Heart Of

Chapter 36 - A Turn for the Worst

After a bit more fretting over the fate of the world, Valleus pulled himself together and finished changing. He returned to Aushen just as the prince was finished changing. It seemed as though the prince had managed to get out of some of the more pompous and extravagant accessories, but he still looked every ounce the future king that he was. His hair was styled to the side, allowing his deep blue eyes to pierce even more deeply into Valleus' heart.

His coat and pants were brilliant white, and his waistcoat was a light shade of steel blue. A matching cravat and sash, the same color as the waistcoat but in a darker hue, completed the ensemble. "You look like you've stepped out of a fairytale," Valleus murmured, eyes wide.

"A good thing, I hope?" Aushen asked conscientiously.

"Undoubtedly!" Valleus declared. "It's... really amazing, seeing you like this." The knight felt himself falling more deeply in love with the prince he served. He had half a mind to just confess here, Olef be damned.

"You're quite something, yourself," Aushen noted bashfully. The only difference between Valleus' normal knightly attire and what he wore now was his formal jacket, a crisp navy blue of finer fabric than his usual wool jacket, designed to be practical for the frigid northern weather. With the formal jacket paired a white cravat instead of his usual crimson neckerchief. Also, though his hair was tied back the same way it always was, Valleus had taken time to comb through his long locks, making it quite glossy and eye-catching. With just a few simple changes, Aushen felt like his breath was snatched away.

Olef, awkward and fairly oblivious, stepped between the two men as they gazed fondly at one another. "Your Highness, I believe it's time to go," Olef said. Rohdri's timely knock at the door confirmed it.

After one more moment of meaningful eye-contact, Valleus and Aushen finally returned to the world. Rohdri guided the prince and his knight to the small meeting hall where the dinner party would be held. He couldn't help but chuckle to himself as he noticed the two sneaking glances at one another.

Thanks to Olef's fussing, Aushen was the last to arrive at the little party. He walked into the meeting hall, trying to rid himself of his nerves. A few tables set with all kinds of food sat here or there, and there were sets of chairs in a few places to allow for people to break off from the group and chat if they so desired. Aushen noticed that tonight, Fiilzian was the main language being spoken. Over by Odessa, Caesonia was focused on her role as translator, while Torin stood a little ways away, observing quietly.

Seeing Aushen enter, Dzayn approached with a broad grin. "The guest of honor has finally decided to arrive!" he said playfully. "Welcome, Aushen! Come, please- I'll introduce you to my friends."

Somewhat sheepishly, Aushen followed with Rohdri close behind. Valleus minded his distance. Though he'd prefer to be glued to the prince's side, now was not the time. The knight wandered over to stand next to Torin. "Haven't gotten to talk to you in a bit," he said, greeting his vice-captain.

Torin nodded without looking over. "We've both been quite busy."

Valleus chuckled. Torin was, as always, to the point. Valleus saw making conversation with Torin to be akin to a challenging game. Small talk, in particular, was difficult to wrangle him into. "How do you like Fiilzia so far?"

Torin cast him a quick glance before returning his focus to Odessa. "It's fine."

"How's your room?" Valleus tried again. Torin had his own room, across from Odessa's. He would normally stay in the attendant's room, but since Mary and Caesonia were there, it was decided for everyone's comfort that Torin would sleep in the room across the hall. Valleus guessed Torin was probably grateful - the poor man was quite bad with talking to women.