The Blade Of God-Chapter 52: To Face Uncertainty (Slash III)

The beautiful woman with pink hair stares at Zayn, emotionless, before she suddenly smiles, titling her head and pointing a finger at Zayn.

"You are the Holy Knight, correct?" The woman--Princess Momoi--said. "Name?"

"Oh, i-it’s Zayn, Your Highness." Zayn said. "Wow! You’re such a beauty, Your Highness! Avia has so many unlimited beautiful people!"

Princess Momoi smiles, giggling and waving her hand as to brush Zayn off.

"Why thank you, Holy Knight! Such a kind knight." Princess Momoi said, her gaze focused on Jeremiah as she raises her hand, as if waiting for him to take it. "You have such amazing knights, Jeremiah."

Jeremiah looks to the outstretched pale hand before he signs, raising the princesses’ small hand to his lips and kissing her hand as he bowing his head in respects.

"Thank you for your words, Your Highness." Jeremiah said. "I have the royal family and the Gods to thank."

"Yet oddly enough, I do not see you." Princess Momoi said. "You’ll come visit me soon, right? Since you’re so grateful."

Zayn looks down to Jeremiah, and her eyes become wide, because for the first time since she has met Jeremiah Maelis Carter, she’s never really seen him express much emotion. Yet here is his, his green eyes shimmering and his face constructed in low scowl, twisted in mixed emotions.

"I will do so, Your Highness." Jeremiah said, keeping his eyes to his feet. Momoi softly smiles, raising her hand to Jeremiah’s cheek and caressing it.

"Have I missed you." Momoi whispered, low enough for only Zayn and Jeremiah to hear. "Now, take care of Mu-Mu, okay? He can be quite much during long travels."

"We understand, sister." Mioui said, grabbing Momoi’s shoulders, spinning her around, and pushing her back to her carriage. "I will see her off, and then we’re ready to go! "

Zayn blinks, watching the sibling duo walk away as she hears a heavy sigh next to her. Zayn turns her head, watching Jeremiah rub his head and relax his hunched shoulders, closing his eyes as he rubs in between his brows.

"Are you alright, Captain?" Zayn asked, worriedly watching Jeremiah flinch, slowly looking up to meet Zayn’s eyes. "Do you need any help?"

Jeremiah opens his mouth to speak, but quickly shakes his head, turning his back and striding over to his own horse to hop on.

"I will be alright." Jeremiah said. "Now, hopefully the prince hurries and we’ll be on our way."

...

It is a two day journey to the edge of Avia’s border; the designation where they will cross over from the human realm to the Gods realm. Zayn and Jeremiah ride in the front with Clarke to Jeremiah’s right, and Zayn to his left. Aliane and Lia follow behind, then Chase and Amur, and the rest of the Squad II and III knights lined in front and behind the prince’s carriage.

Zayn, at first, feels nervous being at the front with Jeremiah and Clarke, and maybe Jeremiah notices this, because at first, they ride in peaceful silence, but soon after, Jeremiah glances between Zayn and in front of him, before he clears his throat, riding his horse effortlessly.

"Was the prince’s carriage red enough?" Jeremiah asked. "Like apples."

Zayn opens her mouth, eyeing Jeremiah confusedly, before she snorts, suddenly softly laughing at Jeremiah’s joke.

"I-I didn’t think you’d remember such a poor joke." Zayn said, feeling her cheeks slightly burn. "I guess my joke before was a bit odd."

"It was." Jeremiah said. "But it was cute-I mean, it was unique." Jeremiah clears his throat, the tips of his ears blossoming red. "It was very unique."

Zayn snorts, shrugging her shoulders. "I tend to be called that. Weird, unique. Kind of fits."

"It isn’t a bad thing." Jeremiah said. "Not at all."

Zayn shyly nods, eyeing Jeremiah through her thick lashes.

"D-does Captain like it?" Zayn asked. "Apples, I mean."

"This is an odd conversation." Jeremiah scoffs, his green eyes glimmering with interest. "I quite like them. I like various fruits. Apple, pineapple, mango--a lot of exotic fruits that grow in the dragon realm."

"Wow! I haven’t tried those before!" Zayn said, bouncing in her saddle. "They sound awfully delicious! What would you say is your favorite?"

Jeremiah blinks, looking up in thought before he responds.

"Mango." Jeremiah said. "Or dragon fruit."

Zayn snorts, eyeing Jeremiah through her lashes as she softly laughs.

"A dragon." Zayn said, lifting her finger to her metal nose as she laughs. "Eating dragon fruit."

There’s a loud snort to Zayn and Jeremiah’s right. Zayn and Jeremiah look over to Clarke, who covers her mouth and keeps her eyes forward.

"You...are quite young, yet you like such tired jokes." Jeremiah said, but there’s a small smile on his lips. "Holy Knight Zayn liking father jokes is quite a sight to behold."

"I-I’m only 19!" Zayn chirps, turning to Jeremiah with big eyes. "I am not that young!"

"I am four years your senior." Jeremiah said. "That itself feels as you are quite young."

"Captain always talks like he’s 1,000 years old." Zayn pouts. "Well, to be that good looking and that ’old’ is quite a blessing..." Zayn mutters.

Maybe Zayn mumbles such words too loud, because Jeremiah quickly looks to Zayn, gazing at her with bright green eyes, and his cheeks suddenly stain a deep red, and Zayn’s own cheeks match.

...

The knights travel quite a distance before Jeremiah turns his head and tells the knights that they’ll make camp at the spot there at, as night will soon befall them.

The knights spilt up between themselves; Clarke, Shaka, and Lia retrieve fish, Aliane, Li-Li, and Chase hunt for a deer, Co, Coven, and Sia stay besides the carriage to guard the prince, and Jeremiah and Zayn begin to set up tents while the other knights focus on their given task.

"Have you ever camped before?" Jeremiah asked, watching Zayn flawlessly set up a tent before moving to set up another. "You seemed quite skilled."

"Well, me and Chase and Amur--we’ve always been on the move, so if we didn’t find shelter, camping was the next best thing." Zayn said. "I like it! It’s fun and you can talk all night and eat besides the fire with each other!"

"You often have a sunny view on the world." Jeremiah said, putting another tent together. "It is quite refreshing."

"The world can sometimes be grim." Zayn said. "But sometimes you gotta clean the grime a bit to see what’s beneath things. And if you can see even a bit of the amazingness of what’s underneath the grime, that does a lot for you. It can give you hope, something we all need. ...some hope."

Jeremiah looks up at Zayn, watching as she absentmindedly continues her task before Jeremiah clears his throat, attempting to shake himself out of whatever trance he finds himself stuck in.

"I’ve only know of war and death since of a young age." Jeremiah said. "Hope never is something that seemed of too much importance, so it’s nice. Hearing your words."

"To look forward to tomorrow," Zayn said. "Hope does a lot to help do that. I’d know I-I...I don’t think any of us have had it easy. Not saying, you know-that you haven’t had it rough, you like so have-okay, shutting up-like now."

The somberness in Zayn’s usual cheery tone fill Jeremiah with a unknown emotion, one he cannot pin point nor expression, but he has the urge to grip her shoulders and comfort her, yet he chooses not to, but he yearns too, so much so, and he doesn’t know why.

"I cannot fathom nor imagine the road you and Knight Amur and Knight Chase walked upon before your time at Black Fawne." Jeremiah said. "However, the struggles you have been through, everything I-well I may not understand, maybe I never will. But I proudly stand beside you because you are a wonderful woman, Holy Knight Zayn."

Zayn freezes in place, raises a finger, then she squeaks, her hands and shoulder shaking. For a moment, Jeremiah thinks it may be because Zayn is cold due to her naked armor, but Jeremiah notices how red Zayn’s caramel skin burns, and he almost chokes under what gulp of salvia he’s ready to swallow down.

"C-C-Captain has such a w-w-way with words!" Zayn said. "I-I feel very honored, yet honestly very, very shy under such sweetness-oh wow, shutting up again-!"

Jeremiah feels his cheeks blaze with warmness. Lately, with Holy Knight Zayn, he seems to be able to express himself better than he ever has, however, such expressions lead to awfully sweet and honey-dripped words; such words he wouldn’t say to anyone else, yet it comes almost like second nature with Zayn.

"H-how about we finish setting camp, eat, and retire for the night?" Jeremiah asked Zayn.

Zayn clears her throat and nods her head in agreement.