Heart desired

//chapter 1//

It was third period of Republic History and Nasha Rawyer was daydreaming about a ghost coming out of a tea cup when Daniel nudged her with his pencil from behind. "Hey. Teacher asked you to read the next paragraph. Page twenty nine. Third one."

Grateful for her best friend, she stood up and began to read.The class was utterly quiet. She was surprised. It was never quiet in Miss Briar's class. She was halfway through the chapter when she noticed snickers. Did she mistook the page? She checked again. It was page 29 and she was reading the third paragraph. Then what-?

"Miss Rawyer, it seemes that you were not paying attention." The teacher spoke. She looked up from her book and found out what was wrong.

It was not Miss Briar. It was Miss Agatha. Which means she was reading a History book in Social Education class.

Her cheeks heated as the whole class began to laugh. The most annoying laugh was Penelope's high pitched broken laugh. She seemed to be enjoying herself. Nasha smiled. It was a good thing Penelope laughed first. So she won't be punished after she returned the little favor.

"I am sorry, madam." She apologized. But Miss Agatha was not the one to forgive that easily. "Since my class is not interesting for you, go stand on the hallway till the class end." She said, returning to the lesson. Nasha took it as her que and went to stand on the hallway.

"Hands up, Miss Rawyer." 'Miss Agatha never forget to surprise a student'. She reminded herself as she put her hands up.

After thirty minutes, when the class was over and she was back on her seat, Daniel nudged her with a pencil again. "Aren't your arms sore?"

"Nope." She replied, turning on her chair and facing him. His dark brown locks fell past his forhead, almost covering his right eye. He brushed it back now and then, and she had seen girls drool after him when he did it. She honestly didn't understand what's the purpose of making girls hopeless when he never seemed to care about them.

Truth to be told, Daniel was beautiful. His eyes were light brown but had a purple shade to them. His features showed that he was just passing his childhood. Once round cheeks now had a manly handsoness in it. His neckline that showed beneath the open buttons of his shirt-

"I usually don't care if you stare at me, but now I am feeling a little shy." He said as a smirk appeared in his honey coloured face. "Other girls always go crazy when they see me, but why am I so indifferent to you again?"

"Probably because I have seen far more handsom men." Nasha shrugged, dropping the subject. Daniel's mouth tightened, but he did the same.

"Did you use it for your punishment?" He asked, clenching his hands tight.

"I guess."

"Why are you so stubborn? I can't even look at his face, you know. If I can't even clear after you, what's the use of me being here? Let me at least check before you use mag-"

"I plan to use it one more time."

His eyes widened. "For what?"

She galanced at Penelope. Daniel followed her gaze and swore. "You can't be serious."

Nasha smiled. "But I am."

-----

Daniel was restless.

He had warned her for more than hundred times but she still used magic in the presence of humans.

Well, to her, he supposed, it wasn't a concern.

But it was for him.

King of Derentia had appointed him to protect this irresponsible princess from getting into trouble while she spend ten years in mortal realm. Spending a certain time in mortal realm was a tradition the court kept for generations, but the problem was princess's hatred towards it. She didn't like there personality and smell and parcrically everything.

Snakes wearing skins. He could imagine her voice. Useless Trash. Goody two shoeses.

Daniel went to the usual janitor closet he used for working, preparing in advance. He sat with his knees bent, bringing his pinky finger and middle finger together and towards his heart. He focused, letting only a little bit of his power to the surface.

Because he will have to clear up after her.

Time passed, and he waited patiently till he felt the princess's magic flowing around. After that happened, he will have to absorb those traces and then his job will be done.

Two hours passed, and Daniel couldn't help but worry. He stood up, feet sore and unbalanced. After he gained his posture again, he went to the hallway, and paused.

There was blood everywhere.

On the walls, on the ground and even the air itself was misted in red. Nobody was around, and the source of blood remained a mistery. Cursing under his breath, he dashed off. Protecting the princess was his priority, after all.

He banged on the class room doors along the way, but there was no student or a teacher in them. Basically, everything was quiet and empty beside the sound of sloshing blood.

The copper taste of the blood was filling his heightened awareness whole by the time he realized something was odd. He felt someone's hand shaking him and his knees sliding against marble when he was still running. He felt an unholy power running through his channels.

Then... was this all an illusion?

Daniel collected himself and reached inside him, spreading his power to his magic channels and clearing away the unholy source of power he felt. It felt like a hour when he finally able to get it all out, but he was glad at least he could figure it out that easily.

He slowly opened his eyes to find out that he was lying on the floor with his butt sticking out in the air. He quickly changed the posture and sat down, fighting the nausea that crawled up his throat. He looked to the side and stopped short.

Nasha was sitting beside him, her whole face blank and lifeless.

-----

Nasha watched as Daniel sat up, but she didn't want to move or speak.

She was so, so screwed. The coward in her was rising and destroying all the walls she drew up for herself. She clenched her hands to fists and stared ahead, knuckles white with force.

"Are you okay?" Daniel asked carefully. He seemed to be barely fighting the nausea that was a side effect of filling magic channels, but at least he looked okay.

She nodded once, not wanting to speak.

"What happened?" She was hoping he won't ask, but he did anyway. Seeing her silence, he spoke again. "Why did you went out of control so much that even I couldn't figure out your power at all? Is Penelope okay? Did you kill her?"

Nasha let out a breath. "I don't know what you are talking about."

Daniel stared for a moment and got up. "I'll take care of it. Don't worry."

Nasha just sat there, too tired to speak.

If you seek, you will perish.

It all happened too fast. So fast. And he was still out there somewhere.

A mortal.

Nasha dropped to the floor, silent tears escaping her eyes.

After a while, Daniel returned, looking a little confused. He sat beside her. Her eyes were still swollen, and worry was everywhere in his face.

"Tell me what is it." He said.

Nasha, princess of Derentia, started shaking, so hard that she thought she would scatter in to pieces. She looked at her best friend, partner and protector. If she told him now, she would feel okay, but that would certainly put him on danger.

"Just a usual tantrum." She replied, forcing a casual tone. "It just came out harder this time."

Daniel obviously didn't believe her, but he didn't press further. She was thankful towards him for it. He got up and went out again, likely to report her tantrum to the king.

Nasha sighed and looked out of the window, and froze.

It was the mortal. And he was smirking at her.