Chapter 14—Intelligent Grey Eyes
Nathaniel could only think of Flora as the jet flew to Gamir, escorted by twelve fighters and three decoys. He did not care if there was to be a summit at the castle. When questioned by his mother, he hastily admitted that he loved Flora, and was seen off after much arguing. Flora had been wounded and had been in a coma for almost a month. He worried she might be that way forever. He could not read, he could not write, he could not play, he could not smile, but worst of all, he could not cry. He had not cried when his father died, when his grandparents died, or when his aunt died, and he wished greatly that he could cry for Flora. He wished constantly that she would survive and leave the coma, but he expected otherwise. He had once heard Bosko Shyavika say, "Try for the best, but don't expect it."
The dunes were visible out the windows, as were the escorts. He knew he would be at Flora's side soon. He looked ahead and saw the forest on the horizon. "Please, Honored Ztars," he begged. "Please do not take her from me. She is the only person I have ever loved; she has done so much for me—I was never this sociable before I met her, nor did I have any close friends. I was depressed and bored; she took me out of the blinding light of depression. I would give up everything for her—my future throne, my luxury, even my magic; I would drain my own Vim for her if necessary. There is no one I care for more than her. Please, keep her alive; bring her back from the brink of death so I may feel her kindness and love. Flora…"
"Lord Nathaniel," a guard said. "We are going to descend soon; please sit down and fasten your seatbelt."
"I understand," he said tonelessly, obeying the guard. He no longer even had a tone to his voice unless he talked about Flora. Was this the torment Prince Ludwig suffered? He felt as if his soul had been torn from his body with only his love for Flora given back. That was all that he felt; he did not feel any emotion unless it revolved around Flora. Was this how Prince Ludwig felt? No, not exactly. Flora was still alive, but Princess Louise was dead. For Ludwig, there was not sorrow, but anger; anger at the Sultan for taking his beloved from him. Flora was not dead, so it was foolish to think of revenge. He felt an urge to cry choking his heart, but no tears came; Flora had taken his tears away.
When the plane landed, Nathaniel was taken to the hospital, where Flora lay unconscious in bed. A machine covered her cap, monitoring her Vim levels. Her face had a tortured expression on it, her eyes closed tight. The monitor indicated that she was alive and Vim levels were steadily increasing. Vim recovery was not easy for her, though; one of the Vim glands in her cap had been damaged by the bullet and was still diverting Vim to power its own healing. Nathaniel sat next to the bed and placed his right hand on her left hand, almost as if he expected it to respond. After a moment, he looked up at a nurse.
"How is the recovery going?" he asked.
"So far, so good," the nurse responded. Nathaniel noted that she had a Desert Hill accent. "She's past the worst of it; the gland's healing, not to mention the hole is gone, which means that once the gland's functioning on its own again, there'll be nothing to hold back a quick recovery. In fact, she might even regain consciousness once the gland's back to normal."
"Will she live?"
"We don't know for sure, but things are looking up. When she was first brought to us, we thought she'd be one of the five percent that leave the emergency room in a body bag. Now that she's all hooked up, though, she's been getting better. I'd say she'll probably survive."
"Are you just saying that to make me feel better?"
"I've taken the Hippokoopic Oath and a politician's asking me if I'm lying?" the nurse asked with a laugh. Nathaniel did not join in. "I'm duty-bound to tell the truth; patients need to trust the medical staff or else they might resist treatment."
"I am sorry for offending you. I would like to stay with Flora for now."
"Do you intend to sleep in this room as well?"
"Yes, so could you please bring a bed in for me?"
"Of course," the nurse said, leaving the room. "Please press the red call button if the machine makes any sounds other that the heart monitor's beeping."
"I understand," Nathaniel said, stroking Flora's hand.
He could not think of anything to say as he looked at her tightly closed eyes. He remembered how beautifully her eyes shone when open. Toads and Toadettes had eyes that looked black, but a closer look would reveal their true color. Flora's grey eyes seemed to tell Nathaniel of her intelligence and kindness, of how she was a lady despite her informal upbringing. Her closed eyes did not speak of how wonderful Flora was, but rather of how she suffered when she lost consciousness. She had not worn her helmet, and now it might cost her her life.
"Here's your bed, sir," the nurse said, wheeling a gurney in. Nathaniel lied down on the bed once it was locked in place, turning his head to look at Flora. Until the moment he fell asleep, he only thought of the lady who might leave him.
Nathaniel awakened to see Flora facing him with her eyes open, but they did not show anything. "No…" he thought, getting up. "Please, no…" He looked at the monitors. Vim recovery was not increasing by even 0.0001, and the heart monitor showed a flat line. "Flora…" he said, sorrow pouring from his mouth. "Flora…" he said again, not able to think of anything else to say. He lifted her head and kissed her on the lips, but with no response; he did not expect any. He stroked her long hair and felt his heart cry out in pain. The room began to be engulfed in a white fog, slowly reaching toward him and Flora to take them.
Nathaniel awakened, this time for real. Looking at the heart monitor, he saw the familiar waves, indicating a steady heartbeat. The Vim recovery screen indicated around 74.09…. The rate slowly increased to 74.10…. She was alive; it had just been a dream. Nathaniel noticed a nurse barely awake in a chair, watching the monitor. The nurse he met earlier came in to relieve the first.
"I didn't realize you were a noble," the nurse said.
"Please do not treat me as one," Nathaniel said in response, still devoid of any tone. "By the way, why would a Desert Hill nurse help an enemy?"
"Doctors and other medical staff are not bound to any country. As much as I hate the KBS and their allies, I am duty-bound to help anyone sent here. Besides, killing them will not solve anything; my people will still be caught between a despot and a terrorist. You are from an enemy nation, but you're still a thinking being, and so is your girlfriend—"
"Lady friend," Nathaniel corrected.
"Sorry. Anyway, that's why I became a doctor. I wouldn't be able to handle taking a life, so I instead felt I should help the people atone for their sins by saving as many lives as I can."
"I feel the same way. I hate war, and Flora's wound has only increased my hatred of it. War only exists because leaders have conflicting beliefs. As awful as it is, it is the only truth about the cause of war. One would have to be mad to start a war for no reason. Some are foolish enough to start wars for personal gain, but it is often a mere conflict in beliefs that leads to war. Some conflicts simply cannot be compromised."
"Example?" the nurse asked.
"The Shiner Wars. The Starists invaded Sarasaland with the intent to completely eliminate Ztarism; they would accept nothing less than the extinction of the Ztars and all who supported them."
The nurse laughed. "Is that how Sarasaland wrote the story? Here in Desert Hill, the story is that the Starists had learned of a Ztarist plot to wreak havoc and invaded to prevent the plot from being carried out."
"The Starists lost, yet no havoc was wrought by the Ztarists. However, I have made my point: in some conflicts, compromise is unwelcome. It is conflicts like those that bring war. Unless every conflict has an acceptable compromise, war will always exist, no matter how despicable it is."
"We have some similarities. The enemy is normally depicted as a soulless monster, but you… you clearly have a soul, and you hate war just as much as any sane person. I certainly hope your lady friend survives."
"Thank you," Nathaniel said. "So do I." Without another word, he lied back down and tried to get back to sleep, eventually succeeding.
After a few more days and a few more nightmares, Nathaniel awakened from yet another nightmare a few hours after dawn to see Flora, still calm, lying on her side, facing away from him. Quickly looking at the Vim recovery screen, he saw that the screen was at over 84. He stretched and walked, his heavy cast/boot still on his foot, to the side of the bed Flora was facing and caressed her cheek. Flora's eyelids seemed to give a small jolt, opening to reveal the intelligent grey eyes of the lady he loved.
"Flora…" he said lovingly. "Thank you." He kissed Flora's hand.
"Nathaniel?" she asked drowsily. "What…?"
"You were wounded and have been in a coma for around a month. I came here the instant I learned what happened. I was so worried; my soul wandered off and stayed away until I learned you would live. I wondered if this was how Prince Ludwig felt when Princess Louise died. There is a difference, though: you are alive, and I could not be happier about it." Flora tried to get up, but she was still very weak and could not even lift herself from the bed. Nathaniel put his arms around Flora and, with some difficulty, lifted her torso and head so he could kiss her on the lips, a kiss Flora returned with much pleasure.
"Thank you," she said as Nathaniel gently laid her back down. "Why am I so weak if my Vim's at almost 85?"
"Toadettes feel faint if their Vim goes below 98.3246. For Toads, the level is 98.5781, but that is unimportant here. You barely have the strength to lift a few kilograms. That does not matter, though; you are still the beautiful lady I wished night and day for the survival of."
"What about my comrades? Did they survive?"
"Only you and Mia survived," Nathaniel said with a sigh. "In fact, I should thank her as well; she flew you back to camp while dodging anti-air bullets and missiles. Your report saved the entire army. Had you not told General Equani of the attack, the enemy army would have launched a sneak attack and surely annihilated everyone. General Equani said that you would be promoted to Commander if you survived."
"No, not more war…"
"You will not be participating in any fighting for a few years, though. Your wound will still need a lot of time to heal. Therefore, you are being sent home once you are in good enough condition to move around without tiring too quickly. Your entire family is very worried about you; I visited them before leaving for Gamir. They were unable to come, but they say they have wished often for your survival. It is your choice whether you want to live in Xanria again or stay in Chai City once you are out of here. I will visit you often either way."
"Thank you. But why am I conscious if my Vim's almost 15 below healthy?"
"Because Toadettes can stay conscious unless their Vim drops below 83.9968," a nurse said. During the joy of the moment, Nathaniel had forgotten she was even there. "It's nice to see you conscious again. That was pretty heartwarming earlier, so I felt I shouldn't ruin it. It seems to have passed, though. You've still got a bit of a risk, though, so we'll still need to keep an eye on you. For one thing, when conscious, Toads and Toadettes recover Vim at almost half the rate they do when unconscious. There's also the faint possibility that something might go wrong, so… well, you get the idea. Anyway, you should rest more."
"I will," Flora said. "Nathaniel, I'll give Chai City some thought. Right now, though, I want to see my family again. What did you tell them when you visited them?"
"I told them that you were in a coma, and that I loved you," Nathaniel said. "They all got very worried about you and they should know that you are conscious again. Once you are healthy enough, I suggest you return to Xanria; they want to see you more than I do right now. I promise you that I will visit you, though—as often as I can." Nathaniel kissed Flora's hand and walked over to his bed.
"Nurse, could you please turn me so I'm facing Nathaniel?" Flora asked.
"Sure," the nurse said. "Lord Nathaniel, could you please help me?"
Nathaniel took Flora's head and waist on his side while the nurse took her upper torso and legs. Together, they turned Flora so she faced Nathaniel's bed. The nurse placed a pillow between Flora's legs and moved the other pillows to prop up her back.
"Thank you," Flora said as Nathaniel sat down on his bed and took out a spellbook he had brought along. She quickly fell asleep again.
Within two weeks, Flora was healthy again. Nathaniel escorted her out of the hospital, his hand in hers. Not much had happened in those two weeks between them. They were quite open about their love now, though. As for the army, Rahin had been captured. It would not be long before the cursed war was over. Grand Oasis was expected to last a long time, but the Sultan's fall seemed almost inevitable. Prince Ludwig had taken command of the offensive and was determined to kill the Sultan himself and avenge Princess Louise. A KBS battalion continued winning in the south while Prince Ludwig led an admirable campaign in the north.
Flora returned to Sarasaland in style, riding in a royal jet in a greatly decorated uniform alongside the heir to the Chai throne. Their conversations fluctuated around all manner of topics as the jet flew south.
Flora was greeted by her family at the airport, along with many friends she had made. Empress Morgana was also there and quickly greeted her son with a strong hug and a light kiss. Unfortunately for Nathaniel, the Klipses were also there. Marta, her face overflowing with makeup, ran to Nathaniel and attempted to kiss him, only to find herself levitating about ten centimeters above the floor as Nathaniel demonstrated his improved Thunderhand skills on her by holding her in place.
"I thought the incident at the ball would have taught you to know better," Nathaniel said.
"I thought the events at the ball would have taught you to know I'm not fooled by your act," Marta responded.
"You have the most severe case of denial I have ever seen."
"Lady Marta, I presume," Flora said.
"And who would you be?" Marta asked, not showing any interest.
"I am Commander Flora Ornilla of the Chai Army. I almost died in battle, and Nathaniel was the first thing I saw when I regained consciousness almost a month later."
"You shouldn't refer to nobles so informally."
"I made an exception with her," Nathaniel said. "As for you, your manners hardly fit a noble. In fact, Flora is far more ladylike than you, and I also consider her far more beautiful."
"Again with your silly act!"
"It's no act," Flora said. "Nathaniel loves me, and I love him back, while you are simply the demon who stole his first kiss from me."
"How dare you refer to your superior with such contempt?"
"There is no law in Chai that forbids sedition," Nathaniel said. "Therefore, she can insult you however much she wants."
"Lady Marta," Morgana started calmly, "your actions have given me just cause to oppose any romantic relationship between you and my son. In fact, I will gladly approve of any romance between Nathaniel and Commander Ornilla."
Marta's face froze in shock as if someone had just proven false the existence of the Stars. Nathaniel let her drop to the floor, where she fell backwards into her father's arms.
"I may not have the authority to force you, Lord José, but I would seriously consider making Lady Yesenia the heir to your position," Morgana said. Marta's parents helped Marta to her feet and escorted her away, leaving Yesenia behind.
"Thank you, Your Majesty," Yesenia said to Morgana, bowing. She then turned to Nathaniel. "I should've known you'd fall for her." Then, turning to Flora, "Flora, I envy you for getting Nathaniel, but I hope we can stay friends anyway."
"Thank you," Flora said. "I hope we can stay friends, too."
"So he is your boyfriend," Maria said in a making-fun-of-a-relative's-love voice.
"When you gonna get married?" Jenna cut in, causing both Flora and Nathaniel to blush heavily. Flora's family laughed at the sight, as did Morgana.
"We want to make sure we are both devoted enough for that before we actually try it," Nathaniel said.
After a little moment, Flora turned to Nathaniel and said, "Well, I guess this is good-bye for now."
"I suppose so," he responded, taking Flora's hands. "I promise I will visit you." Amid three "Awwww…"s coming from Flora's sisters, they kissed before going their separate ways.
Author's Notes: This story is far from over, so don't turn it away and say it was a good or bad read yet. There's still plenty more to come. Please note that the numbers are supposed to have percent signs that, for some reason, didn't appear.