Aloy wakes up in Meridian alongside the Sun-King Avad, not knowing how her got there. Together, they will experience adventures and emotions that will form strong bonds between these characters.
🧭 This story takes place after Horizon Forbidden West...
Three knocks interrupted the moment. Aloy cleared her throat and abruptly sat up, letting go of Avad's hands.
"I'll... I'll answer it." she said, feeling uncomfortable and avoiding eye contact with him.
"How's he doing? Did he eat anything?" Marad asked when the door was opened.
"Y-yes." she replied, avoiding eye contact with the king.
"How are you feeling now that you've had dinner?" Marad inquired, noticing the tension and embarrassment in Avad's demeanor.
"Better." He replied, looking away.
"Alright, I'll take these plates. I'll go with you." Aloy hastily offered, her mind preoccupied with what had almost happened between them. Were they about to kiss, or was he just too tired and confused to understand what was about to happen? It was best to return as if nothing had happened, to avoid any tension between them. If it was a misunderstanding, it was best to forget it.
Avad remained, gazing at the ceiling, lost in his thoughts. His intention had been to confess his feelings, not to scare her away. He sighed, realizing that it probably wasn't the best moment to talk to her, but he had felt a strong urge to be sincere. It was clear it had gone terribly wrong. His thoughts looped back to the incident with the kestrels and the Eclipse. When Aloy returned, she found him staring at some point on the ceiling.
"Are... are you okay?" she asked timidly as she finished bandaging his arm, still unable to shake the thought of what might have happened if Marad hadn't interrupted.
"Yes." he replied, returning to reality and pressing his hand to his forehead. "I was thinking about the Sun-Ring and everything that's happened these days."
She sat down beside him. "I'm so sorry for everything that's happened... Does your head hurt a lot?"
"I'm... ah... Yes..." he lamented.
"Try drinking some more water; I've brought a pitcher. Adding stress to the lack of water and food, sunstroke... it's the perfect combination for a headache." she explained. Then, she removed the towel from his head and waved it through the air to cool it. Afterward, she folded it as it was before. "Here, now it will be cool again." she said affectionately, placing it on his forehead and applying slight pressure with her hand.
"Thank you." he responded with a kind smile, but without looking at her face.
"I think you should rest; you look exhausted." she said compassionately.
"Ahh..." he sighed, "They kept watch day and night to... scare me if I fell asleep."
"They're heartless... I can't believe it." she replied, angrily. The monarch nodded, and his gaze dropped.
"I'm going to stay here. If you need anything, just ask, okay?"
"If you don't mind... I can move aside, and you can stay here with me, so you don't have to sleep on the couch... I think... we both need a comfortable place to rest. But only if you're okay with it, of course... I don't want you to feel obligated... or uncomfortable." he proposed timidly, remembering how she had left a few minutes ago. She smiled kindly and accepted his invitation.
"Alright, thank you very much. But first, I'll help you lie down. I'll go very slowly to avoid hurting you."
With great care, she encircled him with her arms, and slowly lowered his body until he was horizontal, with his head resting on the blood-stained pillow that she had flipped earlier to avoid discomfort. It would be better to change all the sheets the next day, as they would likely get even more stained that night. He furrowed his brow and tried to stifle a few complaints as Aloy helped him. Even though Aloy was moving him very gently, he felt pain all over. It would take at least a week before he could move without feeling like he was going to break apart...
"It's done." she said, lovingly tucking him in. Then, she also lay down, sighing from the pain in her ribs. "Both of us have earned a well-deserved rest."
"And... How are you? Everyone has been concerned about me, but you're injured too." he asked, turning his face towards her. "The Thunderjaw hit you hard; I was genuinely afraid it might have hurt you."
"Now that I've healed the wounds, I'm better, but my ribs will need some more rest." she explained, giving him a warm smile. "I think they were still a bit weak to withstand a blow like that. Thank you for being so attentive."
"I don't think I'll ever finish thanking you for everything you've done for me, Aloy."
"Don't worry about that; now, focus on resting." she whispered gently.
"Good night." he tenderly wished amidst a yawn.
"Good night, Avad." she responded kindly.
Then, Aloy turned off the room's lighting. As soon as they were in complete darkness, the king's breathing became slow and deep. He had clearly fallen asleep instantly.
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Since last week's chapter was longer, it compensates for this shorter one. I hope you are enjoying the story. If so, don't forget to show your support, it costs you nothing and it makes me very happy!! 🩷💬⭐️
