A Dance Of Crowns & Thrones | Book I

Chapter 145 | December 27th | Ordinary People

Timeline - December 27th | ( 3 Days later)

The period between Christmas and New Year always felt like a black hole of time. No one knew whether they were coming or going, and it always felt like a million things could happen in that small pocket of time before the New Year had rung out.

This was also the time of year when the academies received the highest volume of time-off requests, particularly from former young soldiers who had now grown into adults, creating their own families and wanting to celebrate with them.

Matthew discovered from the administrative reports that over the past five years, there had been more requests for leave than at any other time, prompting the board to consider the trend as they planned for the future.

The alignment of the academy's operations with the pursuit of a sustainable work-life balance had become a primary focus for Allegiant.

After all, that's exactly what he found himself doing at that moment. With his afternoon off and cocooned in warmer clothing, the weather reports had forewarned of an impending week of rain. Yet, there he was, savoring the present moment with his girlfriend, basking in the weather before it took a turn for the worse.

Eko's arm was gently entwined with his, their fingers softly interlocking, as they stood at the crossroads of yet another lunch decision. They had scoured nearly every eatery in town, leaving them with a sense of culinary déjà vu. In these moments, they resembled not just a couple, but an old married couple, seasoned in their routines and preferences.

As they continued to contemplate their options, a subtle smile tugged at the corners of Matthew's lips, hidden from Eko's view. The irony of it all wasn't lost on him—it was precisely the life he yearned for, and it was only in a few days when he was finally going to propose to her.

Yet, in the last few weeks, it had prompted him to truly contemplate whether it would be enough to surprise her, whether she would say yes. Marriage wasn't a topic they overly spoke about, at least not for him. However, the prospect of spending the rest of his life with her had taken hold of him in a way he never expected.

"So, what's the real reason for the ICD malfunctioning?" Eko suddenly diverted her attention, her voice tinged with both concern and curiosity. Her eyes locked onto Matthew's in search of an explanation. She had awoken that morning to the unsettling sight of her empty bed, driving her to hunt him down. An hour later, she found him in the infirmary.

A shiver of terror ran down Eko's spine as the infirmary doors swished open. The ginger-haired girl at the administration front desk pointed her towards one of the frosted medical bay rooms. Upon entering, she was met with the sight of Matthew, shirtless and seated on the bed. Mya was before him, disconnecting monitoring devices from his chest. He looked pale, even sweaty. Toni stood nearby with arms crossed, indicating a heated argument. The argument abruptly stopped when Eko entered the room, and all three turned to cast guilt looks her way.

Matthew quickly got up from the bed, grabbing his shirt as Eko began screaming at everyone in the room. Toni explained that her idiotic and stubborn boyfriend had collapsed during training.

She tightened her grip on his arm as they navigated the bustling streets of Isadora that mid-morning.

"Nothing, babe. Like I said, I just lost my breath. All three of you are being overly dramatic about this. Now, can we get back to what Emily said?" Matthew replied, wrapping his arm around Eko's shoulders, attempting to draw her close for warmth, eager to continue hearing the rest of the story she had been telling him.

Eko, however, pushed him away, her brows furrowing with frustration. "Don't change the subject. You promised you'd tell me!"

Matthew sighed and brought them to a halt, extending his hand toward her, his fingers beckoning. "Take my hand, and let's keep walking. Come on, lets not spoil today, babe?"