Noori maintained her serious expression without wavering, unfazed by Dastan's attempt to regain control of the situation. However, Dastan, momentarily taken aback, responded once he regained his composure.
"I never knew Nurian people had such a knack for manipulation. I almost fell for your words," Dastan asserted, attempting to assert his dominance.
"I knew you would say something like that, so I suggest one thing to make this relationship a little more bearable," Noori proposed, her tone firm.
"I don't want to bear it, so I have no interest in listening to anything you have to say," Dastan retorted, abruptly turning to leave.
"You might turn away from it now, but you know better than anyone that until your father finds a solution for your curse, I will stay here," Noori stated confidently, sending shivers down Dastan's spine as he turned back to look at her, confusion etched on his face. "You knew?" he muttered, surprised that Noori was aware she would be sent back once Dastan was fully healed.
Noori shook her head in exasperation, frustrated by Dastan's apparent naivety in matters such as these. "How could you even think that the two nations could ever be in union with each other? It would be wishful thinking to believe that the two nations could ever be allies. So, this temporary truce will end soon, and I don't wish to live in hell until then when I can simply strike a deal with you to coexist freely and not cause each other needless problems."
"I don't wish to do anything of that sort. I have no need of you, so I would never stoop so low as to form an alliance with someone like you," Dastan hissed with intense hatred evident in his expressions.
Noori remained composed as he spoke, observing his hateful demeanor. "Alright, then. It is settled then," she said calmly. "If we don't wish to enter into an agreement, then I presume that you don't need my help at all, and you will wait until your father, the king, finds the cure for you, even if it means that you would die," she stated, unfazed.
Dastan kept his proud demeanor, responding, "Of course. I have started feeling alright, so I am sure that you will be sent away in no time."
"Your Highness, do you understand the weight of your words? They could anger the Emperor of Nuria greatly, and I am not sure what my father would do when he realizes that you have such vile plans for him," Noori warned.
Dastan clenched his teeth, his frustration evident. "Are you threatening me? Do you know you are at my mercy at this moment?"
Noori nodded sarcastically, fueling Dastan's anger. "Yeah, yeah, I know," she said dismissively, prompting Dastan to recoil in irritation. Their eyes met briefly before Noori shifted her gaze away. Through the corner of her eyes, she noticed a shadow lurking in the doorway of the library, clearly eavesdropping. As soon as she noticed it, the shadow hurried away, causing Noori's eyebrows to furrow in suspicion.
"Okay, you may leave then," Noori said, shifting her attention back to the book she was searching for. "Why is there nothing on the Soul Whispers?" she thought inwardly, feeling confused.
"Why should I leave?! This is my palace," Dastan spoke again, his frustration evident.
Noori, still trying to focus on her task, looked at him with utter disdain. "Okay, then stay! I will leave," she hissed, taking the book in her hand and walking towards another shelf.
After around thirty minutes of silence, Noori heard Dastan's footsteps approaching the exact same shelf she was at. "Are you planning against Solyria or something?" he asked suspiciously. Noori, who was seated across the table, threw her head towards him, clearly tired. "You said you didn't want to talk to me. Why are you here again then?" she said.
"I guess you are planning," he said, pulling onto the chair across her, sitting casually. Noori rolled her eyes back down at the towering books she had open in search of answers.
"Do you know rol–" Dastan was about to say something else when Noori slammed the book shut, scaring Dastan with the sudden motion, and looked at him dead in the eyes. "What do you want from me? Can't you see I am trying to find something? I am busy. Go find yourself someone from your beloved kingdom that you chant about from dawn till dusk and stop wasting my time," she lashed out, making Dastan stiffen and look at her with wide-open eyes. He noticed the subtle shine in her irises; it was as if she was about to burn him. For a second, Dastan remained silent before he finally spoke.
"I–I was," he paused and took a long breath before continuing, "I was saying that don't you dare try to plan against my country," he paused once again, "I saved your life so you have to listen to me because I own it," he said in a way that made no sense,
"Listen to me, first of all, I owe you nothing, but you do owe me very much because even if you helped me out once, I did it more than three times.Secondly, I am not planning against your country for now, so you should rest assured," Noori breathed out heavily. She then opened the book once more and started reading it with apparent effort, her brow furrowing in concentration.
After Noori's sharp retort, a tense silence filled the library, punctuated only by the faint rustle of pages as Noori continued to search through the books. Dastan, seated across from her, struggled to maintain his composure in the silence. He shifted uncomfortably in his chair, a flicker of uncertainty crossing his face before he spoke.
"Then what are you doing? You are putting so much effort in reading solyrian and it is very clear you can't read it properly so what is it that you are looking for?" Dastan cut the silence before adding,
"Why do you want to know? It is not like you would help," she asked, crossing her arms across her chest and leaning back in the chair.
"I just want to know, And it is not like you asked for help," he lifted a brow.
"So that means if I ask for help, you will help me?"
"It depends," Dastan replied coolly.
"On what?" she asked, her tone challenging. "Be specific."
"What I will get in return for it," he answered without hesitation.
"What do you want?" Noori sat up straight, her interest piqued.
"You will heal me if I ever collapse, so you won't count it as saving my life; rather, it would be returning a debt," he said with a smirk.
Noori closed her eyes, a wide smile forming on her lips as she chuckled lightly. The dimple of her rich cheek was so evident, and the freckles of her skin added to her beauty. Dastan watched her laugh softly, a moment of awe washing over him as he stared at her with empty eyes, baffled by her reaction.
"You are funny, Your Highness," she said, opening her eyes and instantly noticing the dumbfounded look on Dastan's face.
"What happened? Are you okay?" Noori tilted her head and waved her hand across Dastan's eyes to get a reaction, and only then did he snap out of his bubble.
"Yeah! I'm okay," he breathed heavily before speaking.
"Your highness, Just a while ago you were opposed to me offering you a deal and now you offer one yourself?," she said, pushing the book towards him.
Dastan's gaze fidgeted. "I thought about it and using you as my personal heater wasn't that bad of an idea." he said still proud. Noori chuckled and nodded, " Alright, help me find the nymph Whisperer," she spoke, her tone determined.
Dastan's eyes narrowed, and he tilted his head. "You mean the mythical mage who can control the wind?" he said to confirm.
"Yes, I want to know where I can find him," Noori replied, her eyes wide with determination.
"But it's not real. How do you expect to find something like that?" Dastan questioned skeptically.
"I don't know. But you just agreed to help me, so you have no choice but to find it with me," she added.