Disclaimer: I do not own Star Ocean: till the end of time. (You get the drift)

Chapter 7: Something about you

I became frantic as the blood from Albel's wound continued to seep out.

"Do you know what's wrong with him?!" I almost screamed at his unworthy subordinate.

"N-no…princess…..it doesn't look like poison…" He muttered and fished in the medical bag, grabbing a number of antidotes and blueberries. Albel's head rested on my lap with his back facing up. I pressed the cold towel at his wound, to try to stop it from bleeding. The subordinate fed Albel the blueberries and spilt the right amount of antidote into his wound. Unfortunately, Albel didn't seem any better, though the bleeding stopped temporarily.

"W….We have to get to town….Where is the nearest town?" Nel asked.

"We should reach Kirlsa in a day or two…." He replied.

"Albel will die before that! Where is a nearby town?!" I demanded, coming to the brink of desperation. I owe Albel my life…he can't die! The man looked thoughtful for a moment.

"We could backtrack to Peterny….I'm sure they'll have a doctor there." He suggested.

"Perfect…let's go as fast as we can." I nodded.

Albel sat behind me on my horse, with his head resting on my shoulder. His subordinate trailed behind me, dealing with both his and Albel's horse.

"How much longer?" I asked the man.

"In a few minutes we'll be there." He strained. I squinted to get a better view of the town. Peterny was just right ahead. I smiled, relieved. Suddenly, I felt a warm liquid drip down my shirt. My eyes followed it up to Albel's mouth, where blood was dripping gradually.

"A-Albel! We have to hurry!" I shouted to the subordinate. The horse galloped away at a much faster pace, but my heart pounded twice as fast.

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"Is he going to be okay?" I asked the female doctor as she finished giving Albel medicine.

"Fortunately he's a strong young man. He'll make it, but it'll take a while for him to recover completely since he lost quite a bit of blood." The doctor explained.

"Do you know what was wrong with him?" I asked.

"…Well, it was a sort of illness that the young man contracted from the monster you were fighting. The contamination messed up his system, so he ended up bleeding uncontrollably. I could say it was close to poison since the antidote had some effect but that's all I can say since it's quite rare." The doctor frowned. I sighed in relief and bowed to the doctor before paying her with the proper amount.

"Thank you…" I whispered. "It is quite alright Lady Nel. Rest up…you'll need it." The doctor bowed back and walked out the inn, leaving me and Albel in the room. I sighed and sat down on the wooden chair next to Albel, caressing his cheek. He flinched slightly before settling down, unconsciously of course. I smiled and swept some of his hair off of his handsome face.

"I wonder if you can hear me…Albel…Ha, ha…of course not…" I chuckled to myself. Have I gone mad? What happened to my dignity?

"I'm so sorry…" I whispered solemnly before burying my face into the bed, with my hand in his.

"I'm so sorry…" I repeated over and over before falling silent, listening to the laughter outside.

"Lady Nel…surely you would want something to eat? It's almost nightfall." The subordinate asked when he entered the quiet room.

"N-no….I'm fine…." I whispered, hardly audible to the man.

"My lady…Lord Albel will be fine…you need to take care of yourself first." He sighed and escorted me out of the room, much to my objection. The subordinate took me to eat at an outside restaurant. The setting sun glowed across the edges of the beautifully crafted houses and the food served matched the color. I suddenly realized that I was hungry.

"Thank you…for taking me to eat…I might've been dying without even realizing it." I chuckled as I took the first bite. The man blushed slightly before nodding.

"Tell me…what is Albel like?" I asked before I propped my elbow onto the table.

"Well princess, he's like how you see him." He answered simply. Annoyed, I sighed.

"No…what is he really like? I want to know him better." I told the man. At first he seemed confused, but once the subordinate started thinking, he tucked his hand under his chin, looking thoughtful.

"Lord Albel as you know is quite rude, crude, cruel, selfish, maniacal, and etc…at times…." He said out loud.

"I know that already…." I muttered. "But…though he may seem that…he can be, but rarely, likable." The man answered. Finally he caught my attention.

"Though he seems to hate everyone, he does feel like he holds responsibility for his men…Lord Albel is strong and cold, but he is a good person I believe…" He answered. I pondered on what the man said.

"Albel is…strange isn't he?" I giggled and closed my eyes. The man gazed at me with a solemn look.

"Is something the matter?" I asked him when I noticed his eyes.

"Lady…I don't want to say this…but…don't get too close to Lord Albel…you'll only break apart in the end." He said. My eyes widened in shock and in anger. Me, break apart?

"Please don't get angry…I don't want the kind lady to get hurt…you'll heed my words will you not?" He asked politely. I frowned at him but I could understand what he meant. Albel won't be around forever…He'll be gone at the end of this journey no matter what. Oh no…why am I fooling myself? Here I was thinking that he'd be right next to me for a long time…Damn it, what's wrong with me?!

"I…I thank you sir…" I whispered before leaving the table.

I walked down the lively streets of Peterny, lost in my thoughts and emotions.

"…Airyglyph….I wonder what the prince is like? The King of Airyglyph is a ruthless man, a warmonger and I am to marry his son?" I questioned myself. The sun shined the last of its rays before giving up to the moon. Its intricate, pale light painted my face and brought out the color of my hair. I gazed at the moon, remembering the times in Aquios…with Clair, Farleen, and Tynave. How long has this war gone on? I sighed and climbed up the roof of a nearby building, suddenly noticing that I was still in my battle garments. I chuckled and swept the hair off my face. The night sure is beautiful…

"Hmph…looks like you won't stay put." A familiar voice scoffed. I turned around abruptly, my nose brushing across the nose of a handsome young man. I yelped and jumped back, surprised and embarrassed at the same time. Albel chuckled darkly, like usual.

"Albel! What are you doing out of bed?!" I scolded at him.

"Why princess, I felt like I needed some fresh air." He replied mockingly. My anger began to boil. He'll never change.

"You….you…." I whispered and bowed my head. Albel tilted his head, curious.

"YOU BASTARD!" I shrieked at him. He nearly jumped back in shock.

"Here I was, worrying sick about you and here you are teasing me with your blatant attitude! I-I…I was afraid…you wouldn't open your eyes…I-I…" My voice trailed off and tears streamed down my face. I felt torn apart by emotions I can't explain. With my right hand, I clenched my heart, attempting to drive the pain out.

"…Nel…" Albel whispered. His hand gently touched my shoulder, sending a slight chill down my spine. I looked up with angry eyes, but all he did was smile.

"…Sorry…" He apologized before pulling me into an embrace.

"Thank you…."

Finally an update! School is horrible these days...so many tests...AP World History is a killer! And I just took the PSAT's...hahaha...I'm sure I did really bad. Anyways, enjoy! Please review!