The day started well. I was so excited to finally have John to myself for a day. Finally, I could let loose and just enjoy our time together for a change. Instead of having to worry about how he might charm someone, he could just focus on me and I on him. Mother and I picked my dress. We went for something that complimented my body in order to draw his attention to me. It worked like a High Tier Enchantment Spell! His eyes were glued to me. He complemented me! I couldn't help but compliment Anna's choice in dress for him. She accentuated his features perfectly with his white outfit. My Parents came to see us off. My Father took John away to chat with him, which left me with my Mother and Anna. My Mother began to speak.
" Anna! I've heard the news! This is so great! No doubt, you'll knock his socks off easily!"
" Thank you, Aqua. I just am not sure how to proceed."
Anna looked away in embarrassment, I must be careful she doesn't show this face to John in the future! However, seeing as how our Alliance is in effect. I began to speak to Anna.
" Don't worry, Anna. After today, I'll set up your date as well. I just really need some stress release today. As for the ground rules of our dates. I'll allow as far as kissing only, anything else should be saved for Marriage. We don't want to scare him away. We must make sure we have him firmly in our grasps before we show him the true extent of our feelings."
" Sarah, your face is like an evil queen in a story. Calm yourself before John sees you."
"...K-k-k-k Kissing Master..."
Mother told me my smile was evil looking. Anna's face continues to redden as her mind drifts off in expectations of the future. And with the theme of Anna and I calming ourselves, we continued to discuss a few things. Such as additions to the Alliance, I mentioned how we may have some concerns for Cynthia and Sharon. So far, Asha continues to keep her mask of the perfect Noblewoman up, but something about the way she looks at John concerns me. Cynthia is the most concerning, seeing as she has been the most overt. I've noticed her stealing glances at John, it seems like a simple fascination now. Seeing as how my own Love grew from fascination of his smile... Better not to think too deeply about it. Fate will play out regardless of my plans. To my observations, Anna and my Mother reacted in different ways.
" Hmm.. I see... So Cynthia is slowly falling in Love with him as well. Seems I was correct!"
My Mother smiled as she spoke those words. I'll need to speak to her about what they meant later. Anna, however.
" More women!? Around Master!?"
Seems Anna is more possessive than I thought. Lost in our thoughts, John and my Father returned. John seemed refreshed from their conversation. Before long, the carriage arrived to take us into town. Once we arrived, I took John to the edge of the city gates. I decided to surprise him to see his reaction. I drank a Disguising Potion so I would not be recognized during our date. His surprised face was so adorable. After he took his own potion, I enjoyed the difference between his two appearances... Only for John to launch a surprise attack on my heart! Truly a tactician, just like how he fights.
After we got into BlackStone, I showed him to the market section of the city. The look on his face was of someone puzzled by something. After I asked about it, he told me that he could see black auras on items. Putting the puzzle together, it wasn't hard to see that he could see Curses. We continued on our way in a good mood as we thought about coming to the city for his training. I was able to properly set the seeds for Anna and me to enjoy ourselves. I wanted to get his opinion while I tried on clothes, but my appearance was too much for him. I truly love the look on his face when he is focused only on me. While we walked, hunger started to assault us. I was so lost in the simple joy of being with him, that I failed to notice our stomachs. I brought him to a cafe that I overheard a Maid had recommended to another.
I was not ready for this meal we had. While I had been thinking of what to eat, he gave me a necklace!!! The chain was the same color as my hair, the gem's color was a little bit lighter than my eye color! He really has been watching me and growing to care for me! All of a sudden, this month of hard work that had just passed, finally paid off! He really is starting to gain feelings for me! With these thoughts in mind, I began to stare at the jewel of the necklace. I was lost in thought about Our Future together, the Children we would raise, the Love that would only grow stronger from here on out. The Dream was so beautiful to me, too beautiful in fact, because I forgot that he was there in front of me! What a great error! I thought he was angry with me, but to my relief, he wasn't. We had a pleasant meal together. I then took him sightseeing in BlackStone, with a destination in mind.
We arrived at my goal. Union Park, the place where all Kings and Queens of Diablos Married in front of their loved ones. After I mentioned this fact to him, there was a moment in my mind where this would be it. He would confess his Love for me, then we'd Marry shortly after. He hesitated, but in his eyes, I could see he was going to tell me something out of Love for me. So, it seems not yet, but soon, I will have him. Before he could speak, smoke had appeared out of nowhere, covering us. By the time I blew the smoke away with Wind Magic, we noticed a mob closing in on us. John had moved closer to me and then he was by my side, the place I felt most at peace with him being. He summoned Scarlet and Julia's Armor.
We were assaulted by another cloud of smoke, this one was gone faster than the last. This time there was a surprise. A hooded figure. I could feel that he was stronger than he looked. I think he's stronger than John, judging by the feeling of his Mana. I decided to fight him myself. John said he would handle the mob that arrived with the man. I began to fight the man. Using my halberd, I began to attack the man. I sent a slash through his side. He didn't dodge it! The blade bit deep into his side, but he showed no reaction. My blade was stuck in him. As I try to remove the blade from him, I feel a pressure from above, I lose my balance and I crashed into the ground. Everything went dark after I heard John yell my name.. Oh no I've worried My Love....
I dreamed of the future with John, Our Children playing in the grass on a sunny day while we readied the table for a picnic. We were surrounded by my Family and Friends; it was a good dream. Then John arrived in front of me. I saw him covered in blood, bleeding profusely from his stomach. The panic woke me from the dream. I was in a dark room on the ground. I was still in my clothes from my date. I saw a door. There were 10 men on the opposite side of the room. I tried to crawl away from them, quietly towards the door. After a few moments I was struck by pain. I couldn't help but shriek and recoil back.
" Ahh!"
" !"
My yell alerted the men. One thin man with black hair and dark orange eyes spoke to me.
" Hello, Princess Sarah. Please don't be alarmed. We won't hurt you. I suggest not attempting to escape, that Barrier around you is perfect for keeping us Demons in and not letting us out."
" For what reason? A ransom?"
" That is for us to know, Princess Sarah. We have no reason to answer you. All you need to know is that you are not with friends."
/ bang! bang! bang!/
He smiled as he finished his sentence. At that moment we heard small bangs in the room behind the man. A serious looking man with long brown hair and grey eyes sitting in a wooden chair turned to a large bald man with a great sword on his back and spoke.
The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
" Heart, go and check that out!"
" As you command."
The large man left through the door behind me. Then the arrogant man turned back to me. He began to speak, with the sound of panic in his voice.
" Do not assume that any problems are afoot, our Friend here, Nine, is great at hiding his trail. Most likely a stray had wondered in."
The men continued to talk amongst themselves while I sat on the ground. It is clear to see everyone in the room is irritated at something.
/ THUD!/
The sound of something large hitting the floor shocks the men. They begin to argue about who should go out the room. During the argument, the door to the room ahead of me opens. A figure runs in. It's Cynthia, with blood on her hands.
" Big Sis, Sarah!"
" No! Stop!"
Cynthia ignored me and ran into the Barrier. She must be traumatized. Whose blood is she covered in? Cynthia runs into me and hugs me while whimpering. She whispers to me.
" Call him Matthew when he enters."
Surprised at what she said, I do nothing but hold her. Cynthia begins to cry loudly. While she wails, the arrogant man began to speak with relief in his voice.
" Hmm, what luck, Captain! 2 Princesses for the price of one! He will be pleased!"
" Silence! You fool!"
The sitting man yelled at the arrogant man, who recoiled in fear. As he was about to speak to " The Captain", a figure walked into the door. It limped into the room and spoke.
" S...ar...ah."
It was John, but he was covered in blood! I couldn't think. I could barely breath. It was like my dream! Warm tears begin to fall from my eyes. Cynthia tightened her grip. Then I remembered what she said. I yelled.
" Matthew!"
John continued to limp towards me, he spoke again.
" S...a..r..ah... Cough! Hack!"
He coughed up blood as he called my name. But if he was hurt, why didn't he cast Holy Heal on himself? Something isn't right. Finally, he made it into the Barrier and collapsed in front of me. I placed his head on my lap. The arrogant man began to speak.
" How did he get past, Vendal!?"
" He killed him. But look at the cost! He's dying!"
Cynthia replied to the man. Out of concern, I placed my hand on John's...
* thump. thump. thump.*
Wait... His pulse is strong... His body is warm... His face isn't even pale... Cynthia stares at me... I see. Once Cynthia saw the look of understanding flash across my face, she began to speak.
" Who are you people!? Why are you doing this!?"
The arrogant man flashed a confident smile and began to speak.
" Don't worry, girl. You'll meet our Client soon enough."
* Shing!*
" ACK!"
This time the sitting man rose to his feet; he drew the sword from the sheath at his waist, and he pierced the arrogant man through the chest from behind him. The 7 other men gasped. After removing his sword from the fresh corpse, the serious man began to speak.
" Boy, did you kill, Vendal?"
John blinked with a blank look in his eyes.
" V...en...dal.. Di...ed... A... Wa..rr..ior's... De...a...th."
" Good, he was a good solider."
The serious man began to give out orders to the remaining men.
" Prepare to move out with 2 Princesses, our Client has been revealed by Three. Best to leave before a counterattack by the Crown comes!"
The men began to move. Cynthia began to speak to the serious man with eyes full of hate.
" So, you're a military man with your subordinates and you have been bought by a high bidder to kidnap Sarah! Have you no honor!?"
" My line of work rarely involves honor, girl."
John began to speak after hearing what the man said.
" Mer....cen....aries."
" Not bad, boy. You're smart. But you're obviously dying. As a Warrior that was able to kill Vendal, I will hear your last words. What are they boy?"
John turns his head to the man and begins to speak.
" I... Wa...nt.... to....th...ank....you...."
" Who? The girls?"
John speaks, but confuses the man. In that moment, Cynthia holds his hand with one hand and holds mine with her other hand. John takes a deep breath and begins to speak again.
" No! You! For being so forthcoming. We've learned a lot from this!"
John suddenly flashes the man a large grin. He speaks again before anyone can react.
" Paula! Warp us out of here!"
/ Woosh!/
" NO!"
And like that, a tear formed underneath our feet, it opened, and we fell through the tear. I heard someone screaming "NO!" but it was too late, we fell through, and the tear closed. We landed in the inner field where John Meditates. John and Cynthia then stood up and John began to speak to me.
" Holy Heal!"
* Warm!*
I was enveloped in that all too familiar warmth, Cynthia looked at me with jealous eyes, what did John do? ... Questions for later. For now, I need to speak to John.
" John are you ok?"
" Hm? Me? Yeah, I'm fine! This isn't my blood. It's that Vendal guy's blood."
" So, you covered yourself in that man's blood, then stumbled in, looking like you were at death's door to pilfer information before leaving with both of us?"
" See, Cynthia!? I told you she would understand!"
John smiles at Cynthia. Cynthia turns red... Oh no. I know that look! But we can speak about this later. For now, I need to voice my feelings to John.
" John! Do you have any idea how worried you made me!?"
" Huh? Ah my ba..."
* thud!*
" John!"
As John began speaking, he collapsed! I moved to him while Cynthia screamed his name. I turned him to his back. John was sleeping peacefully. He must have exhausted his
" Thank goodness! He always pushes himself too far! The entire time we were in the building, he kept reapplying Reflect and Shell on me and even healed me after a fight! He never tried to rest once!"
" He must have been in a rush to save me. His feelings for me are beginning to grow larger and larger."
Cynthia has a look of longing in her eyes as I finish my sentence. I begin to call to my Mother using the Telepathy she taught me. In no time at all, my Mother, Anna and a handful of Maids run to us from the Castle. Anna and the Maids took John and Cynthia to treat and clean them. I went with my Mother to my Father. After explaining everything I knew, my Father began to speak.
" I'm so sorry you had to go through that, Sarah. Are you okay?"
" No Father, I am not okay. I thought I was growing stronger by a wide margin, but I was defeated in one move. Frankly, my emotional pain trumps anything physical. I would like to request even stricter training. I would now like to go to John's side. Please. Find the men who did this. I have a debt to pay them."
" Understood, Sarah. I grant you leave. If he wakes, I'd like to hear his thoughts on the matter as well. I will hear from Cynthia as well after I give a few people some orders."
" Thank you very much!"
I walked to John's room and entered to find Cynthia and Anna worriedly watching John's resting figure. Since Anna is here, now will be a good time to speak to Cynthia about what I suspect she feels.
" Anna, I'm thinking about adding Cynthia to the Alliance."
"What alliance?"
Anna looked concerned. Cynthia was confused.
" Point blank, Cynthia, answer me. Do you love John?"
" He's your Fiancé, Sarah!"
" Yes, he is. And I will be his First Wife and also his First in everything related to Love and Romance. Having said all of that... Well, Anna, would you like to tell her about your own feelings?"
Anna looked scared. Cynthia continued to look confused.
" Anna, to stand beside him you need to be confident in yourself and your emotions, speak and be honest."
Her eyes went sharp. Seems I gave her the motivation she needed. She began to speak.
" Princess Cynthia, I love John as a man!"
" Anna, he's Sarah's Fiancé! As well as your Master!"
" Yes, I am, and she is. However, Polygamy is allowed in Diablos. And I have already agreed to allow her to Marry John if they both wish for it, after my Marriage of course."
" Sarah! Are you insane!?"
" No, I just know that John needs to be surrounded by people who Love him. You may not be able to tell, Cynthia, seeing as you have just met him, but John suffers from an extreme loneliness. So, I decided that if someone I can trust arrives and truly Loves him, I will allow them to Love him, as long as they know I am his First in his Heart. And so, I began looking for people to join an Alliance with me."
Cynthia looked at me in shock, but I continued to speak.
" Now moving on from that. Cynthia, do you love John? If so, I can accept that. And as long as you join the Alliance, I will inform you on everything I know about him. His memories showed me many things. My time there is the biggest reason why I wish to fight the Hero Party. After hearing the story, Anna has prepared herself to fight as well."
Cynthia looks troubled, but begins to speak.
" I'm not sure. I know that when I look at him, I feel my face grow hot. When I think of you being his Fiancé, there was a feeling of irritation. His kindness draws me in. His recklessness makes me want to protect him from having to fight. If this is Love... I'm not sure. But I know I don't want him to suffer!"
Anna looks at me. I look at Cynthia. She seems upset. Perhaps she's too young for now. But her eyes do not lie, she continues to take glances of John's face while he sleeps. An idea pops into my head, I begin to speak.
" If that is the case, so be it."
She looks dissatisfied at my answer, good this may work after all.
" If you aren't sure, it is fine with me. Another reason this Alliance exists, is to protect John. Having said that, would you still like to join? Not for Love but to protect him, I'll still reveal what I know to you."
Cynthia looks at me in surprise. She then starts to look at John then at me a few times. Her eyes now had a determined look to them. Before long she answered.
" Please let me join!"
And like that, the Alliance gained a new member. I must inform my Mother of this. We spent the rest of our time gazing at John as I recounted what I knew. By the end, Cynthia's eyes looked at John with warmth... And then they rose to look North at Promethia, and her eyes stared with anger.