"Ugggh!" Cornelia exclaimed "I'll kill him!" she muttered under her breath as she stormed out of her bathroom. She grabbed a towel and rushed downstairs to the other bathroom, where she started knocking furiously. Her rage was palpable, and she was shaking from both anger and the cold.
"Phobos! Open the door right now! I know you're in there!" she shouted, pounding on the door with all her might. Her heart was racing, and her mind was filled with thoughts of revenge. Finally, the door opened, and a smug prince Phobos appeared in front of her, wrapped in a towel around his waist. Once he saw her a wide smirk appeared on his face. He looked at her from head to toe approvingly.
The blonde was standing there in her towel, wet hair plastered to her forehead, looking more stunning than ever. Her arms were crossed and this made her chest look even fuller. Phobos stared at her shamelessly..In fact, she is a pretty view, he thought. At least I'm not stuck with the water guardian, he shrugged at the thought.
"I assume you wanna join me?" he said, a seductive tone creeping into his voice. He leaned against the door, his eyes raking over her body.
Cornelia's cheeks burned with heat as she realised the situation she was in. She shook her head to let go of that thought as she concentrated on the heat coming out of the bathroom that triggered her anger once more. "This time you did it! I told you that I was going to take a shower! What are you doing here using all the hot water!" she exclaimed, her eyes flickering over his gorgeous physique. She couldn't help but glimpse at his smoking hot body.
Don't get distracted, she told herself. She took a deep breath and glared at him, determined to stand her ground and not let his charms get the best of her.
His smirk faded but his tone remained mocking.
"As far as I can recall, I am a guest in this place," Phobos crossed his arms and towered over her, raising his chin as if she were one of his servants. "As such," he continued, "I have the right to use the bathroom whenever I need to, regardless of your plans. It matters not to me."
"Yes exactly! You are a guest" Cornelia said through gritted teeth, "and as such I can kick you out at any time!"
They've been living together for only a month now and he was already getting on her nerves. It's as if I'm living with Lillian all over again, Cornelia thought. There were no major incidents, just little things that added up. The constant mocking and pranks were driving her insane, such as moving her belongings from where she left them, making excessive noise on weekends, and regularly leaving the kitchen a mess. And now this latest irritation had pushed her over the edge, leaving her seething with fury.
"If I say you can't use the bathroom while I shower you do so!" She snapped
"And what if I refuse, huh? Who are you to order me around? I've had it with your stupid little earthly rules!" he growled, leaning in to meet her eye-to-eye. She could feel the seething hostility in his voice, and it sent shivers down her spine.
"I will do whatever I want to! I am a prince and you will treat me as such!"
Cornelia couldn't believe his arrogance.
"Okay, your majesty", she made a curtsy in the most sarcastic way possible. "I merely wished to inform you that you are now residing in MY house and therefore you will be expected to abide by MY rules!" She raised her chin and smiled ironically, "As a prince, I trust that you understand the importance of respect and are capable of demonstrating it."
Phobos just chuckled. "Respect? You're asking for respect from a prince?" he said, his tone mocking. "You should be grateful that I'm even here, gracing you with my presence."
Cornelia's anger boiled over. She took a step forward, her fists clenched at her sides. "You know what, Phobos? I've had enough of your bullshit" she said, her voice shaking with rage. "Either you start acting like a normal person, or I'm kicking you out! I don't care if you're a prince or not. In this house, I'm in charge."
Phobos just raised an eyebrow, his expression amused. "Is that so?" he said, his tone taunting. "Well, we'll just see about that, won't we?"
And with that, he slammed the door in her face. Cornelia stood there, dumbfounded. The wave of rage that hit her was so strong that she couldn't contain it anymore. Without a second thought, she flung the door open and stormed inside. "What are you...?" Phobos turned around, only to be met with a bar of soap to the face.
"I've had it with you! Get out now!" Cornelia screamed
Before she knew it, she was leaning on the sink for balance.
"You! How dare you take such liberties!" He had slapped her across the face. Before she was able to recover he grabbed her by the throat and pushed her against the wall. Cornelia gasped for breath, feeling the pressure of his hand on her neck.
"I've had enough of you, guardian!" Phobos snarled, his eyes blazing with fury.
It's been a month now and Phobos was missing his calm cell greatly. Ever since he was on Earth he had to follow the stupidest rules, always being watched and monitored over by the guardian and her friends. He was a prince for God's sake but these little girls kept ordering him around like he was an infant. He had no privacy, always being under watchful eyes and expected to obey every command. He had enough of this ordering around, some mere mortals telling him what to do.
"Who the fuck do you think you are?" he growled, tightening his grip on her throat. He squeezed and she let out a moan. "I can smash you like the little bug you are right now!"
Cornelia's fingers scrambled around the sink, searching for something to use as a weapon. Her hand closed around a bottle of shampoo, and without thinking twice, she splashed its contents into Phobos' face. The surprise of it caught him off guard, and he released his grip on her. Cornelia used the moment to cut loose. She tried getting out through the door but it slammed in front of her.
"Now you made me angry!" Phobos lowered his hand from the spell and he rushed towards her. He was more powerful than her and she knew that one wrong move and she'll be in real trouble. She slid under his grip but he caught her by the hair and dragged her towards him. She managed to grab a razor from the sink and just as he was about to swing his arm to hit her she cut him. Phobos yelled in pain, clutching his arm tightly. A deep cut appeared on the inner side of his arm and blood flowed everywhere. Phobos dropped to the floor like a wounded animal, his face twisted in fury.
Cornelia freezed in fear. She really messed up now. As she tried to make another break for the door, she slipped and grabbed onto the shower curtain for balance. But the curtain came loose and fell on top of her, trapping her.
Phobos took advantage of her vulnerability and pushed her into the bathtub, holding her head underwater. Cornelia struggled to breathe, her heart racing with fear. She kicked wildly, managing to hit him in the balls. He loosened his grip and she managed to grab a few lifesaving breaths before he came round and pushed her again. Cornelia managed to pull the tub's stopper, but the water was draining too slowly. Phobos had moved on top of her, pinning her down with his weight, not giving her a chance to move.
As she panicked she grabbed his arm tightly and he screamed in pain. Phobos was holding his arm, his face pale as a sheet of paper. He started feeling dizzy as he had lost quite the amount of blood. He looked at the scared girl under him, coughing and trying to catch her breath. Her towel had disappeared along the struggle and now she was lying naked. If it were another situation he would have enjoyed the view but now he was about to pass out. She was coughing and trying to restore her breath as he collapsed on top of her.
Her body was trembling with fear and adrenaline as she struggled to push him off of her. The water had already poured out and she quickly crawled out of the tub. She dropped on the bathroom floor coughing, still regaining her breath.
Cornelia's mind was racing as she tried to process what had just happened. There was blood all over. She quickly checked herself for any damage. Her whole body ached in all sorts of places but she couldn't find any open wounds. She looked into the tub and almost lost her breath. The prince was lying there, his face to the floor, motionless.. Blood was pouring quickly from his left arm.
"Phobos? Oh no!" She grabbed the shower curtain and ripped a part of it. She tied his hand above the bleeding." Fuck fuck fuck.. "
"What are you doing? "His voice was weak.
"Why isn't it stopping?" She applied pressure on the wound but the blood kept pouring and she panicked.
"Your powers" Phobos said with a weak voice. "What?"
"Heal me"
She wasn't sure if he was hallucinating and thought she was someone else. She didn't know if what he said was true but decided to give it a shot. She put her hand on his arm and called the powers of Earth. A green glowing energy appeared. Phobos felt a warm sensation bringing comfort and easing the pain. Cornelia wished to close the wound, she imagined as if it were a crack in the ground. And it closed. She collapsed on the floor from fatigue. Since she wasn't in her guardian form, each magical act cost her life energy.
"Did it work?" She asked, her voice barely a whisper. She passed out before hearing a response.
As she opened her eyes, the first thing Cornelia felt was the coldness of the floor beneath her. Her mind was foggy, and she couldn't quite remember how long she had been lying there. Slowly, the numbness started to fade away, replaced by aches and pains all over her body. She tried to get up but could only manage to lean against the tub. Looking over to the other side, she saw Phobos lying motionless, covered in his own blood, some of it dried up on his skin.
"Ph-phobos?"
Fear and guilt began to wash over her as she reached out to touch him, feeling his cold skin. He opened his eyes in response to her touch.
"I'm not gonna die that easily," he said, a weak smirk appearing on his face
Damn, even in this condition he's still a bastard, the guardian thought.
The prince struggled to sit up in the bathtub with his back facing her.
"You put up quite the fight guardian" Cornelia remained silent. The guilt was choking her, eating her apart. Phobos sighed, breaking the tension in the air. "Okay, so I think we both got carried away," he said in a nonchalant manner. As if they weren't fighting to death up until now.
"It's obvious we can kill each other if we want to even without magic. I don't know why we decided to test it. How about we come to terms and make peace? I won't try to strangle you in your sleep and I expect the same from you. This way we can live our lives unbothered. Deal?" he proposed, still looking forward as if he wasn't speaking to her.
Cornelia leaned on the bathtub, her chin rested on the cold marble. He could feel her doubts and the flow of her thoughts, the energy she was using to reach a conclusion. After a moment of silence, she finally muttered, "Deal." It was a relief to let go of the tension, and she felt a weight lift off her shoulders.
Phobos turned his head towards her and looked at her from the corner of his eye. "Nice tits, by the way," he said with a smirk. Cornelia gave him a slap on the back, but he just started laughing, a sound she had never heard from him before. It wasn't a happy laugh, but more like a release of the tension that had built up between them.
He started the shower and adjusted the water temperature. The water poured on his back, washing away all the blood. He took his towel and threw it away. Without a second thought he took his towel and threw it away. It splashed on the floor making drops of water and blood all over.
"If you're looking for a special invitation, you're not going to get one," he murmured.
Using all her strength, Cornelia pulled herself up and sat in the bathtub back to back with Phobos. The effort almost made her pass out. She leaned on his back and let herself be carried away by the water drops. One by one they hit her body, bringing warmth, tranquility, and purification.
As they sat there, Cornelia couldn't help but feel a strange sense of camaraderie with Phobos. They had just fought to the death, and now they were sitting together in a bathtub, washing away the evidence of their battle. It was surreal, to say the least.
They both sat there for a while in silence, lost in their own thoughts.
"How did you know I could heal you?" Cornelia was hugging her knees and making waves in the water. The tub was filled with water again. The hot water brought relaxation to her sore muscles and all the painful places. Phobos rested his head on her shoulder and looked at the ceiling.
"There are some things that are known in certain parts of the universe," he said.
"There are worlds where magic is accepted and not kept secret. In those places, girls are born with the sole purpose of becoming guardians. They train all their lives in hopes that one day the Oracle may choose them. Cornelia listened intently, her eyes fixed on the water.
They know all about the guardian's duties and magical powers. There are even books describing the history of Kandrakar and the origin of your powers. And yet, they gave the powers to some lousy girls who didn't even know magic existed"
Cornelia lowered her head and rested it on her knees. "It's not like we had a choice," she said, making another wave that went to the tub's end and splashed in it. "Damn destiny."
Phobos stood up suddenly, and the water in the tub drastically decreased, sending a chill through Cornelia's body. She continued to observe her hand and the way it reacted to the water's surface. Phobos opened the door and looked over his shoulder.
"You're in this situation anyway, might as well make the best of it," he said as he left the room.
Cornelia stayed a while longer, contemplating his words. When she opened the door, she found a towel resting on the chair. She took it and went to her room, where she had a dreamless night.