Alex's Returns

Five days had passed since Alex had received news of his father's illness and he had returned to Kineti as soon as he could. He had transformed into a handsome young man, with a changed posture, bigger muscles, and a neatly trimmed beard. Upon seeing his father lying in bed, he knelt down and tears began to flow down his cheeks. "I'm sorry for taking so long to come to you. I was preoccupied with work and I had no idea things were this bad," he said to his father.

Jordan tried to smile, but it was weak. Alex was shocked to see his father move. "You can move!" he exclaimed happily. Dr Collins was also surprised and began to analyze Jordan's condition. "This is the first time he has moved in a while. He must be very happy that you're here," he said.

"Really? Then I'll visit him as often as I can," replied Alex with a smile.

Jordan smiled, and the doctor noticed the improvement in his condition. "Indeed, the gods have answered our prayers. There is hope for your father," said the doctor.

Alex nodded, "I will inform the King of this immediately."

Without wasting any time, Alex rode a horse to the palace. Carmen, who was feeding a horse at the stables, noticed her friend from a distance and greeted him with a wide smile. "Alex!" she shouted excitedly, giving him a tight hug.

"My lady," said Alex calmly, but with a happy tone. "I arrived today. I meant to arrive five days ago, but I could not because of my work."

Carmen asked, "You never really told me what it is you do. Do you love that kind of work? Do they pay you enough wages?"

Alex laughed, "Not really, no. Why do you ask?"

"Well, that's because you're a good fighter," she replied.

"Thank you, but I came here for a serious matter. Where is the King? I need to speak to him about my father," said Alex.

Carmen frowned at the mention of King Cyrus, "You'll find him in his library, writing letters or whatever he does in there," she said irritably. Alex was surprised and asked, "Have you fought with your father?"

"Sort of. Yes. I hate him, to be honest," Carmen replied.

"But why? What did he do to make you this upset?" Alex inquired.

"He..." Carmen couldn't finish her sentence as tears began to roll down her cheeks. Alex comforted her and said, "I'm sorry. You don't have to speak about it now. But we will talk before I leave."

Suddenly, they heard a voice from behind them, "Alex, is that you?" It was King Cyrus.

Carmen pulled away from Alex and ran away. The king didn't speak for a while, but Alex broke the silence, "I came here because of my father's illness. Dr. Collins wanted you to know that my father has made some progress."

"Progress?" the king repeated, surprised and glad to hear the news.

"Yes. He smiled today," replied Alex.

"That's wonderful, Alex. Let's go see him," said the king.

Although Alex wanted to speak to the princess, he didn't have the time. He was too busy attending to his father and reporting the good news to the king.

Alex and the King each took a horse and rode to Jordan's house. Upon arrival, they found him in an even better condition than before. He was able to move his fingers in slow motion.

"Old friend, I see that you're improving. You're a true warrior. Stay strong for your son," said the King.

Jordan's paralysis eased when he saw his son. "You must be very important to him," said Doctor Collins to Alex.

Alex smiled with tears in his eyes. "And he's important to me too."

"We'll finally know who caused this!" said the King.

Jordan smiled.

Later that day, Alex returned to the palace to see Carmen. "My lady," he said, knocking on Carmen's door.

"You may enter."

Carmen was keeping herself occupied by knitting a dress. "I wanted to see you again. I noticed that you weren't pleased when your father approached me," said Alex.

Carmen became irritated. "If you came to discuss my father, then you're welcome to leave! It's clear that you hold him in high regard. Or is it because you feel indebted to him?"

Alex was confused. "What should I be indebted for?" he asked.

"When you were away, my father had to do what was meant to be your duty and continuously visit Jordan to check if his condition had improved," said Carmen.

Alex frowned. "You're right to be angry with me. I deserve a scolding. I didn't want to visit my father again. As much as I loved him, I also hated him."

"What would make you hate your father that much?" Carmen asked.

"I blamed him for my mother's death. She'd still be alive if he hadn't encouraged her to go to war," Alex explained.

Carmen put her knitting tools away and went to offer Alex a hug. "I understand what you're going through. I know the pain of not having a mother to talk to. Shiandra was the closest person to a mother. She taught me all she could about becoming a lady. How to eat properly, how to walk, speak, dress, and how to set the table. A skill she said all women planning on getting married one day should learn."

Alex chuckled, and Carmen pinched him on the arm. "Ouch!" he said.

"Gosh! You have strong arms," said Carmen.

Alex blushed. "I can see that you loved Shiandra. Where is she, by the way? I haven't seen her since I arrived here," said Alex.

Carmen frowned. "She left," she said in a low voice.

Alex was surprised. "But why did she leave? She must have had a good reason," he said.

"Shiandra said that I was no longer a child and that I don't need her anymore," Carmen said.

Alex covered his mouth in awe. "She said that to you?" he asked.

Carmen nodded. "We said our goodbyes, and my father and I saw the carriage she traveled with," she said.

Carmen didn't want to mention the pain that was in Shiandra's eyes when she left or the pain that was in her heart when Shiandra turned her gaze away from her as if she didn't exist. She knew Alex would ask endless questions, and that would cause problems between Jordan and him. She loved her friend a lot.

"Tell me something. How's life in Noracia?" Carmen asked cheerfully.

"Life is good, life is great! You should come with me one day and explore new places," said Alex.

Carmen smiled. She loved the idea. "I doubt my father would let us explore together. He wants me to stay here with him.