It was quiet as the sun began to rise. The little pink bunnies sniffing around as they smell the scent from the pot. In the tent, Rosalia and Arthur are fast asleep. Her sleeping on his lap as he slept sitting up with his hand on her head.
Arthur's P.O.V
'We continued our journey, with unfamiliar surroundings and time quickly passing as the only indicators of our progress.' I thought as I held Rosalia's hand, making our way through the forest with a knife in the other hand. 'After Rosalia's initial desperation and fear has passed, it was obvious she had no idea how to interact with me by how shy she was.' I thought as I looked back and saw her smiling at me with a blush on her face. 'I'll admit that worries of my family and impatience to get back home didn't leave me in the best if moods.' I thought as we stopped in a clearing as the sun sets.
While Rosalia maintained the fire, I decided to make the tent. I was almost finished until I dropped the hammer in my hand as I fell to the ground on my hands and knees. 'What made the journey most unbearable were the agonizing pains coming from my Mana core that struck unpredictably.' I thought as I clenched my chest sweat pouring down my face. "Arthur?!" I heard Rosalia shouted before I saw her standing in front of me. "Are you alright?!" she asked as I felt her rub my back. For some reason it allowed the pain to lessen but not much.
"Yeah... I'm... fine..." I told her as I got up slowly but not before I saw the worried expression on her face. Later that night, I sat in the tent as I felt the pain again. I heard Rosalia shifting besides me. "Arthur... Lay down and go sleep..." she told me as she pulled me down and hugged me before falling back asleep. Even though the pain was still there it was bearable enough for me to fall asleep as I hugged her back.
"Hey, Arthur... Do you usually get those pains in your chest?" I heard Rosalia say as I looked back at her. "Sometimes, but I'm fine." I told her with a smile on her face as she returned one back, nodding her head. As we continued walking I heard a growl behind us. I threw the knife with my Mana connected to it in the direction I heard the growl. I appeared in front of the wolves eyes glowing as I got prepared to fight looking at their frightened faces. When I was done, I looked back at Rose(she told me I could call her that) to see her staring at me in confusion.
I brushed it off, we made it further than before as she pointed in a direction with a happy look on her face. That was until I felt the pain again and ducked behind the tree as I held my chest. 'Damn... it's coming more frequent now. Should I...?' I thought to myself as I looked around the tree and saw her standing with a depressed look on her face. 'No. I can't make her worry about me.' I thought as I dealt with the pain before we set off again finding a good place to set up the tent.
Third Person P.O.V
Arthur fell asleep earlier than Rosalia as she pulled the coat over him before laying down besides him. She held his hand, playing with his fingers worry showing on her face before she fell asleep.
Arthur's P.O.V
'Days passed and Rose recognized more and more of our indistinguishable surroundings.' Arthur thought as he looked at Rose as a small smile appeared on his face upon seeing her happy expression. 'However, our pace had slowed as Rose's body couldn't keep up with the toll of constant travelling.' He thought as he looked at Rose who struggled with the bag on her back while trying to hide it. So I went behind her while snatching the bag before walking.
She stood still frozen as if trying to comprehend what happened. She looked at me walking with the bag over my shoulder. "Arthur, you didn't have to take it." I heard her say to me quietly. "It's alright." I told her as I pat her head and we moved from our previous spot. 'As for me, despite strengthening my body with Mana, the pains continued to grow and it had because harder to hide them from this timid, worried elf.' I thought as I fell, suddenly struck with the pain in my chest.
I heard Rose glanced at me before she rushed to me with a worried and terrified face as I looked at her. I waved it off telling her that I had to release as she looked at me like she didn't believe me but let it go. The sun blazing hot above us, I felt her tug on the sleeve of the cost as I glanced at her. "So, I've been wondering...." she said as confusion appeared on my facial expression. "Hmm?" I said telling her I was listening.
"Since we've gotten to be close friends... Can I call you Art like how your family does?" she asked me as she looked away blushing while playing with her fingers. "I don't mind." I told her as I walked only looking ahead. "Huh? Really?!" She said as she stood in front of me her face close to mines. "Yes..." I replied as I turned my head feeling my face heat up. "Although...it would be an honor for the kind Rosalia Eralith to refer to this countryside as 'Art'!" I told her as she blinked for a minute before giggling. "Then I will." she said.
"By the way, why do you start talking all weird like you're some old man?" she asked me as she walked ahead of me. "I guess it's better than being someone who's so timid and can't even pee by herself without me nearby with my ears closed and eyes shut." I told her as she froze for a minute before turning towards me. "S-S-Shut up!!" she said as she grabbed my cheeks stretching it out. While I rubbed my cheeks from the pain, I saw her look behind me.
"Oh?! I-I think I see something!" Rose shouted as she pointed in the direction as I followed close behind her. "Yes, yes. I see something too. I see moss and leaves and fog and trees... Lot's and lots of trees." I told her sarcastically as we walked in the the direction she pointed at. 'Still... It seemed that despite the mental age gap... I had began to enjoy her company... And we had gotten closer.' I thought as we fell asleep after eating, with her sleeping on top of me.
As we walked in the area, Rosalia started patting different trees as they glowed a purplish-blue underneath her palm. As she made it to a specific tree, her ears started to flap up and down as she made an excited expression. "Rose?" I asked her confused before she looked back at me. "We're here!" she exclaimed as her palm stayed against the tree as it glowed brighter. There were different paths that traveled up the tree as the winds picked up.
"What?" I asked her confused as I stared at what she was doing. Rose put her two hands on the tree as she pulled it apart until it got wider and wider. I stared at it in amazement until I saw her hand outstretched in front of me. "Come on, Art!" she told me as I grabbed her hand before we went through. I fell on my stomach as I grunted upon the impact. 'Ugh... I hate these teleporting gates.' I thought to myself.
Rosalia's P.O.V
As we walked in the area, I started patting different trees as they glowed a purplish-blue underneath my palm. As I made it to a specific tree, I felt my ears started to flap up and down as I made an excited expression. "Rose?" Art asked me with a confused look before I looked back at him. "We're here!" I exclaimed as my palm stayed against the tree as it glowed brighter. There were different paths that traveled up the tree as the winds picked up.
"What?" Art asked confused as I felt him stare at what I was doing. I put my two hands on the tree as I pulled it apart until it got wider and wider. Art stared at it in amazement until he glanced down at my hand that was outstretched in front of him. "Come on, Art!" I told him as I grabbed his hand before we went through.
We made it through the teleportation gate as I landed on my foot. I looked back and saw Arton his stomach. I walked up to him as I helped him up. "We're here!" I told him as I smiled at him as I watched his expression. He looked at it in amazement as I laughed at him. When we walked closer, the ground started to glow green as the air picked up. I stood in front of Art with my hands outstretched in front of him.
A dozen guards appeared as they knelt in front of us. "Welcome back the Royal Princess!" They shouted in unison as Art stood frozen besides me. "Who? Where? Here? You?" He said as he kept looking back in forth between me and the guards while I just smiled at him.
Third Person P.O.V
"Princess, we've arrived as soon as we noticed the Royal Teleportation Gate being used. The King, Queen and your sister are-" the guard said before he was interrupted by three figures running from a carriage. "My baby! Rosalia, are you alright?!" Merial Eralith the Queen of Elenoir asked as she ran towards Rosalia. Alduin Eralith, the King of Elenoir running besides his wife as they stood 2 feet away from her. Tessia Eralith, the First Princess of Elenoir right behind her parents. Then Virion Eralith, the former King of Elenoir.
As Virion walked out the carriage, he stood behind Rosalia's parents and sister as he smiled at her. Arthur put his hand behind Rosalia as he pushed her forward, catching her by surprise before she ran into her family's arms. 'I wonder if Mother and Father will react like this when they see me...' Arthur thought as he smiled sadly at the scene in front if him. "
"Thank you, child. Not just as the King of Elenoir, but as this little one's father. As a small gesture of gratitude for helping Rosalia arrive home safely, please accompany us to our home. You can get some rest and after, please tell us what happened." Alduin told him as he stood up bowing his head before looked Arthur in the eyes. 'His tone is gentle, but his eyes show that this isn't an offer. It's an order.' Arthur thought before he bowed his head. "I'm honoured." he said before he felt someone grab his arm.
Everyone looked in his direction in surprise as they saw Rosalia grabbed his arm with a huge smile on her face. "Let's go! There's a lot I want you to see!" she said as she pulled his arm softly as they walked towards the carriage. 'I somewhat expected an impressive castle after learning that Rose was a princess, but...' Arthur thought as he trailed off staring at the exterior in amazement. That was until Rosalia began to pull him inside as he trailed behind her letting her pull him wherever.
'Ugh... What kind of corny novel did I wind up inside?' Arthur thought as he held his hand on his head. "This child is our guest. Please get him washed up and into a room to rest." The queen, Merial told the maids as they bowed their heads towards her. "Thank you, but... I would like to explain what happened first." Arthur told the queen as they stared at him before leading him to a room. Everyone sat by the table as the guard surrounded the room.
The King sat in front of Arthur as Rosalia and Tessia's grand father sat facing them. The Queen sat besides Rosalia as she put her hair in two low ponytails. Tessia was silently talking to her sister. Arthur stood up as he bowed his head at the king. "My name is Arthur Leywin, from a humble town in the Kingdom of Saplin. It is an honor to be in the presence of the Royal Family." Arthur said to them. 'A little over the top for an introduction, but discussion isn't going to progress if they treat me like a child.' Arthur thought as the kind cleared his throat.
"Despite you claiming to be from humble origins, you seem rather mature and well-educated, Arthur Leywin. Very well, I'd like to hear what happened." The king asked Arthur who began to explain. 'And so, I recounted the journey starting from a vague account stating that I had gotten separated from my family after running into bandits. It wasn't a lie, but a half-truth. Inevitably, as the story progressed to when I had run into their daughter, the atmosphere shifted.' he thought while he explained everything.
"Slave traders! I should've known it was humans!!" The king shouted as he slammed his fist against the table. "Without disrespect, slave traders is a profession, not a race, King Alduin." Arthur said as he sat down before the swords of the guards were unsheathe and pointed at him. "So, you saw these slave traders take my granddaughter and you, as a child, what...negotiated with them? Begged them for mercy?" Virion said as he held his hands stopping the guards while he furrowed his eyebrows at Arthur.
"No, Elder Virion. While I am a child, I am also a mage. I eliminated the slave traders and rescued your granddaughter." Arthur replied as he glanced at him with a serious expression. "How dare you sprout such lies in front of-" one of the guards said as his sword glowed purple. Virion gave a cold glance at the guard causing him to flinch as he put his sword away. Arthur stood up as he put his hands on the table staring at the king.
"Regardless of whether anyone believes me, Rose... I mean Princess Rosalia has been returned safely. All I wish for now is to return back to my family in Saplin." Arthur told them with a serious look in his face as they stared back at him.
Author's Note
Another chapter for this book is completed enjoy 😊.