Restricted Magic - Arc 3

Part 7

Gerald held his breath as Olivia and Erin walked out to meet him.

Wow.

He had always thought Erin was beautiful, her dark hair and eyes shining with an energy, a strength he could never truly understand. Her every move was graceful, a product of years of practicing fighting. She possessed refined coordination, a fine-tuned control of her body that was beyond most others. He stared at her sometimes during class, hoping to see a hint of a smile that lit up the room, causing his heart to race. What's more, with his Insight ability he could feel her magical strength like a warm light surrounding her.

Just the day to day of being around her still drove him to distraction.

But now...

She was a little uncomfortable, he could tell despite her controlled expression. The slightest furrowing of her forehead, her hands clutching the skirt of her dark red gown just a little too tightly gave it away. But his breath caught in his chest at the sight of her, and he found he couldn't let it out.

She was always beautiful to him, but right now...she shined like the sun.

Erin glared at his silence.

"What?"

He smiled at her harsh tone. "You look amazing."

She relaxed a tiny amount. "Really? I feel ridiculous."

"If that's the case you can wear whatever you want." Gerald shrugged, "I'll go to this dance with you wearing our sparring clothes if you like."

She raised an eyebrow. "You don't mean that?"

"I do." He grinned, grabbing one of her hands in his own. "Not that you don't look so beautiful that I my brain has stopped functioning fully, but this is our romantic date. I want you to be comfortable and happy."

A bright smile formed across her face. "Thanks."

"No problem. You want to change before we go?"

"I would, but unfortunately, that's not an option."

Gerald frowned. "Why not?"

He felt a tap on his shoulder, his face turning pale as he met Olivia's angry expression.

"Do you have any idea how hard I worked on that dress?" She whispered. Gerald felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

"You love the dress, right Erin?"

Erin nodded fervently. "Yes! I love it so much! I'm just not used to looking to great, but of course I would never change out of it."

"..." Olivia stared at them both, Gerald broke out in a cold sweat.

"Okay."

The pair sighed with relief.

Arriving at the ball with the group, Gerald was impressed.

"Wow, they really go all out on these events, huh?"

The room was extravagantly decorated, with elegant magical lights suspended in the air. Musicians hidden behind an illusion spell played soft music in the background, a few couples danced in the center of the room. Tables of every type of imaginable food stood off to the side. Everywhere they looked people were talking, laughing, dancing, all dressed in their finest.

"Yeah, Wilhemina went all out and above budget." Frederick grumbled, tugging at the collar of his formal suit.

Olivia poked him in the side. "You're just mad that the council voted down your idea for the formal."