Chapter Text
A full moon lustered beautifully in the midnight sky, cottony clouds alongside it in a spectacular display.
It was witching hour – or, it should’ve been.
A platinum haired woman clad in red armor stood from her spot at the edge of a cliff overhanging a fantastic view of a village festival below. Silently, she rolled the small rock in between her fingers one last time before crushing it in one tight squeeze of her hand.
Crushed into smithereens, the woman opened her palm and allowed the calm wind to take the stone powder away.
-
There was barely an echo of light paw-steps as a nimble black cat bolted past the tall halls leading to rooms where royalty slumbered.
It finally came to a stop in front of the only room with a warm glow seeping through the gaps around its hefty iron door. Then, in a flash of violet beams, in place of the black cat, a hooded figure was now upright.
The figure outstretched a slender hand, grabbing ahold of the circular door handle held up by an embossed lynx head’s mouth, and attempted to push the door open.
When it didn’t budge, she exclaimed, as quietly as she could muster, “Jeanne!” She panted slightly, exerted from her journey. Tiny beads of sweat would’ve been present on her temples if not for the cold. “I’m sorry… It completely slipped my mind,” she began to rest her forehead on the coarse but cool metal in an effort to regain some of her stamina.
How could she have been this careless? Had she not learned the last two times she was late? Why did her friends have to be more spontaneous than her? They should of known days ahead there was a huge festival coming if it was such an enormous event like they had claimed and it was.
She nearly smacked her head on the door as it was abruptly pulled open from the other side just a tad.
“So it seems,” Jeanne eventually replied, only granting a couple inches of her austere face to be beheld by the delinquent.
Raven brows furrowed apologetically. “May I step inside?”
“You reek of cheap ale.” Jeanne cut through, colder than the mountain breeze outside.
“Jeanne, we could get caught.”
“Then you better leave.”
As Jeanne moved to shut the door, the witch pleaded, “Jeanne!” then shapeshifted into a small bird and snuck inside the room.
Jeanne sighed, too tired to have read the move in advance. After closing the door, she turned to face the witch a few feet away from her and pried, “Have you forgotten the risks I must take, teaching you high level Umbran arts?”
The witch pulled her hood down. “I didn’t, Jeanne… I am sorry I completely missed today’s lesson. But not every waking moment we spend together should be about such,” the dark head’s diamond eyes were glossed with remorse yet staunch with persuasion. She had implored for the same some moons ago and diminutively hoped the woman would’ve taken the initiative to find her – which was quite easy to do, the ruby on her chest glinting in the candlelight.
Jeanne dexterously unclasped her long white cape glittered with gold embellishments before taking it to its respective stand and hanging it there, all the while reminding the other woman, “I don’t get to choose when I can share my knowledge with you, Cereza. You know this.”
Cereza scowled a bit, “You once said you befriended me because I was fun and adventurous. We’re no longer children, Jeanne. This is what’s fun and adventurous now. Why don’t you join me sometimes?” She gestured a gloved hand along with the offer.
It was true. They were no longer children. Almost a decade of no longer being children, in fact. Cereza had been beside her as her faithful maidservant since their preteen years, able to secretly shadow the royal witch in training. And although they were together, she had to act like a slave and the heiress her master where other eyes could see or ears could hear. When Jeanne couldn’t have her in tow or it was Cereza’s time off, Cereza would sometimes explore the human world, sometimes finding more in common with them than her so-called brethren.
The platinum head drooped, perceptive of the brunette’s heartfelt wish, “I can’t... I have too many responsibilities.” With both of her hands, she took the gloved hand that was slowly retracting and mustered a meager smile, despite her previous irritability, “I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself and found new friends who make you happy.” Her softened tone completely hid her puff of jealousy. She truly did care deeply for the outcast – bringing her hand up, removing the roughened glove, and pressing a chaste kiss on her smooth knuckles.
How thankful she was of their healing abilities, able to keep such painful scars and callouses from feel. Though, she knew.
Then her eyes blinked and the romance drifted away along with her hands from her friend. “But my place is here. And I absolutely cannot be seen out there unless it’s for a mission.”
Cereza couldn’t suppress a disappointed scoff in an abrupt fit of pettiness. “Right… It’s hard work leading, politicking, keeping your reputation…”
Jeanne could only veer her steel eyes away after giving back her glove.
Powerless to change things as usual, Cereza ultimately readjusted, voice dialing back to contrite, “Though I hope you reconsider and visit the village with me at least once.” Jeanne was half-way through undressing the main piece of her protective raiment when Cereza reached into her pocket, clutched something out, and deftly slid it into Jeanne’s hand. “And I am very sorry for missing today’s lesson,” she whispered so close to Jeanne’s ears, it nearly tickled.
Jeanne’s lustrous orbs shined under the moonlight trickling from a window, “What’s this?”
“It’s an earring.”
Cereza managed to pronounce a simple word like earring in such a peculiar manner it was to an intriguing effect, causing a corner of Jeanne’s lips to upturn. “Is this… a moth?” She pressed the bronze jewelry against her cheek as she pivoted to gaze at the brunette in amusement, “Just the one?”
“Mmhmm.”
Jeanne rolled her eyes, aware of the girl’s shenanigans. “You stole this, didn’t you?” she shook her head as she set it down on her desk.
“Oh, Jeanne, how could you say that?” Cereza refrained from chuckling, still a bit tipsy from moments ago.
“Very cute, Cereza,” Jeanne declared sarcastically yet also truthfully. She adored the moth’s design one more time before walking towards her friend. “Alright, thank you for the gift but it’s time to go,” she placed a hand on the back of the dark haired witch’s waist and began to lead her back to the door.
“Won’t you let me tuck you in?” Cereza protested but otherwise kept approaching the blasted door.
Jeanne smirked, “You can tuck yourself in and think upon your sins, hmm?”
Cereza groaned, “But I’ll never be able to sleep.”
“Exactly.”
“That’s cruel, Jeanne,” she pouted then asked for confirmation at last, somewhat concerned as they reached the door, “Will you still continue with my lessons?”
“Of course, Cereza. Nothing’s changed,” Jeanne assured, smiling dearly.
Cereza couldn’t help but mirror her, fashioning her own pearly whites, then throwing her arms over the younger witch’s shoulders. “Thank you, Jeanne.” She kissed her sweetly on the cheek before letting go of the embrace.
“See you in the…” Jeanne paused, rethinking of saying morning, “afternoon. Don’t come until you’ve gotten some rest.”
“You get some rest too. I want you to be wide awake and attentive as I tell you how fantastically amazing my night was and what you, my dear, missed.”
Jeanne nodded half-heartedly, it was more a playful dismissal. “Okay, Cereza…”
Cereza made a short snickering sound, quite satisfied, “Good night, Jeanne.”
“Good night, Cereza.”
As Jeanne watched her best friend shapeshift then pounce away in her cat form, a frown threatened to form on her lips.
Cereza was very likeable – popular among normal human folks, even. Umbran social statuses be damned. Even a millennia old witch with intergalactic cosmic powers wouldn’t be able to contain her undeniable charm and charisma. It was inevitable she would find other friends… and more. And Jeanne would have to accept that. But why was it becoming so difficult?
“Nothing’s changed,” she repeated the lie to herself as she closed the door.