What if's with Caleb

What if he is a Knight?

You knew this wasn't exactly right. Love should bloom naturally, not be coaxed by alchemy. But a dear friend of yours, had pleaded for your help. She had waited long enough, she said, for the man she loved to gather the courage to confess, yet his feelings were already painfully obvious. If this potion could help him say the words he struggled to voice, then was it really so wrong?

And besides, she had paid you handsomely for your efforts, a sum that would fund your research for months to come. That alone was reason enough to focus on the task at hand.

You stirred the mixture carefully, watching as it thickened to the consistency of warmed honey. Almost done. Now all you have to do is let it set a bit.

A firm knock at the door startled you from your thoughts. Before you could respond, the heavy wooden door creaked open, and in stepped Caleb, clad in his usual dark uniform, his violet eyes gleaming with quiet amusement.

"Princess, are you hiding away in here again?" he teased, stepping inside and closing the door behind him.

Your heart stuttered at the sight of him, but you quickly pushed the feeling aside.

"I'm working, Caleb. Some of us have important things to do, this love potion won't make itself."

"Which is exactly why I brought you something," he countered, holding up a small box wrapped in velvet.

"Your favorite sweets. You always forget to eat when you get too caught up in your work"

You hesitated before taking the box from his hands, carefully unwrapping it to reveal delicate honeyed tarts. The warm, sugary scent filled the air, making your stomach tighten with longing.

"You didn't have to do this," you murmured, but you couldn't stop the small, grateful smile that formed on your lips.

Caleb shrugged, leaning against the table with an easy grin. "Someone has to take care of you."

The casual affection in his voice sent warmth flooding through you, and you had to look away before he noticed the faint blush dusting your cheeks.

You knew you had to keep your feelings in check. No matter how much his kindness affected you, you couldn't risk the beautiful friendship you had built with him. So, instead of dwelling on the way your heart ached in his presence, you focused on your potion, stirring the mixture and pouring some of it into a flask as if your life depended on it.

As you worked, the conversation shifted, drifting toward old memories. Eventually, you found yourself asking,

"How do you feel now, Caleb?"

Caleb exhaled, his gaze flickering toward the bubbling potion.

"Princess, I've moved on. You should stop asking me that. It's been years."

You frowned, not convinced. "I just worry about you, that's all. Zayne and the Saintess are so lovey-dovey everywhere, it even makes me sick. I can't imagine how you—"

He laughed, shaking his head. "You really don't believe me, do you?"

You crossed your arms, giving him a skeptical look.

Caleb sighed, his expression shifting into something unreadable as his gaze landed on the potion.

"So, how does it work? This love potion of yours."

You blinked at the sudden change in topic but indulged him.

"It's not a real love potion. It doesn't force feelings, just encourages the drinker to confess the ones they already have."