Hey guys! I'm back with another fic that should've been uploaded weeks ago! It took me a while to work on this, I was being a little lazy and I had to study for my finals week so uhhh...yeah. Enjoy!

"Urgh… Damn this heat…" Lon'qu groaned. Grasping his forehead with his left hand, he could feel himself grow dizzy with every step. The swordmaster was so accustomed to the temperatures in Ferox that the blazing heat from the sun became close to unbearable. After cleaning up the remaining Risen that roamed the beach, instead of playing volleyball with the Shepherds, Lon'qu went off to seek shelter from the Sun's harmful rays. He sluggishly walked towards a nearby palm tree. Once the tree serves its purpose of cooling him down, maybe-just maybe he will join the Shepherds in….whatever they seemed to be doing. Lon'qu sat himself down in the shade, arms propped by his knees as he sighed in contentment. Thoughts of joining the Shepherds were drifting away as Lon'qu felt the shade welcoming him in its cool embrace. He thought of never leaving this spot.

Lissa on the other hand, was having a great time in the Hotrealms. The heat was nothing compared to the temperatures in Plegia. To her, the sun felt rather pleasant on her skin. Lissa chose to wear her hair down, her golden locks cascading beautifully down her back. She had to give credit to Anna; her yellow swimsuit had fit her perfectly. Whenever Lissa approached her husband, his cheeks would flush and his words would fail him. She must be doing something right if that's the case. The princess was busy sharing a few laughs and gossiping with Olivia and Sumia that she hardly even noticed that her husband was missing amongst the Shepherds. Sumia's eyes scanned through her comrades before questioning Lissa of her husband's whereabouts. "Lissa, I can't seem to find Lon'qu anywhere," Sumia asked. "Do you know where he is?"

"Huh...Now that you mentioned it, where did he run off to?" Lissa glanced over at the crowd of Shepherds. She was rather surprised when she was unable to find her man anywhere within the crowd. Olivia chose to speak up and provide little of what she knows about Lon'qu. "Wherever he is, he shouldn't have gone too far. He despises the heat, if you hadn't noticed…" Olivia wished she knew more about the man other than the fact that he's a gynophobe, Khan Basilio's champion and his intolerance towards the heat. They've only shared a few words to one another, and whenever the dancer accidentally locked eyes with him, the two would immediately look away in embarrassment, both cheeks reddening in a flash.

"That explains why he left almost immediately when the Risen were gone...Alright! I'll go look for him. He shouldn't have gone too far as you said, Olivia. I'll be back later, okay?" Lissa ventured off, beginning the search for her husband. She stared off onto the beach, blocking the Sun out from blinding her vision. The princess looked to her right, then her left, before cupping her hands around her mouth and cried out,

"LON'QU! IF YOU CAN HEAR ME, SAY SOMETHING!"

No answer.

So he's playing this game huh? She thought. Lissa was certain that Lon'qu had heard her but saw no reason to reply. She let out an annoyed huff, her husband can be so childish at times. Let's see if you speak up when I call you this…

"OH LONNIE? LONNIE, I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME SWEETHEART! PLEASE ANSWER ME, I'M WORRIED SICK ABOUT YOU!"

An immediate response, just as planned.

"Do not call me that! I can hear you just fine, woman, there's no need to shout." Lon'qu hissed. Lissa turned to the left where she believed her husband's voice came from, and there he was, sitting underneath a palm tree. Completely unfazed by his menacing glare, Lissa giggled and skipped over to her husband. "See? I knew you were gonna answer me!" She sang, sitting herself down in front of the swordmaster. The scowl on Lon'qu's face never left him as he scolded her for calling him such a humiliating nickname.

"Not only did you address me as…. 'Lonnie', but you thought it was humorous to yell such an absurd nickname in public." Whatever Lissa thought he was, whether it be a dog or some household animal, Lon'qu made a mental note to specify that name-calling was strictly prohibited. If Vaike or Gaius were to hear, there would be no end to their teasing. If putting a sword to the throat was the only way of putting an end to their ridicule, then Lon'qu wouldn't hesitate to do so.

Lissa scoffed at his response. "Oh lighten up will ya? By the way, why aren't you having fun with the others? You could just talk to me if you don't feel like playing."

"It's hot," Lon'qu said tersely. "...And I didn't want to bother you."

"Well, sitting under a tree like a lazy bum is an unproductive way of cooling off. Come on," Lissa stood back up and stretched her arm out towards Lon'qu. "Let's take a dive in the ocean. It'll be fun, I promise! Just you and I."

The swordmaster never learned how to swim. He never thought of swimming as a necessity since he lives in Ferox. Ponds and lakes are frozen year-round and Lon'qu doesn't live near the coast, so he never had a chance to learn how. Lon'qu sheepishly looked away from his wife. In a low whisper he murmured, "...I can't swim."

Lissa didn't hear a word he said. "What was that?" She asked. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. The swordmaster grew slightly annoyed and raised his voice, this time loud enough for the petite blonde could hear. "I said I can't swim! I-I never learned how to."

Lissa blinked. You'd think a deadly swordsman would know how to swim by now, is what she wanted to say, but for the sake of Lon'qu's hostility, the young princess didn't say a word. "So what if you can't? I can still teach you. Now come on, up and at 'em!" Lissa chirped, waiting patiently for her husband to take her hand into his. She heard Lon'qu mumbling something before he pulled himself up, the young princess dragging the tall man towards the shallow waters of the ocean. Lissa was the first to step into the water, with Lon'qu following up right behind her.

The water was not too cold. In fact, it was quite pleasant in the warmth of the Sun. The swordmaster shuddered as the waves crashed into his legs. A sweet, soothing smile was Lissa's attempt on calming Lon'qu's nerves as they ventured deeper into the ocean. Lon'qu's anxiety spiked once he lost his footing, a small yelp escaped his lips as he frantically clung on to Lissa. Lissa held back a laugh as she reassured her husband that he wasn't going to sink. "Calm down! You're not gonna drown, I promise. Just kick your legs and move your arms a little like I'm doing. That's how you tread in the water." Lon'qu carefully watched Lissa's movement, trying to mimic her. Was there a certain way you had to move your arms? The swordmaster wasn't so sure himself as he treaded through the water with ease. "Like this?"

"There you go!" Lissa cheered. "Now let's try floating. Knowing how to float can save your life, and its the first step to learning how to swim. What i taught you now was pretty simple. The key to floating is to relax. Take a few deep breaths and let the waves carry you..." The blonde deeply exhaled and turned onto her back, the rolling waves carrying her effortlessly. Lon'qu watched his wife in awe. If she didn't show signs of breathing, one would easily mistake her for a lifeless body left at sea. As easy as it appears to be, Lon'qu knew he was going to struggle. He'd probably sink if he tried. Someone as lightweight as Lissa would be able to do this with ease, unlike someone as dense as myself... Lon'qu was right, but if he were to sink, surely his wife will be there to help him..

"Alright," Lissa ceased her floating, wiping droplets of water that rolled down her eyes. She swam over to Lon'qu and in a honeyed voice she spoke, "Now let's see you try it. Remember to take a deep breath and keep calm and you'll be fine. I'll have my arms under you, so there's nothing to fear."

Lon'qu repeated her words in his thoughts as he deeply exhaled, The swordmaster reluctantly flipped onto his back. His face was close to being submerged in the water, and the waves weren't as comforting. Lon'qu couldn't figure out whether or not Lissa was speaking to him thanks to the water flooding his ears. All sounds were suppressed. The ocean water was swallowing him whole. Lon'qu was certain he was sinking.

In a panic, the swordmaster shot back up. Lon'qu's anxiety got the better of him, and Lissa was already fed up with the man. "Come on Lon'qu, we aren't gonna make any progress if you keep acting like a chicken!" She groaned, the swordmaster did nothing but look away in discouragement. "I-I'm sorry…"

"Don't worry about it. I should've taught you how to hold your breath underwater instead of going straight to floating. If it helps, you could pinch your nose and dive underwater, but I wouldn't recommend it. But be sure to breath out through your nose, okay?"

Lon'qu nodded. Taking a deep breath, he hesitated to immerse himself under the warm waters of the ocean. It frustrated the swordsman to no end that he couldn't do something so simple like diving underwater. Was it fear that was holding him back? Why was he being so reluctant? Out of curiosity (and to stall time), Lon'qu asked, "For how long?" His efforts were futile as his wife wasn't putting up with it. "Five seconds. Come on love, you can do it."

"I dont think I can…"

Lissa scoffed. "Really Lon'qu? Just five seconds underwater and you can't do that?"

I can…..but why can't I? "I-It's not like I'm unable to, it's just-"

"It's nothing!" Lissa finally snapped. She was going to make him learn the hard way. If she doesn't do it, then who will? The princess placed her hands on Lon'qu's bare shoulders. Perhaps she should give him a heads-up before she forces him underwater…

"Remember; breath in, then out through your nose okay?"

Lon'qu began to panic. "W-Wait! I'm not-"

"Down you go!"

Onwards to Chapter 2!