Step, step, step. He watched them dance. Laura's face was a pretty picture of concentration, and Guin was sure he'd rather be somewhere else. Though considering this, he'd certainly wondered at the lack of resistance to the clothes... A small wrinkle appeared in Laura's forehead as Harry spun him round and he struggled to keep balance. Although the disguise had partly just been a whim of Guin's, he was glad there had been a legitimate purpose backing it up. Beauty like Laura's was too rare to waste, after all.

----

Another time, another place, and the whisky was warm upon Loran's tongue, burning his throat and causing his eyes to water. Guin was sitting across the fire from him, smiling softly into the flames and - Loran was sure - thinking of his war. Lily had already left, and Loran was still wondering if their interactions were really those of couple in love. He stared into the fire as Guin spoke up softly, "it's my birthday today."

"O-oh! Happy birthday, that's great. You don't look any older," he smiled hesitantly.

The fire crackled in the silence between them, and Guin stood up, watching it burn. Loran glanced up in faint surprise as Guin moved to sit beside him, his own breathing sounding abnormally loud as his heart pounded. He jumped as a twig snapped, Guin placing one hand down behind Loran's back as he leaned in a little closer.

"What did you think, Laura? When you first saw me."

Loran blinked, "you were so high up, I couldn't see well. But it was good of you to scare off the wolf." There was silence for a moment, and Guin looked amused. His lips quirked as though trying not to laugh.

"You didn't really answer my question."

Guin liked the way Laura stared at him with those wide blue eyes, so he couldn't help but kiss him - not altogether surprised when Laura then didn't speak to him for a week.

----

Guin wasn't one to give up. Leaping down from the White Doll's hand where it rested on the ground, he backed off and gazed up at where Laura sat in the high cockpit, face solemn. He wondered when he'd be able to make Laura laugh again. But the White Doll was moving out to fight, and Guin didn't know when he'd next see him. As the White Doll thundered away through the forest, Guin was thinking of glittering jewels across Laura's dark neck, and pale strands of hair slipping over bare shoulders.

So unfair, he reflected, that Laura seemed destined to be a soldier.

----

When Laura appeared in his room a couple of weeks later, Guin couldn't help his smile. But some sorrow, some uncertainty still lingered. It had been, after all, due to his own foolish impulsiveness that Laura had stayed away in the first place.

"It's been a long time, should I have courted you, serenaded you?"

Laura's eyes flashed angrily, rejecting his attempt to make light of the situation, "yes, obviously that was the problem."

Guin stood up and stepped forward, smile disappearing at the guilt which shadowed his Laura's dear features, "I won't have this be some sordid affair."

"Really," Laura paused bitterly, "it seems like it is already; save your speeches Sir Guin, I won't hear them."

Guin took another step, "it's just us, Laura, won't you have this respite with me?" He stared at the other's frown, "or could it just be that you're feeling guilty about Dianna?"

Loran's stomach twisted and he turned away, suddenly just wanting to be alone.

"Don't go anywhere," Guin whispered, and Loran closed his eyes, trying to summon a neutral voice.

"I don't think you really want me," and, unspoken, please prove it. Guin quietly approached behind him, and Loran shivered as he felt the hair being brushed away from his neck. It should have felt strange, he thought, it should have felt unnatural - but it didn't.

He stayed with Guin until the sun began to spill its rays out over the horizon.

----

Guin knew everyone called Laura brave. But he wished sometimes that they would look deeper to see his virtue, to see just how strong his convictions were. Months later, at the end of it all, Laura was victorious, and Guin felt such a conflict of emotions he could hardly even begin to describe it.

Though all he had brought on himself was defeat and disgrace, he vowed to himself that he had not left Ameria, nor his Laura, behind forever.