Chapter 202: Visit From Xenia

She sat down at the edge of the bed and tucked her hair behind her ear, the two of them had grown that much closer but she still insisted on calling him ’young master’ even though he had told her many times to address him by his first name.

"Welcome Xenia. To what do I owe the pleasure?" He smiled as he stood from his bed, picking up a glass and pouring some wine in it, then walking over to her and handing it to her.

"How charming." She said with a smile as she took the glass from his hand and ran her index finger along the edge of the glass, her nails were painted dark red to match her hair as always, she never stressed too much about the colors she wore on her body.

"I just came to see you before you leave for the academy." She said as she looked down, the smile on her face had faded and she seemed to be lost in the white wine swirling in her glass. "You know, I think this is the first time that I would not be allowed to follow you anywhere."

"Who says you can’t, I’ll smuggle you in, and you can still easily pass for an 18 or 19 year old. Easily." Jacob smiled at her, forcing a chuckle out of her, he really was charming, in his own way.

"You know I can’t Jacob, you need to be admitted specially by the school to be able to join." Xenia said.

"That is unfortunately true, luckily the school is not too far." Jacob got up from the bed and walked towards the windows of his room, staring out into the vast expanse. "I will try to come home often, and you’re welcome to send letters too."

After he said that, there was a brief silence between them, Jacob staring out of his window, and Xenia swirling the glass in her hand.

"I just don’t get why you all are so worried, it’s not my first time leaving the castle, and it’s also not my first time going on my own to do something. I’ll be fine, I promise." Jacob said without turning back, and truthfully he could not make sense of why they were so worried about him going, sometimes they’d sound like they were never going to see him again, it bothered him slightly.

"We know you’ll be fine—I know you’ll be fine. I mean it, you’re the strongest person I’ve ever met in my life, and I’ve met a lot of strong people, so I know you’ll be able to take care of yourself. We’re all just going to miss you, that’s all. It’s been two long years, and I think—like your mother—I’ve been silently dreading it for the longest time, and now it’s here." Xenia expressed herself, in a way that Jacob had not seen her do for a long time, probably ever. She was not crying, no. Since the incident at the World Tree, she hadn’t shed a single tear from her eyes, at least not in front him.

But somehow, she had grown softer, more and more feminine, spending time with Luke, eventually she was indistinguishable from the highborn palace ladies, in their long flowing gowns and their make up.

She had even stopped carrying her sword around with her, she lowered her guard and started expressing her emotions a lot more.

He turned around and went to sit beside her. He smiled as he placed his hand on hers and looked directly in her eyes.

"I’ll never be too far away, don’t you worry." Jacob closed his hands and then when he opened them again; there was a necklace, bright, golden straps and a very shiny emerald pendant.

He led Xenia to the mirror and slowly wrapped the necklace around her neck as she watched. She still held the glass of wine in her hand, and the look of uncertainty was wiped clean off her face, what remained was a bright smile that showed her pearly white teeth.

"There." He said when he was done. "Whenever you need to talk to me, just touch the pendant and say my name."

He plopped back down onto the bed and looked at her. She turned around and looked at him in a confused manner.

"And what exactly will it do?" She asked.

"It’s gonna magically transport you to a dimension where I’ll be waiting for you."

She immediately laughed, heartily, then sat back down on the edge of the bed, still laughing. Jacob was not laughing, infact, he was dead serious. In that moment, he had created a pendant that was capable of sending her to Kalgin, where he had placed a clone that would listen to her and converse with her whenever she needed to.

Mid laughter, she looked at him, only to find that he was just staring at her blankly, she had half-expected him to join her in laughter as well but he didn’t.

That was proof that he was serious.

"Oh? You’re serious?" She asked, after suppressing her very cute laughter, then looked at him with a confused expression woven into her face.

"Quite, yes." He responded.

"I’m sorry, I thought it was a joke, that was insensitive of me, I didn’t mean to—"

"It’s okay haha, it’s fine, I understand why you would think it’s a joke." He said.

"So if I touch it, I’ll be able to speak with you? That’s what you said right." She finally took a sip of her wine and made a face. She was not one to drink often, but Jacob had always made sure to pour her a glass of wine whenever she came to visit him.

That, and water, was all he had in his room. But Xenia never refused the wine, she would instead just take one sip and keep the rest for him, as she wasn’t a drinker.

"Yes, when you touch it, and say my name, you’ll be able to talk to me about anything you wish to." Jacob said as he laid his head on his soft pillow, staring up at his ceiling.