Midnight

The sound of the clock filled her ears as the crackling of the fire produced a soft lull. The day had been spent relaxing as she watched Aris practice her magic while teasing her in the process. The warmth of the sun tickling her face as Leo stood beside her; it was nice. Sylvia's hands were gently massaging her neck, she had just come out of a relaxing bath and her hair was being dried. It was soothing. Lumielle felt relaxed.

"Princess," Evangeline spoke as Sylvia continued to brush her tresses.

Lumielle turned to her maid, "Yes, Eva?"

It was odd for her maid to come to find her. Evangeline and Sylvia rotated when it came to taking care of her. Lumielle didn't need two people to help her unwind from the day's stress. Thus, Evangeline usually retired to her quarters early.

"Sir. Asterias is here." Did she hear correctly?

She blinked and then looked at the clock. It was practically midnight and he was here? Standing up and walking to the mirror. She glanced outside, she saw that indeed he was here. Yet, he didn't even have a carriage. Had he come with just a horse? "Did you tell him that I'm sleeping?" Lumielle asked as Sylvia quickly grabbed her shoes. It seemed that Sylvia had decided that the lilac-haired Princess would be leaving the palace to greet him.

"He stated that he would wait until the Princess woke up," Evangeline spoke, her words though calm held a hint of annoyance. She could spot it inside of her purple oculars. A sigh escaped Lumielle's lips as she placed a finger against her temple. What an annoyance.

A long pale blue nightgown adorned her figure along with simple white shoes. Walking outside, she was curious as to why Asterias was coming to her house at such an hour. He was not a man of frivolities. Asterias was many things but she did not think of him as useless, he would not do this without purpose.

If they were just a little older it would be seen as indecent. Yet, she supposed it could be forgiven since they were children. Still, he should know that proper manners should be observed. What was he thinking?

"It's late," Lumielle spoke, her arms were crossed over her chest as his expression brightened. He turned around to face her. "And it's cold," she waved her maids away as they both bowed. Evangeline looked more hesitant to leave them but Sylvia grabbed her arm practically shoving the older woman away so that the two could converse alone.

Asterias took off his jacket, placing it over her shoulders as he smiled, "If you wanted my jacket, you should have just asked, Princess." He was smiling as she scowled. He put his hands up in defense. The moonlight painted him gorgeously. White hair that almost glowed and his blue eyes that looked like sapphires. Unbelievable, how was she supposed to stay mad at him? He was dressed casually, a white button-up and dark pants. His hair slightly disheveled and his hands still adorned in riding gloves.

"Why are you here?" Lumielle inquired, her eyes narrowed as she pressed the jacket closer to her. He smelled cool and relaxing. A scent that was comforting and comforting; it was almost minty and fresh. How refreshing.

Asterias offered his hand, "Would you like to take a walk with me, Princess?" He had deflected her. He had a terrible habit of doing that. It vexed her.

"Are you ever going to answer my question?" She inquired sighing, placing her hand against his own. He brought it to his lips and kissed the back of her hand. Her eyes widened as her heart quickened. She had been caught off guard. "You didn't ask me," she huffed, her words feeling somewhat difficult. He hadn't asked to kiss her as he always did and she wasn't wearing any gloves. Lumielle was acutely aware of his lips and how they brushed against her bare hand. He smiled at her expression as she turned her head away from his gaze. It seemed he enjoyed to see her flustered and indeed Asterias did. Her reactions were amusing. It made him want to pursue her more to see what other faces she could make.

Asterias couldn't help but laugh, "I wanted to see you." Finally, he was answering but the smooth response made her give him a dead-panned expression.

"This is why you're called a womanizer, Rias."

His lips quirked up, "Rias," he replied the nickname falling from his lips with ease. It sounded even better when she said it, "Yet, I can't call you Lumielle?"

Lumielle sighed, "No." Her response was curt and straight to the point.

"That hurts," Asterias spoke with a slight chuckle. He didn't seem to be offended in the slightest as they walked. There was a pause between the two of them. Lumielle had noticed that Asterias was somewhat off, she didn't have a particular word to convey her feelings but, she noticed it. There was a slight difference in his demeanor. "But if I was being honest, I wanted to see you before I left."

Before he left? Lumielle's eyes widened as he gave her a somewhat melancholy smile, "I'll be leaving the capital for a bit. I'll be back the day of your debutante so don't worry. My father and I decided to visit my mother's home town and the villa that she liked. It'll take a while but I'll be back."

Lumielle paused, "When are you leaving?"

"Tomorrow morning."

It felt odd. It wasn't as though they were anything close but, she couldn't help but frown. Indeed, she had grown used to his presence. The way that he came into the Emerald Palace without a modicum of hesitation. The ease at which he invited her to places. "Don't make that face, you'll make me want to stay here and not want to leave," Asterias said teasingly as Lumielle scowled at him.

"Please leave faster."

"Princess, you're so mean."

She scoffed. She let out an exhale. That was right. There was no use in being worked up over this. He was leaving and there was no reason Lumielle should care as much. Asterias was simply a fleeting character. He was irrelevant. He stopped walking as she also followed his lead. Turning to face her, he gently patted the top of her head. His hand was large, touching the top of her tresses as she blinked somewhat confused by the action.

"It'll be your birthday and I'll miss it," Asterias said warmly.

"I won't be celebrating. It's the same week as the debutante."

"That's a shame," Asterias responded back, "Are you learning how to dance?"

He was speaking casually but his words held no gravity. They were light and airy to pass the time, "I am. If you're worried about if I'll make a mistake, I promise you I won't."

He grinned, "I can assume that much, Princess."

"Can you reach into my pocket and give me the box?" Asterias queried as Lumielle nodded, albeit somewhat confused, and slipped her hand into both pockets to pick up a small black box. Placing it into the palm of her hand she extended it to him. Asterias wished he could cherish this. She looked absolutely adorable. The jacket was slightly larger than she was, the sleeves only being slightly longer. Her small frame fitting snugly within his jacket. The moonlight coloring her face. Her hair looked almost like a faerie, scintillating within the opaline light. Golden eyes were a stark contrast against the fair-silver of the scene.

The box was small and light as Asterias grinned, "Open it."

Lumielle glanced at him tilting her head to the side before fidgeting with the box. Inside were a pair of diamond drop earrings. Delicate, it was a white gold backing with a small silver-sapphire being suspended by a white gold chain. The stud was a diamond being ornately crafted into the shape of a flower. The chain resembled a small vine and the silvery-blue stone at the end was fashioned into a teardrop. They were beautiful earrings.

"Happy birthday," Asterias said as he took the earrings into his hands. He had moved quickly as he brushed some hair behind her ear to easily slide them into place. His fingers were cold against her blistering neck. His fingers brushing across the curvature of her jaw, lingering for a second. She could feel the callouses, hard work, and dedication, against her skin. He was so close and his touch was so soft. Her cheeks were red and she couldn't help but feel flustered. "Lumielle."

He was close to her as he placed the other earring in place. His fingers adeptly working. She had been robbed of her voice and he was the culprit. Acting nefariously, Asterias was nothing short of a criminal, stealing her acumen and stunting all of her thoughts. He was catharsis in the sense that she was feeling absolutely nothing. It was almost stunning; like a flashbang, she was unable to adjust to the sudden light. Her eyes lingered on him; close enough for her to study the fine details that she had never seen before. His long lashes framed his cerulean eyes, the small beauty mark on his nose, the color of his lips, the slight scar on his eyebrow—they were all useless as she swallowed. "You didn't need to," Lumielle answered, her words still trembling, her fingers brushing against the earrings as he smiled.

"It was the least I could do for being late to your debutante and even so asking to escort you," he spoke so easily. It was almost as though she was the only one that was flustered.

"Thank you, Rias."

"I should be thanking you. You look pretty, Lumielle." Once more, he tried speaking her name wondering if he would be chided. The first time, Asterias had believed that she had been too surprised to say anything. Indeed, he had been close to her, and seeing her cheeks flush up in embarrassment was enough to make him chuckle. He had been close enough that he could smell the lilac lavender scent that he cherished. "You've given me a good memory for the road," he teased.

"This is why Rue calls you a womanizer," Lumielle said letting out a sigh and shaking her head. Her composure had been fractured but in an instant, she had gotten it back. Asterias had to admit that he was somewhat disappointed that he could only hear her voice tremble once. The earrings caught the light beautifully. Yet, they all dimmed in comparison to the Princess.

Asterias frowned, "Bringing up another man when I'm here?"

"Jealous?" Lumielle queried.

"As if I have any competition," Asterias responded in haste with such confidence that it made Lumielle roll her eyes. She paused for a second to stare at him. He would be leaving for quite a bit and if she remembered correctly, Asterias's mother lived in the North. She didn't remember much about her.

Lumielle resisted the urge to smack him, "Will you miss me?" Asterias asked suddenly.

"What's the answer you wanna hear?" Lumielle inquired. She wasn't sure. Her whole existence in this life was simply to survive and save her brother. She was bringing about ruin to those that scorned her and placing Aris on the crown. She had no time to think of others; she simply used herself as a tool, willingly becoming a Kingmaker as if it was her only choice. Confronted with the fact that she had made a new connection with someone, it was oddly terrifying. She had never met him in her past life. He was an aberration. She should have been elated that he was gone for he was unpredictable.

"That you will," Asterias spoke without a modicum of hesitation. His eyes were bold his words even more brazen. He had been the one to grow greedy and ask for her friendship. Lumielle had always been cordial with him, never broaching the line that she drew in the sand. Her smiles were controlled and words polished. It was a plastic relationship and Asterias had been avariciously asking for more.

"Then, take that as your answer."

There was a pause as he stared at her. His eyes were a pure blue, so vividly cerulean that it sometimes startled her. Quietly, she took his hands in her own, "It's cold. You should stay warm." Her eyes were focused on his hands. They were far more calloused than before. Her hands felt small compared to his own. He was freezing. His hands were always cold; "The North is colder than it is here."

"I will," Asterias mumbled back, he adjusted it so that their fingers were almost intertwined.

"You should head back, it's past midnight." Lumielle pulled away as she took off her jacket and placed it around his shoulders. Taking a step closer to him, she felt oddly emboldened. Maybe it was due to the fact that she wouldn't be seeing him. Fastening the buttons, she looked up at him. His cheeks were slightly pink, he must have been quite cold. His eyes were widened in surprise, "Stay warm, Rias." Her lips were pulled up in a smile, "You better not be too late." Patting his chest, she turned on her heel bidding him a good night.

He didn't say a single word in response.