Avoid The Lead!

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Taze and Celia had become the most popular couple in Elsworth academy, but as they grew, there were many who tried to... take one or the other for themselves.

Through the years, many young men tried to snatch Celia away, but Taze remained calm...

"I understand... You're too beautiful and talented."

Or so he said!

Whoever dared ask Celia out became the unfortunate target of Taze's childish challenges!

"Let's play chess!" He would approach good-naturedly. "The loser must climb the clocktower and crow three times like a rooster!"

or,

"Let's have a magic race! The loser must wear a clown outfit and dance in the central courtyard!"

or,

"Let's duel! The loser must kneel in front of the girls' dormitory and profess undying love to the first five ladies who come out!"

After a week of unending embarrassment, the young man in question would get the message and slink away!

Celia was another matter...

She was generally friendly, but revealed a wicked temper to anyone with ill intent.

Many young ladies tried snatching Taze away, but they either had to face his cold, deadpan rejection, or deal with his furious girlfriend, nicknamed the 'Ice Queen'... and with good reason!

Once, a girl named Amelia had gotten a boy with transformation magic to turn into Taze and lure Celia to a tower room.

Celia had realized it wasn't Taze, but her curiosity made her fall into the double-layered trap, as the tower room was surrounded by a magic circle, which trapped her within.

Then Amelia bribed one of the Academy Maids to drug Taze, so she could set herself up with him.

"My father won't let him go, if we're found in 'that' situation!" She said.

Unfortunately, another girl named Carla Winters had noticed the maid craftily pour something into Taze's drink, and she hurried over to warn him.

The maid had been caught and though she confessed to Amelia's plans, she was dismissed from the Academy.

Before the school authorities could decide how to punish Amelia, Celia found her first...

Celia had broken the magic circle after hours of being trapped, and she beat up Amelia's accomplice till he was bloodied! "How dare you pretend to be Taze?!"

That night, a severely pissed off Celia had dragged the bruised boy through the Academy corridors, and the floors frosted beneath her feet, as she headed right to Amelia's dormitory.

Unseasonal snow fell in the courtyard, as Amelia came out of her room to find her accomplice kneeling on frosty ice, and her eyes raised to Celia, who glared at her.

"W- What are you planning to do?!" Amelia backed away in fear.

"I'm setting an example!" Celia said, and with a snap of her fingers, Amelia vanished from sight!

The next morning, it took the Academy threatening to expel Celia, to make her snap her pretty fingers and bring back a shivering Amelia.

"She was always safe." Celia said. "I just wanted her to spend three days trapped in an ice boundary... She won't think of trapping anyone else after that!"

Since then, the term 'Ice Queen' floated around the school, and even the young men bold enough to approach Celia, backed off once she sent them an icy glare!

Celia turned sixteen just before their graduation, and like the fake first life, she was engaged, but to Taze!

The two spent all their free time together, sharing many familiar and beautiful memories, all of which had been replaced by Vitav in the fake lives!

Her first formal dance was with Taze.

And her first kiss on her eighteenth birthday had been with Taze, beneath the same ice chandelier, in a glistening ballroom full of people.

The only difference was when Taze placed the necklace around her neck, making the guests 'ooh' and 'aah' at the sheer beauty of the two.

Celia instantly felt the flood of Taze's aura from the necklace, and she blushed as they resumed dancing.

"It's something new I learned." He softly whispered in her ear. "I wanted to give you a piece of myself, so we're connected at all times..."

Celia had never been happier, and her solemn wish was that she would always have Taze, even if nothing else!

But that very night, she got her scariest glimpse into the future...

The beloved Crown Prince of Luxia would die from an arrow through his heart when he was nineteen!

...

..

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"The Crown Prince of Luxia will die from an arrow through the heart when he is nineteen!"

Celia's prediction of Taze's death caused chaos in the royal family, and Celia herself nearly ran mad at the thought.

'But he's so powerful! How can he be killed so easily?!' She endlessly wondered.

But much like her past predictions, she had uttered the words in a trance, and couldn't see any details of his death, except the moment itself!

She bit her nails anxiously.

"Calm down..." Taze soothed, planting a warm kiss on her temple. "We still have a year to plan and take precautions!"

But next thing he knew, he was completely frozen in thick ice!

"If you wont take it seriously, I have multiple ways of tucking you away from harm!" Celia threatened, eyes narrowed.

~"Surely you won't keep me frozen for more more than a year!!"~ Taze teased through telepathy.

"I will if you remain flippant!"

"I didn't know you were so worried..." Taze easily dispelled the ice spell and appeared before her, pulling her into a hug. "I'll take it seriously. I'll take care of myself."

But despite Taze's reassurance, Celia couldn't sit still.

She threw herself into studies, desperately searching for a way to heighten her foresight magic, even if temporarily, to the point where she could see more details surrounding Taze's death.

And driven by sheer force of will, she succeeded...

A hidden Elf Prince named Vitav had joined hands with the mermaids and fairies. The mermaids had attacked one of Luxia's biggest port cities, and every other city bordering the seas.

In the chaos, the fairies infiltrated Blixia, destroying the Grand Mages and holding the pillar officials and mages hostage.

This forced King Vien to abdicate the throne and crown Vitav, but Vitav didn't stop there.

On King Vien's journey to one of the outskirt Palaces, his convoy was attacked, and Taze jumped in to rescue his father, but though he was strong, he had been poisoned earlier, making it all too easy to subdue and kill him...

Celia gasped as she emerged from the spell. "Since when did Taze have a brother?!" She wondered.

He had never mentioned it to her before!

But Celia could not afford to dwell on it, and she hurried to inform King Vien of all she had seen.

King Vien merely sighed.

"I'm sure you know that I'm quite fond of you... If you weren't so in love with Taze, I might be forced to fight Lord Scarlett and adopt you as my own daughter!" He smiled fondly, before continuing.

"However, I must ask for some proof this time... I'd admit I do have a hidden son... He's not the nicest person, so I'm not fond of him, but I haven't been the best father either.

"I can't accuse him solely based on your words."

"Why not read my memory?! I saw it clearly!"

But because of the method she had used for the foresight, all king Vien saw was what she had already predicted.

Celia was just beginning to despair when...

"Father, shouldn't you ask how she even knows about my big brother?" Taze strolled in. "I can swear I've never mentioned him."

Celia slid a curious glance at Taze, wondering why he never mentioned his brother, and Taze moved to stand beside her.

"Sorry I'm late! After I became Crown Prince at nine, my brother and Lady Flora never spoke to me again." He explained to her. "Father eventually sent them off to live in another Palace. I was quite heartbroken, so I never brought it up... Forgive me."

But Celia just squeezed his hand in comfort.

"Father." Taze continued, turning to King Vien. "We can afford to investigate a little... I can trust Celia with my life!"

Taze's declaration led King Vien to check Luxia's shores at least, and investigate everyone around the strongest mages, and that was enough.

Thousands of Altean mermen were discovered already setting up camps under Luxia's waters, and countless fairy spies were captured within Blixia.

Fearing Luxia's retaliation, the Mermen revealed the plan... Vitav had promised to marry their Princess, making her Queen, and this would keep the other sea Kingdoms in check.

The fairy spies also confessed under torture, revealing Vitav and Lady Flora as the masterminds.

Enraged, King Vien coldly ordered their deaths, but Lady Flora came forward and shouldered all the blame, pleading for her son's life, so Vitav was spared but sent to live out his days in a distant palace, while Lady Flora was hanged.

The dust settled on the chapter, and a peaceful life resumed with Celia's nineteenth birthday bringing the tinkles of wedding bells and the winds of hope.

Luxia celebrated their most powerful Crown Prince and Crown Princess yet, in a celebration which rivaled any wedding ceremony in Luxia's history!

But that wedding night, Celia watched herself walk outside the Palace and into the snow to meet a cloaked figure, who was none other than Vitav...

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