I walk down the stairs, dressed in a navy blue gown and silver accessories, my hair wound into a loose braid that falls over my shoulder. A small crowd of girls linger near the main lobby of the women's dormitory, many of them holding little balls of fire. I head past them and outside.

Viktor is waiting for me in the gardens, as per our custom, seated on one of the stone benches. His eyes are closed, head bowed as if in thought. I stroll up to him and sit beside him, nestling myself comfortably in the warmth of his body and sighing in relief. His hand slips over mine and grips it firmly, holding it on his thigh as I settle against him.

"Happy Birthday." I greet him quietly.

"Mn. Thank you, dear Ophelia." He nuzzles my head before pulling back a bit to press a brief kiss to my cheek. "I am happy to see you. Someone in healing class managed to leak my birthday to the entire academy. The constant attention has been....exhausting."

I chuckle lightly at the sour tone. "Darling, you should try to be friendlier with people."

"It is hard for me to become friends with anyone other than you."

"It is not my fault I am irresistibly charming and so smart that you're smitten by me. It's not like I had anything to do with that."

Viktor opens his mouth and begins to respond, but stops himself. His brows furrow as he searches my face, but I only smile sweetly and reach up to pat his cheek. His lips twitch, as if fighting not to break into a smile. He ends up looking like a very disgruntled kitten, and I have to bite back the laughter at that thought.

"Viktor, don't look at me like that! I was joking~" I tilt my head as I study him.

He's doing an admirable job not revealing the hints of a smile playing at the corner of his lips, but it's not enough to fool me. His green eyes sparkle brightly. He presses a gloved hand to mine. "You have me caught." His voice is so smooth and silky that I wonder if there's anything he could ask of me that I would refuse. "What punishment do you have in store for me?"

He's asking to be kissed.

My lips curve into a playful smirk, and I shift back to prop my hands behind me and steady myself before lifting a leg to straddle him, and pressing him back into the bench. He falls against the arm of the bench as I loom over him, pinning him in place. Viktor looks a bit dazed. His green eyes are glassy, and he's staring at my lips. I know what he wants.

My eyes drift from his eyes to his lips. We're both adults now. This is Viktor's 19th birthday, but I - Ophelia - turned 18 a month before. We're no longer 'young folk in love' but two marriageable adults with clear intent. I feel like I'm living in a dream, floating on air (ironic, because I can't get the slightest gust of air magically).

I love him.

I want him.

I'm in love with him.

My hands caress his cheeks and slide back to cup his head. I hold his face gently between my palms and my lips trace the lines of his lips before I press into him, deepening it. I taste strawberries and mint. It must be from his tea. It's intoxicating.

I can't stop kissing him.

It's not enough.

I'm insatiable.

My Viktor is an utter gentleman, despite his protests to the contrary, and doesn't lay a hand on me, even in a situation like this, where I've made myself so vulnerable. Instead his arms wrap around me, his fingers twisting and curling in the fabric of my skirt to resist the temptation. I let out a quiet laugh against his lips.

So virtuous, my beloved.

I reward him with a brief nibble of his lower lip before I pull away, still hovering above him as I eye his lips again, and press another lingering kiss to them. His eyes are full of mirth when I finally pull back and stare into his eyes, unable to keep myself from smiling.

He really does look so very tempting like this.

"You do seem to be having fun." Viktor observes.

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

My hand caresses his jawline. "My dear, there is absolutely nowhere else in the world I would rather be. You have charmed me completely."

"Then I will gladly accept my fate and become your willing prisoner."

I grin, pressing my forehead to his as I rub our noses together playfully. "I love you. So much, Viktor, that I would rather die than let you go. You are mine and mine alone. My Viktor." My fingers wander over his lips before I rise gracefully, sitting up straight on his thighs. Viktor closes his eyes briefly, taking a deep breath and adjusting his necktie as he sits up, though he stays settled against the arm of the bench. The tension that builds and fades between us is thrilling and torturous.

Viktor finally gathers his scattered wits enough to stand, clearing his throat awkwardly and holding his hand out to me. He's still a little unsteady on his feet. "You've...stolen my heart. Please be careful with it." He whispers quietly.

I take the hand, squeezing it in my own. "I will treat it with utmost care, I promise. And I will give you mine, too, and entrust it to you. Please protect my heart for me."

He bows to press his lips to my hand, lingering a moment. "It is my most valued treasure, and always has been. I will guard it always, and always keep you safe."

Sometimes I still pinch myself to make sure this isn't just a beautiful dream I'm having. If Viktor ever catches me he always obliges and immediately joins in, stating in good humor that he assumes I'm thinking of doing something reckless and the pinch is advanced punishment for it.

"One day," He murmurs into my ear, a tinge of a rasp to his voice. "We will have a beautiful wedding, but nothing in it will be as beautiful as the bride, and certainly nothing on it will match her radiance. A thousand words could never hope to capture her beauty, for she is made of the stuff of dreams, and when one gazes at her for too long they feel themselves becoming intoxicated by her brilliance, drowning in her glow as she takes their soul and makes it hers."

"You don't have any idea what you do to me, Viktor..." My voice is languid and warm, full of adoration, and my cheeks are beginning to hurt from grinning so wide.

He chuckles softly, and I can just hear him say - barely loud enough to hear, "Nor you I."

I smile to myself, taking a deep breath, and then look up at him. "Darling. You'll choose to room with me this semester, won't you? Remember? We get to decide this semester."

Viktor raises a brow and coughs, but he can't hide the growing smile on his face. "Are you so desperate for me, you can't bear to be apart?"

"I am always desperate for you, beloved." I insist, laughing softly, and brush my hands along his waist, wrapping my arms around his torso as I look up into his eyes with a mock pleading expression. "Darling. Don't tease me. You'll break my heart."

Viktor snorts. "Impossible." He moves closer, bending his head so that our cheeks brush together. "I'd sooner break myself. For you to think I would toy with your feelings in such a manner is-it's sacrilege." He swoops down suddenly and kisses me deeply.

I wrap my arms around his shoulders. "Say you'll choose me." I beg him, pulling away reluctantly and resting my forehead against his, breathing heavily, my eyes locked onto his. I don't even try to hide how desperate I am for him to say yes. "Promise you'll be there when I wake up and see me to sleep at night, and-and-I can bake cookies and cake for you and brew tea every morning and I'll polish your glasses for you and-and-"

"I love you." Viktor breathes out. "How could I refuse such an enticing proposition?"

I wiggle excitedly - drawing quite the amusing sound out of Viktor - and grin. "Excellent! In that case..."

"That is a wonderful idea, my dear, and I am indeed most enthusiastic, but first we should get some refreshments, lest I lose control..." His eyes stray to my lips, as if magnetized to them. He licks his lips slowly, and takes a deep breath. "We need food. Now."

He is quite the perfect man. I laugh and acquiesce to his request. "All right, but I'm only saying yes because you asked so nicely."

I am...utterly hopeless at magic, rich and powerful but completely out of place in this academy for magicians. But. I'm never out of place if I'm with Viktor.

He is my home, the sun to my planet, and my shelter in the storm.

And that is enough for me.

...I want to see my darling Viktor become the strongest magic healer in the land and become the Royal Mage. He only accomplishes that on his route, but he won't need Eileen's help for that this time. I'm already here, and I'll support him myself. I lean my cheek against his chest as I sigh contentedly, listening to his heartbeat. Eileen was actually already in the school - Viktor jump scared me with her about six months ago. I'd forgotten that Eileen got accepted early due to her sheer magical potential. On the day of her arrival she'd conveniently bumped into each of her potential routes, as usual, and that apparently included Viktor.

If this world follows the canon path, next week Eileen would be rescued from a spell gone sideways by Prince Hedrim about two weeks from now. Though I've not heard of her except for Viktor's passing comment months ago, she'll soon be the most talked about person in school. Honestly...it doesn't really matter to me. I'm not the Ophelia who has any interest in Hedrim or the throne, and so I have no business with Eileen at all. We likely will barely cross paths.

Still...it will be stressful for Viktor. The canon route is action packed, and while we two will be safe, there will be many casualties and injuries around the castle he'll be driven to try to help. I know it will all work out just fine, but Viktor won't know. I'll have to focus on making sure his time this year is as enjoyable as possible before all that stress.

My precious star needs to be pampered and well rested, so he can shine a bit brighter when everything gets darker. Viktor tilts his head, his face half obscured by his silver bangs that fall down over his brow, and leans into me, unaware of the future that awaits. And that's good. I just have to make sure the one I love is all right. For me, that is what happiness means.

...for the two of us, I'll try.

But first, I'll just...make sure the cake and the rest of his gifts arrive.