1. Realization and Humiliation

"Good morning princess, it is time to be awake," the words reach me as if they were whispers crawling through a cave. I turn over pulling covers atop my head feeling the drag of hair clinging to the blankets in a static fueled dance. A soft sigh reaches my ears as Vishnal gives a curt nudge. "You are quite the stubborn one Princess, but it is you yourself who asked me to wake you this morning." Now its my turn to sigh, "Just five more minutes then?" I ask on the exhale. There is a moments pause as Vishnal steps away, perhaps he has given in to my demands. The heeled footsteps of perfectly polished shoes recede across the marble as I allow my squinted eyes to seal shut.  
"Your request has been granted," he calls across the room, his voice is always so soothing though a bit sad. I dwell on his voice for a bit, recalling it's soothing nature until I fall asleep again. The next thing I know I'm being called for and this time there is a vigor to the way he says "good morning." Without opening my eyes I can already imagine the maddened determination that is undoubtedly marking Vishnal's face right now.  
"Okay, okay, I'm up now geez." I peek half of my face out as a white flag of surrender.  
Vishnal lingers for a bit as I stagger out of bed. He begins telling me about the upcoming festival and gets flustered about how he's going to prevail this year thanks to all of his training. There's that familiar determination flickering in his eyes again. Before long he hurries out ranting about his duties nearly tripping over my misplaced storage trunk.

Things are strewn about my room in an uncharacteristically disorderly fashion. I spent all yesterday crafting dozens of sour drops ransacking my backpack and storage for any spare oranges. I feel my face heat up as I think about it. "Silly silly," pinching my cheeks I kneel down and begin cleaning up the mess. I didn't make all of these just because a guy mentioned he likes grilled seafood. I mean there is a fishing festival coming up tomorrow I'm just preparing myself for afterwards. My hand drifts over a couple of packets of charm blue seeds and that just sends my face to a whole new heat.  
"I just need some fresh air is all," mumbling to myself I toss the seeds to the very bottom of storage and grab a few provisions.

The air outside is crisp and cool. It isn't quite winter but each and every morning there is a growing preview of the chill that is to come. At this time of day there is barely anyone out, the whole courtyard is empty with the exception of chattering birds and leaves spinning away from the trees. I let my reddened cheeks simmer down in the morning's frigid caresses losing my thoughts to the clouds. The sensible part of my head is urging me to tend to the fields and the monsters that are nuzzled together in the warmth of the barns. Then there is the irrational, rouge thought that pushes my feet towards the Bell Hotel.  
"I'm just going to go for a bath," I tell myself though the thought of the bath house brings roses to my cheeks.

"He-o" Xiao Pai says in her sing song voice. It's early but already people are milling about the lobby, I wonder briefly how early Lin Fa and her daughter must wake to tend to all the people that stay here.  
Normally I'd scrutinize her enunciation, the girl has become quite endearing and hearing her mispronunciation makes me smile instead.

"Hi, hi Xiao Pai." I say charming her with the rhymed greeting. I pull a curry bun from within my rucksack and hand it to her as a thanks for using the baths. The bath house services are now free to citizens here however I still feel a little guilty about using, or should I say abusing them so freely. Closing my backpack I spy a grilled rainbow trout that was hastily wrapped and stuffed into my belongings. I sigh outwardly which confuses Xiao Pai.  
"It's nothing!" I say blushing and stumbling up the first stair.

"I thought you were taking a bath, or are you going to visit Leon? He really likes those rainbow trout y'know?" she asks innocently.  
Blinking away my confusion I realize I have already started heading up the stairs that are nestled right beside the reception desk. A few more steps and I could have slipped into the baths but it is here that my feet finally betray me. By now our conversation has caught the attention of the other hotel residents who were talking in hushed tones before. The pressure of their stares embarrasses me even more and I decide to commit to the decision of my appendages and bound up the stairs. And then SMACK! My closed eyes flicker to stars and my nose goes from the normal blush of an exasperated girl to the white hot feeling of incoming blood.  
"What the!?" A surprised voice shouts. I'm in too much shock to say anything but my eyes snap open at the sound of this familiar voice.

"L-leon" I finally manage to choke out. I want to say sorry for bumping into him and explain that I was headed to the baths and made a wrong turn by mistake but blood from my nose trickles down to my lip as my hands quickly shoot up to cover my face. I peer at the exposed portion of his chest that I just took a dive into and feel my face grow hot. Thankfully I couldn't be blushing any more than I already am so I've got that going for me.

"Sorry!" I whimper, holding my nose with one hand and digging through my bag for some cheap cloth with another. I yank the fabric out of my bag so quickly that several contents spill out with the force and promptly begin tumbling down the stairs. I glance down at the items that have settled at various intervals on the staircase and to my horror two items sit paired at the very foot of the stairs; a love potion and the rainbow trout that I briskly shoved into my bag this morning.  
"Interesting." Leon says in a mocking tone. He bends down to pick up the cloth that I've apparently dropped and gently pushes it into my fingers that are probably locked in rigor mortise; because that's got to be it, I'm dead right?  
"Is this for me?" Leon calls, at some point during my daze he picked up all the spilled items and now stands below me holding up the rainbow trout. "This too?" he adds making a scene out of bending down to pick up the love potion. "And they're both handmade, wow you're quite impressive." he finishes with a chuckle. His eyes are sparkling mischievously as they look up at me; I wish I had a moment to compose myself but I can feel that my expression is nothing less than horrified embarrassment.  
Fight or flight response finally kicks in and I sprint down the stairs pushing past Leon and to the right, shoving open the door to the women's baths. I fling down my pack and change in a hurry to hide beneath the rippling warm surface of the bath house waters. As soon as my body hits the water I collapse into it letting it sink over everything shy of my chin. A pink tinge accumulates nearby my face as my bloody nose contaminates the water. I know I should get out and clean myself up a bit but these recent events have my heart pounding and my body shaking with humiliation. I just want to lay in here until I dissolve and become one with the water.  
The calm waters eventually lull my mind into a peaceful reflection, how did I get to this point? Last night I stayed up so late making sour drops that I was in a sleep deprived giddy state and tried making a love potion. I never thought I'd be successful at it, it was just a joke. "It's not like I would have given it to him anyways" I groan aloud. When did I start falling for this idiot anyways it's not like I've known him all that long. Flashback to the moment I met him, waking up in the centuries old dust on the floor. A man decorated in fine clothes and shining jewelry with eyes that hid both wisdom and pain. He seemed so somber, quickly coming to terms with what had happened. I wanted to save him, to save the man who first decided to throw everything away for our friend. I guess with the way Venti talked about him and those first impressions I fell in love with a fairy tale.  
A soft knock breaks my concentration and my attention shifts back to reality and the intricately carved door.  
"Uhm you don't have to knock you can come in," I call out to the considerate patron.  
The door creaks open to just a slit and the voice that answers me makes the steamy room feel like the cold morning air.

"Are you giving me permission to join you then?" Leon asks. "Honestly the guys and I were just going to wait for you to finish. Joining you is a touch inappropriate in my opinion but if you're okay with it, it sure beats just waiting around." his voice is dripping in mockery.

It is then I realize, in all my haste I rushed into the men's bath. Without hesitation I fire up an escape spell and don't even stop to wonder where exactly it will take me. 


	2. Traitorous Heart

The familiar tingle of magic begins to loosen it's grip on my body, receding away from the inside out, starting at my center and then lingering for a bit on my fingertips before the feeling is gone altogether. I always close my eyes during an escape spell since the magic is disorienting and lightning fast. If you're not careful you can wind up with a nauseating vertigo feeling and collapse as soon as the spell drops you off. (Thankfully I only learned that the hard way once.) I open my eyes to find that the spell didn't simply teleport me from the men's baths into the hotel lobby, and by some cosmic turn of events I was deposited footsteps away from the castle entrance to my quarters.  
Still in my swimsuit and sopping wet I fling open the door and quickly dry away the chills and shame that saturate my skin. Static from a fresh wool shirt sends my hair into chaos and a once over in the mirror confirms that my appearance is ghoulish. Mint green hair spiraling up towards the heavens as a faint smear of blood descends down my chin towards the underworld.

"What a perfect day to spend out in the fields," I say smiling at my sordid reflection.  
Reflexively I reach to my back, fingers arching along the familiar path into my pack where farming equipment is stowed away. There is a second long panic as my fingers curl around thin air. I can see it now, the backpack tossed into a corner of the bathhouse indifferently resting on the damp floors. _Of all the rotten luck, _how could I forget that? Its not as if I can just saunter in unnoticed to the men's baths. I got lucky (really I would say unlucky) that nobody was in the baths this morning but by now there should be at least a couple of guys in there. I guess I could ask someone to go back in there and retrieve my discarded things... Before the idea fully forms my legs are pushing their way outside. Avoiding main roads I go behind the castle deciding on a "short cut" through the fields instead. The farm land always manages to get a small smile out of me. To think that months ago I came to this virgin soil and worked it into the labyrinth of crops that it is today. Memories of hauling jagged rocks and chopping stubborn tree stumps. The first time I sent my hoe into the soil bringing it down with so much more force than necessary which sent the nerves in my hands into an uncomfortable prickling sensation. Vishnal had coached me and tried not to laugh as dirt kicked back up from the overly dramatic first swing. I can't help but to sigh remembering those days. Things were so much simpler when amnesia was the only worry I had. At times I feel a little disheartened to know that those first months here are the only memories of my past that I have to reflect on. But other times I'm glad that a huge portion of my "past" is weighted with these happy times. Leon's image suddenly fills my thoughts. Now there's a guy who is burdened with a past. I shrug the thought, I don't want to feel sorry for a man that had a star role in today's little humiliation theater.

I try to wipe away the newly formed scowl and remaining blood from my face as I push open the kitchen doors. Its early so Porcoline is likely preoccupied with baking today's fresh breads and rolls. The smell of them hit me as the door shuts and the cold outside air and the warm domesticated air swirl around in colliding currents. The scent here always retains the odor of those baking yeasts no matter what time of day you come in. I breathe in a huge lung full of it before heading upstairs. _I hope he isn't already out fishing._ His door is cracked and I give it a delicate knock before pushing open the door.  
"I hope you're decent." I call with a tease. Gah! I think Leon is rubbing off on me. My cheeks flush at the brazen nature of my comment as I quickly apologize. "Sorry!" I bow shallowly hiding my face allowing the crimson to settle into a natural pink that I can blame on the cold. Dylas is packing his bag, untangling lures from the sound of it. I lift my head to look at him; thankfully he has ignored my goofy comment and is completely absorbed by the fishing gear. Long fingers weave the line expertly turning the small snag into a figment of the imagination. He works quickly and silently for a few moments. I know he isn't the type to console me with a hug and tender language and right now the hushed understanding is all I need. He doesn't say anything but I can tell he knows I'm upset by the way he extends the muted moment well beyond when the packing is finished. We stare at each other before he finally speaks.

"You need something?" he asks. The question seems commonplace but his voice is more gentle than usual.

"Nope." I grin, concealing all of this mornings events within my smile.

His face says "I don't believe you" but his words contradict the notion: "Did you come for some pointers for tomorrow's contest then?" He can't hide the smirk that follows, he knows he's going to win and at this point he's just being nice.

"I've got this one in the bag," I say laughing, because we both know my fishing skill is on the nano scale.

"Well you have been practicing a lot lately," he responds politely, though the words drive a javelin through my good humor. Fishing had never been one of my interests... that is until recently.

"Someone other than Doug has to give you some competition,"I counter, hoping that the mention of Doug will guide the conversation to anything other than Leon. _Okay you're obsessed Dylas didn't even mention Leon. _Ugh.

Before he can respond I've snatched up one of the many fishing rods that rest against the wall and skip out with it. "Lets go before everybody wakes up We can't have the whole town spying on your secret techniques. I was thinking of heading over to the Autumn river, you coming?" He doesn't comment on the fact that it is currently Autumn in Selphia or that the Selphia Dragon Lake is within easy walking distance. On the contrary he follows silently humoring my abrupt change in attitude.

Traveling with Dylas is easy. Unlike Kiel or Doug who both constantly chatter or complain, Dylas unsurprisingly is quiet and thoughtful. He speaks up quickly when there is a monster or anything significant to comment on but for the most part he allows me to dwell within my own thoughts. Lately however my thoughts have been orbiting around that infuriating man! Why can't I pine after someone relatively normal like Arthur. (I say relatively because the eyeglass collection is kind of extensive and... intimidating to take in.) Or what about Vishnal? He's all but outright confessed his love to me, he's a good guy right? Kiel has a few years of maturation but I can't write him off completely can I? Doug and Dylas... I mean I couldn't date one without the other could I? Or you know what, why do I even need a man, because I don't. I've slain ancient fire breathing dragons and complex killer machinery alike. Clearly I can handle myself fine on my own.

"Frey!" Dylas shouts. He's several paces away halfway turned toward the lake's wooded entrance but shifting fast on his heels to face me. I'm so preoccupied with looking at him that I bump right into the squishy flesh of a big muck. The colorful cap on the mushroom has already expanded as a thin veil of spores begins to shimmer in the sunlight. I got so caught up in my own thoughts that I took a wrong turn and walked right into a gathering of these giant fungi. The poisonous spores have already consumed the area, it took Dylas no time at all to reach me but he halts right before the cloud.  
"Don't!" I warn. Obviously its too late for me it'd be senseless for him to rush in and get hurt too.

"You idiot!" He grunts, firing one massive water laser that splits off and cuts into several of the mobile mushrooms. I reach back to unsnap my short sword from it's housing in my bag but pull up empty handed. Anger boils up bubbling dangerously like one of Vishnal's culinary attempts, and instead of pulling back from the thickening accumulation of spores I push toward them. My fingers clench into fists and I swing right for the spongy cap of the nearest fungus. Without gloves there is only but so much damage I can do but the punch does manage to stun the creature and knock it back a ways. Everything happens so fast and before I can pull off another strike Dylas gives me a strong nudge pushing me out of the way as he hits the things with another blast of magic. I want to do something to help and I tell my brain to move my legs forward but the poison has already begun to affect my system. My vision is blurring turning everything I see into giant blisters of color and movement. The pain would probably be excruciating if I wasn't so distracted by colors dancing as my mind lags behind the sensory information that my eyes are giving it. And then everything goes black and the pain is, you guessed it; excruciating.

This isn't the first time I've woken up in Jones' office. I've sat on this bed multiple times clutching my sides and miserly counting my finances. I know the routine and prepare myself for his stern scolding of my reckless behavior, or worse Nancy's obvious distress for my health. Instead another face peeks into the edges of my vision. _And please oh god let my vision still be blurry because I'm hoping that isn't who I think it is. _

"Oh hey you're awake!" he sounds far too joyful for the grayscale atmosphere of the clinic. I know I should be embarrassed to see him after this morning but my body just doesn't have the energy to blush right now. I opt for turning over yanking the covers overhead in the process.

"That's not very nice." Leon says with mock sadness. "Especially when you should be thanking me." he continues. With no regard for my status as a recovering patient he sets a heavy package on my side chuckling all the while. _That's it. _Bolting upright I turn to face him preparing an onslaught of the cruelest things I can think of. The words are right on the tip of my tongue and I'm blinking back tears? Am I so mad that I'm crying? As I furiously wipe away my eyes the weighty object that was teetering on my stomach falls over.

"My bag!" I exclaim finally taking notice of the mysterious object. A few familiar items are peaking over top, seeing them is like a calming effect that pokes a hole right into the foul mood I was conjuring. "Thank you!" there is far too much gratitude in my voice, I want to still be angry but that just isn't my way I guess. Leon is sitting cross legged on the bed beside me with his fan hiding half of his expression. It's not hard to tell that he's amused since his eyes are really all someone needs to decipher his mood.

"You should also thank me for carrying you back here. Your body was just reeking so much poison that nobody else in town could get near you." he laughs. "Dylas was hysterical when he found me." he adds smiling at some previous exchange between the two. I know he only says these things to gauge my reaction and I've reached my limit today so I refuse to give him the satisfaction. It pays off quickly as Leon's eyebrows quizzically access my silent response. I fall back down into the pillows. They're a little too soft and my head sinks down narrowing my peripheral vision. Which at this moment is fine, hopefully Leon will take it as a dismissal.

A silence blossoms between us as a clock ticks somewhere upstairs in Jones and Nancy's quarters. It's strange that they aren't here right now though I guess it is pretty late maybe they're already asleep. Did Leon relieve them of their duties? It did look as if he had been previously laying in the bed beside me. A few scrolls were strewn about and there is a light scent of dried sardines that I hadn't noticed earlier. The silence extends and I'm startled at the closeness of his voice when he finally breaks it.

"Next time you should take me along, I won't let anything happen to you." he whispers. Apparently I lied, my body did have the energy to pull off one last massive blush; I can feel it creep all the way to my neck. The response is exactly the one he was looking for. He stands up laughing and smooshes his hand right through my hair snickering more as static from the movement sends hair into a disarray.

"Get out of here. Geez!" I say batting away his playful hands.  
"Aww. I was hoping you'd provide me with a bit more entertainment." he picks up a few things and stuffs them into a small leather bag that he keeps at his hip, finally turning to leave. He reaches back and muffles my hair one last time and then walks out without another word.

"Oh traitorous heart." I mutter to the erratic pounding in my chest. Laying wide eyed I wait for the blackness to take me for a second time today.


	3. A Quiet Mind

**Author's Note: **Hi everyone! Thank you for reading my very first fanfiction! I don't want to make a big show about introducing myself or anything, however I did want to give any fans of the story a little information. This is my last semester of college and so I'm incredibly busy writing papers and projects and whatnot. I began writing this fanfic as a creative outlet to relieve some of the stress of normal coursework and have had a lot of fun developing the story. That being said I cannot promise multiple updates a week, but at the very least I promise an update once a month. I know it isn't much, I hope to do better than that, but for now that is my best offer! I hope you all enjoy my little side project here! Thank you! -Chasie

"Good morning princess," there is a gentler tone than usual and I can almost feel pity oozing from Vishnal's gaze as he looks down at the gauze wrapping my forehead.  
The bandages were only a precaution Dr. Jones had said. I collapsed attempting to fight the animated mushrooms and "we can't rule out a concussion just yet," Nancy had tutted alongside her husband. At some point I had mustered the strength to walk back to my private quarters in the castle. It's not like I'm afraid of the clinic, heck I've woken up there more times than I can count. But something about laying in that cot overnight. I had seen too many new friends laying beneath those same bleached bed sheets. These new friends that had transformed from monsters and suffered amnesia for a time before receiving their memories from Venti. I know it's silly... but sometimes I'm afraid that if I stay the night in that cot I'll wake up with amnesia. Except unlike with them there is no one left to give me back my memories...

"Do you need five more minutes?" Vishnal asks quickly. I suppose I'm holding quite the forlorn expression and perhaps its being perceived as pain.

To ease his worry I unravel the bandages to show that there is not a single scratch beneath them. He looks surprised at the lack of injury and I can only imagine the story Dylas had told the town during all of his nervous fretting after my little being poisoned incident.  
"On the contrary," I say with a stretch, "I wish you had woken me sooner! There is a competition today and I'm sure Dylas is already out catching a variety of fishes!" wailing I exaggerate my actions with extra excitement to steer the butler in training away from being a worry wart. He is getting to be quite the little bundle of nerves always checking my forehead for colds and handing me his signature pickle mix to ensure I'm eating enough.  
I run out of the room before Vishnal even has a chance to finish turning over the covers, and he is quite fast at this too; I need an early start to right yet another blunder. Last night as I walked home from the doc's, ears still hot from Leon's close proximity and taunting, I foolishly but purposefully dumped all of the sour drops I crafted into the river behind the clinic in an attempt to rid myself of that man. At the time I may have been still feeling the affects of the poison or maybe the medication had my thoughts all jumbled. _What if everyone in town sees all of those sour drops!? _Nobody could explicitly prove they were mine... though I was hounding Blossom for oranges the day before. And Clorica had commented on the number of grilled seafood dishes that had begun appearing in all of the refrigerators in the castle. Plus Lin Fa started questioning my suddenly more frequent visits to the hotel. It wouldn't take Leon long to put the pieces together and realize that I obsessively crafted sour drops so that I could prepare him his favorite dish from the spoils of the festival and then impulsively threw all the ingredients in the stream! He'll know that I'm madly in love with him! _Okay wait my sleep deprived little mind, we are not madly in love with him. Slightly infatuated maybe?_ My thoughts are now entirely consumed by the prospect of all of the citizens reeling in sour drops at the festival instead of fish. Shirking my duties yet again I begin sprinting towards the river.  
Thankfully I have time on my side. I should move Vishnal higher up on my list of men that are far more suitable than Leon because the dear, dear, butler has woken me up much earlier than usual at my sudden request. I may or may not have lay wide eyed in bed all night thinking about the high level ingredients floating down stream. Okay so I did scribble a hasty note and shoved it under the door to Vishnal's room last night begging him to wake me up an hour and a half sooner. The fact that he carried out this demand without question makes me feel so much more grateful to have such good friends.

I hop down the cobblestone steps in a feverish attempt to get a closer look at the river banks. If I'm lucky all of the sachets of sour mix will have either washed up on the shore or become so heavily saturated that they sunk to the bottom of the stream. I quickly approach the river as the stone walkway forms a small wall protecting strolling citizens from the steep incline of the river basin. I climb over the short barrier in seconds, thankfully this time of the year the weeds are tame and it isn't a chore to avoid the prickly ones since they stand out in the withering grass. The slope is rather steep and so most people are encouraged to fish at the Selphia Dragon Lake, however, I've seen Dylas fishing here a time or two. Nobody will question me being down here if they see me; there is a fishing competition going on today after all. Just to be safe though I head for the underside of the bridge since it'd be in my best interest to just go unnoticed today. The morning light is dim with the sun still so low and since the bridge is close to the water the area underneath is still very dark. I'm not afraid of the dark, but the fact that I'll have to crouch down and practically crawl to be beneath the bridge is unsettling. I feel like I'm committing a crime sneaking around like this. With a sigh I duck down squinting my eyes to the darkness. Scuffling a few feet further for cover and -WHACK!  
My whole face collides with something rigid yet fuzzy. As if my vision wasn't bad enough on account of the darkness but now tears make my sight go blurry. This doesn't affect my reaction time though, a year of dungeon crawling has my blade unsheathed in seconds. I reflexively jump back a step but kind of jump more up than back and hit my head on the stone belly of the bridge. I wildly swing my blade to compensate for the misstep and take a defensive stance to allow my eyes a moment to adjust.  
"Crazy woman!" something shouts, a voice echoing off of the water. Suddenly there is a burst of light which throws off my vision yet again as my eyes dilate to match the blinding illumination.

"What are you doing here!?" We shout at the same time. My brain can only process but so much and the fact that Leon is here is enough to send my whole mind off tracks. Instead of the multiple questions I should be asking my heart speeds up and my palms get sweaty. I'd probably be blushing too if my body could respond fast enough. I'm still in shock and my head is reverberating from hitting the rock overhead seconds ago.  
"Don't you ever look where you're going?" Leon says attempting to rub the middle of his back where my head bashed into. "Besides, there are much better ways that our bodies could be colliding," clearly he has regained his composure much faster than I. Though my body is catching up, a blush makes it's way full force to my cheeks. Luckily the fire spell that Leon cast is dimming and I can only hope that having a wolf tail and ears doesn't give him better vision in the dark too. I stand there- er crouch there rather awkwardly. His comment about colliding bodies has me so undone that I can't think of a single thing to say and even if I could think clearly I'm sure I don't have the strength to muster a full sentence right now.

"Palm-cat got your tongue?" he teases, shifting himself to block the light from the other side of the tunnel.

_Infuriating man!_ Instead of falling for the bait I take a minute to sheath and strap the long sword I dropped. I deliberately take my time snapping it back into place on my rucksack. I have to think of a clever reason for my being down here because like I mentioned, occasionally some people fish along the river, but it is really uncommon to find anyone by the shore let alone slinking beneath the bridge. Do I tell him the truth? Bah, and mention the plethora of sour drops that I not only crafted but disposed of, as if! I could always lie and say I dropped something? My fingers are shaking on the last snap as it occurs to me that Leon must have a reason for being here too.  
"What are you doing here?" I ask again ignoring all of his teasing and inappropriate remarks.

I guess he was expecting me to say something else because he is silent for far longer than normal. He dawns a serious expression and his eyes lose their mischievous sparkle. The sudden shift in attitude has me scared that something is wrong and a seed of worry begins taking root in my stomach.

"Did something happen?!" I ask quickly. I reach back to touch the handle of my sword, mostly for comfort, but partly to let the steel ease my worry. I step to the side to swiftly access the situation.  
"Wait what are you doing?" he parrots, side stepping to shield my view yet again. The serious expression he had earlier is cracking, and I'm starting to realize his change in mood was a ruse to upset my emotions. He's hiding something.

"What are you up to down here Leon?" I try to push past him but I guess I kind of underestimate how much taller the guy is. He's a lot stronger too and he doesn't budge as I try to move around him. I struggle to see beyond him at whatever it is that he's hiding and we dance both hunched over beneath the frame of the bridge, squinting in the dim light, and is that a smile? I'm smiling as I try to get by and even though he's adamantly trying to convince me not to, he's chuckling at how puny my attempts are.  
"Why are you so nosy you numbskull?" he laughs grabbing hold of my forearm. I twist away and find the perfect opportunity to get to the other side. It's a long shot but there is a wide opening between his legs as he anticipates my next move. I let my backpack fall off of my shoulders and dive headfirst through his legs like a baseball player sliding to the safety of home plate. Except I wasn't really preparing for what I'd find on the other side and for the second time today my face makes contact with something unexpected. Unable to stop my body's motion I slide face first into the biggest pile of fish I've ever seen. Slick fish bodies stick to the side of my cheeks as the dive carries me forward. The smell of fresh fish is nauseating at this level and scales slough off onto my bare arms leaving slimy trails crisscrossing everywhere along exposed skin and hair.

From my perspective the situation is pretty grim. I can't even begin to question why there is a huge pile of fish because I am so mad that I rammed my face right through them. My anger is not misguided when I direct it at Leon who is laughing as loud as I think I've ever heard. (Though some of the volume is due to the echo effect I suspect.) I sit up and watch in horror as a sardine slides through my peripheral vision down the side of my cheek and lands with a wet thunk onto my breast plate. The fish is matted in the ruffles of my collar and my whole "ensemble" is littered with fish scales that have flaked off. All the while Leon is laughing and you know the craziest part? I begin to laugh too. The moment is so absurd and I can't decide if I'm more upset or still confused, or happy? Seeing him laugh so unrestricted, and really laugh not that usual chuckle he does when he's teasing. Its like catching a glimpse of something spectacular that is normally hidden behind a vault. Right now he isn't hiding a single emotion, or burying it beneath his little teasing act; and the fact that I'm here to witness kind of just evaporates most of my anger away.  
"What are you doing down here and why is there an enormous pile of fish?!" I finally manage to exclaim fighting off the infectious laughter. I did say that _most _of my anger evaporated, not all of it.

Apparently Leon has fully given up trying to hide this from me although right now I can't grasp why he'd want to keep a fishing hobby a secret... and then it comes to me.

"Are you trying to cheat in the festival?" I say gasping.

"I'm still catching them aren't I?" He says crossing his arms.

"As opposed to what...?" I begin.

"Buying them." He finishes.  
"Leon!" I'm upset that he would undermine the hard work of all our friends in town, and for what? Winning a festival? Taking something that is supposed to be for fun and twisting it into a competition. Ugh!

"You're so cute when you're angry." He says patting my head in the most demeaning of ways. Unconcerned with his own unethical behavior Leon begins sorting through the fish and picking one of each type, carefully wrapping them in a cheap cloth and putting the fish on an ice pack that is nestled in his own backpack. I can only sit and watch, hoping that some sort of guilt will stir inside him and make him at least hesitate as he counts how many different varieties he caught. Man this guy really is a piece of work. I begin sorting out the lecture I'm about to unleash on him in my head but then he catches me off guard with a question.

"So what are you doing here anyway miss?" with everything packed away he leisurely sits down tossing some of the duplicate fish back into the water. His stance may seem un-guarded but I can tell from his gaze that he'll be dissecting every word I say.

"I dropped something and it rolled between the railing on the bridge." I try to say as matter-of-factually as possible.  
"Come now Frey," it only takes him two steps and he's kneeling right beside me, "are you really trying to tell a tale to the master? I quite literally could have wrote the book on deceit." He has leaned in so close that I can see every intricate detail of the tattoos on his face. I turn away quickly, looking at him this close makes my nerves go crazy. I want to trace the patterns on his face and the mere admission of this to myself makes me blush..

"How about we make a deal?" Leon asks. I don't like the implications but at least he isn't mentioning the red that is coloring the apples of my cheeks. "You keep quiet about what you saw here and I won't question why you're here. Deal?" He doesn't give me any time to answer but instead pats me on the head again beaming about having a "little accomplice."

"You are just too cute when you're mad." he repeats laughing and ducking away with his cheating bag of fish.

**x.x.x.**

The 17:00 hour fast approaches and today's festivities are about to dwindle down as everyone makes their way back to the courtyard to announce winners. I gave up trying to net out the remaining sour drop packets long before the contest began since most of what I was netting out of the water was waterlogged and nearly unidentifiable.  
"Hey there!" A familiar red head calls clapping my back as he approaches. He is grinning from ear to ear, the competitive nature of these contests really fires him up. But from the imprint of leaves and twigs on one side of his face I suspect he's been dozing off today taking full advantage of the festival as a day off from work.  
"You catch much of anything?" I tease pointing out the faint red impressions on his cheek. He blushes just a bit when I touch his skin and then pinches my cheek to "compensate".  
"Nah. Fishing is soooo boring. Though I do really like salmon onigiri. You didn't happen to catch any salmon did you?" He looks at me expectantly. Since I had been fishing a lot lately I didn't want to seem obvious and bring home rainbow trout exclusively. It's kind of embarrassing to admit but I've been catching a lot of salmon and using Doug as a test dummy to boost my cooking skill. I think the sudden showering of gifts has made this little elf ungrateful though. Blatantly asking for salmon onigiri like that, Blossom really needs to nail a set of manners into this boy!

"No I didn't do much fishing today," I admit, which is partly true. Fishing for things other than fish isn't called fishing now is it? "Oh look it's Dylas!" I say changing the subject. I know the mere mention of Dylas will goad Doug into approaching and allow me to escape. I really don't want to be around for the results of this competition. I passed by Leon again today who shared a knowing smile and put one finger to his lips in the most intimidating wordless exchange I have ever witnessed. I just can't watch Dylas lose to a cheater who got a six hour head start.  
I reach the center of the pavilion and head straight through the main doors of the castle. I stop at the empty circle letting the sunlight that filters through the open roof cast my shadow against the cold stone. This chamber of the castle is always so comforting to me. Maybe because its the first glimpse I had of the town, falling through the ceiling into Selphia. Or maybe its because this is Venti's room, a place I would go whenever I was troubled and in need of a friend. Thinking back on friendship snaps my mind back to the present. Dylas is my best friend in town and right now I am torn between being a good friend to him and ratting on Leon. I owe Leon nothing! He is nothing to me. So why is it that I find his name at the edge of all my sentences ?

Frustrated I stomp all the way through to the back doors that lead to my neglected fields. For two days they have been without water and my poor monsters who I did manage to feed this morning at least, have been cooped up in the barns without any attention. I guess this is my answer then. If my confused little mind cannot make a decision between the two boys then my work hardened little body will get something done. I set my backpack on the ground and rummage through it, carefully picking out the next set of seeds I plan on planting, a few formulas to enrich the soil, and of course my essential tools that I've somehow managed to tuck away into the folds of my bag. I've got a lot of work to catch up on and maybe this is a good thing for me, not obsessing over anything just letting the routine I've known for the past year carry my mind into a quiet lull.


End file.
