Golden Lotus

“Good afternoon, Divine One!” He smiled, as brightly as ever. It had been a strange morning, going about his day and not bringing Alear a breakfast... Though it was a huge relief to find her approaching him despite his overstepping. Unless she was here because he was doing something else untoward...

He hummed slightly as she adjusted her hair into a high ponytail, walking together toward the small lake. Small, yet apparently deep enough to house so many fish. Since others had little to no issues catching at least one. He still had not worked out how exactly this place worked, despite visiting for years. Alfred would ask, but he had a feeling Alear may not know either - since she had lost her memory. And he could no longer ask Lumera...

“I hear it is Bunet in the kitchen today. He insisted, apparently he has a new idea for a recipe and has been desperate to try it out. I’m not sure if it requires fish, but hey, I’m sure he can’t turn down good ingredients!” Alfred replied as they reached the dock-like area, taking the rods from the hut nearby and making themselves comfortable as best as they could. 

— STATEMENTS

❝ i miss you. ❞ ❝ you can’t leave me here ! ❞ ❝ get in the car. ❞ ❝ it’s not about you. ❞ ❝ it isn’t your fault. ❞ ❝ i’ve made my decision. ❞ ❝ it’s cold out, take a coat. ❞ ❝ let me know you got there. ❞ ❝ this isn’t the first time, and it won’t be the last. ❞ ❝ that doesn’t sound like the you i know. ❞ ❝ i can’t lose you. ❞ ❝ don’t try to hide things from me. ❞ ❝ i care about you. ❞ ❝ you care. i can see it in your eyes. ❞ ❝ you don’t want this. ❞ ❝ i didn’t realize how late it was. ❞ ❝ slow down, start from the beginning. ❞ ❝ here, drink this. ❞ ❝ lie down, you’re going to hurt yourself. ❞ ❝ you need rest. ❞ ❝ i haven’t slept in days. ❞ ❝ i’ve been having nightmares. ❞ ❝ i love you. don’t forget that. ❞ ❝ i can’t believe you did that. ❞ ❝ yeah, i know. ❞ ❝ i don’t remember. ❞ ❝ let me help you. ❞ ❝ i don’t need your help. ❞ ❝ i want to help you. please, let me help you. ❞ ❝ that storm doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. ❞ ❝ i think we’re stuck here. ❞ ❝ it’s only a matter of time. ❞ ❝ there’s something about you. i don’t know what it is, but i know it’s there. ❞ ❝ say that again. ❞ ❝ i’d do anything to make you happy. ❞ ❝ there’s that smile ! there’s that smile i love ! ❞ ❝ no, don’t try to hide your beautiful smile from me. ❞ ❝ it’s a beautiful night. ❞ ❝ walk with me. ❞ ❝ you can’t run forever. ❞ ❝ you can’t keep running away like this. ❞ ❝ you look like royalty. ❞ ❝ it doesn’t matter. ❞ ❝ i don’t care anymore. ❞ ❝ please, just leave. i need to be alone. ❞ ❝ don’t try to hide your feelings from me. i know you. ❞ ❝ you look gorgeous. ❞

— QUESTIONS

@noble-bloom​ asked: "I believe you. Let me help, anyway?" (from noble-bloom! Prince buddies <3) | accepting

“N-No, Prince Alfred! I could never ask that of you!”

While it’s true that he’s come to regard the other prince as something of an older brother figure, that makes it all the more reason why he could never drag him down to his level. Furthermore, what about his promise to Princess Céline? If Alfred is the one bailing him out of his own incompetence, doesn’t that defeat the purpose of trying to protect him? Alcryst’s pact with the Firenese princess is a secret, of course, but he’s not going to let her down. Especially not in this.

“You are no where near useless, Prince Alcryst!” Alfred retorted, enthusiastically. “I have always been impressed by your archery skills and your loyalty to your friends and family.” It was the truth. Alcryst was always self-deprecating. Some like this may retreat back into themselves too much, but Alcryst still had that urge to help others - even if it is above his own needs. 

This...was certainly not what the Prince was expecting.

The Prince couldn’t help but grow a smile as he was pulled into the fray. The mood was certainly infectious. “You have a point,” Alfred chuckled. He had heard once before that dancing could be a good work out. Again, he thought of those painfully dull waltz and thought that he could never do that enough to break a sweat. But THIS must have been the kind of dance they were referring to! “I suppose this may do my muscles some good, a different kind of training. I’ll stay, at least until my patrol starts!”

Alfred was told by several that if you wanted to know something about food, the best person to ask was Chloé. Though he often left to find her before finding out WHY that is...

At ‘animal product’, he smiled slightly. He was already on the right track - since a lot of his diet consisted of meat. But the smile slowly slid from his cheeks as she went into specifics. “Grasshoppers and...pupae?” Alfred grimaced slightly, he couldn’t help it. He couldn’t help but picture them live on his plate, and it turned his stomach slightly. Though maybe they tasted better than they would look... Surely they would, if Chloé found them so tasty.

“Good afternoon, Divine One!” He smiled, as brightly as ever. It had been a strange morning, going about his day and not bringing Alear a breakfast... Though it was a huge relief to find her approaching him despite his overstepping. Unless she was here because he was doing something else untoward...

The Prince started heading down towards the lake, eager to get started. “Well, if we have a conversation, get to know each other, it might help us keep still long enough to get a bite! Hey,” Alfred turned around and started walking backwards so he could speak to her properly, getting overexcited if anything. “Let’s see how many fish we can catch, the one with the less amount of fish will have to do an extra lap!”

He was much worse at this than he thought he would be...

Living a childhood mostly bedridden removed many chances to have friends growing up. Alfred was glad to have Etie and Boucheron at his side as retainers - and later good friends - but that wasn’t until he was much older. Even then, Etie was Céline’s childhood friend, not his... At least Boucheron was a long-term friend, though he had a lot more to learn about how to go about managing different friendships. Although Boucheron may not mind, Alear and many others might... Céline always did say he needed more tact... 

“Well, I only tended to these things because I already finished everything I had planned to do today, aside my next patrol later this afternoon.” Alfred smiled, hoping it didn’t betray him. Truthfully, he was still recovering from the last battle. He tried to train through the aches but it just exacerbated the pain. If he didn’t stop and find something else to do, he worried what state someone may find him in. Alfred was not about to ask any of the healers for more assistance either, in case they found out just how much pain he was in...

“Huh, a walk?” He blinked, a bit surprised. He thought he had done something wrong, that the Divine One was just apologising out of politeness, but Alear seemed to want to spend time with him, rather than ask him to do something for him. With how he ached today, would a walk even be okay? It should be fine... As long as Céline didn’t find out. “Sure! Would be a great way to get to know each other more, yknow...find out what we like and dislike.” 

“That sounds great, Divine One!” Alfred grabbed his lance and let the strap hold it to his back as he also hoisted up Boucheron’s axe - holding such a heavy weapon would make for a good test of strength in his arms too. “If we come across Boucheron along the way, I can give this back too.”

Alfred started heading down the path. This was a chance to get to know Alear on a much deeper level. Alfred and Céline had only guessed at what he liked and disliked as children. They went only by what Lumera had told them, and their own imaginations. Alfred was curious how accurate they were all those years ago...