What If

Chapter 4

He then gathered the ingredients he’s going to use, and started cooking. As he’d said, it indeed only took half an hour, I know since there is a clock here inside the kitchen too, and presented it on the table quite beautifully. As if he is crafting an art piece to be presented to the empress. I playfully rolled my eyes. I am pretty sure, as much as I am that this is a dream, that he is one of the friends of the crown prince. And he, for sure, have met the empress of this nation. Such privilege!

“You know, only a few men knew how to actually cook. I’m skeptical.”

“Oh, for goodness sake, Mika. Just go taste the food. I am quite proud of the cook that I made myself to be.” He said, standing still and waiting for me to actually taste it. I laughed at him. I took a plate and place a quite decent amount of what ever it is that he prepared.

“Wait,” I said, halting his movements. “I am sorry, but what do you call this?”

“Right.” He commented, “It is a garlic- butter steak bites. It is a pan sauce made from roasted garlic, dry vermouth, butter, and--”

“Yeah, okay. Sorry to interrupt but I only asked the name of the food, not the entire recipe…” I mean, I do not intend to know it all. Just the name as that also give sit all away.

Seconds of pure silence floated between the two of us and that is when I started getting nervous. What if he took that as an offence? What if that’ll lead me to my death? I mean, I could just force myself to wake up if that comes to that but dreams like these are continous! Even if I managed to escape once, the moment I entered this same dream, I would have been dead meat!

“No--” I was about to say something, and they he laughed. “Shits… why are you laughing?”

“You looked so tensed!” He commented, still laughing.

“Well, I’m sorry!” I said, still too nervous to comment for other things.

“It’s fine. Let’s just eat, Mika. Then I’ll show the Academy. O.M.! I am excited.” He is? Why? Shouldn’t that be me? Since this is my first time? Maybe he just loved this school so much! I hope I could do that to. “What do you think of the school, so far?”

“That is a very put of context question, human.” I answered. “Shouldn't you be asking what I feel about this food you just prepared for us?”

“Right.” He said. “How… uhm… do you feel about the food?” He asked. He’s questioning things. I can sense it. He’s not as confident as he painted himself to be.

“It’s good. Fantastic even!” I commented. He looked like he just suppressed himself some air and now in-taking some. Right. “If there will be some time. I’d like for you to teach me. It’s really good.”

“Really?” He said, face almost lighting up as it is. He’s so cute! Like, what type of human does he take up from? This is the type of beauty that cannot be matched even by the best courtesan there is. With that clear almost glass-like skin, tanned even! And his hair! Hair is gray. Like, you know that literal color of gray? That is what it looked like. It wasn’t long enough to be able to cover his eyes, but definitely long enough to reach the collar of his uniform. He’s beautiful, like how is that possible?

“Hmh…”

“Let’s go?! Are you done?”

“With the food? Probably not. But I am full!” I said, beaming. He smiled back at me and giddily fixed everything without letting me help because as he said, I am still new. The first one in years even! His own words, not mine.

He was done fixing everything and washing dishes in about five minutes only. That was fast. And he was beaming the whole time. As if he was actually enjoying the things he’s doing right now. A minute after he washed his hands and dried them, he turned to me, still smiling. “Are you ready?”

“Yes, are we going?” I asked. He did not answer, though. He just smiled wider and raised his hands and then snapped. The moment I blinked, we are then outside the dormitories. And let me tell you…

“Just where in heaven are we? Are you sure this is a school?” I asked. Because really. The moment I opened my eyes, the one that greeted it is not only light, but also a huge castle-like place. Something even huge enough to be considered the center of the kingdom! How!

“We are… in Xyntilliet Academy. I am sure you have read of everything about this school. Well, it is quite hard to enter this one in particular, is it not?” He asked, I blinked back.

“I…” I don’t know how to answer that question. I smiled. Awkwardly. What am I going to say? “Actually…”

“Just wondering. You do not need to answer.” He said, smiling at me. “But first, we need you to meet the others. I mean, since you are going to be living with us for the next years, right?”

“Yeah… But I thought you’ll tour me?”

“I will, but you must meet them first. And then we could go and have a walk! The more the merrier, right?”

“Oh… okay.”

Minutes. It took us almost thirty minutes walking and we haven’t even reached our destination. I did nothing the whole time but follow behind him. I was looking around, freaking out at how beautiful everything are.

Prior to my observation, this place doesn’t look like an Academy at all. Nothing of everything here gives that vibes but here we are anyways, as there are student here calling it their school, their home, a place they would fight for just to protect.

It looked more like a castle.More like a kingdom. Or more like a small village with all this high and beautiful structures as their houses and shelter in times of catastrophe. Something they will lie their lives for once and for all. At least that is how I wrote it.

A place as beautiful as this one, a place as homey as this one is something worth a fight, worth a life. But it is a magical school, it means this place could protect itself no matter what.

There are so many trees. Every turn one will see another. I guess that contributes to the fresh air right now. The sun is high in the sky but I cannot feel it seeping though me because of the trees. Tall enough to shelter a passerby. And these ones, seems like they were planted to feed, too. These were the types of trees that can actually produce fruits that are edible. No one will ever get hungry in this Academy.

“Boy…” I approached him as he was walking quite in front of me. “Uhm… what did yi say your name was again?”

“Mika, really? You forgot about it already?” He asked, pretending he was hurt. He even has his left hand on his chest! As if he was really that hurt and was about to have a heart attack!

I rolled my eyes at him.

“Sorry, but I was caught up looking around and forgot-- about most things really.” I said, explaining things against my will.

“I’m joking, okay? I know we just met and remembering names that was said fro the first time isn’t actually as ideal as it sounds.” I breathed out there, as if holding my breath for a long time. I mean, he was a prince! What am I supposed to think? “Just call me Wade, dear girl.”

“Okay! Wade!” I said, almost exclaiming thy name. “Sorry about that…” I trailed, almost hiding my face. What the hell is wrong with me? “Well anyways, is it okay to ask something?”

“Yeah, of course. What is it that you want to know?”

“Has this place always been this wide? I feel like this is wider that the whole Baguio itself.” I ask, wondering. Of course, that is an exaggeration. Baguio is wide, I could say even if I have not visited every place it has to offer, but still, Baguio is too much of a comparison.

“Baguio? I haven’t heard of such a place…” He asked, right. I am not in the Philippines, not even on the surface of Earth at this point!

“Yeah… somewhere in…” I trailed, thinking of place I have written. Maybe it could exist here even if it just came out of my mouth? “… the empire of Werflaight…” I said, trailing of my words, unsure whether to just lie or tell him the truth. But can he know the truth? Is it alright to lie to a royalty himself?

“Huh, never known there’s a place like that there. Is that where you came from?” He asked, turning to me. Oh! How I hope he doesn’t actually know where that is! But if he’s just pretending… I do not know what will happen to me.

But how can he know if this is just a freaking dream? Dream people doesn’t know what they are not introduced with, so maybe he really doesn’t know… I really do hope so.