold today."
"You left some of your clothes here last time, right?" I recalled when it had snowed really hard two weeks ago, so Rainer ended up staying here until it calmed down. He came here so often, it only seemed right for him to have some of his clothes here just in case he had to stay over.
"Yup!" He walked over to my dresser, opening the third drawer.
"Right...uh...not here." He quickly closed the drawer which only made me laugh. "Fifth drawer, Rain. I don't think you want to see my thin collection of undies and bras."
"Aren't those supposed to be on the top dresser?"
"Yes, but everyone knows that. Putting it in the third drawer is more daring."
"I love how amused you are by this."
"Very amused," I stated, giggling, and got off the bed. Placing the phone box carefully down, I skipped over to where he was and hugged him from the back.
"Thank you, Rain. You made my day."
"I'm glad, Sweet Rose," he replied. "Now, let's get ready."
"Yes!" I declared.
I’ve got to change my mindset. I deserve all the good in the world.
"Why did you steal my sweater again?"
"Because it's comfy."
"Your sweater is just as comfy."
"Not as comfy as yours," I argued with a pleased grin as I stuck my hands in the front pocket of his obvious, oversized sweater.
We were waiting for Alicia to retrieve the weapons she thought would best complement us, and it was a good thing we did dress up for cold weather because we were training in the basement where it was freezing.
Spring may be fast approaching, but winter was trying to make sure we suffered until then. I wasn't feeling it too much thanks to Rain's sweater, but he didn't understand the difference.
"It's the same material."
"No it's not." I shook my head. "Male sweaters have far more material than female ones. I swear they use less fabric on purpose. Plus, yours smells nice."
"Just admit you want my sweater."
"Never."
The soft giggle that trailed down to us caught our attention, alerting us that Alicia was back. The shadows had hidden her quiet entrance as she emerged from the dark corner behind us.
"Couples are so cute," she commented as she walked passed us towards the table in the middle of the room.
We both blushed but didn't say another word as we stood taller and waited for her to begin our training session. She was carrying two items: one was a sword in a sheath, and the other was what looked to be a pendulum.
Noticing our serious expressions, she nodded in approval before getting right to the point.
"Thank you two for coming on short notice. I'd originally wanted to give
you these two weeks from now, but due to your training sessions that will begin next week, I concluded this would be the perfect timing for this."
She gestured to the sword and pendulum on the table, her gaze moving to Rain first. "Rain. I've decided to appoint you with the Blessed Sword of Rovalandra. This sword was once used in a battle against good and evil. Light and Darkness. It actually holds qualities of both elements, almost like a tie-breaker when you think about it, because a weapon like this can void out both sides in battle or allow them to come to an agreement without loss of life."
The sword lifted from the table, hovering towards Rain until it was before him at waist height. The grip was of black metal, hints of silver braided into the metal while the sword itself went from black to a dazzling silver with hints of gold.
Rain was staring at it, observing its qualities like I had, but I noticed the flicker of hesitation in his eyes.
Without thinking, I reached for his hand and gently squeezed it. He looked over to me, our eyes locking in intensity as I whispered, "You told me earlier that I deserve all the good things this world has to offer me. Kindness, compassion, love, abundance. If I am worthy of fine things, so are you."
I looked back at the sword, and though I may not know how much power it held, I felt as though it would be used properly in Rain's hands.
"If Alicia, the queen of this kingdom, is offering you this, it means you are worthy to hold onto it. Regardless of its past or abilities of light and dark magic."
"But what if I'm one and not the other?" It was the first time I'd seen Rain so conflicted by a simple decision, but I didn't let it change what I was feeling was right.
"It doesn't matter what element you hold. Light or Darkness. A weapon is only dangerous when the master decides its purpose within their possession. I feel you'll do justice with this, and Alicia believes that as well."
I returned my gaze to him, and as he searched my eyes, relief swarmed his now golden-orange orbs.
"Then there's no reason for me to refuse," he confirmed.
"Exactly." I grinned and let go of his hand after another squeeze. He stared at the sword one last time, lifting his gaze to Alicia, who nodded in encouragement.
Lifting his hand to the grip, he wrapped his fingers around it, the sword beginning to illuminate a dark glow before it shifted to gold.
"Looks like the sword has accepted you," Alicia declared. "Excellent."
Rain looked extremely pleased as he examined the sword in close detail.
"Thank you, Alicia," Rain declared and looked my way with a wide smile. "Thank you, Sweet Rose."
I couldn't be any happier for him, my radiant smile and quick nod the best I could do while in Alicia's presence. I would have tossed my arms up and hugged him, but we were still in lesson mode.
We shared one final look before returning our attention to Alicia as she turned her gaze my way. "Rosadette. This weapon actually brought itself forward when I stated your name."
"It came forward?" I inquired, a little shocked by the news. Yes, weapons had their own magical energy and traits, but I didn't think they could actually bring themselves forward to a potential owner without me being present.
"Indeed." Alicia's grin widened. "In order for me to pick the right weapon that will be most beneficial to you, I call your name and use a hint of your magic to see which weapons react to it. Many indeed reacted, but this particular weapon floated right into my hand."
"Wow," Rain commented. "That's rare, isn't it?"
"Very." Alicia bobbed her head and the pendulum began to rise from the table. "This is the Pendulum of ElaRasoda. Many underestimate the power of this weapon because of its obvious appearance. Pendulums are used to seek answers to questions many may have, and have guided various leaders and royals in making grave decisions in desperate times."
The prism crystal began to float my way, the golden chain glowing lightly.
"However, with growth in magic, this item can be used to conduct various spells and chants that can have some serious destructive power. I have a few ancient books that will aid you with this, and the book you carry to aid you with your magical spells can also be used in conjunction with this weapon."
"Then it's pretty epic," I concluded, offering my hand out as the pendulum hovered above it and slowly lowered into the palm of my hand. "Innocent-looking but deadly. Perfect for me," I determined with pride.
The touch of the pendulum had goosebumps crawling up my arms, and it only gave me more reassurance this was something I could work with.
"I figured you'd like its hidden power." Alicia smirked and clapped her hands. "We'll spend the next half an hour training, and then I have some matters to attend to."
We both nodded, and I returned my gaze at the pendulum in my hand. There was something about it that was calling to me, and I hoped that with the training to come and as I grew stronger as a fae, I'd figure out the mysteries it held deep within.
I'll train hard so I can use this during our exams!
Let The Petals Begin To Fall
"Camilla! Do I look good? Does my ass look good? Please tell me I look good cause this took way too long to put together and I'm exhausted."
Camilla giggled, her eyes gleaming with pride as she observed my final outfit.
"Looking as cute as ever."
"I'm looking for sexy!" I whined, igniting her laughter.
"You can't look sexy at the spring festival! It's day time, not night club material," she reasoned, but nodded in approval. "If you're asking if you look sexy for your boyfriend, then yes, you're going to make him want to pin you to a bed and f-"
"Oh, no, no. I'm changing."
"Don't change a damn thing!" She rushed over to stop me from reaching for my pendulum. "You look good, jeez. I'll make sure Rain doesn't pin you to a bed."
I grinned and hugged her. "Finally! That was a lot harder than I expected."
"Well, you were using magic to help you create the perfect outfit rather than being like a normal fae and going to a seamstress who would just make one for you with her magic."
"After having a dream of the seamstress making the dress with a timer and having it disappear at midnight, I figured making my own was the most reasonable choice," I declared.
"That's your anxiety talking," Camilla dismissed. "Just admit that you're excited to be having your first official date with Rain!"
"It's not official or anything," I muttered, trying to not make it a big deal, even though it was to me.
"Not official, and yet you've been talking about it for a week and a half after Rain asked you. Okay," Camilla teased. "At least he asked before Xavier's failure of an attempt."
"Ugh. Don't even remind me." I couldn't fathom a big enough groan for that ridiculous afterschool moment in the training room.
* * *
"We have to up your training to at least three days," Xavier huffed.
"You're lucky the queen didn't cancel all of them after I got sick!" I declared as I put away my book in my bag. "Two is all you're getting, and during exam week we're not training together."
"I can't believe this," Xavier grumbled. "My mother didn't need to know about this."
"You're right," I began. "Until your little cheer squad decided to put a death spell on me, and she found out that I was training one to two hours a day unnecessarily after getting perfect grades so far in school and deemed it 'a waste of time' for me to continue. I only agreed to two days so you wouldn't throw a bigger fit than you already were."
"You make it seem like I'm some kind of baby."
"If the shoe fits, wear it with pride," I declared and yawned. "I'm going home."
"Wait."
"What?"
"You're going to the spring festival with me."
"Come again?" I had to pause in my movement and turn right around to give him a confused look. "Who said I'm going?"
"I did."
"Why?"
"Because I said so."
"Xavier. If this
is your way of trying to ask me out to the spring festival, I'd like to enlighten you with two problems. One, I've already been asked. Two, that is not how you ask a woman to be your date for a festival."
"Who asked you first?!" He looked baffled that anyone would ask before him.
"I did."
We looked to the door to see Rain leaning against the door frame. He seemed annoyed today, which was rare. He had his arms crossed over his chest and his sword at his waist.
When our eyes met, he gave me a small smile before it fell as his eyes returned to Xavier's. "That's a really shitty way of asking a girl out, by the way."
He pushed off the frame to walk over to me. I met him halfway, and without hesitation, he leaned down to kiss me firmly on the lips.
"Hey, Sweet Rose. Feeling all right?"
"A little sleepy," I answered and ended up giving him a soft peck on his lips. "But I'm pretty good. Glad the weekend is here."
"Let's grab something to eat before I walk you back to the dorms."
"Okay!" I was starving, and getting some extra time with Rain while eating would be delightful.
"You two are actually dating?!" Xavier yelled. I flinched at the loud noise, but Rain was calm and collected as he casually shrugged.
"We've been dating for a while. Are you just realizing this?" Rain seemed intrigued, but the smug smile on his lips looked like he was taunting Xavier.
Didn't blame him one bit.
"You can't date her," he countered.
"We're already dating," Rain emphasized. He took my bag and swung it over his shoulder, while his free hand reached for mine.
Intertwining my fingers with his, he looked back at Xavier.
"She's going to the spring festival with me. I asked her a few days ago." We began to head to the door before this blew up into an argument. "Why don't you go ask your new girlfriend? Wasn't it Monica? That's what the gossip columns say."
"Huh?" I couldn't stop myself from commenting, and I looked over my shoulder to see Xavier look away when I tried to see his expression.
Fae Rose Academy: Year One (For The Purely Divine Book 1) Page 26