"I would like to start courting you." His words ran in my head like painful bells. The words made my heart race and I thought that steam would roll from my face.
"W-What?" I stammered with sweaty palms. This time I think think palms were sweating from his words not my illness. Despite my weariness and soreness I was instantly alert. His face showed no emotion but in my flustered panic my Empath eyes took over. His aura was glowing a violently bright pink tinged with a passionate red. His fingers where almost white from being clenched so tightly and his elbow rested on his knees. Him being so hunched over to meet my eye level right next to me made my panic only intensify as he seemed much closer than previously. I couldn't speak, I was trying to form words but it was like my mouth was frozen. He started to fidget but kept a stoic face. His aura began to dim a bit as if he was disappointed.
"W-Why do you want to court me?" I managed to stammer out, my legs shaking under my thin skirt making it have small waves on the fabric. His eyes flickered to it for a moment and he became even more unreadable.
"I feel like it would be obvious why a man would want to court a woman." A warmth spread across my chest from his words. It felt like someone was holding a candle close to my chest. I gripped the hem of my chemise, my fingertips throbbing with my heart beat. I deflated for a moment, a possibility of his words floating past my face. Nobles usually married for politics, not because they fell in love. Perhaps, that was what his words meant. My heart twinged for a moment but I still had a strange glimmer of hope in it as well. His gaze was incredibley intense as was his burning aura. It was quite clear he knew exactly who I was, and I felt bad about being suspicious if the purity of his confession but I had no other choice. In the original novel he fell in love with Agatha at the ball. What if he was just using me to get close to her? These dark and dreary thoughts rolled through my head, making my face tighten. Jayce noticed the movement and scooted forward a bit so his body was right next to my chest. Every inch he got closer my face got redder. I gripped the blanket in nerves, my chills taking over and making me quake.
"I'm sorry if I overstepped my boundaries." He had misunderstood the tightness in my face for something else and I realized that he was as bad at reading women as he was as good as creating misunderstandings. I had to semi steel my nerves and shove aside whatever nobles pride Mercy ever had.
"Y-You didn't. I was just concerned... that your graces words were leaning more to a meaning political marriage. You see, I am well aware you know my true identity, and although I don't know why you didn't I appreciate you never revealed that." He blinked in surprise at my brazen honesty, giving me a soft smile.
"Do I seem like the kind of man who needs to marry for political reasons?" He leaned forward and I could smell the faint scent of ale mixed in with his sandlewood scent. It was making my head buzz and I could just uselessly lie back unable to hide my emotions. His almost seductive words made my heart nearly beat out of my chest. I knew he was passionate when it came to his feelings in the book, but I never could have imagined it being like this. His tunic tops gap was exposing his collar bone, the loose laces hanging uselessly against the black fabric. His hair was slightly damp and tousled back. My mind was blank and racing and I knew I had to say something to break the tension that had thickened the air.
"W-What about at the end of the raid? You'll go to the capital and I'll have to return to Jarlsvic." His smile wavered for a brief moment before his eyes gleamed mischievously for a moment.
"I'll figure something out." His words shot down my back like electricity. They were touching words , but I still couldn't help but feel a little saddened that I wouldn't see him too often. I had become accustomed to his presence like Donatellos.
Donatello. I hadn't thought about him in a while. I missed him quite a bit and my heart ached for a moment. Even though I was excited to go home and see him and everyone else again, I felt like i was going to lose something by doing so. I couldn't just uproot all my hard work in the villiage and leave, nor was it a good idea for me to return to the capital. I shuddered at the thought, the twisted faces of Agatha and the Count zipping through my head. Jayce was staring at me intently, and I realized that I had never given him an answer. He looked like a puppy, and if he had a tail it probably would have been downwards. Worry was clouded in his face and infecting his aura. My sickness was rolling over me once again, but I managed to reach out and touch his elbow still resting on his knees. He had a sharp intake of breath from me doing so, eyes staring st me eagerly. The fire lights around us seemed to almost dim, making the atmosphere unessecarily steamy. It lessened the stinging in my eyes however, which I was quite grateful for.
"I... would be okay if you started courting me." My voice was barely over a whisper as I couldn't bring myself to say them too loud. He seemed frozen for a brief moment and then started nodding his head as if trying to reassure himself that this was real. I was starting to become even more exhausted from expending my energy and the cold cloth on my head had become warm once more.
"Your grace--"
"Jayce." His voice was firm as he had pulled himself from his stupor. There was a gleam in his eyes I couldn't read.
"That seems a little much to drop honorifics."
"I want you to call me by my name. I don't like it when you call me your grace."
"But you call me milady." He screwed his mouth quizzically at my retort. Despite my pain and drowsiness, I felt accomplished. Jayce looked a bit like the cat that ate the canary, but with pink dusting his cheeks.
"I understand where you're coming from," He leaned forward to me suddenly quite brazen. His jumping from embarrassment to bold made my head spin and made him incredibley hard to read. He was close, a little too close. His arms planted on either side of my body so he could hold himself upright, his face only inches from my own. I pulled the blanket up to cover the bottom of my face, my arms screaming at me in pain. He was pleased with my bashfulness, chuckling under his breathe.
"You should get some rest. I'll bring you some soup from the mess hall for dinner." His words said to rest but he didn't move from his position. Instead he seemed to inch closer so I could feel his breath on my face.
"Sweet dreams... Mercy." My name rolled off his tongue like it was natural. It was strange hearing that name, but he seemed happy at my reaction as I recoiled and gasped. He pushed himself upwards and gave me one last look before snapping his fingers making the firelight dim until the tent was nearly black.
"I'll check on you every once in a while. I'll leave someone outside the tent so if you need anything just call." I could see the outline of his silhouette but not his features.
"Thank you." I managed to get out before he almost bolted out the tent. I felt giddy, but also too exhausted to celebrate. All I could do was sit there with my heart pounding and my eyes closed.
Jayce walked out of the tent into the light rain nearly vibrating from glee. As soon as he got out he lifted his face to the dreary sky, closed his eyes and took in a deep breath of the forest air. He had to hold the urge back to scream into the void about how happy he was. He never thought he would ever be this happy in his life. Those horrible memories that flooded him on a daily basis seemed to almost disappear when he saw her face. Her words rang through his head, almost seductive in nature. He knew it was far too early to be thinking about anything intimate, but he was basically speedrunning their entire lives on his head. He thought about how he would propose, their wedding details, even how many kids he wanted to have with her.
"So how did it go?" Jayce nearly leapt put of his skin at the voice directly beside him, but held back a flinch. He regained his posture and saw that Ignis was standing there, grinning like a damned fool. Jayce couldn't help but reciprocate the foolish grin as his friend reached out and slapped his back.
"Good man." As the two chatted excitedly like women at tea time, Jayce felt something that felt like eyes staring at him. He scanned the few soldiers that passed by but couldn't shake the feeling that someone was looking with ill intentions. What he didn't know was that the eyes were not meant for him, but the person he was holding so dear.