It Should Be Worth It

Shaking her head, Yara Amiel refused her idea.

Patience is a virtue.

Not to mention that if she hold back, that means she will be torturing him for another night without even lifting a finger!

Wasn't that a better idea? Besides, judging from what she saw today, she knew that her presence alone was already too much to deal with for him.

Thinking of that, Princess Yara suddenly became very confused.

Was she that scary? She didn't remember herself scaring him that much.

The God of War was such a coward!

Meanwhile, Karium Maselli shifted his gaze to the Avarian Princess from time to time. It seemed like she was thinking about something and... he believed that she was up to no good.

Inwardly sighing, he shifted his gaze to his friend again only to notice that she barely touched her food. "Aren't you hungry?"

"I lost my appetite," the General replied and looked at him and suddenly asked, "What kind of person is Crown Prince Tristan?"

Karium's lips curved into a little smile. "That still bothers you? Seems like he is not just someone to you."

"I'm serious," Lena frowned in displeasure.

The Prince chuckled before he decided to be a bit serious. "Crown Prince Tristan is only 19 but he already makes quite a name for himself," he started.

"In battlefields?"

Karium shook his head and tapped the side of his head using his fingers. "This," he said and explained, "He's smart."

"What about warfare and military tactics?" Lena Parish asked, curious.

"I might be mistaken but... I never heard him fighting a war or leading his soldiers. I don't know why," Karium replied. "But whenever his empire fought a war, he is always the mastermind behind every tactic they used. He might be young but he has already gained a lot of control in the royal court of Aslirith ever since his father's death. Besides, people say that he is usually cold."

Cold? The man in her memory wasn't cold at all. But still, Lena Parish nodded. "I see. But it's strange. Why did he never fight a war despite being the successor to the throne? It's not like he won't be skilled."

"I know," Karium said and with a playful smile, he added, "If you are that curious, why don't you just ask him yourself." He briefly glanced at the Aslirith Crown Prince who was still busy gazing at his friend. "It seems like he can't wait to talk to you."

Lena glanced at her friend with annoyance while the latter simply laughed at her. Soon, the feast had come to an end.

Karium was busy talking with the guests who approached him to strike up a conversation and Lena was about to leave, until...

"Lena."

She heard the familiar voice again. She turned around to see him standing right before her. "Your Highness," she muttered for the first time and slightly bowed.

The little smile on the Crown Prince's face faded a bit when he heard the way she addressed him. But soon, he smiled at her again. "Can we talk somewhere?" he asked.

Lena Parish wasn't sure. Would it be okay to meet him?

During the last 6 months, she used to wonder if she would get the chance to meet him again. To be honest, it was her wish to meet him again even if it was for just once. However... his identity was too much for her to handle.

"Please... I won't take much of your time," Crown Prince Tristan pleaded with her, leaving her stunned.

That was rare coming from a royal! Not to mention that he was the future Emperor of Aslirith, the most powerful empire of the North with unrivalled width and wealth!

Finally, she nodded with a little smile. "Alright."

His smile when he heard her response was the most genuine smile of his that she had ever seen! Somehow, that relieved her. Maybe he wasn't much different from Tristan in her memory. Maybe everything was in her head.

Lena followed the Crown Prince out of the hall and then to his chamber. Then she sat down on one couch and he sat opposite her.

"How have you been?" he quickly asked her. "It's been half a year, right?"

Lena nodded. "I'm doing fine."

Crown Prince Tristan finds her quite strange. Wasn't she always cheerful? Though he knew what the reason might be, he wasn't used to this, especially with her.

"I always look forward to meeting you again, Lena," he said. "You're one of my main reasons for coming to Welahan."

"Your Highness -"

"Tristan," he promptly corrected her. "I love it when you call me that. I don't want you to address me formally."

Lena Paris struggled for words to say. She narrowed her eyes as she nervously pressed her palms together. Then she looked at him again. "I'm just a General of the Elan Army. I'm in no position to call you by your name."

"Did I surprised you that much?" he asked her. "I'm sorry. I should have at least send you a letter to inform you the truth. That day, I can't bring myself to tell you my identity."

Forcing a little smile, he said, "I never got the chance to live as an average person before. You are the first and only one who make me experience that. That's why I was afraid to ruin everything."

"How did you know who I am?" she asked. "I don't remember myself telling you that."

Tristan Castelof's face hinted at guilt. He felt reluctant to respond to her question. However, he witnessed her waiting for his response. "I was curious about you after our first encounter. So... I told my men to... " His voice trailed off at the slight change in her reaction. "Don't get me wrong. I only told them to know your identity. Nothing else," he quickly clarified.

General Lena recalled how she bumped into him again a few days after their first encounter. She even ended up spending almost the whole day with him on that second encounter.

"That second encounter... " she muttered. "It wasn't a coincidence, right?"

Once again, the powerful Crown Prince finds himself tight-lipped. He pressed his fingers against each other repeatedly before he finally said, "That's right."

Observing his defeated expression for a few seconds, Lena Parish finally chuckled out of amusement.

Tristan Castelof heard the sound of her chuckle and blinked. She really chuckled? He didn't know what amused her but... he got to hear the sound which he longed for months. So, it should be worth it, no matter what the reason was.....