Page 29 of Quest

Conversation flowed as the day passed, but I kept quiet, finding it awkward to draw closer to the comrades who found me suspicious and afraid to draw closer to the man I wanted to know better. Instead I took the opportunity to appreciate the light’s enchanting dance across the vivid landscape and study the unique herbs growing alongside the path as we journeyed through the valley.

My eyes were instinctively drawn to the rich assortment of herbs that flourished in this verdant landscape. To the untrained eye, the undergrowth appeared as a blur of green, but to me each plant whispered its identity and purpose.

Nestled quietly under the canopy of sakura blossoms were patches of delicate blue flowers known asaoiki hana, clusters ofnoctis rootgrew in abundance along the water’s edge, while in sunnier spots,hikari sou’svibrant yellow petals bloomed profusely. I paused occasionally to gathersenshin so, a mint-like herb hidden among the rocks, revered for enhancing clarity of mind and senses…something I desperately needed thanks to the prince’s influence.

Each herb was a familiar friend, their presence comforting and their applications deeply ingrained in my memory from years of study and practice. This natural bounty not only deepened my connection to the landscape but also offered silent reassurance of the mountain's enduring life force, a testament to the land’s resilience despite the lingering shadows of the curse raging beneath the surface.

Despite my attempts at distraction, my gaze repeatedly darted towards the prince walking several paces ahead as he followed Kael’s tracking. The temptation to converse with him grew with every step, eventually punctuated by Lumis’s impatient sigh from my lantern’s place tied to my satchel.

“Talking with him doesn’t mean you’ll fall in love with him.” By its tired tone, the tug-of-war between my fears and desires had exhausted him too.

Defensiveness immediately rose.I’m not worried that I’ll fall in love with him!

Lumis’s skepticism stretched across our thoughts.

What would you know?I silently huffed.You’re merely a lantern.

“One who happens to have the ability to illuminate the corners of your heart that you’re determined to keep hidden.” Thankfully it said nothing more, leaving me no distraction from my secret wish to converse with Prince Darcel seducing my resolve.

Soon another diversion tempted my thoughts to meander down rather dangerous paths. As the sun rose higher the day became hot and muggy, and soon the suppressing heat grew unbearable. I quickly drained my water supply, leaving my throat parched.

For all my steadfastly ignoring the prince, he seemed to be paying particular attention to me, casting me several worried glances that only endeared him further. I scarcely had time to endure my acute thirst when he was at my side. Without a word he silently extended his still-full canister. Desperation pleaded I take it, but I eyed the spout where his lips had touched and shook my head.

He sighed. “Now is not the time to fight me. We won’t reach fresh water until we ascend the next ridge. Stop being stubborn and just take it.”

He forced it into my hands. In the end my dry throat eclipsed my embarrassment at sharing his canister and I gratefully drank. He monitored me until he’d deemed I’d drunk enough before nodding in approval.

“I’m glad that even you can be cooperative when the need arises.”

Naturally such a comment lured my stubbornness from its uncharacteristic dormancy. I tried to shove the canister back at him as he turned away, but only succeeded in sloshing some of the precious water over the rim and brushing against his hand, sending a jolt across my skin at the contact.

“I can’t take a prince’s only source of water.” But my protests were weak in the face of my thirst, and I instinctively clutched his canister close.

He glanced back, eyebrow half-raised. “Oh,nowyou care about my royal title?” With a wink he walked ahead.

It took a dazed moment of gaping before I recovered enough to come to my senses with a growl of frustration. “Stupid, considerate prince.”

By Prince Darcel’s responding chuckle, he’d heard my dark mutter, but at this point he seemed to find my antics amusing, leaving me entirely defenseless against his aggravating charm…not that I would concede the battle so easily.

My lantern, however, wasn’t fooled. “You seem to be doing quite well in your valiant attempts not to fall for him,” Lumis remarked with overt cheerfulness.

Your sarcasm isn’t helping the situation.

Thankfully the lantern made no further commentary, but it seemed to be keeping an annoyingly close eye on the feelings whirling through my heart that no amount of examination would help me to understand.

I had harbored a faint hope that our earlier interactions would be the last of the aggravating day, allowing me enough respite to regain my composure. But it seemed that fate—or some mischievous spirit of the mountain—had other plans, intent on testing my resolve to its limits.

The day grew hotter as the sun climbed higher, and the air became thick with moisture, clinging to our skin with relentless persistence. The oppressive humidity tightened its hold around us like a suffocating cloak as we reached the base of the next mountain and began our arduous trek up the steep incline. This challenge might have been manageable if another trial hadn’t presented itself in an unexpectedly distracting form—in a bid to combat the stifling heat, the prince and his guard pragmatically decided to shed their shirts, revealing their bare chests to my innocent gaze, while Kael merely unbuttoned his, letting it hang open to catch the breeze.

Sir Jiang and Kael were both robust and well-conditioned from their years of training, their well-defined lines glistening with sweat beneath the sun’s harsh gaze. I hastily averted my eyes and tried to focus on the path ahead, yet nothing could have prepared me for the sight of Prince Darcel following suit.

The moment he pulled his shirt over his head and revealed a torso sculpted with fine muscles that spoke of royal discipline and the grace of a warrior, my heart faltered in its rhythm. His sun-kissed skin seemed to glow with a golden hue, each muscle exquisitely defined beneath the light. It wasn’t just his physical appearance that tormented me, but the unguarded moments when he wiped the sweat from his brow or stretched his arms—causing every muscle to flex and shift—that truly tested my wits.

The sight momentarily silenced my tumultuous thoughts. I hadn't realized I’d stopped in my tracks to stare until Sir Jiang gave me a gentle nudge from behind, prompting me to move forward. The prince’s casual display unknowingly intensified the ache of my concealed growing feelings, causing a part of me to regret the need to maintain a façade of indifference. The unbearable agony of seeing Prince Darcel in all his bare-chested glory was far more excruciating than any physical hardship the mountain could impose.

How unfair that the prince is not only considerate, but handsomeandfit, as if His Highness is conspiring for me to like him. When I’d resolved to take my father’s place on this quest, whatever hardships I’d imagined hadn’t extended to torture such asthis.

I could almost sense Lumis’s taunting smirk to my silent bemoaning. “I doubt even your defenses are strong enough to withstand such an attack. Good luck.”

---