Alfyn's eyes fluttered open to the sound of birds chirping outside and the soft breeze passing through the trees.
The apothecary groaned and closed his eyes for a few more seconds, trying to go back to sleep before his brain caught up with the rest of his body. Unfortunately, he was a bit too late. His head was up and running, which meant it was time to start the day. Alfyn sat up in his bed, rubbing his eyes and letting out a deep yawn. Based on how sleep-deprived he was, he had most likely gone to bed last night at quite an unreasonable time. Alfyn tried to recount his memories for the previous night, but all that flashed in his mind were blurred images of his tankard filled with mead.
"Man, I really gotta stop drinking on the first day in town…" Alfyn thought internally.
After taking a few more seconds to wake up, Alfyn looked towards his front door to see how much light was shining through the cracks. The glow was faint, barely bright enough for his tired eyes to see against the shadow of his walls. Warm and dim light meant that it was still very early on in the day, a bit too early for the young man's liking. Alfyn was usually an early riser, but not this time. After nine long months of sleeping outside in the wilderness or on low-quality inn mattresses, he had finally gotten the chance to sleep in the comfort of his own bed and home. Having that cut short was nothing short of cruelty.
That being said, he had slept extremely well. Alfyn couldn't remember the last time he had been able to just lay down and fall asleep so easily. The last time had probably been the one night he had stayed at the Ravus Manor. Now that had been quite a treat. Alfyn wasn't one who craved a life of luxury, but after that night he definitely saw the appeal of it. It was certainly better than sleeping on top of hard soil and itchy grass, that was for sure.
Alfyn raised his arms above his head and stretched them out as far as he could while letting out a satisfied groan. Shaking his head lightly, the apothecary pushed away his covers and tried to get out of bed.
Then he felt his leg brush up against something. Something warm.
Alfyn looked down next to him, only to find Primrose curled up underneath his sheets beside him. The dancer was still asleep, her chest rising slowly with each soft breath that brushed through her lips.
Alfyn blinked.
Huh.
He had woken up next to her like this several times before, but this was the first time that he didn't remember actually going to sleep with her. Well, they did both drink quite a lot last night, and fairly quickly as well. He wouldn't be surprised if Primrose didn't remember what had happened last night either. As soon as he realized that, a terrifying thought passed through his head.
They hadn't…gotten busy last night, had they?
Alfyn immediately threw the covers off of Primrose as fast as he could, his eyes wide with both fear and uncertainty. The first thing he saw was her hair completely disheveled, and for a second he felt his heart plummet in his chest. As soon as he saw her fully clothed in the same clothes she was wearing yesterday, the apothecary let out a heavy sigh of relief.
Thank the gods.
The apothecary couldn't even begin to imagine what he would have done if it had been the worst-case scenario. Now he knew for sure that he had to stop drinking so intensely, because Alfyn wasn't going to risk this type of situation ever again. He needed to be in the right state of mind if he was going to be sleeping alongside a woman as attractive as Primrose.
The woman he had feelings for.
Alfyn looked back down at the dancer. Right, things were a bit different between them now. How long had it been since the two of them had started playing tiptoe around each other? A month? No, it bit more than that. They had arrived in S'warkii a month and a half ago, and that was where it had all started. Either way, it wasn't like it mattered that much. After all, he was planning on telling her his true feelings today.
It was a long time coming. The apothecary had fallen for the dancer a long time ago, and had kept his feelings in for all of this time as best as he could. Alfyn couldn't quite remember when they had started, but he did remember the exact moment when it finally registered in his head. It was during their first stay in Rippletide, the night when he found the dancer sitting on the docks, feeling alone and depressed because of something that he still didn't know to this day. He remembered sitting next to her, chatting away for hours and hours on end while staring out into the open ocean.
He remembered how he took a look at her once, and was left breathless after seeing how gorgeous she was under the moonlight glow.
That was when Alfyn knew, and also when he decided that he wasn't going to ever act on his feelings towards her. There were many reasons for that. At the time, he thought that they wouldn't be traveling together for much longer, seeing as they had planned on going separate ways after their time in Atlasdam. Then obviously there was her path of revenge against the three crows. The apothecary was a bumbling idiot when it came to romance, but even he knew that having a lover would be an unneeded distraction for Primrose on her quest.
Also, she was completely out of his league. There was no way he ever had a chance.
But then they kept traveling together, and his affections for the dancer slowly began to grow stronger and stronger with each passing day. It became really hard to hide, and eventually, he started to think that maybe he should accept his feelings rather than suppress them. He wasn't sure if Primrose had noticed, but if she had, she didn't seem to mind. In fact, sometimes Alfyn thought she might even be reciprocating his feelings. The moment they had shared out on the balcony during the winter solstice…it became clear to him that they were special to each other.
Then they woke up next to each other one morning, and the rest was history. Alfyn knew his feelings for her, and he was pretty sure he knew what she felt towards him.
"So when are you going to do it?"
That was the question that Therion kept nagging him about. He was the only one Alfyn had told out of the entire group, but it wasn't like the apothecary and the dancer kept it secret. Every time the two of them had some sort of affectionate exchange, the curious eyes from their companions were always there. Well, they wouldn't have to wait much longer. He had pulled Therion away for a few moments at the tavern yesterday, right as they had gone up to the bar to get more drinks.
"Tomorrow."
And now, tomorrow was here.
"Heya, Prim?" Alfyn whispered softly, placing a hand on the dancer and shaking her gently. "You awake?"
"…"
"Haha. Yeah, that's a no." Alfyn chuckled underneath his breath. The apothecary tried once more, this time shaking her a bit harder. "Prim, hey. Wake up."
This time the dancer stirred slightly beneath the covers, but still didn't say a word.
Alfyn sighed. "Prim, if you're still awake can I least have some more of the covers back? The fire's out so it's a bit chilly."
Again, no response. However, this time the brunette's light breathing came to a sudden stop.
"Okay, now I know you're awake. If you were still asleep you woulda kept breathin' normally." The apothecary frowned. "C'mon Prim. We gotta get up so we can go fishing."
"Fuck you."
"Wow, you kiss your mother with that mouth?"
"Go away."
"Huh? Y'know this is my house right?"
"I hate you."
"Shucks, that's not very nice, Prim."
"In case you haven't noticed, I'm not very nice, Alfyn." Primrose muttered into her pillow. "Now shut up and leave me in peace."
Alfyn sighed again, this time a little bit deeper. "Look, I know you don't like waking up early, but this time of day is when the fish are out. So if you wanna—"
"I don't want to. What I want to do is sleep. Goodnight, Alfyn." Primrose responded, turning around and facing away from the apothecary.
"Wait, so you don't want me to teach you fishing anymore…?" Alfyn whispered somberly, looking down in disappointment.
The dancer moaned and turned back around, propping herself up on her elbow. "No, Alfyn, that's not what I meant. Of course I do, but not right now."
"But…"
"Alright, listen. Did I ever say I wanted to catch a large number of fish?" Primrose asked in the nicest tone she could muster.
The apothecary thought about it for a few moments before slowly shaking his head.
"Then we don't need to go right now, do we?" The dancer reasoned. "Don't get me wrong, I'm looking forward to it just as much as you are. But all I've ever wanted out of this is to spend time with you and learn about the hobby you love so much. That's it. So don't worry about making it special."
"You sure…?" Alfyn asked hesitantly.
"Yes, I'm sure. Now please, let's go back to bed. It's far too early for me to even think about functioning." Primrose nodded before burying her face into her pillow once again. "I'll give you back your side of covers as well."
"Ah, thanks."
The apothecary laid back down and brought the covers over himself, letting out a content sigh as the warmth started to spread across his body. Alfyn wasn't sure if he was going to be able to go back to sleep, seeing as he usually got hungry just a few minutes after waking up. At the very least, he could last long enough until Primrose fell back asleep. Then he'd get up and start cooking breakfast. Actually, maybe it'd be better to head to the inn for his morning meal and see if any of his friends were up. He hadn't seen Ophilia, H'annit, and Cyrus in nearly an entire day, after all.
Right now though, he was going to enjoy what little more rest his stomach would let him have. Looking back over at the dancer, the apothecary realized that she was still trying to fall back asleep. Feeling a bit bad about waking her up, Alfyn moved up closer and wrapped his arms around her. He brought Primrose in close, spooning her gently and settling his head right next to hers. He felt her hair tickle his nose slightly as she adjusted herself, wiggling around until she was comfortable against him.
"Sorry 'bout waking ya up." Alfyn murmured as he closed his eyes. He could already feel the drowsiness beginning to creep itself back in.
Primrose shook her head against her pillow. "It's alright. Any other morning, and I'd be fine with it. We should have taken it lightly at the tavern last night."
"Well, I'm to blame for that too. Me and Zeph really went in on the mead after the dancin' started." Alfyn replied. "You feelin' it too?"
"Yes, sadly. My head is aching quite a bit." The dancer chuckled miserably.
The apothecary nodded. "I'll whip us up a hangover tonic while I'm making breakfast. It'll clear your head up in a jiffy."
"Much appreciated."
"Leave it to me."
The two settled into a comfortable silence, enjoying each other's comfort while underneath the covers. As time went on Alfyn found his eyes feeling heavier and heavier, the warmth from the dancer slowly drawing him into a deep slumber. At the same time, however, his hunger only grew more intense with each passing second. He wasn't going to be able to comfortably stay like this for much longer. Thankfully, after waiting for a few more minutes, Alfyn felt Primrose's soft breathing against his chest.
"Finally…" Alfyn whispered.
Unfortunately, as he was getting out of bed, he felt a slight tug on his arm. The apothecary turned around to find Primrose barely holding onto his sleeve, staring up at him with half-asleep eyes.
"Where are you going?" The dancer asked, letting her hand drop back down on the bed lifelessly.
Alfyn smiled. "Gonna make breakfast. You get some rest. I'll have everything ready when you wake up."
"Stay." Primrose murmured, beckoning him to come closer.
"I'd love to, Prim. But I'm really hungry." Alfyn laughed softly.
"Stay. Please?"
"Shucks, Prim. Don't look at me like that." Alfyn complained, shaking his head slowly. "And here I thought Tress had a deadly set of puppy-dog eyes, but yours are worse than hers and then some."
The dancer smiled as innocently as he could. "Stay, Alfyn. Just a few more minutes?"
The apothecary stared down at Primrose for a few moments, trying his hardest not to give in to her and listen to his stomach instead. Despite summoning all of his willpower to resist her, Alfyn gave in and climbed back into the bed with a heavy sigh. The dancer snuggled up close against him once again, this time facing towards him.
As soon as they got comfortable, however, a loud groan escaped from the apothecary's stomach, echoing loudly across the room. Alfyn blushed slightly red, embarrassed that his overly large appetite was causing him problems yet again.
"Sorry…" Alfyn grumbled sheepishly, refusing to meet the dancer's eyes.
Primrose burst into a fit of giggles, covering her mouth in hopes of controlling them. "No, I'm the one who should be apologizing. Go get something to eat, I'll join you in a bit."
"Nah, it's fine. I'm here now, so I might as well enjoy it." Alfyn quickly responded.
"Are you sure?"
"We'll find out in a couple of minutes."
"How generous. That's just one of the many things that I love about you." The dancer laughed.
"Yeah? Well, your persuasiveness is one of the things I don't love so much about you. Drives me nuts sometimes." The apothecary muttered. "When you use it on other people? It's great. On me? Not so much."
"Oh, come now. You know you love me just the way I am." Primrose teased playfully.
"Sure."
"Don't be so mean. Then, what are some things you do love about me?" The dancer frowned, looking up to meet Alfyn's eyes.
He raised an eyebrow in response. "Y'know, you seem awfully awake right now. Maybe I should go then."
"Ah-ah mister. You said a couple of minutes, and I'm going to get my fill." Primrose said while shaking her head. "And don't dodge the question."
"Well, for starters, I love how much you understand me. For example, you know better than anyone just how hungry I can get and how much it sucks." Alfyn answered sarcastically.
Primrose huffed. "You're insufferable."
"Shucks, Prim. You know you love me just the way I am." Alfyn smirked.
"Alright, that's enough. I'm sick and tired of hearing you send my own words back to me and thinking that it's witty." The dancer pouted, turning away from Alfyn and taking all the covers with her.
"Hey, I learned all of my wordplay from you, so if you're gonna be mad at someone, blame yourself." Alfyn chuckled, bringing her back into his arms and grabbing as much of the covers as he could. "Now let's get some rest before my stomach decides to announce itself again."
Even if he couldn't see her face, Alfyn knew that Primrose was rolling her eyes, as she always did in response to his antics. He was just thankful that he'd managed to avoid one of her infamous pinches. The apothecary was certainly not a fan of those.
As the two made themselves comfortable once again, Alfyn thought back to the dancer's previous question. The one that he had purposefully avoided using what little wit and charm that he had learned from Primrose over the past nine months. He had done so out of the fear of telling her his honest answer, an answer that would have betrayed his true emotions.
"What are the things you love about me?"
The answer was clear.
"Everything, Prim."
It was a warm and beautiful day in Clearbrook, as it always was.
Alfyn had forgotten just how nice the weather was in his hometown after being away for almost a year. It was neither overly hot nor cold, and for the most part the sky was usually just as clear as the river's water. The rural town got just enough rain to keep the plants and trees healthy throughout the year, and nasty weather like thunderstorms or blizzards were rare enough to the point that the townsfolk didn't have to worry about them during the wintertime. The only major complaint that Alfyn could think of was that sometimes it could get really humid during the summer, but whenever that was the case it could be dealt with by simply taking a dip in the river.
After experiencing how harsh the summertime was in the Sunlands and how bleak the wintertime was in the Frostlands, Alfyn was grateful that he had grown up in a town with such good weather. In fact, after traveling throughout the continent, the only other regions that the apothecary liked apart from the Riverlands were the Coastlands and the Flatlands. He was fond of the Coastlands because of how great the time he spent there had been, and even though he had barely spent any time in the Flatlands, Alfyn liked the region because the calming wind and grassy pastures reminded him of home.
Every other region had some sort of major flaw. The Sunlands were scorching hot and dry, and for the most part were an absolutely horrible area to live in. The Highlands weren't too bad, but the lack of air made it difficult for those who hadn't grown up in the region to breathe comfortably. The Frostlands weren't as awful as Primrose made them out to be, but on certain days the frigid weather and snow could really get on your nerves sometimes. The Woodlands were actually quite nice, but there were always a ton of bugs lying in wait around every corner. Finally, the Cliftlands were simply a bit too dangerous for the apothecary's liking. One wrong step could result in serious injury, and sometimes, instant death if the fall was too high.
Yeah, Alfyn belonged in the Riverlands. People could call him a home bird all they wanted; it didn't matter. This was his home. He liked it here.
And apparently, Primrose did as well. Ever since they had arrived yesterday morning, the dancer had been in a noticeably good mood. Alfyn knew that she had been looking forward to visiting his hometown for a long time, but he hadn't expected her to be this excited. Hell, he had even caught her humming to herself while doing the dishes this morning. Now that was something else. Alfyn had been so surprised by it that he pointed it out to her, asking why she was in such a pleasant mood despite having a nasty hangover.
"I slept well."
That was all she said on the subject, but the tiny smile on her lips said it was something more than that. That being said, Alfyn didn't push it any further. He was just relieved to see that she was happy, especially after he had woken her up so early. Usually, the dancer misbehaved quite a bit if she was forced awake before the sun was up. He was lucky to have gotten away with it this time.
Well, mostly lucky. The heart attack from earlier this morning had shaved a few years of his life span.
They had left Alfyn's house around an hour ago after enjoying what had been a small yet tasty breakfast of scrambled eggs with buttered toast and jam. Before the two of them made their way to the river to start fishing, they had to make a few stops. First was the local shop, to buy the supplies they needed for their fishing trip. Alfyn bought a small pouch of sweet corn to use as bait, a couple of new hooks to replace his old, rusted ones, and some fishing line in case he ran out. Seeing as she probably wouldn't fish again after this morning, Primrose had opted to borrow Zeph's equipment for their trip, and so she simply waited for Alfyn to finish getting what he needed.
Next, they made a quick stop at the inn to see how the rest of their companions were doing. Cyrus and Ophilia were the only ones they found in the lobby, each of them peacefully reading a book near the fireplace. Unsurprisingly, Therion, Tressa, and Olberic were still in their rooms, likely feeling the full effects of last night's drinking. H'aanit had taken Linde out for a trek through the forest, eager to explore the new region and its wildlife. Alfyn invited the scholar and cleric to come along, but ultimately they decided to stay at the inn.
That was fine. It was probably better for the two pairs to stay separate anyway. At least, if any progress was to be made.
After that, Alfyn and Primrose finally made their way over to the river and started to set things up. Once everything was ready, the apothecary began teaching the dancer on how to fish correctly, walking her through every step carefully so that she wouldn't accidentally injure herself. Primrose listened to him intently the entire time, wanting to make sure she didn't miss anything. While this was definitely more of a casual outing, it seemed she still wanted to learn as much as she could, which Alfyn appreciated.
Right now, the two were sitting on a grassy patch on the edge of the river, each of them holding a wooden fishing rod in their hands. Primrose had gotten the hang of casting surprisingly quick, and after practicing for around a quarter-hour she was casting her line into the river right alongside him. Obviously she wasn't getting any bites, but if she kept at it, it wouldn't be long until the dancer would snag her first catch. She attributed it to Alfyn's good teaching, but he knew she was just trying to be humble.
Add "being good at fishing" to the ever-increasing list of the many reasons why he loved her.
As they sat next to each other waiting for the first bite, Alfyn could almost feel the curious gazes from all of the townsfolk around them. They were trying their best to stay discreet, but the apothecary knew better than anyone that people from Clearbrook weren't exactly the most inconspicuous folks out there.
The source? Himself.
"It seems that there are many prying eyes on us this morning." Primrose chuckled softly, turning her head slightly towards Alfyn.
The apothecary merely nodded in response. "Shucks, you can say that again."
Out of the corner of his eyes, Alfyn took another look behind him at the bridge. Sure enough, there were two or three people who were staring at them, completely unaware that they had been noticed. Even though he couldn't quite make out their faces, Alfyn knew his neighbors well, and based on the clothing they were wearing he knew exactly who they were. Most of them were his childhood friends, the people he had grown up with and been around him his entire life.
Honestly, who could blame them? If one of his closest friends had randomly come back to town after nine months escorting a tall, young, emerald-eyed beauty like Primrose, then he would be acting the same way. The dancer had told him over breakfast this morning that she had resolved most of the rumors last night at the tavern, but he was sure that most of them still wanted to hear from Alfyn as well.
Primrose probably did too. Shucks, she was probably the one who wanted to know what was going on between them the most.
Just a little longer. By this time tomorrow morning, she would know. And he would have her answer. All Alfyn could do at this point was to try to control the butterflies in his stomach as best as he could and rehearse what he was going to say repeatedly in his head.
Goddamn it. Being in love was hard.
"Heya, Prim. I wanted to ask ya, did you like the dancin' last night?" Alfyn asked, leaning back on his hands casually. "I know it's different from what you usually do, but I think it's pretty fun."
"Yes, I did. I enjoyed it a great deal. Even if it did take me some time to get used to it." Primrose responded. "And despite that, you still managed to trip over yourself before I did."
"Hey! I wouldn't have if I hadn't been all tipsy." Alfyn frowned, folding his arms across his chest. "I can't believe I challenged you of all people to a dancin' contest. What the hell was I thinking?"
"Indeed. It might have been my first time going through that particular style, but I have been dancing since I could walk. It was quite a foolish wager." The dancer grinned playfully.
The apothecary chuckled. "Yeah, by the end of the night you were the best dancer in the tavern, and we've all been prancin' around like that for years."
"Well, it wasn't anything that I hadn't seen before. Your sort of dancing is often seen in musicals and festivals." Primrose explained. "All I had to do was adjust."
Alfyn raised both of his eyebrows. "Huh, never knew 'bout that. Then what's the type of dancin' that you normally do used in?"
"Hmm. In the theater mostly, and sometimes opera. Of course, it's also a necessary skill to have if one is going to be involved with the aristocracy." The dancer hummed nonchalantly, resting her chin on the palm of her hand.
"Yeah, most of you upper-class folks really like to get into the fine arts. I guess for you, it ended up being dancing." The apothecary nodded in response.
"I suppose, but I also studied many of the other fine arts as well. My father made sure that I was educated in most of them." Primrose revealed. "I am fairly well-versed in poetry, music, painting, and theatre. I learned a bit of architecture as well."
"Wait, hold up! Can you sing!?"
"Yes, and quite well if I might add."
"Shucks, that's amazing, Prim! Why didn't you say anything about this till now?" Alfyn exclaimed, leaning forwards in excitement.
The dancer shrugged. "I never thought it was important enough to share. What value would my singing talents bring to our group?"
"Well, I'm sure Phili would be beside herself if you told her. She's always singin' before prayer time and stuff." Alfyn remarked, pointing his thumb back towards the inn. "Like when we saw her this mornin'."
"Ophilia is a much more gifted singer than I am. I am sure that she is better off on her own, given how lovely her voice is." Primrose replied, shaking her head delicately.
"Yeah. Guess that's what you call talent, huh?" The apothecary smiled.
"Talent and hard work. I'm certain that she's put in many hours of practice into her craft. Just as I did so when I was young so I could please my father." Primrose clarified, staring at the running water thoughtfully. "His expectations for me were very high. He raised me with love and care, yes, but also with sternness and austerity."
Alfyn listened intently, waiting for her to finish before opening his mouth to speak again. "Shucks, growing up as a part of the nobility must've been hard on you, huh?"
"Yes, it was. On certain days it felt overwhelming. However, I have never once held that against my father." Primrose stated firmly. "As his one and only daughter and the heir to House Azelhart, he had no choice but to teach me about the principles of being a noble."
"Yeah, the person you are today is because of him, right?" Alfyn remarked.
"Certainly. All of my strength, endurance, tenacity, confidence…I owe it all to my him. I am thankful for what he did for me." The dancer smiled sadly, as the memories of her father flashed inside her head.
The apothecary responded with a small smile of his own. "Yeah, I know. I'm thankful to him too." Alfyn stretched out his arms above his head and let out a deep sigh. "Man, what I would give to get a chance to meet him."
Primrose perked up immediately, turning to face Alfyn with a single eyebrow raised. "Oh? Why is that?"
"I don't know, really. You don't talk about him all too much, but every time you do I always get that thought in my head." Alfyn shrugged. "Maybe it's cause I think we'd hit it off pretty well. Woulda loved to share a couple rounds of mead with him."
"You believe that you and my father would be close enough to… share a drink together?" Primrose asked slowly.
"Yup."
The dancer stared at Alfyn for a few moments, letting what she had just heard register in her mind. As soon as it did, Primrose exploded into a fit of laughter, wrapping her arms around herself in an attempt to calm herself down. She was unsuccessful, as the flashing image of her father and Alfyn drinking together in a tavern only made her laugh even harder, almost to the point of falling onto the ground.
"H-hey! You don't think your dad and I woulda been good pals?" Alfyn frowned, staring down at the dancer and crossing his arms.
"No, no! Oh, goodness! Forgive me, Alfyn. Please give me a few more moments." Primrose laughed brightly, her shoulders shaking delicately as her laughter began to die down.
The apothecary huffed and turned away from the dancer emphatically. "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. I don't see what's so funny about it."
Once she was calm, Primrose turned towards Alfyn with an endearing smile. "I'm sorry, Alfyn. The thought of you and my father sitting down at a tavern together was a bit too amusing."
"Shucks, is it that hard to believe?"
"Just a little."
Alfyn sighed. "Well, maybe you're right. Someone like your old man would probably never talk to a country bumpkin like me."
"Alfyn, no. That's not at all what I meant." The dancer chuckled, shaking her head slowly. "I was laughing because the thought of how my father would act if he was intoxicated was far too ridiculous for me to handle."
"Oh. Yeah, I guess that would be kinda weird, huh?" Alfyn laughed.
"Indeed. I can't even begin to imagine what he would be like." Primrose giggled, before moving in closer and leaning her head on Alfyn's shoulder. "And for the record, I honestly believe that you and my father would have gotten along with each other very well."
"Aw, shucks. You don't have to flatter me, Prim." Alfyn chuckled, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "You know that my behind gets all itchy if you start praisin' me like that."
"Well, I'm simply speaking the truth. My father might have been a part of the nobility, but he never discriminated based on one's social standing. He treated everyone equally, with respect and sincerity." Primrose stated firmly. "You are a great man, Alfyn. I have no doubt in my mind that he would have been more than pleased to meet one such as yourself."
"Gosh, you really think so?"
"I do. He would have taken great pride in you."
Alfyn looked hopefully into the dancer's eyes, losing himself for just a moment in the beautiful shine of her bright emerald orbs. Primrose looked up at him curiously, her lips curling into a small smile as she felt his fingers carefully lace themselves through hers. Alfyn felt his heartbeat start to accelerate, and the butterflies in his stomach that he thought he had been able to suppress came back in full force.
The apothecary sighed.
Yeah. Being in love was really hard.
"Primrose! Could you please bring me some straw from my house? I need it to rouse the fire."
"Of course, Zeph. I'll be right back."
The dancer stood up from her spot on the grass next to the river and turned around towards Zeph's cottage. She took a few steps before looking over her shoulder, giggling lightly at the sight of Alfyn tossing Tressa off his shoulder into the water. The young girl laughed breathlessly as she came back up, shaking her head aggressively to take the water out of her hair. Alfyn did the same, as the large splash Tressa had made had left his hair drenched as well.
After waiting a few seconds to get her breath back, the young merchant yelled at Olberic to come towards her, most likely because she wanted to see how far he could toss her. The knight turned towards her and nodded, the corners of his mouth curling upwards into a small smile as he made his way towards her. Knowing Alfyn and Olberic, it wouldn't be long until two men started competing to see who could throw Tressa the farthest.
Before taking her leave, Primrose called out to Ophilia to tell her that she was going to get something for the fire. The cleric nodded, smiling gently at the dancer the same way a mother would look at her child.
Primrose felt her heart skip a beat. Ophilia's maternal nature was a bit too potent sometimes.
The dancer made it to the cottage and reached for the front door, not realizing that the door had been left unlocked until after she had stepped inside. Primrose chuckled lightly, shaking her head at the realization. She knew that Clearbrook was likely the safest and most carefree place on the continent, but this was going a bit overboard. What sort of people willing left their doors unlocked, especially when they weren't present?
A master thief such as Therion would have a field day in a town like this.
Primrose looked around for the straw for a few moments, before spotting a few bundles tucked away in a corner next to the fireplace and the cooking area. She made her way over and picked up a handful, just enough to keep the fire burning long enough for the cooking to be finished. Knowing that Alfyn was probably going to get hungry before everything was ready, she snagged an apple from underneath the kitchen table as well.
As she was making her way out, the dancer noticed a few peculiar papers sitting on top of the dinner table. She made her way over, raising both of her eyebrows upon seeing what they were. There were two letters, each of them in vastly different conditions. One of the letters was folded up perfectly and ready to be sent to someone at any given moment. The other was crumpled up and looked as if it was about to be used to light a fire. At first glance, it was easy to assume that the first letter was the final copy and that the other was simply a previous draft.
However, Primrose couldn't help but feel that wasn't the case. As she examined the two letters further, it was clear that a few things were off. The second letter was far too scrunched up to have been done so casually, and the fact that it hadn't been disposed of yet was a bit strange as well.
There was something else going on here.
That being said, the dancer had no right to look into it further. Zeph, or whoever had written these letters, probably wouldn't appreciate someone going through their private writings. The right thing to do in this situation was to ignore the letters, exit the cottage, and return to the river with the straw in hand. After all, curiosity killed the cat…
…But satisfaction brought it back. Besides, when had Primrose ever been one to do the "right" thing?
The dancer picked up the crumpled paper off of the table and opened it up, eager to see its contents. At first, she held it upside down, and so the first thing she saw was that the letter indeed belonged to Zeph. Out of respect for the apothecary, the dancer decided not to read the entire letter. After all, the only thing she was interested in was who the letter had been addressed to. Unable to contain her curiosity any longer, Primrose turned the paper so that it was right-side-up and read the first line.
"My dear Mercedes…"
Almost instantly her lips curled into a tiny smile.
Oh, so Zeph had himself a sweetheart somewhere out there? Now that was wonderful news to hear. Primrose had been confused about why a young man as kind, talented, and handsome as Zeph wasn't getting any special attention from the ladies in Clearbrook. Everything made much more sense now that she knew that he was off the market. With that said, why hadn't Alfyn mentioned this to her before? He knew that the dancer loved to talk about these sorts of romantic affairs.
"Mercedes. Hmm…why does that name sound familiar?" Primrose mused internally, looking over the mystery letter one last time. "Wait a second…could it be!?"
The librarian from the Atlasdam academy! Her name was Mercedes as well, wasn't it? Considering how unique the name was, there was a strong chance that she and the woman from Zeph's letter were the same person. Of course, there was also a good chance that she wasn't. Going from Clearbrook all the way to Atlasdam was something you didn't see very often, if at all. Nevertheless, Primrose needed to know more. She'd ask Alfyn the first chance she could get.
The dancer put the letter back onto the table in the same spot that it had been in before and picked up the other one at the same time. She was less curious about this one, seeing as it looked like any normal letter. Still, why stop now? Primrose was already breaking the rules, so she might as well go all the way. That was just one of the many lessons that she had learned during her time living in Sunshade.
Primrose unfolded the letter carefully, making sure not to accidentally wrinkle or crease it in any way. This time she opened it correctly, and the first thing she saw was the person who the letter was meant for. Surprisingly, it was someone who she was very well-acquainted with.
"To my dear friend Alfyn…"
This time, Primrose immediately put the letter down, but not before perfectly refolding it the same way it had been in before. Once everything was back in place, she turned around hastily and quickly made her way towards the front door. As soon as the dancer stepped outside, she took in a long breath of fresh air and let it out slowly before making her way back towards the river.
That was close. She had almost let herself get a bit too carried away. Sure, a little snooping around didn't hurt anybody. But that particular letter deserved to be treated with the utmost respect. Primrose hadn't read a single word aside from the first line, but she knew exactly what type of letter it was supposed to be. It was a message, one that the dancer could never hope to understand, even if she read the letter a hundred times over.
Because that message was meant to be read by one person, and one person only.
Alfyn really liked Therion. They had been traveling together for a very long time now, and even though they had their squabbles, the two young men got along like they had known each other since early childhood. Shucks, some people might even consider them to be best friends.
But there was no chance in hell he was going to let him get away with stealing his favorite food from right in front of him.
"Therion! Came back here you little shrimp!" Alfyn yelled fiercely, chasing the thief around the edge of the river.
"Screw you! You're hogging everything for yourself you oversized donkey! Some of us have to eat too, y'know!" The thief shouted back, stuffing his mouth with Alfyn's food.
The apothecary chased Therion around the river for much longer than he should have. If he were smart he would have stopped after a few minutes, realize that it was hopeless to try and catch a master thief, and simply go cook some more food. Unfortunately, Alfyn wasn't exactly the smartest cookie in the jar when it came to anything other than medicine. So he ran after Therion until he was out of breath, frowning considerably at the sight of his food disappearing into the thief's mouth.
After arguing for a few more minutes, Alfyn eventually gave up, settling for a truce after Therion offered to pay for a drink in return. That didn't mean much though, seeing as the thief had quite the sizable amount of leaves stashed away for whenever he needed them. Still, it was better than nothing. He'd take what he could get.
Therion wasn't normally so gracious anyway.
Alfyn returned to their table, only to find Cyrus sitting by himself and enjoying what seemed to be the last serving of potatoes. Unsurprisingly, he was nose-deep into one of his books, so focused on reading that he didn't notice the apothecary approaching him until Alfyn sat down at the table across from him. As soon as he did so, Cyrus looked upwards immediately, meeting Alfyn's eyes with a wide smile.
"Alfyn, my boy! Come and sit with me, we haven't seen each other much since arriving here." Cyrus exclaimed, setting his book down next to him.
"Sure thing, professor! Whatcha readin' there?" Alfyn grinned.
"Why, I thought you would never ask! I bought this just recently when we were in Quarrycrest. It's a book on the advancement of mining techniques and technology in recent years." Cyrus beamed. "It is most fascinating. Ah, did you know—"
"Shucks, professor. Let me stop ya right there." Alfyn interrupted, putting one of his hands up in gesture. "I'm a herbalist. If there's any trade that's the complete opposite of mine, it's mining rocks and ore."
"Er, yes. I suppose that's true." The professor stammered. "Well, then I won't bore you with the intricacies of modern excavation."
"Haha! That's alright! Save it for when we're back on the road and I need someone to talk to." Alfyn chuckled, leaning his cheek against the palm of his hand. "By the way, do you have any books on medicine by any chance?"
The scholar frowned. "Unfortunately, I do not. Scripts on medicine are quite expensive nowadays. I'm sure you of all people are aware of that."
"Yeah, that's for damn sure. Sucks cause there's a lotta regular folk out there that wanna learn in case their friends or family get sick, but can't afford it." The apothecary sighed deeply. "Well, if you find yourself lookin' for something to read one day, I can let ya borrow my journal if ya want."
"Truly!?"
"U-uh, yeah…"
"What is the earliest you could lend it to me?" Cyrus asked eagerly, leaning forward slightly across the table.
"The earliest? Shucks, not sure, really. I guess I could let ya borrow it today if you want. Probably won't need to write it in while we're here, after all!" Alfyn nodded.
The scholar smiled widely. "Wonderful! Many thanks, my medicinal friend. At last, I will finally have the opportunity to study medicinal practice!"
The apothecary curiously raised an eyebrow. "Wait, so ya never got a chance to read some of the medical tomes at the Royal Academy?"
"I'm afraid not. As much as I would have liked to, I was quite preoccupied with studying subjects that were more relevant to my teachings." The professor sighed, shaking his head in disappointment. "Princess Mary and Therese were quite the eager students. At times I found it difficult to find enough material to cover my lectures."
"You…had trouble…lecturing enough?" Alfyn asked slowly.
Cyrus blinked. "Is that so hard to believe?"
The apothecary merely nodded in response.
"Well, I did say at times, did I not? There were many occasions in which I went well over the allotted time as well." Cyrus claimed, shrugging his shoulder casually.
"Yeah, that sounds a lot more like you! Can't imagine you runnin' out of things to say, especially when you're on a roll." Alfyn said in agreement.
"I'm not sure if I should take that statement as a compliment or a complaint…"
"Eh, I'd say it's a bit of both. Depends on the person I guess! As for me, I like people who talk a lot. So if ya ever need a face to lecture to, I'm your man!" Alfyn grinned widely. "But people like Prim or Therion? Probably best you stay clear from those two, I'd say."
"Indeed. Although it took me some time to figure out, I'm very well aware now that Primrose and Therion are a bit…averse to my ramblings." The professor chuckled nervously.
"Yeah, I wouldn't take it too seriously though. Y'know how they are. Neither one of those two ain't exactly what I'd call a people person." The apothecary laughed, folding his arms across his chest.
"Agreed. In fact, I would say the majority of our group are not the most sociable of people, and that includes myself." Cyrus said, before gesturing towards Alfyn. "I'd say that only you, Tressa, and Ophilia display proper social skills consistently."
"Woah, woah, give yourself some credit! I'd say you're a really friendly person, professor!" Alfyn quickly responded.
The scholar let out a hearty laugh. "The flattery, my boy! Well, I do strive to be as well-mannered and good-natured as I can be, but my awareness could use some work."
"Hey, at least you're aware that you gotta be more aware, right?"
"Hmm, I suppose that could be seen as progress…"
"Shucks, professor. Never satisfied with anything, huh?" Alfyn smiled casually, leaning his elbow against the table.
"But of course! Given the opportunity, one should always aim to improve as much as possible. A scholar who has never put what he or she has learned into practice is no true scholar at all." The professor smiled in return.
"Then maybe we should get you some books on social etiquette or something, dontcha think?" The apothecary suggested.
"Why, that's a grand idea! How have I never considered that before?"
The two men continued to chat for what seemed like days, when in reality they had only been at the table for a few hours. The conversation only ever stopped whenever one of them needed to take a quick drink of water, and then continued swiftly afterwards without losing a single step. If left alone like this, Alfyn knew that they would most likely continue chatting for the rest of the afternoon. Out of all of his companions, only the professor enjoyed having a good conversation just as much as he did.
More often than not, the only way to get Cyrus away from his tomes was to strike up a conversation with him. Especially if he had just started a new one.
It was one of the traits that the apothecary most appreciated from Cyrus, and right now, he was appreciating it more than ever before. Talking with the professor like this distracted his thoughts from the special event that was going to happen later this day. That said, as the evening grew closer and closer, Alfyn could feel his nervousness starting to overwhelm him. No matter what he did to try to keep his mind off of her, his thoughts kept going back to Primrose.
How was she going to respond? Would she reject him or accept his feelings for her? What was she going to say? What did she want their relationship to be? Was everything going to change?
All sorts of questions kept popping into his head, and the worst part was that Alfyn likely knew the answer to every single question. Answers that Primrose had silently given him over the past month. However, despite everything, the butterflies in his stomach only grew worse with each passing second. After a while, he could feel doubt and reluctance start to creep into his thoughts, just like a Blotted Viper's venom snuck its way into a person's bloodstream.
But Alfyn knew that he couldn't put this off any longer.
If he didn't, then when was he ever going to do it? He needed to calm himself down, to reassure himself of everything he knew already about himself and the dancer. And so, the apothecary responded to his feelings of uncertainty the only way he knew how.
By talking to someone about it.
"Heya, professor? Sorry to get off-topic, but…would you mind if I talked about something really quick? Something important." Alfyn said reluctantly, looking down slightly at the table. "Shucks, you don't even have to listen. I just wanna get it off my chest."
The scholar smiled at him gently, meeting Alfyn's eyes with his own. "Alfyn, my boy. You know that I see you as my own family. I will always be happy to lend an ear if you need it."
"Thanks, professor. I knew I could count on ya." The apothecary chuckled, rubbing his right sleeve with his left hand sheepishly. "Well, to get straight to it then, it's about Primrose."
"I see." Cyrus nodded, listening intently to the apothecary's words.
"I'm…going to tell her I love her. Tonight. Right after this, actually." Alfyn confessed. "We're goin' to go on a picnic up on the big hill and watch the sunset together. That's when I'll do it."
The professor's eyes widened slightly, but said nothing.
"Problem is I'm startin' to feel nervous. Like, really nervous. So nervous that my whole body's shaking." Alfyn continued, twiddling his thumbs underneath the table. "This is my first time confessin' to a girl, and she's the most amazing girl I've ever met."
Again, the professor stayed silent.
"So, yeah. I don't know. I was feelin' a bit overwhelmed, and I guess I just wanted to let it all out. And I'm glad I did, cause I feel a whole lot better now." The apothecary said, letting out a deep sigh. "Shucks, sorry for ramblin', professor. I really appreciate you listening to me though."
"Of course. Always. Oh, and allow me to give you my thanks for trusting me with this. I know this is very important to you." Cyrus nodded firmly, meeting the apothecary's gaze once more. "After hearing your words, I can't help but feel the need to respond. Would you mind if I said just one thing?"
"Sure, by all means."
"Are you prepared to bear that responsibility for her?"
Alfyn blinked. "Huh?"
"Primrose is a wonderful person, and I do not doubt that you both would be incredibly happy together. However, the burdens she carries from her past and her current quest are exceedingly heavy." Cyrus declared, staring right into the apothecary's eyes. "Let's say that she accepts your feelings. Are you willing to share those burdens with her?"
The apothecary nodded firmly. "I made my mind up on that a long time ago, professor."
"Then all I have left to say is to wish you the absolute best. Good luck, Alfyn." The professor smiled gently.
For the first time since waking up this morning, Alfyn's took in a much-needed breath of fresh air, holding it in for a few seconds before letting it out slowly. All of a sudden, his chest felt light and his shoulders were finally starting to loosen up. The butterflies in his stomach were still very much present, but the apothecary felt much more comfortable than before. Almost as if his nervousness had been completely replaced by genuine excitement.
Alfyn chuckled. Good lord was he an idiot.
"Shucks, professor. Thanks a ton for hearin' me out. I promise you'll be the first person I tell!" Alfyn grinned, standing up from his seat at the table. "Alrighty then! Gotta go get everything ready for the picnic.
The scholar laughed. "But of course! Anytime, my boy."
"Oh, and professor?"
"Hmm?"
"I hope things go well between you and Ophilia."
"Ah, yes. About that…"
"And here we are! Best spot to watch the sunset in all of Clearbrook!"
"Oh my, this place is beautiful."
Alfyn and Primrose finally made their way to the top of the hill and were greeted by one of the most gorgeous views in all of the Riverlands. Tall trees and bright grass as far as the eye could see, illuminated by one of the most brilliant orange skies that either of them had ever seen. The apothecary had chosen the perfect time to bring the dancer up here. The sun had just started to dip closer to the horizon, which meant that they'd have plenty of time to eat and watch the sunset.
So far, all according to plan.
Alfyn set the picnic basket down next to him and began taking everything out. The first thing to do was to lay down the quilt, which he had shamelessly borrowed from Zeph. Next was to set up all of their plates and silverware, which honestly wasn't necessary, but Alfyn did so anyway. Finally, the apothecary brought out the last and most important part of their outing: the meal.
He had decided on something simple, sandwiches with a side of mixed fruits. Alfyn could cook decently well, but for such a momentous moment, he wanted everything to be prepared correctly. So, he had asked H'aanit for help, who was more than happy to lend to a hand. The apothecary knew that the huntress likely suspected that he was planning something special, but thankfully, she chose not to say anything.
"Goodness, you went all out for this, didn't you? How sweet." Primrose smiled, her eyes widening slightly as Alfyn brought out the sandwiches. "Oh, and what's this? You even prepared one of my favorite dishes. I must admit, I'm starting to feel slightly flustered."
Alright! Things were still going all according to plan.
"Haha, well, I just wanted to make sure you had a good time! This is the last thing on our list, after all. Besides, it didn't take much time or effort to put this all together." Alfyn lied, putting on the most convincing smile he could. The apothecary still wasn't good at hiding the truth, and probably wouldn't ever be.
Primrose chuckled. "Well, even so, it's still very much appreciated. Thank you, Alfyn." The dancer leaned over and planted a gentle kiss right onto his cheek. "A quick question. Why didn't we go over to that larger hill over there?"
Shit! Shit! Not according to plan. Not according to plan at all!
"Oh, well, you see…Um… it's just, ah…probably not the best spot for a picnic. I'll explain later." The apothecary stammered, looking over at the hill Primrose was pointing at. "Trust me on this."
"Oh no, it's alright. I am very satisfied with this location. It's gorgeous." The dancer said quickly, shaking her head in response. "Now, I'm sure you're feeling quite starved, so why don't we start?"
Alfyn nodded and took his first bite of the sandwich, humming happily to himself due to how good it actually tasted. H'aanit had really spoiled him this time. He'd have to return the favor later down the line.
Primrose apparently felt the same way, as she nearly finished the first slice of her sandwich before him, which was unheard of. Usually, she liked to take her time with her meals, but this time that clearly wasn't the case. It seemed that the apothecary wasn't the only one who was feeling hungry.
"Woah, hey! Calm down, Prim. The food ain't going anywhere." Alfyn mumbled with his mouth still full.
"The last person I want to hear that from is you, Alfyn." Primrose replied, taking another bite out of her sandwich before scooping up some fruit with her spoon. "I spent quite a bit of energy out in the river today. It's only natural for one to be famished."
"Haha, yeah. You played with girls almost the whole time we were out there! Surprised even me." Alfyn laughed, turning his head to meet the dancer's eyes. "Nina and Lily have really taken a liking to ya, Prim. Guess you're gonna be stuck in the big sister role forever, huh?"
"It would appear so. I wonder what aspect of myself sends that sort of impression…" Primrose mused, resting her fingers against her chin in thought.
"Shucks, that's easy. I could tell ya that myself." Alfyn chuckled.
The dancer merely raised an eyebrow.
"It's the way you talk, Prim. All suave and elegant like. With how rich your voice is, it's like you're begging to be seen that way." The apothecary revealed while pointing towards his throat.
"Well, it's not as if I am doing so on purpose. I was raised in a household full of people with this manner of speech. I merely adopted it." The dancer shrugged. "As for my voice, it has been like this since I turned 15 years of age. There's not much I can do to change it."
"Yeah, I know that. I ain't saying it's a problem. Actually, I really like the way you talk. It's like hearin' chocolate." Alfyn smiled playfully. "It is kinda hard to respond to ya sometimes without being dazed by your voice though. "
"Well then, what about you? I'd say that your way of speech is also quite peculiar." Primrose huffed, crossing her arms underneath her chest. The apothecary had to look away for just a moment.
"Of course it does, Prim. I've got an accent." Alfyn snorted, picking up another sandwich from the basket. "Most guys that grow up here talk this way."
"Zeph doesn't."
"Well, that's cause Zeph did his best to get rid of it. Believe it or not, he had the same accent when he was a kid." Alfyn said nostalgically. "When his parents passed and he took the responsibility of raising her, he forced himself to change the way he talked so that she wouldn't pick it up."
Primrose nodded. "That does sound like something that he would do. How very considerate of him. That said, there's nothing wrong with having an accent. I find yours in particular to be rather charming."
"Shucks, you're gonna make me blush."
"Well, that was my intention."
The two young travelers exchanged a laugh, continuing their conversation as they enjoyed their meal together. As he listened to the dancer laugh fondly at his stories about him and Zeph throughout their childhood years, Alfyn began to feel a pleasant feeling in his chest growing warmer with each passing moment. He wasn't sure what it was or how to describe what it felt like, but he did know that he wanted this feeling to last forever.
He wanted this moment, watching the sunrise atop of a grassy hill with the woman he cared about more than anything in the world, to last forever.
Unfortunately, that was impossible. Eventually the sun would pass the horizon, and no matter how much the apothecary wanted to stay, the two of them would have to head back to town. However, that didn't mean they couldn't come back here again one day, after they were done traveling the continent with their new-found family. Even though he knew it was going to be a long time, Alfyn was already looking forward to it. He was looking forward to a lot of things, like visiting Noblecourt or taking a trip to Goldshore to see Ellen and Flynn again.
Hopefully, Primrose would still be by his side then.
"Say, Alfyn? I found out something today that I couldn't help but be slightly curious about. Could I ask you about it?" The dancer said suddenly, breaking him out of his thoughts.
"Shoot."
"Are you familiar with the name Mercedes?" Primrose asked, twirling her hair around her finger.
"Mercedes? Shucks, now that's a name I haven't heard in a long time. Just a little over eight years now, in fact." Alfyn hummed, his eyes widening slightly upon hearing the name. "Why? Did Zeph tell you about her?"
"Er, not quite. Let's just say I did some snooping around and leave it at that." Primrose stammered nervously. She couldn't tell Alfyn that she had opened that letter, now could she?
"Uh-huh…well, alright then. Mercedes was one of our childhood friends. Me, Zeph, and her practically did everything together when we were little." Alfyn explained. "But she moved away when we were 13, and we haven't heard much from her since. Funny story there, actually."
"Oh? Do tell."
"Y'see, Zeph actually had a huge crush on Mercedes, and for a long time too." Alfyn smiled as he began to reminisce. "When we found out she was leavin' to go live with some of her distant relatives, Zeph decided to write her a letter. I don't know what he ended up writing, but it must've been something kinda mushy, cause he was too shy to deliver it himself. So, he asked me to deliver it for him."
"Continue." Primrose nodded.
"On the day she was headin' out, I went over to her house to say my goodbyes and give her the letter. When I got there, I found that her coachman had a cold, so I gave him some medicine to get him back up on his feet." The apothecary recounted, leaning back casually on his arms. "Everything started movin' along so quickly that—well, long story short, I forgot to give her Zeph's letter."
The dancer let out a dramatic gasp. "Oh, Alfyn! You did not!"
Alfyn chuckled, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "Haha, you reacted the same way H'aanit and Therion did when I told them this story."
"And? What happened after that? Did you give the letter back to Zeph?" Primrose asked frantically.
"Yup. Gave it back as soon as I could. Taught me a really good lesson, that little incident did." Alfyn admitted, shaking his head in shame.
"I'm sure it did. Goodness, Alfyn. You really are one of a kind." Primrose chuckled, meeting Alfyn's gaze with a slanted smile.
"Shucks, now I'm startin' to feel embarrassed." The apothecary sighed, looking down in disappointment. "Even though Zeph told me not to worry anymore, I still feel kinda bad about it sometimes."
"Aww, now aren't you just a sweetheart. There, there." Primrose whispered as she gently ruffled the apothecary's hair.
"Shuck, Prim. I'm not a little kid." Alfyn complained.
"I'm not entirely convinced on that just yet."
"Yeah, yeah. Let's just all make fun of little ol' Alfyn now. Isn't he just the biggest dolt you've ever seen, right?" Alfyn grumbled, folding his arms across his chest.
The dancer giggled lightly, leaning her head on Alfyn's shoulder. "You're adorable."
"And you're beautiful."
"Flatterer."
After a few more snarky remarks, the two young travelers settled into a comfortable silence as they looked over the sunset. The apothecary brought his gaze back up to the sun, which was just starting to dip below the clouds. It wouldn't be long now until dusk, which meant it was going to get dark soon. That wasn't that large of an inconvenience, but it still was one nonetheless.
Alfyn didn't have much time left.
As he stared at the luminous golden orb, Alfyn's thoughts went back to that special night in S'warkii that had started it all. The night that he had let his feelings for the dancer show for the very first time. Before they had fallen asleep together on her bed, he had asked Primrose an extremely important question. One that the apothecary had been very afraid to ask, especially considering the circumstances.
"Would you consider coming back to Clearbrook with me?"
And for whatever reason, her answer echoed inside his head.
"That would make me very happy, Alfyn."
Alfyn took one last look over at the sky, and for just a second, his breath was completely taken away from him. It was like a painting, a work of art that was meant only for the two of them. At that moment, the young man had only a single thought on his mind.
This is what that warm feeling in his chest looked like.
Alfyn closed his eyes and took in a deep breath as quietly as he possibly could, and let it out slowly into the fresh forest air. After waiting a few seconds, the apothecary reopened his eyes and looked down at the dancer next to him.
Primrose was watching the sunset with a smile that defined beauty itself, so dazzling that it rivaled the view that was right in front of them. At that moment a slight breeze blew past them, which made her hair move gently against the wind, almost like it was the brush that had been used to paint the sky in front of them. Alfyn honestly couldn't tell what was more stunning, the sunset right in front of him, or Primrose herself.
That was when he knew. It had to be now.
"I love you."
The dancer turned towards him. "What?"
"I love you, Primrose." Alfyn breathed out, staring right into her eyes. "I want us to be together."
The apothecary kept his gaze fixated on Primrose, waiting for her reaction. Time seemed to slow down as he lost himself in this one moment, looking deeply into the dancer's bright green eyes in hopes of spotting any sort of reaction from her. However, the young woman didn't say anything. She stayed completely still, not moving even a single muscle. Her only reaction was to stare back at him with slightly opened eyes, as if she was still trying to wrap her head around what he had just said.
And maybe she was. Alfyn hadn't even realized what he had said himself. He had spoken completely out of impulse, his own mind not even registering the words that had come out of his mouth. Right now, all he could focus on was the woman in front of him. Nothing else mattered.
A second passed. And then another. Then five more.
It took ten entire seconds for Primrose to show her first reaction.
She didn't say a single word. All she did was flush a deep red and open her eyes so wide that it felt almost as if she had just walked in on him naked. Unfortunately, seeing the dancer blush as red as her outfit brought Alfyn back to reality. And what was his response?
To turn so red that it felt like he was actually naked.
"U-Um! Wh-what I mean is, er…" Alfyn stumbled over his words, waving his hands out in front of him frantically. "What I mean is…"
Before he said something unbelievably stupid, the apothecary covered his mouth with his left hand and tore his eyes away from Primrose.
Dohter himself! Alfyn's heart was beating so fast that it felt like he was about to pass out, which honestly wouldn't be that much of a surprise. Alfyn knew exactly how fast a heart could beat before it became concerning, and he was already well beyond that point. Not even closing his eyes and taking in a few deep breaths helped. If anything, it just made it worse. Any small bit of composure that the apothecary had built up from his talk with Cyrus had just completely disappeared.
It wasn't until he opened his eyes and saw Primrose in the same amount of distress he was in that Alfyn began to calm down.
That was right. She was feeling the exact same thing he was. This nervousness, these emotions…they were all perfectly normal. This was supposed to happen. Because if it didn't, then were his feelings truly real?
Slowly but surely, Alfyn felt his confidence come back to him.
"What I'm trying to say is…I care about you, Primrose. A lot. You're the most important person in my life, and all I've ever wanted is to stay by your side for as long as possible." Alfyn confessed, meeting Primrose's eyes once more.
"I know that you're carrying a heavy burden, and that being in a relationship with someone is only gonna make that harder for you. And there's nothing I'd want less than to get in your way, but…"
"I still love you, and I don't wanna hide my feelings anymore. No, actually, it's more that I can't. You're always on my mind, and every day that goes by I can't help but think about what-if. What if everything works out, y'know?"
"So, yeah. I'm not sure what you're thinking or what you're gonna decide or what's gonna happen to us from now on, but I just want you to know that I wanna be a part of your life. I want to love you, to take care of you, to start a family with you…"
"…Aw, shucks. That might be thinking too far ahead. Sorry! Forget I said all that! Wait, no, no, no. Not everything! Just that last part about starting a family and…"
Alfyn stopped talking as soon as he saw the tears streaming down from Primrose's eyes.
"H-hey, are you okay? Was it something—" Alfyn stammered, leaning slightly towards the dancer.
"Finally."
The apothecary blinked. "Huh?"
Primrose looked up at him and gave him the most genuine smile that he had ever seen. "You really kept me waiting for such a long time, didn't you? You absolute fool."
"Shucks, I—"
The apothecary was interrupted as the dancer threw herself into his arms, burying her face firmly against his chest. Her hands fisted the front of his shirt so tightly that he was surprised that she didn't rip off any of his buttons. It took a few moments for Alfyn to get his bearings together and wrap his arms around Primrose, pressing her securely against his own body as if this were the last time he would ever hold her. Thankfully, it was the complete opposite. From now on, he could hold her like this whenever he wanted.
Well, for the most part. As long as they were in private.
"Kiss me." Primrose said suddenly, looking up the Alfyn with watery eyes.
Alfyn's eyes widened. "Wait, what?"
"I said kiss me. Do it before I do it myself." The dancer commanded, her grip on his shirt tightening slightly.
"Shucks, Prim. I don't know. I ain't ever kissed a girl before—MRPH!?"
Once again, Alfyn was cut-short from finishing his sentence, this time by the force of Primrose pressing her lips firmly against his. The apothecary immediately tensed up, still in utter disbelief over what was happening. However, his inner emotions eventually took over and he let himself relax against her lips, gently kissing the dancer back without a single care in the world. After a few seconds, Primrose pulled away to catch her breath before leaning in once more. This time, Alfyn responded appropriately, cupping the young woman's face with both of his hands and melting into her embrace.
Right now, this moment truly felt like it could last forever.
"Prim. Y'know better than anyone that I suck at this romance thing, so I just wanna make sure. I can take this as a good thing, right?" The apothecary asked, as the two of them pulled away from each other.
"Yes, Alfyn. I love you too. Dearly." Primrose laughed. "Nothing would make me happier than to call you my partner."
"Really? You're not teasin' me right now, right? You're being serious?" Alfyn said anxiously, which only made the dancer laugh harder.
"Of course. I'll say it as many times as I need to. I am in love with you, Alfyn. I have been for quite some time now." Primrose smiled warmly, taking the apothecary's hands into her own.
Alfyn merely stared at her in response.
The dancer giggled. "What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?"
"Ah, no. It's just…I didn't think I'd get this far." Alfyn blinked. "Not sure it's hit me yet."
"Darling, you and I have been practically together for over a month now. Did you honestly believe that the outcome would be any different from this?" Primrose remarked, tilting her head slightly to the side.
"Er, well. I was really nervous, so I guess I convinced myself that—wait, Darling?"
"Yes, darling. I believe I've earned the right to call you that, wouldn't you say?"
Alfyn blinked once more, staring down deep into the Primrose's eyes. Her dazzling green orbs were shining affectionately, rivaling the brightness of the sunrise above them. At that moment, everything finally clicked.
"Oh, shucks…"
The dancer laughed once again, before pulling her new lover into another deep embrace. Alfyn closed his eyes and hugged her back as tightly as he could, his heart full and warm with emotions that he never knew existed.
Yup.
All according to plan.
"Well then, shall we head back to town? It's starting to get dark." Primrose asked, right as the two young lovers had made their way back down the hill.
"Sure! Can't wait to tell everyone the good news" Alfyn grinned, before remembering something important. "Oh, wait. There's one more place I wanna take you before we go back. Won't take too long, trust me."
Primrose chuckled. "Can't it wait for tomorrow?"
"I guess…but it'd make me really happy if we did it today." The apothecary smiled sadly, giving their joined hands a gentle squeeze.
"Well, alright then. I suppose that staying out for a few extra minutes won't make much of a difference." The dancer shrugged. "So? Where are you taking me?"
Alfyn looked down solemnly, letting out a somber sigh as old memories started to flash in his head. "I want you to…"
No, not like this. He wasn't about to let these lingering emotions ruin this moment. Alfyn had moved on from this a long time ago, and now it was time to finally put these wavering feelings to rest. The apothecary shook his head, looking back at Primrose with newfound resolve.
"I want you to meet my mom."
Primrose immediately froze in place, her eyes widening upon hearing the apothecary's words "You told me that…she had passed away."
The apothecary nodded. "She did."
"Then how…Oh." Primrose whispered, before realizing what Alfyn truly meant. "I see."
"She's waiting for us on top of that big hill over there. Y'know, the one you mentioned earlier?" Alfyn chuckled, pointing towards the large hillside. "I bet ya get why we didn't have our picnic over there now, right?"
The dancer nodded. "Yes, I do."
"…Hey, if you don't wanna do this then it's perfectly okay. Last thing I wanna do is make ya comfortable." Alfyn said softly, looking over at the dancer with concerned eyes.
"No, no, that's not it. It was just slightly surprising, that's all." Primrose responded, after shaking her head. "I…would love to meet your mother. I need to thank her. For everything."
The apothecary smiled. "Then follow me."
The two travelers walked towards the large hillside in complete silence, enjoying each other's company without saying a single word. However, as they got closer and closer to the hill, Alfyn began to feel a bit apprehensive. It had been nearly a year since he had last paid a visit to his mother, and nearly two years since the day he had lost her. The apothecary remembered that day very well, as it had been the very last day of his life with a family.
Now, he had two. One in Zeph and Nina, the big brother and little sister that he never had. And another in the seven friends that he had made during his travels, people that the apothecary considered to be the most important people in his life right now.
Then there was Primrose, who had just given him the hope of starting another family. One that Alfyn could truly call his own alongside the woman he loved more than anyone in the world.
Like he had said earlier, Alfyn didn't know what was going to happen from here on out. Anything was possible in this crazy world, the one that he had finally gotten to see after leaving his hometown at the young age of 21. The apothecary had seen many things in the past nine months, sights ranging from tall, rocky mountains to snowy fields as far as the eye could see. Some days he had fought against lowly fanboy pirates and others against mythical beasts that he had only heard about in legends. Alfyn had set out in search of an adventure, and so far, he wasn't disappointed.
That said, this world was dangerous. If you weren't careful, it would eat you up and spit you out without a single ounce of remorse. Alfyn had learned that very quickly, and to this day it still surprised him just how cruel this world could be sometimes. Honestly, he would probably never get used to it.
But, as he made his way up the wooden steps, steps that he had once climbed every single day after his mother had passed, something told him everything was going to be alright.
Because now, he had someone else to walk alongside with on his path. A woman who he knew would be by his side through everything that the world would throw at them.
Shucks. How fortunate was he?
"Hey mom, it's been a while…"
A/N - First off, let me just say thank you to those who have made it this far. Thank you for being patient. Thank you for showing your support. Thank you for sharing your love of this game with me. You're the reason why I continue to write, and why this story has turned into something very special to me. So thank you, truly.
This was a long, emotional chapter for me to write.
I really hope that you enjoyed it, because I know that I certainly did! Everything that I have built for the last nine chapters came together in this update. The romance, the characters, and many of the themes that I have developed throughout this story...all packed into a single chapter. Primrose and Alfyn have become more than just characters on a screen to me at this point, and I wanted to show that through my writing here. I worked really hard to make that happen, so I hope this Act II finale was everything you hoped for.
Alright, so let's talk about this fic. This is not the end of "How Fortunate". I REPEAT, THIS IS NOT THE END. There's so much more that I want to do with this story, and I intend to see it through fully. No matter what. That said, I will be taking a little break. A hiatus, if you will. Right now, I have to focus on my personal life, particularly my career, and since my creative juices have been spent, I think taking a break will do both my story and I a lot of good. I don't want to give a specific timetable, but trust me on this, I am not going to disappoint you.
Again, thank you to those who have shown their support. I see all of you, so don't be surprised if you get a shout-out in the future :). I hope you all have a fantastic day, and be sure to stay healthy.
Until next time.