Rosalie woke up to see the sun significantly lower in the sky than she remembered. She stirred, hearing quiet chatter from the kitchen. Snoring lightly across the living room was Deidra, fast asleep in one of the chairs. "You're finally awake."
She smiled and glanced up at Corvin. Yawning and stretching like a cat, she sat up. "How long did I sleep?" she asked.
"About three hours," he shrugged. "I woke up after an hour, but you were so peaceful that I didn't want to wake you."
"You could've woken me up," she replied. "I wouldn't have bitten your head off or anything."
"Oh really? I tried to wake you up last tuesday and you threatened to shove my head in a blender," Corvin said sarcastically. "I'm not even sure what a blender is, but it sounds like something you should avoid sticking body parts in."
She blushed in embarrassment and stood up. "Where's Twila?" He pointed to the kitchen, standing up as well. Walking in, she saw Twila sitting on one of the empty counters, chatting about places she'd seen while Vida cooked.
"-there was this one village high in the mountains of Alesia that was so cut off from the rest of the world that they weren't on any maps. Of course, they had no idea about the tragedy of King Odilon and Queen Selene. It was quite a shock to them, as many had been staunch supporters of both. Rosalie," the cat said, nodding her way. "I trust you slept well?"
"Yea," Ro answered. "How old are you, anyway?"
"Four hundred and seventeen years old."
Ro's eyes went large. "You say that like it's normal."
Twila shrugged. "It is, for me," she said. "The Seelie Queen blessed me and eleven other cats with longevity. It was part of the pact years ago to have every member of the royal family protected and watched until they came of age. The first generation had been rendered...unfit to perform their duty as best they could, so each of them recommended a young cat to continue the honor of being protectors," the cat explained. "My grandmother was one of the first. I was recommended to the Queen when I was hardly twenty."
She held herself with a strong sense of pride, one well-earned if she had been a protector for nearly four hundred years. "You still have yet to actually tell me what a protector is, other than the obvious answer," Ro pointed out.
The cat narrowed her eyes at the girl. "All will be revealed in time," she answered cryptically, deciding that it was the perfect time to clean herself.
"Yea, when I'm on my deathbed," Ro grumbled. Vida chuckled at the third ranker's grouchy retort. "What are you cooking?"
"Food," was the noncommittal reply.
"Wow, so helpful," she said sarcastically. "Where is everybody, anyway? I don't hear Alicia yelling at Elwood outside."
"Thaddeus, Alicia, and Elwood went up to the city to explore," Corvin explained. "Bryon is sitting in his room reading, and Deidra is asleep in the living room. Since Vida is only making food for herself, I was thinking that we should go up to the city and look around."
Ro smiled. "That'd be nice. I want to get a feel for this whole vacation thing," she said.
"Sounds romantic," Vida teased. Ro blushed and turned to Twila.
"Are you gonna come with us?" she asked Twila. "The streets are probably still hot, but at least the sun will be setting soon." The cat paused in her cleaning to give Ro a deadpan stare. "Right, the whole 'I have to be with you at all times' thing. I'l letl you ride on my shoulders again." She walked down the hallway. "I'm gonna get changed then we can go up to the city," she called over her shoulder.
ε
Ten minutes later, the three were walking up the path to the city. Ro had decided to bring her blades. Just in case, she thought. It had been a while since she was targeted, but she was still uneasy without her weapons. For good measure, she had a glamour up to mask them so people they would encounter wouldn't get overly excited.
"Do you know how to navigate the city at all?" she asked Corvin. He had brought his sword, as well.
He shook his head. "Not at all, but I believe that'll make the trip all the more interesting." Ro gave him a skeptical look.
"That's reassuring. Twila," she looked to the cat, who was walking beside them, "you've been to Pont before, right?"
"And I hate every minute of it each time I've come here," the cat said grumpily. "Yes, I know the city layout if it comes down to it. I have the complete map of most major cities memorized in case of emergency."
"Huh," was Ro's impressed response. They fell into a comfortable silence, walking to the city without incident. Reaching a somewhat crowded plaza, Ro crouched low enough for Twila to perch on her shoulders. "So where should we go first?"
Her question was punctuated by a growl from her stomach. She smiled sheepishly. "How about we find somewhere to eat?" Corvin chuckled.
"But I didn't bring...any...money." She dragged out her sentence as her face fell. "Gods, how could I have forgotten to bring money?!" she cried out. A few strangers looked their way, but she was used to strange looks.
Corvin laughed and took her hand. "You really think I would let you pay for dinner? What kind of gentleman would I be if I let my lady pay for everything?" he said in mock offense. "Come on; we can try that place over there." He pointed to a small restaurant at the edge of the nondescript plaza.
Ro readjusted her hat to sit better, realizing that she didn't really need a sun hat when the sun was nearly set. Too late now, she thought sarcastically. At the entrance, a waiter greeted them. "Hello, and welcome," he said with a smile and thick accent. His face fell when he saw Twila perched on Rosalie's shoulders. "I'm sorry, but we cannot allow animals inside. It is against health regulations."
Twila opened her mouth to speak, but Ro cut her off. "I'm afraid that I can't be parted with my friend here." She gestured to the cat. "I won't insist on coming inside, but you do have an outdoor seating area, am I correct?"
The man glanced at Corvin, then to the sword on the ranker's hip. He sighed, and looked back up at Rosalie. "I may have to speak to my manager, but-" he cut himself off, spotting Ro's eyes. Shock lit up his features. "Your highness!" he cried out. "My apologies, truly! I didn't realize you would be visiting Pont."
She hurried to shush the stammering man before any of the passerby heard. "Shhhhh shh shh! Please, I don't want it to be common knowledge if I can help it," she said quickly. "We really just want to enjoy the city, and people swarming around me is why I came on vacation."
The man nodded in understanding. "We can most certainly get you a table in the outdoor area. I'll alert the chef of your presence as to make this experience as enjoyable as possible."
"You really don't have to do thaaaaat and he's gone," Ro groaned, throwing her hands up in defeat. She turned on Corvin angrily. "Why didn't you tell me I forgot to put my glamour up?" she accused, waving a finger in his face.
He shrugged. "I figured we would have trouble getting in anywhere with Twila, so I decided it was best not to tell you," he explained.
"You're lucky no one else noticed," she whispered angrily. Crossing her arms, she decided she would give him a hard time if she had the chance.
The waiter came back with two menus and led them to an isolated table in the corner outside. "I'll leave you to order. The chef will be out shortly." The sun was dipping down below the horizon, and the restaurant they were in was situated on top of a hill; it made for a perfect place to watch the sun set. She sighed and sat down. Looking up, she saw little round lights floating just below the wooden veranda.
"Corvin, what are those?" She pointed to the lights.
"Those? They're called aura nodes," he explained. He cupped his hands as they began to glow. In a few seconds, he had one floating just above his finger tips. She reached her hand for it before drawing back.
"Is it alright if I touch it? Will it burn me?" she asked. Twila chuckled.
"No, it's perfectly safe," Corvin said. "It's just warm, and won't last more than a few minutes unless I make it last." The small light danced over his fingertips.
She reached out again, letting it slide into her hand. Giggling, she poked at it and watched it flare ever so slightly. It rolled when she pushed it around. After a moment, it started dimming, then all at once, it blinked out. Ro laughed at the little things and looked at the ones still floating.
The waiter and another man came to their table. The chef, I guess. The chef bowed deeply and gave her a bright smile. "Your highness! May I say it is an absolute honor for us to serve you and your...uh, friend dinner tonight," he said. His accent was even thicker than the waiter's. "Have you decided what you would like?"
"Oh, please forgive me," she said hastily. "I was fascinated with the little nodes you have that I haven't looked at the menu at all."
Corvin chuckled. "I guess that you'll have to surprise us," he said smoothly. "It's truly lovely out here. It's no wonder we were distracted."
Twila hopped onto the table so she could be seen better. "If you don't mind, just a few scraps of cooked beef for me, please," she said politely. The waiter looked at her and fainted. The cat sighed and shook her head. "Everytime," she muttered. "Rosalie, it might be best if we set the poor man upright."
Ro shook her head. "No, it's best to leave him on his back." With her fast instincts, she had caught him in her cast before he had hit the ground.
"Have you ever cared for an unconscious person before?" the cat asked in irritation.
"Yes, I have," she snapped back. "He's simply shocked, and, honestly, it's better than him actually going into shock. I had to take a first aid class a few years ago, so I know what I'm doing." She laid the man gently on his back. The chef watched the exchange in utter confusion. "Oh, shoot," she muttered. "I'm sorry for making your employee faint. He should be fine in a few minutes as long as somebody," she glared at Twila, "doesn't talk in front of people before warning me ahead of time."
"How was I supposed to warn you?" the cat replied angrily. "'Hey Rosalie, can I talk?' That would've had the same result anyway!" Her tail lashed in frustration behind her. "I need to eat, too." They continued bickering in the background.
Corvin sighed and put his face in his hands. "I- I really don't know how to explain this," he said in a defeated voice. He looked up at the chef and sighed. "Just prepare whatever you think fits well, along with what Twila requested. I'll even pay extra for the mess we've made so far."
The chef nodded in bewilderment and helped the waiter, who had started stirring, up and into the restaurant again.
ε
Once Twila and Ro stopped bickering, the meal they had was nice. Corvin made sure to tip the waiter well before they left. "We should go to the top of the city," Ro said when they left. "Then we can see the entire city."
Corvin smiled at her enthusiasm. "Well, we're already halfway there," he replied. "It'll be a beautiful view." She smiled at the city as they walked to the top, pointing to things she thought looked interesting. He didn't remember anything she pointed out more than a minute after she said it; he was too busy trying to burn the sight of her into his brain. Everytime she pointed to something, her eyes would light up with curiosity and wonder.
Watching her made him happier than he thought. "I think we're as close to the top as we're gonna get," she finally said. They were standing on a terrace near the top that looked out over the city. She gasped at the sight. "City of stars is certainly accurate," Ro said in awe. All the lights from the buildings made it seem like it was a sea of stars. She leaned on the railing that kept people from falling down the steep hill they had to climb to get up there in the first place.
Twila jumped from Ro's shoulders. "I'm going to look around for a few minutes to make sure there aren't any threats," she said, not so subtly letting them have some time alone.
Ro chuckled at how awkwardly Twila walked away. She looked up at Corvin and leaned against his shoulder. "Real smooth, Twila," she said once the cat was far enough away. They laughed lightly. "Thanks for dinner," Ro said, breaking the silence.
"Eh, it was nothing," he replied, shrugging. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he brought her closer. Their lips met tenderly. She gasped lightly and looped her arms around his neck. They stood for moment, content to be tangled in each other's arms.
"Funny seeing you guys here."
Ro let out a small squeak of surprise. She turned to face Elwood angrily, still holding onto Corvin. "Elwood, it's rude to sneak up on people like that," she scolded.
He shrugged. "Thaddeus went back to the house a while ago, so Alicia and I ended up in some party. Then Alicia met this really pretty girl and now they're over there making out," he explained nonchalantly.
She looked at him in disbelief. "Seriously? Alicia's gay?"
Elwood looked confused at her question. "Uh, yes? You didn't know?" Ro shook her head. "Eh, she doesn't really broadcast it, but we've been friends for years."
Hearing a commotion, Twila came running back. "Oh," she said once she saw Elwood. "It's just you."
"Nice to see you too, Twila," he said in a cheerful voice, not noticing/caring about Twila's lack of enthusiasm. "Maybe we should get back to the house now. Alicia!"
A row of bushes rustled twenty feet away. Alicia's head popped up, her face and neck smeared with red lipstick. "Huh? Oh hey!" she called to Ro and Corvin. "Do we have to go back now?" Ro nodded. Another girl leaned up out of the bushes with a happy smile on her face. Alicia looked to the girl and smiled impishly. "Can my, uh, friend come too?"
Ro sighed. "Why the hell not?" she said, throwing her hands up. "Just don't be too loud or I'll throw you both into the ocean." Alicia nodded vigorously and helped her 'friend' up.
ε
The walk back to the house was awkward; it was mostly because Alicia and her 'friend' couldn't keep their hands off each other the entire way. A small part was because Elwood had interrupted her and Corvin. And I was really enjoying that, she thought. At least it's dark and no one can see that my face is a freakin' tomato.
Once the house was in sight, Alicia and her 'friend' ran off to the ranker's room. Ro could imagine the sound of the lock clicking behind them. Ro didn't bother going through the house and went in the doors that led to her bedroom. And Corvin's, said a small voice in her mind.
"I think I'm gonna go swimming again," she said to no one in particular. Elwood had gone to dig around the kitchen for food and Corvin was in the living room. Twila gave her an icy stare. "What?"
"You are a daft girl," was the short reply. Ro rolled her eyes. "You two deserve some time together. Alone." That made the ranker blush. "Don't bother denying it. I may have told Gaius I would keep an eye on you two, but the only place for you safer than near me is by young Corvin's side."
Ro sighed. "You're right."
Twila looked baffled. "What? You normally argue with me."
She flopped onto the bed. "You're right," Ro repeated. "I love him. And I know for a fact that the feeling is mutual." She rolled onto her stomach to face Twila. "But how do I do, well, this. This whole romance thing?"
The cat shrugged. "How should I know?"
"You're four hundred years old," Ro cried. "You've had to have at least some experience with this, if not enough knowledge because of watching it happen."
"I do, but none of it would be helpful," she said lamely. "Everyone is different. You are both young, and all that you've done until now has been because you tiptoed around the feelings you share." Twila stepped close enough that their noses nearly touched. "Follow what you feel is right, Rosalie. There is no way you can lose his affection now, short of murder or tyranny."
Ro's eyes went blurry. She grabbed the cat and nearly crushed her in a hug. "Thank you, Twila," she whispered.
Twila's eyes softened. "You're welcome, young one. Now please put me down." The girl laughed.
"Sorry," she said sheepishly. "I really am going to go swimming now."
"You should invite Corvin," the cat said coyly. Ro blushed, but said nothing.
ε
Once she was ready, she opened the door to find Corvin already standing there. "Oh," she said. Suddenly feeling very awkward, she opened her mouth to speak, but couldn't find any words. A small smile grew on his face.
"Do you want to go swimming?" he said. She blushed and nodded. It's alright, swimming at night in the ocean with your...boyfriend...is normal, probably. Why is it so weird to call him my...that? Are we dating? I mean, we do a lot of things couples do. I think. We should probably talk about this. But what if he-
Her thoughts were cut off by a splash of water against her chest and legs. She hadn't even noticed that she was already at the edge of the water until he splashed her. He laughed at her bewildered expression. Ro gasped at the cold water on her skin.
Letting out a playful growl, she used her cast to throw water at him. They both laughed and moved farther in. She pounced, tackling him to the water. What she didn't take into account was the fact that she would fall in the water as well. Oops.
They bounced right up. Ro's teeth were chattering, but a beaming smile lit up her face. She inched towards Corvin. "I did not think this through," she said through her chattering teeth. A thought struck her. "How are you not shivering?" she said incredulously.
He laughed and took her hands in his own. A soft glow covered them, and she felt warmth inch up her body and stopping her shivers. "It's a little trick I know," he said with a wink.
"Woah. You gotta show me that," she said. She started to pull away, but hesitated. Follow what you think is right, she thought to herself. Oh, to hell with it. Yolo. Her arms found their way around his neck, her lips to his own. She felt him pull her closer and gasped. So much gasping. Oh my gods.
On the deck, Twila sat and watched, feeling happier than she had in a long time. "I'm shocked you aren't down there stopping them," Deidra said, stepping out onto the deck and sitting next to the cat.
"Stopping what? Two lovers? I may be a stickler for rules, but I've always had a soft spot for love," she replied, not bothering to look at the ranker. "Besides, there's no place safer than a lover's arms..."
Deidra let out a small chuckle. "Didn't peg you as a romantic type, Twi. Always thought anything that touched your girl would end up with it's throat sliced open," the woman said, shaking her head lightly.
Twila shrugged. "He would do anything for her without a thought for his own safety, as would she. Then both would be angry at the other for throwing themselves away so recklessly for love." The cat laughed ruefully. "How ironic."
"Giving up your life for another who would just as readily do the same," Deidra said quietly. "This is gonna be a problem later on, isn't it?"
"Most definitely." They sat for a moment longer. "We should give them some modicum of privacy," she finally said, getting up to head back to Ro's room. Deidra nodded and went back inside.
Corvin laughed as he pulled away, holding Ro at arm's length. "That was unexpected."
She shrugged. "It felt right," Ro explained.
"If we're going on what feels right..." he said, taking on a devilish smile. He swept his arms under her, literally sweeping her off her feet. She laughed at the gesture.
"Where are we gonna go from here, then?" she asked sarcastically. "I think farther out to sea is the obvious choice."
He laughed and started for the shore. They reached the sand, but he kept her in his arms until they reached one of the weighted beach blankets that were set up. "Sand is not an ideal ground for carrying someone," he said as his feet slipped around.
They fell to the ground laughing. Since they had fallen forward, Ro ended up pinned underneath him, and she didn't care; they were both too busy laughing. Once their fit stopped, she found herself staring into Corvin's eyes. "Heterochromia," she said idly, admiring the differing colors. "It's always interesting."
"You act as though your own eye color isn't interesting by itself," he replied.
She shrugged. "Yea, but I've seen mine every time I've looked in a mirror for years. It's not as interesting as seeing it on another person," Ro explained. "And now I see yours everyday and are beginning to be normal to me. Sometimes you just have to step back and take a look at your everyday to appreciate it."
His eyes were wide with shock and adoration. "Have I mentioned that I love you?"
"I don't know, maybe a few times before," she teased. Corvin leaned down and kissed the smile on her face. She sighed happily and let his arms loop around her waist once more. They started getting more heated, the kisses trailing down her jaw and neck. He stopped at her collarbone to look her in the eyes again. "This feels right," she whispered.
With a little help from her cast, she flipped them over onto his back and laughed at his confused expression. She let her legs straddle him and leaned her elbows on his chest to prop up her chin. "Did that feel right, too?" he said, bemused. Her head bobbed in confirmation. "Then I guess it's only right for me to flip us over again."
She started nodded but stopped once his words sank it. "Wait, what-" Ro let out a squeak of surprise as her world was flipped. Literally. "Hey! No fair!" she cried out. Her pleas were cut off with more kisses. She giggled against his lips and broke away laughing. "You're a little cheater, Corvin."
"And what does that make you?"
"Clever and tricky."
Now Ro understood why Alicia and her 'friend' couldn't keep their hands off each other. It's practically impossible now that I have it, she thought, hugging him closer and brushing her lips against his jaw.
Rosalie!
Twila? Are you in my mind? Ro thought, still preoccupied.
Yes, we went over this, Twila said in an exasperated voice. Use the detection cast I told you about. There are two men just inside the treeline watching you.
Ro groaned. "What's wrong?" Corvin asked. "Did I do something wrong or you didn't like it-"
"No, I enjoyed that plenty," she said coyly. "Try not to make a scene, but there are two men over there just inside the trees watching us."
Corvin tensed. "Should we be worried?"
She shook her head. "No. They aren't armed from what I can tell," she explained. "They're just being creepy watching two teenagers kiss on a private beach. Act like we're just going back to the house. Don't be afraid to play it up."
To make a point, she flipped him over again, this time standing up and laughing. He smirked. "I see how it is." He stood up as she ran back to the house with him chasing after her. She squealed when he scooped her up around the waist and rubbed his still wet hair on her face.
Once they were close enough, Ro used her cast to grab her swords from their room. The blades were flung into the trees. Cries of fear shot up from the leaves and two 'thwacks' could be heard. Ro grabbed the two men and hauled them out of the leaves in her cast.
"Pleasedon'tkillusitwasallhisideaiswearonmymotherwedidn'tmeananythin-" one babbled. The other one took one look at Ro's furious face and sat opened mouthed and silent.
"Oh for the love of all things shut up," Ro hissed. He stopped his babbling at once, but continued to let tears stream down his face. She sighed and pointed to the one who sat silently. "What're your names and why are you here? On private property, I might add?"
He sputtered for a moment when he realized that she was talking to him. "Oh uh my name is Matteo and that's Alfonzo, my friend. We saw a bunch of people coming down here earlier and wondering if it was just normal tourists or special people cause normal tourists don't normally own private beaches and big houses just to use it once-"
"Cut to the chase, Matteo."
"Oh, well okay," he started again. "Then we saw you guys coming back from the city and we wanted to know who was visiting this strip of beach anyway and who would have so much money and then I heard that the princess was in town and made a waiter faint at the restaurant down by- it really isn't important, but whatever- so then we saw you guys heading back down here in a group and wanted to know who was- oh wait, I already said that-"
"Dude, chill," Ro said, even more exasperated than before. "You wanted to know who we were. We're the top eight rankers from Equites Fortes, and today was our first day of vacation, by the way." She hissed the last part in frustration.
Corvin put an arm around her shoulder to calm her. "Don't tell anyone we're here," he said. "It's supposed to be a couple weeks of relaxation and exploring the city, but we can't do that if we're swamped by people wanting to see the top students."
The two boys nodded. That's what they are, Ro thought. These guys aren't any older than Alicia. "First step to ruining a vacation is to watch a couple being...intimate," she said, glad the darkness masked her blush. "Not cool at all, and very frustrating. Now get out of here before I throw you back to the city."
They scrambled to their feet and ran along the path as fast as they could. She let out a deep breath and shoved her head into Corvin's chest. "I think we should head to bed," he said. She groaned and hugged him. "Come on, it's late."
"But I was having fun," she grumbled into his chest. She could feel his laughter shaking in his chest.
"Yea, me too, Ro," he admitted. "But that was pretty tiring."
"Wimp. I thought you were supposed to have a bunch of endurance. More than me, at least," Ro muttered. "Besides, sleep is for the weak."
ε
An hour later, Rosalie still couldn't sleep. This bed is too big for one person. Twila was asleep at the foot. Tiptoeing, she made her way to the living room where Corvin was. She kneeled next to the couch and poked his cheek a few times. "Corvin?" she whispered.
His eyes flew open and he grabbed her hand to keep her from poking him again. "I'm not asleep, Ro," he said grouchily. "You could've waited another second and I would've opened my eyes." He rolled them, as if to make a point, then sat up. "What do you need?"
She opened her mouth to speak, but then she realized how childish she sounded. "Well, uh. The bed is too big."
"Too big?"
"Yea, too big for one person. And one cat," she explained. "It's empty and weird. I don't accidentally kick Twila because she's three feet away from my leg."
"So I'm guessing you want me to-"
"Yea."
He sighed and rubbed his face with a hand. "You're not gonna leave me alone until I go to bed, are you?"
"Not unless it's in that abnormally large bed next to me," she said. "And if you don't, I'll just fall asleep on top of you out here." He sighed again and got up. "Yay!" Ro cheered quietly. They made their way back to their room.
Corvin was somewhat sluggish as he crawled under the covers next to Ro. He grabbed her back and pulled her close to his chest and kissed her jaw. "Corvin, you're the one who said you were tired," she whispered teasingly.
"Am I not allowed to kiss you goodnight?" he whispered back, letting them trail a little lower on her neck. "Besides, you're the one who wanted me back here."
"Shhhh, or you'll wake Twila," Ro whispered. He mumbled something about sleep being for the weak.
"Too late," said a grumpy Twila. The cat yawned and stretched, stepping over the tangle of legs to drape herself over Ro's side. "Go to sleep, lovebirds. And if it get's to be a little too much, I'll have to remind you that I eat birds. Goodnight, young ones."
"Goodnight Twila."
A/n: Sorry, I had a devil on my shoulder while writing this one. Her name is Lydia.