Blinding Light (BLS Book 1)

Mila

“Is the tour over?”

“Yes. You were sick throughout most of it.”

“I know that,” I sneer at her. “What did we do exactly? I feel as if my memory has been slipping away recently.”

“Well, the first time you fainted, we postponed the event. After the second time you fell ill, his highness decided that the event has to go on. It was for the benefit of the kingdom—Miracle Island has been Iwera’s treasure. For the whole tour, it was no more than a simple campfire and night under the stars.”

“Oh…how boring.”

“Oh, don’t say that! I’m sure after we return home, they’ll announce the Suitor’s Campaign winner!” She squeals.

She never squeals.

My eyebrows furrow in confusion. I look at her, but she gives me a big smile. Somehow, it seemed different. Familiar in a way—but also different.

“What?” She asks, laughing.

“Oh, nothing. I just realized how lucky I am to have you.”

“Aww…Mila! That’s the sweetest thing someone has ever said to me!” She embraces me in a tight hug, squeezing my ribs until I’m low on air.

Maybe I’m just paranoid.

“Really? Has not Captain James said anything similar?”

“Captain James?” She whispered it in such a low tone that I’m not sure I have heard it correctly. “Oh yes, him!” I back away immediately, ears ringing from the loud yell of her.

“But no, I don’t believe so.”

“Oh…how disappointing.”

“Yes, very disappointing indeed.”

I tilt my head and look at her. She seems like Raven, acts somewhat like Raven, but it’s almost as if her personality has completely changed since I fainted. Her usual glow of radiance is replaced with another type of glow that I can’t decipher.

“What?” She asks in a tone that I don’t recognize—a manner that’s almost dead-like, emotionless.

“Raven…” I say, hoping she’ll catch me on calling her not by her nickname. But just as I suspected, she doesn’t.

“What?”

“Nothing, I’m just feeling the aftermath of the constant fainting, possibly.”

“Oh. Alright, then.” Her fingers intertwine with mine in the opposite direction. I unravel my hand uncomfortably. She never holds my hand like this—she always links her arm with mine.

“Are you sure you’re alright, Mila?”

“Oui, I’m fine. I can walk by myself. Thank you very much.”

“Oh, of course.”

At her response, I edge farther away from her.

“I need some alone time if you don’t mind. I’ll meet you there.” I give her a look that I know Raven knows all too well. But just as I suspected again, she doesn’t react nor gives me the same look back. But she simply says,

“Alright. I’ll see you there.”

I take the longer route and somehow wander back to the lake. The morning sun makes the water glisten yellow and orange, shimmering like a thousand stars.

I guess this is East. How did I not know that before?

I walk along the shore. I must be kind of crazy, walking along the lake that I almost died in—twice.

I kick a nearby rock, my black cloak flying behind me as the wind blows on. It’s so hard these days to appreciate what I have. To miss what I don’t have. I guess I can’t put it lightly.

At seventeen, life has been ever so grateful. To bless me with a sister that has returned, unlike my father. But I wonder who he might be. I was only a baby when he left us—when he left this world.

The painting Mother left me depicted two women, laughing together as if they’re best pals. There’s also a man that stands next to the woman on the left, smiling along. Two little kids are laying on the grass, putting their heads on their hands. The woman on the left holds a blanket and inside laid a baby. They all looked so happy, and I wished I could’ve met Mother’s friends and even three new friends if I just lived the way I was supposed to.

I blink back a few tears as I continue to stroll along the lakeshore. In the painting, there was a lake just like this one, and this exact tree looked like the one shown there too.

But how is that even possible? Mother lived in Calanques all her life.

The small waves created by the wind make it seem like the ocean. But the air remains salt-free—the forest scent of the trees whiff around the atmosphere. I shiver as a cool breeze blows my long hair out of the way. Somehow, I end up at the meeting. I don’t even recall being called to one. Somehow, I just knew that I had to be here.

“Welcome back,” his voice ignites a flare of anger in my mind. But I’m unsure of why.

Nolan continues his speech about how we’re leaving the island, and we’ve successfully secured the alliance with our bordering, now the neighboring kingdom of Sargon. I don’t realize it when Raven ends up by my side. I almost forgot about her weird behavior earlier—so much that I zone out for the rest of the speech. I clap along with the spectators as he strides toward me.

“Good morning, Mesdemoiselles.”

“Morning Your Highness,” Raven curtsies, and I follow along, not wanting to be rude.

“Good morning,” I say before Raven bumps into me. I could tell it was purposeful, but I’m unsure why…again. I frown at her before smiling at Nolan.

“How can we help you, Votre Altesse?” I ask.

“Nothing much. I just wanted to check up on you, Mademoiselle Hayes. How are you feeling?”

“Much better, merci.”

“Fantastic. I hope that the journey back home isn’t too harsh.”

He looks over the horizon before glancing back at me again, “Well, I hoped you enjoyed your stay, Mesdemoiselles. I will see you soon.”

“Of course,” Raven curtsies again, but I’m so distracted in my own thoughts that by the time I returned, Nolan was already gone.

“What’s wrong with you?” She asks, incredulous.

“However do you mean?” I frown.

“You didn’t curtsy voluntarily, and you didn’t call him by his title—just how improper are you?”

“I thought you already knew that his highness and I are on partial informal terms.”

“Uh…not in front of the people!” She yells.

She never yells—especially not at me. I stare at her in disbelief. “Please excuse me,” I say before running off, my breathing uneven.

I run into my cabin and see a piece of paper lying there. I pick it up.

Don’t forget…

Those two words shock me back to reality.

How could I have forgotten? This isn’t reality.

I rub my forehead, I thought I had told Raven everything. But she doesn’t seem to be helping but doing the exact opposite. She’s not taking my side either.

I clutch onto the sheet of paper as tightly as I could—not wanting to lose the only source of reality. I pack my things as quickly as possible, so I could get on the ship—to go back to the castle.

Maybe I’ll find more answers there.

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Thanks, with lots of smiles

☆•Yiona•☆