White Velvet - Chapter 3

White Velvet

Chapter 3 – The Time to Part

Ever since that day, Paul and Marie always play together at the playground outside of the Palace. 

Although with the permission from her father, the Templar still keep an eyes on Marie and Paul. Well not exactly an eye, more like hundreds pairs of eyes but they keep their distance far from both of them. Slowly other kids join them, one by one until they make a big circle of playmate. Even the Templar start to put their trust on Paul, but not completely. They only reduce the staff into a single digit. Mostly in pair. Hey, she is the daughter to an extremely important figure.

Marie start to enjoy herself and she start to change as well. Her smile become the source of happiness to everyone who saw it and the Palace love it, especially her father. 

However, for every summer there always winter to mark its end. Just like the season so do their time together. It have been 2 years now and both of them will be 12 years old. It time to get serious in their study. Well perhaps for Marie, that is. It time to start her training as a Priestess. For that she will be taken to a boarding school far from the Palace, to an all-girl institute.

“This is the last time we will meet, friends.”

“So this is really goodbye?” said some kid. 

“We have our share of fun, right”, said Marie while smiling.

“But, we don’t want to say goodbye. We want you to be here”

“Yeah, please don’t leave”

“Please don’t go, Marie”

Some of the kids even start crying. Marie are at lost now, she don’t know what should he do right now. Her word means nothing to them anymore now, they only want Marie here. Even Marie herself want to cry as well. 

“Don’t cry, idiots. Are try to make Marie cry too? Do you want to make her have a sad memory in her new school?”

“But but, we are very sorry, Marie, we don’t meant too.”

“No, you guys   *sob* I really love all of you”, said Marie as she hug all of them. Yes, this is their farewell. She cry together with them all that evening. Then one by one from their little circle leave, leaving only Marie and Paul there.

“Well look like this is goodbye. Hope you will have a nice life over there.”

Marie smile, she then says, “Thank you, Ben. You really help me a lot.”

He blushed. “Th-this is nothing. I just don’t like crybaby anyway”, said him as he turn he face in opposite direction.

“Well, that quite a convincing statement, if not taken the account that you cry as well”

“What?! No, I don’t cry”, said him as he quickly wipe his tears.

“Still, I want to say thank you to you Paul. If it not because of your mischief on that day, I will never have this much of fun”, said Marie as she hold both of Paul’s hand and look to his eyes.

“Ah, well..it-it is not something I can be proud of”, reply Paul while blushing.

What come later shall be Paul’s greatest memory in his entire life (previous). That the time when Paul feel a kiss at his cheek from a girl which not from his family. 

Yes, fella, this is the moment where Marie Whyte kissed Paul Aelius as a sign of eternal friendship or maybe more. 

“M-M-MMarie, yyou”, said Paul, stuttering.

“Let it be our secret, Ben. Don’t let anyone know about this.” Said Marie, forgetting the fact that the Templars still keep a watch over them.

“O-Ookay”

“I like you, Ben. I hope we can meet again in the future. Bye bye”, said Marie while goes backward. 

After those word, she dashes all the way to the Palace. If anyone could see her face right now, they would definitely say, “Your face is red, bright red, dear”

“Mother?! What? No, this is”

“Don’t worry dear. We keep this a secret for ourselves. Now let go and have some fun for both of us before you leave, okay.”

“Thank you, mother.”

And so do the two part with each other, marking the end of the childhood time together. After this, both of them will continue in their own path to be what they have destined for themselves. One shall shine like a star, guiding and inspire the followers as the High Priestess, while other will face a lot of test and shall be known as the Black Exorcist.

And no, this is not the end yet. This is just the beginning. Next part is where Paul determination are tested. Until next time, friend.