When the Sun Fell |✔|

25

Lumi wondered if the lack of exposure to the sun had any effect on her sight.

She knew it to happen that having too much sun, and the blinding rays, could cause a person to go blind. But now as she went weeks in darkness, her eyes would blink and strain with the effort of seeing what was before her.

It could be that with or without the sun, people eventually lost their way of knowing what was ahead of them.

"It's a new invention I'm working on," Josiah was showing her the small sparks of it, as she stared in fascination. Lumi was beginning to realize that he was a very different male from all the ones she had ever encountered. He stayed inside and read many books. He didn't hunt, nor did he have any desire to do so.

But he was smart. She often hesitated at what she would say next, worried at the way those dark eyes seemed to pick everything she said apart.

They were eyes that missed nothing and took all in. Lumi had always been an open and honest person beforehand, but now she knew it was useless to hide her secrets from him. He could read her and see the truths she held, even the ones she herself did not want to see.

He said them so clearly sometimes, that it would shock her. She was not used to that- usually, she was the one leaving people bewildered.

They both leaned down, staring at the table and the invention it held.

"How does it work?" Lumi asked, a small part of her frightened by the noise the machine made.

"These wires carry the energy that is needed into this," he pointed to the small rock that was glowing. "We get these rocks from the mine."

"And what's this?"

Josiah sighed and stared at the strange box thing. "The source of the energy. But it's too complicated for me to explain it to you. It took me years to make just this...and it only has enough power to light up that little rock," his tone held bitterness in it as his eyes went back to looking at the stone.

"It's amazing," Lumi breathed. She wanted to reach out and touch it, but Josiah had warned her ahead of time not to. She looked up to stare at him. He was still frowning at the items, an unsatisfied look in his eyes.

"You're amazing."

He turned to her, startled by her sudden admission. She could see the light coloring of his cheeks flushing from the compliment as he turned away from her and scoffed.

"It's just a toy."

"It can become something more." She moved closer to him, leaning her head down to catch his eyes.

He turned to stare at her, his gaze narrowing, "I know that. I wouldn't have spent time on it otherwise."

She laughed at his blunt statement.

He quickly changed topics, uncomfortable with the attention he was receiving.

"The wedding is in three months."

He regretted his words almost instantly as he watched the laughter die in her eyes.

She tilted her head, staring up at him. He sighed and looked up at the ceiling, forcing himself to not look back down.

There was an odd silence between them before she spoke, "I need to visit the cities that surround the palace before we have to leave for that."

That made him look down.

"Why?"

She scoffed, "I'm their Queen. They haven't seen me. They should."

"I don't have the time to show you around the Kingdom."