Three Years Later
The chessboard clattered softly as the last piece fell. Nero leaned back, already calculating the match in his head long before Mereoleona noticed the inevitable.
"Checkmate," he said in his usual even tone.
Mereoleona huffed, stomping her foot. "Again? How are you always winning? And you don't even look like you care!"
"I don't mind waiting," Nero replied, tilting his head slightly.
"That's not an answer!" she snapped, her fiery hair bouncing. "You make it sound like you enjoy sitting there staring at me like some grumpy old man!"
"I don't mind losing," he said, voice calm, betraying none of the amusement that erupted faintly inside him.
She crossed her arms and glared at him, with indignation. "Chess is boring. It's… it's too slow for me. We need something more exciting!"
"…What?" Nero asked, though he didn't try to resist.
"The marketplace!" she shouted, jumping to her feet. "They have special sweet buns today, and I saw a fire-breather last week! Come on, you boring moss ball! Let's go!"
Before he could respond, she yanked his wrist and tugged him toward the door.
Nero let her pull him along, the quiet precision of his steps contrasting with her energetic bursts.
He followed without argument, the hood of his cloak shadowing his face, fingers loosely brushing against hers.
---
The Noble Realm marketplace was like a riot of colours and sensations.
Merchants shouted, aromas of roasted chestnuts and candied fruit mingled in the air, and colorful banners fluttered overhead.
Mereoleona pulled him straight into the bustle, weaving past adults twice their size without hesitation. Her hand stayed tight in his.
"Look, Nero! They've got candied plums!" she gasped, pointing at a stall glittering with sugar-coated fruit. She shoved a stick into his hand after buying two. "Here, eat it!"
He examined the sticky coating. "It looks… messy."
"Messy is good. Just try it!"
He took a cautious bite. Sweetness burst across his tongue, and his eyes widened just slightly. "…It's good."
Her smug little grin told him she'd been waiting for that. "Told you."
They wandered further. At a jeweler's table, Mereoleona leaned so close her nose nearly touched the gemstones. "This one's like fire! And that one's like the night sky. Which do you like best?"
Nero studied the tray for a moment. "…The silver one. It looks steady."
"Of course you'd pick the calm one," she teased. "You'd probably be a rock if you could."
He didn't respond.
As they walked further she stopped at a toy stall, her eyes went wide at the sight of wooden figurines. "Ooooh! A knight and a dragon! Which one's cooler?"
"The knight," he said flatly.
She gasped. "What? The dragon's way cooler! Look at the teeth!" She shoved the knight into his palm and held the dragon aloft. "Fine, you can be the boring one."
He followed, quiet, but never letting go of her hand.
At a fire-breather's performance, she cheered and dragged him to the front. Sparks flew around them, his dark eyes catching the light, and for a fraction of a moment, the mask he always wore felt… thin.
"Catch it!" she shouted, tossing a small wooden hoop toward him.
He barely moved, yet the hoop curved perfectly into his hand, as if the world bent slightly to accommodate him. Mereoleona clapped, laughing. "You did it! See? That's fun, right?"
He didn't answer. He just watched her, the laughter spilling from her so freely, so naturally.
And something stirred inside him.
They visited another stall, then another. Mereoleona argued over candies, inspected toys, and scolded a merchant for underestimating her bargaining skills. Nero followed, still quiet, letting her energy guide them, letting himself just be.
Finally, as they rested on a bench with sweet buns, Nero glanced down at his hands holding hers.
His lips twitched. A small, almost imperceptible curve.
He realized, slowly, like a thought settling into place: he always smiled a little around her.
Because she never feared him.
She never looked at him as if he were dangerous or too far beyond her.
And for the first time, he understood the feeling....He didn't hate it.
---
They wandered until the sun had slipped low, washing the rooftops in gold and crimson.
The noise of the market had softened, stalls closing one by one as merchants counted coins and packed away goods.
Nero carried the last of the sweets she had forced on him, the toy dragon she refused to let go of still clutched in her hands.
By the time they found a bench at the edge of the square, lanterns were already being lit.
Mereoleona dropped onto the seat with a dramatic sigh, stretching her arms above her head. "Haaa… I told you it would be more fun than chess."
Nero sat beside her, folding into his usual quiet.
His coat fell loose around his shoulders, a strand of his golden hair catching the light of a lantern as it flickered nearby.
She turned toward him with a grin, her cheeks still smudged with sugar. "Admit it. You had fun."
He tilted his head slightly, lips almost twitching. "…Perhaps."
"'Perhaps,' he says!" She leaned closer, poking at his chest with the wooden dragon.
"I know you had fun, Nero. Don't think I didn't see it."
He didn't answer, but the faintest curve at the corner of his mouth betrayed him.
Satisfied, she leaned back, kicking her legs lazily. "We should do this more.....Days like this…" Her voice softened, thoughtful. "…they're the best."
Nero turned his gaze toward the sky.
The last edge of the sun dipped below the horizon, leaving streaks of purple behind.
"You're always busy," she muttered after a moment and slumped sideways against his shoulder."Always serious. If it's not tutors or the clan breathing down your neck, it's you locking yourself away. Why can't you just… be free sometimes?"
He stayed silent, unsure how to answer.
"You should… come with me more often…"
"Not just today… always…"
Nero thought for a moment , maybe a bit too long and before he could answer he turned to see her fast asleep.
Her fiery hair spilled across his cloak, warm against his arm.
She still clutched the little dragon in her hand as though she might leap up again at any moment, but her breathing had already turned steady and slow.
Nero froze at first.
But the longer he sat, the less it felt like a burden. Her warmth was grounding.
The lanterns burned brighter as night fell.
His golden hair shining faintly in their glow, though his face stayed calm, unreadable as ever.
Inside, though, something eased.
He looked down at her, at the girl who never flinched from him, who never once treated him as something dangerous or untouchable.
His lips curved. Just slightly.
For once, he let the moment linger.
And he thought… if time stopped here, he wouldn't mind.
But of course, it was just that....a fleeting thought.
He didn't dwell on it, tucking it away into the back of his mind. Waking her now would mean more chatter, more energy to manage....and though he didn't hate it, he preferred to send her home before the evening grew too late.
Nero's right hand glowed faintly as his veins turned blue, mana spilling gently into the air, wrapping around Mereoleona in a delicate, protective weave.
Even if Nero's magical affinity remained a mystery, his mana showed no clear element or trait, his control over it was absurd.
With a thought, he could form intricate structures, barriers, and shapes with a speed and precision that left many magic knights astonished.
It wasn't enough to contain the boundless sea that was his mana pool, but it was enough to cradle a sleeping child.
His mana skin, dense and nearly unbreakable even in rest, was a testament to the years of grueling training and harsh rituals that had shaped his life.
Rituals that had carved mechanisms onto his very soul,with the soul purpose of not letting him go out of control like all those years ago.
No matter the affects it had on his psyche and soul.
With a soft sigh, Nero rose, the leather of his cloak rustling quietly.
Mereoleona didn't stir, her head resting against his shoulder, her limbs loose with exhaustion.
Carefully, he lifted her into the mana embrace.
Noticing how even in sleep, there was a spark of stubborn energy about her, as though she might leap up at any moment, but for now, she was completely at peace.
Nero moved swiftly and silently, walking through alleys and side streets until the Vermillion house was before him, light spilling from the windows.
Entering the house, he walked without saying a word to anyone and reached her room setting her gently on her bed, careful to adjust her blanket around her.
Her eyes remained closed, and a soft sigh escaped her lips as she settled deeper into sleep. He smoothed a stray lock of her fiery hair from her forehead and stared for a moment before his attention was broken by something else.
From the corner of the room, Lady Vermillion appeared, her expression a mixture of surprise and amusement. "Nero," she greeted warmly, inclining her head.
"I didn't expect you to come here yourself...."
Nero bowed his head in return, his golden hair catching the light of the lamp above, a faint halo against the dark of his coat. "She was… enjoying herself. I thought it best to see her safely home."
"Of course," Lady Vermillion said, her eyes softening as they lingered on him.
"Thank you."
He gave a small, near-imperceptible nod and walked back toward the door.
The quiet of the house was almost soothing, the faint creak of the floor beneath his boots, the soft hum of lantern light in the hall.
Once outside, Nero took a deep breath, grounding himself.
He drew a slow line of mana from the soles of his feet, forming a subtle lift, the currents of energy holding him steady as he hovered a few feet above the ground.
He allowed a steady stream of mana to flow downward, rejecting it from his control, simple and effortless.
With a final glance at the Vermillion house, Nero pushed off into the sky, cutting through the cool night air with minimal effort.
The city lights stretched below him, lanterns flickering like stars scattered across the rooftops, while the wind ruffled his golden hair, strands glinting faintly in the moonlight.
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Power Stones and Reviews please