"¡Aloy!" he jumped in surprise upon realizing that she was in the room, almost causing the towel cinched around his waist to fall off. Quickly, he hastened to cover his torso with the towel he had been using for his hair, his shoulders tensing up— "I-I thought you'd be downstairs, in the p-pantry..." he stammered, growing redder by the moment.
"Well, I'm here..." she responded, making an effort to keep her gaze on his eyes and not on his body— "And thank goodness I came back early. Who did this to you?" she asked, approaching him and pointing at the injury. Avad couldn't even look at her, feeling thoroughly embarrassed.
"Mmmm, what…?"
"Don't play dumb, you can't hide it anymore, I've seen it. Were you planning to keep it to yourself? Weren't you going to tell me? Have you informed anyone?"
"You've seen the... wound," he said, now feeling doubly uncomfortable, rubbing his neck with his hand and his gaze fixed on the floor.
"Yes! How could you hide something like this?" she exclaimed, grabbing the towel he was hiding behind.
"Aloy!" he protested, embarrassed, his cheeks burning and reddened to his ears— "C-Can I... get dressed?"
"Put on a pair of pants right now and tell me EVERYTHING, don't you dare hide anything from me, understood?"
"Well... I... okay," he said as she left the room, urging him to hurry. When he was alone, he brought his hands to his head. The cut on his sternum not only hurt, but it also wasn't healing.
"Avad, come on, time is of the essence!" Aloy startled him from the doorway, giving a few knocks. He hurried to put on some pants.
"I'm ready," he timidly announced, still covering the wound with the towel. She swiftly entered the room and, grabbing his arm and pulling him, she sat him down on the bed. The king was surprised by her strength.
"You gain nothing by hiding anymore, Avad."
"But..." he protested, trying to get up. She held onto his shoulders, preventing him from rising.
"Don't move."
"Alright, alright, you win, but please close the door," he pleaded. "We're in a difficult moment, people need to see their king in good shape, I don't want them to get discouraged if they see me in this state, there's still a lot to be done..." Aloy closed the door and sat down next to him. The storm's fierceness hit the windows, breaking the silence around them. They gazed at each other until he couldn't withstand her reproachful look any longer and lowered his gaze. Nora took a deep breath before instructing him to lie down. Without protest, the king obeyed.
"Let's have a look..." she said, approaching him to assess him once she regained her composure. "Can I touch the wound?"
"Y-yes," he stammered. Gently, Aloy placed one hand on his forehead and another on the wound to compare the temperatures. The monarch shuddered at the contact with the open wound. It stung. Nora could tell that the cut was quite warm. Furthermore, when she withdrew her hand, it was stained with blood. "I was afraid it might be something serious, but there were too many people to attend to..." he explained, concerned.
"I understand that you worry about others, but this kind of wound is very important to treat promptly. One or two more days, and the damage would have been... irreparable," Avad's eyes widened.
"B-but there's a solution, right?" he asked, frightened.
"Yes, you can relax, I caught it in time," he sighed in relief. Nora rummaged in her backpack until she found a yellow plant. "What happened? How did you get a wound of this severity? These kinds of cuts don't just happen."
"Well... less than a week ago, I was resting, leaning against the railing, watching the sunset, when suddenly I was taken by surprise by a group of four men, they were Shadow Carja. They were all armed..." he narrated, looking at the floor, masking his fear with timidity. "They covered my mouth, threw me to the ground, and... made the cut you see. They told me that if I didn't want to die, I should meet them a couple of days later when leaving Meridian. The cut wasn't very deep, but it stung a lot... and it gets worse every day. And... just as they came, they disappeared."
"Damn it..." she said furiously. "The sword was tainted with corruption, that's why the wound isn't closing, making it, instead of healing, worse with each passing day. Fortunately, it's not very deep," she continued explaining as she prepared a liquid with that plant.
"I'm sorry I didn't warn you earlier," he apologized.
"Don't worry, I'm not angry. I got so upset before because at first glance, it looked much worse. I didn't see it properly, and... I thought that... it would be beyond remedy... but I've seen that it can be healed," she explained more calmly. "Still, don't ever hide something like this again. You could have died!" she reproached sternly. Avad nodded.
"I thought it would be less severe, that they would just use it to frighten me and make me meet with them, but every day, I've felt worse... Still, I hoped it would heal. They've tried to reach me and my family before, but their attacks have always been thwarted. They never got this close, Vanasha is always vigilant. The war is still too fresh; I don't want to start another one, but I don't want this to become routine," he said.
"Hope you find a way to resolve all of this, don't succumb to their threats, but also don't overlook what they're doing to you. You're giving them the signal that they can do whatever they want with you."
"You're right." he nodded. "Under no circumstances will I do what they're asking, but I won't let them mock me in this manner either." Then they fell silent for a moment.
"Well, back to what we were doing, do you have a fine cloth I can use to apply the liquid?"
"Yes, there's some in a cabinet in the bathroom, choose whatever you think is most suitable." she pointed with her hand. Seconds later, she returned with a couple of cloths in her hands. Then she went to take a look to see if anyone was nearby. Everything was deserted; they were probably having dinner.
"What's the matter?" he asked impatiently.
"I was checking if there are people around…" she replied, locking the door as she searched for the right words to explain that what was coming was not going to be pleasant. "You see... telling you it won't hurt would be... a lie." he remained still. "But after this, the wound will start to heal, not get worse like it has been until now. You can hold my hand if you want." she added, extending her hand. He grabbed it. "I'll try to do it as well and as quickly as possible." the monarch nodded fearfully.
Then, Aloy knelt down, placing each leg on either side of Avad's body, sitting on his thighs to keep him from moving. "Here I go." she warned, pouring some of the liquid onto the cloth. She could feel how the Sun King clung to her hand. Carefully, she covered the wound with the cloth. He tightened his grip on her hand, covering his face with the other to hide his expression. It hurt, quite a bit, but for the moment, he could endure it. When she could see that the king's pain was stabilizing, she said, "Okay, now I'm going to apply a bit more, so it's going to bother you... more." Slowly, the Nora tilted the bottle until the cloth was completely soaked, letting the liquid seep through the wound, acting as a filter to prevent the bits of corrupted root from entering the injury. Now the pain was becoming unbearable. The wound was burning, causing him to try to stifle his groans, but in the end, it proved uncontrollable. His breathing became erratic. His muscles tensed, causing him to instinctively recoil. That's why she had sat on him; if he moved, he would spill all the liquid.
"Aaaaaaaah!" he screamed, unable to contain himself, arching his back while squeezing Aloy's hand to the point of pain. Beads of cold sweat bathed his body, and the temperature of his hands, which became moist, dropped significantly. His pulse raced. "Ah... A-Aloyyy!" he pleaded, unable to bear it. He closed his eyes tightly, putting strong pressure on his eyelids and clenched his teeth. A tear rolled from his left eye down to his ear.
"It's almost over, just hold on a little longer." she urged, holding his hand firmly. After a few minutes, she gently removed the cloth. He continued to complain, as he still felt the burning sensation inside the wound. "It's over now." she said, grabbing his other hand to move it away from his face so she could wipe the sweat with another cloth. Slowly, she wiped his face clean of sweat. "How are you feeling?"
"Ahh..." he groaned in pain "I guess... in a little while... I'll change my mind..., but for now, I'm not at all... grateful... Ahh... by the Sun..." he said with a weak laugh. She smiled. If he could make jokes, then everything had gone well. She sat down beside him again, gently resting the head of her patient on her lap. With a finger, she carefully wiped away some tears that had moistened his closed eyes. She began to lovingly stroke his silky ebony hair, sensing every movement he made. Gradually, his breathing became steadier, and his pulse returned to normal levels. Then, she caressed his chiseled face from his forehead to his pronounced jawline.
"Feeling better now?" she asked softly.
"Yes..." he responded with a whisper. In truth, he felt sorry for this moment to end. It was so pleasant to feel her fingertips slowly and tenderly tracing his face... he could say that this moment made the previous suffering worth it. He sensed that she was about to release his hand to get up. He squeezed it slightly "But... let me rest a little longer, and then we can have dinner..." he requested, wishing with all his heart for her to stay beside him. And so it happened. She continued to gently slide her hand through his hair.
"Of course, we'll wait, no problem. Just let me know when you feel better," she replied with a smile. At that moment, Avad noticed all those internal sensations stirring every time he was near her. He couldn't let her leave without addressing all he felt, but it wasn't the right time yet. He needed to get closer to her, and at the right moment, he would confess his feelings, hoping they would be reciprocated, though he'd first try to make sure she felt the same way. Aloy was always kind to him, and she had helped him in crucial situations, although... in the end, she always ended up leaving. His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the huntress's stomach. Upon hearing it, he opened his eyes and looked at her "Sorry," she laughed, "I'm just really hungry." The monarch smiled. It was time to start dinner without any further delay. Avad tried to sit up, but as he exerted force, the wound hurt. He lay back down, sighing. "Don't worry, I'll help you now." she said, getting up to fetch some cushions to place behind his back to make him more comfortable. After assisting him in sitting, she brought the dinner closer, saying "You'll really feel better tomorrow, you just need to rest a bit. If you strain your abdominal muscles, it will hurt more."
"I've noticed..." he murmured with frustration, thinking about his attackers. How could they have done this to him? He had never felt so much physical pain "But... why does it hurt so much if you already healed me?"
"It's because of the corruption. Your wound was already several days old, so the poison seeped in deeper, and the body reacts more strongly. That's why it hurts, but the medicine I applied will heal you, which is the most important thing. In the machines, corruption causes loss of control and increased aggression, making them much more dangerous than in their non-corrupted state. However, in people, it acts like a poison that needs to be treated with an antidote. It usually causes pain, prevents wounds from healing, dizziness, and confusion, depending on the amount in your body. It hurts so much because you had the poison for quite a few days already; it's like fixing something that someone else has messed up—you have to break it and start over... It's the same with your case, but don't worry, tomorrow I'll gather some medicinal plants that will make you feel better. I don't have many provisions right now, and it's better to let the cut rest before adding more remedies."
"I hope no one else has been through this…"
"I've rarely seen wounds like this. It's not very common because the poison, although not usually difficult to obtain, is tricky to handle without it affecting you." she explained, realizing that she was getting quite chilly. This made her think about the Embrace, where it snowed for most of the year, and where she had to return as soon as possible. But she wasn't going to go back yet, not until the king was healed, so she pushed those thoughts away and tucked Avad in with the blanket up to his waist, not covering the wound.
"Well then, I guess I should consider myself lucky, right?" he said, smiling at Aloy for the gesture. They both chuckled. Then, looking at his dinner, he said "Are you going to eat all of that?"
"Yes, I'm famished." she responded with a melodious laugh.
"By the Sun, I see it as barely enough, you know?" he pointed out, widening his eyes and patting his stomach.
"I'll finish whatever you leave." she said with a smile. They ate until they were satisfied, and as she promised, she ended up eating nearly a quarter of the monarch's plate. After returning the dishes to the table, she sat beside Avad, placing a hand on her stomach "Ohhh"she sighed "So delicious…"
"I can't believe you ate all of that. You're going to deplete the palace's provisions." he joked.
"A huntress needs a lot of energy." she replied with a laugh. Eventually, they kept joking and sharing funny stories from their lives until they fell asleep peacefully, side by side. The night was relatively calm, considering the wind was howling fiercely, hitting the building's structure with force and rattling the windows.
Their sleep was undisturbed until a loud noise, like an explosion, woke Aloy, who quickly got up, slinging her quiver and grabbing her bow, holding two iron-tipped arrows in tension, ready to be fired. She became very nervous, feeling the pain in her wounded side from getting up so abruptly and tensioning the bow. Were they attacking the palace? Were there even more Eclipse with killer machines? Avad woke up, confused.
