Chapter 18: Moonlight

Phileas lay in the couch of his study all night. He kept thinking about the new prophecy. He ordered the staffs to keep all the lights in the annexed building that they resided in to be kept lit. He even ordered to double the lights around the cursed garden.

The flower lights that Sarah saw when she first came to the magic realm are literally flowers which glow with their life magic. Life magic keeps the darkness away. But it is difficult for intelligent beings such as humans to use their life energy without draining themselves, because they cannot replenish themselves easily. Plants and trees can absorb surrounding life energy or receive it from the sun directly. Humans or magical beings like Phileas using their life magic is equivalent to using up their life itself. The more life magic used, the harder it is replenish, the more chances of death.

Phileas stood up and began to walk towards the door when he spotted the letters on his desk. It gave him a headache. It has been a year since he brought the princess to this realm and she was still very human. Her identity was not clear. The ministers were now becoming curious about her presence in the palace. They demanded an explanation, to which Phileas could not find an answer yet. It would not be long before they started to show up in the annexed building to meet her themselves. If they found out and if word spread about her identity, things could become difficult for them. Without powers, no one is safe in this realm.

He walked out of his study and towards Sarah's room. When he opened her door, the lack of lights in the room shocked him. He was about to turn the lights on when he realised that she was not in her bed. Instead, she was sitting near the window, on the floor, staring out. The moonlight fell on her face and body making her look slightly pale, but beautiful. The uneven reflection on her jet black curls looked fascinating.

Phileas brought his hand to his chest as he felt his heart beat faster.

Sarah felt a presence and turned to see Phileas standing at the doorway.

"I couldn't sleep. I felt uneasy. Don't worry, I will turn the lights on later," she smiled at him slightly and turned her body to face him as she sat cross-legged, "You didn't sleep either, did you?"

Sir Phileas is known to maintain a strict routine. He is very meticulous about his schedules and tasks. For someone as conscious as Phileas to be standing at Sarah's door past midnight, it only meant he was unable to follow his schedule.

Sarah welcomed him to give her company, which Phileas accepted. They sat there together discussing the letters on his desk. They talked the whole night. Sarah did most of the chatting. Phileas only stared at her as she did.

They did not notice when they moved over to the side of the bed to lean their sleep-deprived heads on, or when they fell asleep, or when dawn arrived. In the morning, Ella knocked on the door and entered the room to wake Sarah up, but stopped on her tracks when she saw the two of them sleeping soundly by the bed; Sarah's head on Phileas' shoulder, his head on her.

At the sound of Ella's footsteps, Phileas woke up. He turned to see Ella watching them keenly. He turned to check what she was looking at, and upon discovery shook Sarah off him. Sarah woke up with her head still dizzy, squinting at her surroundings.

"Oh, it's morning. No moonlight. Is that you, Ella? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"No, my lady, I mean, I am just here to wake you up. I apologise for waking you and Sir Phileas up," she bowed apologetically.

"No, no. It's okay. I think I dozed off. Sir Phileas here didn't get a wink of sleep though," she looked at Phileas, "why do you look red? Did you catch a cold?"

Phileas stood up abruptly as she was about to touch his forehead and left the room. Sarah sat there looking confused. Strange man, always, she thought.

Ella moved over to her and crouched down, "My lady, are you really not his fiancé?"

Sarah frowned in distaste, "What rubbish! Get my clothes ready".

"Yes ma'am," Ella hid her smile as she began her morning chores.

Sarah just sat there wondering why Ella was the stewardess of the wrong ship.