A/N: Hello! I have to say that I had an incredible amount of fun writing this chapter; I was practically squealing with delight the whole way through. For you fluff addicts, this is just a taste of what's coming. Enjoy! :)
Date: 8/12/11 (Edited 13 Apr 2020)
Disclaimers: I don't own Nausicaa or Asbel. Tersa is mine, however.
Nausicaa stood there transfixed in fascination. What on earth were they doing? Ten minutes ago a small group of people, both young and old, broke off from the rest of the Festival crowds. They began to perform a strange dance, full of twists and gestures, while others clapped to steady the beat. The group automatically gained participants; musicians soon joined in, belting out joyful tunes from their instruments. The moment she walked by she had been frozen in wonder, watching the strange sight before her eyes. Asbel found her absolutely mesmerized amongst a crowd of onlookers.
"Oh, I know this one." He remarked, coming to stand beside her.
"You do?" Nausicaa asked in surprise.
"Yes of course; it's a popular one, called the Harvester's dance. Surely you know it?" She shook her head, tilting it slightly; the tiniest pucker appeared on her lips. Asbel was dumbfounded.
"Do you want me to teach you?" He offered; Nausicaa glanced over and realized he was being serious.
"I might cause you trouble; people might start - um, guessing things." She answered slowly, eyes skimming over the crowds.
"Let them guess. I don't mind as long as you don't mind. Besides, we want to keep the stalkers at bay." He insinuated as he glanced over Nausicaa's shoulder. With feigned disinterest, Nausicaa turned around and noticed a couple young lads eyeing her like she was some side course of a meal.
"Good point." She replied. Tersa, who had been silently standing next to Nausicaa the entire time, suddenly spoke up.
"Do you need me to come with you Princess?" Tersa asked.
"No, dear Tersa. Go find someone else to dance with; this one's been claimed." Nausicaa answered comically over her shoulder. Asbel let out an amused chuckle.
She followed Asbel out of the crowd of observers. A wave of self consciousness rushed over her; she couldn't remember the last time she had danced in a social setting.
"I'm not so sure about this..." she half-whined; Asbel couldn't help grinning at the girl facing him. Her shoulders seemed to shrink a few inches, like she was trying to hide herself from the crowds behind him... was she being shy? He mentally noted that it was a rather adorable sight.
"We haven't even started and you're already backing out on me?" He teased light-heartedly. "Where's the undaunted Princess-warrior I know?"
"I don't want to make you uncomfortable…" she mumbled, as a cover for her own indecisiveness. The man snorted at the unconvincing excuse.
"Nonsense. I used to do this with Lastelle all the time. By the way, does Tersa always stick to you like that?" Asbel inquired, perhaps to distract her from her nervousness. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed the tall girl standing uncomfortably rigid, a single island in a sea of merriment.
"Yes. Makes a wonderful friend; always there when you need her. She can also wield a gun better than any girl in the entire Valley."
He began to instruct her on the specific movements; she followed a little timidly at first and found herself doing a variety of twists and gestures, some of which undoubtedly resembled motions of harvesters. Soon Nausicaa became so preoccupied with the unique and lively dance that she forgot all feelings of anxiety. She had no reason to be nervous in the first place, for she quickly mastered the steps, gained confidence, and began to move with incredible ease and grace. She was thoroughly enjoying herself when suddenly Asbel took her hand and slowly pulled her closer; an arm slipped around her waist.
"What-" She looked at Asbel, the question showing in her eyes.
"It's the last part of the dance - supposed to represent the farmer and his wife." He stated, with a bemused glint in his eyes. She glanced around and noticed others pairing up as well. The music had also changed the mood into something rather intimate, casting a strange spell over them.
"Oh." Was all she could say.
"Well this is awkward" a voice drawled in her head. She decided to keep that comment to herself.
From the moment he took her hand, there was a palpable change in the energy around them. Their eyes locked on each other as they danced in enchanted silence. Carefully, as if afraid of disturbing the atmosphere, he guided her other hand to rest upon his shoulder, which surprised Nausicaa. She had always known Asbel as the impulsive and fiercely protective type, but this was a gentler side of him she'd never seen before. Her skin tingled where he touched, and his body stood so close to hers that she could feel the warmth emanating from him. His height was just slightly taller than her, making him the perfect dance partner. His hair was hopeless - the girl chuckled inwardly; she couldn't remember a single day that it was not in a complete mess. But oh, his eyes! His eyes were the kind that would draw you in the moment you looked at him. Intense, deep-set eyes, enticingly dark hazel in color, reminded her of amber from ancient trees past. They emitted a warm fiery glow that was softened by the serene smile on his face. She suddenly became aware that she was openly staring and sheepishly looked away.
"Just dance, will you?" Her mind snapped at her, inwardly cursing her feminine tendencies, as well as the music for sounding so persuasively romantic it tortured her poor heart.
She had predicted this might happen, but didn't expect it to crash down upon her so soon, so quickly. Was it even humanly possible to fall for someone so fast? Then she realized that it wasn't fast; she had known him for quite a while now. When she met him four years ago she was too worried about the issues at hand; getting to know her companion was not a priority. Things had changed now, and she found herself undeniably attracted towards him, in more ways than one. While she wasn't one to stomp out her emotions, she was certainly going to have to deal with them.
"I am in so much trouble." she thought to herself.
Asbel had also been enjoying the dance considerably; she was a wonderful dancer and absolutely stunning. The girl was beautiful back then, but now she had flourished into an exquisite young woman, boasting a figure that embodied both her femininity and strength, softened by lustrous auburn hair. He had noticed the blush creeping over her cheeks during the last segment, which he found rather endearing...perhaps even felt a little pleased that he could affect her so. From the moment she snatched him out of the jaws of the Toxic Jungle, she held a special place in his heart. He had never admitted it to her, but having Nausicaa to look after had greatly lessened his pain of losing Lastelle. She was very similar to his twin sister in many ways: delicate, youthful, and quirky - sometimes it hurt just to be reminded. But she was also different from his departed sister; she radiated warmth while somehow having an aura of stature and wisdom that was unique to her.
Presently the dance ended; partners bowed to each other and the crowd gradually dispersed. The two slowly drew away from each other.
"You're a fast learner," he complimented. "and a pretty good dancer, if I might add."
"Not so bad yourself; thanks for teaching." She breathed gratefully.
"No, the pleasure is all mine." Asbel replied with exaggerated floweriness and a grin, bowing as he did so. Nausicaa giggled at his comical formality, if there ever was such a thing.
Asbel walked her back home, chatting all the way. The sun was setting behind them; a peaceful orange glow settled on the trees and path before them. The perpetual breeze flowed through the land, sending the slightest rustle through the shrubs and plants along the road. It then dawned upon them that today was the last day of the Festival.
"So you will be heading back to Pejite tomorrow morning?" Nausicaa asked. They had now reached the front of Nausicaa's tower.
"Yes, along with hoards of other citizens. I'm not looking forward to the air traffic." Asbel answered flatly, frowning even at the thought of it.
"Safe travels. And keep in touch after that."
"Of course; I know you'll miss me terribly." He boasted cheekily; Nausicaa laughed. Then, seemingly upon impulse, Nausicaa threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. To her relief, he hugged her back. The embrace was kept short and sweet and she drew away quickly.
"You're probably right; I am going to miss you. If things aren't too busy tomorrow I'll try to see you off. Goodnight, dear friend." She smiled.
"Goodnight." He replied, watching her skip up the steps and wave one last time to him before disappearing through the front door. He turned around and headed to his own home.
Nausicaa found Tersa waiting for her in Nausicaa's bedroom, curled up on a chair reading a book about developing long range accuracy on rifles. The girl was the daughter of a well-known, respected blacksmith who had also been a very close friend of Nausicaa's late father. The duo had grown up together and were practically inseparable; Nausicaa loved her for her "no-nonsense" personality and unfailing loyalty, while Tersa had always been intrigued by Nausicaa's strong connection with nature.
"Hey." Nausicaa greeted Tersa upon entering the room.
"Hi." Tersa replied, her nose still buried in her book. Nausicaa walked toward the window and sighed; she recognized Asbel's figure making his way over a hill. Presently Tersa rose from her seat and joined Nausicaa. The sun was no longer visible over the horizon, but the sky was bursting with a glorious feast of red, orange, and purple hues.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Nausicaa breathed. Tersa hummed in agreement.
"So... how was your date?" The friend carefully prodded, a knowing smile across her face.
"What? I would hardly call that a date. He's..." Nausicaa searched for the right word. "...interesting."
"Just 'interesting'?" The girl teased at the understatement. The Princess sent a nervous glance her way.
"Was it that obvious?"
"Only to me; I know you well enough. If you like him you should tell him." Although Tersa carried herself with a most unfeminine sturdiness, she was surprisingly sensitive in matters of the heart.
"No, I don't want to scare him." She sighed. "And he's leaving tomorrow anyway. Tersa laughed.
"He's not some nervous ohm; you can't scare him. If you never talk to him he'll never know. You can go fish him out of Pejite too, if you have to, before he gets married to some Pejite girl he doesn't like." she joked.
"But how do you know he likes me?" Nausicaa asked worriedly, still looking out over the Valley.
"I don't know for sure. But I think there's a fair chance he does, based on the way the two of you were dancing earlier." She hinted, then threw a sidelong glance to observe Nausicaa.
"Maybe," the Princess replied quietly. But deep in her heart, she wasn't so sure.
"I'm afraid there's not much I can do," the kindly, white-haired stout man told him. Asbel and the aged physician stood in the hallway outside the Queen's bedroom in the Pejite palace.
"So we don't even know how to treat her?"
"Unfortunately not. Your mother has a condition that I've never seen before in my 40 years as a doctor across these lands." Asbel looked worriedly in the direction of the bedroom. Her mother had been feeling sick for a while now and even had to miss the Festival. Originally she dismissed it as a cold, but when stranger symptoms such as wheezing and vomiting occurred, even Asbel became concerned. A month had passed now since the Festival; this was the fourth doctor they had consulted, and none of them had any idea what symptoms pointed to.
"Just keep her hydrated and let her rest. It looks like she's too weak to walk as well; better keep her in bed rest." The doctor finished.
"Alright; thank you doctor." Asbel responded earnestly, but the grim expression never left his face.
"An honor, dear Prince. I apologize that I can be of no more help to you." The doctor gave a shallow bow and left.
Asbel entered his mother's room; it was furnished with elegant tapestries, a detailed hand-woven carpet, an overstuffed velvet chair, and a stylish carved table. On the far end of the room was a window, overlooking the rest of Pejite.
"So the doctor doesn't know what it is, huh?" his mother wheezed, resting on the bed, a thick quilt drawn up to her middle.
"Nope." He replied, with lips pursed into a thin line. He knew she would be able to hear the doctor's diagnosis from inside the room. There was no point in trying to keep the information from her anyway. No one knew what it was yet, so there was nothing to fear – yet. Asbel rearranged things around the room and opened the blinds. A bit of sunshine wouldn't hurt. Would it? He hated not knowing what to do or how to help his ailing mother. He clenched his fists in frustration. Why was there no information about this disease? He had to search for a cure; he was not going to sit there watch his mother waste away to an unknown sickness. Consultations with doctors had been entirely unproductive. When it came to mysteries of the natural world, there was one more person whose ability he fully trusted in, that he had not consulted yet.
"Mother, I'll be gone for about two days." A trip to the Valley took a little under half a day.
"Where to?" His mother croaked.
"Somewhere I hope to find more information about this weird sickness of yours; I've had enough of unhelpful doctors." He answered irritably.
"You're probably going to the Valley, aren't you? Good choice. That Nausicaa girl and Mustache Yupa probably know more about the world than all the doctors in Pejite combined." The woman chuckled. At least her sense of humor was unaffected.
"Go, dear son. I'm tired of sitting in this bed all day." She said, and then launched into a fit of wheezes and coughs.
Asbel wasted no time; in a flurry he jumped on the first glider he saw and rushed toward the Valley.
A/N: Liked it? Thanks so much for reading.
