Side Story: What Makes Linus’ World Go Round
LINUS had gone to the courtyard that day on a whim. But afterward, he was grateful from the bottom of his heart for that whim. From the moment he saw the black-haired girl enveloped in light—his world began revolving around Fiona as its axis.
✦ ✦ ✦
“UGH, why is every day so bloody boring?”
Sighing, Linus Gene muttered to himself after stopping in the palace courtyard.
The fourteen-year-old boy was this country’s second prince. However, his connection to the throne was negligible since his brother, the crown prince, was more than ten years older than him. So there wasn’t anything in particular he had to do.
Luckily or unluckily, he excelled in academics and the military arts, so he spent his days loafing around and feigning a facade of congeniality to avoid attracting his brother’s attention. At this rate, his brother would end up the king, and Linus would likely wind up marrying some noble’s daughter. He sighed again because this vision of his future didn’t interest him in any way.
At that moment, a pure white light blanketed the courtyard.
“Whoa!”
It was so blinding that he instinctively closed his eyes and raised his arms, but even that wasn’t enough to snuff it out of his view. When he sensed the intensity of the light finally dimming, he slowly opened his eyes and found a young girl standing there.
Lustrous black hair illuminated by infinite beads of light. The way her hair sparkled and shone looked like stars falling from the sky.
An angel had appeared.
He knew he was supposed to call the guards if he saw a stranger in the courtyard. Yet he couldn’t tear his gaze away from the unreal sight and beautiful black hair.
“Where…am I?”
The girl slowly opened her eyes and whispered as she looked around. He was captivated by her caramel-colored eyes that glittered like andalusite. Then, as the seconds ticked past, he noticed the tears welling in them. He couldn’t leave her alone now, so Linus rushed over to her in a panic.
“What’s wrong? Are you lost?”
She seemed to be around ten years old. There was no way she had come to the palace on her own, so perhaps she’d lost sight of her parents. However, the young girl only shook her head silently.
“Then what’s your name?”
He knew most of the nobles’ names. If she had something to do with the Temple, he could just ask his best friend, Charles. Except she trembled in response and looked up at Linus like she’d start sobbing at any moment.
“I…don’t know.”
“You don’t know?”
“Why am I here? I don’t know my name. Why don’t I know it?”
Tears began spilling over like a dam breaking. The beads of light reflecting off them made them look like falling jewels. Before he even had a moment to think about how beautiful the sight was, Linus found himself reaching out and wiping them away.
The girl didn’t know her name or where she was. Either she was confused, or there was some reason to explain the loss of her memories. Whatever the answer, all he wanted to do was ease her fear. Preoccupied by that sentiment, he opened his mouth before he realized what he was doing.
“Fiona.”
Upon hearing the word, the girl tilted her head curiously. The simple movement captivated him, and he could feel his lips curving into a smile.
“This name is my gift to you. Until you remember your real name, your name is Fiona.”
The black-haired girl—Fiona—widened her eyes so much he feared they would fall out of her head. She blinked repeatedly.
The name “Fiona” meant “white,” “just,” and “bright.” And for Linus, it also symbolized his own silver hair. She would be the light illuminating his dull world. His intuition told him so.
He gently cupped her shaking hands in his and narrowed his indigo eyes.
“I’ll protect you, Fiona. So, in exchange, stay by my side forever.”