Kneel

After bidding farewell to Adrin, Nora stepped towards the playground where Ryan was supposed to be meeting her as soon as she arrived.

She was sure about the fact he would be waiting there alone, to apologize for the treatment he had given her yesterday.

And it might seem weird to everyone, but in her version of reality, she knew that she was not habituated to this type of behaviour- in fact, she was not habituated to accepting apologies as well.

Simply because she had never been on the receiving end of one, before entering this school- and this was one of the plenty of things which made the school more and more likable for her.

But while she was thinking all this, she was also aware that in her heart, she had already forgiven Ryan, as she knew it was not intentional after all. And at the same time, she suddenly remembered David and his act of putting ointment on her wound last night.

She was really confused because of his actions, because she didn't know what he really wanted from her, and his actions didn't help clarify any of that confusion, either!

At one point, the two of them were standing in front of each other like the greatest enemies they were; and the very next moment, he was standing there shielding her from everything and everyone.

It was like he wanted to kill her at the first chance he would get in his hands, but at the same time, he was ready to save her life from every probable threat that could venture in her direction.

But this thought of her didn't last any longer, as she herself shrugged off every possibility of David thinking anything positive regarding her, and started to shift her focus towards Ryan and what she was going to reply to him.

Out of nowhere, she suddenly felt some flower petals falling on her head and shoulders. Getting startled by these, she flinched and was about to lose her balance and fall backwards.

But before any of that could have happened, two strong hands held her tightly and she heard Ryan's voice echoing in her ears;

"A very grand welcome, to our new member of The Creative Commanders.

Everyone please, give a round of applause to one of the best Archers of the Crescent territory… Princess Nora."

The sound of clapping made Nora realise that it was indeed Ryan who had held her and saved her from falling down, but unknowingly, he had become the reason she herself wanted to dig a hole in the earth and disappear into that.

The realisation of not being alone there with Ryan not only made her go into a state of sudden panic, but the fact that she had not opted for The Creative Commanders made her feel deeply embarrassed at the same time.

Not only did she have to face too many new people at once, when she was not mentally prepared, but she also had to explain the entire confusion to them.

Thinking everything, she somehow managed to shift all her weight back to her legs and turned her face towards Ryan to clear the misunderstanding.

She was just about to open her mouth, when she heard Ryan's roar,

"What are you all doing after the applause, don't you know that apart from being the member of The Creative Commanders, she is a princess too?

Kneel! Now!"

Before Nora could have stopped him, everyone present there was kneeling in front of her, when Ryan finally murmured in her ears;

"I am sorry Nora… I am sorry for last night… I am sorry for-"

"Ryan! I have not opted for The Creative Commanders, instead I am in The Authority Achievers."

___________

Henry was unable to guess what exactly was going on inside David's head, but he was familiar with the fact that once his best friend started something, it would be rare if he abandoned it in between.

But this time, everything was different- everything was taking new twists and turns, which was not only confusing for him, but David as well.

That's why at the moment, he was engaged in a debate of whether he should ask what kind of storm was brewing inside his brain, or if he should just wait quietly there till David revealed everything by himself.

He snapped back to reality when he heard the voice of the very person he was pondering about.

"I want this delivered by today, at any cost and I can't risk giving it to anybody else's hands, so you will be delivering it yourself-"

"David? Me ? But how -"

"Don't worry about the leave, I will get it on your behalf; but make sure to deliver it today. And yes, don't come back before getting the answer to this- and as for the person himself, ask him to come with you.

I will be telling you the location where I will meet him."

Saying this, he handed a packet over to Henry, along with detailed instructions of where he had to go.

In an instant, everything became clear in Henry's mind, as the mist of obscurity cleared away. He knew he did not have any chance left once his best friend included him in some plans he was also unaware of- but at the same time, he also loved him enough to die for him.

Keeping that in mind, completing a simple task was nothing. With this thought, he responded;

"Okay then, I guess I should leave. Bye! Take care-"

His statement was left hanging in the middle, as David pulled him in a hug and said,

"Don't get hurt on your way there, and also don't skip any meals to reach there earlier than the scheduled time. Oh, and take care of your-"

"David… is everything okay? You seem weird."

Henry finally voiced his confusion.

"Yes! It's just that… I can't lose anyone whom I love, and I am just getting emotional because you agreed to complete my work without any questions."

"What are you trying to hide from me? Tell me! Maybe I can help."

Henry offered again.

_______