Chapter 21
I sat on the bench outside the inn, staring at the night sky and pretending the cool air was enough to quiet my thoughts.
It was not.
A few moments later, I heard footsteps approaching.
I did not bother turning.
"Do you make it a habit to appear wherever I am?" I asked.
Rhaevan's voice came calm as ever.
"Only when you choose interesting places."
I rolled my eyes.
This was a bench.
There was nothing remotely interesting about a wooden bench.
Then again, arguing that felt unnecessary.
He stopped beside me.
"May I sit?"
I looked at the bench.
Then at him.
Then back at the bench.
"The bench can comfortably hold six people, Rhaevan."
He smiled, but annoyingly, he still remained standing.
I sighed.
"You may sit."
He sat beside me, leaving a respectful distance between us. For a while, neither of us spoke. We simply looked at the night sky in a silence that felt strangely easy.
Since he still did not ask anything, I ended up speaking first.
"Thanks."
He turned slightly.
"For what?"
"The woods," I said. "You came back."
Understanding flickered across his face.
"Ah. I could not leave you there, could I?"
I narrowed my eyes.
"Do not get haughty about it. My gratitude has a very limited lifespan."
He chuckled.
"Alright. You're welcome, my lady."
He dipped into a small exaggerated bow while seated.
Ridiculous man.
After a while, he asked, "How long have you been with Miss Ann?"
"About four years."
He nodded.
Silence returned.
My mind drifted elsewhere.
Something had been bothering me.
In the original story, Rhaevan only entered the Magic Tower much later, after being discovered and recruited as an apprentice.
So how had he gotten there this early?
"How did you get into the Magic Tower?" I asked.
Rhaevan looked mildly surprised by the question.
"The Master took me in after seeing my magic," he said. "At least, that is what he told me."
I frowned slightly.
Interesting.
At least that was better than him falling under bad influences.
Another thought surfaced.
A more dangerous one.
Had he met her?
Had he met Lysenne already?
"So," I said carefully, "you must be familiar with the palace now?"
"Oh yes," he said. "The tower works closely with the palace. I handle much of the coordination."
Right.
So they had met.
That complicated things.
"Since when did you know about my magic?" I asked.
Rhaevan looked at me and gave a small chuckle.
"Well, there was the flowerpot you shattered while trying to water the herbs."
I blinked.
"And the broom that somehow caught fire."
I blinked again.
"The pantry door incident."
"...That was one time."
"Twice."
I frowned.
"You're keeping count?"
"It seemed wise."
I stared at him.
I had thought I was being discreet.
Apparently, I had been leaving a trail of magical disasters behind me while one infuriatingly patient man quietly repaired the damage.
So that's how the flowerpot had mysteriously put itself back together.
And the broom I could have sworn I had turned to ash had somehow reappeared the next morning.
And the pantry door hinge had automatically been repaired.
I had genuinely believed my magic was improving.
I had even entertained the possibility that I had developed some remarkable new ability where things simply repaired themselves after a few minutes.
...
Rhaevan had fixed them.
Not my magic.
Him.
In hindsight, that should have been the more reasonable conclusion.
Absolute crap.
Silence settled again, but this time I broke it with something more important.
"About the forest..."
He turned to me.
I cleared my throat.
"Do not tell Miss Ann about my magic. She does not know, and I intend to keep it that way."
Rhaevan studied me for a moment.
Not probing.
Not pressing.
Just looking.
Then he nodded.
"Alright. I won't."
That simple answer relieved me more than I wanted to admit.
Then, unexpectedly, he asked, "Can I ask for something in return?"
I blinked.
"What?"
A faint smile touched his lips.
"Can I be your friend?"
I stared.
What?
Of all possible things I had expected him to say, that ranked impressively low on the list.
"Huh?"
Brilliant response, Cassiane.
He looked amused now.
"You asked me questions tonight."
I frowned.
"So?"
"So you are talking to me."
"That is called conversation."
"Yes."
"That does not automatically imply friendship."
"No," he agreed. "But it feels like progress."
I opened my mouth.
Closed it.
Opened it again.
Nothing useful emerged.
He continued, amusement warming his voice.
"May I use some of your gratitude to negotiate friendship?"
That-
unfortunately-
made me smile.
A small one.
But enough.
Rhaevan looked at me, and something softened in his expression.
"That suits you better."
I frowned.
"What?"
He smiled.
"This version of you. The one that smiles instead of threatening violence."
Warmth rushed to my cheeks so suddenly it felt like betrayal.
I cleared my throat and stood up immediately.
"Well," I said, with all the dignity I could gather, "I will think about your proposal."
Then I turned and began walking toward the inn.
"Good night, Cassie."
I paused for half a second.
"Good night, Rhaevan."
Just before stepping inside, I looked back once.
He was still sitting there, looking up at the stars, calm and quiet as ever.
For some reason, that image stayed with me long after I returned to my room.