The next morning, I woke at first bell, as always, and Riana helped me dress before I left for breakfast. As I opened my door to leave, I glanced down to see a bouquet of roses- red, the color of love. I picked them up feeling my heart beating faster. This was ridiculous. How was I supposed to function when I saw him today? I had never been in a relationship before and I was worried how badly this would affect me.
I handed them to Riana and left to go to breakfast before I was too late to be served. I found Alistor sitting at our usual table and joined him. He seemed to be acting like normal. Perhaps he hadn't left the flowers…
I took a bite and he didn't look up.
"Did you like the flowers?" he said in such a light manner it was as if he was asking if I thought it might rain today.
I flushed placing my fist in front of my mouth. So it had been him.
"I ... red?" was all I could manage.
He chuckled, looking a bit off kilter himself. Was this his first relationship as well? Why then was he acting like this was his first time feeling this way?
"Yes red," he said. "I love you, Eve."
I didn't know what to say to that. Yes, I was in love with him- I had been for a long time- but to say it already? We didn't even know how well we would work together. What if his over protectiveness got annoying? What if how stubbornness annoyed him? This could go well or end very badly. Was I willing to risk losing my best friend?
"Eve?" he asked.
"I ... I love you too," I whispered.
A smile lit up his face. "It's good to hear that from you after so long."
I smiled too. It wasn't too often that Alistor had such a big sincere smile on his face.
*****
It was after lights out had been called that I snuck into the outer city to go see Sasha. Besides Alistor, she was the only friend I had. I hadn't been home since my father's death. Not like there was time to leave training for a trip home to just be home. I am not a social person- I don��t live for or die like most people do by being rejected.
I went to her usual hang out- an old, rundown pub. All the riffraff Dark Bloods hung out there and unfortunately, my half wolf friend was drawn to the wild life here. Her brother usually tried to stay away from it.
I pulled up my hood before I entered and my skin prickled with the knowledge of the wild bunch of Dark Bloods inside. Luckily, most times I was accepted here, but there were still some that hated my existence and had tried to harm me a few times. As I entered, heads turned, and i heard the hushed whisper of 'Nephilium', but no one stopped me. I found Sasha rather easily. She was sitting at our usual table and for once Twill was with her – of course, the one time I wished she was alone.
"Hello," she greeted me as I slid into the booth.
"Hey," I said.
Twill nodded, showing he acknowledged I was there, but he still wasn't one much for talking.
"It's been a while since you've came here. Everything alright?"
I smiled faintly.
"You're in love," she said her greenish yellow eyes igniting with curiosity.
I flushed. "How did you tell?"
She giggled. "I can read moods."
I sighed. Sasha was one of the cleverest and gifted Halflings I had ever met.
"So, who is he?"
I looked down at the table. "Alistor. Alistor ap Renn."
She whistled, but the sound was lost in the overpowering background noise.
"Your only other friend besides us? The one you said you swore you would never fall for?"
I glared at her. "Do you think I'm crazy?"
She took my nervous hands in hers. "No."
"Really?"
She nodded. "If this Alistor is levelheaded, as you say he is, you will be fine and from what I've seen he is."
I let out a sigh of relief.
"You always expect the worst in people."
It was the truth. After my father died it was hard for me to trust. He had been the last person I loved before Alistor. I knew now I had never loved Neil- I cared for him, yes, but never was I in love with him.
"When did he break it off with you?" I asked.
I knew Alistor well enough that he wouldn't have made his move with me if he was still with Sasha.
Her eyes flashed with a new intensity. "I broke it off with him not too long after he brought you to the lower city to get your arm seen. I knew then that it was you he loved and I was just- I was just close to you. I set him free so he would get his courage together because gods know you weren't going anywhere with Nelson."
"Neil," I corrected.
I felt bad I had come between my two closest friends. I hadn't meant to.
"Whoever," she said offhandedly. "Don't worry about me, Eve. He isn't my mate."
I forgot that Halflings- or at least some believed in soul mates. Sasha was one of them. I let out a sigh of relief.
A serving girl came over and poured me a tall tankard of spiced, warmed mead. I smiled and she left and I swooshed it, making sure it wasn't poisoned or drugged with a sleeping poison. Seeing it wasn't, I took a sip.
"I just... I'm afraid," I admitted. "Anything Alistor does makes me incoherent or flustered or both. I can't freeze up like that out there- what if he gets hurt and we are on a guard meeting for the prince? Would I put the prince in danger? Would I..."
Sasha cleared her throat. "You're a year away from having to worry about that and they wouldn't put you two together guarding the prince anyhow. They wouldn't do that to a couple."
I ran my finger around the rim of my cup thinking about what she had said. "I have to think ahead, Sasha. You know it."
She huffed, but we talked a bit longer before I had to get back to the castle.