powerful [✓] | inspiring [✓]

♪ 𝓲𝓷  𝓶𝔂  𝓷𝓮𝔀  𝔀𝓸𝓻𝓵𝓭 ♪

'I know you'll take my hand'

He watched as Celeste Aquaria stood alone, every eye in the auditorium rested upon her.

"Many of you know me, by name, or by reputation, some know me by looks or appearances, but not many know my story. Put up your hand if you know my story, and do not lie."

Three hands went up.

The first belonged to her cousin, who'd requested her guest appearance at his school; this was his university after all.

The second was her own.

And the third belonged to him.

Her gaze moved to him, and he met it with honesty and a little humour in his eyes. She knew that he was here, but she didn't know who he was.

"Congratulations on being honest." Taking a deep breath, she tore her eyes away from him.

"I was an only child, left at the steps of an orphanage. When I turned five, I got thrust into the dreaded foster care system. Thankfully, I landed with the most caring, beautiful, welcoming, wonderful family I could ever ask for."

She turned to smile at her cousin, who grinned back at her. He watched the interaction with a warm glow in his heart. He knew firsthand how amazing her family had been.

"They became my mother and father, yet my fondest memories were of my overprotective brother and his best friend. I haven't seen them in a decade and a half, but they're there somewhere."

Her eyes turned misty and distant.

"I miss them every day, but I would get neverending jabs if I told them, so this is our little secret, k?"

The audience laughed, and she laughed with them. She had no idea that he was right here; his best friend and her brother hadn't been able to make it, but then again, nobody knew- he'd sneaked in here without telling anyone.

"When I turned eleven, I entered high school. I was untouchable; my cousins were the star athletes for every sporting team, my older brother was the school captain, and everyone knew his best friend. One wrong move and the offending person's reputation and social life would come crashing down. I was a trigger, and they were the dummy waiting to take the bullet."

Striding towards the chair in the centre of the stage, she took a seat.

She had been.

When they were young, she was the princess he'd wanted protected at all costs, both he and her brother had seen to that.

Not a conversation that mentioned her name flew under their radar, but most of the nasty words that were strung into the same sentence as her name ended in faltered words as the person who'd struck and continued the conversation met the eyes of either himself or his best friend.

"See my life was like this tea," she held out the crystal teapot that had been prepared beforehand and poured the rich amber liquid into the clear glass beside it. She made a show of the action, exaggerating it for her captivated listeners. He watched her, entranced.

"My life was sweet, but not too much; it was a constant stream of amazing events, and I was as happy as could be. I was filled with ideas and huge dreams, and I was always supported."

Taking a sip of the tea, she carried on.

"I danced with the rain, and I smiled with the sun. Then I turned twenty, and I experienced the biggest high of my life; I got into my dream school."

He smiled.

"Until it came crashing down."

The teacup slipped from her hand, and it shattered, startling the audience, but not him. He stayed perfectly still, eyes locked onto her deep sapphire eyes, smile dropping.

"See, as smoothly as my life had been, it wasn't without hitch. I'm still human, and life is a series of trials by fire; that was my first. My dream school was miles away and nowhere near my family. Nonetheless, I moved."

He remembered the day she'd gotten the acceptance letter; he hadn't been happy that she'd have to move, but he'd been happy that her talent finally got recognized.

She rose to her feet, her hair swishing as she moved. "I packed up and moved away from the people who took me in and sent me off with my dreams. But I struggled hard. The field of architecture is not one you want to dive into without warning. It's competitive and cutthroat, take it from an ex-architect." She winked, lighting the atmosphere in the room.

"But that was my world."

Walking towards the other end of the stage, her footsteps stayed on the beat, as though she was listening to a song only she knew the tune of. It was fast and catchy.

"I forged my way into the world, built up my fame, and became the person I am today. I am, and I'm not shy to admit it, one of the most successful people of my generation. I am an architect for the best firm there is, I am an inspirational and motivational speaker, and I am also an idol to many. To me, it's the last piece of information on my resume that makes me happiest."

Again, her eyes met his, iron-clad with pride and will.

"I became an icon, I tour the world speaking about different things, but today, I share with you my story."

Watching her stand onstage with her head held high and a confidence that screamed power in every way possible, he smiled. She was no longer the carefully protected gemstone that he had glanced at once and became determined to guard for the rest of his life. She was now a strong, independent, powerful woman who paved her own way.

She had made a promise to him many years ago, and she had kept true to her word.

She would make him proud, she once said.

And he couldn't be prouder.

'won't let you down'

✎...A/N: dream big dreamer

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