#Freyciora

[aarafox]

aannd 86 Freylic x Luciora!!! 😃

Hhhhhhhh yes

86) “You’re important too.”

[Extra information: Freylic is the prince of the planet; this is a few Orbits after he has begun his annual trips over the planet. I think Lucy is fourteen and Freylic is sixteen in this drabble. Also, they were never romantically involved with each other. And an Orbit is a “year”]

Every Orbit when Freylic returned to the city, Lucy would relive the moment she met him. She was five, and reckless for her age - although she would call it “audacious”. After a disagreement with her dad, she had stormed outside and ran to the north of the city, to the highest tree of Sinalópolis. She began climbing. She didn’t need wings, she didn’t need to be big or tall! She was old enough to do this on her own! She was old enough to not need school to know enough about life to go to the place where they had invented Kawera!

As she jumped from one branch to another and landed perfectly, she smirked proudly. Hah, this would teach her dad!

But a small crack made her smile disappear like ice next to fire, and before she knew it, she was falling.

She had climbed less metres than she thought. She hardly met any branches on her way down. What she did meet, however, was the body of a Neflora.

Thump.

“Ouch!”

Lucy groaned and tried to get up. “What kind of idiot–?!”

But her words stopped as she turned around to look at the person she’d landed on. Hair as white as a lily, skin pale like clouds, and eyes gold like the sun. There was only one person who fitted a description like that, and that was someone with “Reyalos” as surname.

“Are you–?!” She rolled off of him.

The boy, at most seven years old, rubbed his head with one eye closed.

“So, this is probably the Universe trying to tell me I should not have left the palace,” he said.

“Prince Freylic?!?!” Lucy’s mouth was gaping.

He smiled bitterly. “That is me. And who are you, if I may ask?”

“I’m Luciora!” she said.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Luciora.” Apparently he didn’t really blame her for falling on top of him, because he smiled dazzingly at her. “Do not tell me you were trying to climb the highest tree of our city?”

“I was.” Lucy pouted. “But it didn’t really go as I hoped.”

“How old are you?”

“Five. But that’s old enough!!”

“I have no doubt. You look strong enough to be able to climb it.”

Lucy was surprised by that reply and her eyes grew big. No one had ever said that to her before.

“I’ll try again one day. Will you watch then?”

The prince smiled. “Of course.”

Lucy smiled as well. That was now nine Orbits ago, and afterwards they had met up many times. Freylic was curious about the five-Orbits old girl trying to climb the highest tree, and Lucy had become curious about the friendly prince who seemed too grown up for his age. They had become a remarkable combination, which not many people knew about.

When Freylic turned eight, he had to leave on his first global journey, and it had suddenly become clear to Lucy why he behaved so much more grown-up than he should have. He had been raised to fulfill his duty of travelling the planet from an early age on.

After that, in the few weeks Freylic was back in Sinalópolis, they had met up as often as they could. The only advantage now was that Freylic was allowed to leave the palace as he liked, and they didn’t have to be all secretive anymore, although they made sure they were with the two of them, because he did not need all his fans around him all the time.

But since about two Orbits or so, their meetings had become less. Lucy didn’t know why exactly, because she did try to see him, but somehow… it just never worked out. So her expectations had gradually shrinked a bit, and this Orbit she wasn’t hoping for much.

Everyone else was celebrating extensively: the whole square was full of Sinalópolis’ citizens welcoming him with the traditional Freylic song, but as Lucy’s eyes followed the prince and his grand procession with dancing acrobats and footmen, she just felt a doubtful somberness. Freylic ascended the stage and sat down, smiling modestly like always. He welcomed everyone happily and then reluctantly received all the presents (he always said “treat yourself with presents, not me”).

Lucy sighed. He wasn’t bad. He never had been bad, but she missed talking to him.

“This Orbit you’ll probably get the chance, won’t you?” Emily said. Lucy, Bella, Emily and all their families always went to Freylic’s Arrival Feast together.

Lucy looked at her friend. “I hope so.”

“Don’t give up!” Bella said energetically. “He probably misses you too!”

But Lucy wasn’t so sure about that. Not when the Freylic Fanclub immediately grabbed all his attention as soon as he tried to descend the stage and mingle with the people.

Apparently her thoughts were written on her face, because she heard Emily chuckle. “You look so bitter.”

“Guess I am bitter,” Lucy said.

“Come on girl, go,” Bella said and she pushed Lucy forward. “Good luck!”

Lucy looked back at them, her face painted with reluctance, but she blended in with the crowd and made her way to the stage. It was difficult to get too close to the prince. He was always surrounded with people. Normally, Freylic made an effort to look for her too, but not this time. He wasn’t even looking around. He only paid attention to his stupid fanclub.

Lucy gritted her teeth. This wasn’t gonna work! Why did she try to get to close to him anyway?! They had hardly spoken last Orbit, why would they now?! It was clear that Freylic didn’t need her friendship anymore. Well fine. If their friendship was only one-sided, there was nothing she could do. She would not stand in his way.

But still she wanted to end this appropriately. Thus she decided to try again when the members of that horrible fanclub had finally fucked off.

Okay. Apparently that was gonna be sooner than expected. While she was making her way back to the fountain, suddenly all the members surpassed her with great speed. She quickly whirled around, saw a direct line through the people to Freylic, and she dashed forward.

One second later, she was right in front of him.

“Luciora!” Freylic said, surprised.

“Hello,” she said. She couldn’t smile.

“How have you been?” he said. He had a soft gaze in his eyes, but it wasn’t the dazzling smile she was used to.

“Could be better.” She didn’t give him a chance to ask why. “I haven’t talked to you in a while.”

“You are right,” he answered and lowered his head. “I am sorry.”

“Why are you sorry? You’re the prince. You don’t have to talk to me if you don’t have to.”

“No, but that is not really why…” Lucy could see he was troubled by all this.

“You don’t have to feel guilty!” She quickly said. “I understand why you can’t, you know, make time for me each Orbit. It’s not weird! I can’t blame you for being the prince of the planet! Your fanclub, all these people, they’re all important to you and that’s logical!”

“You’re important too.” Freylic cut through her words like she’d never heard before. He never sounded informal, but he let go of his formality to tell her this. His eyes looked sternly in hers.

Lucy was silent. Freylic took a deep breath.

“I am sorry I was not there to speak with you the last two Orbits.” He shook his head. “There is no excuse. I did not mean to, but there is no excuse. I… There must have been something…”

He felt guilty, she could see it. She quickly looked about her, established that no one was paying attention to them, grabbed his hand and pulled him behind the stage, so they wouldn’t be disturbed.

When they were away from everyone else, Lucy looked at him questioningly.

“I think, I think it was…” Freylic didn’t know what he had to say.

“Perhaps it’s puberty!” Lucy shrugged. “That does stupid things to us. You’ve been famous all your life and you meet thousands of people every day. It’s not strange you didn’t think of me.”

“No, Lucy, let me explain this to you,” he said. “You might not be so far off with your puberty argument. I hate to admit it, but my mind sometimes does things I did not plan.”

Lucy nodded in understanding.

“But you, Lucy, you are a part of my life I never thought I would have.” Lucy’s heart clenched upon seeing his sincere eyes. “The day I met you opened a door for me. Being with you was like being away from my lessons, my parents, the duties I was fulfilling each day. The time I spend with you means more to me than you can understand.” He shook his head again. “The past two Orbits were overwhelming, with all the new attention I received. Neflora are… falling in love with me, at least they tell me so. It took an effort to keep myself away from that, away from hurting others. You know I am destined to Bond with someone from my family, so I can never give it them. While trying to preserve myself, while staying true to myself and trying to understand all the new developments in my life, I neglected you, and I am so sorry.” He paused, while Lucy stared at him with red cheeks. “I would never give up my friendship with you.”

They looked each other in the eye.

“And I will do my best to meet you as soon as I can, each Orbit I return.”

After a few minutes of silence, Lucy grinned. “Aw, aren’t you sweet!” She placed her hand on his head and rubbed it so enthusiastically that his hair became a mess. “I was never mad at you, sorry if it seemed that way!”

Freylic smiled and shook his head. “No, I know you understand my circumstances better than anyone. Thank you for coming to me. I am glad I could explain it to you.”

“You’re talking so much now,” Lucy chuckled. “Don’t worry about it. It’s all good. I never want to give up my friendship with you either! Even though I thought for a bit that we wouldn’t be able to be friends anymore. I enjoy being with you, Freylic! You’re very different from all my other friends, and talking to you makes me extremely happy too! I know how much everything is for you sometimes, I’m sorry I became a bit bitter about it.”

“You have nothing to apologise for,” Freylic said, shaking his head.

“Well, I’m glad I know what was going on now,” Lucy said. “You can always talk to me when you’re overwhelmed again, okay?”

“Yes,” Freylic said gratefully. “I appreciate it.”

“Great!” Lucy said.

She looked over her shoulder, turned back to Freylic and whispered. “What do you think of your fanclub?”

Freylic chucked softly, but then he shrugged. “I am just glad I can make them happy.”

Lucy snorted. “You’re too good for them.”

“And you’re too good for me.”

She smiled. “Now you really gotta stop, I’m becoming shy! But,” and now she became honest, “thank you, for treasuring me so much. I really don’t deserve it.”

“Of course you do. It is all my pleasure,” Freylic said, smiling back.

“Now, I gotta ask you one last thing,” Lucy said, as they started walking back to the square. “Why did the entire ‘Freylic Fanclub’ run away from you so quickly?”

“Ah.” Freylic put his finger on his chin and said with an apologetic smirk. “I told them someone was selling merchandise with my face on it at the beginning of the square.”

Lucy burst out laughing. “You really are more sneaky then you seem!”

Freylic grinned. “Perhaps that is why we match so well.”

“Perhaps,” Lucy grinned back.