The hero was not quite what Alice had imagined when she read the book.
He looked a lot… shinier. She had thought he would be an upright young man, simple and honest and strong, who falls for the princess and supports her and fights for her. This man was dazzlingly handsome and gave off a weird sort of… vibe.
The vibes are off, she thought to herself – a phrase that she had never once used in her previous life. But it encapsulated her feelings perfectly. Something was just off. Still, his hair and eyes made him unmistakable. And he was clearly just as kind and selfless as the novel had described, delivering potatoes (really though, why potatoes?) to people who couldn’t make it to town themselves. And he had really been gracious to them when Aurum had knocked his crate over. Most importantly to the plot, though, was that he was very obviously taken with the princess. Just… not how Alice had always pictured him to be in the book.
This man was talking like a smooth, overly friendly playboy, laying down flattering lines that frankly did not seem to be doing much for Aurum, who kept trailing behind Pollan and Alice as they walked. Alice struggled to keep the conversation moving, and it was clear that both she and Pollan wanted to draw Aurum into their conversation as well, but when they slowed down to try and let Aurum walk beside them – well, beside Pollan – Aurum slowed down too. Soon they were moving at a crawl, Pollan’s head turned at an odd angle to keep Aurum in his line of sight. He chattered away, seeming unfussed with their lethargic pace and completely focused on Aurum. Soon Alice was left out entirely, free to reflect on their luck and her own feelings about it.
More than anything, Alice was relieved. Somehow, against all the odds, they had found him. And in such a cliched, meet-cute way, she thought, a bit scornfully. She shook her head at herself. The safety of a whole world was at stake – who cared if the solution was a bit of a cliché. Alice’s entire transmigration was a cliché, too. And if she were to be honest with herself, Alice would have to admit that the cliches had been part of why she had loved the book so much; it made the story safe, predictable, and comforting. As she read it, she knew everything would be okay in the end, that the princess would overcome her isolation and loneliness in the end and be loved and safe again. She had reread the book because it gave her a foolish, childish hope that she, Alice, would have a family in the end, too.
She ignored a twinge of sadness and something a bit more bitter as she watched Pollan and Aurum, now walking slightly ahead of her. Aurum seemed to be picking up the pace now, and Pollan was following her lead. They look good together. They are both perfect. Alice looked down at her hands, dirt caking her pale skin from when she’d picked up the potatoes from the dusty road. Somehow Aurum was unmarred despite having fallen onto the road herself. A wisp of her hair had escaped her scarf, shining like a strand of tinsel in the sunlight. Alice panicked for a moment – maybe someone would notice – but there was no one around. Just the hero. And he wouldn’t betray them.
After twenty minutes or so, they reached the first delivery address. As they approached, Pollan kept talking to Aurum, his violet eyes bright with eagerness.
“You’ll like Bren! He is a gentle person. I usually stay to chat for an hour or so with him, but since you’re accompanying me we will keep it shorter. He won’t mind though, since he will get to meet a gorgeous lady like you!” Alice cringed a bit at that. Maybe she hadn’t known Aurum very long, but she was fairly certain that saying things like that would not put her at ease.
She was right. Aurum ignored Pollan’s statement pointedly as she turned away and huffed in annoyance. As Aurum turned, Alice saw another strand of hair slip out from the scarf hiding it. Oh no – Pollan shouldn’t be a problem, but this Bren might be. Running forward, she grabbed Aurum’s arm.
“Let me – let me fix your hair, Mura.” Aurum started and glanced nervously at Pollan, clearly more alarmed than Alice had been to realize the hero had seen it. Alice stepped in front of Aurum and carefully reached up to tuck the wayward hair back under the scarf, worried she might end up dislodging more or leaving an odd lump on the side of Aurum’s head. She didn’t realize how close had gotten until she finished gently rearranging the hem of the scarf, and her eyes met Aurum’s clear gold ones. They seemed questioning and insistent, their look like a demand for Alice’s attention, and something squeezed in Alice’s chest. After a beat, she managed to tear herself away from that golden gaze and stepped back, only to land flatfooted and stumble in her haste to get away. Flushing beet red, she looked up to see both Pollan and Aurum staring at her. A familiar sense of humiliation reared its ugly head as Alice remembered all the times she’d been mocked for clumsiness and awkwardness as a child. She didn’t notice a shadow of something in Pollan’s gaze, too nervous and eager to take their attention off herself.
“L-let’s go,” Alice said, turning around as resolutely as she could manage even as her legs shook with nerves.
“Right, yes, let’s – but Aliss, that’s the wrong way,” Pollan said, slightly mispronouncing the ‘ah’ sound as more of an ‘uh’, just like Aurum did. For some reason, it really rubbed Alice the wrong way coming from him, even though Aurum’s mispronunciation had never bothered her. The irritation distracted her enough that she didn’t feel much more embarrassed by this latest error, and managed to follow Aurum and Pollan the rest of the way to the house without being completely overwhelmed by self-consciousness.
At the door, Pollan knocked, the sound strong and steady. “Coming, coming already!” someone shouted from inside.
The door opened slowly to reveal an ancient-looking man with dark skin leaning heavily on a cane. “Pollan, it’s you. Took you long enough.” His words were gruff, but he was obviously very pleased to see Pollan. He noticed Aurum next. “And who might this miss be?” he asked, sounding just as pleased to meet someone new.
“This is Mura! I just met her today. She was kind enough to volunteer to help me with my deliveries,” Pollan said effusively.
“Well now, is that so. Nice to meet you, Mura. Very kind of you to come and visit an old man all the way out here.”
Aurum looked awkward as she answered, clearly feeling a bit guilty at the man’s assumption that she had come out of good will and not a strange sort of obligation. “Yes, sir, it’s a pleasure to meet you. How are you doing today?”
“The weather is lovely, and I have two kind guests, so it’s a bright day all around, thank you miss.” The man beamed happily. “Why don’t you both come in – oh! Three guests, is it?”
Pollan jumped – did he actually forget about me just now? – and smiled, a bit less brightly than before. “Yes, right, this is Aliss, she’s Aurum’s lovely friend.”
“Is that so, is that so. Welcome in, all of you! I have some tea I can serve you, it’s lemon and ginger, and honey if you like it,” he rattled on, clearly delighted to have people to entertain.
What a sweetheart, Alice thought to herself, her heart warming. And the house is lovely, too. She looked around at the dark wooden furniture and the very neatly kept shelves, missing the cottage all over again. As they sat on Bren’s porch to drink their tea, they all chatted amiably about lighter topics. Alice doubted that Bren hadn’t heard about the looming disaster, but their tea time became a small oasis of peace and goodwill until the very end as they all stood in the hall by the doorway, ready to leave.
“Nasty business out by Blenton. Don’t bother with your next visit here, Pollan, they need strong people to help. Do your part, you hear me?” Pollan nodded, obedient and a bit abashed.
Take good care of your human now, house, and thank you, Alice thought as she left, talking to the house a force of habit. She was surprised when a soft breeze ruffled through the hallway, caressing her hair much like the cottage had done many times. Tears sprung to her eyes, and she turned away to the wall before anyone could see it. Bren saw, though, and smiled at her gently.
“Thank you for the visit, my dear.” He spoke kindly, and directly to her. Feeling a bit overwhelmed, she nodded.
“Thank you, sir. Be well.” It was an odd sort of salutation for someone from her world, but it felt right. Be well, she told the house too as she left. Be well.
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