Cielle

A spark of interest

Morning arrived, and Cielle was awoken by muffled noises outside her room. She slowly tiptoed towards the door and peeked through, noticing maids and butlers rushing through the halls. Before she could step away from the door, it swung open, and Maya hurriedly entered.

"Miss Cielle," Maya said, glancing at the startled Cielle on the floor without bothering to ask why she was there. "Glad to see you're awake." Maya sifted through the closet and picked out some clothes, then pointed to the bathroom while placing the outfit on the bed. Cielle rushed to the bathroom, quickly brushing her teeth and washing her face. She ran her fingers through her hair and grabbed a brush.

Impatiently sitting on the bed, Maya clucked her tongue like a mother hen. Cielle smiled at the thought, and as she returned, she handed Maya the brush, allowing her to brush out her unruly curls. Leaving her hair flowing with a few strands clipped back, Cielle put on the loose-fitted pants and cute blouse that had been laid out for her. She slipped on her flats and made her way to the door.

A bell rang through the house, and Maya ushered her out, closing the door behind them. Cielle slowly made her way to the breakfast hall, encountering the others who chatted lazily to each other. She wasn't in the mood for conversation.

"Definitely not a morning person," a voice chirped behind her. She tilted her head towards the person and offered a polite smile.

"Good morning to you too, Claire." Claire chuckled, looking like the perfect picture of a bright and peppy morning person, the complete opposite of the previous night. Cielle was saved from attempting polite conversation as Cole entered the room.

"Morning, everyone. I trust that you slept well." Everyone nodded as they sat down for breakfast.

"I will not keep you from your meal. I'm just here to inform you that someone will come to get you when the others arrive today." Everyone nodded politely, and as Cole left, they turned their attention back to breakfast. The room filled with quiet munching as each person lost themselves in their thoughts, perhaps wondering what the new arrivals would be like or what would be expected of them in the days to come.

Once the plates were cleared, the group scattered and found themselves lounging around on the porch. Boredom settled in until Ruben broke the silence.

"Hey, wanna see something cool?" he asked, flicking his hand up. A small ball of light appeared and burst into flames, eliciting gasps of excitement from everyone. The ball suddenly moved as if with a mind of its own, heading straight towards Cielle. Bently winked and smirked, but Ruben lunged forward to stop it from hitting her. However, Cielle raised her hand, and the ball halted. Bently looked at her in confusion as the flame turned white and danced around her hand. She smiled slightly as it shrank and burst into bright sparks. Looking up, she realized everyone was staring at her. She had made a slight error in judgment—this was one of the few things she rarely showed to strangers. But since they would be living together, it was better to demonstrate that she was a capable individual rather than pretending to be weak.

Claire watched her in fascination, Ruben in shock, and Bently with keen interest. Cielle abruptly got up and headed for her room before any questions could be asked. Few people could combine powers like she did, and very few knew others who could. Hopefully, they wouldn't notice the combination, or she could dismiss it as a trick of the eye. Unfortunately, she wasn't a master of illusion.

A few moments later, Maya entered to inform her that they were ready to welcome the others who were arriving that day. Cielle smiled politely, her head filled with thoughts. Would she get in trouble with her cousins for using that specific power? Would they figure out her true identity despite their efforts to hide it? Maybe if she...

"Hey, are you okay?" a small voice said beside her. She swiftly turned her head and focused on the person next to her. A slim, strawberry-blonde girl stood there, and Cielle looked around to find everyone staring at her. Overwhelmed, she fainted.

When she woke up, she found herself in what appeared to be an infirmary. Fae sat next to her bed, looking quite out of place. Fae resembled the angels in the portraits back home—long, curly, soft-looking hair and an ethereal presence. They towered over most humans and lacked a muscular form. Cielle marveled at Fae's resemblance to the statues back home and felt a pang of longing for her parents.

"I see you're better, Christiielle," Fae said, nodding towards the nurse who hurriedly came to her bedside. Annoyed, Cielle realized she felt perfectly fine and didn't need the nurse acting like a bodyguard. Fae turned to her and smiled.

"You can go back to your room now. Please refrain from exerting yourself," Fae said. Cielle blushed and felt self-conscious.

"Okay," she managed to utter before being ushered out of the door.

"Thank you," she squeaked as the door closed behind her. Outside the door, Cole stood, looking impatient.

"The princes require your presence at this moment," he said, starting to walk briskly down the corridor, making her run to keep up with him. They arrived at the princes' office, and she was left in front of the door. She quickly tapped on it and entered. Prince Clementine sat across from her, quietly sipping something from a cup while observing her. He set his glass down.

"Tea, Princess?" he offered.

"No, thank you, Prince Clementine," she replied, dipping into a curtsy. He chuckled.

"Rise, Elle. You are not in trouble." Donovan's voice suddenly resonated across the room.

"We found out about what happened earlier today. Mr. Rogan has been punished for endangering a guest's life, but it won't be anything too serious. It will keep his hands busy for a while." Prince Clementine nodded and stood up.

"Cielle, we have requested that the church send us something to limit the display of your powers in public," he explained. "Since they have witnessed your White Fire Manipulation and your ability to manipulate Electricity, we can't hide that." Donovan nodded, and Prince Clementine continued, "However, your ability to use Divine Protection must be kept hidden. Please refrain from using any of your abilities until the package arrives."

"Also, if the topic arises and they ask about how you acquired your abilities, you know what to say. But just to refresh your memory, I'll repeat it. You were an orphan raised by members of the High Officials who recognized your abilities and taught you a few tricks of the trade. That should appease their curiosity."

"Yes, Cousin," she replied, bowing her head slightly.

"You are dismissed."

Cole reappeared to escort her back to her room.