Life in a new Kingdom

Lively sounds emit from the local tavern. Like many others we have encountered on our journey, it felt like a tried-and-true tale of adventurers. I walked past the patrons and went upstairs to head into my room. As my hand grasped the doorknob, a soft hand gently grabbed my shoulder. Out from the corner of my eye was Lukia, who must have had a few drinks as the stink of alcohol came off her breath.

"Hey... How did you get that cut?" I quickly placed my hand on my cheek where Gale grazed me. I turned with a sly smile, trying to cover up any worry for her. She glared at me as I chuckled shamelessly. "Did Gale do this?"

"In a way, it would assume to be. But nothing bad happened, trust me! Just a friendly sparing session!"

"Uh huh...did you win this time like all the others."

"Not this time. He really pulled a fast one."

"Wait... He actually did...!?" With flushed cheeks, Lukia roughly grabbed my short frame and shook me for answers. I raised my hands to try to calm her down.

I let out a worried laugh, "I know how he got me so that next time won't be the same."

"Tsk! I wish I woulda seen it! Gale really knows how to fight!"

"You drink a bit too much, Lukia? You seem kind of drunk."

"What does that mean anything? I am just...just trying to be caring since you care for me all the time." After her initial excitement from hearing of Gale's win, her mind finally got hit with the alcohol. Her speech slowed, and her body barely holding her up.

"Let me take you to your room; you're having a long night and morning before long." I grasped her arm and led her to the door next to mine. She helplessly tried to struggle with her feeble attempts. I scoffed and laughed at her face, trying desperately to move away.

"Meeeehhh!" Her childish squeal whenever she was drunk almost got me laughing harder than I had before, but I got the door open and tossed her inside. She tumbled by the sudden use of force and leaned against the bed frame.

"I'll help you get off your cloak and boots. The rest...you can do what you will." Half dazed, she nods and lets me unclip her cloak from around her neck. Her long strands of hair got caught in a mess from the cloak, which gave her the vibe of a drunkard. The lengthy dark brown boots came off with a gentle tug. The pinkish tone of her feet hit the floor with a thud.

"Mmm...Not so rough, meanie..." I shook my head just to gently lift her legs up to the bed and allowed her to cuddle with the pillow. I took out her hair clip that held her hair in the ponytail and placed it on the nightstand. Turning away, I gave her one last look before signing. Despite her drowning in alcohol, she at least can sleep normally with maybe a mild case of a hangover.

"Why do I get to babysit everyone when they're drunk...!" Scratching my head in frustration, I head into my room and lock it. A small wall mirror reflects upon me, and the minor cuts across my face and the graze from Gale. I walked toward the mirror and examined it further, using small healing magic to erase the minor wounds. "If healing was this easy, I wish I could do the same for Lukia..."

I didn't want to dwell on it anymore that night. The bed called me; I quickly changed my shirt for a cleaner one before lying down in bed. Resting my arm on my forehead, my eyes wandered to the ceiling. Minutes pass before I blink rapidly from the trance. It wasn't until a couple hours into the night, struggling to sleep, that I began to doze off.

The lids of my eyes closed shut all for a brief moment of relaxing peace before a muffled knock came from the hall. My body shot forward, and I slowly approached my door. Gently, the door swung open; the hall was dimly lit by the small candle flame in Lukia's hand. As I told Gale, she would knock at his door if she ever needed someone to comfort her.

A sense of disappointment stirred my stomach as I closed my door gently and quietly. The feeling was odd. I didn't care who she went to, as long it was someone I could trust. A part of me wanted her to knock on my door. Lukia knocked on Gale's door again, and I simply leaned on the door's frame to listen in.

Yet, after a few minutes, there was no response. A long sigh muffled its way to my ears; the disappointment in her reached me. Not wanting to overstep my boundaries, I decided to head to bed regardless of whether Gale answered.

A few steps forward, there is a notable knock at the door. The shift of my weight caught me off guard, and I hit the bed frame with my elbow. Swiftly before, the sudden shout in pain came to my hand to cover my mouth. Swallowing the annoying sting of pain, I wait a moment to see if she says or does anything. A couple of knocks rang on my door yet again.

Through the muffled sound, a sad voice crawls through the cracks. "Caleb... I need someone...anyone...to let me in...please." I knew her voice was cracking at the end of her sentence. I didn't need to think for a second longer as I reached for the door and opened it to reveal Lukia. Her eyes were red, as well as her cheeks. She had been crying for a little while. My eyes wandered around as her shirt had been unbuttoned a bit. She must have stripped down further when I left her, but she didn't care how she looked.

"I'm sorry.. I-" My sigh cut her off. I simply backed away with the door open. If I were going to be an idiot and shut her out, I wouldn't forgive myself, but I figured Gale would have let her in. She didn't say another word and entered as I closed it after her.

"I can sleep on the floor, so it's fine if you take the bed-" My eyes grew wide as her slender, soft arms caressed my entire head. Her chest pulled my head in as the tears from her eyes hit the tips of my hair. I could feel my body grow hot. It wasn't good. I gently grabbed her arms and gave myself breathing room.

"I don't want to sleep... I can't... Not tonight..."

"If you don't sleep, you won't be allowed to continue with us in your current state." The shaking tension in her body jolted frequently. My fingertips gently rubbed along her arms. Putting my mind off the awkward position, I let her hold onto me just for now.

"Stay up with me...at least until I calmed down..."

"Sit on the bed; we can talk while the night is young..."