{Aria}
Aria sat in the back of the classroom, her white hair cascading down her shoulders like a waterfall of moonlight. There was, undeniably, a certain novelty to these classes. Beyond, of course, her investigation of Melisa Blackflame.
[Is this what it feels like to be normal?] Aria mused, her grey eyes scanning the room. [Being one more body in a sea of pleated skirts and collared shirts... No wonder commoners are always so... peppy.]
The classroom buzzed with the low hum of conversation, punctuated by the occasional burst of laughter or groan of frustration as students practiced their spells. Naturally, they’d all spent that first day gawking at her, but today, they largely ignored her.
It was all so wonderfully... ordinary.
The professor cleared his throat at the front of the room.
"Alright, settle down, you magical miscreants," he called out without any real reproach in his tone. "Today, we’re going to be working on a particularly tricky bit of Water Magic."
Aria perked up, her interest piqued.
Water Magic was her specialty, after all. Sometimes, when Aria woke up in the morning she swore she’d been practicing Water-based spellsigns in her sleep.
"The Aqueous Serpent Summoning," the professor continued, drawing an intricate spellsign in the air. "Bit of a flashy name, but it’s a complex spellsign that requires precise control and visualization. As its name may suggest, it summons a snake made of water that you can use to restrain or attack an enemy. Who’d like to give it a try?"
The room fell silent. Students suddenly found their shoes, the ceiling, or the lint on their robes fascinating. Anything to avoid making eye contact with the professor.
[Amateurs,] Aria thought, a smirk tugging at her lips. [This could be fun.]
Before she could think better of it, Aria’s hand shot into the air.
All eyes turned to her. Surprise, curiosity, and great interest arose in equal measure. Melisa Blackflame, sitting a few rows ahead, twisted in her seat to stare at Aria with narrowed eyes.
"I’ll do it," she called out, her voice carrying across the room. She locked eyes with Melisa, having to look over the shoulder of that kitsune sitting on her lap.
[What’s the matter, little nim?] Aria thought, her smirk widening as she stood and made her way to the front of the class. Her calling anyone "little" was, to be fair, quite rich, but oh well. [Nervous as to what I can do?]
"Ah, Princess Aria," the professor said, a hint of nervousness creeping into his voice. "Are you sure? This is quite an advanced spell, and I know you’re here to refresh your skills."
Aria’s smile was sweet enough to rot teeth.
"Oh, I’m sure I can manage, Professor. After all, practice makes perfect, doesn’t it?"
"Very well. Here, I’ll show you the spellsign."
A moment later, Aria took her place at the front of the room, feeling the weight of every gaze upon her. It was a familiar sensation, one that sent a thrill of excitement through her.
[Time to show these peasants what real magic looks like,] Aria thought, rolling up her sleeves slowly.
She closed her eyes, drawing in a deep breath. She traced the spellsign she just saw flawlessly.
"Aqua serpens, surge et obey," Aria intoned.
Then, the spell kicked off. Water began to drip from Aria’s right palm. A snake materialized, its body made of liquid, and the snake fell to the ground and moved toward the person Aria was looking at.
Melisa.
There was a small amount of tension. Melisa was staring at Aria with suspicion. Aria narrowed her eyes.
Before the snake could reach her, the professor cast a barrier spell, stopping Aria’s snake from moving forward.
"W-Well done, Your Highness. What a wonderful demonstration!" He began applauding and everyone soon followed suit.
Aria inclined her head graciously, as if she’d expected nothing less.
"Thank you, Professor. It was... adequate, I suppose."
As she made her way back to her seat, Aria caught Melisa’s eye again. The nim was watching her with an intensity that sent an unexpected shiver down Aria’s spine. She wasn’t used to getting that kind of look.
The rest of the class passed in a blur of admiring glances and whispered conversations. When the bell finally rang, signaling the end of the lesson, Aria lingered, packing her bag with deliberate slowness.
She didn’t have to wait long. As the last of the other students filed out, Melisa approached, her crimson eyes fixed on Aria with laser-like focus.
Aria glanced over Melisa’s shoulder, catching sight of her knights lurking behind a nearby pillar. With a subtle gesture, she signaled them to stay back. She doubted Melisa was about to do anything stupid.
"Can I help you with something, Blackflame?" Aria asked, her voice dripping with false innocence.
Melisa’s tail twitched, a clear sign of agitation.
"Was that really necessary?" she demanded. "All that showing off? I thought you were here to ’get accustomed to magic again,’ not to put on a one-woman circus act."
[What’s a "circus"?]
Aria’s lips curved into a slow, predatory smile.
"Oh, it wasn’t necessary at all," she said, taking a step closer to Melisa. Close enough to smell the faint scent of lavender that clung to the nim’s skin. "But it was certainly fun, don’t you think?"
Melisa’s eyes narrowed.
"One would think a princess in classroom filled with commoners would want to keep a lower profile," Melisa said, her voice low.
The source of this c𝐨ntent is freёwebnovel.com.
She took a step forward.
Aria wasn’t sure what it was, but something made the air more... Pleasant.
Aria couldn’t help it. She reached out to trail a finger along Melisa’s jawline.
"Are you, perhaps, just upset that you’re not the biggest magical prodigy in the room anymore?"
"Of course not."
"Sure feels like it."
"..."
For a moment, they stood there, tension crackling between them. Aria could feel her heart racing, a mix of adrenaline and something else, something unfamiliar.
Finally, Melisa took a step back, breaking the spell.
"I just think you should be cautious, Your Highness," she said, her voice rough. "You might find more than you bargained for."
With that, she turned and stalked away, her tail lashing behind her like an angry whip.
Aria watched her go, a mixture of triumph and anticipation swirling in her gut.
"Oh, I’m counting on it, little nim," she murmured to herself. "I’m counting on it."
---
{Melisa}
Melisa trudged up the path to Javir’s manor, her feet heavy with the weight of the day’s events. As she approached the front door, a flurry of activity caught her eye.
Javir and Raven were loading bags into Javir’s usual magical carriage, its ethereal horses pawing at the ground impatiently. Melisa’s brow furrowed as she drew closer.
"Oh, you’re going?"
Javir looked up, her sunlight-colored hair catching the last rays of daylight.
"Ah, Melisa. Yeah, we’re following that lead."
Melisa nodded.
"How long will you be gone?"
"Not too long," Raven chimed in, softly. "Just a few days, probably."
Javir finished securing a bag and turned to Melisa.
"We should be back before you know it. Try not to burn the place down while we’re gone, okay?"
"No promises~" Melisa replied and Javir grinned.
Professor Folden leaned in, likely intending to give Melisa a friendly pat on the shoulder. Instead, her lips brushed Melisa’s cheek in a quick kiss.
Both of their eyes widened.
Melisa’s mind went blank. It looked like the same was happening with Javir. Javir cleared her throat, a faint blush coloring her cheeks.
"Right, well... take care of yourself, Melisa."
[What the fuck was that?] Melisa thought, her heart racing. Before she could process the moment, Raven stepped forward.
"Melisa."
"Y-Yeah?"
Without warning, Raven cupped Melisa’s face in her hands and pressed their lips together.
[???????????]
Melisa’s brain short-circuited.
When Raven pulled away, Melisa stood there, stunned into silence. Her lips tingled, and her mind reeled. Read exclusive content at freewebnovel
Javir, who just watched that, cleared her throat.
"We’ll be back in a few days," She repeated, her voice strained. "See you soon, Mel."
Raven, by the gods, gave Melisa an actual smirk. Not just that, but the bitch winked too!
Somehow, that combination, on her face, was one of the hottest things Melisa had ever seen. Her heart was about to break out of her chest.
But, soon, the carriage lifted off the ground. And, in moments, it was gone, leaving Melisa alone with her whirling thoughts.
[What in the actual fuck just happened?]
Shaking her head, Melisa made her way inside, her feet carrying her on autopilot to her room. She collapsed onto her bed, sprawling out like a starfish.
The ceiling above her offered no answers to the questions swirling in her mind.
[... MMMM! I’m going to eat her out so hard when she gets back!]
As the sensation of Raven’s kiss faded from her lips, Melisa’s thoughts drifted to another face - one with piercing grey eyes and hair white as snow.
[Aria,] Melisa thought, a frown tugging at her lips. [What’s her game?]
The princess’s sudden appearance in class, her intense stares, the way she’d positioned herself so close to Melisa - it all obviously reeked of suspicion. Melisa’s frown deepened as she remembered the predatory gleam in Aria’s eyes.
[There’s no way this is just about ’reconnecting with magic’,] Melisa mused. [She’s up to something. But what?]
Her mind raced, trying to piece together the puzzle. Was Aria investigating her mother’s death? Did she suspect Melisa’s involvement somehow? Or was there something else at play, some political angle Melisa couldn’t see?
Suddenly, a thought struck her like a bolt of lightning. Melisa sat up so quickly her head spun.
[The Charm spell!]
A slow smile spread across Melisa’s face as she remembered the spell she’d created. It had worked on the captured Shadow Mage, even on the queen herself. Could it work on Aria?
[It’s risky,] Melisa thought, chewing her lower lip. [If I get caught using magic on the princess... but if it works... I mean, I’d have the princess herself under my thumb.]
She flopped back onto the bed, her mind buzzing.
It was a dangerous game she was considering. But, these were dangerous times.
[Tomorrow,] Melisa decided, a determined glint in her eye. [Tomorrow, I’ll make my move. Let’s see how the princess likes playing cat and mouse when she’s not the cat.]