My Adventurer (Dale x OC)

(6) The Next Day

I walked past the same sitting room from days prior when I first figured out Dale was out here as well for a job. Gregor and Dale were talking again, the doors closed, but this time the conversation seemed to be reversed.

"Where's your fiancé?" Gregor asked, I could hear the smirk on his face with the attitude he spoke with.

"Fiancé?" Dale asked.

"Alice"

"What!? She's not my fiancé!"

"Well, it seems you're both caring for a child, and you both have hidden feelings for one another, so I just thought-"

"Wait, she likes me?" Dale cut in.

"Dale likes me?" I whispered to myself.

It wasn't obvious to either of us, even after the night we had yesterday. After it happened, when we both woke up, we didn't speak about it. We acted like it hadn't happened, going back to our normal selves.

"You both like each other, everyone can see it. But it seems one thing you have in common is that you're both clueless, only paying attention to the path ahead of you, not the people on it," Gregor said.

"Why are you telling me this now?"

"So you don't miss out on a chance you never knew you had. If I hadn't told you, you would've gone back with her like you weren't meant to be"

I left the palace, going for a walk through the forest trails. Everything was fine, until some magical beasts appeared and attacked me. I used my magic to kill them all, but there was one left, hidden behind a tree. It cut down the tree, falling straight towards me.

"Watch out!" Dale shouted.

He pulled me out of the way of the falling tree, holding me in a dip. I stared up at him, my heart beating quickly in my chest. Being this close to him reminded me of the other day, and it made me blush even more.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"Were you following me?"

"I-uh-no, I wasn't"

"Don't lie to me. Don't make me use truth magic on you"

"At first, I was just going for a walk, but then I saw you and-"

"Followed me?"

"I followed you to make sure you were okay. I'm glad I did because if I hadn't I don't know what would've happened to you"

"I would have gotten myself out of that situation," I tell him, standing up straight while moving away from him.

"Could you explain how?"

"Fire magic. Wind magic. Any kind of magic. I could've just stepped out of the way! But I didn't have time because you had to follow me and step in and save me"

"Okay, I'm sorry for saving you"

I shook my head. "Thank you for saving me. I just hate being seen as the princess that can't hold her own"

"Nobody sees you like that"

"I don't want you to think that I need someone there to keep me safe. I don't want you to lose sight of the wayward princess I actually am, I'm not a damsel in distress for you to save"

"I know that. It's just..."

"Just what?"

"Nothing. Nothing"

"Come on, tell me why you feel so inclined to act like some sort of protective bodyguard"

"I like you"

"You-"

"I try to always be there because I like you. But you need a prince, so I can't do anything but keep you safe"

He walked past me as I stared at him with wide eyes. I wasn't expecting that to be his explanation. I thought it would've been more like 'your parents are paying me to keep you safe and act as your secret guard' or something along the lines of that. Not because he had feelings for me.

I shook the thoughts out of my head and walked back to the palace, remaining at a far enough distance behind Dale so I could just barely see him. Once we were back at the castle we didn't speak either, he went to his room and I went to mine to clean off the goo and dirt I had been covered with.

After my shower I decided to walk around. I found Dale laying on a couch, his eyes closed. He was probably asleep. I paused and bent down, kissing his cheek, then continued walking.

I liked him too, but I didn't know if I'd be able to tell him. He thought I deserved a prince, but I didn't care about any prince. I wanted him.

After being gone for two weeks we made it back to the city. Dale ran off as soon as we landed and got off the dragon. I sighed, taking my time. When I got back I burst through the doors.

"Dale!"

"Alice?" He asked, taking his attention off of the shepherds pie he was eating.

"Alice! I made one for you too!" Latina told me, bring another tray and placing it beside Dale's.

"You did?" I ask softly, no longer mad at Dale for rushing off.

I sat down beside Dale and started eating. But it made me think back to Gregor's words. We already were pretty much like a family, wouldn't it make sense for us to get together?

I glanced at Dale from the corner of my eye to see him doing the same thing. When he caught me looking he blushed and looked away.