A P H I A
"What happened to your face?" Elbrus asked when Clovis and Gunther walked towards us.
"It's just a scratch," Clovis said. The three scratch marks on his right cheek are slightly bleeding.
"Where did you get that?" Howard asked while eating my apple pie. I did not notice he took it from me. He's such a glutton.
"One of his admirers accidentally scratches his cheek. She tried to touch his face, but he unconsciously turned his head when he heard that the priestess is here." Gunther announced and I heard Howard and Elbrus gasp.
What is Gunther talking about?
I did not react. I pretended I did not hear anything. Yes, I did not hear anything.
"Shut up, Gunther," Clovis said, turning his head away.
"Should you go to the infirmary to clean your wounds?" Elbrus asked.
"We are heading there, but I am afraid the scratches will leave scars," Gunther said. "His admirers might get worried about his beautiful face." He said while smirking, and the two idiots chuckled.
I want to joke around about his admirers too, but we are not that close. I might offend him if I did. "Do you wanna die, Gunther?" Clovis warned as he showed his sword. Gunther pretends that he did not hear anything.
Should I let his admirers get worried about his beautiful face? Pfft.
"I can help." All of them look at me. "If you will allow me," I added, and the three commanders, except Clovis, reacted in a different way. Gunther smirked as he looked at Clovis. Howard and Elbrus chuckled while looking at me. "I am a healer, but I can break bones too," I warned Howard and Elbrus using my fist, and they both stopped chuckling.
I don't know the reason why they chuckled. I think they are just insane.
I request Clovis to sit on the wooden bench, and I stand up in front of him. I cannot sit beside him since he's taller than I am. I think he is 6 feet tall, while I am just 5'8 feet tall. It has not so much difference, but he is still taller than I am.
I breathed out as I placed my hands over his cheek before shutting my eyes closed. I decided to close my eyes because I didn't think I could stare at his face for more than a minute. It's just that it's awkward for me. I feel the magic inside me and let it flow in my hands. "Heal," I uttered, and I could feel the magic in my hands pouring out on Clovis's face.
"Woah!" Elbrus and Howard exclaimed. "Your magical symbol is glowing!" It's Howard.
"Your hands are glowing as well," Elbrus stated.
What?
I opened my eyes to look at my hands, and my eyes widened in disbelief. I close my hands whenever I use magic, so I am not aware that my hands glow as well.
Clovis's eyes and mine meet while I am staring at my hands. I forgot to breathe for a second while I stared at his eyes, and I had to divert my gaze immediately before I could drown in those beautiful blue eyes.
Shit Aphia. Your light emerald green eyes are beautiful too! Stare at it every day more than his.
"Woah! You are amazing! You healed it!" Howard exclaimed.
"You were being able to remove the scars too!" Elbrus stated, and I smiled at them awkwardly.
"I think the great mage is not talking big about you," Gunther commented while examining Clovis's face. It's a compliment, right?
"Thank you, Aphia," Clovis said, and I nodded at him while smiling.
No one has ever called me by my name alone in this world. It's either the priestess or Lady Aphia. He is the first person to call me Aphia, and I like it. I feel like I'm just an average person like them.
"Let me treat you to a meal." Clovis offered, and when I was about to decline his invitation, Elbrus and Howard suddenly put their arms around my shoulder, squeezing me in between them.
"Yey! Thank you, Clovis!" They both shouted in unison.
"What? Hey!" I tried to remove their big arms on my shoulder, but they did not budge.
"Did I ask both of you to come along?!" Clovis shouted at them.
"We are Lady Aphia's best friends." Pfft! What!? "Best friends always spend time together, so we are tagging along with her," Howard said.
"We were with her to show her around before you came, so we are responsible for her safety," Elbrus said, and I looked at him in disbelief.
What the hell are these two talking about?!
"You know they will do everything for food and women," Gunther said to Clovis, and Clovis looked at Gunther in disbelief.
Clovis has no choice but to take us all to a meal. We dine at the best restaurant they have here, and they serve mouth-watering foods.
Howard and Elbrus are excited and happy while waiting for the food to serve. I laugh at their amusing behaviors. Both of them tell me about their story in their expeditions, and I always laugh at their funny stories.
On the other hand, Clovis and Gunther talk seriously about their upcoming expeditions. I am glad that Howard and Elbrus are here to keep me entertained and make me feel like I belong in this world.
Clovis insisted on taking me home, and I accepted it since I didn't know how to get back to the castle. Howard and Elbrus wanted to come, but Gunther stopped them.
"Uhm… thank you for taking me home," I said when we reached the castle's gate. It's the first sentence I uttered since we left the Capital City. No one dares to speak on our way here.
To my surprise, he smiled at me. The very first smile I saw in him. "Thank you for healing my wounds, Aphia." He said, and I quickly diverted my gaze away to avoid his stare. I should stop admiring those eyes, or else I'm doomed.
I smiled at him again before entering the castle's gate. I am humming while walking leisurely in the castle's yard. I went straight to the Chateau de Arcovia to spend the remaining hours of my day off.
I was walking on the pebbles when I heard someone crying. I search where the noise is coming from and find two children near the fountain. They are one girl and a boy.
"Will you stop crying?" The girl kid said. The boy is sitting on the pebbles while crying. "Who told you to jump from the fountain?" She asked while glaring at the boy. She's mad.
So, they were playing when the boy injured his knee. He is crying and sniffing like a baby. How cute can he be?
I cleared my throat to catch their attention. The kids looked at me at the same time, and I smiled at them. "Hi." I greeted them as I walked over to their spot. "I'm Aphia. What are two doing here?" I asked. I sit beside the boy, and I look at his wound.
"We were playing." The girl kid said while looking at me in a straight face. Wow. This kid woke up on the wrong side of the bed.
"I see." I look at the boy. "Would you like me to heal your wound?" I asked him.
He stares at me like he is trying to remember someone. I don't know. Maybe he is trying to remember if he already saw my cute face. He nods after a few seconds, and he stops crying. I place my hands over his knee and make my magic do its purpose. "Heal," I said, and this time my eyes are open. My hands glow, and I witness how the wound heals.
"Wow!" The boy kid exclaimed. "You are a mage?!" He asked.
"It's the golden trinity Celtic knot." The girl caught my attention when she recognized the magical symbol on my forehead. "You are the priestess?!" She shouted, and she startled me.
"You are the priestess!?" The boy exclaimed.
I smile at them awkwardly. "Can we keep it a secret?" I asked though I know everyone in the castle knows about it. I just want to play with these kids.
"Woah!" They both shouted in amusement. Are they okay?
"What is going on here?" I instantly frowned when I heard his familiar voice.