Nimue giggled.<br/><br/>“Susan? He named the horse Susan? I imagine that mare to be a pale gold, a palomino with long flowing white mane and tail. He braids her tail, plaiting flowers in it, tying it with delicate blue ribbons.” Nimue had sat up now, the melancholy gone from her eyes, replaced by the spark of mischief.<br/><br/>“So do you build a horse barn with stalls for more horses than yours?” she asked, realizing that she had never really inquired about his plans. “You know, if you build a stable that would house several horses, you would be able to acquire more to rent out to people who come visiting the Tor and the surrounding area.” Then she bit her lip to quiet herself. That was planning too far ahead and a noble knight like Maric would not wish to stay in the shadow of Avalon. What had she been thinking?<br/><br/>“Well, time for me to cook us some dinner. Will you be coming in now, my love?” she asked, looking down at him in the waning light. “I brought fresh food from the Tor and will cook up a few fresh greens that I picked on the way back.”<br/><br/>To cover her embarrassment at her hasty meddling with his decisions on the future, Nimue headed back to the cottage. Sometimes it felt as if she and Maric had been a couple for their entire lives. Maybe that was because that although there was affection from him, there was no passion. Nimue knew his customs were different than hers but she wondered if he truly loved her, wanted her like a man wanted a woman or if she was just really a good friend to him, more like a sister, or a lost cause that he had taken on because he was an honorable knight.<br/><br/>Once in the cottage, Nimue found the water bucket and went to fill it with fresh lake water, twice. Once to put onto boil and the second time for water to wash the table and other hygienic washing. Deciding she wanted warm water to wash the table and dishes, she switched containers and set to scrubbing the old wooden table. She wished fervently that this cottage was more, that she was more, and she wished with almost a frantic longing to be a good enough woman for Maric to truly love.