An Awaited Response

Days came and went, yet Mikhail kept himself to his room. He'd occasionally dine with Susie who would insist on seeing him eat the dish she prepared, though he had doubted her cooking for a few days due to memories of the time he was drugged. Susie made full use of Xander's name as an excuse to get him out of his room, even though she has to mumble out his name with respect to do so.

Xander had to leave a day after Mikhail shut himself in his room, leaving Susie to watch after Mikhail's meals, much to his chagrin. Susie merely snickered at the opportunity given to herself and chased Xander out of the village immediately after accepting the request. 

"Mikhail, open up. Let's eat."

"... I'm not hungry."

"I'd bring up that baldie's name to get you out of your room but I don't want to. Instead of that old geezer's name..."

Susie cut off her sentence and then broke through Mikhail's room door, earning her a loud shriek from Mikhail as he stared as his broken door. He held his blanket close to his chest as he stared at Susie horrified, mouth opening in shock as he sputtered incoherent words. 

"Without the door, there's no need for us to be separated. You even get to see my face 24/7. Teehee~♡" Susie grinned as she walked towards him.

"Now hold it right there. What do you think you're doing?"

Susie and Mikhail glanced towards the broken door as they stared at the figure leaning against the door frame. Susie had already propped herself against Mikhail, holding up his shirt, revealing his pale skin and developing muscles while pinning him against the bed when Xander had arrived.

With a flustered look on his face and a sigh of relief, Mikhail squeezed out of Susie's grasp and exited the room. Xander glared daggers at Susie as he folded his arms with an annoyed expression on his face.

"I knew leaving him in your care would prove detrimental. Good thing I arrived when I did."

"Tsk. More like, arrived at the wrong time. What're you doing back here anyways? Don't you have work to do in the palace? To rule a country? Ring any bells?"

Xander furrowed his brows and frowned at the derision in Susie's voice. He then straightened his posture and headed straight towards Susie, clamping his hand around her neck.

"I don't approve leaving someone like you unattended and still living. You keep insisting on mocking me and trying my patience. I'm surprised I even let you live. Then you try to do God knows what to Mikhail by dressing up in drags?"

"Kh... You... What if... I really was a girl? Uhk... Won't it be... A bit much?"

"Does it even matter? If you try to touch..." Xander's sentence was cut off by a soft gasp, catching him off guard. Xander glanced towards the door, or what used to be the door feeling irked and noticed Mikhail standing there with his hands clamped around his mouth.

Xander's grip loosened and Susie took the opportunity to push him off, running towards Mikhail as she hid behind him. Xander gasped and fell off the bed, knocking his head on the ground as he groaned in pain.

Mikhail was at a loss on who to support. His face was flushed from thinking about the scene he had just witnessed. Xander had pinned Susie to the bed with his arms holding her down while his knees pressed against her thigh and had locked her in place. From his point of view, it was such an intimate scene that he was flabbergasted and could only blush at the scene.

Susie grinned wickedly at Xander from behind Mikhail as she started putting on her waterworks, trying to frame Xander of a heinous crime. "That... that old man tried to... sob..."

"Wait! What?! What are you even saying... That's not true! Mikhail, I was reprimanding her for throwing herself all over you!"

Mikhail lowered his eyes and furrowed his brows as he shook his head, face still flushed. He brushed off Susie's hand and excused himself from the room, keeping his head lowered and apologised for interrupting them.

"Mikhail!" The duo yelled in unison as they watched Mikhail leaving the room in a hurry.

"Tsk. Look what you did. Why'd you even return anyways?" Susie asked as she slumped to the ground cross-legged with a huff, running her fingers through her ebony hair frustratedly. 

"Why? I'm bringing him back. Not like I need to tell you or anything."

"Huh? What are you talking about? Back where?"

"Home... While his mother is gone... I have the responsibility of taking care of him."

"What? How would that even make any sense? You?" Susie scoffed with a look of scorn plastered on her face.

"Why wouldn't it make sense?"

"You're not even related! He barely knows you! As if he would willingly follow you. What? Are you going to come out and say some shit like, Mikhail, I'm your father. Or something?"

"Yes."

"Hah, that's what I tho---... Wait! WHAT?!"

"That's right. I'm going to tell him. I am his father."

"You... Crazy..."

Susie gritted her teeth with frustration as she found herself at a loss of words. She couldn't find any words in retort to Xander's outlandish remark and could only express herself through the silent profanities that tried to escape from her lips.

"I came here to pay him a visit before breaking the news to him. I don't find this village conducive nor suitable for his wellbeing... Especially with a certain someone whom shall not be named."

Susie's eyebrows twitched as she glanced at Xander, a deep frown tugged at her lips as she knitted her brows. She heaved her chest and grinded her teeth as she pondered his sentence.

Silence fell heavily on the room, building a cold atmosphere between the duo as they sat in their respective corners. The tension was broken when Susie finally voiced her opinions.

"If you plan on bringing him back to the palace with you... I should be there as well."

"... Huh? I thought you'd say something sensible..."

"Quit joking around! I am being very serious and highly sensible! If the nobles could easily start a riot due to the closing of ports and planned on starting a full out war, what do you expect would happen once you bring a commoner to the palace?"

"Gh... ... Your words hold some semblance of truth to them... But what could you possibly do to counter those who oppose?"

"I'll simply burn them."

"A splendid ide--- Wait! No! That would make matters worse! Sigh..."

Xander and Susie then sat in silence for another long while as they pondered their ideas and solutions, weighing the pros and cons for each situation. They considered their best plans before voicing out their opinion to garner some insight from one another.

***

Mikhail leaned against a somewhat shady tree near the river as he glanced at his house sheepishly. His face still felt warm so he doused some of the refreshing river water on his face. He shivered from the cool liquid on his skin and the light breeze of the autumn wind, immediately shaking his head to clear the droplets of water that coated his visage.

He glanced towards the sky and watched as the translucent clouds drifted with leisure. The weather had started to grow even more colder, evident that he hadn't been leaving his room due to his unfamiliarity with the shift of temperature. 

Mikhail breathed slowly, puffing a small white cloud from his mouth as he paced about under the tree where the withered leaves fell gently down collecting at his feet.

He breathed into his palms as he attempted to warm his hands. The chilly air and soft chirping of the birds that flew off like the changing of the weather helped him feel a little better as it took his mind off of his missing mother.

Nothing would change even if I mope around... Nor would it change if I were to stay put in this village... Maybe I should enlist in the army or something... But I've no one to vouch for me... Mikhail got lost in his thoughts as he kicked a loose pebble into the river, watching it plop into the clear streaming water absent-mindedly. 

His thoughts were abruptly interrupted as Susie's voice rang out across the empty area. Mikhail turned around and found both Xander and Susie walking towards him.

"Mikhail~" Susie bellowed out as she sprinted towards him with a wide smile plastered on her face. Xander looked slightly more irked at her behaviour but broke into a smile as he watched Susie trip on a pebble and fall flat on her face.

"S-Susie! Are you alright?" Mikhail asked as he ran towards her. Xander trailed after Susie and pulled her up to her knees thinking of stopping whatever antics she had planned, earning a disgruntled frown from her.

"Oh dear, I feel a little light headed, maybe you should help me rest... in your bed... in the room... of our home..." Susie said as she struggled to free herself from Xander's grasp to cling onto Mikhail.

"Err... Well, it seems like the King is ready to lend you his aid, though? Seeing as he is already helping you up?" Mikhail said as he scratched his cheek.

Xander had a firm grip on Susie's wrist, locking her into place as he eyed her warily. Mikhail saw it more akin to the two staking their grasp on one another as it seemed like an intimate interaction.

Mikhail broke into a slight smile as he handed Susie a handkerchief to wipe the blood off her nose before pulling his back upright and asking them why they were looking for him.

"I need to tell you--"

"I need to tell you something!" Susie cut Xander off as she finally broke free from his grasp.

"Our relationship is nothing like what you think. I don't like this old geezer. I'd rather die than say I even like him."

"O-oh." Mikhail replied as he stared at Susie with a vacant expression.

"That's right! Don't misunderstand. I already have someone very precious in my heart."

"I... I see... My apologies... I didn't mean to make you two feel uncomfortable..."

"Oh... No that's fine... I'm just glad we cleared this up." Xander said as he patted Mikhail's shoulder affectionately. 

"Yes. Now that that's cleared up, we have a different matter to discuss..." Susie said as she nudged Xander.

"Sigh... I thought you wanted to tell him everything."

"Well, it's your big moment."

"I suppose... Erhmm... Mikhail... I..."

"Ah! Watch out, Your Highness!" a young soldier cried as he rushed after Xander with a shield in hand.

Xander turned his gaze towards the sky and noticed a gleaming that was growing nearer by the second. He sighed as he stood still and shut his eyes as he readied his hand in a manner which seemed like he was about to catch something.

He then opened his eyes and swiftly grasped something that fell from the sky. The soldier stopped mid-run and then lowered his head as he apologised fervently.

Xander frowned as he walked towards the soldier. He patted the man's shoulder before handing the arrow back to him, encouraging him to keep practicing.

The soldier thanked Xander for his encouragement before being dismissed for the day. Mikhail watched the entire scene that had unfolded along with Susie who almost saw Xander in a new light.

"Hmm? What's that look on your face, Blackie?" Xander grinned as he noticed Susie's awestruck face, he thought it was a good idea to have a good story to counter her remarks in the future.

"What? I was just amazed that he couldn't hit such a big target. I think your soldiers still need more training." Susie countered as she wiped the impressed look off her face and replaced it with a cunning grin.

Xander furrowed his brows before massaging his temples. He sighed as he cast aside his initial thought and put on a serious expression, turning towards Mikhail who looked deep in thoughts.

"Your Highness... I have a favour to ask of you." Mikhail said with an earnest look on his face.

"Oh, sure. What is it?"

"I want to... join your army." Mikhail replied with a calm disposition. He had finally made up his mind, all that was left was Xander's approval.

"I..." 

Mikhail glanced expectantly at Xander's face as he clenched his fist. His throat felt parched and his heartbeats hammered in his ears as he gulped the lump in his throat.

What would Xander's answer possibly be?