Page 88 of Mermaid on Heels
“How do you stop it?” Sessa turned to Luke with her big aquamarine eyes.
“You don’t,” he replied with a chuckle. “It’s the Creator’s gift to the earth; He’s the one doing it, so onlyHecan stop it.” He then explained to them why the rain was important.
“So, no rain means no crops, and no crops means no food?” Sessa asked to clarify his explanation.
“Exactly.” Luke smiled down at her with tenderness in his eyes that melted Liriya’s heart, just like every other time she witnessed the interaction between them.
“But, I had no idea there was water in the sky.” Ella frowned, glancing up at the sky with squinted eyes, as though trying to figure it out. Before Luke could reply to her, she continued with a sly grin, “Truly, if you had not told me it was raining,as in, sky leaking water, I would have thought the sky wascrying.”
“And perhaps it is,” Sessa said cheekily, both her hands stuck out in the rain. “I mean, today is elimination day, after all. The sky must be crying on behalf of the ones to be eliminated.”
“Oh, you two.” Liriya stifled a chuckle and shook her head at them, amused.
“I promise you Sessa, the Lectorian skies have no reason to mourn over that matter.”
Liriya felt Luke’s eyes on her and turned her left to meet his gaze. Her heart did a double back flip. He was looking at her like that again, like she was his world—the sun, the moon, and the stars in the heavens.
Luke stepped closer and snaked an arm around her waist from behind, holding her against him and pressing his lips to her hair. Liriya sagged against his chest with a content smile and held out her hand to the rain droplets while keeping the other on his arm. She heard his heart rate pick up just as fast as hers.
At that moment, staring at the dark cloud blocking the light of the morning sun, Liriya realized it.
If she hadn’t given Luke a chance a week ago at the ball, if she hadn’t listened to her sister’s words and givenherselfa chance, she would have carried the regret with her in every second of her life.
Because, if there was such a thing as life, this was it.Lukewas it.
She realized the truth of it all. She couldn’t live without him anymore.
Chapter 19
Liriya sat at her dressing table, with Ella expertly weaving pearls strings into her tresses that Susie had curled into waves. Ella was showing Susie how it was done, as Susie didn’t know. The two worked on Liriya’s hair for almost an hour, judging by the small clock on her table that she could now read—thanks to Cedric’s lessons.
Ella left for their room to get herself ready once the hair was done and Susie helped Liriya into the gown Bianca had sent. She slipped into the matching blue slippers and turned to her reflection in the mirror.
Liriya stared breathless at her appearance once again, just like a week ago. There was something about Bianca’s gowns, therehadto be, because they made her look like a surreal beauty herself. She couldn’t wait for Luke to see her.
A shy smile curled her lips at the thought. After their rain watching from her sisters’ balcony, Luke had left saying he couldn’t wait to see her at the banquet. He hadn’t been at breakfast, and neither had Cedric. Matilda had told the elites that the men had had to see to something, and were having their breakfast in Luke’s study.
It was still raining, though lighter than it had been at dawn. Liriya walked out of the room after receiving a ton of compliments from Susie. She met her sisters in the hallway outside their rooms, dressed for the banquet, and Sessa gushed at how exquisite Liriya looked with her hair curled.
Liriya blushed, highlighting the rouge on her cheeks, and thanked her little sister, returning the compliment to the both of them. Ella wore an indigo gown with off the shoulder sleeves, her hair pulled up into a half-up half-down style, making her look mature for her age and stunning. Liriya was sure she was about to suck out the oxygen from Cedric’s lungs.
Sessa wore a midnight-blue gown with wide skirts and short sleeves, the front locks of her black hair braided and pulled to a side with an elegant pin.
As they were talking, Princess Aeira stepped out of her room, followed closely by her Garbian lady’s maid. She wore a stunning red gown and her hair was pulled in an elaborate updo with pearls in them. She smiled a diplomatic smile when she saw Liriya and her sisters, and approached them.
“Don’t you three look stunning?”
“Thank you, Aeira, you do too,” Liriya replied with her own diplomatic smile. One her papa would have hated to see. He always preferred her real smile foreveryone. The thought of him pained her heart and she frowned slightly.
“Are you… alright, Liriya?” Princess Aeira peered at her, with a furrow of her eyebrows.
“Yes, yes, I am.” Liriya composed herself and smiled tightly.
“Must be the nerves, right? I am a bundle of them myself.” Princess Aeira chuckled nervously.
“Yes,” Liriya lied. Nervousness was the last thing she felt. Unlike the rest of the elites, she knew she was going to make it.
Princess Aeira’s eyes dropped to Liriya’s gown. “This is the same one you wore at the ball, is it not?”