Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
A SECRET MEANING
━━━━.⋅ ⊰ 6 ⊱ ⋅.━━━━
"WHATtype of person is your sister, dion?"
dion thinks for a moment. "she..." he pauses before continuing, "she's just a little girl who lost her brother."
the grip aelia has on dion's hand tightens as they pass a guard. he feels a warm, fuzzy feeling spread in his chest as they continue walking.
"she lost her brother?" aelia asks, peering at the male curiously. "you have more siblings?"
dion nods. "yes. i'm sure you know of how many wives my father has, correct?" he looks at the girl from the corner of his eye just in time to see her nod. "well, roxanna had an older, biological brother. i can't recall his name, but he—" he stops talking.
they're in front of the garden where he spots roxanna already waiting for them.
"is that her?" aelia gestures towards the blonde girl.
"yes, that is her."
leading them to where roxanna sits, aelia tugs dion down so she can whisper into his ear. he's taken aback with her breath hitting his ear and their close proximity as she speaks, cerulean eyes wide. "dion, your sister is so pretty! you should have told me before i got ready! i would have attempted to make myself look more presentable..."
"you think she's pretty?" he asks, confused.
the seventeen year old nods energetically. "of course she is! don't you think she's pretty?"
he immediately shakes his head. "no. you're the only one i think of such."
"hello."
roxanna stares at the flustered, young lady of the pherion family and at her father's favorite son. she raises an eyebrow at aelia. "lady aelia, are you alright?"
aelia clears her throat. "yes, of course. do i appear off to you, lady roxanna?"
the fifteen year old nods. "you seemed a bit red."
blinking, aelia follows roxanna's line of sight when she takes too long to respond, her eyes landing at her hand still holding onto dion's own. laughing softly, she lets go and holds her hands behind her back. "yes, it must be from the heat. today is quite a sunny day, after all."
roxanna's red eyes linger there for a few seconds before she looks up at aelia. "yes... please take a seat then," she points at the seat in front of her with her open hand. "we wouldn't you to be standing out in the sun any longer than necessary... dion wouldn't like that, right dion?"
dion merely stays silent. he leans down to whisper into aelia's ear, his lips brushing past the tip softly. "i'll see you later. my father requested for my assistance in some matters." he leans back, eyes narrowing slightly in satisfaction from the sight of aelia's flushed, pretty face. he looks back at roxanna, "i will come back later. i hope the two of you... can get along."
again, aelia clears her throat as she sits in front of roxanna. she smiles at the younger girl, "dion has—"
"you should save yourself from him, aelia pherion."
the white haired girl frowns. "save myself from who? dion?"
roxanna nods, lifting the teacup in front of her to her lips. she stares at aelia, still holding the cup to her lips. "yes. he is a monster. he—"
"excuse my rudeness," aelia says, smiling. "but lady roxanna..."
–
by the time dion comes back to the garden, the sun is already setting. he finds aelia sitting by herself. she has her chin resting in the palm of her hand. she waves her free hand around, and that's when he notices that she's conversing with a butterfly.
"where is roxanna?"
at the sound of dion's voice, aelia perks up and jumps out of her seat, she grabs his hand immediately, a sign that she wants to leave already. so he leads her back to his room.
"roxanna left earlier. she told me she had a few things she had to do that couldn't wait for later." she says, "but that cute little brother of yours kept me company before scampering off!"
dion furrows his eyebrows. "cute little brother of mine?"
aelia nods. "mhm. his name is... jeremy? if i recall so correctly."
"... how long did you wait for me?"
"not long, really."
sighing, dion just leads them back to his room.
"dion, why are we heading back to your room?"
"it's too late for you to go back to the pherion estate. you'll spend the night with me, and i'll send you back in the morning."
a few maids walking past them stop and stare in shock at their young lord.
"dion!" aelia says, "you have to be careful with your words!"
the male glances at her, eyebrows furrowed. "but you will be spending the night with me in my room? it is the truth, so i don't see why there's a problem with the wording."
at this, aelia groans. she tightens her grip on his hand and quickens her pace. "let's hurry to your room then before any more people get the wrong impression..."
dion chuckles, but nonetheless complies to the girl's wish. they make it to his room fairly quick; aelia shuts the door before dion can walk in. he raises an eyebrow as her meek voice speaks from the other side. "w-wait out there until i change!"
"if that is what my lady desires, then i shall wait outside."
a maid tries passing by dion quickly, though he stops her, ushering her inside to help aelia change into night clothes. the maid, after entering for a few seconds, comes back out, and returns quickly with some clothes. dion taps his foot on the ground, eyes staring blankly at passing guards and maids until the maid finally leaves after bidding him goodbye.
"i'm sorry i took quite some time..."
the male turns around, a small smile on his lips. "nonsense, aelia."
maybe the intensity from his red eyes does something to her because next thing she knows, aelia finds herself already on dion's bed, her hands covering her eyes. "you... you go get ready for bed! i'm quite tired, you know!"
again, dion's chuckling fills the air, accompanied by light footsteps around the room until it stops, and the room is silent. it's then that aelia decides to peek through fingers, only to squeak out in surprise as she's tugged down to the bed.
"sleep now," dion says, his breath hitting her ear.
aelia stares wide-eyed at dion's chest. "dion—"
but he interrupts her, pulling her closer to him. "sleep, aelia. we have to wake up early tomorrow."
she nods, closing her eyes. "alright... goodnight, dion."
