Chapter 26: Green Apple Hotel

Edward spots the small port town and mentions that it is finally time to disembark.

Edward: "Come on, do you need any help, Isz?"

Isz: "No, I'm good."

Rosie looks at Edward with concern, and Isz speaks to both of them.

Isz: "It's not the first time I've lost my companions. It made me sad to see what someone so intelligent turned into. Of course, I'm still worried about Irineia,I don't know if she's alive or dead."

Edward: "What matters is that you two got out of there, and apparently, nothing major happened to the city. At least, not according to any records."

Rosie: "How do you know?"

Edward: "If something bigger had happened, we would see it from here. Besides, Harpya or some military official would have contacted us since we were also on the island, and Isz already reported the situation to him."

Isz: "You're right. I guess, in the end, what had to be done was done."

Rosie looks down sadly and simply nods in agreement.

Edward: "Well, I'm going to sort out our receipts at the hotel, and we'll take cover shortly."

Isz: "Yeah, the weather is looking pretty overcast."

Isz and Rosie walk alongside Edward and wait for him outside while staring out at the sea.

Rosie: "Do you think she will strike again?"

Isz: "Who? Irineia? Probably, yes. And I need to be prepared to fight her."

Rosie: "Alone?"

Isz: "Yes, I can't send people to their deaths with me."

Rosie looks intently at Isz: "You've been acting strange lately. Isz... do you want to die?"

Isz takes a deep breath and says: "Not exactly. But if I die, I won't lose anything. Maybe that's why Irineia didn't kill me right then and there."

With tears in her eyes, Rosie reproaches Isz, telling him that Volny was his home now and that he couldn't just leave his friends behind.

Rosie: "What do you mean you won't lose anything? You have Harpya, your friends from the guild, Edward, and me. Do you think I wouldn't care if you died?"

Flustered, Isz replies that he was just bluffing, that he simply hadn't planned out what to do and didn't know what Irineia's next move would be.

Rosie: "That is nothing to joke about. When I leave this place, I want to see you again, along with the people from the villages we helped. I also want to see how the disease survivors are doing."

Isz nods, saying everything was fine now that they had put an end to the disease. Rosie then writes a message on a scroll and sends it via a small dragon so her convoy will come pick her up at dawn.

Edward: "Alright, everyone, here is the key to your room."

Isz: "Why is there only one key?"

Edward: "The hotel is completely packed with guests, and your things are already inside the room for the two of you. I'm sorry, but there were only two rooms available, and mine is the smaller one."

Rosie blushes, but Isz tells her it is fine and that he will sleep on the floor.

Edward: "Are you guys hungry?"

Rosie says no, but her stomach immediately growls, so they head down to eat at the hotel restaurant. Edward ends up getting heavily drunk and has to be carried to his room by security.

Rosie: "Haha, has Edward always been this funny?"

Isz: "Yes. I mean, there was a time when he wasn't smiling as much, but I'm glad he has a new life here."

Rosie: "I understand. I wonder if my convoy will actually come tomorrow with this kind of weather."

Isz: "I think so. If not, you can just transform into a dragon and fly away."

Rosie: "It's not that simple."

Isz: "Do you miss home? What are you going to do when you go back?"

Rosie: "I don't know. I guess I'll see my bodyguards and tell them about our journey."

Isz: "It's going to be quite a story. Your kingdom will definitely be proud."

Rosie: "I hope so. I'm proud of myself, mostly because I think it will be the last time I ever do something like this."

Isz: "And you can't fight for your own kingdom?"

Rosie: "I could, but the 'fight' would actually just be me marrying some nobleman to secure alliances. I would probably live an unhappy marriage that people would claim is for the good of the people."

Isz: "I'm sorry."

Rosie: "It's fine. I've been preparing myself since I was 11 when I first found out. I've just been turning down everyone who comes with proposals, but there will come a time when I have nowhere left to run."

Isz: "I see. You're tired of running, of always fighting the same battles, aren't you?"

Rosie: "Yes."

Isz: "Me too. But I don't think I can give in to despair. Not right now."

Rosie: "What do you mean?"

Isz: "I am alone and tired, but if I surrender myself to the battles, she wins the game. The same goes for you,if you play the game the nobles want, you're the one who will end up defeated."

Rosie falls into deep thought over Isz's words.

Isz: "With what you did here and reported, I think you've gained enough prestige to at least choose your own destiny, rather than being guided by people who only care about your position. I saw your true nobility in your actions, not in titles."

Blushing, Rosie thanks Isz and says that when she returns, she will ask them to reconsider certain requests.

The rain continued to fall as the night stretched on. The two head up to the room, and Isz goes to take a shower. In the shower, Isz reflects on recent events and lets out a soft chuckle, unable to believe he grew attached to Rosie. Now, his goal was to unravel Irineia's powers and the hidden strength she possessed. Isz steps out of the shower and tells Rosie she can go ahead, and that he will stay on the floor.

Rosie: "You can share the bed with me. I mean... so you don't have to stay down there on the floor."

Isz says he is fine right where he is, holding onto his sword,his companion on this journey.

In the shower, Rosie reflects on the exact same thoughts: the nervousness of returning home, the pressure on her that would somehow decrease since everyone thought she was just adventuring rather than doing something serious, and she begins to reflect on the feelings she developed for Isz. Rosie loved his beauty and the way Isz treated her; he saw something far beyond status in her.

The mark on Rosie's chest begins to glow, and she feels a sudden urge to confess to Isz. Isz's mark glows as well, but it wasn't an activation glow it was something he had never seen before, as if it were resonating with Rosie's mark.

Rosie steps out of the shower and finds Isz staring out the window.

Rosie: "Is it raining heavily?"

Isz: "Yes, looks like the sky is about to collapse on us down here."

Rosie sits on the bed, watching Isz. Isz lies down on the floor and asks if she isn't sleepy, but Rosie says she has been feeling strange. She approaches Isz and says that during the time they spent together, she grew attached to him. Isz responds that he feels the same, but adds that once she goes back home, she will be better off. Rosie tells him it wasn't about that, and that if Isz didn't feel the same way, he should just forget it, but she truly liked him. She leans in and kisses Isz on the lips, and he kisses her back.

Isz: "Wait, I can't do this to you. You're the princess of the Dragon Clan."

Rosie: "Isz, I've had very few choices in my life. Right now is a rare moment that has happened to me. When I go back, my routine and obligations will be the exact same, and I will marry a man I feel nothing for."

Isz gazes into Rosie's eyes as his hand moves over her body.

Rosie: "I wanted, at least just once, to choose who I want to be with. And I want my first time to be with you, not some random nobleman."

Isz yields to her words and pulls her onto the bed. He kisses her body, noting how incredibly soft her skin is. He kisses her neck, and both of their marks resonate deeply. They make love, and the following morning, Isz wakes up before Rosie. The sun's rays illuminate Rosie's pink hair, and Isz watches her, enchanted, as he gently brushes his hand against her face. As Isz puts his clothes on, Rosie wakes up.

Isz: "Good morning. You sleep a lot, you know that?"

Embarrassed, Rosie pulls up the blanket.

Isz: "Don't worry. Your body doesn't have a single scar, if that's what you're trying to hide."

Rosie: "What time is it?"

Isz: "It's already 10 in the morning. I'm heading downstairs to grab something to eat."

Rosie: "Okay, I'll head down in a bit."

Edward, who was waiting for Isz on the stairs, looks at him with a mischievous smirk.

Isz: "What?"

Edward: "Nothing. Just two young folks in the prime of their youth, in a hotel room where everyone can hear everything."

Isz: "What?!"

Edward: "Well, my room was right next door, and of course I heard all the shouting and moaning, and 'Isz, I love you so much, you're so good at this, oh no, Isz, you can't put your mouth there.'"

Blushing furiously, Isz snaps: "That's none of your business! Weren't you supposedly passed out drunk?"

Edward: "Yeah, but I've got plenty of experience with alcohol, so the effect wears off pretty fast."

Isz steps outside and notices that part of the sky is overcast while another section is completely clear with a blazing sun.

Isz: "The weather is strange."

Edward: "Right? You know what freaks me out even more? That massive moon that suddenly turned blue, and you can see it clearly through the stormy clouds."

Isz looks up and remarks: "Well, now that you mention it... How bizarre. It looks like someone splashed a bright, glowing blue paint right over it."

Edward: "Must be something native to this region. I'll ask the locals about it. But in all the years I've lived in Volny, I've never seen anything like it, though then again, I've never sailed around here during this season."

Isz: "Yeah, could be."