149 You Heard Me

AUTHOR'S POV

"Come to think of it, I never knew you could speak a lot of words", Helena thought Stellan is often displeased in engaging in conversations with random people, that he only prefers the company of Alesso, Vesta and his superiors. Seeing him loosen up and have a chat with her makes her feel special.

"I told you I have questions", Stellan didn't just had questions. He also had one to confess. Actually, when he once felt the extreme anxiety of losing Helena during the basilisk attack, something have shaken him. He was afraid to lose her. "Speaking of royals… Haelan, does Galen know what you are?", Stellan have always wondered how Helena caught the prince's eye from the moment he laid his eyes on her. Actually, he's more interested on how she feels about the prince, that would definitely draw a line between them.

"He… does. He knew it from the time I healed him. It was my mistake for being caught", Helena regrets. She fears the prince as if he brings the most grotesque nightmares she's been plagued with. She promised to herself that she won't cross roads with the prince ever again.

"Then, why did you heal him?!", Stellan irritatingly asked. The prince mentioned being betrothed to someone. Stellan hoped that it was not Helena the prince was thinking of, evenso the woman that the prince introduced before looked exactly like Helena - only in a woman's apparel.

"You see healing is like a call of nature. It's my destiny that I cannot runaway from", Helena was surprised at how the thought of the prince being healed by her made Stellan unhappy. Her selfless schemes have reached to a nauseating degree, he thought. "And why are you upset? He's the prince", she asked.

"I just don't like that someone thinks of you the way I do. Galen absolutely dote on you", Stellan straightforwardly said ignorning all his inhibitions. He was all ready to bring out his suppressed feelings that's been keeping him from his sleep for a while.

"Hmm?", Helena pretended she didn't hear it. It sounded like Stellan is jealous. Her heart pounded intensely that she forgot to breathe.

"So tell me, what's your home like", Stellan leaned forward that made Helena see his eyes more, only that's brimming with a lot

eagerness.

"Uhh okay", Helena cleared her throat as she remember how it's like in Aelmere. "It's nothing this beautiful. Pillars of clouds cover the blue-tinted skies all the time. The sun always shine the brightest there, like it would melt every hair on your skin. The land is barren everywhere, no flower would bloom nor fine trees with shade… At night…", Helena paused as Stellan continued to speak her mind.

"You're cruelly pounded with cold snaps under the starless skies. You only eat what you can find. You have no friends, no hierarchies, no soldiers… just you and your family.", Stellan's face was traced with bewilderment as if he have heard the same lines before.

"You know?", Helena's jaw dropped in surprise. "You know Aelmere?", she asked.

"I think, I've heard that before", Stellan was certain that he have heard the same lines several times before.

"So, you know someone from Aelmere? What a coincidence", Helena thought it might be the traveling souls of her parents whom he could've have met a few times. "Well, it's not much the same now, my family won't be there when I go back", Helena's lips cracked a forced smile.

"Then, why do you still insist on leaving when you can stay?", Stellan asked considerably.

"This isn't my body to claim, Stellan. It would be unfair for Agalea to let her succumb to her death because of my greed to stay. I need to go, even if I don't want to", Sadness is written all over Helena's face as she make one of the hardest decisions she'll ever do.

"Agalea?", Stellan furrowed his brows on the name he doesn't recognize.

"The owner of this body", Helena said. "I need to get to Caluso and get my crest working before I entirely own her body", she explained as she stare at her hands. "When that day comes, her soul will vanish and you'll see my real face… Well, except for my eyes. They are the windows of my soul so, that's basically mine", she said.

"They're beautiful, the best I've ever seen", Stellan said. He then realized something that he should have known long ago. Clearing his throat, he managed to grab a hold of himself before he loses the tiny ounce of control he has. "So uhh.. You said it yourself that Ottis was supposed to be your map, can you tell me why in the world are you with a rebel? Am I missing something?", Stellan took a quick glance at Andrew who's still in a deep slumber. He almost wanted to punch him in the face when he first saw him with Helena. Certainly, he could tell that there's an ample of attraction from the rebel towards the soul traveler.

"Oh, Andrew here and his band of rebels caught us in the Merewif's Springs. They were supposed to sell us as slaves when some dark healers attacked us and killed his entire men", Helena caught a glimpse of Andrew, and wondered if Stellan have a slight inkling that he's his long lost brother. Though it does seem strange, Helena thought that the stories of the brothers didn't match. Since she knew Stellan for quite a while, her doubts were planted on Andrew.

"Merewif's isn't a good place for men. How did you all escaped the sirens?", Stellan became more curious with how they were able to break free alive from those pesky water temptress. It couldn't be just one of the many tricks of a soul traveler.

"Stars were with me right? We got lucky. Heh.", Helena grinned as she refuse to reveal the ultimate key of their escape. Stellan felt Helena haven't trusted him fully, yet he chose to understand that so called traveler's luck.

"I doubt it's luck alone, sirens spare no men. So, where are your stubborn friends now?", he asked. Helena's friends stick to her like honey. Wherever she go, they follow.

"Well… Let's just say that I realized that with me being chased by dark healers all the time, it makes their lives more fragile if they join me. With me, it's like they're digging their own graves", Helena explained that made Stellan shift his lowering gaze back to her.

"Is… is that how you feel about me too?", Stellan suddenly speak his mind too loud. When he realized it, he just went on. "I mean, do you worry about me too?", he asked as he reach for her hand. He paved a way to throw all his cautions in the wind, be impulsive and finally trust the single doubt that crossed his mind.

"Hu-Huh?", Helena was too stunned to speak. She was caught off guard with Stellan's blunt honesty.

"You heard me", Stellan said as he graze her hand with his thumb.

"You're… uhh", Helena didn't know exactly what to say.

"Why did you tell me these just now, Haelan? I can protect you too", Stellan held her soft hand and squeezed it a little. He felt useless and casted out.

Helena's didn't wavered in Stellan's advances. She wanted to see where this is going. "You turned me down before, so I thought you don't want me to be hanging around anymore. I had to distance myself… Don't get me wrong, I don't hold any grudge against you that time. I truly respect your decision… wholeheartedly", she was truly honest in being in approval about Stellan's decision back then. Walking away from her gave her a tremendous chance to be seen as a woman that she is.

"And what do you think now?", Stellan asked.

"Your curiosity of me might disappoint you. I fear it might lead us nowhere", she answered.

"I'm thinking of taking it all back. Everything that I said before.", Stellan's words made Helena feel a pierce through her heart. He still couldn't perfectly figure out his overflowing emotions towards her, but he couldn't ignore the fact that he's completely drawn to her in all possible ways he can imagine.