Hearts at War (AlanxJeff) VI

48

Alan 

"I'm sorry, Your Highness, nothing can be done until the rain stops," one of my men excused himself, his voice trembling. This couldn't be true. Two days had already passed. Two torturous days. Should I wait another day? I thought, growing more desperate. My man practically fled after delivering the bad news. I understood. My mood these days hadn't been the best, and this only made it worse.

The rain pounded furiously against the inn's windows, creating a constant, monotonous sound that heightened the tension in the air. The atmosphere was heavy with humidity and a sense of helplessness.

"Wow, Your Highness can really be scary when he wants to be," said a smiling North, approaching with a carefree confidence. I began to doubt his intelligence as I saw him coming closer, considering the dark energy emanating from me at that moment.

"Leave me alone," I snapped, trying to turn away and stop him from saying his next sentence.

"You must miss Prince Jeff a lot," he commented with a smile that seemed to challenge my patience.

I looked at him coldly. North was far from being a pleasant person to me. Always smiling, especially around Jeff. Then, the dance... it was about three songs in a row! It was too much. And to top it off, his alliance with Winner in Jeff's plan to catch Kluem. Jeff's life was at risk.

"I don't think I've given you the confidence to speak to me so closely," I said coldly.

"But I'm a friend of Prince Jeff, doesn't that make us indirect friends?" he asked with amusement and false innocence.

I took a deep breath and swallowed. "Calm down, Alan," I told myself. It's true, he's Jeff's friend.

"No, it doesn't make us friends," I replied curtly.

"Well, since we'll be here another day because of the rain and the road problem, and I saw you so stressed, I thought I'd give you my gift early," he said, pulling a package from his backpack. "You should read it while you wait." He handed it to me, then gave a slight bow and left before I could refuse it, with his characteristic smile. He always seems to enjoy everything that's happening.

I looked at the package with disdain and headed to my room. Each step echoed in the inn's hallways, amplifying my frustration. I took a hot shower, hoping the heat could relieve the tension that had built up in my shoulders and mind. The steam filled the bathroom, enveloping me in a cloud that, for a moment, made me feel isolated from the outside world.

I lay down on the bed, feeling the weight of responsibility crushing me. I had to urgently travel to one of the hardest-hit towns on the border, which still had some reluctance towards the union process. Convincing them had been a challenge, but I finally succeeded. However, the rain had been relentless, overflowing rivers and causing small landslides on the roads. Nothing could be done until it subsided. And so, I had been here for two whole days. Two days without seeing my Nu.

I felt trapped, helpless in the face of the situation. I wanted to be with Jeff, to make sure he was okay, but I was here, held back by the forces of nature and my own responsibilities. I closed my eyes, trying to find a moment of peace amid the chaos in my mind.

The absence of Nu was a void I couldn't fill. I couldn't sleep and found it hard to eat, thinking about how he was handling it. Lately, he had been training to eat without me by his side; he told me he didn't want to be dependent for life. But never for so long and much less during main meals. It was always with the snacks that Pean used to prepare, and which were now a bit more frequent.

I remembered the day Nu found out what happened with Pean. He just lowered his gaze without saying anything before the tears started to flow. It hurt so much not being able to prevent his pain. He loved and trusted Pean. She was the only maternal figure he had, or so I thought. Pean started taking care of him when he was 15. Before that, the person who took care of him was accused of poisoning him and shortly after committed suicide. Jeff explained to me that this person always pampered him a lot with food.