Prince Nuada being conflicted about his feelings toward you, a human.
You’d been at the BRPD since you were a young adult and had painstakingly - and quickly - worked your way up to the position of field agent. Some parts of the job were incredible; fantastic creatures and magical artifacts to be found. However, like any bureau, at times you were tasked with things that you didn’t particularly want to do.
Playing babysitter to a fallen elven prince had been one such task. You were selected due to your knowledge of elven lore and customs - and because you were one of the few not currently on assignment.
They felt it was necessary to keep him under heavy watch after his loss given the temperament he displayed. You decided it would be prudent to learn about him before meeting face to face. He didn’t exactly paint a pretty picture for himself from the footage and reports you had access to;
As expected, your first encounter hadn’t been wonderful. He remained silent and unmoving, not acknowledging when you’d entered his quarters. It continued like that for several days until at last he spoke, “how long do you humans intend to keep me like this?”
“Until you’re no longer a danger to yourself or others.”
“I will always be a threat to your kind.”
“Then I guess you should get comfy. Here’s dinner.”
After hearing about your assignment, Abe came to you to offer some friendly advice; speak with Princess Nuala. If you could create a connection with her, it could potentially make Nuada more open to you due to their link. It would take time, of course, but it was a start.
You went to see her before you visited her brother as often as you could. You found Nuala kind and generous. She was apprehensive at first, but with Abe’s reassurance she opened up to you. At first you discussed your interests; mutual and otherwise. The two of you naturally moved on to your upbringing and families, then into deeper topics.
The effect that it had on Nuada was... interesting. He either didn’t notice or didn’t care initially. Then he became irritated. He’d snap at you, telling you to leave his sister alone. You didn’t listen, of course, and he commented on your obstinate nature.
“Why are humans so infuriating?”
Then, at last, after months of the roller coaster of him either pretending you weren’t there or treating you like an unwanted nuisance, he surprised you.
“You may stay a while if you wish, Y/N.”
Your visits changed entirely after that. Sometimes the two of you would sit in comfortable silence while you worked on other things. Other times you would visit with him and the two of you would swap information on the subjects you knew best. Occasionally you would spar to help him stay active. Although he usually won, you could hold your own against him for a time. You did notice that it seemed as if he were holding himself back. When you confronted him on it, you expected him to say something about your weak human constitution. But he caught you off guard yet again.
“You don’t need to hesitate with me. I’m a trained agent. I can handle whatever you throw my way.”
“So we’ll spar properly next time? No holding back?”
“I can’t bring myself to do that.”
“Because I don’t want any harm to come to you.”
Nuada was just as shocked by his revelation as you were and he refused to discuss it further. He’d gotten himself into a predicament he never imagined he’d be in. He dismissed you so that he could be alone to mull over what he was feeling. You left as confused as he was.
When you made it to your room you found one of Nuala’s poetry books on your bed. She’d left a note to mark a page for you that read, ‘for clarity.’ It was a poem about love.
