As soon as Seryn regained enough strength to walk, she had forced her body to wait atop the hill overlooking the village, waiting for the return of the Outsiders she had entrusted her quest to. The young cat-eared man had assured her that everything would be fine and that he would help her.
She had sent a detachment of guards to await for him and his companions outside of the entrance and these brave warriors had left knowing they may never return to the place they called home
The early morning sun had greeted her with soft warmth, its light a promise she desperately wanted to believe in. She had stood tall then, the crown of flowers placed carefully upon her head by the village children rustling gently in the breeze. Time passed slowly. The sun climbed higher. Her legs ached, her muscles throbbed, and her feet, still tender from weeks of captivity, burned with each minute she remained standing.
The hours crept by, and with them came silence. Shadows stretched. The sky shifted to amber. Evening crept in like a quiet warning.
Still, no word. No return. No sign of her guards.
Her heart twisted with doubt.
Had she made a mistake?
She lowered her gaze toward the dirt path winding back to the village. Her lips pressed into a tight line. It was late. She would need to return soon before her legs gave out beneath her.
Just as she turned to go, the distant sound of footfalls caught her ear. Not the scattered light pace of a villager, but the urgent rhythm of armor. A runner.
She spun toward the sound, chest tight.
An elven scout broke through the trees, breathing hard. His face was flushed with heat and exertion, but his eyes burned with excitement.
He did not wait for formalities.
"They’re coming," he called, voice high and breathless. "The Outsiders. They are alive. They have returned. And they have done it. The dungeon has fallen."
Then her shoulders slumped as something between a laugh and a sob escaped her lips.
They had done the impossible.
The pain in her feet no longer mattered. The fear that had gnawed at her since the moment she had been dragged out of that dungeon faded like mist. She turned back to the path, heart hammering in her chest as her gaze locked on the forest’s edge.
She would greet them properly. Standing. Crown still on her head. As the Princess of the Elves who had placed her faith in strangers who had saved her from a fate that was potentially worse than death.
Leo was surprised to see the Princess standing atop the hill waiting for them. Now that she was no longer so gaunt and pale, she was undeniably beautiful with blonde hair reminiscent of warm honey and dark green eyes akin to that of polished jade.
When she saw Leo, her cheeks faintly blushed as if she could barely hide her excitement. She took a step forward but stumbled in the process, causing the elven guards nearest to Leo to rush to her aid.
"Princess. You should be resting. Please head back. We shall follow you there shortly." The leader stated as he held her arm, allowing her to use him as a crutch to remain upright.
"No. No. I must see these Heroes for myself. Not only did they save me but they saved this land too!"
Seryn gently brushed off the guard’s support, steadying herself as she looked past the others and locked eyes with Leo. Her gaze was unwavering, like he was the only thing in the world that mattered.
The Princess took another unsteady step forward, her voice full of warmth and reverence.
"You kept your word. You came back."
Leo opened his mouth, but the words stuck.
"I knew you would. Even when doubt clouded my heart, I believed in you."
She reached for him, hesitated, then let her hand fall to her side. Her smile was soft. A little too soft.
Penny squinted suspiciously from her perch atop Greg’s right shoulder. The wind stirred her hair as she leaned slightly forward, peering across Greg’s enormous head.
"Rachel," she said, raising her voice just enough to carry over the top of him, "is this what I think it is?"
Rachel, seated on Greg’s left shoulder, didn’t even smirk. She leaned around Greg’s temple, her tone flat.
"It’s exactly what you think it is."
Greg glanced left, then right. "What? What are we thinking?"
"Nothing, big guy," Rachel said quickly.
"Absolutely nothing," Penny added, patting his shoulder.
Meanwhile, the other girls had gone quiet. Aria watched with polite confusion, trying to figure out if this was cultural or personal. Lily frowned thoughtfully, her grip on the egg tightening a little bit further. Luna looked somewhere between annoyed and frustrated. And Crystal stood still, silent, unreadable, but unmistakably displeased.
Seryn stopped in front of Leo, her cheeks flushed. The crown of flowers on her head was slightly crooked, petals fluttering in the breeze.
"You gave me hope when I had none," she said. "You didn’t just save me. You saved the village. If there is anything I can do for you, anything you desire, name it."
Leo swallowed hard. "It really was a team effort. We all—"
"But it was you who reached out first," she said. "You were the one who made me believe."
On Greg’s right shoulder, Penny slowly sat back and crossed her legs.
"She’s not even looking at the rest of us."
Rachel sighed from the other side. "Nope. Just Leo. Like the rest of us don’t exist."
Greg blinked. "Wait, are we talking about the princess?"
Rachel leaned forward and spoke loudly. "Greg. Yes. We’re talking about the princess."
"Oh," Greg said, scratching the side of his head. "That’s weird."
From the back of the group, Adam chuckled under his breath, arms crossed. His smile was smug.
"This is going to be fun to watch."
Leo gave a stiff, awkward nod as Seryn’s eyes continued to shine up at him.
"Thanks," he said, voice tight. "Really. That means a lot. But maybe we should... get moving?"
He tried to sidestep, only for Seryn to shift with him.
Rachel slumped forward against Greg’s shoulder.
"She’s following him like a puppy."
"Worse," Penny muttered. "Like a puppy with a crush."
Crystal’s frown deepened.