Chapter 168: CHAPTER 168: With The Future In Mind
Willow was still sleepy after what had happened, her body still haven't recovered completely.
Even with the potions nad healing, it still felt very tired.
And so as she read her book, her eyes would close and her head would fall causing her to wake up and shake her head.
It was still early and she wants to read as much as possible since they have so many things to do.
But her sleepiness got the better of her that without realizing it, before dinner, she had completely fallen asleep.
Drake was opposite her on the table in the library, he noticed how she was really sleepy but was trying to fight it off.
And when her head was about to hit the table as she finally succumbed to sleep, he was fast enough to reach out his hand and stop her head from hitting the table.
He sighed and very slowly took the book from her hand without removing his other hand in supporting her head.
The others stopped doing their things as well, trying to stay quiet as they watched him walked around the table to carry her, since they were the ones on the end of the table.
He did his best to slowly lift her up in order not to wake her.
He can see that she was still pale when she woke after that day, and despite sleeping with enough time, her body still couldn't catch up.
He had been watching her and knew that reading and using her brain would cause her to be even more tired.
"What do you plan for the future?" Ridge suddenly asked.
Ridge was supposed to be focused on his books but somehow, the moment he lifted her up, Ridge spoke up and was now looking at him.
He was at the other end of the table causing the other three in between to look at him before looking back at Drake.
Stormie, Nixon and Felix remained silent.
"..."
"You are aware of her and your feelings. She realized that she had changed because of her feelings and that change was for the worst that she chose to stay away. But what about you?"
"..."
"Your hatred was already close to passing, we all can see it. You have said that you will not pursue your feelings until your hatred were to disappear. What about now? It is still very obvious that she was still waiting even though she rarely speaks to you now."
"..."
Seeing as Drake chose to remain silent, Ridge shook his head, removed his glasses and massaged the space between his eyes.
"It is precisely because we are in dangerous situations that I am getting tired of all of you holding back on your emotions. If you are afraid of being distracted once you choose to accept it and pursue it then I can whack your heads up for you. But you do remember, our lives are too short, our missions are too dangerous. I am not telling you to simply live in the present, you have to think of the future as well but..."
He put back his glasses after wiping them as well.
"Live in the present with the future in mind. Live not without care but with cautiousness that you will still have a future. By simply waiting now and delayiong everything, do you plan to watch her be snatched by others in the future?"
Drake looked down at Willow's sleeping face before sighing.
"For now, I am still trying to sort out what I really want to do. But one thing is for sure, you are right. My hatred is no longer something that will hinder my emotions."
After saying that, he walked out of the library and towards the room designated for Willow.
Each of them were already given a room in the palace.
Because of the number of children, there are open palaces and the closest to the main library that is within the main palace was actually the palace of the first prince.
Zian had teh servants clean that place up first and fore most and had everything changed.
The Imperial City wasn't really damaged that they could buy the things they needed for a comfortable stay.
Of course, the once tax that is too overwhelming was the first thing that Zian fixed in order to have the people have a better living.
It was only a few days but this tax was something that had been on his mind all along, taking action towards it was the fastest thing that he could do.
His plans were made way before even though he had no idea if he would be able to have the people implement it.
As someone who watchies over ther people, he knew he needed to do something about this.
But his power was truly lacking back then that he couldn't do anything despite having the plan.
Now that the clean up was done, even though it has just been a day, with trutworthy people left on his side.
The people who had fought alongside him and the people he watched closely.
Implementing the sudden tax decrease didn't cause too much damage and having trustworthy servants around, the palace of the first prince was renovated in just a day.
Since wood and earth ability users were there, the renovation and reconstruction was even faster.
These people are among those that they saw in the poor side of the camp when they just arrived.
They are people who are very much grateful to these group for arriving and cleaning the place up.
And so they didn't hold back in their work, doing everything at the fastest and the best pace possible.
After covering Willow with the blanket, Drake sighed and fixed her hair.
'Sorry, for still being undecisive about what I truly want to do.'
People may think that since the feelings are mutual why not just pursue it?
But he wanted to finish everything first, his brother's body, he wanted it back before he could really free himself from the constraints he placed on himself after what had happened eight years ago.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone