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The safehold of Phoenix Drop was bustling as everyone went about their daily activities - Levin and Malachi working on trade agreements, Kawaii~Chan providing sweets and giggling as Nekoette~Tan ran around with Rollo and Lello, and Logan selling wares in the plaza.
Aphmau sat by the ocean, shaded by the large branches of the Yggdrasil tree above her. Each deep breath she took did little to ease the tension and stress she’s felt since coming back from the Irene Dimension. So much to do, so much uncertainty, so much loss…
“...Lady Aphmau?”
Aphmau jumped and turned around as Laurance approached, watching her with concern. “Ah! Laurance! You scared me!”
He looked apologetic as he walked up to her side. “My apologies. I didn’t see you atop the patrol station, so I wanted to check on you.”
She let out a small chuckle and turned back to the water, slumping in her seated position. “I appreciate it, though it’s not needed. I-”
“-‘can take care of myself’, I know, I know,” Laurance finished her thought with amusement, sitting beside her. “That doesn’t stop me from caring about you.”
Aphmau’s shoulders lowered more as she ducked her head. “Yeah…”
Laurance frowned at her. “M’lady, are you alright? I know the current affairs are…not preferable, but is something else ailing you?”
She didn’t reply immediately; instead rubbing her fingers over the armor Cadenza made her a couple of weeks ago-....or…rather, 15 years ago…
“Aphmau?”
“...Laurance…I keep trying to keep a smile on and power through, but…”
Laurance stayed quiet, waiting for her response with furrowed brows. However, when she put her head in her hands and saw her shoulders had begun to shake, he did not hesitate to pull her gently towards himself and hold her head against his chest. It broke his heart to see her break down - so unlike what she would usually show. “Is it that these situations are so stressful that it’s brought her to this point or does she just allow herself to do this behind closed doors?” Either thought wrenched his chest. He held her tighter.
Once she began to calm down, she sat up and he allowed her to. She kept her face turned from him, almost as though she was ashamed of letting down her walls. “Aphmau…?”
“Sorry…I didn’t mean to cry.”
Laurance frowned and shook his head, though this went unnoticed by her. “You needn’t apologize. Everyone deserves a moment to cry. You’re strong, Aphmau, but there are times when you don’t have to be.”
Aphmau finally turned around to look at Laurance, her puffy face and red eyes in full view. “Yes, you’re…you’re right…”
Laurance felt the breath leave his lungs when she looked at him, in awe of her beauty. “...Wow…you’re so..beautiful.”
Her eyes widened and Laurance bit the inside of his cheek, realizing he made a mistake. “I’m..I’m so sorry. I..didn’t mean to say that aloud…”
She seemed to lean back, uncertain. The walls were put back up. “It’s…okay. I’m…going to get ready for the day. I have to speak with Levin later…” She stood and wiped her face one more time.
Laurance nervously stood at attention. “O-Okay. Be well, Lady Aphmau.”
She gave him a small smile, sadness still in her eyes. “Thank you. You too, Laurance.” She walked away.
Laurance stayed back, watching her retreating form. When she was out of sight, he stomped the ground and swung in the air. “Why would you say that?! She was finally opening up with her emotions and then you go and compliment her?! Did you want her to leave?!” He groaned and leaned against the tree. He felt terrible - 1. That he still loves her even though she has rejected him numerous times, 2. He keeps putting her in awkward situations because of his feelings for her, 3. He’s flirting with her in Garroth’s absence - who became susceptible to Zane’s influence because he thought he lost Aphmau to him, and 4. …He’s disgustingly appreciative of this time he can spend at Aphmau’s side alone, without Garroth, as competition, and Dante, preoccupied with his own family. “What’s wrong with me?” He leaned his head in his hand and sighed against his palm. He couldn’t help but think about his Shadow Knight nature. Is that why he’s more selfish and desperate for her affection? Will things change for the better?
“There’s a ship approaching the port!”
Laurance looked up at the concerned announcement by Zoey and he looked over at Dante, who nodded silently, before they both rushed to the port. Levin and Aphmau arrived shortly after and they all watched as the ship sailed close to the shore. Someone from the deck yelled, “Permission to dock? We’re a merchant vessel seekin’ to sell some o’ our wares!”
Everyone looked at Aphmau to ask what she thought of the situation. She, in turn, pointed the question to Levin. “Levin, what do you think? Do you permit them to dock?”
Levin examined the ship and the few people he could see on board. “Yes, but be on guard.” Everyone nodded and allowed them to dock.
A man and woman carrying multiple pages of paper disembarked from the ship. The man looked older than the group, but the woman looked about their age and she was…objectively attractive. He glanced at Aphmau from the corner of his eye, feeling subconsciously guilty for the observation.
“‘Ello there! The name is Nikolai! Me and my cousin, Andrea, ‘ere, are two merchants out on the sea alongside our crew!” The man, Nikolai, addressed them.
Andrea, the woman with him, smiled and stepped forward, holding out the papers. “My cousin and I have plenty o’ wares to sell, so take a gander at our inventory and let us know if anythin’ tickles ya’ fancy!” She waited until someone stepped forward to look at the inventory papers.
Levin glanced at his mom before approaching the merchant. “Hello, I’m Levin, the lord of this village. Would it be okay if my guard goes aboard your ship to verify the legitimacy of your business? It is for the safety of my people.”
Andrea looked surprised, but responded, “Oh! Y-Yes, that’s alright. Oi, Harper!” A head popped up from behind the ship’s outer wall. “A guard is comin’ aboard! Show ‘em around!”
“Aye!”
Dante went aboard the ship to check everything out. In the meantime, Levin asked Andrea about their inventory and if they had any town affiliation as Aphmau spoke with Nikolai to see what information he’s gathered in his travels. Laurance was close behind, eyeing the ship for anything suspicious. Then his eyes shifted over to Andrea.
Her brown hair curled around her shoulders and her eyes were a starking shade of brown, almost appearing orange. Unfortunately for him, he was looking at her for too long because she looked up from her papers and met his gaze.
He jumped slightly at getting caught, but he was pleasantly surprised by the blush that formed on her face as she nervously looked away. Huh.
“Miss, are you alright? You look feverish,” Levin asked Andrea, concern in his voice.
“I-I’m fine! So…has your guard finished his inspection?”
As they were speaking, Dante walked down the dock. “Everything checks out, my lord. They are traveling merchants with a large quantity of food and supplies.”
Levin smiled, feeling relieved. “Great. I am open to purchasing some of your wares, Andrea and Nikolai.”
The cousins celebrated and Nikolai walked over to the ship with Levin and Dante, handling the sales. Andrea stayed behind with Aphmau and Laurance. Aphmau tried to talk to Andrea, but Andrea’s eyes kept drifting over to Laurance. He felt hot under his armor and desperately tried to ignore her glances, but it was getting hard to.
“Um, Andrea? Are you listening?” Aphmau tracked her gaze and finally realized she was staring at Laurance, who was actively fighting a blush. “...Oh.”
Andrea yelped and hid slightly behind her inventory papers. “I do apologize! My mind is elsewhere! Um, let me go put these back ‘n I’ll be right wit’ ya’.” She nervously headed back to her ship.
Aphmau turned to Laurance with a raised eyebrow and the blush he had been fighting took over. “So…what was that about?”
Laurance shrugged and kept his gaze on the wood planks beneath them. “I’m not sure. She seemed…distracted.”
“Uh huh…” Aphmau eyed him. “You know, if you wanted to talk to her, you can. You’re free to.”
He lifted his head at that. “Huh?”
She shrugged, “Yeah! It seems like she likes you, so…go for it!”
Laurance didn’t know how to take that. “...You’re telling me to pursue her?”
“...Yeah?”
“......You-, but you know how I..” Something akin to hurt ran through his mind as his sentence trailed off. She’s asking him to go after another woman, but she knows how he feels about her! Is this her way of saying she’s tired of him? She’d rather have him with another woman so she doesn’t have to deal with him anymore?
Before they could say anything else, Malachi walked up and asked what was going on. Aphmau filled him in and Laurance took this as an opportunity to walk away.
“Laurance?”
“I’m checking the gate,” was all he said. He just needed to step away.
That evening, Laurance was still at the gate, looking out at the overgrowth that consumed the village he’d come to love. Love. He frowned.
“Pardon me?” A voice came from behind him.
He looked over his shoulder and found that it was the woman from the merchant vessel. “O-Oh, hello. How may I help you?”
Andrea brushed some curls behind her ear as she replied, “I…lord Levin extended an invitation to my crew to enjoy some supper and we graciously accepted, so..”
Laurance stared down at her, unsure of what she was saying. Her eyes held nervousness in them.
“Are you…plannin’ on joinin’ the meal? Er, if the guards join, that is?”
“U-Uh..” Laurance hadn’t heard anything about a dinner. He must’ve been so out of it since earlier, he missed any commotion behind him. He can see now there were tables being brought out and some food was already being set. “I..don’t know who will be on guard duty while the safehold eats. I think I’ll just be here.”
Andrea frowned, “Oh…I was hopin’ you’d be there..”
Laurance regrettably found her reaction cute.
“Maybe..I can bring my food over here? I’m on board with that salty crew day in and day out and the people of your village are nice, but…” She looked up at him through her eyelashes and he felt his knees wobble. “I’d much rather get ta’ know you…what’s your name?”
He had to find his voice. “L-Laurance…”
She smiled and gave a curtsy. “It’s nice to meet your acquaintance, Laurance.”
Laurance bent forward in a bow, feeling stiff and awkward. “It’s nice to meet yours as well..Andrea.”
She giggled and waved, planning to come back later with food. Laurance leaned against the closed gate, feeling winded. It’s been a long time since a woman interacted with him like that. It was..exhilariting…but he still felt guilty. He looked around the safehold and saw Aphmau walking away from the plaza towards the tree. He wonders if she saw that.
The dinner was underway and conversation filled the plaza as everyone enjoyed the food Kawaii~Chan, Zoey, and Dante had prepared (Dante wanted to guard, but Kawaii~Chan wouldn’t have it, especially after the scare with the bandits). Laurance continued to take watch at the gates, letting Kyle and Alexis eat as well. He was feeling hungry, but he didn’t want to leave his post.
“Hi, Laurance.”
He couldn’t help but smile when he turned around and was faced with a plate of food. “Hello, Andrea. You didn’t need to bring me food.”
She scoffed and handed him the plate, holding her own in her other hand. “Nonsense. You’re big and strong! You need your helpin’!”
Laurance chuckled and began to eat, making sure he had view of the plaza and outside the gates. “I can’t argue with that.”
“See!” They laughed and ate as they learned more about each other. Andrea has been a merchant since she was a teenager to bring in extra funds for her family. Her cousin, Nikolai, had been doing the same, so he suggested they team up and sell together alongside some of his friends. Laurance was interested in her story and Andrea tried to ask him about his.
“Well…it’s complicated, to be frank.”
“Then give me the quick rundown,” she persisted.
He thought for a moment before telling her, “Essentially…I was the head guard in the village that used to be neighboring this one. After an…incident, I came to serve as a guard here and fell in love.” Oops, he didn’t mean to say that.
“‘Fell in love’? With the village?”
“Er…yeah…”
She was a bit confused by that response, but pressed on, talking well after they had finished their meal.
From a distance, someone was watching them, unsure of how she felt.
“To lord Levin! The man who made us very prosperous, har har!” Nikolai belted as he held up his root beer. Alexis eyed the cup cautiously, noting how it was his fourth and remembering how her father got after root beer…
Levin laughed and raised his cup as well, feeling shy but entertained. “To Nikolai and crew! Thanks to you all, we’ll have more than enough food to last the upcoming months!”
“Cheers!”
Logan sighed and grumbled, “This dinner has become hours long. Don’t they need to leave now?”
Donna nudged his shoulder as she rocked their baby in her arms. “Logan! Be nice, they just gave us a lot of food and supplies.”
“Yeah, but it’s late and I won’t be able to sleep with all this noise out here.”
Yip cringed nearby and looked apologetically at Logan. “Sorry, dad…but I heard Kyle said they were going to dock for the night and possibly stay a day or two…”
“You’ve gotta be kidding me.”
Laurance’s ears picked up on that conversation and he turned to Andrea. “You all may be staying for a day or two?”
She nodded. “Yes, we need a bunch o’ wood to make some repairs to our ship. Dante should’ve been able to see that our interior is a bit rickety. We were given permission to harvest some wood in the area outside y’all’s gates and make repairs. Then, be on our way!”
“Ah, I see..” Laurance had to admit, he was feeling disappointed by that.
Andrea picked up on the shift in his tone. She stepped forward with a small smile and offered, “Ya’ know…a day or two is good to keep gettin’ to know each other, yes?
Laurance subconsciously looked over at Aphmau who was helping Kawaii~Chan clean up. She didn’t seem to mind him talking to Andrea nor has she looked over here in the times he’s glanced over the plaza, so… “Yeah…that time is good.”
-
The merchant ship didn’t disembark from their ship until late morning after some of them recovered from the festivities and root beer. Laurance wasn’t stationed at the gates today, so he’s been going about his usual routine of checking on everyone, then seeing what the priority was for the day. However, when he saw Andrea walking down the docks from the ship, he excused himself from talking to Kenmur and Emmalyn on the guard tower station and descended the tree. He missed the look Aphmau gave him when he suddenly bolted and the way she looked over the treetop to see him talking to her, both looking eager to converse.
Katelyn stood next to Aphmau and hummed. “Seems he knows what he wants to do today.”
Aphmau let out a small joyless chuckle. “Haha. Yeah…”
Laurance assisted Andrea (and a few of the crew members) in gathering some wood outside of the former Phoenix Drop gates. However, they spent more time chatting than chopping and by early afternoon, when they’ve gathered all of the wood they could carry, they headed back to the ship.
Aphmau watched as Laurance walked past her without a glance, his gaze solely on Andrea as he carried her logs for her and she giggled at something that probably wasn’t that funny. Laurance’s humor is cheesy and outdated - mediocre at best. She, herself, mostly gives him pity laughs. Ha! There’s no way she finds that funny. Doesn’t she know she’s boosting his ego? It’s already inflated as it is!
“...Uh, mom? Who are you talking about?”
Aphmau jumped and faced Malachi, whom she had been talking to before getting distracted. “Oh, sorry Malachi! I didn’t realize I was talking out loud, heh. Um, what were we talking about?”
Malachi closed his notes and adjusted his scarf. “The Phoenix Alliance, but we can talk about it at a different time.”
Aphmau sputtered, “No, no, we can talk about it now! Okay, the Phoenix Alliance would take some traveling, right? To the north!”
“...To the west…”
“The west! That’s what I meant!”
“Mom.” Malachi looked at his mom with a knowing expression.
Aphmau tried to feign ignorance. “Y-Yes, Malachi? What’s the matter?”
“Is this about Laurance?”
“Laurance?!” Aphmau scoffed. “No way! Why would anything be about Laurance?! In fact, shouldn’t he be guarding something?? Like…like the outer gate or your house or, like, me?!”
Malachi sighed and rested a hand on his mom’s shoulder. “Mom, I know Laurance has feelings for you, but, are you bothered that he has feelings for someone else?”
Aphmau blew a raspberry and shook her head exasperatedly. “I don’t know why you’re so focused on Laurance or his feelings. He’s my guard and he’s not with me. That’s why I’m upset.”
“...Are you certain?”
She was becoming angry with the accusations, so she lowered his hand from her shoulder as she told him, “Yes, I’m certain. Now, I have to go check on the stranger. I haven’t talked to him today. I’ll see you later, Malachi.” She walked off as Malachi sighed deeper behind her.
Is she bothered that he is showing interest in another woman? No, of course not! There’s someone who reciprocates his advances and she’s happy for him! Happy for the both of them! Happy for everyone!!
She halted halfway up the stairs to look at the ship. She didn’t see Laurance. He must’ve gone under deck with Andrea. Hm. Why did she feel angry all of the sudden?
“Whatever, I don’t care what he does with who, where! He’s an adult and he can do as he so pleases! Besides, I told him to go after her! Yeah, what do I care? Ha ha ha!” Aphmau went through the trapdoor and looked around, surprised to see no one was in the guard station. “Huh, where did everybody go?”
“They went into the old part of the village to see if they could rebuild.”
Aphmau peered around the corners of the base and finally saw the stranger up in the tree staring out at the land. “Why do you climb so high? We don’t have cooties.”
“Vantage point.”
“Oh. That makes sense. Wait, how can you see that far with the bandana?”
He ignored her question to ask one of his own: “Why were you talking to yourself so loudly?”
So, he heard that? Aphmau leaned against the fence and watched everyone in the plaza, her back to the stranger. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You’re clearly jealous.”
“Pfft!! Ha! I think being that high up is making you lose oxygen to your brain or something.”
“Don’t mistake my silence for stupidity.”
“I-I never said you-!”
“Look,” his voice grew more firm. “The longer you push aside these emotions, the more unfocused you’ll become. This makes you a liability, both to yourself and to those you care about.”
“Okay, it’s not that serio-”
“It is.”
Aphmau turned around and saw the stranger facing her directly, his eyes hidden behind the red bandana. She understood what he was saying - anything that takes your focus off of what’s in front of you can one day blind you to something important. She can’t work to rebuild the Phoenix Alliance if she’s focused on who Laurance is or isn’t with. “...I understand.”
-
The ship stayed docked that night, but the crew had dinner aboard their ship.
“Laurance, care to join us for dinner?” Andrea asked Laurance on the path to Donna and Logan’s house. He had just come to ensure they were doing well when she had met him halfway.
“Dinner? That sounds lovely.” He can’t lie, he’s been loving all of this attention.
Andrea smiled brightly and wrapped her arms around his. “Great!” She guided him down the path to the ship and Laurance chuckled, amused. He didn’t come back to the tree tower until late that night.
Aphmau opened her eyes when she heard him creaking up the ladder. Everyone else was asleep but her. She couldn’t have, even if she wanted to. She knew he was on that boat.
He opened the hatch and climbed through, quietly giggling to himself. She watched as he sneaked over to his bed and set his sword to the side. He brushed his hair with his hands and she could vaguely make out a smile on his face. Make out? Nah, they didn’t…but he’s too giddy for that to not have happened. She frowned.
He whispered to himself, “You still got it, Laurance.”
Gross.
He fell asleep before she did. She sat up in her bed and looked between him and the merchant ship, feeling a mixture of emotions. Frustration, uncertainty, loneliness? Anger. Anger for sure. “They need to hurry up and leave,” she whispered and fell back onto her bed, squeezing her eyes shut in hopes that she’d fall asleep. Eventually, she did.
The next day, there were still some small repairs to make, so Aphmau rose early and waited by the docks for the crew to leave the dock. When they did, she smiled as wide as she could and stepped onto the path. “Good morning! I heard that you’re heading to the forest today to finish up your repairs? I’d like to offer my assistance!” She looked at Andrea who was, along with everyone, surprised by the enthusiasm Aphmau had so early. “Everyone knows I’m good at chopping! Yup, chop chop! That’s what I do…”
Andrea felt strangely uncomfortable by the continued eye contact, “Uh…”
One of the crew members perked up, “Yeah, that’d be great! Thanks!”
Aphmau’s smile was still large and slightly concerning as she grabbed her axe. “Awesome! Let’s go!”
Laurance was coming down the stairs when he saw the group leaving out. “Andrea!”
She turned and was about to speak when Aphmau suddenly wrapped an arm around her shoulders, yelling, “Let’s use girl power to chop down these trees even faster! Yeah!!”
Laurance paused in confusion for a moment before following after the group, still wanting to help their efforts. However, when they arrived at the forest outside of Phoenix Drop, Aphmau insisted on sticking with Andrea. Every time Laurance would try to offer his help, Aphmau would say, “I got it!”, then proceed to swing at the tree in a way to make Laurance back up. He had his suspicions, but stayed quiet and continued collecting wood.
When the crew finished, they hauled the wood back to the ship and Aphmau still stayed by Andrea’s side. Andrea kept glancing at Laurance with a look that conveyed she wanted to be with him instead. Laurance stayed quiet.
Aphmau even came aboard and helped with the remaining repairs, moving at a speed that was a bit reckless given the materials they were working with. She was really getting into it, hammering pieces together and helping the other crew members with their tasks.
In a moment when her back was turned, Laurance gently pulled Andrea to the side. “Hey.”
Andrea giggled, “Hey. So, today’s been interesting.”
Laurance chuckled and held her hand. “Yes, it has.”
She frowned and squeezed his hand. “I thought we’d have more time to be together, but I reckon we’d be done within the hour…”
He frowned as well. He lifted her hand to his lips then sighed. “It seems so. Have you all eaten today? Perhaps that could add an hour or two before the ship pulls off?”
“Unfortunately, we had a big breakfast.”
“Then lunch?”
Andrea giggled again and cupped the side of his face, “Laurance…”
He leaned into the touch and placed his hand atop hers. This stinks. A woman finally showed him affection, but she has to leave shortly after they met. Would he even see her again? “Andrea…”
Aphmau looked around and realized she didn’t see Andrea or Laurance. “Oh shoot, where did they go?!”
A crew member looked up and pointed in the direction of the galley. “If yer’re lookin’ fer yer guard, he went towards the galley.”
Aphmau thanked him and hurried over to the galley, hoping and hoping-
She opened the door to see the two of them kissing. Her heart dropped to the floor.
They parted with a smile, but purple armor seen in the corner of his eye caught Laurance’s attention. He looked over at her distraught face, “Aphmau…I..”
She couldn’t say anything, couldn’t find the words to say, couldn’t will her vocal cords to produce anything other than a strangled sob. She ran out of the room before Laurance could stop her.
Aphmau was halfway down the docks before her elbow was grabbed by a firm hand. “Let me go!”
Laurance’s eyebrows were deeply furrowed, feeling his heart race from shame and desperation. “Aphmau, please let me explain!”
She ripped her arm out of his grasp and snared up at him, tears staining her face. “Why?! So you can tell me how much you liked it?! You guys were kissing in there!”
“Yeah, we were! Because you told me to go after her!”
Aphmau scoffed and gestured towards the ship. “I didn’t mean: sink your face into hers the moment nobody’s looking!”
Laurance pointed in her face and he exclaimed, “Ha! I knew it! You were getting in between Andrea and I all day!”
“Of course I was! You’ve spent every moment of the past three days with her!!”
“YOU TOLD ME TOO!”
“I WAS LYING!”
There was a pause in their arguing, a silence that rang painfully in the air. Laurance was confused as he looked at her tear-soaked face which was slowly changing from angry to mortified. “You were?”
Aphmau stumbled back, suddenly feeling lost as to what to do next. She could see the crew members watching from the ship and Andrea standing there, hurt plainly written on her face. “I…”
Laurance stepped toward her, then took two steps backwards. His expression hardened as he realized he has had enough. He didn’t want to stay quiet anymore. “You know what, stop, Aphmau.”
Her eyes focused back on him, “H-Huh?”
He chuckled darkly and lowered his head. “I can’t do this right now. I had a feeling that it was true, but I wasn’t sure, especially after you’ve rejected me for so long.”
“Laurance? Wh..What?”
Laurance looked back up, exasperated. “You wait until now to realize you might actually reciprocate my feelings?? When I’m actively trying to get over you? You know, these past three days with Andrea have been amazing, but the whole time, I’ve felt guilty, as though I’ve been unfaithful to you. But there was nothing to be unfaithful to, to begin with! You’ve shot me down time after time, so I thought it’d be better for the both of us - no, for everyone! For you, for me, for Garroth, - if I just moved on to someone else! Why are you making this hard, Aphmau?!”
Aphmau was feeling the pressure of everyone’s eyes on them and the growing commotion they were causing. She couldn’t stop the tears from falling from her eyes, so she did the only thing her legs were screaming for her to do: run.
She ran through the safehold and out into the old village, leaving Laurance behind to embarrassedly look around. “Uh…Sorry…everyone. Please…go about your business…” He covered his face with this hand as the crew members got back to work. The villagers stayed where they were, knowing Laurance was not the type of person to explode like that. The stranger sighed and shook his head from his perch in the guard tower above them.
Laurance turned around and saw Andrea staring at him with an unreadable expression. “Andrea…”
“Thank you for your help, Laurance. Take care.” She averted her gaze then went into the ship. That was the last time Laurance saw Andrea.
He felt numb. He couldn’t put what he was feeling into a single word.
Dante hesitantly walked up to Laurance, “Laurance, buddy? Do you want me to go after Aphmau?”
Laurance paused for a moment before answering, “No…No, I’ll go. Can you check with the ship that we didn’t sour a possible return to Phoenix Drop? If my outburst causes them to not want to return here to sell goods…”
“Yeah, sure thing,” Dante nodded and patted Laurance’s shoulder before going to the ship.
In the crowd, Logan’s frown was still evident on his face, but he turned to everyone else that had accumulated to the scene, “Alright, everyone. Nothing to see here. Come on.” With that, the group dispersed and nobody was left except for Malachi.
“Laurance?”
“...Yes, Malachi?”
“...Be kind to my mom. She’s the kind of person who will avoid her own feelings until it’s too late,” Malachi requested.
Laurance hummed in acknowledgement, knowing this all too well about his Lady. “Of course.”
-
Aphmau cried on the steps of the old mine, hoping not to be found. How embarrassing what just happened in front of everybody. Even the children! All because she was…jealous.
She was jealous of Laurance and Andrea - all the time they spent together, the way he looked at her, how they laughed… She was completely jealous and that thought shocked her.
Could she actually be in love with Laurance? She reacted so negatively to seeing him kissing Andrea. There has to be more to that, right? And what about Garroth? Zane was able to influence Garroth to join his side because Garroth thought that she and Laurance were dating! He loves her that much and so does Laurance; she loves them so deeply through the time they’ve spent together, but in love with either of them? That’s something she’s not sure of.
“Aphmau? Aphmau??”
She heard Laurance calling her from somewhere outside the mines. Maybe in the old village plaza? She contemplated hiding deeper in the mines, but with a sigh, she knew the best thing would be to face him, Lady to her guard.
“Laurance, I…I’m here,” she said as she walked out of the mine.
He turned at the sound of her voice and jogged up to her, stopping a respectful distance from her. “Aphmau…I looked in your house and throughout the village and…I’m sorry. I should’ve never raised my voice at you. You don’t deserve that.”
“No…I do,” Aphmau lowered her gaze. “I…haven’t been upfront with you or considerate of your feelings towards me. I’ve treated you poorly, even with all of the ways you have shown your care of me.”
Laurance thought she looked so small. He stepped forward, “Even with my feelings for you, you’re not entitled to respond in any sort of way. You expressed you did not want to pursue my feelings and that should have been okay with me.”
“But-”
“Lady Aphmau, I am your guard - by choice, by honor, by decree. I want to serve you and ensure your safety. Whether professional, friendly, or romantic, I will stay by your side. At the end of the day, that is all that matters.” Laurance swallowed the lump that formed in his throat.
Aphmau saw he was beginning to get choked up so she stepped forwards as well. “Laurance…I…I can’t deny, seeing you with Andrea this week has been..harder than I thought it could ever be. I didn’t like it from the start and I let myself stew in the jealousy and insecurity I felt.”
Laurance was surprised, “‘Insecurity’? Why were you insecure? You’re amazing, Aphmau.”
She let out a sad chuckle. “Thank you, but Andrea…she was beautiful and funny and knew what she wanted. I…still don’t know what I want. Her certainty…embarrased me and my inability to make up my mind on simple matters.”
He couldn’t look away from the woman in front of him. The hope that has been in his heart since he first saw her in Meteli reignited as he stepped as close to her as possible. “And…what would those matters be..?”
She tilted her head up to meet his blue eyes. The look of love he always gave her were still in the cyan flecks that dotted his irises and in the dilated pupils she found endearing. She smiled, “...Tracking down that table that was in the guard tower.”
Laurance blinked. Then blinked again. “Huh?”
She giggled and pointed at the tower Dale, Brian, Corey, and Brendan built. “Remember? When we were fighting about that table? It’s not up there anymore.”
He looked over at the tower and laughed once he got the reference. “Oh, yeah! You’re trying to make up your mind about finding that table to marry it?”
Aphmau snickered, “Yes, before you marry it, instead.”
Laurance smiled mischievously down at Aphmau, “Too late. I already have people out looking for it as we speak.”
Aphmau smacked his chestplate in faux indignation, “No! You knew I had my eyes on it!”
“I saw it first!”
“Nuh uh!” Aphmau laughed and Laurance followed suit, holding onto each other as the former tension was released through their laughter.
Still holding onto his chestplate, Aphmau rose up on her tip-toes and kissed Laurance’s cheek. His hold on her stiffened from the unexpected action and when she lowered back to the ground, she shrugged innocently at him.
“A-Aph..mau?”
“I..still don’t know for sure how I feel about you….but…I could..try to learn?”
Laurance’s heart soared. His smile was bright enough to emit UV rays and he leaned into her face. She blocked it with a hand.
“You’re not getting a kiss, yet. You were just smooching with Andrea in the ship’s galley!”
He chuckled awkwardly as he couldn’t deny it. “You..got a point.”
She put her hands on her hips and peered up at him, “You know what, while we’re on the subject, what all did you do with that homewrecker?”
“Ha! ‘Homewrecker’?! What are you talking about? And all we did was talking and some kisses, nothing crazy, come on.”
“She just came in here and complicated things, so homewrecker. And ‘some kisses’? Hmph,” Aphmau pouted.
Laurance sighed with an affectionate smile. He gently guided Aphmau into an embrace, holding her head against his shoulder and relishing the feeling of her arms wrapping around his back. “It was truly a tiny crush, just two people interested in each other. Not much substance or depth to it. No, what I feel for you is deeper than the nether and more vast than the ocean. It has layers and each layer is better than the next. One of the holes in my existence is perfectly shaped like you and no other woman would fit. You’re my motivation and my reason why. I love you with every fibre of my being, Aphmau.”
Aphmau sniffed and desperately tried to get the tears out of her voice as she responded with feigned nonchalance, “Okay, you don’t have to be so dramatic, or whatever.”
He laughed and kissed the top of her head, holding each other tightly until nightfall.
-
When they arrived at the Safehold, the villagers were relieved and the docks were empty.
“Ah! Kawaii~Chan was so nervous when Aphmau-senpai and Laurance-kun were fighting on the docks! Kawaii~Chan and the village didn’t know if Aphmau-Senpai and Laurance-kun would be alright!” Kawaii~Chan wailed as she hugged Aphmau.
Aphmau comforted her and reassured her and everyone else that everything was okay. “Laurance and I talked and smoothed everything over.”
Levin stepped forward anxiously, “So…you two are…okay?”
Laurance smiled smugly, “Better than okay.”
Donna gasped loudly at the insinuation, “Don’t tell me!”
He glanced over at Aphmau, who was untangling herself from Kawaii~Chan’s arms. She rolled her eyes, but stepped over to Laurance and shyly held onto his arm. The plaza lit up with smiles and cheers filled the air. As his wife cooed, Dante shook his head, saying, “It’s about time, you two.”
They chuckled and allowed themselves to be celebrated by their friends and loved ones. The stranger let out a breath of relief at the announcement knowing he wouldn’t be surrounded by more drama than the village was already facing. When everybody had gone to bed, Aphmau and Laurance sat by the ocean, the large branches of the Yggdrasil tree above them casting shadows in the moonlight with each gentle breeze.
Aphmau leaned her head on Laurance’s shoulder as he leaned his on top of hers, their hands enclasped in the others’. She let out a yawn and snuggled more into his side, feeling content for the first time in a while.
“Sleepy?”
“Hm.”
Laurance laughed softly and placed another kiss on her scalp, feeling elated. There’s probably a word that would convey that emotion stronger, but it wasn’t coming to Laurance at the moment. All he knew was that this may be the happiest moment of his entire life. Unless, of course, she’d break off the engagement with the guard tower table and marry him instead. He laughed harder to himself.
“What’s so funny?” Aphmau asked, her voice heavy with the sound of tiredness.
Laurance shook his head against hers, sweetly replying with, “Nothing. I’m just…happy.”
She let out another yawn, “Yeah, me too.”
He could tell she would be asleep within the next few minutes. “Good night, m’lady.”
Aphmau mumbled out a, “Good night…” The sound of waves crashing against the shore, leaves rustling from the wind, and the soft breaths from Laurance eased her to sleep.