It's the In-SAIN New Years Extravaganza 2016-2017 Fic #2!
This piece is written in honor of COOKIECHEESEMAN, who will be retiring in the near future. It is the sequel to his SainxRebecca fic, Commitment, so I decided to try and write it in the same style: present-tense first person. Not an easy task.
Previously…
Huh? Is that my Lady Liege? It is! And she's... oh my goodness. Why is she wearing such fancy and... revealing attire? Gah! I knew my Lady Liege was gorgeous, but her figure is more prominent than I originally thought! Much more prominent…
"Sain, since you say you're such an expert on women," she starts, repositioning her body as she speaks, "I need your honest opinion; how do I look?"
…
"My Lady Lyn, if you truly want an honest opinion, find Kent and..."
"Don't worry, I already plan to do that," she laughs. "I've been looking for a way to get Kent to reveal his feelings for me ever since I caught him watching me bathe, even though I know that was your doing, and I know he doesn't have any idea that I saw him. Regardless, even though it was Kent's idea to see how you'd react to my questioning, I plan to use this outfit against him as well. I don't think he even knows that this outfit exists! I packed it just in case I needed it for something, and I guess today's the day!"
And now the conclusion…
Kent's POV
Lyn stood there, in the great orchid field, staring into the horizon. Her green hair and teal Sacaen robe blew in the serene wind that gently flowed through the air.
"Kent."
Dark clouds stretched across the sky for as far as the eye could see, save for one small opening directly above Lyn, through which the sun shone down, creating a glow around the plainswoman.
"Kent?"
Lyn turned around and smiled at her knight, who reciprocated the glance. She then opened her mouth to speak, but the voice that came out of it was not hers.
"Oy Kent, wake up!"
"Gah!" I jump up and reach for my sword before realizing who woke me, "Oh, it's just you, Sain."
"I'm surprised to find you sleeping at this hour; it's unlike you to take a nap midday!" the brown-haired paladin says cheerfully.
"I was resting after a long training session," I tell him.
"And that smile… you must've been having a pretty good dream!" he chuckles.
"What are you insinuating?"
"Come now, my boon companion, we've all had dreams about those we love! Why, the very thought of my wildflower Rebecca brings joy to my heart! And don't try to deny it: you feel the same way about Lady Lyndis."
"Nonsense," I scoff, brushing of his remarks. If I admit to him that I have feelings for her, I'd never hear the end of it.
"That's not what you told me when we were in Badon! In fact, I explicitly remember you confiding in me at the inn that you loved her more than anything else."
"How many drinks did I have before I said that?" I frown.
"That's not important," the paladin says quickly and somewhat quietly as if to prevent guilt from slipping into his voice.
"I think it is." I don't remember anything about that night, so clearly I had enough to say something dumb. If Sain acknowledges that, I may be in the clear.
"Enough for you to be blunt and honest about your feelings," he shrugs, "regardless, I probably should tell you why I woke you." That is definitely something he should have mentioned earlier.
"Go on."
"Lady Lyndis wants to meet you by the campfire tonight."
"What for?"
"Don't know. It wasn't my place to question."
"True," I sigh, "Very well. But if this is some sort of trick I will be very angry."
Sain's POV
I don't know what Kent's so mad about. He's obviously in love with our Lady Liege, and should be glad for any chance he can get to talk to her. At least I can take comfort in the fact that he won't be angry with me once he finds out why I told him to meet her! Anyway, I should probably find her and tell her Kent wants to see her. This is going to be perfect!
Luckily, she's close by searching around for someone, presumably Kent, considering she's still wearing that revealing dress.
"Lady Lyndis! May I please have a word?" I ask as I run up to her.
"Of course, Sain. What is it?"
"I was speaking with Kent earlier, and he told me to tell you he wants to meet you by the campfire tonight. He wouldn't tell me why, and seemed quite uncomfortable about the whole thing, but I have a feeling he wants to confess."
"You really think so?" Her eyes widen, indicating she is pleased with this turn of events. Oh my, this is working better than I thought!
"I do, m'lady. But, if I may be so bold, it may be best if you make the first move, as Kent is quite shy when it comes to personal matters."
"Ah, I understand. Well, it'll be dusk before too long, so I best prepare myself. Serra apparently concocted some sort of perfume that can attract men; I don't know how it works, but it did get Oswin to fawn over her, so I might as well try it," she chuckles mischievously. I really had no idea she had this side to her. It's quite tantalizing.
No Sain, hold your tongue! Lady Lyndis is Kent's love and Rebecca is yours! I take a deep breath and force myself to avert my eyes as my Lady Liege walks to her tent seductively. Out of the corner of my eye, I see my wildflower eying the situation with great interest. To avoid giving her the wrong impression, I decide to let her in on my little plan… something she was all too happy to partake in. Whoa, I'm learning all sorts of new things about the women in my life!
When the sun set, Rebecca made sure the area around the campfire was clear, then helped me find the bush we are currently hiding behind. It's taking all of my energy to stay quiet, and I can tell my wildflower feels the same way.
It did not take long for Kent to arrive on the scene, though to my dismay, he came wearing his armor and is standing at attention. So impersonal, that one. Hopefully that dress will snap him out of it. Speaking of which, Lyn appeared from around the corner just as I finished that thought. It seemed she was waiting for him to arrive… oh, the look on Kent's face is absolutely priceless!
"L-lady Lyndis, that dress is… is… is…" Kent stutters.
"He really is hopeless, isn't he," Rebecca whispers in my ear. Out of fear for being noticed, my response was a simple shrug.
"Kent, may I ask you a question?"
"O-of course, m-my lady!"
"Do you think I'm pretty?"
"M-m'lady?"
"Enough with the formalities. We've been together so long that I think of you as a close friend. Please, call me Lyn," Lady Lyndis closes the distance between her and Kent so much that their chests now touch. Considering how, err, well endowed my Lady Liege is, they could still be closer.
Kent, in the mean time, is absolutely speechless. I can tell he's holding back a confession… that look in his eyes… the tenseness of his posture… it's only a matter of time now.
"Kent, I have a little confession to make. I know you watched me while I bathed last night. I also know it was Sain's doing, but I saw the way you looked at me and… well, I feel the same way about you." Great. She confessed first. Now I owe Rebecca 100 gold.
Kent hesitates for a moment in absolute shock before growing… angry? Uh-oh.
"NO! He planned this, didn't he?! This is just one big ploy to embarrass me! SAIN! GET OVER HERE RIGHT NOW! SAAAAAAIIIIIN!" Kent screams into the air, seemingly forgetting that his liege was standing right in front of him. Rebecca snickers as I cover my face in exasperation.
"Wait a minute, Sain told me you invited me here…" Lady Lyndis frowns.
"But… he told me you invited me!" Kent raises a brow. Before anything else goes awry, I make the decision to speak out.
"I can't take this anymore!" I scream. My wildflower tries to restrain me, but I'll have none of it. Not anymore.
"Kent, I've had enough!" I don't remember that last time I was this angry at someone. Still, what must be said must be said, "you love our Lady Liege with all your heart! I know it, you know it, and she knows it! Just admit it already!"
"Sain…" Kent growls.
"You know Sir Kent, the saying "lionhearted" doesn't literally mean you act like a lion. At least, it isn't supposed to," Rebecca says, I assume trying to diffuse the situation.
"It seems I've played the role of supporter for far too long; it's time to take charge. Kent: kiss her now!" I'm doing my best to look imposing, but considering my reputation, it's hard for anyone to take me seriously. A moment of silence follows my command; no-one seems willing to act. Then, finally, as if God Himself intervened, my Liege and boon companion embrace in a long, heart-warming kiss.
I wonder if it tastes like marshmallows…
I'd like to take a moment to thank COOKIECHEESEMAN for all he has done for me.
When I first started writing on this site, I thought my specialties would be dark dramas, spiritual quests and tragedies, but as it turned out, my most popular and well-received pieces are my comedies. Most, if not all of said comedies have taken some degree of inspiration from Cookie's works, whether it be the jokes only or the overall format, and I credit much of my humor to him. Of course, I've expanded on what I learned from him and created my own style, but I never would have come this far without him.
Cookie, you have always been modest about your abilities (except when you're joking around), and whenever you critique my pieces you always say you are no master, but I believe that you are. I've read plenty of fics on this site, but none, even the most popular ones, are quite like yours. Are some of the same quality, sure, but your works are unique and almost always absolutely hysterical. The first time I ever laughed at a FanFic was when I read "Commitment", which is part of the reason I decided my dedication fic to you would be a sequel to it.
Thank you for all that you've done, and I wish you the best in all your future endeavors.