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EDWARD and Selena began exchanging letters. Every time he looked at her letters, her talents blew him away anew. Not only was her penmanship superb, but she always had an apt topic to discuss and a slew of well-conceived devices to make it an entertaining read. Even if she was only making idle talk, like commenting on the flowers in her family’s garden or informing him that her dog had given birth, she made everything unfold like chapters of a grand story.
If only she were a tad more composed in person.
They were both busy enough to prevent them from talking directly, so it was only after two months of back-and-forth letters that they could meet again.
Selena had grown thinner since Edward last saw her and had impressive bags under her eyes. She seemed worn out, but even then, he couldn’t suppress his excitement. Star Maiden’s sequel had finally been published. As he crowed about it, however, she only smiled haggardly.
“I’m glad you liked it,” she said.
The distance between them had been slowly but surely shrinking. Selena was no longer so jumpy and ill-at-ease around him, which was an oddly pleasant feeling. She even actively shared her favorite scenes and lines from Star Maiden with him.
When word reached them that a saint had fought off a fellwyrm attack in the neighboring kingdom, Selena nearly fainted on the spot, but that meant she was as amazed at the romantic and fantastic nature of real life as Edward himself was. As soon as he heard the news from his father, he knew Selena would find it every bit as wonderful. She shared little about herself, but he knew she was a genuine fan of the books.
“A f-fellwyrm?” she repeated in confusion when she heard. She sounded a tad lightheaded.
He nodded energetically. “Yes! A real, live dragon! They even say that Orion’s Prince Malius and Lady Lecia—you know, the girl who was at the Academy—are quite fond of Star Maiden themselves. Who knows, maybe those books were the key to learning to believe in themselves? No, that has to be it, I’m sure!”
He knew firsthand how powerful that book could be. If she wasn’t a nubile young lady, he would’ve taken her hands and gone to any lengths to convince her.
“Some people use the power of fiction for evil,” he continued enthusiastically, “but they’re a genuine source of courage and hope for people across the country! Star Maiden teaches people just how potent the power of love can be!”
Edward felt the blood rush to his face and clenched his fists in excitement.
Selena shakily stood up, her cheeks flushed pink. “D-Do you really like it that much, Lord Edward?”
“Of course! I know how strange that must sound, given the humiliation I was put through because of it. I’ll admit that for a while, I wished I’d never read it. But looking back at it now, seeing the heroine’s earnest, heartfelt efforts to carve a better future for herself and grow as a person has reassured me in my darkest hours.”
He’d told her the same thing many, many times already, but it still didn’t feel like enough. Every time he felt stymied by his lack of growth or his immaturity, he would read Star Maiden again, cover to cover. It was brilliant because the ending was so standard and happy. It always left him feeling reenergized and refreshed. He believed the author’s good intentions were packed into every word.
Edward looked back at Selena. Her near-fainting spell had mussed her hair, and he could see more of her face than usual. For the first time, he saw the clarity and depth in her beautiful indigo eyes. They almost twinkled like the night sky as they caught the light. She quickly brought a handkerchief to her eyes and averted her gaze.
What he failed to notice was the intense pounding of his heart. It was far more than any time he’d read Star Maiden or even the first time he was entranced by her.
Selena dried her tears and smiled at him. “I still have a first-edition copy at home,” she finally said. “You can have it if you’d like.”
“R-Really?! You bought two?! B-But no, I couldn’t possibly. You’re saving that one in mint condition, aren’t you?”
“Oh, uh… I have five copies, actually, so don’t worry about it.”
“You what…?!”
Just one copy was worth a king’s ransom, but five? Even if they were cheap, that didn’t make sense—their low price was one of the reasons they sold out so quickly. She must’ve had a vision of the future to buy so many.
“Lady Selena,” he said as he gazed into her eyes, “I swear I’ll treasure it more than my own life.”
She smiled back at him. “I’ll bring you a copy when we next meet, then.”
Her bangs covered her eyes again, but he could easily envision the sea of stars in her eyes.
The next day, Selena brought one of her first editions to the Norden mansion, just as she said she would. His fingers grazed hers when she passed him the book, and he nearly dropped Star Maiden on the spot despite himself.
Edward later reread the book to the point of nearly memorizing it, at which point he noticed many of the same expressions were used in Selena’s letters to him and, inevitably, why she seemed to enjoy talking with him so much (and in the process, solved the mystery of her five copies), but that was a tale for another, much later day.