The King Returns

Chapter 16 - Wine

After only a few days of training, Lusha was surprised at the quick results her new student was showing. Almar had become strong, even stronger than most of her veteran soldiers. 

All Almar did nowadays between training was eating, sleeping and occasionally playing with Eira in the house. Almost always when he was walking down the wooden roads or getting food in the dining area, he would spot Eir and Sasha together. 

He saw them happily chatting away, eating together and Eir would sometimes crack up laughing with that smile of hers. Almar wanted to spend some time with her but came to the painful realisation that he couldn't because of the training with Lusha. Almar thought about that night. 

That night when he had seen Eir and Sasha and about the strange new feeling he had experienced. If he really had feelings for Eir, had that emotion been jealousy of Sasha? And he couldn't help but feel some degree of anger towards him for stealing all of Eir's time. It felt like something important was taken from him and he didn't like it. At the same time, Almar had also become much closer to Lusha. She had showed him new sides of herself that he never even knew of and he was intrigued.

As Almar and Lusha walked back from a hard training pass towards the dining area, they talked about swords and other weapons. Then coming up ahead on the road, they noticed Sasha and Eir happily chatting with each other. 

  "Hey Eir!" Almar called out his friends name in a happy voice. Sylvina popped out of the bag when she heard him and flew directly into his arms. "Sylvina, I told you to not fly out of the bag like that," Almar said and catched Sylvina. 

  "But, Sylvina haven't seen human for days!" Sylvina said, pushing the top of her head against his palm. Almar smiled as he stroked her green scales. 

  "Sylvina, I told you to not do that out in the open!" Eir said and came running towards them with a worried expression on her face. 

  "Looks like you made her worry, go on, back to Eir now!" Almar said and put Sylvina down on the ground.

  "Sorry, I tried to stop her," Eir sounded apologetic as she stopped a few feet in front of Almar. 

  "Don't worry about it. Actually, I've kind of missed her and you these past few days, what have you been up to?" Almar asked, smiling at her curiously. 

  "We've been out every morning, picking herbs and aiding the healer Asa," Eir said and picked Sylvina up from the ground. 

  "So how did training go?" Sasha asked and looked at Almar. 

  "Good, I'm grateful that you've given me such a great trainer to work with. I've learned a lot," Almar said and bowed. 

  "I just want to prepare you, my prince," Sasha said and he bowed down before Almar. 

  "I'm sorry but, please, don't call me prince," Almar said and laid his hand on Sasha's shoulder. 

  "But Almar, you are the prince," Eir stated.

  "I really can't see myself as one though..." Almar paused and let out a deep sigh, "sorry, I need to clear my mind for a bit," Almar cast his gaze downwards as he turned away from the group. 

  "Is human alright?" Sylvina wondered, looking up at Lusha with a worried expression. 

  "He was in such a good mood before," Lusha replied, looking down at the green dragon. 

  "I don't think he's feeling quite himself," Eir added. 

  "Then, should we go after him?" Sylvina suggested and looked after Almar who was now a good distance away.