"Slowly, no need to rush." She said gently. She was standing not far from me, watching me carefully.
"I got this." I concentrated on moving my foot forward. I felt like a toodler learning how to walk for the first time. Although the curse was cured, the after effects were still there. I forgot how to use my limbs. Especially my legs. I had to practice how to walk again.
"You can do it, Resse. Walk to me." Evi encouraged me. I took a deep breath and focused on her.
A step forward felt like a great labour. My legs were trembling. It somehow felt foreign for me to use them. How did was I able to move while still under the curse? Teacher's spell and potions were work of wonder during that time. I looked at Evi and determined to get closer to her. I took another step. Evi looked happy. Slowly, I was approaching her without falling. Until finally I reached her spot and she welcomed me with an embrace.
"You did so well! Good job." She praised proudly. I hugged her back, melting into her arms. "Do you want to rest?"
"It's fine. I can practice more. Watch me, soon I'll be able to run." I grinned coyly.
"Don't get ahead of yourself now." She snorted.
She released me and I tried to walk around again. I walked toward the wardrobe. I felt like I could make it but my legs gave up midway. I almost fell down on the floor but a pair of arms grabbed me securely before I hit the ground.
"You're okay?" Her eyebrows furrowed, looking worried. I nodded in embarrassment. "I think you should rest now."
"I supposed so." I agreed. She easily hoisted me up, carrying me back to the bed. My face felt so hot. Oh gosh, this was embarrassing.
"You're so red." She teased with a smirk. I grabbed a pillow and buried my face into it. Ughhh… "You're so cute, dear."
"Stop.." I mumbled out timidly. She laughed out loud.
"Should I carry you to the dining hall? It's almost time for lunch."
"No! Don't you dare! I'm already embarrassed enough." I grumbled.
"Oh Resse, you're so cute." She poked my cheek with her finger.
"You're so mean.." I complained, lifting my head to glare at her.
"Well, you have to get used to all this. Because I'm going to do it often." She smiled. Then her face turned serious and looking sharply at me. "Oh my, you look so cute right now."
"Aghh…" I wanted to hide behind the pillow again but she grabbed my hands and leaned in closer. My heart felt like it was going to explode. How I was supposed to stay calm when she looked at me like that?
"Can I kiss you?" She wasn't joking. It was a serious request.
"You.. You don't have to ask." I muttered slowly. She grinned widely.
"I'll keep that in mind."
She gently grabbed my chin and pressed her lips on mine. It was only a peck and she leaned away to look at me in the eyes. The intensity of her eyes made me shuddered. She smiled and she looked so beautiful. I was in a trance.
"If you have that kind of face on, I don't think I can hold myself back, you know." She remarked slyly. I raised both of my eyebrows, genuinely confused. "Oh my, you're so cute."
She kissed me again. This time it was more passionate. She literally took my breath away. She was such a good kisser. Damn. Her hands travelled from my neck to my shoulders, and then to my back and she pulled me closer to her. I gasped at it. Her tongue slipped inside my mouth. Oh my gosh.. I felt like I wanted to melt. She broke off the kiss a few minutes later. Both of us were heaving, trying to catch our breath. That was.. That was.. Intense. She looked so satisfied. The way she licked her lips felt so seductive. Did she put a spell on me?
"Again." I requested greedily. Her eyes slightly widened probably not expecting it.
"Oh dear.." She giggled.
She kissed me again. I didn't want it to end. I was losing my mind. She had me under her palms and I wouldn't mind it at all. The way her lips moved so smoothly on mine felt so addicting. I liked having her so close to me. I gripped her clothes like it was my lifeline. My mind went blank and nothing else matter.
The knock on the door stopped the hot kissing session. Our face were so red and then it hit me. The embarrassment hit me like a truck. Oh my god! I was losing myself there. Evi chuckled lightly. She tuck a stray hair behind my ear and smiled widely.
"That must be our lunch." She said. I just nodded. She whispered to my ear. "Maybe we can continue later?"
I buried my face into the pillow again. Oh gosh… that..that was.. Oh my.. What was that? My heart felt like it was about to explode. I couldn't explain the excitement inside of me. A desire that I didn't know existed. Oh god, I was really hopeless. Evi laughed out loud.
"You're so adorable, dear." She kissed the top of my head and then went to open the door.
*
"Don't worry, all of them will be punished appropriately for all the crimes they have committed." Teacher Rossa told me, sipping her cup elegantly. She sighed, releasing all of her months of stress. "Finally, I can relax now. Maybe I should retire this year."
"That's good to hear, teacher." I smiled. "Then, do you have plans after retirement?"
"Travelling." She shrugged nonchalantly.
"Not even planning on finding a partner and building a family, teacher?" I grinned slyly.
"That kind of plan is for youngsters like you. Me at this age, it's just too late." She shook her head. She threw a piece of crumpled tissue at me. "Don't give me that look!"
"What look?" I asked innocently.
"I'm not hopeless in that department. I just chose not to have a partner." She clarified. "You could say I'm married to magic."
"Hmm.. I see." I took a sip of my tea.
"When is the wedding by the way?" She questioned suddenly. I choked on my drink, coughing painfully. "What? Did I get it wrong? You're marrying Princess Evi right?"
"I.. Well.." I couldn't speak properly. I wiped off the spilled tea instead to keep myself busy. She narrowed her eyes at me, putting me under pressure.
"You're not?"
"No! I mean, yes. I want to marry her someday. But, but, for now.. I'm not ready yet." I looked away from her.
"Not ready yet?" She repeated in disbelief. "The way you look and behave around her, I thought that you're already ready for a marriage."
"What do you mean by that, teacher?"
"Resse, I can tell how much you love her and if you're given a choice, you'd die for her. I know marriage is a huge commitment and I think you already committed enough."
"It's not that easy, teacher." I frowned. "Evi is a princess. If I'm marrying the ruler of Atheen. I need to prepare for all the responsibilities as her partner. You know, all the politics and stuff."
"Huh, you're making it complicated, kiddo."
"I..well, I just want to do my best okay? I don't want to be a useless partner for her. I want to make sure I'm reliable."
"Resse, she doesn't need you to be a perfect partner. I'm sure she just want you the way you are." She smiled kindly. I was feeling embarrassed by that. "You better don't keep her waiting for too long. Everyone has their limit, you know."
"I know."
"Hm, good. Don't forget to invite me to the wedding. I expect a special treatment and high quality wines will be served for me."
"Teacher, honestly.." I whined while she laughed.
"I shall be on my way. His majesty, King Charles has been begging me to return to Franciff. Apparently, they need me so desperately." She stood up from her seat.
"You're leaving already?" I stood up too, following her.
"Yes, as much as I love living in Atheen. I have to return." She sighed heavily.
I walked her to the gate. A carriage was already prepared for her. I was feeling a little sad. She was probably the closest one I could call a family in this world. Teacher Rossa noticed my sombre expression and smiled gently at me. She pulled me in her embrace, patting my head softly. I felt safe in her arms. Almost like I was in my grandmother's embrace.
"We'll see each other again, kiddo. I'll live a long life. So, you're going to see me many years ahead." She said softly. I nodded.
"How old are you again, teacher?" I asked. Her grip on me tightened. "Uh.. I mean.. I.."
"I'm only a year older than your grandmother, brat." She answered tersely. I was grateful that she didn't kill me instantly for asking that question.
"I.. I see." My body felt sore. She was holding me too tightly. She released me and turned around to enter the carriage.
"Write to me sometimes. If you have any problems with magic, you'd better ask me for help." That sounded like a demand rather than an offer. "I'm your teacher after all."
"Of course, Teacher. Be well." I smiled at her.
"You too." The carriage started moving. I waved my hand and stood there until the carriage was gone from my sight. I was going to miss her.
I stayed for a few more minutes and then I went back into the palace. It was a struggle to be able to walk normally again but everything went well. I was recovering and I could walk comfortably without support after a month. Teacher Rossa stayed during my recovery. Just in case something happened to me. Well, I bet she just wanted to be there to protect me. A Royal Sorcerer getting sick would invite a lot of enemies to take advantage of the situation. I was grateful for her. I got better. So, she wouldn't be needed anymore. During her stay she rarely interacted with Evi though. I had an assumption that both of them were tensed with each other. I wasn't sure what was their history. I didn't ask. It was probably a typical politic issue.
"The High Sorcerer of Franciff already left?" Evi asked when she saw me entering her office. There were piles of paper on her desk. She was so busy lately. I could understand. It was because of me. She had to put all the works on hold because she was taking care of me.
"Yes." I replied and casually sat down on the armchair. I leaned my back against it and sighed heavily.
"You can always go visit her, dear. I won't forbid you." She said kindly. She knew why I felt down.
"I know, thanks." I smiled at her. "It's just.. I'm going to miss her. She's like a family to me."
"I understand. I can see that there's an unbreakable bond between you two. She cares about you like her own child." Evi stood up from the desk and made her way toward me.
"She's old enough to be my grandmother." I smirked. Her eyes widened, shock.
"Really? But she.."
"Don't mention about her age though. She won't hesitate to blast anyone with her magic if they ask about her real age." I chuckled.
"I'll keep that in mind." She exhaled. "The High Sorcerer of Franciff is truly an amazing individual. To think that magic could be used to keep her body young is truly unheard of before."
"Yes." I felt proud of having a teacher like Teacher Rossa. She was truly the greatest sorcerer.
"You can go rest in the room if you're feeling tired." Evi sat down beside me, taking my hand in hers. "You're just recovered, I don't want you to push yourself."
"I'm fine, Evi." My smile gotten wider. My heart swells from her care.
"Well, if you say so." She nodded. She lifted a hand and caressed my cheek softly. Her eyes studying my face carefully. "You still so thin, dear. Your appetite hasn't improved is it?"
"It's still feel weird to eat. Don't worry, soon I'll be eating fine." I closed my eyes, enjoying her gentle hand. She kissed my forehead. My heart was racing.
"Yes, you'll be fine, Resse."
"Erm, you can continue working. I'll just leave. Sorry for disturbing you." I said. I wanted to stay longer but I knew I would just be in the way of her duty.
"No, you can stay if you want. You're not a bother." She smiled warmly.
"Well.. I.." I was feeling flustered. Evi was just so kind and the way she looked and talked to me made me wanted to melt or something. Oh gosh, I was going crazy. "The council will have a reason to scold me if I stay. So, I should go. Besides, I have something to do."
"Alright, fine. What will you be doing?" She frowned slightly, disappointed.
"I'm going to visit the magic lab."
"You're not thinking of going to work, are you?" She narrowed her eyes at me.
"What, no! I just want to check it out. It's been a while, after all." I shook my head. She relaxed.
"I see. Just don't do anything heavy, okay?" She was so caring that it was making me want to kiss her. Oh gosh, I was losing it.
"I know, Evi." I smiled widely. "Stop worrying so much. I'll see you later?"
"Yeah, I'll see you later." She nodded. I stood up from the armchair.
"Not going to give me a kiss before you go?" She asked slyly. I froze in my tracks.
"Erm, hah?" Blood rushed to my face. She stood beside me, smirking in amusement.
"Don't just 'hah?` me, give me a kiss, dear." She said that with a softer tone. Oh gosh, why she looked so irresistible all of a sudden? She looked at me, waiting in anticipation.
"S-sure.." I stuttered. I was nervous. I was still trying to get used to our relationship. It was all still new to me. Especially when, I wasn't trying to pretend to be the other Resse. This relationship was truly between Evi and I. Trying to showcase my affection toward her was still embarrassing for me. I couldn't stop this racing heart whenever we touched or closed to each other.
I leaned in toward her. My eyes locked on her soft pink lips. However, I chickened out last minute and decided to place a kiss on her cheek instead. I could see the disappointment on her face immediately. She pouted at me.
"That's still a kiss." I chuckled meekly.
"Fine. I'll take it for now. Next time, I'd want a proper kiss from you, alright?" She exhaled.
"Yeah sure." I nodded. She finally smiled.
"Okay, I should get back to my work." She turned toward her desk.
I left her office and made my way to the magic lab. My heart was still racing and I was sure my face was red. I was glad that Evi was understanding of my situation. She was patient with my awkwardness in this relationship. She was just too good for me. There were times where I felt confident to initiate something but lately I felt too self conscious. Mostly because I thought I might overwhelm Evi if I did it too much. I wanted to at least have self control when I was around her.
Theo greeted me as soon as I entered the lab. He briefed me a little bit about the current project but he assured me that he could handle it all. He was just a very reliable assistant. I read some of his reports and also checked out the magical items in the store. Everything was fine. I've had an idea to work on soon but I guessed I had to get better first. Evi won't allow me to work with my current condition.
I was about to leave when an unexpected guest entered the lab. It was one of the council members, the white hair old man. I kept my face passive as I greeted him. I wasn't sure where I stood in the council's opinion. Did they still tolerate me or wanted to get rid of me? I was getting pretty nervous. Of course, my real identity and all that alternate world were a secret that Evi and I kept together. Still, it didn't change the fact that I left my responsibility for a year and a half long.
"It's reassuring to know that you are still willing to be in your lab, Ms Resse." He said with a smile.
"Of course, elder. I'm still a Royal Sorcerer after all. It's a part of my responsibility." I replied politely.
"Yes, you are still our Royal Sorcerer. Well, if we ignore your sudden absence before." He nodded. I knew he'd bring that up. He surely wanted an explanation. Evi only told them that I was on a classified quest as an excuse for my absence.
"If I could avoid that, I would, elder.There are things that even I cannot avoid. It was a very important quest for me."
"I guess, sharing the details will be impossible?" He was putting pressure on me. I didn't like this.
"I can share with you some details of the quest." I exhaled. He was clearly taken aback. He probably expects me to keep it to myself.
"Let's hear about it then." He took a seat on one of the stools, focusing on me.
"I was hunting down the Dark Side. An evil organisation that did a lot of terrible experiments on human kinds and also other creatures. Although it was disbanded a long time ago, the former members were still practising their inhuman experiments. My journey to Franciff led me to be reunited with my old teacher, the High Sorcerer of Franciff, Rossa Rosedale. I joined her in the quest to hunt all the former members of the Dark Side and put an end to their operations." I told him calmly. He blinked in astonishment. "The reason for the hunt was simply a personal reason, both me and my teacher. My apologies, I can only share about it this much."
"No wonder you've returned while in such a critical state, Ms Resse." I could almost feel the sympathy from his statement. "Well, surely after this, you will not leave your post abruptly right?"
"You have my words. There won't be a next time, elder." I said confidently. He nodded with a tight smile. Clearly he didn't believe me.
"Good. Then, I shall not bother you anymore. Have a nice day, Ms Resse. We'll be looking forward to your full return to your position."
He left afterwards. I let out a sigh of relief. He was so stressful to deal with. I could tell that the council wasn't pleased with me. They would definitely keep an eye on me again. If I make one more mistake, they will surely get rid of me. How scary. I needed to be extra careful.