Since Celine had been busy with her business, she could only spend time with Zayden during their sword training session or at night. Unfortunately, she was always fast asleep before he even entered her room.
She hadn't realized this until Hala mentioned how gloomy Zayden had been recently.
"Young lady has been neglecting the Second Prince lately. He is very pitiful to look at. I beg our young miss to take a break once in a while and visit him!" Hala implored as she brushed Celine's silky hair.
It was already late in the evening and Celine had changed into her night gown after a bath. She had finished creating a new batch of products and sent them out to her customers. Now, she could finally rest peacefully and take a break.
Celine felt guilty as she realized the Second Prince must have felt bored and lonely due to his lack of friends.
"What has Zayden been doing while I was working?"
"Whenever the Second Prince wasn't reading or training, he would sit in the pavilion for the rest of the day. He seemed to be waiting for you miss!" Hala seemed especially upset for the adorable Second Prince, who only had Celine as a friend. Although her master was extremely intelligent for her age, she absorbed herself with work and forgot about the people around her! "Now that you have finished working, you must get plenty of rest and play with Second Prince as much as you can." Hala deeply appreciated the Second Prince, because only he could make the lady smile brightly.
Celine further scolded herself and thought about how she could make up for the lost time.
As she was lost in thought over her plans, she didn't notice Hala leave or Zayden entering from the balcony.
"Celine?" Zayden whispered hesitantly. His eyes were droopy and looked at her somewhat expectantly with hope.
Why do I feel like a mother neglecting her own child?
Celine smiled and embraced him with a gentle hug.
"I'm sorry. You must have felt very lonely recently, but I will change my ways and try to make more time with you."
He seemed to accept her apology after a long pause and tightly wrapped his arms around her waist while burying his face in the crook of her neck. Even against her neck, she could feel his mouth forming into a smile.
"Here, I'll show you a pretty place as an apology."
She lead him to her balcony and hoisted herself up onto the top rail. She then climbed the thick, interconnected ledges towards the top of the Diamond Hall.
"It's safe to climb! If we climb high enough we'll be able to see the city below us. Even though we won't be able to get to the top of the dome, we'll be right bel- AHH!"
Celine let out a scream as Red seized both her and Zayden onto his back.
"Or we could fly to the top..." Celine muttered.
He glided past the spot Celine occasionally climbed up to, and continued drifting upwards. She held on tight to Red with Zayden until they reached the top, flattened section of the bulbuous dome.
As they took in the breathtaking view, Celine gawked. She had never been this high up in the sky, especially on top of a dome! The air was chilly as she observed the beautiful palace and city below.
It looks like a fantasy world, Celine smiled. A sense of excitement washed over her.
Zayden was also in awe, peering at Celine and the sky.
The stars were shining down on Nour, casting a bright outline on Celine's silvery hair and skin. She was illuminated by the moon as if she was absorbing its luminescence. She almost appeared translucent and celestial in the night, a contrast from his dark hair and eyes. Zayden thought Celine shined brighter than a star.
"You're always showing me the world." He smiled. His facetiously cold aura temporarily disappeared as he was mesmerized by her.
Although their perspective views differed, they were still filled with a sense of bliss and serenity.
"No need to thank me, the spot I wanted to show you wasn't this beautiful since it wasn't so high up. I can truly see all of Nour. Thank you, Red."
They sat side by side at the top, not able to move because they didn't want to slip and accidentally slide down.
Suddenly, Celine was overwhelmed with a desire to lean on Zayden's shoulder, but she quickly stopped herself. They continued to sit quietly in a comfortable silence.
Meanwhile, Zayden's heart was in a turmoil. His heart beat uncontrollably fast when he looked at Celine, and he covered his heart with his hand. His face was flushed and he wanted to hold her hand forever. Zayden discerned the emotions he felt around her as love, and his yearning heart agreed with the conjecture. It wasn't the familial or friendship kind of love, but something more deep and vast that he could not simply describe his feelings with words.
Before his love could even blossom, he already knew this emotion was forbidden and had to be kept hidden. He wanted to be in Celine's arms and watch her under the stars forever, but she never belonged to him in the first place. He had dangerously fallen in love with the Crown Prince's fiance. Zayden was only 11 years old, but he was fully aware of the consequences if someone were to find out.
Therefore, as long as Celine and the world didn't know, he'd continue to remain by her side. He only belonged to Celine, and couldn't bare to be separated from her.
His heartache was only beginning.
****
The following evening, Celine successfully landed her blow on Zayden, knocking his sword away and pushing him to the ground.
He was defeated easily because he was unfocused and in a daze. Zayden was still enchanted by Celine. He could only lie down on the grass and continue to stare at her with a foolish smile.
His heart squeezed tightly and also seemed to shatter from despair.
At the same time, Celine believed she won by her pure strength. She had finally accomplished her goals and wouldn't need to train anymore!