The campgrounds had long-since quieted down, the sounds of muffled rhapsody from a tent positioned dangerously close to four others ebbed as the moon rose high in the night sky, and the natural ambiance of the Soribeau plateau overtook the area once again—despite all of this, Red’s heart would not cease its deafening pounding.

  “That was—”

  “I never—”

  The two tittered beneath the covers of the bedroll, stepping over each other to say nothing particularly important, yet they wanted to hear from each other nonetheless.

  “Apologies, you first.” Isold? smiled faintly.

  She took Red’s hand, kissing the soft skin of her inner wrist, and slowly worked her way up to her palm and then, each finger before pulling Red’s hand against her chest, refusing to surrender it.

  “I just,” Red paused, trying to articulate her words amidst the feeling of Isold?’s lips brushing against her fingertips again. “Would have never thought that you…”

  “That I’d what?” Isold? smiled mischievously as she ran one of Red’s fingers along her lips and into her mouth, biting down gently.

  Red trailed off, breathing deeply and closing her eyes.

  “That you’d choose me, I guess.” Red muttered, embarrassed by her own words.

  Isold?’s brow furrowed. “What are you trying to say? Do you mean to traduce my lover?” Isold? pulled Red’s arm in a frolicsome manner, peppering her collarbone with kisses.

  “Lover?” Red squeaked.

  “Is that okay?” Isold? asked, their eyes meeting again as the two laid back onto the bedroll.

  “I just wouldn’t have guessed you would—”

  “Again with that,” Isold? pouted, putting an index finger to Red’s lips. “Do you recall the bout we had in Falgrad?”

  Red nodded.

  “We’d only been working together for less than a fortnight." Isold? continued. "I had no idea what to think: all of a sudden, I was expected to lead strangers into battle. Yet, we somehow were able to halt the Demi King’s advance into Alvariche. The blackguard couldn’t do anything but retreat, unprepared for our forces.”

  “It was an important day for the Arms of the People as it showed the citizenry we were worthy of the time and shembals invested in us." Red added. "I remember how proud the leaders were of us.”

  “Do you know what I remember?” Isold? asked, to which Red shook her head. “I gave a speech, impromptu and right before the surviving townsfolk. I was racked with nerves, but I managed to give a decent address.”

  “I-i-it was wonderful." Red stammered. "I mean, you were wonderful,”

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  “You’re sweet.” Isold? smiled. “I handled the adults well enough, but one of the children was inconsolable. They wailed over my words and I wasn’t sure what to do. ‘Had they lost loved ones? Were they scared of the monsters? Were they scared of us? How do I put their concerns to rest? I can’t just ignore them, right?’ I had no idea what to do. Unprepared, I tried to keep going. Then out of the corner of my eye, what do I see?”

  “What?” Red asked.

  Isold? furrowed her brow, pausing as she realized Red had truly forgotten what occurred next.

  “You, silly.” Isold? petted Red’s head, running her fingers through her hair. “You’ve never exactly been one for oration, but you were especially shy back then. Nonetheless, you simply picked the child up. You held them, rocked them, and let them cry in your arms. I hadn’t even thought to comfort them—I was so caught up in trying to be a symbol for the people, I forgot that sometimes people just need a kind hand. But not you. You’re so kind, Red. You’ve always been. I think I loved you then. I surely love you now.”

  The words echoed in Red’s head as the two eventually let sleep take them. Red grumbled as rays of the sun woke her. She unconsciously reached beside her for Isold?’s warmth, but found nothing save more of the bedroll. Red sat up in surprise; had this all been but a dream? Had Red unintentionally spurned Isold?? Where had she gone? All of Red’s irrational fears quelled as she looked around the tent, seeing Isold? putting her armor on. She felt so childish, immediately fearing the worst, but it didn’t seem to matter when Isold?’s eyes were on her own.

  “I get up earlier than everyone else, you know.” Isold? whispered. “I can’t change that habit now, after all.”

  She winked.

  Red felt relief wash over her and smiled. “I—”

  “I have to go over the map of the region once more, love. You get dressed, hide those love bites, and I’ll rally the troops.” Isold? smirked and batted her eyes coquettishly.

  She backed halfway out of the tent before Red grabbed her hand suddenly. Isold? raised an eyebrow, a smile on her face as she awaited the nervous Red’s response.

  “...love you.” Red muttered.

  “I’m sorry?” Isold? asked over a giggle.

  “I love you, okay?” Red’s voice cracked, much to her embarrassment, as she spoke. Nonetheless, she gathered her courage and continued. “I didn’t say it yesterday when you said it, but I didn’t want you to leave without knowing.”

  Isold? didn’t respond, but her smile crafted an epic for Red’s heart. The way the sun bled through the gap in the tent’s opening and washed over Isold? made her look like a saint of scripture. Her dimples as she grinned back at Red were so cute. Had she always had those lovely dimples? Or maybe they only reared their proverbial heads when she blessed someone with such a genuine smile. Truly, Isold? was a treasure and Red had no interest in sharing her. The whole idea of such a newfound possessiveness made her feel insecure, yet whatever trials and tribulations awaited after today seemed so feasible in the wake of her warmth. Isold?’s tender touch danced across Red’s chin as she leaned in, their lips meeting once again. Kissing Isold? set Red ablaze, the nervous warrior giving in to her baser instincts as she tried to pull her back into the tent.

  “I have to go,” Isold? said as Red stole one last kiss. “And you do too, you know. Get ready.” Isold?’s face fixed back to the composed leader Red had come to know, like the woman with her hair down she’d spent the night with was a special side the others couldn’t know—Red felt privileged. Once she was alone in the tent, she fell back into the bedroll and basked in the scent of what the citizenry called the Velarohs of Justice; Isold? wasn’t a fan of the silly title and was often teased by her allies as a result of her obvious distaste. As the story went, the common folk deemed Isold? to be as beautiful as a velarohs and as deadly as its poisonous thorns. Red inhaled as much of the famed scent as possible, reluctant to leave the surreal fantasy her tent had become. Nonetheless, Isold? was right and the day wouldn’t wait for Red much longer.

  Red sat back up and reached for her hygiene kit, her mind abuzz with things she’d never considered before. Did she smell alright last night? Was Isold? regretting their time together? No, Isold? wasn’t the type to think such things. She loved Red. Red had somehow woken up in a world where she was loved and her smile refused to leave her face. Red applied oils she’d purchased back in Livkanēzch; she was running out and would likely have to get some more after they’d dispatched the Demi King. She smiled to herself—just one conversation with Isold? later and Red went from worrying whether they’d survive the encounter to planning errands after the battle. She finished her morning routine and exited the tent. Per usual, Red noticed she was the last to get up and hastily broke her tent down, joining her comrades at the foot of the trail to the man-made spire.