Heart Of

Chapter 16 - Something Strange

After a few hours, Aushen slid the window inserts down to look at his surroundings. He'd gotten quite the view when soaring above them with Valleus, so he wasn't shocked by what he saw, but he was still amazed at the sheer size of the mountains they were traversing. 'The fact that Kumbra and Fiilzia have any sort of relationship at all past these mountains is practically a miracle,' he thought in wonder.

Occasionally, while looking out the window, Aushen's gaze would meet Valleus'. The knight would send him a warm smile each time, and Aushen felt even warmer in the cozy carriage because of it. Olef, who was reading quietly in the back area of the carriage, didn't notice the periodic blush gracing the prince's features.

"Olef," Aushen called out, breaking the silence awkwardly. "Can I ask you a personal question? It's fine if not."

The attendant looked up from his book with curiosity in his eyes. "Of course, Your Highness."

"Have you ever been in love?" As he asked quietly, his face again took on a tinge of red. 'This might become my natural state at this point,' the prince thought in exasperation.

With his head tilted, Olef stuck a bookmark in his book and laid it on the table. "I haven't, Your Highness. Of course, I've experienced little 'puppy-love' infatuations like anyone else, but I've never found anyone I truly was in love with." The man studied his master's expression as he spoke. 'He's probably asking because he may be meeting someone in Fiilzia,' Olef guessed. "I will say, it seems that many people never fall in love, or may never end up with the one they fall in love with. For many, duty comes before romance."

The words laid heavily upon Aushen's heart. "Yes, I know..." he sighed.

Concerned, Olef hurriedly added, "That isn't to say that you won't be able to find a fulfilling relationship, Your Highness! I was simply speaking from my own point of view..." He trailed off awkwardly.

Aushen nodded lightly. "I understand, it's fine, Olef." Unsure of what else to say, the prince gestured to Olef's book. "You can keep reading, if you'd like."

Olef blinked. "Well, Your Highness, if you have any other questions, or anything I can assist with, please let me know." With that, he picked up his book, and the carriage was silent once more. Aushen leaned back into the cushy seat, wishing that he was riding with Odessa after all. 'Though, I bet if I was actually with her, I'd get tired of her talking so quickly I'd wish to be alone again within twenty minutes,' he thought to himself in amusement.

'Although, speaking of Odessa...' Right before they'd left the palace in Wardright, she'd given him an empty journal. The inscription on the inside of the cover read: 'To my favorite older brother, from your favorite sister. May you find an outlet for all the things you can share with no one else here in this journal. Perhaps consider writing as though to an old friend?' At the time, though they both knew Valleus was employed as a knight in the Northern Castle, neither could've expected how much they'd get to interact with him again.

'Writing to an old friend, hm?'

Aushen always had trouble keeping a journal, but it was true that he'd never considered changing the "recipient" of his writing to someone besides himself. With another longing glance out the window, Aushen decided to use his journal to express all the feelings he couldn't say out loud.

'Dear Valleus,

It's the first day of our trip from the Northern Castle to the city of Morcrisse in Fiilzia. I'm writing this journal as if I'm writing a letter to you, as I have trouble writing to myself. Whenever I write to myself, I find myself irritated at what I have to say. All my weaknesses and anxieties seem inexcusable to me, since I have such high expectations for myself. But I know if I were to share them with you, you would look at me like you always do.