Springtime in Krysterios

“THANK YOU, JOHN,” said Cerys, as we closed the door to Xana’s room.

Inside, Xana was fast asleep, having indulged in our dinner until she couldn’t eat anymore. Spoiling her worked wonders, and she was all smiles and laughter as if the incident with Amelia had never happened.

“Anytime,” I replied. Xana ended up feeding me too, so I didn’t go empty-handed.

“I’m amazed,” said Amelia, pensively. “The Princess’ servants often made gossip in the palace, but I didn’t know one could be pampered like that.”

“Hey now,” I protested. “It worked, didn’t it?”

“It did,” Amelia conceded. “I thought she’d be down for a few days, but you pulled her out of it in a heartbeat. Well done.”

“Don’t be so cold, you,” Cerys said, with a light slap to Amelia’s shoulder. “Finding a gentleman like John is rare. And even you, Amelia, have to admit he has proven how much he cares for Xana.”

“Well, yes…” Amelia replied, looking away. “Thank you, John. Xana is precious to us, and… I appreciate how you were there when she needed it.”

My oh my.

Our resident paladin looks incredibly cute when she’s bashful.

“She means a lot to me, too,” I admitted. “We met only recently, but you girls feel like you’re family to me. If not for you, I’d be all alone in this world, scavenging for food in the Forbidden Forest.”

That’s the cold truth.

“If we hadn’t crossed paths,” I continued, “I’d still be stuck out of town, with nothing but monsters and wild animals for company. I’d be miserable. Yet here I am, in a warm and beautiful house, with just as warm and beautiful company. Truly, I couldn’t wish for anything more.”

Those were my honest feelings, but… I think I overshared a bit. Cerys is covering her mouth in amazement, and Amelia is blushing.

“John, you’re so candid,” Cerys said.

“Sorry,” I replied, scratching my head. “I got a bit inspired there.”

“Fufufu,” Cerys laughed. “My heart skipped a beat or two. I’m starting to see why Xana likes you so much.”

“Cerys,” Amelia called out, her cheeks still faintly red.

“What?” Cerys replied. “John was honest with us, so why can’t we reciprocate?”

“… Fine,” said Amelia, after a brief pause. “If that’s what you want, then I’ll start.”

Oh. What, are we all confessing now?

“You’re a good man, John,” Amelia said, her eyes fixed on me. “You’re different from the lot we usually meet in town. You’re sincere to us, and it shows that you treasure our company. For that, I’m grateful.”

I stared at Amelia in surprise. She’s usually so reserved and collected that I didn’t expect her to sing high praises to me like that. Frankly, I’m floored.

“Th- There! I said it,” she groaned, growing self-conscious. “Happy now, Cerys?”

“Fufu, that was beautiful,” Cerys replied. “It doesn’t hurt being honest, does it?”

“So says you,” I replied. “My heart is pounding.”

“Don’t add fuel to the fire, John…” Amelia implored.

“Oh?” Cerys said, smiling impishly. “You know, I think I’ll do just that.”

Ah, shit. Here we go again.

“You were so chivalrous and gallant, John,” Cerys said, inching closer to me. “Seeing the way you carried Xana in your arms, I couldn’t help but wonder… how would it feel to be held in your embrace?”

Hnng!! My heart!!

“Okay Cerys, you’re just teasing us here!” Amelia blurted out, her face burning.

“Fufu, you noticed?” she replied, sticking her tongue out with a wink.

“Just go to bed already,” said Amelia, indignant. “I swear, you always play like this when things are serious.”

Whew. Good save, Amelia. Cerys was about to corner me.

And with that, we wrapped up our dinner and each made off to bed.

* * *

KNOCK KNOCK, WENT MY DOOR.

It’s the middle of the night, and the girls and I are supposed to be asleep… yet I can feel a familiar presence waiting just outside my room.

“Yes?” I asked, well aware of who it is.

“May I come in?” asked Xana, her voice low and soft.

“You know you can’t,” I replied. Not gonna lie, I’d love to invite her in, but Amelia would have our heads if I do.

“I won’t try anything,” she said. “George is watching. He’ll step in if I do.”

Well… she does have a point there. The thorn elemental has full view of every nook and cranny in the Briar Hall, and our rooms are no exception. Cerys must’ve given him instructions not to let us get too passionate, so it’s probably safe.

With that, I stood up from bed and opened the door for Xana.

She’s wearing a cute nightgown, light blue, with short sleeves and skirt.

As for Xana herself, she looks unusually timid, her eyes downcast and without anything obvious to say. Unsure of what to do, I beckoned her into my room, and she toddled her way in.

I only have a bed, a chair and a small desk in here, so there isn’t much place to sit. Xana picked the bed, so I sat on the chair instead.

“Sorry,” she said, breaking the silence. “I don’t want to sleep alone tonight.”

“It’s okay,” I replied. By the looks of it, even though she cheered up during dinner, she’s still hung up about the fight with Amelia.

“Do you mind if we lie down?” she asked.

“Of course,” I replied, switching over to bed instead. She looks so vulnerable, I wouldn’t fathom saying no.

After I laid down, Xana slowly huddled close to me. We aren’t touching, but I can feel her warmth by my side.

“You must be wondering about what happened earlier,” Xana said. “Did Amelia and Cerys tell you anything?”

“They did,” I admitted. “They said you can’t use magic, and it’s given you lots of trouble before.”

Xana nodded quietly.

“It’s rough,” she said. “People use magic just about everywhere, and I can’t even turn on the lights in my own house. Princess Camila did her best to help me, but nothing worked. She went as far as calling Silvano for me, and it was useless.”

Her voice tightened up, as she struggled to hold back her tears.

“I’ve trained every day to compensate,” she continued. “I practice archery every morning, and spar with Amelia in the afternoon. But no matter how hard I try, there’s a limit to what I can do. If Cerys doesn’t back me up, I’m helpless against magic.”

That was clearly demonstrated earlier by Amelia. Even though Xana capitalized on her strengths, trying to outspeed her opponent, a simple barrier turned the fight around in a moment. Against a full caster like Cerys, Xana wouldn’t stand a chance in a straight fight.

“That might be true,” I conceded. “But do you remember what else Amelia said? You may be weak against magic, but you’re excellent in stealth. You’re light and nimble, with better senses and reflexes than most. So I agree with her. Instead of banging your head against an impossible wall to climb, you should specialize in what you’re good at.”

“I know that…” she said in frustration. “But what you said earlier was right. With only Amelia as frontline, our formation will crumble.”

So that’s what’s bugging her.

“Yeah, and I’m the one at fault,” I pointed out. “Your team composition worked fine before I showed up. But I’m too weak to fight in the front with Amelia, so I’m the one who broke the balance.”

Xana remained quiet.

“It doesn’t make sense to push the burden on you, right?” I continued. “You have a role you’re good at, and I think it’s best if you stay that way. Let me handle the team composition problem. I’ll train up with Amelia, and become strong enough to cover for you. How about that?”

Again, it took a moment for Xana to answer. Something is lingering in her mind.

“I thought you’d hate me,” she finally said.

“Why?” I asked, not following.

“I wanted to show off, but Amelia pummeled me,” she said. “I must’ve looked pathetic, lying on the floor like that.”

“You didn’t,” I replied. “Even when Amelia blocked you with her barrier, and threw you off balance, you blocked two of her attacks. She would’ve beaten me with the first strike. Heck, she wouldn’t have needed to use a barrier against me to begin with.”

During our sparring session, Amelia never raised one at all. But when fighting Xana, it was the first thing she did. In truth, Xana is strong enough for even a paladin to need a magic barrier to defend themselves.

“Aren’t you disappointed in me?” she asked, her voice wavering.

“Not at all,” I replied. “I think you looked really cool back then. In fact, if you’d fought a second round against Amelia, I’m sure you’d have pushed her to the ropes.”

The barrier had caught Xana by surprise, and that deception from Amelia is what cost her the fight. Had Xana been aware she would use it, she’d have been able to adjust her strategy to account for it.

“She’d still beat me, though,” Xana admitted.

“So?” I asked. “In a real fight, you’ll have me and Cerys backing you. You’re not alone, Xana. There’s no need to shoulder everything, like you’re carrying the weight of the world. It’s okay to rely on us, and let us cover for you. In exchange, you’ll get to do the things we can’t. We’ll all be even like that.”

Xana gasped upon hearing my words.

It’s a simple truth that can be easily missed. Certainly, Xana has her limits, but she’s not a solo adventurer. She has friends with her to bolster her weak points, and she has strengths that the rest of us don’t.

“There’s no need for you to be an Atlas,” I said, looking deep into her emerald eyes. “You’re fine being the Xana we know and love. That’s all there is to it.”

She gazed back at me, tears streaming down her cheeks.

“John…” she called my name, her feelings overflowing.

Before I knew it, we were holding hands. It felt so natural, I hardly noticed.

“You really are my prince,” she whispered.

Then she leaned closer to my side…

And slowly, but surely, our lips met in a blissful kiss.