Above All

-Eight-Five-

Healing in my mind

Melodies before spring falls

Love grows without fear

Éliane:

         "Mom, I have to go now or I'm going to be late." I grumbled into the speaker of the phone as I shuffled the massive amount of papers on my desk in a frantic manner; it was getting rather late in the morning and the wedding was soon to be due. The entire palace of Maelony had been upside down and frantic since the early rises of the morning, me included.

            I had been up since four in the morning just going over every single detail of this day ensuring that everything in the palace was running exceptionally up to task; this was a big event, one that many would have their eyes on globally, and I knew as head of the entirety of Maelony and Kentillie Palace, I had to ensure that it ran smoothly. After all, this is what I was hired to do in Ms. Kayaode's place. I had run behind her for years on end watching every slight detail she had made in her life working for the Imperial Family and I intended to aspire to the same high standards she set for herself and the staff under her.

            At first, the new position frightened me; I had thought for sure I would remain the assistant forever—which in a way was fine with me, I tended to do well in positions like this; then Idizia was thrown for a loop upon the discovery of a very particular PR's true relation to the previous Imperial Family before her. Now, I couldn't imagine anyone heading the country with such grace and dignity; Amani was the first person in my life who looked at me for who I was and nothing more.

            She saw me a person, one with flaws that made me who I am and she never judged me, if anything, she encouraged me to be a stronger version of myself and to prove others around me wrong even when they bullied me and made me feel small; Amani was always there to save me from that kind of trouble.

            I thought I'd live my entire life without friends—I had accepted that about myself and just moved forward, living my own world of a bubble without another thought. Then she came into my life and it changed, suddenly I was surrounded by friends and people who cared for me all the sorts! It was an exhilarating and warming feeling, especially when I found love in between all of that.

            Johnny.

            I hadn't thought anything of him upon first meeting him, you see I'd just grown up with the idea that no one "noticed" me, like I was a statute that one had to pass multiple times on their way to work and from work, just there... but not really. Amani was kind enough to introduce us and when he mentioned one of my favorite animes: Yui X Yue Must Die, for the first time in my life I felt noticed.

            We had just clicked in a way I never thought would happen to me. He made me nervous, giddy, excitable, and surely seen. The closer we got, the more things we did together like going to anime conventions and cosplaying together as our favorite characters; I could share in something that was dearly meaningful to me with someone that I soon began to grow feelings for in such a short matter of time.

            Then that incident happened and I couldn't lie, I was extremely crushed; the only hope I had of my life changing finding friendship and love for once in my life seemed to vanish right in front of me. I had truly convinced myself that Johnny could never be interested in a girl like me, after all I felt as if I were not on the level of beauty as someone like Amani or Rose perhaps. It shot my confidence back to the ground and I silently went through a rough patch in my life.