Zao POV
I'm trying to concentrate on what Minister Kibi is telling me while simultaneously pondering the fact that I stole his name. I looked into the eyes of the most alluring woman I have ever met and told her my name is Kibi. Right now, it seems quite amusing to me. I wonder how he would react if he knew.I force myself to concentrate on his words, leaning further towards him.Minister Kibi explains his plan to expand palace positions to everybody, including pensants. He is quite an idealistic young man, but at his prime age, he isn't really.At his age, I was rebellious simply for the sake of rebelling. I wanted nothing that my father wanted for me simply because he wanted it for me. I wanted to create my own part and my own destiny.Looking at him, I feel a sort of connection as he speaks about his plans, hopefully. It is a dangerous goal he has. None of the other nobles will want it. But time changes things, and I'm honestly tired of the same old traditions."Your father would be proud of you," I say to him. He smiled triumphantly at my statement.His father was just like him, the same pure energy. He was the only clean air I had at court during his time. He was simply one of the kindest souls.Minister Kibi continues explaining his plan, but my mind twitches once more toward Aurora. The way her smile reaches her eyes How she always waves at me enthusiastically when she says goodbye.How can I put her out of my mind when she is the only woman who has caught my attention?"Your majesty?" Minister Kibi calls out to me, interrupting my train of thought. He looks at me inquisitively. "Are you okay, your majesty?"I try to compose myself, fixing on my neutral facial expression: "Yes, I've heard all you've said, Minister Kibi. We have a long way to go if we are going to implement that". He smiles gently, the excitement hidden in his eyes. He places his hands on the table and leans forward to me, saying, "Your Majesty, I don't seem to intrude, but you appear greatly burdened." I look at him, wondering what he is going to say next."I cannot begin to imagine how hard it must be for you without anyone to confide in as a friend. Everyone needs one. Your majesty, permit me to be a friend to you, someone you can confide in."I am slightly taken aback by his confidence and candid manner. I concentrate on him, trying to get a read on his energy in depth. His offer is fascinating, with no hint of self-interest."Minister Kibi, I might take you up on your offer, but not today." I say in a tone I hope sounds polite.He smiles at me as he stands up, takes a bow, and then leaves the room.Alone, my mind freely consorts with Aurora. Without a doubt, my body will follow my mind's hunger.The garden is empty when I get there. I wait for her patiently, imagining her smile when she finally gets here.After some time of sitting, I anxiously stand up, wondering if I'm being too confident about her wanting to see me too. I pushed that thought out of my head. I walk around the garden, plucking little flowers that I assemble to make a bracelet.The sun goes down in the sky, leaving beautiful colors, but there is no Aurora. I dropped the flower bracelet I made on the bench. It's vibrant colours pops against the bench.***I'm watching every palace maiden closely, thinking one of them will be Aurora. Every time I see a lady with similar skin and body structure, I stand up eagerly, even though I know I can sense her energy easily.Aurora becomes a ghost, hunting me in the corridors of the palace.At the garden again, I wait on her holding the flower bracelet that is now brown, completely out of color, just like my mind in the days without Aurora. I try to stop thinking of her loss, but every time I try, her face becomes more vivid in my head. Sometimes I feel her energy around me, even though I know she isn't close.I don't dream of Princess Deze again; all I dream of is Aurora. It's almost like the fairies cannot put Princess Deze in my head when all my mind wants to think of is Aurora.I am like young boys seeing ladies for the first time. My mind drowns in Aurora.Aurora POV I am constantly amused by the fact that I did meet a demigod. I had conversations with a demigod. I thought a demigod was an assistant cook in the palace. Sometimes the impossible makes more sense; this is one of those times. Kibi was far from looking human; his presence was nothing like that of a palace worker.For a practice test, I've been assigned to serve a human noble for the day. It was a relief because I needed to stop thinking about Kibi.I arranged tea cups on a floral ceramic tray as the girls giggled in the other room. They talk about men they think about and who they prefer to court. I take some cookies and arrange them on a smaller tray with the same design as the big one.Everything comes easily to me now, including bowing to nobles and serving on time. My legs and shoulders don't hurt as much as they used to. The palace is beginning to feel like home to me. As she serves them, they mostly ignore me as they chatter endlessly. They are all dressed exquisitely for an afternoon tea with friends, in my opinion. What I've learned about the palace is that nobles live lives of extreme extravagance. They are all wearing silks in different colors and jewelry that sparkles against their perfect skin, which glistens richly. These are skins that have no experience with the island's sun.Sometimes Kibi has his dreads tied in a bun, other times he has them flowing free in the wind. I've wanted to touch them several times, but I always maintained the same distance as he did. Now I know he probably avoided touching me because he didn't want to touch a mere palace worker. In the King's personal palace, I peep into hallways before stepping into them, checking to see if I'll see any sign of a royal robe. I don't know what I'll do when I eventually see the king. Being the Princess Maiden, I won't escape seeing him for long. Seeing him would confirm what I already know, and I don't know what to do with it all.My anger annoys me. I have no right to be angry. The King found it interesting to spend time with me, even though he pretended to be someone else. I should be grateful. Yet I feel betrayed and played with.The days pass slowly as my thoughts wander endlessly to places I try to avoid. In the room, Soka tries to get me to talk about what I'm always thinking about, and I want to tell her, but I don't know how. Instead, I change the conversation, making sure she talks about her dramatic relations with her rude noble.Today is the day the princess arrives at the palace, and I don't know how exactly I feel about it. On one part, I'm excited about meeting a demigoddess and serving her; on the other, I'm scared about meeting a demigoddess and serving her. What if she is completely cruel and discriminating? Also, I have been able to escape seeing the King for days now, but once she comes, it becomes inevitable. My entire life will be in the king's palace, following her even when she has meetings with the king.I took extra time getting ready today, making sure I looked my best in my uniform. The dark shade of green does not look bad on my dark skin tone at all. In fact, it makes my complexion pop. I put berry scent behind my ears and coconut oil in my hair. I practice my smile in the mirror until the corners of my lips start to feel like cracking mold. 'The welcoming, accepting smile," as Madam Iwin calls it, is supposedly my best assertion in my work.I had read every text I could
_Present day_Sira walked through the deserted street, her hands crossed beneath her chest as the sea's breeze wisped through her hair, her dark skin glistening with silver hues under the full moon. The sea crashed against the barricade in lumpy shadows that spilled against the bare floor. She walked faster, putting one leg in front of the other as if in a speed walking competition, looking ahead as she concentrated on the street light that seemed only a few feet away. It was mesmerizing to her how it seemed like the distance between her and the street light never changed, almost like she walked but still remained on the exact same spot. Confused, she scanned the area, looking toward the sea as it crashed and spilled. Her thoughts swam around her head, making her agitated but not afraid. She looked at the street light scrutinizingly, trying to judge the distance for about the 9th time, looking back at the tree she never passed but that seemed to have always been there, wavi
The young woman sat at a table by herself by the wall in her favorite study hall. Her deep brown braids were packed up in a messy bun, with a pencil serving as a hold for it.This was her favorite hall because people in this hall strictly came here to read, and the hall overlooked the green outside, where many read under trees or came to gist on the grass and have a quick break from classes.Unfortunately, if Sira were to look through the wall-like windows, there was little commotion outside; everybody was either in their dorms reading more or in exam halls. The few who came for short breaks looked too stressed to enjoy their sandwich and barely had time to get their gist as they were going over what they felt they had read but felt like they would forget somehow. Unlike most days, Sira didn't pay attention to the other students. Her full attention was focused on her computer, which she used to scheme yet another document for her economics course. She was
As usual, the summer sun was without filters and shone proudly, demanding the attention of the residents of the island. Not a cloud dared to mar the bright blue expanse of sky above. Students walked around the school in flip flops and tank tops, their excitement palpable in their friendship groups as they planned for the summer holiday. The school was awash in a riot of colors: the vibrant purples, oranges, and reds of the blooming flowers set against the verdant green of the leaves."It will be so fun, guys," Talia said as she bubbled with excitement while adjusting her designer sunglasses with golden frames. Talia's family is properly rich as her father owns one of the biggest hotels on the island. Her family beach house, just a few kilometers away from the hotel, will be empty that summer as her parents were vacationing in Paris for the whole season, leaving Talia with free reign over their sprawling beach house just a few miles away from the hotel. Even after 25 y
The room was filled with excitement and anticipation as the girls tried on different outfits and experimented with makeup and hairstyles. The girls giggled and chatted, making the room a mess in the process with clothes strewn all over and makeup scattered on the dresser.As the girls were busy getting ready, Luci walked into the room in her usual manner of not knocking, surprising everyone with a zip-lock bag containing two squares of brownies. Her thick black hair was left in a free afro and adorned with tiny yellow butterfly clips that added a pop of color to her ensemble. She looked stunning in a light nude brown crop top that showed off her gold belly button piercing, paired with a low-waisted ankle-length skirt that had a thigh-high slit, revealing her slender legs. Her outfit was completed with a pair of strappy sandals that gave her the sophisticated hippie girl look she is known for."Santa Mama is here with your treats, girls."Luci's announcement caught the attention of Sira
Sira's heart raced as she stood in the presence of the man who had captivated her in ways she had never experienced before. The feeling of intoxication that enveloped her was beyond words. She felt as if she were floating on cloud nine, with a million butterflies fluttering in her stomach. Every moment spent with him was pure bliss. His mere presence was enough to make her feel glorified, as if she were the most special person in the world. The way he looked at her, with an intensity that made her feel like he was devouring her, sent shivers down her spine. It was a look that made her feel like she was the only thing he craved and needed in this world. With every passing moment, Sira melted under his attention. The way he spoke, the way he moved, and the way he made her feel all made her want to be closer to him. Being with him was like finding something she didn't know she was looking for—a missing piece of her soul that she had been searching for. And as she sa
"Why Are you still in bed, miss?" Talia exclaimed as she walked into the room to find her friend tucked into the blanket with only the top of her brown braids visible. She dropped her water bottle on the dresser and dragged off the blanket from Sira's body, causing her to roll over to the other side of the bed with her face pressed on the pillow. "What Are you doing?" Talia asked loudly as she turned on all the light bulbs, "Today is the trip, remember? Get over your hangover". Sira moaned at the reminder as she rolled over facing the ceiling, her eyes narrowing as she squinted at the fluorescent light."Have you been crying?" Talia's voice was laced with concern when she noticed Sira's face as she sat down on the bed. She examined her friend's face closely realising eyes were smaller than they usually were, looking like tiny black dots in their sockets. Talia moved closer to her friend, taking her hands in hers and stroking them like she normally does whenever she is down.Sira releas
The heat from the tension in the car could melt an iceberg. They weren't talking, and none of them were on their phones either. It seemed like they were all waiting for someone to break the silence, but it was already 20 minutes into the trip and still no one had said anything. Gerald was driving, and while Luci sat in the front seat, her hands rested on the armrest as she stared out the window like there was something incredible going on out there. Her tawny skin looked blotchy, like she had been crying all night. Sira looked at her in the mirror and felt a pang of guilt spread over her. It was her fault that Luci was going through this, if only she had known about Gerald's feelings for her, she would have kept him at arm's length.After a few seconds of staring out the window, Sira would move on to staring at the back of Gerald's head as he drove the car. She had always liked to watch him drive, he was always perfectly calm when he drove.Now seeing him drive reminded her of the nig