Vain - Chapter 18 Knighting Celebration

When the long-awaited answer to the question of who’s Ruby crush was revealed, Aileene wasn’t exactly surprised. There were certain things that were unchangeable in Vain, and she guessed one of those things were the unrequited love rivals had for their capture targets. And Ruby couldn’t be ruled out of this equation. Afterall, her longtime crush was none other than Edmund Allisters. As exemplified in real time right now, with Ruby’s eyes googling Edmund from afar.

“I heard guys don’t like clingy girls.” Xi nudged Ruby with her elbow, as the three girls sat on their own table enjoying the frivolous food supplies at the banquet. Which wasn’t a royal one, but it was by a very rich and influential noble family, the Allisters. So only the best of the best could be expected. Especially since it was their young Allisters heir knighting celebration showcasing the fact that he was the youngest to ever hold a knight title.

This meant that the royal family also attended, since they had close relations to the Allisters and becoming a Knight was alike to swearing complete loyalty to the crown. It would have been a surprise if the royal family wasn’t present.

“What do guys like then? Gold diggers?” Ruby spat back at Xi childishly, averting her eyes from the Allisters heir and blushing in embarrassment. Her secret unrequited love was held with such optimism and naivety, that Aileene almost couldn’t bear the fact that it could never come to blossom. A rival and a capture target, it was simply foolish to wish them together.

“Hey! Just because I like money doesn’t mean I’m a gold digger, I just have my priorities straightened out.” Xi explained in a matter of fact tone, as she picked up another cookie to eat. Aileene watched the two with a hand over her mouth, trying to contain her laughter. Really, her two friends were so compatible.

“Everyone calm down, you both have good priorities, even if they’re really different from each other,” Aileene said, trying to be the mediator, even if the argument wasn’t that intense. The banquet wasn’t that much different to them than any other banquet, so the three of them had just stuck together for most of the night, watching the long and tedious celebration for Edmund’s knighting. And now it was the time for indulging in luxury food, as they chatted about gossip and drama, while others dance the night away.

“Excuse me, if it’s no trouble, may I have a dance with the lady?” A voice spoke up from behind Aileene, and she could almost immediately tell who it was without turning to identify the person. Afterall, both Ruby’s and Xi’s reaction was so vibrant, with Ruby barely able to keep her hand on her mouth to shut her squealing and Xi astounded’s expression leaving her jaw wide open.

“It is no bother at all,” Aileene replied smoothly, standing up from her seat and turning towards Francis with a soft smile on her lips. She could tell that he was uncomfortable and this proposal was definitely not his idea. Though she had some inkling on who pushed him into it, as her eyes wandered to her mother and the queen’s sparkling eyes watching the two of them interact from afar.

By the time Aileene could glance back at Francis again, he seemed to have already calmed his nerves and hid away all his distress. A small nod in her direction and he held her by the hand, leading her out to the dance floor. She simply gave him all the control and followed obediently. When the slow orchestra started again, she could tell that everyone was staring at the two of them. Most stared on with envy or simply didn’t watched at all. But the light of the moment was quickly lost and people began joining the waltz again.

Aileene wasn’t the most skilled at dancing, nor was it really a skill she could show off. But it was a required curriculum for her to learn, so she had to know it. Though it seemed to be the opposite for her partner, Francis was an excellent dancer and she was sure she didn’t even have to know how to dance if he was leading they’ll both look good no matter.

“I can see our mothers in the corner whispering conspiracies to each other,” Aileene said softly to Francis, just so that he could hear her and no one else. She could tell what the mothers were planning and she just wanted to sigh, she knew they both wouldn’t want to push their children to marry unwillingly. But trying to cultivate feelings unwillingly was just as bad.

“Ruby and Xi seem to be doing the same,” Francis responded his eyes subtly watching them from afar. Aileene simply breathes out a quiet sigh, her own eyes catching her two friends whispering to each other vigorously.

“Why do they want us together so much?” Aileene laments mostly to herself, but it was audible to Francis nonetheless. Afterall, this was one of the first time the two of them had even interacted and had a small conversation. So she couldn’t see how any crush could blossom, their parents really had too much free time on their hand.

Francis nodded in agreement to Aileene’s statement, but he didn’t exactly have an answer to it. He could only speculate the answer. Though really he didn’t have any interest in anyone in particular and he had only barely interacted with Aileene, knowing she was his sister’s friend. It wasn’t as if feelings could be developed from that.

When the music ended, Aileene and Francis parted ways and politely returned to their previous occupation as if nothing had happened. But Ruby and Xi weren’t as keen on letting it go. So the minute she returned to her table, she was already bombarded with millions of questions.

“Do you like Francis?”

“Are you guys going to get married?”

“Can I be a bridesmaid?”

Aileene massaged the bridge of her nose’s in exhaustion, trying to clarify the situation to her dramatic friends, “We’re not getting married, we don’t even know each other that well.”

“You can get to know each other better,” Ruby said, wriggling her eyebrows suggestively. As Xi fans herself dramatically with her hand, backing up Ruby.

“No. And aren’t you like 10?” Aileene questioned in disbelief, hoping that Ruby wasn’t instigating what she thought she was.

“My words are innocent,” Ruby answered with a naive look and puppy dog eyes.

❅

16.) Does writing original stories or fanfiction define how good of an author a person is? (Ex. Does writing original stories automatically make you a great author? Does writing fanfiction automatically make you trash?)

Answer:

Really, fanfiction and original stories can’t be compared. They both have merits in their own rights and none is better than the other. There can be good fanfics and good original stories. And writing the two require different sets of skills too. So people who are judgmental towards books just because they’re fanfics, are really too bias.

17.) Do you enjoy harems in stories?

Chapter end