| Jasmine's POV |
"Inner peace? God, Aiden, did you really need to spill so much blood to reach it?!" asked Kal, almost in anger as he burst into tears.
Then Aiden answered, "I'm sorry, Kal. I didn't mean to worry you. I truly am fine now. Of course, I won't lie by saying I haven't been suffering because it was hell, rightfully. But it was necessary, Kal. I don't regret it. It saved me."
I wanted to interrupt, but I didn't since it seemed like it was not the right moment to do so.
"Alright, if you say so, then I will trust you. Still, what kind of training have you been doing for you to be in such a... miserable state, if I must say? I mean, look at the darn floor; it's full of blood. And gosh, your body, Aiden..'' Said Kal, wiping his eyes.
Aiden sighed and responded, "That... I can't tell you, sadly. Let's just say leaders all have a special thing, which allows them to do special things, and it can't be revealed."
''Well... Ah, okay. I'll trust you, but please don't ever train to such a point. EVER. AGAIN,'' demanded Kal angrily.
"You never know what the future is made of, Kal," Aiden initially stated before further expressing his opinion. "Yet, even though I can assure you that I won't ever die from my own training, I can't promise you that I won't suffer as much as I did now in future ones. This is not only my duty as a leader but also the best way for me to improve myself in martial arts. However, rest assured that I will remain alive, no matter the storms I encounter in my endeavor. Pain empowers me; it adorns me with strength as I come to understand it better. Trust me, it's better to suffer now than to face an insurmountable crisis ten years from now simply because you were unprepared for it."
"Aghh, you and your goddamn intelligence. Such rhetoric, such eloquence, such repartee. I can't argue with this. Oh man," Kal sighed, giving up.
After seeing Kal sigh, Aiden nonchalantly declared, "I'd agree with myself that you should be happy for me instead of worried."
Kal responded positively, "Well, you're right. It's good to see you've freed yourself from your shackles. But let's discuss this in private later; I believe we have someone else here who wishes to speak." He finished his sentence and turned to me, pointing with his two fingers, grinning like a kid.
Finally having the opportunity to speak, I began, "It is an honor to meet the famous leader of the Heavenly Pandemonium faction. My name is Jasmine, leader of the Phoenix and Dragon Empire." I extended my hand.
"Likewise, it is an honor to meet a fellow leader in my humble abode. My name is Aiden Glain, as you may already know." He replied while shaking my hand, which flustered me slightly.
"What's wrong? Why are you so disconcerted?" He asked, clearly not understanding my confusion.
Before I could respond, Kal interrupted, "Ahaha, you really have no manners, Aiden."
"What do you mean? What's wrong with me shaking Miss Jasmine's hand?" Aiden asked.
Kal lost it and exploded in an uncontrollable fit of laughter. "Hahahaha, Aiden. She is a princess, you know that, right?" He paused for a moment, waiting for Aiden's reaction to see if he understood the implication. When it was clear Aiden was still puzzled, Kal continued, "Well, since she is a princess, you are supposed to kiss her hand. Just like royalty does."
"Huh? Isn't that disrespectful? We're not in medieval times, and I have no relationship with the princess," Aiden protested.
Kal shook his head, still chuckling. "It's about showing respect, Aiden, not about having a relationship. Some traditions are timeless."
''That's fine, Kal; I do not mind Mr. Aiden's straightforwardness,'' I commented, not wanting to force my habits onto Aiden's.
''Oh, I'm sure you'd mind it if he didn't control himself; he'd usually have no calms about bro-fisting even a princess like you.''
''That's fake, lies! I have manners; how could I fist-bump royalty? I know how to preserve myself, Hmmff.'' Aiden reacted.
I then burst out in laughter in turn.
''Hahaha, you guys are so funny; that's the first time people didn't care about my status and treated me as an equal.'' I quite like this, to be honest.''
''Everyone here is equal, princess, so fear not about people worshipping you here. In fact, I'll even dare to spank your ass without fear if you abuse your power and authority on my innocent people!''
(...)
Both Kal's and Jasmine's astounded faces made Aiden laugh heavily in turn, completing the cycle.
''Not sure how I should feel about that, to be frank. You refused to kiss my hand, yet you'd like to spank my ass; you sure are a wild man.''
''WHO SAID I'D LIKE TO SPANK YOUR ASS?" Aiden first yelled in a funny tone before pursuing, ''I meant that it would be a forced duty of mine to punish you... in case you weren't obedient.'' He joked, making me snigger. Kal then intervened.
''Whoa whoa whoa, Aiden, you sure are a heartthrob. When I tried to hit it off with the princess, she rejected me directly. I'm so jealous.'' Kal faked crying after making his ridiculous joke.
"Ouchh!" Yelled Kal after I softly kicked his leg.
''I was only joking, princess; please do not feel offended." Kal expressed his discontent with me kicking him; I then said sorry to him.
''Well, jokes aside, I need to wash myself. Let's talk about the more serious matter when I'm done. I'm full of sweat and red juice. I fear I won't be able to please Miss Jasmine under such conditions.'' Interjected Aiden.
I nodded approvingly and smiled at Aiden as he left the training ground on his way to wash himself. He said he'd come back here in about 20 minutes or so, so I planned on waiting for him outside of the horrifying building.
Kal, on his side, had to leave to prepare for the meeting with other executive members.
As I watched Aiden go away, I felt a very ominous yet pleasing feeling in my heart that I couldn't understand at all. I never liked interactions with men, as they all seemed perverted and dangerous to me. That's why Kal's jokes made me uncomfortable. But with Aiden, it was like he could make the crudest of jokes yet still appear seemingly purer than a saint.
There was no hint of perversity in his voice; no vile tint in his heart seemed apparent. His mind was neither depraved nor filthy. I truthfully didn't understand why and how the man before me wholly escaped my control; he was too hard to read. Yet, I had fun when I was talking to him. I pondered whether or not I could trust him.
But I still couldn't shake off Kal's words or the hellish sight of the training ground floor, which we had both forgotten amidst laughter. And before the sneering led us astray, the frightening image of the scarred man, with a bruised look in his eyes, petrified me in overwhelming fear.
I tried my hardest to make sense of what he might have been doing before we had entered the area, and nothing showed signs of logic. His body was chiseled in scars, small and large. Around him, a mist of smoke seemed to evaporate from his whole being, as if it were a manifestation of his fatigue. The aura he exuded also gave off the impression that his body was scorched.
Nonetheless, as a self-proclaimed princess, I couldn't allow myself to be shaken by just that, so I quickly pushed aside the matter. My mind emptied of all concern; I simply waited.
Twenty-four minutes later, the mysterious man came back. He still wore this gloomy and sorrowful expression that he originally had when I first saw him inside the hell-like gym. He looked so lonely and shadowed. I thought that he resembled my old me, back when I was still in middle school...
Feeling pity for the man, I did something I never did before, on impulse. I held out my hand again, and this time he understood what to do.
"What's this now, holding hands? Why would a princess hold my hands while walking?" he asked with genuine curiosity.
"It's to show respect and affection. You seem to have endured trials and greater pains than everyone else I know. So I thought it would be appropriate of me to make you feel some warmth of heart by holding your hands as we walk down this castle's alley, down to the meeting room," I explained.
"How kind! However, I have a question. Do you always sacrifice yourself and show such affection to everyone you feel pity for?" Aiden asked, his tone carrying a mix of intrigue and skepticism.
"First of all, it is no sacrifice. I do not mind holding your hand at all since you seem to be a pure-hearted man. Secondly, no, you are the first person ever to whom I've given such treatment. Consider yourself lucky!" I replied with a playful smile.
"Hmm, do you not fear people seeing us like this? Your people might misunderstand the situation," he questioned, still holding my hand.
"What situation, and what misunderstanding, huh? They can think whatever they want for all I care. I'm the one in control of my life. Or are you perhaps afraid of making all the other men jealous, hoho?" I teased.
"In control of your life, huh? You're right, I'm still too narrow-minded. Let's go, wife. We shall show them our straightforwardness. I'll make all the peasants of this land jealous for not cultivating enough bread!" Aiden declared boldly, making me giggle.
"Bread isn't cultivated, you poorly-educated husband," I retorted, chuckling. He laughed too.
As we walked down the galleries hand in hand, I felt a mix of emotions swirling within me. This man, with his raw intensity and unfiltered honesty, was unlike anyone I had ever met. He was a mystery, a challenge, and an enigma that I found myself drawn to unravel.
Aiden and I had talked about more serious matters along the way, setting jokes aside. Notably, the selection of the candidates for the tournament. We also discussed the relationship between factions. He seemed rather relaxed when we talked about the tournament, but when it came to faction relationships, Aiden's body seemed to tense up as if it were a subject he wanted to avoid.
"It's not that building positive relationships with other factions bothers me or anything; simply that I do not know how to handle that kind of stuff as a leader. My area of expertise lies in combat, politics, and decision-making. In contrast, I fail miserably when it comes to handling a society and relationships." He uttered.
"But you were also picked as the best leader candidate, right? So you are definitely qualified for whatever your role as a leader may be now." I reassured Aiden, as he seemed doubtful of his qualifications.
I paused for a split second and then continued by asking a question.
''Also, what was your compatibility rate with the role of leader during the selection?'' After I voiced my question, he momentarily suspended his march. Aiden then looked at me and said, ''99%."
''What? This much? That's crazy. You have no reason to doubt yourself then; your compatibility rate is far superior to the average leader in my region. Truth be told, this is actually the highest rate I've ever seen. Mine is just 89%, for example.'' I tried to comfort Aiden, but he seemed to feel nothing as he broke into a melancholic monologue and stopped holding my hand at the same time.
''People tend to easily worship and follow a leader who's loved by everyone, whereas people tend to feel dissatisfied with a leader who does not meet their requirements. They then become unfilial and could potentially betray that leader. This is why, as leaders, we should always sacrifice ourselves to satisfy our citizens's desires, right?'' He started, then stopped for a short second and pursued.
''This is quite similar to the way comedians deal with their audiences. They give them what they want, and make them laugh, and that explains the price of stand-up. But it's all an act, a prepared sketch. And the truth is that I am a very bad comedian. I do not like acting, and in fact, I don't want to. I know that being active in my faction, as well as contributing to politics, decision-making, and societal management, making speeches, and doing all of these things daily, is what I should do as a leader. Yet I do not; this is why I consider myself unworthy and unqualified for this position. Because the 'comedian' part of my role is what I am not fulfilling." Aiden ended his second comment and commenced his last one.
''I do not want, simply because I have become a leader, to impose myself duties that I hate; that is why I do the bare minimum as a leader. Yes, this is selfish and very immature; I concede and accept this fact. Nevertheless, I have other plans to contribute as a leader, so I will one day redeem myself. So, the reason why I am doubting myself is because I fear that my current people and future new members won't be able to cope any further with my attitude and misunderstand my actions. I truly am a bad leader, you see.'' He concluded, leaving me speechless.
I cleared my throat, which was cluttered with amazement. This brilliant thought process, verdant wisdom, so natural and intricate, like a brand-new, top-notch computer, made me question my whole importance. I was engrossed in my role as a leader, and it seemed like I had lost myself in arrogance when I realized Aiden's deep maturity. He was so honest that it made me skip a beat, modest, and legitimately worried for his faction and people. He, who had received an almost perfect score for the leader role, considered himself unfit for such a rank.
Considering my next words carefully, fixing the ground with my eyes, my thoughts took control over my mouth and spoke on behalf of it.
''I understand better now, both your worries and doubts. But it doesn't matter to me, as in my eyes, you are the best leader I have ever met, among all the regions I've visited. On top of that, you are a very good human being, so do not belittle yourself, dear Aiden.''
Upon saying those words, I felt a swirl of emotions rising in my chest once more; my cheeks seemed to contract themselves and hurt me. As I lifted my sight to Aiden's face, I was met with a smile so natural and bright that it seemed to outshine the sun itself.
''Thank you, dear princess. Your words mean a lot to me and make me feel better.'' Aiden answered warmly, taking hold of my hand once more.
I smiled heartily and responded, ''You're welcome, Aiden." The both of us then continued to make our way to the main hall room, in the big castle resting on top of the big courtyard.
Hand in hand again, we walked in harmony towards the future.