Love At First Sight (1)

"Papa, help me!" Matilda cried out, her voice trembling with fear. The entire family had gathered in King Fabian's study, a room usually filled with the rustle of parchment and the scratching of quills. But today, a heavy atmosphere of concern hung in the air, signaling that more pressing matters were at hand.

"Papa, I woke up in the ocean last week Sunday," Matilda began to sob, her small frame shaking with the effort to contain her tears.

Cassian, being as heartless as always, began to laugh. "Did someone pull a prank on you?" he asked, but his humor was cut short when Queen Phoebe pulled his ear, admonishing him to take his sister seriously.

"Well, I would definitely love for it to be a prank, but sadly it is not," Matilda confirmed, taking a tentative sip from her cup, trying to calm her nerves.

"Sunshine, please, could you explain to us this problem of yours?" Queen Phoebe asked, her voice gentle, though she could not entirely hide the worry etched on her face.

"Well, you see," Matilda began, her voice trembling slightly. "Papa began to buy magic stones from Diando long ago to keep my powers under control. But before my graduation last year, my teacher warned me, saying those little trinkets wouldn't be able to hide divine power for much longer."

At first, everyone in the room appeared puzzled, except for the King, who seemed to be piecing together a troubling puzzle. As the implications of Matilda's words sank in, Queen Phoebe's face drained of color, looking as though she had seen a ghost.

"Did he announce you are a saint? Did he tell you to visit his office? Oh my God! Please, my daughter," she held Matilda's shoulders tightly, her voice rising in panic.

Magic was a complicated matter in their kingdom. While it was a gift in many realms, here, it was a double-edged sword. Any noble discovering Matilda's magical abilities would immediately realize that her life would always be in peril. They would demand to know why she was the only one blessed with such power after so many years. Cassian, who had initially treated the situation as a joke, now wore a look of genuine concern.

"Mama! Look at me! I'm fine. It's been since last year, I'm fine. Plus, our headmaster is a she, and she has never introduced herself publicly. But... the problem is," Matilda's voice wavered as she tried to convey the gravity of her situation.

The anticipation in the room was palpable, everyone holding their breath, waiting for her to continue.

"What is it, dimwit?" Cassian asked, his tone now devoid of mockery.

"I have no control over it," Matilda admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "The reason I woke up in the ocean was because I lost control of my powers and got teleported in my sleep. Another time, I was on the roof, and I've even visited a desert with my entire room because of this. It can happen anytime, and I'm scared."

Her words hung in the air like a dark cloud. The shock on everyone's faces was evident. They had tried their hardest over the years to ensure no one found out about Matilda's powers, but now it seemed all their efforts were unraveling. Sixteen years of secrecy and careful management seemed on the verge of being exposed.

King Fabian finally broke the silence. "We need to find a solution, and quickly. This cannot continue."

Queen Phoebe, still gripping Matilda's shoulders, nodded in agreement, her face a mask of determination and fear. "We'll do whatever it takes to protect you, Sunshine. We won't let anyone harm you."

Cassian, his usual bravado stripped away, approached Matilda and placed a hand on her shoulder. "We'll figure this out, Tilda. You're not alone in this."

Matilda looked around at her family, their faces filled with concern and resolve. But before she could express her heartfelt gratitude for being blessed with such a family, she was teleported.

******

"You fool, do you think you're some fallen noble or what?" A group of men surrounded a poor man and began to beat him up in a dark alleyway. The man crouched on the floor, his arms wrapped around his head in a futile attempt to protect himself.

"Useless! All you ever earn us is bread with that wretched face," one of the men sneered, delivering a final kick before they left the scene, laughing among themselves.

"Ha! Another day has passed already. I have to survive. I have to survive. I have to survive," the man chanted to himself. He was covered in bruises and blood, curling up in a ball. He even wished to cry but couldn't shed a tear.

Finally, he stood up and rested his back against the wall, wincing from the pain. "I'm hungry," he muttered to himself, his voice barely audible.

Suddenly, there was a loud scream from above. He looked up just in time to see a woman falling from the sky. Reacting instinctively, he stretched out his hands to catch her, staggering under the unexpected weight but managing to set her down gently.

"Am I in heaven already? Oh dear God, I'm sorry," the lady said to herself, her eyes shut tight.

"Fallen angel," the man commented softly, his voice filled with awe. She opened her eyes and saw that she had been saved from certain death by the man standing in front of her. He set her on the ground gently, his movements careful.

"I'm really grateful. I don't know how to express my thanks to you. Thank you very much," she kept bowing, her gratitude evident in every word.

"You are not from the slums; it's very obvious," he observed, noting her clean, fine clothing.

"Wait, am I in the slums?" she asked, looking around at her grimy surroundings with wide eyes.

"Yes, you are. And where exactly… Your arm, it's bleeding. It seems to be a fracture. In fact, now that I'm looking at you, it seems you were beaten up because of something," she noted, examining his injuries closely. She rested him against the wall and tore the last lining of her dress. She cut it into little strips and tied his fractured arm.

"Looks like your fracture is compound, or your skin is weak. It must hurt with the way your bone is protruding," she continued. "Now, close your eyes."

She began to heal him, and the little bruises on his face and body began to disappear. The only problem was she couldn't completely heal the fracture, but she was able to heal the skin.

"Do be careful. I'm not well-versed in healing, but I'm sure you'll keep my secret. I can't believe you caught me with your hand like that. Or wait, did I cause this to happen?" she mused. The man shook his head, continuing to stare at her with gratitude and wonder.

"Oh, my name is Matilda. You?"

"Elian."

The men from before seemed to be coming back to send Elian on an errand, and Matilda needed to disguise herself quickly. She took off her dress, leaving just her undergarments. She begged Elian to turn around and then took off her undergarments as well. She rubbed them on the floor to give them a dirty look and smeared some dirt on her body before putting them back on. She tore a linen from the dress, made it dirty, and wore it over her body to make it look like she had ripped her dress to help Elian, then threw the dress aside.

"Elian, head to the market," one of the men yelled.

"Who is this damsel? Dressed so lightly, are you alright?" another asked, about to grab her.

They ran away in hopes of escaping, but ended up being surrounded. Matilda, feeling very scared, shouted her brother's name.

Lo and behold, it was the prince and his personal knights who appeared in the alleyway. They fought off the men and secured Matilda and Elian. Apparently, Matilda had used teleportation on her brother and his knights without knowledge, and they had come to the rescue.

Cassian, seeing Matilda's disheveled appearance, quickly took off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. Matilda, exhausted from the ordeal, passed out from tiredness. Cassian and the knights escorted her and Elian back to the castle, ensuring their safety.