Day ???

I never wanted to describe time like this, but days truly did feel like years. I'm not even sure how long it has been since I've been stuck here in this awful place.

Luca provided all my basic needs, after that he'd either be doing his usual things or staring into my eyes and this just feels by all means depressing. I can't believe he's happy doing his to me?!

Every so often his fingertips would reach out and touch my skin. Sometimes it was gentle like the wind and other times I could feel him holding back from getting a little bit violent.

I hated his touch though. I hated the touch of someone forcing me to love him, insisting I'll love him. Thinking I'll learn to love him if he takes me to a place like this where I can't do anything I like but read the endless amount of books he keeps here!

Even though it angered me, I walked over to the bookshelf and picked out a book at random. I can't count how many books I've finished with my time here either.

"Ew this looks like a history book." I instinctively part my gaze from the book. It wasn't too dusty, this hardcover grey book with the words "Acullis, our golden lands." Engraved on the front. Before I could put it back a tiny image slipped out, one like what Rowan and I got in the past.

It was of what I would assume was Luca when he was a little boy, with another boy probably the same age. Mid length wavy golden hair and brown eyes. When I turned the image around there was neat writing in black ink.

"Luca with Prince Leon Avince. They get along so well!"

"That's the prince of Acullis..." I mumble.

"Snooping around others things are you now, Riselle?" Oh, the familiar voice of an asshole that is keeping me locked here.

"What else do I have to do here Luca?"

"You could spend time with me of course."

The mage moved closer to get a view on what I was looking at. He took the image away, seeming upset.

"I'm not going to ask you about it, I'm not interested."

"That's a shame. I don't like reminiscing my time with this certain person but it would be a good story to tell."

"I said I'm not interested!"

Luca puts the image down on the desk right by us. With it being surrounded by all the books the setup was similar to the castles library.

"You remind me of him. Too much. The way he rambles on about nature and loving all the most uncanny plants out there. He loves music too. He can sing with such a magnificent tone- oh but he can't play instruments. At all.

He's an idiot. Not that terrible at academics, not too naive but he makes some of the dumbest mistakes possible." His hand played with a lock of my hair. "Leon... He pushed me away again, and again. When I see you it feels like I'm with him again Riselle."

His breath grew warm as he spoke. The light in his eyes were dim and he moved closer to me.

I get it. I get it now. Or at least I think I do.

"Riselle please."

I pushed his body away from me to step back and put a safe distance between us, but he violently grabbed my arms and backed me against the bookshelf. His hands squeezed painfully, I looked into the eyes of this cold white haired mage that never got over his first love.

Because it sounded to me like he loves prince Leon.

"I can't help myself, I can't bare going through the same pain I did when he cut me off. I couldn't be with him because we're both boys?! Should it matter what the gender of the person we love is?!

And look at me being so unfortunate I just get rejected by a girl anyway."

"Of course I'm going to reject you if you're being like this! I love Rowan! And you're still in love with Leon aren't you? You just see him in me."

"...Maybe." Luca freed my arms, I looked at them and sighed at the red color in the area. The mage seemed to be in dismay, he left for a moment and returned to me with a letter in his hands. A clean white little envelope with a note inside, he pulled it out.

"This arrived just now." He paused, a concerned look on his face. "No one is supposed to know about this place, this shouldn't have gotten here."

I didn't say anything, but it made me feel intrigued and hopeful. After what happened a moment ago all these emotions are starting to feel too overwhelming but it wasn't a bad feeling.

Luca,

I know where you are and I know you have Riselle. If you refuse to hand her over I will declare war against Acullis and kill Prince Leon Avince. I'll be waiting for you at the palace of Acullis, I already have Prince Leon at my mercy.

Rowan Quentin

Luca read the contents of the paper and crumpled it. He looked the most vexed I ever seen him. Not only crumpling the paper but also burning it in his hand, it fell in bits of ash to the wooden ground.

"So what do you plan to do?" I snicker at his perturbed face. "You plan to let your first love get killed and your motherland destroyed? There's no use risking it, he already knows we're here."

"I know." He clenched his fist. "Gather your things. We'll leave."