(From Blue''s Perspective)


    "Ah, Dem... He looks even more handsome when he walks, huh? Well, he always looks just too handsome," I muttered as I saw Dem walking in the garden.


    He wasing back from the magic tower it seemed. I was on the balcony with Sapphire. My back was hurting, so I wanted to move a bit.


    I thought Dem did not notice me, but he suddenly looked up. It seemed very natural when he did that as if he was used to it. Was it his habit to nce at the balcony every time he passed by?


    I smiled and waved at him. He smiled back at me. He looked so handsome that I blushed almost immediately.


    Dem had a great sense of style. He styled his own outfits and they were just fabulous. He had his ears pierced from several ces and wore usually two earrings. After seeing my husband looking so great with his ears pierced like that, I had been a fan of this. He almost always wore hand gloves. It was because everything was disgusting, ording to him.


    He also wore several rings on his fingers. His attire was always ck. It was not just because the royal color of Querencia was ck and golden, but also because it was his personal preference.


    I did not know much about styles. I, at least, did not have any practical knowledge. All I knew were the things that I learned from books.


    "Who are you looking at? Your husband?" a voice as cold as ice, suddenly asked me.


    "Who?"


    I looked around quickly to see who it was. But I could not see anyone. Sapphire looked tense as well. Did she hear the voice as well?


    "Is he really your husband? Or someone who has kept you his captive? Do you really want to spend the rest of your life with him? If I ask you this, you will say yes, won''t you? But think about what your heart truly wants. Is this what you want?


    Or do you want to fly in the sky?"


    ''Fly in the sky? Are you asking if I want to be free? Eh...? Why am I thinking about what this weird voice is asking me? Am I crazy?''


    "I know what you want deep inside. You just need to realize that yourself. When you make up your mind, I will be here, lending you a helping hand. I will make you wings so you can fly freely."


    "Who are you?" I asked, looking around continuously.


    But there was no answer. A hand suddenly grabbed me from around the waist. I jumped up in surprise as well as Sapphire.


    "What''s wrong?"


    "Dem! It''s you!" I gasped while bncing Sapphire in my arms since she was about to fall because of my sudden movement.


    "You looked like you were scared," he said. "So, I came quickly. You didn''t even notice meing here. And you look so pale. What''s wrong, sweetie?"


    "A voice... I heard a voice..."


    "Like thest time? Was it your father?"


    "I don''t know... Perhaps it was. The voice was a bit... heavy and kinda... I don''t know how to describe it. It was strange and hard to recognize."


    "What did the voice say?"


    ''What did the voice say? I... Should I tell him this? For some reason, I feel like I should not...''


    "... Strange things. You know, just saying that I need to do this and that, and this is what I really want... Stuff like that, you know. I don''t think we have to worry about things like that."


    He narrowed his eyes at me. "Why? Why are you hiding it from me?"


    I looked away, rubbing my fingers over his shirt. "... It''s alright. I am fine the way everything is. I don''t need to see the sky. It''s fine, it truly is.


    I really don''t need wings."


    It was something I always told myself, ignoring the words of my heart that sometimes reminded me that even someone like me wanted to spread wings and fly in the sky, and taste freedom.


    He suddenly hugged me tightly. Sapphire jumped from my arms on the floor. His embrace was very tight as if he did not want to let me go. He did not ask me about anything else. But his action showed everything. He did not have to ask me to know what that voice told me.


    His tight embrace made it clear that he was never letting me go; no matter what, I needed to be with him.


    "Dem, you had already reserved the restaurant for us, right?" I asked.


    He had not let go of me yet. I did not try either. He had abandonment issues, mostly because he did not have anyone who loved him before. So, I wanted him to feelfortable and rxed. I did not want to worry him.


    "I did," he replied after a while.


    "Then is it okay for us to not go there? I mean, the reservation there is kind of expensive," I said.


    We were the King and the Queen, so we had a lot of money. But I still had not gotten used to spending it as I pleased. It was because I had almost no money even a few months ago. I could not eat or buy anything. Now whenever I would see Dem spending too much money, for some reason, I would get anxious.


    "It doesn''t matter. We will just go there some time else," he said. "And money is not a fact. I have lots."


    "Hmm..."


    "This balcony is like a cursed ce. I mean, just think about it- you heard that fucking voice twice. And both of the times were when you were on the balcony," he said.


    "It''s just a coincidence. Don''t get so worked up," I said.


    He had finally pulled back from the long hug. "I don''t think anything is a coincidence anymore. A great example is our life. At first, we thought that I fell in love with a freaking minor a long time ago and that''s why I married youter. It was kind of a coincidence; at least that was what we thought.


    But now, the truth is I fell for you after our marriage and that meeting of ours was nned by others. There is nothing called coincidence anymore."


    "I suppose you are right on that point. But this time, I truly think it''s a coincidence. Luc can block dark magic and because of that, that mage, whoever that is, can''t contact me when I am inside. It''s not that, you know it too."


    He did not say anything. He took a look around and then at Sapphire who was chewing on something from the floor.


    "When I came, the cat had the same expression as you. It was like she felt or heard something strange just like you," he said.


    "Ah, you noticed it too... Actually, when the voice started talking, Sapphire started turning her head around as well. She must have heard the voice because she looked very anxious and kept ncing around."


    "But how can a cat hear it? It was supposed to be for you," he said.


    "Should I send a letter to Luc?"


    "That silver punk again... Well, we don''t have a choice. He knows the stuff rted to magic. We can''t read that, you know. Only those born with mana can read the magical books," he said. "But I wish I could so you won''t have to go to that punk to know about these kinds of things."


    "Then it''s a good thing that he is our friend. We don''t have to visit him formally as a King or a Queen visiting the master of the magic tower," I said. "We can just visit him whenever we want to with a short notice or no notice at all."


    "That''s a bit true..."


    "A bit? That''s the truth! Really...! Why is it hard for you to say that he is your friend?"


    "... He is actually, but..."


    "But?"


    "But if I say that he is my friend, then he would grin like a fool and that pisses me off!"


    ''Just because of that? Is that even a reason?''


    Perhaps that was how friendship worked. I never had a friend before, so I did not. At least, Dem could get the taste of having a friend since childhood whom he could depend on and talk freely to even though he would never admit it. Now I had friends as well, especially Luc and Ruby were very close to me. Perita was close to me as well, but not as much as them.


    It was another reason that I wanted Luc and Ruby to marry. It would be great if Luc also fell for Ruby. Then we could get even closer.