• tab Felitia had entered a state of meditation. Rarely would she ever get up so early to see the sun rise and she would hardly let this opportunity slip through her hands. Nature was in perfect harmony with her soul. Her mother had taught her the breathing techniques and the different positions. Felitia had often wondered where Rhea had picked it up from. On one occasion she had asked her but her mother had merely answered,
    tab “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” not revealing very much.
    tab Nevertheless, it was a very useful skill to know. With all the stress people had been giving her at the Academy, it was sometimes the only way to stop it from taking over her mind. But it was so much more effective when the forces of nature communed around her. The sights, smells and sounds offered a unique relaxation. Yet there was one flaw, time. It flew like a falcon. She could spend so much time in a meditative state of mind that she often didn’t notice.
    tab The clock chimed eight.
    tab What? That time already? It was time for the whole Academy to awake, although she knew one person probably wouldn’t wake up any time soon. Better head to my dorm. I probably look ghastly after sleeping in my day clothes. And all that crying, and the blood. Oh, the blood! I hope I haven’t stained my dress.
    tab She headed inside and stopped on her way by Jared’s bed.
    tab “Please be better soon,” she said quietly then headed out the door.

    *****


    tab She sat in the dining hall alone munching on a piece of toast. She noticed Ganymede was nowhere to be seen.
    tab A night in the dungeons, exactly what that b*****d deserves.
    tab “Um, Felitia,”
    tab She looked up and almost choked. Genevieve stood in front of her hands behind her back in a humble, no, almost apologetic manner.
    tab “Genevieve,” said Felitia after she had swallowed a mouthful of toast. “What are you doing here?”
    tab “I came to…apologise,” she said, eyes low. It was obvious she was making a gigantic effort to think the words let alone say the aloud. This time Felitia did choke. Genevieve looked at her slightly confused.
    tab “I’m sorry, I must have heard you wrong,” said Felitia after she managed to clear her throat. “So silly of me but I thought you said you came to apologise.” Of course she knew what Genevieve had just said, she just couldn’t bring herself to believe that someone who had persecuted her from day one could have such a sudden conversion. And she wasn’t prepared to take Genevieve likely.
    tab This could easily be an act to gain my trust and then at last moment bring me crashing down to the ground, like a sparrow hawk to its helpless prey. Well I refuse to be that prey.
    tab “That’s what I said…” Genevieve said patronizingly.
    tab Is that the best you can do? Well you might as well give up because I see right through your not so cunning little plan. Don’t think you can out wit me. You can only dream of being as smart as me.
    tab “…My brother was a real jerk to you and Jared. I’m apologising on his behalf…”
    tab A jerk?! He tried to kill me! And Jared might not even survive to wake up, all because of your wretched brother! You probably had something to do with it as well. What was it that you said; ‘You’ll pay for that’ when I insulted you.
    tab “…So to make it up to you, why don’t we become friends. You can hang out with me and the girls, and then no one will ever pick on you again.”
    tab “Well that’s very kind of you but I’ve got better things to do, better people to hang out with,” said Felitia sarcastically.
    tab “Like Jared?”
    tab “Yes, like Jared! Is there anything wrong with Jared?” she almost shouted. Genevieve sat down opposite her where Jared usually sat.
    tab “No, there’s nothing wrong with Jared. He’s handsome, loyal, sweet. There is absolutely nothing at all wrong with him. He’s probably got to be the nicest, most mature boy in the Academy.”
    tab Felitia couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Had the world flipped upside down over night or was she still asleep and this was some hellish nightmare.
    tab “You look pale. Did you not sleep well? Do you feel ill? Is there something bothering you? If so you know you can always tell me; I’m always here to support you.”
    tab Felitia felt like she was going to throw up what breakfast she had already eaten.
    tab Yes, there’s something bothering me! You! You’re acting really scary. Nice really doesn’t suit you, not that I liked you as a bully.

    tab “I’m not really hungry.” She stood up and left, not wanting to bear another minute of this twisted strangeness.
    tab “But you’ve hardly eaten a bite,” Genevieve called after her. She ran to catch up.
    tab “Well, some things tend to put me off,” Felitia said folding her arms protectively. Genevieve stopped in her tracks.
    tab “Okay, then. Whatever makes you feel better,” she called as Felitia turned a corner.
    She turned round and smiled evilly to herself.
    tab Perfect. The little b***h has fallen for it. By tomorrow, no one will be able to stop me.

    *****


    tab Felitia headed toward the hospital wing. The whole day had gone by agonisingly slow with Jared absent. She had to keep on telling herself that he would be fine to prevent herself from losing sanity again.
    tab She had just finished her dinner and was now going to check on Jared’s condition. Genevieve had decided to sit with her in the dining hall and Felitia unwillingly put up with it. She answered Genevieve’s questions in a monotonous voice often oozing with sarcasm and did not speak a part from that.
    tab She walked briskly in case Genevieve decided to follow her. There was no way she was going to let her interfere with a personal matter. She stepped through the archway that held the door to the hospital. She could hardly bear the painful excitement of seeing whether Jared had made any progress in the healing process or if his condition had deteriorated. She felt her heart beat faster and faster and she quickened her pace. The empty hospital beds sped by in a blur around her. She finally reached his bed. To her despair, she found his unconscious frame exactly the way she had left him.
    tab Kneeling down beside him, she took his limp hand and held it tightly in hers. She stroked his pale cheek gently
    tab “I’m so, so sorry,” she whispered. “Please come back. I need you.” She kissed his forehead and a single tear rolled down her cheek. She lifted her head up and stared out the window at the lonely full moon.
    tab Her heart leapt as she heard a groan. Jared’s head shifted around and his whole body tensed as he stretched.
    tab “Felitia,” he mumbled, his eyes still closed.
    tab “Yes, I’m here,” she answered.
    tab “My head hurts,” he groaned.
    tab “Yes you were knocked out by Ganymede. Do you remember?” Maybe starting a conversation would bring him into full consciousness.
    tab “Why are we dancing?” he asked dreamily.
    tab “Maybe you asked me to,” she replied. Might as well play along; give him something nice to dream about.
    tab “And you said ‘yes’.”
    tab “Yeah, must’ve.” Felitia smiled, still holding his hand.
    tab “I’m getting dizzy,” Jared mumbled.
    tab “Must be all that twirling,” she laughed softly.
    tab “Yeah, must be,” he murmured then his body relaxed.
    tab Asleep again. She curled up in the comfy armchair. Not a bad idea.

    *****


    tab Felitia awoke in darkness. The moon was still shining and according to the grandfather clock on the far side of the room it was ten past two in the morning. Jared still lay sleeping, breathing deeply. His bare chest moved up and down under the covers. Felitia walked over to the smouldering fireplace and lit a candle from the glowing embers. Walking back she paused briefly by Jared’s bed.
    tab “You’ll get better soon, you’ll see,” she said quietly to him, but in truth she was actually saying it to encourage herself.
    tab She stepped out onto the balcony, shielding the bare flame of the candle from the chilling wind. Shivering, she remembered her first night at the Academy. The moonlit forest looked as mystical then as it did now, the moon just as hypnotising. Then her mind swayed to other matters, Genevieve. She had been so stuck up and superior on that first night, but now, Felitia wasn’t sure what to think.
    tab What are her objectives? What could possibly come out of being nice to me? Now that she knows that I’m definitely not going to return the kindness, what is she going to do? Is she going to continue? Am I unwarily helping her plan to unfold by rejecting her positive gestures? Maybe that’s part of it; she’s trying to make me look like a jerk by faking the victim. To the unwary person it will look like I am bullying her for no good reason. But who would she be trying to gain pity from? No, it can’t be. That is completely cruel and atrocious! To take advantage of someone’s good nature like that. It all makes sense now. What she said at breakfast about Jared, him being ‘handsome, loyal,’ and ‘sweet’, him being the ‘most mature boy in the Academy’, him having ‘absolutely nothing at all’ wrong with him, it all ties in. I know it’s all true but how would there be any other way she’d recognise it? Well I won’t let it happen, I swear.

    tab “You must be cold out here,” said the voice she most desperately wanted to hear. She dropped the candle holder out of shock and turned round briskly. She latched her arms around Jared’s neck.
    tab “I’m so, so sorry! It was all my fault. I’m just, so sorry.” She started crying and felt his arms embrace around her body.
    tab “No, don’t be. You’ve done nothing wrong,” Jared said comfortingly. But this only made her cry even more.
    tab “But it is my fault! Ganymede was attacking me, but you protected me.”
    tab “That was my decision.”
    tab “I provoked him. None of this would have happened if I would’ve just kept my mouth shut. I’m just so sorry for everything!”
    tab Jared sighed. He took a hold of her shoulders and pushed her back a bit so he could look her straight in the eyes.
    tab “Felitia,” She was still crying, her head held low out of shame. He raised her chin. “Look at me, none of that matters. In some ways, I don’t think it would have made any difference. Ganymede was so angry that I don’t think there was any space left in his mind to listen to anyone.” He wiped away her tears with his hand then stroked her cheek. “I’m just so glad you’re alright. If Ganymede could do all that to me, how much more could he do to you?”
    tab She took a hold of his hand.
    tab Somehow, I still feel like I’m to blame. Jared might have forgiven me, but I can never forgive myself. I owe him my life.
    tab “You were willing to risk your life for mine,” she said.
    tab “I’d do anything for someone I love.” He smiled. She smiled back and embraced him in the silver moonlight.

    *****


    tab “So, anything interesting happen while I was…absent?” Jared asked.
    tab “Well, Genevieve was up to her tricks again.”
    tab “What did she do this time?” he said, annoyed.
    tab “She was being all, nice,” Felitia shivered.
    tab “Yikes, that’s a scary thought.”
    tab “Yeah, she was being all apologetic about Ganymede attacking us and was, like, trying to become friends and all. But I see right through the act. She’s just doing all this to gain my trust and then, POW! She’ll make a fool of me and I’ll be the laughing stock of the Academy,” she said with ingenuity. I can’t tell him the real reason why she’s doing this. He’ll just think that I’m being paranoid that if Genevieve sucks up to him she’ll become more important to me than him. And then there’ll be this huge argument about why should I care if Genevieve does this because I never loved Jared anyway and this will be his chance to find someone who actually likes him back. And then our friendship could take a turn for the worse. But the only reason why I’m so concerned about Genevieve butting in like this is I’ve only just let him down and I don’t want that to happen again; we’re friends and I’m looking out for him
    tab “Hm, or maybe she could be genuinely trying to make it up to you.”
    tab “Well I for one refuse to believe that someone who has persecuted me since I came to this place could have such a sudden conversion,” she said stubbornly.
    tab “People can change.”
    tab “You’re not telling me that I should trust her!”
    tab “No, just try not to be rude to her,” Jared reasoned.
    tab “Alright! I’ll try,” she gave in. She didn’t want to have an argument with Jared after she had just let him down terribly. “Just don’t take her likely.”
    tab “Relax, what’s the worst that can happen,” he said optimistically.
    tab “Never say that. It will turn into chaos.” If it comes to the point where I have to tell him the truth then…Well let’s just hope that never happens, for both of our sakes. “So, uh, anything much happen while you were…sleeping, let’s say. Any dreams perchance?” she asked out of interest.
    tab “Well, I had this one dream that…”
    tab We were dancing.
    tab “…Never mind; I can’t really remember.”

    tab Actually, he had had three dreams, all of which he could recall vividly in his mind; one where the pair were dancing, which he had blurted out about in his sleep, and two others more passionate and terrifying. But he couldn’t tell Felitia about these two; now was not the appropriate time to reveal to her his secret. And the other one, well that was just embarrassing.
    tab We’ve only just been reunited. I can’t tell her the truth about me. Bringing something down on her on that big a scale would be devastating. Even under normal circumstances it would be very shocking and would drastically change our relationship for the worse. I don’t want to lose her but I can’t keep it hidden from her either. This secret could plunge the realm into war. Imagine what it could do to one person.
    tab “It’s quite cold out here,” he said. “We should head back inside.” The thin, lose linen shirt he was wearing provided barely any insulation.
    tab “Yeah,” Felitia yawned and stretched. Jared wrapped an arm around her shoulder and led her inside.
    tab “G’night,” Jared said as they reached his bed. Felitia embraced him warmly and he did the same back, placing a hand on her head, holding her close to his heart. Letting go they departed to their resting places; Jared to his bed and Felitia to her armchair. Sleep overtook them both almost immediately.