Between Us and the Stars

Chapter 1

Lady Seraphina was the queen bee of Eastvale Hamlet, charming everyone around her with her sweet smile and angelic looks that could melt a heart. With soft features reminiscent of a doll, she was the epitome of a beloved little girl, and it was no secret that her light-hearted laughter often masked a cunning nature. If she ever cried, it was undoubtedly because some dastardly boy had bullied her, and everyone rushed to her defense.

As she turned five, she had already carved her throne among her peers, ruling the small community with a blend of grace and strength. She was the only girl of her kind, adored by all, ruling her makeshift kingdom of playdates and pretend adventures. Whenever they played house, she would always assert herself as the leading lady, charging forward while her gaggle of muddy-faced boys followed her like loyal subjects, serving her whims.

The only cloud in her sunny realm was her lack of a “princess consort.” The boys in the neighborhood were simply not up to her standards. They came adorned in dirt-stained clothes, their noses running like garden hoses, and would shout, “Seraphina, Seraphina, snot is salty!” But, somehow, none of that revolted her.

There was only one contender, Lord Galen, who, despite his round figure and daily pampering by his parents, was dismissed by Seraphina as “too chubby” to be her consort. She relegated him to the role of “kitchen helper” instead.

One day, the skies were clear and sunshine flooded the yard. Lady Seraphina was at play, leading her ensemble of little ladies when her gaze fell upon a figure standing a short distance away. At that moment, he seemed like a miracle. Lord Cedric, with his pristine shirt and shiny shoes, looked like a beacon of hope. He was, in every sense, her destined partner.

“Girls, charge! My princess consort is right there!” Seraphina commanded, and a dozen little boys with muddy hands rushed toward Lord Cedric.

It was a scene forever etched in Cedric’s memory. A swarm of boys came at him, grinning and hollering, “We’ve caught the princess consort!” They shoved him toward the lovely girl, and there was no way for him to escape. His clean attire was soon marred by handprints of dirt, and a particularly messy boy wiped his nose on Cedric's brand-new clothes.

Overwhelmed, the boy known for his neatness began to cry. Though it was his attire that had been soiled, Cedric couldn’t help but feel as though Seraphina had already claimed him as her princely partner, despite the chaos around them.

In a surprising act of kindness, Seraphina pulled out her precious handkerchief—an item she never let anyone touch—and gently wiped his tears away. “Don’t cry,” she said softly.

With a radiant smile, she revealed the tiniest hint of her pearly whites, and Cedric, momentarily enchanted, thought she was like an angel sent to rescue him from the mess. Little did he know, she was the orchestrator of this pandemonium, and she had plans to keep him under her reign for a long time.

Defeated and with his spirits crushed, Lord Cedric returned home, muddied and demoralized. Meanwhile, Seraphina, having lost interest in her game, waved her hand dismissively and declared, “Alright, everyone scatter!” The fierce little queen then followed Lord Cedric like a little shadow, “Wait for me!”

Behind them, the neglected Sir Galen—often left to tend to the cooking—pouted, “Hmph, where did that little fairy come from?”

Lord Cedric had just returned from his grandmother's manor, and his new outfit was hardly clean for more than a few minutes. He hung his head, fearing his mother’s wrath.

At that moment, Miss Arabella took notice of his sorrowful demeanor. She frowned, and Cedric could tell his mother was displeased.

Fortunately, Seraphina spoke up, clutching the hem of her dress. “Aunt Agatha, I’m so sorry. It was our neighborhood boys who made him dirty. Please don’t be mad at him!”

She looked up with her big innocent eyes, exuding sincerity as if she had the weight of the world on her shoulders, and Aunt Agatha’s heart melted.

“Oh dear! Which little girl is this who tugs at my heartstrings so?” Aunt Agatha replied, pulling out a beautiful, colored candy.

Seraphina's temptation was palpable, yet her stubby fingers didn’t move to grab it.

“That’s our sweet neighbor, Seraphina! Give her a candy, it’ll make her day!” remarked Cedric’s grandmother, Ms. Elswyth, who doted on Seraphina.

“Thank you, Aunt Agatha. Thank you, Grandma!” Seraphina accepted the candy, but her eyes remained fixed on Lord Cedric. Such a charming “prince” couldn’t slip away; she had to keep watch over him.

Seeing Seraphina’s fixation on Cedric, Ms. Elswyth pulled him close, “Seraphina, my dear, this is my grandson, Cedric. From now on, he will be living here, so be sure to befriend him, okay?”

Her eyes sparkled with excitement, and she exclaimed, “Of course! I’ll be the best friend ever!”

Laughter erupted from the adults, while Cedric flushed with embarrassment, scratching his cheek in discomfort.

“Cedric, go change your clothes with your mom.”

As Cedric followed her instructions, he couldn’t help but glance back at his new friend.

Seraphina felt confident he wouldn’t run away now. “Grandma, I’m heading home now. See you later!”

With a skip in her step, she returned home, eager to boast to her parents about the candy she had just snagged.

Lady Seraphina smiled to herself, “My prince turned red just like candy. How sweet!”

In their little community, she knew their friendship would blossom like a fairy tale, complete with sweet moments and childhood adventures.

Chapter 2

The harsh reality had finally dawned on Lord Cedric—Lady Seraphina was not simply a charming doll. In truth, she was the ringleader of that motley crew of rag dolls, delighting in silly antics like abducting maiden girls. It was all a game to her, but now she had pulled him into it.

Being labeled the "chief bride" was absurd for a refined lord like him. After all, what kind of dignified gentleman submits to a lady doll? The thought alone was laughable!

He refused to comply.

Lady Seraphina, however, wasn't dissuaded. After all, the whole circus of courtship was meant to be her fun—if he didn’t want to play, she would just send her other lady friends to claim him instead.

What truly sent Lord Cedric into a spiral of despair was that not only did Lady Seraphina intend to claim him as her prize, but she also wanted to ride him, quite literally. Such an idea made his skin crawl. He, the cleanest among the lords, couldn’t allow himself to be reduced to crawling on the ground like some sort of pet, covered in dirt—no, thank you!

To make matters worse, he couldn’t even muster any fondness for Lady Seraphina anymore; she had completely lost her angelic charm in his eyes. He rushed to his grandmother, Elswyth, to complain, but she thought his fussiness was unnecessary. “A young lad should be more cheerful, like the other wild children in the neighborhood—laughing and playing,” she said.

Lord Cedric felt as though the sky itself had fallen in.

As for Lady Seraphina’s persistence in riding him like a horse, well, that was a lesson straight from her parents.

On a particularly sultry spring night, while Lady Seraphina—the soft and cuddly girl—was deep in slumber, occasionally smiling in her dreams, her father, Lord Alaric, found it hard to resist climbing into bed beside her. His wandering hands weren’t trivial, given that he and Dame Imogen hadn’t had intimate moments in quite some time. Given how stunning their union must have been, it was no wonder a beautiful daughter like Seraphina had sprung from such a passionate encounter.

Back then, conditions were modest; everyone shared cramped quarters. Whenever her parents sought intimacy, they’d hoist their little darling to the foot of the bed and proceed without a second thought.

“Ugh, she just fell asleep!” Dame Imogen protested, pushing him away.

But Lord Alaric was young and consumed with desire. Her rejection turned playful, and soon their lips were locked.

“I can’t hold back; quick, feel if I’m hard,” he teased.

“Shameless,” she shot back, yet her hand soon found its way around his heated flesh, making her own heart flutter at the warmth.

“Easy now,” he gasped, the bed frame rocking wildly under their movements.

“My dear, I can’t stand it! Let me kiss you properly,” he murmured.

In the dim light, their bodies twisted and turned in a frenzy of passion.

“Honey, I saw this amazing book today and learned new techniques that will make you feel amazing,” he bragged, his charm evident even amidst the frenzy.

With every twist and turn, all pleasure centered around him, and he couldn’t help but shout, “You know how to squeeze, don’t you? You’re dripping.”

The creaking of the bedframe echoed, leaving even their child unaware as she tumbled into the mosquito netting below.

“Good wife, come ride me!” he urged breathlessly.

Exhausted from their whirl of activity, Dame Imogen protested, “I’m so tired; I don’t want to ride!”

“Then I’ll ride you! A wife is meant to be ridden!” He flipped her over, her rear elevated, and he was off, trembling with delight.

"I'll ride you forever," he promised.

From the confines of her mosquito netting, Lady Seraphina only caught snippets of conversation: “A wife is meant to be ridden.”

Thus, this became Lady Seraphina’s lifelong obsession.

Before Cedric came along, she hadn’t had a target to ride at all.

But now he was here, making those fantasies palpable—Lord Cedric was her husband-to-be, and she was determined to have her way.

No matter how much Cedric tried to hide, Lady Seraphina would always find a way to coax him out, inviting him for games, only to once again end up sitting atop him.

With wide, dark eyes full of despair, Lord Cedric thought bleakly,

Could it be that I’ll be ridden for a lifetime?

“Don’t worry, you’ll learn to enjoy the ride,” said a mischievous voice in the back of his mind.

The little ones were just so lovable; perhaps a few pearls thrown their way wouldn’t hurt.

Chapter 3

“Miss Arabella and her family have really moved in!” Dame Imogen exclaimed as she served Lady Seraphina another helping of her favorite dish.

Lord Alaric sighed. “Of course they did. In fact, she even took her son Yang to enroll in preschool today. She brought some gifts to help him fit in and be in the same class with our Seraphina.”

“Really?” Lady Seraphina's eyes lit up at the thought of having Yang in her class, her excitement bubbling over.

“Absolutely! But you need to take good care of Yang; he’s probably a bit scared in this new environment,” Dame Imogen said, an edge of sorrow in her voice at the thought of the struggles children face during a divorce.

“I promise! He’s practically my brother!” Lady Seraphina declared, puffing out her chest with pride.

Dame Imogen and Lord Alaric exchanged amused glances, dismissing Lady Seraphina’s sentiment as just another one of her playful proclamations. Ever since Lord Cedric had come into the picture, Seraphina had taken to calling him her “brother,” and now, it seemed, the whole community knew about it.

Lord Cedric was Lady Seraphina’s childhood friend.

“And what about Sir Galen?” Lord Alaric asked.

“He’s not my brother. I don’t care what he does,” Lady Seraphina said dismissively.

Lord Cedric had hoped that going to school would mean he’d finally escape Lady Seraphina’s overbearing nature. But instead, his mother squeezed his hand and trailed behind as Lady Seraphina led him into Mrs. Johnson’s third-grade class. “Yang, you’ll sit next to Seraphina from now on. You two can be classmates, okay?”

He really wanted to shake his head in disagreement, but looking at Lady Seraphina’s sparkling eyes, he felt the words stuck in his throat.

This felt like the beginning of a nightmare.

During class, all he wanted was to listen quietly, but Lady Seraphina had other plans—pulling at his sleeve, tugging his hand, and never seeming to give him a moment of peace.

When the bell finally rang, things went from bad to worse.

Lady Seraphina kept a tight grip on Lord Cedric, ensuring that no one else could so much as glance in his direction, let alone make friends with him.

“You’re my brother! You can only be friends with me!” Lady Seraphina proclaimed boldly.

Lady Guinevere wasn’t having any of it. “Why should he only be friends with you? Lord Cedric is adorable! Just because you have a few followers doesn’t mean you can hog him all to yourself!”

“Lord Cedric, I want to be friends! Come play with me!” Lady Guinevere’s bright smile shined as she stood beside him.

Lady Seraphina shot her eyebrows up, her expression darkening as she stood between them. “No way! He’s only friends with me!”

“Why should we listen to you!” Lady Guinevere countered, bouncing on her feet. “Lord Cedric, don’t you want to be my friend?”

Lady Seraphina turned back to glare at Lord Cedric. “You decide!”

Feeling cornered and overwhelmed, Lord Cedric’s rebellious spirit kicked in. “I want to be friends with her!” he announced defiantly.

Lady Guinevere beamed with joy at his declaration and reached for his hand, but he stopped her. He had just seen her pick her nose, and that made him hesitate. Still, he swiftly moved to stand next to Lady Guinevere. “Let’s go find some toys!”

Lady Seraphina’s expression morphed to one of immediate despair, her face scrunching into a pout. “Lord Cedric, you don’t want to be her friend!”

“I do want to be friends with her! This is my choice,” Lord Cedric replied, his tone serious as he fought off her overbearing nature. Deep down, he knew he needed more friends.

With that, he turned away from her.

“Lord Cedric, I won’t play with you anymore!” Lady Seraphina cried out, hoping to intimidate him.

But Lord Cedric ignored her and continued following Lady Guinevere.

“Wahhh!” Lady Seraphina's tears fell finally, the sight of her crying pulling at Cedric’s heartstrings. He felt a tug of guilt as he watched her sob so forlornly.

He opened his mouth, wanting to reassure her that he wouldn’t hang out with Lady Guinevere anymore, but she was already surrounded by her friends, who were trying to comfort her.

He closed his mouth again, still torn between the two girls yet unable to voice his thoughts.

Chapter 4

In the end, Lord Cedric didn’t join Lady Guinevere for games. Instead, he found a nook by the bookshelf in the corner of the room and buried himself in a book. Just like that, two good friends parted ways.

Lady Seraphina, eager to prove her resolve and cool demeanor, sat sideways on her stool, refusing to glance in Lord Cedric's direction, her nose in the air. “Hmph, that insufferable Lord Cedric,” she thought. She didn’t even wait for her "little spouse" after class. With her friend gone, Sir Galen, the so-called “firewood boy,” trailed behind her.

“Seraphina, Seraphina! Let’s go grab some cookies,” Sir Galen exclaimed, his cheerful face lighting up the room.

“Only if you share the chocolate filling with me,” she responded. Chocolate gooeyness was simply the best.

“Deal! Let’s go,” Sir Galen chirped, tugging her along while throwing an “hmph” at Lord Cedric.

Cedric watched them walk away hand in hand, his lips forming a pout. He felt a pang of unhappiness. When it was time to go home after school, Lady Seraphina still didn’t reconcile with her little spouse, even though Cedric sat all alone, looking pitiful in the empty classroom.

As the bell rang, Lady Seraphina raced to the door, leaping into her mother’s embrace without a second thought, eagerly urging, “Mom, let’s hurry up and go!”

Dame Imogen teased her, “What about your little spouse? You don't want him?”

“We broke up!” Seraphina huffed, putting on her most serious and aloof demeanor.

“Well, we can’t just leave him behind. Your grandmother asked me to bring him along as well,” Dame Imogen replied. She waved for Cedric to come closer. “Cedric, your mom needs you to come with us.”

Cedric had grown accustomed to his mother’s busyness and didn’t throw a fit; instead, he sweetly stood beside Dame Imogen. “Thank you, Aunt Agatha.”

Seeing him behave so well tugged at Dame Imogen’s heartstrings. “Good boy! Let’s go, and I’ll buy you both an ice cream cone on the way.”

Lady Seraphina jumped with glee. “You’re the best, Mom! I love you!”

Cedric felt a flicker of excitement too; his dark eyes sparkled, but he still managed to hold back. “Aunt Agatha, just get one for Seraphina. I won’t have any.”

Seraphina shot him a glance and suddenly felt a twinge of pity for him, but her anger prevailed, and she huffed with a dismissive turn of her head.

Dame Imogen took one child by each hand, feeling incredibly happy as she said, “One for Cedric, one for Seraphina, and not a single cone can be forgotten.”

And just like that, both children were thrilled. It was truly a delightful day, enjoying ice cream while watching the antics of the black cat police chief—it couldn’t be more perfect!

Darn it, my little spouse ran away! Seeing Seraphina looking so sad, let’s shower her with some love, shall we? Mwah!

Chapter 5

The next morning, Lady Seraphina had completely forgotten the unpleasantness of yesterday. Full of excitement, she urged her mother to take her and Cedric to school. Dame Imogen quickly wiped her face clean and spritzed her with Miss Arabella’s sweet-smelling perfume that made her smell like a bouquet of flowers. "Cedric already went with his mom," she explained.

Lady Seraphina pouted, "How did he leave so early?"

"Cedric’s mom has to go to work," Dame Imogen said, helping her change into her shoes.

"But you have to go to work too," Lady Seraphina pointed out.

"Not until later," Dame Imogen replied.

"Oh." She thought for a moment but remained dissatisfied. "From now on, Cedric should come with us to school."

"But didn’t you two break up yesterday?" Dame Imogen teased.

"Yeah." Lady Seraphina clearly had forgotten about that, frowning in contemplation. "Never mind, I forgive him. After all, he's my friend. Dad said you should take care of your own friends."

Dame Imogen flushed, wondering when this little girl had started eavesdropping. She really needed to find a way to get Lady Seraphina to sleep alone now that she was growing up.

When they arrived at preschool, Lady Seraphina stormed over to Cedric, who was sitting quietly. "Why didn’t you wait for me to go to school together?"

Cedric glanced at her, silent.

Lady Seraphina scowled even more, trying to mimic her father's fierce expression, unaware of how silly it looked. "Why won’t you answer me?"

Cedric looked at her with a sad expression, recalling how lonely he felt when she had ignored him yesterday. His lip quivered slightly. "Didn’t you say you never want to be friends again?"

As he spoke, his eyes glimmered with tears.

Lady Seraphina's heart melted. Remembering what had happened the previous day, she hesitated before saying, “Can we be friends again?”

Cedric was quiet, seemingly weighing his options. Frustrated, she dashed away and returned with two cookies. "Here, this is my snack. I’ll give you both; let’s be friends again!"

Cedric looked at the cookies, noticing the chocolate filling was still intact, and he nodded, "Okay."

He took the cookies and bit into one, watching as Lady Seraphina gazed at him eagerly, her mouth watering. Finally, he offered her the chocolate side. "Here, Seraphina, this is for you."

"Cedric, you’re the best!" she exclaimed, pecking him on the cheek before happily munching on the cookie.

Sir Galen, who had been waiting to share snacks with her, stood aside in dismay as he saw her kiss Cedric. His little heart sank, "Lady Seraphina!"

"What’s wrong?" she asked, puzzled by Sir Galen's angry expression.

"I’ve shared so many snacks with you, yet you didn’t kiss me," Sir Galen fumed.

Lady Seraphina shot him a glance, "You’re not my friend."

Both Cedric and Sir Galen blushed; Cedric out of embarrassment, and Sir Galen from anger.

"Hmph!" Sir Galen stomped off, feeling betrayed by Lady Seraphina for her actions.

Cedric wiped his face where she had kissed him, "You can’t kiss me anymore."

"Why not?" she asked, tilting her head.

"My mom says you shouldn’t kiss girls, and girls shouldn’t kiss boys," Cedric replied, his face serious.

"But I’m special," Lady Seraphina declared with pride, her head held high like a peacock showing off its feathers.

“Why are you special?” Cedric questioned.

Lady Seraphina pointed at him, “Because you’re my friend, and I want to kiss you if I feel like it.”

Cedric regretted his earlier statement and didn’t want to be her friend again.

After a night of silent treatment, Lady Seraphina and Cedric finally restored their friendship.

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