I sighed heavily as I began to head to the beach. Alfonse and Sharena had decided that I needed another day off while they finish preparing for the trip into Hel. I heavily suspected that Alfonse was also handling my responsibilities himself even though I told him not to. If I could barely handle all the work I normally had on top of figuring out strategies for the upcoming expedition to the Realm of the Dead, then Alfonse was gonna be given a run for his money. The workaholic side of me was extremely irritated that they wouldn't let me help out with the preparations. My coat swayed to and fro in the gentle sea breeze as I looked at the sea wistfully. The feeling lasted for only a moment and was soon replaced by a "you should be working right now" feeling mixed in with a bit of nostalgia and homesickness.

"Hello there, Summoner. I was under the impression that you were going to be organising the trip to Hel today."

I jumped and turned around to find Laegjarn dressed up in a very sexy looking swimsuit. I will never get used to seeing Laegjarn or Gunnthra wandering the halls of the Order after everything that had happened during the war with Muspell. I had seen their deaths first-hand and so it was like looking at a couple of ghosts. I had summoned both Gunnthra and Laegjarn from a different version of Zenith. You see every world had multiple versions of themselves and each version had slight differences from each other. They are different and yet, they were also the same. It was enough to make my head spin sometimes, even if I had understood the concept. I do not have a quantum physics major, which meant that while I knew the basic idea on how the worldlines worked, I did not know it's inner workings.

"I thought so too but… the golden boy wanted me to take another day off. I was only supposed to have yesterday off but here I am I guess." I pouted

Laegjarn chuckled. "Ever the hard worker, dear Summoner. I now understand why this Order relies on you so much. Your 'golden boy' is right, however. The amount of work and stress you have taken upon yourself would've crushed a lesser man by now. It will be your undoing eventually."

"Yeah… so I have been told. I just can't help but feel like I have to keep working. Everyone in the Order is risking their lives for this war and I'm just me I guess. Im almost useless in a fight so I have to make myself useful to the heroes who are fighting for The Order. Either way, I just can't seem to relax like I'm supposed to."

"In that case, I might just be able to help you take your mind off your usual work and give you something to do. Do you know how to swim?"

"Yeah. I used to live in a tropical place like this so it only made sense for me to learn how to swim. I'm a very strong swimmer I would say." I responded

"Would you be interested in teaching my sister and me how to swim?"

I looked at her, surprised that was her only request. "Is that all you want me to do?"

"Yes. In Muspell we don't have many places to go swimming so it's not a common activity amongst my people"

"Well then… In that case I would be very happy to teach you and your sister the basics. Where is Laevatein anyway?" I asked, my eyes scanning the area for Laevatein.

"I'm right here, Summoner." Laevatein responded blunty. She was behind me the entire time. I gasped loudly and jumped about several feet up into the air. Laegjarn chuckled at the scene that was unfolding before her.

"Hey! Please don't do that again. I may be on vacation time, but Askr is still at war with Hel. Honestly! I swear that Askr is magnet for trouble of the I'm gonna invade and conquer your people' variety. Anway, I might not be much with a weapon, but I've been told that I have a mean right hook. Try not to be it's next recipient" I said coolly. I then realized that it sounded a lot more epic in my head than it did when I had actually said it. I sounded like a teenager who had read waaayy too many edgy fanfictions. Which was partly true since I used to read a lot of edgy fanfictions while I was in highschool. The thing is… Im twenty now and fanfictions don't really exist in Askr, so there's that I guess.

"Is that a threat, Summoner?" Laevatein asked as she glared at me.

"No. Even if it was, I still wouldn't last very long in a hand to hand combat situation. I just don't want to hurt anyone unnecessarily." I said sheepishly

Laegjarn chuckled. I looked at her confused by her amusement. "You have a spirit that burns bright like the flames of Muspell. I wonder how different things would've been if we were the ones to summon you."

"That wouldn't have worked out for you, I'm afraid. Your father terrified me and I wouldn't have respected him as a king. You on the other hand… if it was just you and Laevatein then maybe it would've worked out. Either way, it doesn't matter much now. My main concern is to make sure that I can guide everyone to victory. If I can do that then… I can rest more easily."

"I can respect your answer. You're right. It doesn't matter now. Instead, we should focus on the task at hand. No amount of what ifs is going to change what happened to me in this world. All we can do now is to use the opportunities that are open to us to our benefit. Use them to become stronger and the flames of your heart and soul burn brighter. Teaching us to swim is one such opportunity for everyone involved. That is what I believe."

"Yeah you're right Laegjarn! I will keep that in mind then. I mean… we should stop diddle daddling and start swimming. I'm going to start you guys with a doggie paddle and then we'll gradually work your way up to some more basic strokes. I know doggie paddling looks kinda juvenile but right now we are more concerned with function over looks and sophistication. Either way, it'll be much better than how I was first taught how to swim."

Laevatein tilted her head as if confused or curious. Normally, she used robot like mannerisms and only did things because she saw herself as a tool and nothing more. However, in that slight instance, I saw something human in her. It was fucking adorable and I wanted to hug her but I think Laegjarn wouldve kicked me or something for making a sudden move on her sister. I resisted the urge to hug her but the sisters saw a slight smile creep out from under my hood.

"Might I ask how you were taught?" Laegjarn asked

"My dad first taught me how to swim using the sink or swim method. It's exactly as it sounds. He threw me into the deep end of a swimming pool and watched me try to figure out how to swim on my own. It put me off of swimming for a while as a kid. My mom chewed him out for doing that but apparently, that was how his dad taught him and he thought it would be a good way to teach me. My mom ended up taking me to a swimming class once a week. It took me a while to feel comfortable being in the water again. I eventually got good enough to where I was swimming competitively. I didn't win any of the competitions but I did get third place once." I smiled awkwardly realizing that I had been talking their ears off and had not done any actual teaching.

"Then it's a good thing you didn't try that on my sister. I would have sent the whole of Muspell's army after you." Laevatein grumbled.

By all accounts, she very well could do that. She is the acting Queen of their kingdom afterall, even if she hadn't been officially crowned yet. While she has made it clear on several occasions after the war that she didn't care much for Askr, Laevatein begrudgingly agreed to help The Order in its current goal of figuratively punching death in the face. If I'm lucky, I might actually punch Hel in the face and live to see another day. That would definitely be a story to tell the grandkids if I ever get to that point. I secretly hoped that the hypothetical grandkids I would have would be with Alfo- I stopped myself from completing that thought.

"Kiran… you are in the middle of a war you big dummy! Even if he does like you back, there's no guarantee that either of us would live long enough to have kids let alone grandkids." I mentally scolded myself.

"Well I think we should probably stop dawdling. Let's get started, shall we?" With a dramatic flourish that would make even the resident chunibyo Odin proud,I took off my coat and threw it into to wind revealing the cute halter top bikini I was wearing. Admittedly, I had originally bought it because I was told by a friend that wearing a top with ruffles would make my bust appear slightly fuller without having to pad it out. Of course, the bottoms also had a few ruffles on it to match.

"That was a bit… over the top." Laevatein said lamely

"Oh come on! It was super cool just like in the all of the mangas!" I said like the goddamn nerd I was.

"Anyway, your first test is… you have to race me to the shoreline! Last one there is a rotten egg!" I then dashed to the ocean as fast as I could but they actually were able to catch up to me pretty quickly. It would appear that I overestimated my own running speed.

Alfonse was in the gruelling position of taking on his own work and Kiran's. He was honestly amazed that she could all the work that she normally did. He was also starting to understand one reason why she worked herself to the bone. In all of the chaos of the paperwork and the ongoing research being done on Hel, it was easy to lose yourself in the work. It was easier to focus on the work and force yourself to think of it rather than what was actually bothering him. He grimaced at that thought. He would make sure that Kiran got as much time as she needed off if that was the case. He didn't know how long he could make it last as they were still at war and death waits for no-one. Alfonse understood this more than most.

He began to fumble through more of the intimidatingly exorbitant amount of paperwork that he had found sitting atop Kiran's office desk. There was also simple leather bound journal that placed right next to the pile of papers. He had tried opening it, but the blasted thing was cursed to high Valhalla. He almost lost one of his eyebrows because of it. Alfonse then surmised that it was most likely her diary and he shouldn't attempt to intrude any further than that. While he was curious as to the contents of the diary, he wanted to respect her privacy and save his eyebrows from any further potential damage.

There was a knock on Kiran's office door. "You can come in."

"Hey there. How's it coming along?" Asked Anna.

"It's not really coming along fast enough. By Askr! Is Kiran even human? How can she keep up with this on a regular basis?" He slumped in Kiran's office chair in defeat.

"I've never seen this much paper in her office before. I don't think she could finish it in a fortnight." Anna frowned.

"I'm just surprised is all… I think she was taking up some of my responsibilities to ease the burden on me when I was under Hel's curse. I found a few of my own papers in the pile earlier but even that pales in comparison to the amount of work she's normally taking on. As a crown prince, I get lots of papers that need signing but Kiran… I always knew she was overworking herself but it's worse than I had thought."

"Well… I think you should take the rest of the day off. Knowing Kiran, she gets restless when she isn't working. She's not going to rest properly unless you are with her."

"I can't just leave, Anna. I still have work to finish. Besides… how would I even explain why I left early?"

"Alfonse use that noggin of yours! Just say that you left to come pick her up or something. That is the weakest excuse I've heard in a while. Almost as if… you want to go but you're too chicken." Anna smirked

"Why do you think I would be afraid of the beach?"

"It's not the beach that I'm talking about. It's Kiran." Anna winked.

"Is Sharena putting you up to this?" Alfonse asked with a hint of irritation.

"Nope! I'm just suggesting that after all of the work you've been doing, I think it would be reasonable for you to take a short break. I will handle the rest of the work for today."

"I'll have to think about it." Alfonse muttered.

Alfonse didn't want to admit it but he did secretly want to spend time with Kiran at the beach. He wanted to just talk to her and see her warm smile. There was also the warm fuzzy feeling he got when he thought of her or looked at her. He couldn't quite pinpoint when exactly he started to feel this way, only that the feeling grew over time and that it had finally caught up to him recently. All this time he had justified it to himself by telling himself that they were just being best friends, or that he was protecting her. She was the Summoner and if she died, the Order would slowly follow suit but… he also knew that he could easily assign one of the Heroes to keep her out of harm's way. Alfonse shook his head at that thought. However, he refused to do it that way, because he preferred to do it himself so he could spend more time with her.

Did his 'friendship' even count as such anymore? It wasn't that they weren't friends, but more like… it turning into something a little closer than a best friend relationship. He was pretty sure that sharing beds with someone of the opposite sex was something you do with a lover not a best friend. He should've politely declined both times if they were 'just best friends' like they had both claimed not only to each other, but to other people. Instead, he let her sleep next to him in the same bed. They weren't lovers and yet… he couldn't say that the thought of them being together romantically hadn't crossed his mind before.

"Zenith to Alfonse? Are you alright?" Anna tried to snap him out of his deep reverie.

"No, Im fine for now. I'm just thinking about… stuff. Yeah…" Alfonse blushed

"And by 'stuff' you mean Kiran, right? Look, after everything that has happened lately, both of you could use a breather. I can handle the paperwork and the other responsibilities Kiran has and Sharena has agreed to do the rest. We can use Noatún to get there." Anna pulled her axe out with a sense of pride.

"You are going to send me there whether or not I say yes, correct?"

Anna nodded vigorously. Alfonse sighed as he had resigned himself to going along with Anna's new scheme which was suspiciously devoid of any monetary gains.

"Put this on. It's a beach, so you should wear something to go swimming in." Anna then handed him a pair of boxer brief styled speedos with the Askran crest on the back.

"Um… Anna? This a bit too revealing for me" Alfonse grimaced.

"Oh come on! I'm sure Kiran would like seeing that on you" Anna joked.

"The answer is no. I don't care if you think she would like it, I'm not exposing that much of myself. Isn't there something a little less revealing?"

"Fine… I had a feeling that you'd prefer the swim trunks but I recently came out with a new line of swimwear and I was hoping you would test it yourself. Here you go." Anna then handed him a pair of trunks with celtic knot designs and the Askran crest on one of the pockets.

"I just don't feel comfortable wearing something so small. Normally I wouldn't be entirely opposed to testing out your new merchandise, but I'm going to have to say no today."

"Alright. I'll step outside for a bit so you can get changed. Come out when you're ready and We'll be off"

Alfonse sighed in defeat. He didn't like the idea of using Kiran's office as an impromptu changing room, but he knew that Anna was set in her ways and didn't feel like arguing with her. When he finished, he went outside of the office and Anna whipped out Nóatún.

"Ok you are going to want to hang on to me for this. It only works if you're holding onto it"

Alfonse nodded and followed the instructions Anna gave him. In a flash, the castle walls seemingly melted away and was being replaced with the new scenery. Blue skies, gentle breeze, the scorching summer heat and the sound of ocean waves took its place.

"You are doing wonderfully, Laevateinn! I'm sure you will master the basics without the board in no time!" I cheered. I of course was referring to the green boogie board that I gave to Laevatainn to facilitate her learning. It kept her afloat but not enough to make her completely reliant on it. It was to help her get used to the feeling of swimming and practice using her legs to kick in the water while providing her assistance to keep her from drowning.

Amusingly enough, a few other vacationing heroes began to watch my lessons intently from the shoreline. Namely the young Tiki and Prince Xander. I vaguely remembered they also didn't know how to swim. Perhaps I could teach them how to swim as well? It's not like I was incapable of teaching multiple people how to swim.

"How long does it take to learn to swim?" Laevatein asked impatiently

"Longer than a day usually. You can't really expect to learn and master a new skill in one day you know? We can continue our lessons on other days too. For now, I am just trying to get you used to the feeling of swimming and then we are going to learn the basic doggie paddle."

"Just tell me what to do. Give me the orders"

"Well if you feel that you are ready, I will show you how to doggie paddle and then you can copy me. If you feel like you are having trouble staying afloat, Just remember that I am right here to keep you from drowning."

"I am ready"

"Alright. All you have to do is pull out both your arms out in front of you like this and then you take one arm and you pull it towards you and then you do the same with the other arm. Remember to kick just like how I taught you earlier." I then fully demonstrated the doggy paddle in action.

I continued to instruct her on how to do the doggy paddle correctly for about thirty minutes until Laevateinn was able to swim. It wasn't a "proper" swimming stroke but I was proud of myself for being able to get her to swim. After continuing to have her practice, I decided that I would end the lesson for the day. I escorted her back to shore and let her wear and borrow my cloak since I didn't bring a beach towel with me. It was then that I was approached by prince Xander who looked rather nervous.

"Kiran, I noticed that you were teaching princess Laevatein how to swim and I was wondering…" His face was flushed from embarrassment.

"Sure. Of course, I wouldn't be able to teach you absolutely everything today but I don't mind. It's never too late to learn how to swim and there is absolutely nothing to be embarrassed of for learning as an adult."

"I'm glad that you aren't judging me for my lack of swimming ability. I'll admit that it's something that has made me feel self conscious whenever I go to the beach." Xander grimaced

"I just find it hard to judge you at all. You remind me a little of my big brother in a way, so I guess my bias is positively skewed in your favor." I smiled

"Might I ask what makes us similar?"

"I see how you and your siblings are like together. Kaiden is definitely different from you in many ways but he was always there when I needed him. I looked up to him the way I am sure your younger siblings do for you. I guess it's the strong sense of family values that you both seem to have. I wish I can see Kaiden again… it's a real shame that the war is putting a real damper on opening the gate back home." I sighed

Xander looked at me with concern "I'm sure you will find your way home one day. In the meantime, I wouldn't mind filling in for your brother. I'm sure that Kaiden would feel better knowing that you have people who'll support you like family."

"I appreciate it. I just worry about my family back home. If time passes the same as it does here, then for all intents and purposes I'm a missing person. Legally after a few more years pass, they can declare me to be dead. I can only imagine what my family is going through right now. I usually try to push it to the back of my mind when I'm working, but even after two years, I still wonder if they are still looking for me."

"I'm not sure what to say, but you have my sympathy."

"Thanks. If it weren't for everyone here, I would be very lost. The Order has become like a second family to me, so it means a lot to me. To that end, I would do anything I can to keep it afloat. Right now I can only help out with the small things. A strategy meeting here, helping out with the younger heroes there... I just can't help but feel like I should fight alongside everyone else. I've been training in all the different weapon types but nothing seems to really stick to me. I feel doomed to be on the sidelines being everyone's cheerleader. The only way I can control this feeling is if I can devise strategies. To control the flow of battle without lifting a weapon is the only way I can feel a bit more at ease"

"Kiran, if I may be so bold, I think that it suits you much more than fighting. I do agree that training with a weapon would only benefit you, but I find it hard to picture you as a hardened veteran warrior. What you are doing right now is more than enough for everyone" Xander put his hand on my shoulder as a way to show that he cared about me as a friend. I knew that his intentions were pure and honest, so I accepted his gesture.

"Lots of my friends here tell me that. I know that people here appreciate everything that I do for them. I just always feel like I am inadequate even when I know it's not true. I'm getting better at not letting it get to me, but it's always there. Nagging me and telling me that I'm not working hard enough. Even now, when I'm on vacation. I wonder… if that's how my parents feel about themselves too. All they ever did was work themselves until they keeled over from exhaustion. If it weren't for Al, I would have died several times over from overworking myself alone."

Xander looked at me questioningly but decided against asking me whatever it was that wanted to ask. Instead, he imparted a small nugget of wisdom "Just remember that you can always lean on Prince Alfonse, me, or any of the other heroes when you need help. You can't always do everything on your own."

"Hey… that's no fair! I'm supposed to be the one teaching but I'm the one being lectured by my own students. I better rectify this now or I will not be able to finish-"

Whoosh! Askran Commander Anna wants to battle! Go Alfonse!

-fight

-item

-orb

-run

Ok but in all seriousness, Anna had suddenly appeared out of nowhere with Alfonse in tow. I froze and just stared. He was… in swimwear… shirtless… it was all I could do to stop my mind from going down the gutter. In the words of Squidward Tentacles: "Oh no he's hot!"

"Kiran? Are you not feeling well?" Xander asked.

"Q-quite the c-contrary… S-spectacular even! I was just startled by the arrival of His Highness is all. He wasn't supposed to escort me home until much later."

Xander raised an eyebrow at me almost as if he found it hard to believe what I was saying. Perhaps my sudden use of titles when referring to Al was what tipped him off. Anna looked at me with a wink.

"A gift to thee oh mighty Summoner! Enjoy your day off you two!~" Anna then disappeared in a flash thanks to Nóatún's special ability.

"Anna! Wai- Darn it she's gone now" Al said, seemingly displeased.

"Umm… Al? What just happened here?"

"Anna was worried that you weren't spending your time actually relaxing so she 'recruited' me to check on you. She also thought I could benefit from taking a small break. I knew she wouldn't take no for an answer so I agreed." He grumbled

"I don't know which is worse… the fact that I can't even be trusted to take my mandatory vacation seriously or that Anna turned you into a doormat. Though… I suppose this is still a pleasant surprise. Honestly, if you had told me that you came because you just wanted to see me, I would be happy with that."

"I-is that so?" Alfonse asked

"Yeah. Do you honestly think that I wouldn't be happy to see you whenever the chance presents itself to me?" I teased

"N-not at all. I'm more concerned about the amount of work you've been doing lately… and how leaving it unfinished would make us both feel uneasy. Also… I have noticed that you've been doing my paperwork for me again. I can't have you do everything for me, Kiran."

"O-oh right… I did look through it when you were cursed. I just wanted to make things less stressful for you at the time. Though… I've bitten more off than I could chew again. I honestly don't know what I was thinking, taking on your work on top of my daily duties and following your father's orders."

"Admirable as your dedication to Alfonse is, I will not standby and watch as you overwork yourself to death. Instead of taking on an unmanageable workload, might I suggest only doing one task at a time whenever feasible? Of course taking breaks are important, but taking on several unnecessary tasks at once will not help your overall performance. Nor will it help your overall health." Xander chimed in.

"But… they all seemed equally important an-"

"Kiran. You need to stop trying to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. You may be the 'legendary summoner' but you are still human. More importantly…" Alfonse hesitated to finish the rest of the sentence.

"More importantly what? Don't leave me hanging in suspense like that!" I asked impatiently like a bratty child.

"... I care about you. You're very important to me. We've been through a lot together and I don't want it to end that way."

"I can't promise that I'll do better right away but… I will always try to do my absolute best. So with that in mind, I want to ask you to do something for me. More accurately, I want you to do something with me on my next day off. It's not necessarily an urgent matter, but it's important. It's a personal matter that concerns the both of us. I'm hoping we could discuss it over some tea in the garden"

Both Xander and Alfonse looked at me perplexed by my request. "Kiran… since when did you start liking tea?" Xander asked

"Recently? I heard tea is an acquired taste for some people so I acquired it." It was a lie. I still don't like tea but I did know that Alfonse liked drinking it. His favourite was…. Darjeeling? I would have to ask Sharena again.

"What about the garden Kiran? You almost never go there." Alfonse asked, still a bit confused by her request to drink tea… outside.

"I thought it would be lovely if we had tea next the flowers I planted with all of the heroes. A girl has got to get fresh air once in a while, you know?"

"I suppose that that makes sense…" Alfonse said, seemingly buying into my white lie.

Xander sighed as if he knew that I was bluffing and that he was concerned that Al wasn't catching on. Gods bless Alfonse's soul. I'm apparently a horrible liar once you realize my obvious nervous tics. I'm surprised that he has never noticed it despite how much our time is spent together in some fashion.

"You're darn right it makes sense! It'll be super calm and relaxing. Anyway, I still have to teach a couple of people how to swim. I wasn't expecting you to show up so soon so I'm a bit booked at the moment… unless you feel like participating in my class that is." I gave him a playful wink. Geez it already felt like I was making it too obvious… I should've just waited until the impromptu tea party invitation I had made up just now. I really do feel like an idiot but I'll be damned if wasn't a good excuse to tactfully make plans to confess my feelings. I've been beating around the bush for far too long.

"I already know how to swim but I wouldn't mind watching while swimming with you"

"R-really? I m-mean that's great! The more the merrier!" I unconsciously took him by his hand, and dragged him to the water's edge. Xander followed us and chuckled to himself at the whole scene. Laegjarn rejoined us as well also taking note of the arrival of Al's arrival.

"Kiran… yo-you're holding my hand. I n-need you let go of me if we're going to swim." Al said awkwardly, his face blushing in embarrassment.

"I know… I was totally going to let go eventually anyways. Besides..." I then splash some water at Al and Xander with my foot.

"The water feels perfect. Xander do you have your flotation device with you still?" I ask

"Yes, my Lilith Floatie is ready to use"

"Good. We will use that later, but for now I just want all of us to just get used to the feeling of being in the water"

I then began instructing both Laegjarn and Xander. Hours pass while I taught some of the basics while Alfonse watched. It was fun but… unpleasant thoughts threatened to take over my mental space. It was odd trying to enjoy myself and to go on living my life as if nothing happened. Gustav's death was still ever fresh on my mind, my guilt caused by my involvement in his death plagued my dreams and my waking hours. The threats of total annihilation by a death goddess still loomed over me like a dark hazy cloud. Perhaps… that was why I had so desperately held onto the idea of that damned tea party. It was like a small glimmer of light in the darkness. I mean… part of me was afraid that if it all worked out and he returned my feelings then it would somehow jinx it and cause one of us to die in Hel somehow. However… I can't shake the feeling that if I don't do it, I will regret everything.

I then decided that I was done with teaching for the day. It was getting late anyway so I thought that it was for the best. I waved them goodbye and when they left, a confusing mix of emotions rushed through me like the tidal waves of this ocean. Mostly I felt sad because it meant that tomorrow was going to be business as usual but I also felt glad that it was just me and Al. While it was hard to truly enjoy my vacation due to the circumstances, I could still appreciate the beautiful sunset that now dyed the sky various shades of oranges, reds, and purples. Normally such sunsets would've been normal and mundane to me, but I realized that this may be the last time I could appreciate the light of the sun for a long while.

"The sunset really is breathtaking. I'm not surprised that you would want to take it in but… I can tell that something is troubling you" Alfonse said quietly

"Well… lots of things are troubling me but looking at this sunset… makes me feel like I'm saying goodbye. It's like the icing on top of a cake that looks pretty tasty at first but then when you eat it tastes dreadful. I'm going to say this right now… Hel terrifies me and we're marching into her realm tomorrow. I'm scared of what tomorrow will bring and yet I'm expected to pretend not to be. After all, the knights want their Prince and the Summoner to fearlessly lead them into battle. Lots of people are counting on us… I don't even know how you do it." I sighed, feeling almost defeated.

"I fear Death as much as you do, Kiran. Perhaps even more than that, but the Heroes and the Royal Knights don't want a fearless leader. What they really need is a leader who do what's best for Askr and their allies despite the fear and trepidation. Someone who has courage. That doesn't mean that we can't confide in each other when we are afraid."

"I guess that's true… I think your father would be proud of you already. I really do mean it. I just wish it didn't have to be this way."

"I don't know about that. Right now, I still have a long way to go before I'm anywhere near as good of a ruler as Father was. I miss him more than anything right now" tears threatened to roll down his face.

"You just need to give it some time. I will always be there to cheer you on. We'll make it out alive together. We just have to." I then hugged him, pressing my wet body against his.

"I know I have asked you this before but… promise that you'll never leave me. At least not without warning."

"Well I can't say no to that after all we've been through together. The only way you can make extra sure that I won't leave is if I marry you or your sister. I mean… if you like it you should put a ring on it, right?" I joked

"Please don't say that… it's a bit embarrassing. Besides I… I don't want you to marry Sharena." He was blushing furiously

"Oh really? That's too bad… I was planning on asking for her hand in marriage soon and I was hoping for you to give me your blessing. But… I guess my dreams have been dashed. Oh well… I guess I will have to live my life as an old maid now!" I said in an overly dramatic way. In actuality, I couldn't see Sharena as anything but a sister and I think she shares the same sentiment.

Al chuckled nervously, his face was still bright red. I must've made him super uncomfortable when I mentioned getting married to his sister. "I don't think that will be necessary. All I ask is for your friendship and support."

"You'll always have that from me. You will get nothing less than that. We'll shoulder each other's worries and problems together. Nothing will stop us because you are my other half. I promise."