Page 24 of Quest

As if carried by the mystical breeze filling the airy chamber, a fallen blossom drifted from one of the tree’s overhanging branches and caressed my cheek, a touch that stirred another hidden realization. “I think I insisted on distrusting you not because you gave me reason to, but because…” I hesitated, unsure if I was brave enough for my admission.

I became awash in his intoxicating presence as he stepped closer and peered into my face, gently prodding me with his eyes to continue. I briefly lost myself in their dark, soulful depths before severing my gaze to stare determinedly at the petal-carpeted floor.

“I think a part of me likes the fight.”

His silence extended too long, forcing me to tentatively peek up at his blatant disbelief. “You…like the fight?” At my tentative nod, to my surprise he didn’t appear upset, simply stared at me with a look one might give an impossible riddle. “You’re a strange fellow. You do know there are other less antagonistic forms of interaction, don’t you?”

I shrugged. “They’re not as fun.” I couldn’t convey in words the strange thrill I got in battling my will against his, like I was engaged in an elaborateshogimatch, eagerly anticipating his next move.

He released a whooshing breath. “Rather than arguing, perhaps we could start by simply being friends?”

The secret part of me I tried not to focus on yearned for a friendship with him, but while his proposal was simple between two men, it became more complicated considering I was actually an unmarried, unchaperoned young woman. Despite this valid reservation, he seemed too genuine for me to refuse him, causing me to momentarily forget why I’d insisted on distancing myself from him in the first place…as well as the heightened risk of discovery that could come from forming a relationship with this man.

Lumis’s light gave a soft, subtle pulse that contained a single word of insight:fear. I’d grown up an only child with very few children in my neighborhood my age, I’d lost my mother quite young, and I only had limited time remaining with my increasingly weakening father. Opening myself up to new relationships left me vulnerable to the goodbyes that would inevitably follow.

The prince was no exception—he had no reason to ever see me again once our quest finished and he’d gotten what he needed from me. Yet the longer I spent with him, the more I realized how much I hoped we could continue our relationship long after our journey concluded.

My silence extended too long. Prince Darcel misinterpreted my hesitation. “If it’s too soon for friendship, I’m willing to continue our frequent arguments if that’s the only way you’ll talk with me.”

I frowned, confused. He seemed strangely insistent. “Why are you so determined to become friends?”

He shrugged. “We could remain comrades and keep the relationship professional if you prefer, but friendship seems more fitting, considering the long journey ahead of us.”

My habitual cynicism hovered ready in the wings with a prepared excuse that friendship would make it all the more easy for him to betray me in the future…but I had finally had enough; the journey was exhausting enough without worry adding to my burden. Besides, I truly did want to become friends with him. The admission I’d determinedly ignored for so long was freeing.

“Can we still argue sometimes about inconsequential things?” I was only half teasing, but I wasn’t quite ready to let go of the strange thrill I found in this game of ours.

He chuckled and once again I savored the sound, wishing I could bottle it up like one of my ingredients and use it for a happiness concoction. “Should I start now by arguing why that’s not a good idea?”

“We’re already doing that.”

His lips twitched. “Then I will keep the peace by allowing you to win this round.”

I smirked. “Excellent. Just to warn you, Iwillbe keeping track of each and every victory.”

With another laugh he tipped his head in a beckoning motion to follow him, which I did after a final lingering look at the tree. The sakura’s gentle rose-tinted light seemed to follow us as we made our way through the shadowy corridors back to our comrades. Kael—whom the prince had awakened to keep watch as he searched for me—gave us a short nod before returning to his futon.

With every step, I couldn’t help but eye the prince’s arm, wishing he knew me as a woman so he could escort me more formally. If only he knew me as myself so that whatever relationship we forged would be between him and Mei rather than him and someone who didn’t truly exist…even as I was still relieved for this new journey we were about to embark on together and was excited to see just where it would lead.

CHAPTER 11

Darcel

Dawn filtered through the stained glass, washing away the remnants of starlight that had guided our long night spent researching old texts and maps in the temple’s vast library. It painted a kaleidoscope of colors across the ancient scroll spread before us, illuminating the words we had pored over with meticulous detail in a vibrant glow.

Unable to sleep after the excitement of finding the Sanctuary of Renewal, we had labored throughout the night, shielded from the mental fuzziness that threatened to interrupt us with a potion Ren had concocted—a blend of bitter herbs that had effectively kept drowsiness at bay and our minds sharply focused.

Ren tapped a thoughtful fingertip on the scroll before feverishly scribbling on a parchment he withdrew from his pocket, his head bent low over the page and breath coming quickly as he jotted a note to himself. I wasn’t sure what discovery he had made or whether he was recording something that needed further research, but I found myself smiling at his eagerness. For all his distrust of me, I had no doubt as to his desire to defeat the curse.

Yet though the animosity between us had faded by our mutual resolve to forge a friendship, I couldn’t dispel the nagging suspicion that clouded my success in gaining the trust of my knowledgeable herbalist—a suspicion undoubtedly from the sting of my wounded pride that Ren had found it necessary to test my integrity.

Ren looked up and met my gaze with a quick smile as he gestured to the scroll; I gave him an absent nod in return, still struggling with my whirling thoughts. My conscience reproached me with the reminder that I was no less culpable. From the moment Ren had assumed his father’s role, I had covertly set my own tests to measure his loyalty and intentions.

Ironically, the very qualities I had evaluated in him—his loyalty to his family and his cautious approach to my motives—were traits I admired, yet which now served as a mirror reflecting my own flaws and inadequacies. These were not merely shadows cast by the cursed darkness that had once shrouded our land, but deep-seated imperfections in my character. As a prince I was expected to transcend these flaws, embodying the nobility required of my station for the well-being of my subjects.

“Prince Darcel?” Ren’s voice pulled my mind from its constant war against my insecurities, his eyes softened with a concern that felt almost uncanny after the hostility I’d grown accustomed to being directed my way. “Is something wrong?”

“I’m fine.”

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