Note: Warning: There is a brief sexual type scene. Reader discretion is advised.

-End note-


Summer 12

I inhaled deeply through my nostrils and slowly out my mouth as I tacked the paper onto the bulletin board. My latest request I had pinned to the board was probably the stupidest request! And the reason it was stupid was because it wasn't real, it was a trick. I had written it, with high hopes that Jack would respond soon. He had been doing a lot for me, and I wanted to personally know why. Actually, I was hoping that the reason he was doing a lot for me was because he liked me. I sighed making my way towards the bathhouse.

The water was nice and warm as I daydreamed about Jack's reply to my question with him returning my feelings.

"Hey, Rosalind?" I woke up from my daydream, looking over at Julia.

"Oh! Sorry, Julia! Am I taking too long?" I asked.

"Oh, no. Jack's here and asked if you were here because he wanted to talk to you. I'll tell him to come back later, though."

"No!" I exclaimed loudly as Julia stopped in her tracks, looking back towards me in confusion. "Tell Jack that I will be out momentarily."

"Oh, uh, okay then? I'll tell him to wait around." As soon as Julia left I bounded out of the bath, drying myself off with a towel and dressing as quickly as possible. Walking out of the women's side as fast as I could without getting injured. There he was. The most handsome man I had ever laid my eyes on, looking at one of the bathhouse paintings. I walked towards him as he broke out of his trance, looking over towards me.

"Hello, Rosalind!" he greeted, "I hope I didn't make you rush."

"Ah, no. I was in the bath for a long while anyway!" I exclaimed.

"Oh! Well, that's good to hear! I was looking for you, about your message on the board." He said as I felt a light blush come across my cheeks.

"Ah yes! You'll be helping me out tremendously." I said.

"So, you need to test some new magic, right?" He asked, I gave my head a nod.

"Let me tell you a little bit about the spell." I looked around, noticing Julia was still here, doing some kind of paperwork, but I didn't want her to overhear me, so I lowered my voice.

"It will cause a localized explosion on a designated target, so it's pretty dangerous." I blushed, trying to quickly think of some more things to add about the faux spell "The size of the explosion is only a couple of square yards, but everything within it will be subjected to incredibly high heat and pressure." Jack began to look nervous.

"That's a pretty scary sounding spell." He whispered.

"But, even so, I was hoping that you would test it out. To see whether or not the spell will work properly."

"I-is this going to be safe?" He asked nervously as I gave him a reassuring smile.

"Of course it will be safe. According to my calculations there's no reason for any of it to go wrong. But, to make sure it's one hundred percent safe…we can meet after dark. That way we won't risk anyone else being around." Jack pondered for a moment as I felt my heart pounding.

"Well, I'll trust your judgment. Count me in!" He said as I felt a wave of happiness and relief wash over me.

"Then, I'll meet you at the entrance of Trieste Forest at eleven tonight." I whispered as he nodded.

"I'll be there." We both left the bathhouse. He walked into the general store as I looked down in sadness. I shouldn't be thinking of anything negative, but I know he sees Mana a lot due to his visits to the store. I tried not to think about it anymore as I made my way back to the manor.


I walked into the entrance of the manor, sighing slightly.

"Oh! You're back earlier than expected, Rosalind!" I looked up at the stairs where my brother stood, he noticed the look on my face and asked concernedly. "Did something happen?" I blushed.

"O-oh! No, Max! I'm just tired." I lied as my brother crossed his arms.

"You know you can talk to me, right?" He asked sternly as I blushed deeper.

"Yes. I know, Max." He sighed.

"Is it something you don't want to talk to me about, yet?" I looked down before looking back into his eyes.

"Not yet." I admitted. He just gave me a small smile and nodded.

"Take your time. You know where to usually find me when you want to talk!" He exclaimed in understanding.

"Thank you, Max." and with that I made my way to my room, trying to come up with a plan on how to tell Jack that the spell was fake, how to ask him my real question while telling him my feelings for him, and how not to make him upset with me for lying.


The clock read 10:40 PM as I inhaled deeply. Opening my door slightly, I heard my father's loud snore and Max's sleep mumbles, meaning that the coast was clear for me to slip out into the night. I quietly closed my bedroom door, slipping out of the manor, locking the main door behind me. The street lights illuminated my path as I quietly made my way towards the entrance of Trieste forest. There was no one around as I felt my heart race in nervousness. What if Jack didn't show up? I looked at my watch, it wasn't quite eleven yet.

I sat in the grass, burying my head in my knees, letting out a sigh. My heart was pounding in anxiety. Even if he did show up, what if he didn't return my feelings?

"Rosalind?" My head snapped up, as I looked over at him. "Sorry, did I keep you waiting?"

"Oh! Oh, no, Jack! I actually just got here not too long ago! But I was a little worried that you wouldn't show up." I admitted, blushing madly. I could see Jack smiling.

"It's nothing. And, on the off chance that anything goes wrong, I'll be here to protect you! So, let's get this spell started."

"Ah, yes. About the spell, Jack." I began nervously as he looked at me curiously. "I actually made it all up."

"What?" Jack asked as I blushed.

"I understand if you're mad at me-." However, Jack stopped me.

"Rosalind, I'm not mad at all at you. Actually I'm very relieved. That spell sounded really terrifying." He chuckled as I giggled back.

"Still, your trip here wasn't wasted. I did want to ask you about something, but I didn't want other people around." Jack looked at me curiously.

"Oh? What did you want to ask me?" He asked as I felt my heart race.

"I was just curious. Why did you accept my requests?" Jack blushed.

"On the bulletin board?" He asked as I nodded, "Hm. I-I don't know. I mean, I don't know how to put it into words of why I accepted your requests!" My heart pumped faster.

"O-oh. Then can I tell you how it feels when you accept my requests?" I asked flustered.

"Of course!" He exclaimed, I inhaled deeply.

"I-it feels wonderful! Ever since I met you, I was fascinated by your friendly personality. Most people are quick to judge me, considering I'm a part of the de Sainte-Coquille family. Actually, no one from out of town will talk to me. And when you showed up, I was hoping that you would say something to me. I found you to be very handsome, and immediately developed a crush on you when you approached me. In fact, I still have a large crush on you!" I said, my face heated up, I felt my heart pounding out of my chest.

"R-Rosalind?" He said in shock as I felt tears welling up in my eyes.

"I-I'm sorry." I said, this was a stupid idea! I began to rush past him. However, he grabbed my hand before I could leave.

"Rosalind," He began as I looked at his soft expression, "when I first met you, I was smitten by your beauty! I was ashamed to talk to you at first; how could someone like me ever have a chance with someone like you? However, I forced myself to say something to you! I'm glad I did, because the more I've gotten to know you, the more I saw the real you. And I really like who you are, Rosalind."

He pulled me into an embrace, before cupping my face. His face became closer as our lips touched. I closed my eyes; starburst and shimmer flashed behind them, as I grabbed his strong arms to keep myself from swooning. This was the most magical experience I had ever dealt with.

At least until the next experience that began several minutes after our first kiss. It might have been too soon, however it felt right! We became out of breath as I noticed Jack's face was a bright apple red, sweat was pouring from our pours.

"Do you want to stay the night?" He asked, as I felt a burst of exhilarating emotions.

"I do." I began, but then I remembered, "Ah, but I can't. I actually snuck out of the mansion to come here." I grabbed my dress from nearby, slipping it back over my head. He chuckled a bit before gently kissing the top of my head.

"I'll see you tomorrow then, Rosalind?" He asked as I grabbed his face, pulling him into a deep kiss.

"Of course you will, Jack."

"I'll walk you home first, then I'll see you tomorrow." He said, standing up to pull his pants back on.


The walk back to the manor was silent, but warm. I stopped in my tracks at the park.

"This is far enough." I whispered.

"I'll stay here, to make sure you get inside the mansion fine." He whispered as I smiled.

"Thank you, Jack." I kissed his cheek, making my way to the mansion. I pulled the key from my pocket, unlocking the door as quietly as I could before shutting it as quietly as I could. I held my breath walking up the stairs. I stopped at the top, with my breath still held. I still heard my father's snores and my brother's mumbles as I released my breath, making my way back into my room. I quietly closed the bedroom door behind me. If it weren't after one in the morning I would be squealing happily. I quickly changed into my nightclothes before climbing into bed. Hugging my pillow tightly I started to think about how my future with Jack would play out.