I have no excuses for how late this is, just take it lmao Thanks for reading!
"Wow! We're up so high!"
"Careful now, Tressa. Taking a tumble off of the cliffs from this high up would not end well for you."
"Aw, I'll be fine, Professor!"
Alfyn chuckled as he watched his friends admire the view, except for Therion, who had grown quite pale and looked quite determined to stay as far away from the edge of the cliffs as possible. The town of Orewell was situated even higher in the Cliftlands than Quarrycrest had been, and the view was indeed rather breathtaking. However, he couldn't quite enjoy it fully, for he had things on his mind that caused the smile to fall from his face.
Distancing himself from the rest of his companions, Alfyn wandered off until he was standing in the middle of one of the bridges over the canyon, connecting the two sides of the town. He sighed deeply and gripped the railing, so hard that his knuckles turned white. No matter how hard he tried, he could not stop thinking about what had happened in Saintsbridge. Nightmares about the events that took place there still plagued his sleep, and self-doubt about his beliefs as an apothecary festered in his heart; he was truly at a loss at how to deal with it.
"Alfyn?"
Eyes wide, he turned to see Primrose approaching, head tilted slightly to the side and brown eyes filled with obvious concern. He swallowed thickly and turned his gaze back out at the cliffs. He hated feeling like this, and he hated the fact that he was probably worrying Primrose with his behavior. Feeling her eyes boring into him, he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, his uncertainty making him unable to form a response.
Primrose watched him carefully with a soft gaze. It was hard to see the man that she loved so down on himself, when he was such a talented and gifted apothecary. She had tried countless times to talk him through what happened in Saintsbridge, but it didn't seem to ever be enough to pull him out of the pit of insecurity that he had fallen into. She glanced down at his hands and saw that they were pale and shaking, and she reached out towards them.
"Alfyn, it's okay," Primrose whispered. She placed her hands over his, where they still had a death grip on the railing, and she gently tugged on them until he relaxed enough so that she could pry his fingers away. She held his hands in hers, watching him patiently until he finally lifted his gaze to her own. A sweet smile crossed her face, causing Alfyn's cheeks to flush pink, and Primrose giggled as she lifted one of his hands to her face. Her soft lips pressed against the tip of his thumb, and then his index finger, and every other finger after that. She then did the same to his other hand, and when she began kissing his palms and knuckles, Alfyn's face was flushed fully red and his heartbeat was hammering hard in his ears.
"Mmm, feeling better, dear?" Primrose asked, lips grazing his wrist, and he could feel his pulse jump at the touch. She laughed when Alfyn's mouth opened and closed a few times, like he was a fish out of water gasping for air, and she released his hands and instead reached up to cup his face.
"Oh my, did I overdo it?" she teased, gently rubbing his cheeks with her thumbs. Alfyn blinked at her before smiling sheepishly as he shook his head.
"Golly, Prim, I just...wow." A goofy grin crossed his face, and Primrose giggled before placing a quick peck on his lips. She pulled away and looked him straight in the eye as she brushed a few strands of hair from his face.
"If something is troubling you, Alfyn, you can always talk to me about it. I don't enjoy watching the man that I love suffer in silence." Primrose's voice was soft, and a sad smile crossed her face when she saw tears welling up in his eyes.
"Ah, thanks Prim," he said, rubbing his arm over his face to clear away his tears. His arms fell back to his sides and Primrose gently took his hands in hers, giving them an encouraging squeeze.
"I just…" Alfyn continued, pausing briefly as a deep sigh escaped him, "I feel like I've come all this way, and I've only found more questions instead of answers."
"Don't worry." Primrose wrapped her arms around Alfyn and pulled him into an embrace. "You will find your answers, I know it. You've done so much for me, so I want you to know that I will help you in any way that I can."
"Shucks, Prim." Alfyn returned her hug eagerly as he pressed his face against her hair. "It means so much to me to hear you say that. I really do appreciate it. I love you."
"I love you too."
Primrose pulled away slightly so that she could lean up and press her lips to Alfyn's. A gust of air left his nose as he sighed, and Primrose felt his arms relax around her as the tension left his body. A hand went to rest at the back of her neck, tilting her head back so that Alfyn could deepen the kiss.
"Ahem. I do not mean to interrupt, but…"
Alfyn quickly broke away, cheeks flushed red and he turned to look at Cyrus, who was scratching at his chin sheepishly and avoiding eye contact. Primrose giggled and gave Alfyn one last kiss on his cheek before she pulled away, her hand slipping into his and entwining their fingers together.
"Er, sorry Cyrus. What's up?" Alfyn said, smiling as he stole a fond glance at Primrose and gave her hand a squeeze.
"I've been inquiring with the residence here about the sickness that we heard about, and it seems that it might be more serious than we initially thought," Cyrus said, and Alfyn's brow furrowed, his mouth forming a tight line as a serious glint appeared in his eyes.
"Where are the infected?" Alfyn asked, and Cyrus pointed to a house across the gap in the cliffs, "Alright, let's go." He swallowed thickly and took a deep breath, trying to push his insecurities aside for now; he could not let them affect his work, not when lives were at stake.
As Cyrus began leading the way, Primrose cupped Alfyn's cheek and placed a quick, chaste kiss on his lips. Alfyn's heart soared, and the anxiety he felt was lifted, if only briefly.
"Remember, Alfyn, we are all here for you. We will help in any way that we can."
"Aw shucks, I know. Thanks, darlin'," Alfyn gushed, and they quickly caught up with Cyrus and the others, heading for the house that contained the afflicted.
After assessing the condition of the sick villagers, Alfyn sent everyone but Primrose out to gather the supplies he needed. Worrying his bottom lip between his teeth, he sighed and shook his head.
"There are so many…" Alfyn muttered, pushing his sleeves up and kneeling beside his first patient. Primrose was about to kneel down next to him, but she turned when she heard the door open.
"...I'm coming in."
Primrose's eyes widened when Ogen, of all people, stepped into the house. She heard Alfyn inhale sharply, and she turned towards him, placing a hand on his slightly shaking arm.
Ogen ignored the two of them and went to one of the sick men on the opposite side of the room. Alfyn was quiet as he watched Ogen, and Primrose had no idea what was going on inside his head at the moment. She gave his arm a gentle squeeze, and he let out a breath that he did not realize he had been holding. They both watched as Ogen started talking to one of the sick men, and Alfyn's eyes narrowed when Ogen tried to pull a tonic from his satchel, only to fumble with it and send it tumbling back into the bag. That was...odd.
Primrose raised an eyebrow when Alfyn stood up and walked up to Ogen. She watched silently as they talked, and she was not surprised when Ogen turned down Alfyn's offer to work together. He was too similar to herself, that old man was. Although, unlike him, she was luckily getting better at letting people help her with her problems. Alfyn was a big part of that change in her, and she was curious to see if maybe he could influence Ogen in a similar way.
Alfyn returned to their side of the room, and they got to work helping the sick men and women. It was tiring, but they pushed through and, with the supplies that their friends brought them, Alfyn and Primrose were able to successfully tend to each and every one of the sick.
"That takes care of everyone!" Alfyn said, a bright smile crossing his face as he wiped an arm across his sweaty brow, and Primrose smiled as she nodded.
"You did well, Alfyn. I'm proud of you." She leaned up to place a kiss on his cheek, and Alfyn flushed as he rubbed at the back of his neck.
"Aw shucks, thanks Prim. Couldn't have done it without my beautiful assistant helpin' me out," he gushed, pulling her into a hug as he placed a kiss on her forehead. A loud 'ahem' hit Alfyn's ears, and he cleared his throat bashfully as he released his hold on Primrose. He had forgotten that they weren't alone. Whoops…
"Er, uh, well, all this work caused me to work up quite a thirst! Prim, darlin', would you like to hit the tavern now?" Alfyn asked, holding his arm out to her. Primrose giggled as she nodded, lightly placing her hand over his forearm.
"Of course, love. Lead the way." Alfyn smiled as he placed his hand over hers and made for the door.
"See you around, Ogen," Alfyn said as they stepped outside, and he paused to look back at the door.
"Alfyn?" Primrose's eyes narrowed as she watched him closely.
"Ah, it's nothing," he said, smiling as he shook his head, "Let's get going." Primrose wasn't convinced, but she held her tongue this time. She could try and talk to him about his troubles later, because she was also feeling a bit thirsty right now, and they both could use some unwinding after taking care of so many sick people.
"There you guys are! Did you get all those poor villagers taken care of?" Tressa asked when Alfyn and Primrose approached their table at the tavern. Alfyn placed a quick kiss on Primrose's cheek and went up to the bar to get them a couple of mugs, leaving her to respond to Tressa's question.
"Yes. I think they will all make a quick recovery," Primrose said as she sat down in between Tressa and Ophilia.
"I'm so glad to hear that," Ophilia said, smiling as she sipped on her drink. "Um, is Alfyn doing any better? With his self-confidence issues?" Primrose sighed and shrugged, crossing her arms over her chest as she twirled her hair around her finger.
"I wish I could say yes. He's such a talented apothecary. It's a shame that one incident has put such a dent into his confidence. I wish I could do more for him…" Primrose trailed off, and she blinked as a mug of ale slid to a stop in front of her. Smiling, she turned to Alfyn as he sat down, but her smile quickly faded when she saw the look on his face.
"Alfyn? What's wrong?"
"It's Ogen." Alfyn's voice dropped low, and Primrose stole a glance behind him, where she saw Ogen finish his drink, pay the bartender, and promptly leave the tavern.
"He...I think something's wrong with him," Alfyn continued, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth, "He kept on dropping things when we were taking care of those sick villagers earlier, and his hands were shaking when I was chatting with him, just now."
"Do you think...he could have caught the sickness from the villagers?" Primrose asked, exchanging a worried glance with Tressa and Ophilia.
"I don't think so. He just got to town, like us. He couldn't have caught it so quickly…" Alfyn pursed his lips as he stared down at his mug, so intensely that Primrose wouldn't have been surprised if it had caught fire.
"Alfyn, maybe he's just...tired, from tending to those sick people? We were tired after doing so too, after all." Primrose wasn't so sure herself, but Alfyn finally looked up at her and nodded slowly.
"Yeah, maybe you're right. I might just be looking into it too much."
"Don't worry yourself to death, dear. It's not a bad thing to have a bleeding heart, but don't bleed yourself dry."
Alfyn laughed and wrapped an arm around Primrose's shoulders, leaning over to place a kiss on her cheek.
"You've got a point, Prim. Thanks." He held his mug up and clinked it against her own. "Cheers, to doing some good work today!" Primrose giggled as they drank their ale, and she was grateful that his mood seemed to be improving, at least for the night.
Primrose awoke the next morning, feeling refreshed and ready to continue helping Alfyn tend to the sick villagers. As she took her breakfast with Tressa and Ophilia at the inn, she found it odd that she hadn't seen Alfyn yet.
"Therion?" she asked when the thief stumbled down the stairs, still half-asleep, "Is Alfyn still asleep?" She wasn't surprised when Therion shook his head; Alfyn was usually one of the first people in their group awake, next to H'aanit. So where was he?
"Maybe he went out to get some more supplies?" Tressa suggested, and Primrose slowly took a bite of her bread. She didn't think that Alfyn's satchel had been running low on anything, but maybe-
Her thoughts were interrupted when Alfyn suddenly burst in through the door, wide-eyed and out of breath. His eyes met hers and he quickly crossed the room, placing his hands on Primrose's shoulders.
"Alfyn, what-"
"Prim! I know what I need to do now!" Alfyn said, determination blazing in his eyes as he gently squeezed her shoulders. Primrose just blinked at him, confused, and he took a deep breath before smiling at her.
"No one is gonna keep me from doin' it, and I'm gonna show everyone what I believe in!" he continued, and Primrose mirrored his smile before bursting into a fit of giggles.
"That's wonderful, Alfyn, but I have no idea what you're talking about," she teased, and Alfyn's face flushed a bright red as he rubbed at the back of his neck.
"Ah, right, sorry," he said sheepishly, "I ran into Ogen this morning, and it turns out that he really is sick! Terribly so!" Primrose's eyes widened at that, and she took his hands in hers.
"He told me that he's a sinner, and that he's not worth saving, but you know what? I told him that I didn't give a damn!" Alfyn continued, and a broad smile slowly spread out across Primrose's face. To her relief, it seemed like his self confidence issues were melting away.
"It ain't my job to choose who lives or dies, 'cause I ain't no god!" Alfyn entwined his fingers with hers and pulled Primrose to her feet. "If it's in my power to help a body, then I'll be damned if that ain't what I'm gonna do! That's why I became an apothecary, and that's what I believe in!"
"That...sounds just like the Alfyn that I know and love," Primrose said, giving his hands a reassuring squeeze. Ophilia and Tressa giggled as they both nodded in agreement.
Alfyn grinned and barked out a laugh. "Does it? Golly, I'm glad you think so. Thank you, Prim, for believing in me. And you guys too, all of you." He looked from Tressa to Ophilia, and even to Therion, who still seemed half-asleep.
"So, about Ogen, can you treat him?" Primrose asked, and Alfyn's face turned serious, but he did nod, which eased Primrose's worries a bit.
"Yes, he...has the same disease that almost killed me as a kid."
"Wow, what a coincidence that is!" Tressa chimed in, and Primrose nodded in agreement.
"It sure is," Alfyn said, his bottom lip slipping between his teeth, "and I finally remember how to make the elixir that cured me. Problem is, the main ingredient is gonna be dangerous to get. But luckily, we can get it in the forest not too far from here."
"What is it, this ingredient?" Primrose asked.
"The feather of an ogre eagle."
"Sounds like a fun time. Well, when are we going to get it?"
A conflicted look crossed Alfyn's face as his gaze wandered over his companions, falling to rest on Primrose. "I dunno...It'll be pretty dangerous. Y'all really willing to risk your lives for my sake?" Primrose barked out a laugh and rolled her eyes.
"Please, Alfyn. How many times have you helped all of us out with our dangerous problems, hm?" She giggled when he averted his gaze and his cheeks flushed pink. "I certainly will follow you to the ends of the world, and I'm sure the others here will do the same." Ophilia and Tressa agreed wholeheartedly, and Therion rolled his eyes, but a grin crossed his face as he nodded.
"Thanks. Really, I owe y'all a lot." Alfyn sniffed as a few tears fell down his face, and Primrose gently brushed them away before placing a gentle kiss on his lips.
"Ugh, let's just get a move on before I lose my breakfast here," Therion groaned, making an exaggerated gagging noise as Tressa and Ophilia laughed. Alfyn's face flushed red, and Primrose smiled as she took her hand in his.
"Should we wait for the other's to get back here?" Primrose asked, and Alfyn shook his head.
"Nah. I ran into them on the way here, and H'aanit's already hunting the eagle. Cyrus and Olberic are helping her out too, so they should find it in no time."
"Then we should get going."
Ophilia, Tressa, and Therion all quickly went to gather their supplies for the fight, but Alfyn stopped Primrose when she made to follow them. She turned towards him, a curious eyebrow raised, and he pressed his lips to hers before she had time to think about it.
"Prim," he whispered when he pulled away, "thank you, for believing in me...for loving me. I really couldn't have busted out of this slump without you. Well, a lot of people actually, but you've really been my light in this dark spot of my life." Primrose smiled softly and lifted his hand to her face, pressing a soft kiss to the back of it.
"I am happy that I was able to pull you through this, Alfyn. It's the absolute least I could to for all that you have done for me. All I want is for you to be happy."
"Shucks, I really must have been blessed by the gods. It still kinda feels like a dream, you know, being loved by you in return."
"Oh, no need to be so sappy, dear."
"Heh, sorry."
Alfyn stole one last kiss from Primrose's lips, before they both gathered their supplies and took off with the others, both of them determined to save the life of a sick, broken man, just because it was the right thing to do.
In the end, the ogre eagle was defeated, and Alfyn was able to make the elixir that would save Ogen's life. Primrose smiled as she stepped out of the inn, three days after that exciting battle. Alfyn was already gone, and she was curious as to where he had run off to this time. She had expected him to be in Ogen's room, but when she had gone to check there, she found the room empty.
"Excuse me, you are...Primrose?"
Speak of the devil...Primrose looked up as she began crossing the bridge over the chasm to find Ogen standing there, looking much healthier than the last time that she saw him.
"Yes. It's good to see you up and about, Ogen." He shrugged at that, and gestured over his shoulder with his head.
"If you're looking for Alfyn, he's over on the far side of the cliffs."
"Thank you." Primrose nodded as she made to move passed him, as she did so, she paused when he spoke again.
"One last thing: Take care of him. That bleeding heart of his will get him into trouble someday if he's not careful." Primrose smiled and let out a chuckle as she stole a glance behind her.
"I will. Take care, Ogen."
"Yeah, you too."
She watched him walk off for a moment, before she turned and continued walking across the bridge. She stopped half way, however, when she saw Alfyn walking towards her from the opposite direction.
"Hey Primrose! Were you looking for me?" Alfyn said, grinning as he quickly closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around her, lifting her into the air.
"Alfyn!" Primrose laughed as she placed her hands on his shoulders to steady herself, and he tightened his arms around her as she gently brushed the hair from his face.
"Heh, sorry if I startled ya! I'm just...really happy with how things turned out, you know?" Primrose smiled as she kissed his cheek, and rest her forehead against his.
"I understand. I'm really proud of you, for saving Ogen. You really are the most loving man I have ever met, Alfyn." Alfyn beamed at that, and Primrose giggled as he nuzzled his cheek against hers, his stubble gently tickling her.
"Shucks, I reckon that's because I'm loved by the most beautiful, kind, loving woman that I've ever met!" Primrose felt her face flush at that, and she cupped his face in her hands, leaning down to brush her lips against his. A warmth spread through her chest when she felt him smile against her lips, and when they parted, the look of sheer love and admiration in Alfyn's eyes took Primrose's breath away.
"Hey, Primrose?" Alfyn asked, his head tilting to one side, "You're going back to Noblecourt after this journey of ours ends, right?"
"Yes. I would like to reinstate House Azelhart, if possible." Primrose's heart sank as she spoke. She hadn't thought about what Alfyn would do after they were finished traveling. He would go back to his hometown, right? The thought of not being with him was almost too much for Primrose to bear.
"I thought so," Alfyn said, as he carefully set Primrose back on her feet. He then took her hand in his and lifted it to his face, placing a tender kiss upon her knuckles. Primrose's heart hammered hard in her chest as a bright smile crossed his face.
"If it's not too much trouble...I would like to go there with you!" Primrose stared at him, too shocked to respond, so he continued. "I-I want to be by your side, for as long as you'll have me, Primrose! I love you too much to ever leave you alone again, ever!"
Primrose's jaw dropped and she shook her head slightly. "B-But Alfyn, are you sure? You'd be leaving your hometown behind."
"I'm sure! I wouldn't be leaving Clearbrook totally high and dry, you know. My best buddy Zeph is a great apothecary himself, and he can handle things himself. Plus, I plan on visiting them often, for sure!" The absolute desperation in Alfyn's voice almost made Primrose laugh, but she bit her tongue. "Please, Primrose, I love you so much. I always want to be by your side. To love you and support you in all the ways that I can!"
"Alfyn," Primrose started, finally letting a small giggle slip as she cupped his face in her hands, "I would love nothing more than for you to come with me. You are the one that I love the most, and I would be happy to share my life with you."
"R-Really? You really mean it?" Primrose nodded, and let out a surprised yelp when Alfyn hoisted her into the air again, twirling her around in circles as he laughed.
"Golly, Prim, I've never been so excited in my entire life!" Alfyn exclaimed as he stopped spinning and leaned up to place a kiss on her cheek, "I'll make you the happiest woman in the world, I swear to the gods that I will! I love you!"
"I love you too, Alfyn," Primrose said, happy tears welling up in her eyes, "I never thought that I would deserve to be loved after everything that I've done, but...I'm so happy that you love me as much as I love you."
"Prim...you deserve love, happiness, and so, so much more. I just hope that I'm good enough for you…"
"You are so much more than good enough, Alfyn. Don't you worry about that." Primrose emphasized her declaration as she kissed Alfyn breathless, and as he returned her kiss with equal fervor, they both couldn't wait to see what life had in store for them, together.