Awkward. That was the best way to describe the squirming insides of Liam who was nudged closely to Aloysia. Her dark hood was hanging loosely off her head, cradling her neck as she lied; the clean cloak wrapping her like a cocoon. He could barely see her torso.
Her silence off putting- her skin pale, even under the darkness of a thick wool rug.
She had been motionless.
Something was off and he could tell.
Her eyes were dilated, eyelashes fluttering slightly from the bumpyness of the wretched road ahead.
It was like awaiting a death sentence, the suspense thick enough to choke. What would happen when they got there?
Liam was a stressful wreck; his mousy brown hair falling across his face, his parted lips that were crimson with blood from the constant nerve of anxiety biting away at it.
Little to his knowledge, Aloysia was staring.
She thought he never looked so mesmerising.
The scruffiness of his clothes hugging him like a comforting blanket, his twitching fingers from the nerves and endless questions he always had, all added to his personality that she surprisingly admired. He seemed to care.
Yet he was blurry- unable to focus- the detail of his stunning eyes, his dirtied skin, the heavy wool filtering the thin streams of light- all too blurry for her to appreciate.
She felt hollow, something rumbling inside her that felt wrong, out of place.
It had silenced and cursed her to an endless wonder- rendering her speech useless; even though she wished she could speak... scream till her lungs dried raw.
That- that hollowness was slowly burning; it's rim a dancing flame to the endless pit delving deep.
Please no.
Aloysia twitched slightly, scrunching her nose and drawing a petite wince from her lips. She tried to hide it, but Liam felt it- being in such proximity and grew concerned; his own thoughts and fears of how this would end up clouding his mind, let alone the heat that seemed to swallow them both.
Rolling onto his back to allow for air to circulate, he tried to avoid physical contact with Aloysia, but to no avail- his arm brushed hers and it was electrifyingly warm. It didn't seem normal. Yet he continued to breath heavily beneath the thick wool masking them from wondering eyes.
The motion and racket of the aged cart scratched ravenously at them both as time passed by, sure to leave a plentiful of bruises.
Wooden frames held them in place, and could be seen through the darkness behind each of them.
Yet the heat... was getting worse and worse.
It was streaming from...
Aloysia.
She twitched again- this time more stark and noticeable as her legs pulled themselves to her chest to try and relive what ever pain was eating at her.
The twitches, turned violent shakes, soon relapsed onto him; his own body detecting the movement.
The noise from the wheels crashing into the dirt and stone below struck out most sound of whimpering... but he heard the void-less cries resonating from a scary place within her.
He swallowed, raising a hand to lay his palm against her tilted head.
Boiling.
Immediately, he retracted it, shaking the sting that shot through his finger tips, brows scrunched.
She was boiling to the touch.
"A-Aloysia??" He stammered, the heat confining them turned sweltering- the wool and sun only adding and insulating the temperature.
From her fingertips, a dim light emerged, like a tiny spark flying from her, then another, and another and another, soon erupting into a flame the size of her thumb. Her eyes were pinned on it, trying to reduce its growth aiming to burn them alive.
It sizzled and crackled as she moved it away from the hazardous wool above them.
"A-Aloysia??" He repeated, a little louder than before with an edge of panic.
Slowly and carefully he propped himself onto his side; gazing painfully down at her in worry, eyes drawn to the flame illuminating the space between them.
His eyes darted to her face; feint water droplets followed the lines of gravity. Sweat.
"Aloysia!?" He whispered, pulling himself inches closer to the heat source.
He felt his own body sweat the further he moved into her proximity, felt it seep and soak endlessly into his clothing; the hair clinging to his forehead as the heat kept rising, seeming to pick up momentum.
"Aloysi-"
"-Liam..." she exhaled, her breath fanning against his face.
Her voice sounded strained- slamming her eyes closed, wrinkles appearing at how hard she clenched her lips, eyes and nose from the pain.
"I'm here- I'm here Aloysia" he spoke calmingly, trying to soothe both unsteady heartbeats that drummed at their ears.
"Li-Liam..." she whimpered, trying to speak but being unable too.
Gently, his hand reached for her cheek, cupping it slightly but pulling back.
The heat....
-an excuse for his fear of getting too close to her.
He didn't know what to do or what over came him, but he wrapped himself around her- acting as a shield, yet felt her quivering beneath him. If that flame touched the wool above them, they'd be done for. He would be the barrier.
Was this the right choice? Was this what he had to do?
Her chest raised and plunged frequently, her breathing deepening with each passing minute.
"I- I can-t con- control it-"
Another surge of pain sent her body to visibly shake, her eyes, even beneath her shut eyelids alighting with the burning colour of crimson red.
Flaring bright for just a second before it died back down, the flame was unrelenting.
The heat, as if acting like a second skim melded against the first. It wasn't stopping.
Panic rolled off him in waves; the fear of being discovered- the fear of being so close con-fuddled his brain; the overbearing scent of hers filling his nostrils.
"It's ok Aloysia, I'm here, look at me- look at me, focus on my eyes and remember- breath. Fighting isn't only the physical, but mental strength, and you said it yourself-
//
"-You must keep a clear, level headed mind. Do not let emotion overrun your thought process as it will only make you sloppy with each attack"
Liam huffed, crossing his arms as he sat patiently on the mossy ground- awaiting instruction. He had requested self-defence lessons so he would be less vulnerable- but with his situation- that was proving to be difficult.
"I understand that- but can we just get to the actual technique pl-"
"-A technique can be shown a thousand times and still not be done correctly if not taught how to do it with the proper approach and care" she interjected, pulling a dagger from her waist and raising her eyebrow at his impatience.
She didn't understand the hurry, they were still a few days from the border and Zelek had scouted ahead with no alerts of danger.
Still, the heavy weight dropped onto his shoulders as a run-away prince appeared to be quite a mountainous task, and learning to fight -she glazed over the blade- would help that process to become easier.
Squeezing the handle, she felt it's grip comforting, the rough edges digging into her calloused hands in all the right places- the familiar places.
Was this... was this to prove his worth?
"Ok fine, I'll listen, but can we please incorporate the actual teaching as well as lecturing?" He asked, eyeing her with suspicion while pulling at his new clothing.
Such a child she thought, flipping the blade in her hand and raising her eye level.
"The mental preparation is half the training" she spoke calmly, being completely serious.
"It's just as important as any combat"
Liam sighed, clearly not going to win the argument, so he instead raised himself up and reached for his own dagger tangled in the wild grass he sat beside.
It was handed to him by Zillah in the castle and he kept it close ever since- being one of the twin blades The Shaodw used, he felt both exhilarated and down right intimidated.
Gulping loudly, they stood a few feet apart in the shade of giant trees acting as shelter with tiny streams of light peaking through.
"To mentally engage your mind allows muscle memory to be formed- perfected with plenty of practise. That, will be your biggest ally; to protect yourself sub-consciously"
Running a finger up the side of the blade, Liam nodded at her words, eyes transfixed on his weapon.
Aloysia stepped towards him, noticing that he wasn't paying attention and eyed the blades tip.
Her voice was steady as she spoke, "That blade has ended many lives, but you wouldn't think so just by looking at it"
Remorse, a fake emotion behind the truth.
"Indeed it has" he replied, hazel eyes examining it closely, holding his breath, "but you can tell it's been tainted"
Her mood dropped drastically as he pointed to a very subtle stain coating the indentation running on its edge. "It still has the evidence genius"
He looked up from the blood to meet a scowling Aloysia, her finger pointing at him with a displeasing frown.
"Don't get snarky with me- this is not part of your training." She laughed, snatching the blade off him within a second and turning to keep it out of sight.
Liam scoffed at her outburst; feeling the absence of the blade mock his palms, he walked toward her to peer over Aloysia's shoulder- the blonde hair feathering lightly at his chin as it reached her collarbones.
Aloysia's heart was racing as she held onto those blades again, but also because of the Prince's actions.
She had turned around for a reason- to stop his 'examination' and show no emotion, but he always found a way to throw a spanner in the works.
She chuckled internally at her thoughts, eyes returning back to the blade at hand.
The sun above provided the perfect lighting to illuminate its crafting masteries.
"Each blade carries memories of its past"
He looked at her confused- yet intrigued, nestling his head in the crook of her neck.
//
"-The blade is an extension of yourself, and therefore is to blame for death- not you" Liam recited, throat dry from the intense tension evaporating his throat hoarse.
"Don't feel guilty- don't feel like a monster, because you are not" he exclaimed wholeheartedly, voice at a low to prevent giving away their position.
~~
His words never ceased to end- his comforting touch- his shield of affection, all were heard and felt yet none were received.
That same boiling flame within was angry, flurrying through her veins and producing magnitudes of heat that dropped a tear at the thought of hurting Liam.
His face struck worry into her. He had come closer to help- but she needed him far away.
Far, far away so that he was at no risk of her power.
She was afraid for his life- had tried to warn him by calling his name but he only crept closer.
Gathering her demeaning strength, balled up fists aimed at Liam's chest collided; the impact a mere poke as she tried to push him away... the overwhelming need to get him to safety. She didn't know how long she would be able to keep that flame at bay- to keep it tethered and tamed.
Liam was confused- conflicted on what she meant.
Did she want him to leave? Did she want him to help her through what ever the hell was happening?
Unsure on her intentions, he hastily took her hands in his, swearing under his breath at the temperature but still holding then securely and providing a sense of welcome that she had never received before; her heart, unable to handle it, being moments from buckling under the heat.
As much as she wished him gone- she didn't want to loose that touch.
She was vulnerable- and he was the only stabiliser, her only anchor to her run-away kite.
That wretched stone had forced her to show and expose her weak side to someone she wished would never see it- but it supposedly made her more human in his eyes.
Over the weeks travelling- the old friendship re-awoke like a seedling blooming in spring. There was still a lingering doubt, still things left unsaid... but the it was usually the same atmosphere as in the blissful castle days without that awkward tension of the need to uphold status. This time, bit by bit, she became more honest with him, especially now when he knew who she truly was.
So to see her like this made him feel responsible. He needed to ensure her safety as much as she did his.
"Aloysia, what ever it is, what ever is hurting you from within- accept it, accept that emotion and embrace it" he paused, squeezing her hands gently upon seeing another scrunch on her face- the heat still rising as if he were next to a fire. Which... he was.
"Showing vulnerability is not a weakness, to accept it and overcome it is a strength, and you are the strongest person I know"
Those words seemed to break through the barrier.
Her mind processing each letter.
Accept it.
And so she did, not all of it- as Aloysia was stubborn by nature and couldn't help but stay guarded.
But she allowed the vulnerability- and thanks to it, her skin began to gradually cool, the fire dwindling from its roasting state, and her eyes darkening once more.
It had felt like hours since she felt the pain drain.
Releasing the muscles that held her face like chains, she seemed more at peace yet exhausted.
The flame engulfing her fingertips snapped away.
Liam's eyes shot wide open, relief glazing over his iris as he slowly released her from his hold and returned back to his position, not once taking his eyes off her; sweating like a river and just in time to hear the cart stop- eyes snapping up- and voices to play overhead.
The borders...
They're here...