Saving Neba

𝐕𝐈𝐈𝐈: Comfort from a Royal

Only one thing lingered in my mind at the moment - Neba.

There were two reasons behind that thought. One, I couldn't face those people again. They would chew me and shit me back out. Not that I cared though. Secondly, even if I did find some kind of confidence to face the crowd, would I really ask Sandra to drive me home?

Sandra stood there on the stage. She'd watched me get insulted by her minion, friend, whatever. She hadn't done anything. Not as much as a 'it's not what it seems' kind of scenario. The truth was there: between me and Luan, Luan was more of her friend.

Crypta could extremely be of help right now. My purse was on the floor beside me. I unzipped it and brought out the small bluish-green aerosol can.

I sprayed it at the open area in front of me and once the portal was opened, I thought of Crypta's words of affirmation, stood, and stepped right into the gyrating hole.

The world needs people like you. People who can change the world.

When I stepped out of my portal, I was surrounded by a shade of blue colour. The kind that matched Crypta's eye. In the middle of the ceiling and at the foot of the bed, the dragon symbol I was getting used to was there. A large bed, king-sized presumably, was there with the headboard against the wall.

A door opened and wet legs came out of it. It walked further until I willed myself to look up. A white towel was around his waist and then I looked up and tried to meet his eyes. He was quicker though.

"Emerald?"

I turned away immediately, not wanting to see more of his toned body or have disturbing thoughts creep into my mind.

"Emerald. . ." Now he was in front of me. His black hair was dripping water. Drip, drip, water landed on the floor. I forced myself to stare at only the indigo shade in his eyes, not looking up, not looking down. Then I noticed that he was not even looking at any part of me but my face and my dress. "Did you fall into a pool of sugar and ice?"

"What do you mean?"

"You look awful." He walked past me to his inbuilt wardrobe. "You know, I didn't take you for a nocturnal visitor."

"I didn't plan to." I was now looking down at the dragon symbol, not wanting to watch him take off the towel and wear something less exposing. "It's just. . .I-"

"Your cheeks are tearstained, eyes are teary, and lips are trembling." He sighed. "Turn around."

I turned. He was in a blue vertically-striped shirt and a pair of loose track trousers. "You need to take off this flared mess."

I sighed. "I know."

He rummaged his wardrobe for something. "Trying to go your room now would mean waking my family up. We had a really big day today."

"What happened today?"

For a moment, he was silent, contemplating, having a battle with his mind. He finally said, "Nothing you should know about."

I ignored him. This wasn't the time to remember that he was still Crypta Domroyante, heir to the Neban throne, the Neban who didn't trust a human, even if he was the one who chose that human.

A cloth was thrown in my direction and I caught it instinctively. It was a long-sleeved plain blue shirt, his shirt. "It should do."

I took off the golden sandals and he went into the bathroom, gentlemanly. I unzipped my dress, pulled it off, and put on the shirt. I buttoned it from top to bottom. The shirt stopped somewhere below mid-thigh, but it was better than a stained ceremonial dress.