11 — Cecilia's Visit

After a long bath, he changes into his nightwear. A loose, oversized white linen shirt and shorts. He throws himself onto his bed, snuggling to his thick blanket.

'By the way... How could you not know things from my universe?' Joezand asks. 'Shinichi pretty much made one of the most faithful recreations I've seen. There's even lore about our own medieval times.'

'Well... that was another little white lie. Honestly, I know pretty much everything there is to know about your past, I just didn't want to seem like a weirdo!'

'That wouldn't matter at all!' Joezand complains. 'You're big on lies. Pathologically so. Are you sure you didn't invent those as well?'

'Hmmm...' She seems to think for a bit. 'That might've been my good friend Chansa, goddess of theater. She was really into these things that could be used for good or evil. She was always a creative.'

'That wasn't a real question.' Joezand grumbles. 'But you seem quite a fan of her work.'

'I am!' Sunnaria says excitedly. 'You pay so much attention to me! I feel flattered, little lamb.'

'And that wasn't really a compliment.' Joezand sighs. 'Geez, sometimes you're harder to deal with than the royals—'

His thoughts are suddenly interrupted by knocks on his door. Sunnaria doesn't reply. He looks at the counter, seeing a feather duster laying there. Seems like the maid forgot it again.

"Come in." He says, not bothering to get up. The door opens and closes while he's still looking up.

"Did you need something, Annelies—"

"It's not Anneliese, hehe." The voice giggles, and he finally looks towards her. It's his... sist- mothe- Hm... family member, Cecilia.

She's also in her sleepwear, but hers is very different from his. Her shirt seems to be a few sizes down than her usual, as it is tight against her body, enhancing her breasts while riding up to show off her stomach. Her bottoms are incredibly short as well, hugging her curves. Joezand can't help but blush, but he quickly averts his gaze. After everything he learned about this family, he probably can't let her know that he is in any way affected by her. To avoid... uncomfortable situations.

"O-Oh... How can I help you, Duchess Cecilia?" He keeps staring at the opposite wall.

"Nothing! I just wanted to chat. It's been so long since I saw you." She says, as he watches her shadow move closer to the bed.

"I see." Joezand says. "I don't remember much, though. I don't think I'll be a very... skilled conversationalist."

"Don't worry about it." He feels ice as her fingers touch his wrist. "I can lead."

"A-Ah..." He moans slightly at her frigid touch. "I-I was just about to sleep. I'm just so tired, Duchess Cecilia..."

"You don't need to call me that while we're alone, Joz." She says, slowly tracing his arm with her hand. He still refuses to look at her. "Although... I guess you don't remember what you used to call me, right?"

"Nope! No idea at all, hahaha." He throws off a forced laugh. "We're basically strangers from my point of view now. Nothing like we used to be!"

"That makes me soooooo sad, Joz." Her fingers dance up his bicep, reaching his shoulder as they slowly crawl to his chest. "But I can always remind you of the love I feel for you."

"I-Is... Is that so?"

"That's right." Cecilia's fingers reach his throat, still going up. "And we can make it even better than before, Joz." She grips his chin, forcing him to finally look at her. Her face is flushed and her eyes half-lidded. Her mouth is open and her breathing is ragged, with her chest hanging low close to him. "Mommy. That's what you used to call me when you were younger. It was... adorable." She says while she grips his cheek. He gulps as he sees her face approaching. "You are just adorable, Joezand. I love you so much I can't stand it." He could easily throw her off of him, but he's... paralyzed. Her head gets closer and closer to his, approaching him slowly until-

A loud knock comes from his door. Cecilia straightens up immediately, releasing Joezand. He exhales a breath he didn't even realize he was holding.

"Prince Joezand!" Anneliese's voice comes out from the other side of the door. "I forgot my feather duster! Can I come in?"

"Y-Yeah, sure. Please come in!" Joezand says.

"What a buzzkill." Cecilia sighs. "Don't worry, Joz. We'll continue later." She says as the door opens.

"D-Duchess Cecilia? What are you doing here?" Anneliese says.

"We were... talking. Don't worry, I was just leaving." Cecilia replies, and moves out of the room. Anneliese stares at her as she goes, then back at Joezand. His eyes are wide and he's breathing heavily.

"Prince Joezand... Are you okay?" Anneliese says, getting closer.

"Y-Yes. I'm totally fine." He says, waiting for his breathing to stabilize. "Y-Your feather duster is right there."

"Are you sure? You look frightened."

"I-I'm fine, Anneliese. Don't worry about me."

"Well, if you're sure..." She picks up the item she lost. "But if you need me to keep watch outside your door today, please tell me, okay?" She moves to leave.

"T-That'd help." Joezand says. "Thanks, Anneliese."

"Alright. I'll be right out here if you need something." She smiles at him and leaves.

He puts his hand over his own chest, feeling his heart beating frantically. His other arm reaches for his forehead, cleaning out the sweat. He gets up, trembling, as he goes to the window and opens it, taking a deep breath of the fresh air. He nervously twirls the ring in his finger.

'I could have stopped her. I'm stronger than her.' Joezand thinks. 'Then why was I unable to do it? Why did I feel... paralyzed?'

He waits as he looks to the horizon. The night sky feels somber and heavy, with very few, fading stars visible. He can see the lake around the palace, the homes and shops of the people, all the way to the gigantic gate. He can even peek at the forest beyond it. The minutes stretch out as his breathing slows down.

'Sunnaria?' He thinks, calling to her.

...

And no answer comes.

'Hey, Sunnaria?' He tries again. 'Can you hear me?'

...

...

He grips the ring in his finger. 'Sunnaria?! What happened?'

And no one answers.