"Almost"
It had been two years since he'd seen her last, though he heard no shortage of news about the young Oracle Knight who was quickly climbing the ranks within the Order.
At eighteen, she was Daath's youngest (and only female) ambassador to date, and fast becoming popular among the Order's patrons. She was strong, dedicated and passionate about reforming the Order - and it showed. The darling of the Oracle Knights and youngest of the six heroes who saved Auldrant from certain destruction all those years ago - it was no surprise that she had much of the Order wrapped around her littlest finer. It would be several years yet before she might convince the most fundamental (and most important) of Daath's higher-ups that she was more than capable of the title Fon Master, but she was more than willing to work the rest of the way up herself.
She had missed the previous year's conference of world leaders because of some civil unrest around the Cathedral. Her absence was lamented briefly, but Peony had other, pressing matters to attend to. Peace, as welcome as it was, was still young and vulnerable.
Now, a year later, he barely recognized the young woman who came with the contingent from the Order. She came up to greet him - not bounding up to him like an energetic little kitten as she was wont to do in the past, but with the easy stance of a respected emissary - he wondered if this was the same little girl who would once get excited over the prospect of strawberry tarts. But then he met her eyes, saw the same youthful energy sparkling in her mischievous gaze, and he knew he had nothing to worry about.
She'd never quite outgrown her habit of flirting with well-off, older men - something that amused him to no end. But then again, he'd never tired of letting the fairer sex know just how much he appreciated their beauty, either. It would be a lie if he said he didn't enjoy how their personalities made spending time with her so much fun. It was such a welcome change from having to deal with the formalities that came with his birthright, that he almost wishes he'd been serious when he told her to ask him again in six years.
He surprised her by gallantly sweeping low, taking her hand and brushing his lips briefly across her knuckles. He looked up to flash her his winning smile, which she gamely returned along with a peach-blossom blush.
"My, but you age quite gracefully, Miss Tatlin."
Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw Jade twitch.
A/N: What the heck is this? This wrote (and ended) itself, really. But I do think that Peony and Anise have a very fun dynamic, not unlike what she has with Jade! Except theirs is less of an evil trolling type, and more playful than anything. They're the game's canon flirts, and probably hit it off spectacularly enough to make people uncomfortable. They'd trade playful, suggestive banter and proceed to laugh it off when no one's looking. :)
Read and review, folks!