"Jelaousy!" Raven exclaimed happily. "The princess was jealous of a bunch of girls, yes? Wish I could see that."
Judith sighed.
"I wonder if Estelle knew she was feeling jealous…" the krytian woman muttered. Raven, Rita and Judith were relaxing in their room at the Inn while waiting for the others to arrive. Then, the genius mage added slightly irritated:
"I don't think so. Besides, the nerve of those girls, kissing Yuri on the cheek..."
Suddenly, the door of the room opened, startling the three friends.
"Uh… guys?" Karol asked timidly from the door, catching a glimpse of the room. "Do you know where Yuri and Estelle are? I've searched for them for hours and I can't find them…"
No one saw the mischievous look on Raven's face.
"Well, ya see kiddo, there are…times when two grown ups want to spend some time alone, ya know? that's why they go to a place where they can be all lovey-dovey and…" The archer started to explain, but he was cut off by a powerful hit in the jaw, courtesy of Rita Mordio.
"Don't put ideas into the kid's head, you perverted old man." She said coldly. Judith looked at Karol, who had a nervous look and his face was totally red.
"We don't know where they could be either. I'm sorry, Karol." She answered calmly while Raven was trying to put himself together. Karol blinked, perplexed.
"Eh…but they're not…uh…" The kid started, but he was interrupted by an unexpected voice:
"Hey, what's wrong? Why do you all have that face?" Yuri asked while entering the room with Estelle and Repede by his side. Karol and the rest of the group looked away timidly. They didn't know how to receive them or what to say after the previous awkward moment. Yuri raised an eyebrow and observed his friends, waiting for a response.
"Yuri, Estelle, you're here!" Karol was the first one breaking the awkward moment.
"Yeah, we are here, but… what's going on here?" He asked again, frowning. Estelle tilted her head to the side.
"Maybe… a cat got their tongues?" She mentioned innocently. Yuri looked at her incredulously. After that, he sighed.
"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I'm really tired." Yuri said and leaned his sword 'Second Star' against the wall. After that, he headed to a bed and lay down on it. The rest of the group was still speechless. In that moment, Estelle gasped and headed to the drawer next to a bed, the one where she kept her bag. She searched for something in it, and after a while, she approached Yuri, who was almost asleep, and handed over a red-and-black glove.
"Yuri, you forgot this in my room at the castle the last time you went to visit me." She said to him naively. "By the way, thank you for being with me that night. I was so happy." Yuri opened one eye, and after observing the glove, he sat down and took the glove.
"Thanks Estelle, I couldn't remember where I left it." He mentioned with a tired face after a long day of hard battles. The rest of the group, excepting Repede, was all puzzled with the conversation taking place before them. They looked at each other, confused, but neither Yuri nor Estelle noticed the awkwardness in the air.
"Guys, are you serious…?" Karol muttered, expecting to be heard only by Rita, Judith or Raven.
"That idiot is going to be dead by tomorrow…" The genius mage muttered between her teeth.
"They don't seem to perceive the ambiguity of that conversation…" Judith mumbled while placing her right elbow on her left hand. Raven stroked his chin, a satisfied grin on his face.
"Well well, it looks like those two had their time alone after all…heh heh, I didn't expect this…" The archer said to himself, and Yuri yawned.
"Why are you all standing there? If you guys are not going to sleep now, go out. I want to sleep." Yuri grumbled, slightly irritated. Estelle was sitting on the bed next to Yuri's.
"Oh no, it's okay, we're going to sleep to, right guys? Heh…" Karol said nervously, shaking his hands in front of him. Rita, who was blushing, nodded quickly.
"I'll sleep in the same bed as Estelle." The mage pointed out while looking at Yuri with a serious look. Estelle blinked.
"Uh… okay!" The naïve princess agreed.
"Ooh c'mon kids, it's our time to go get some air, dontcha think?" Raven asked his three companions with a mocking grin. Judith looked at him with that special gaze, frowning, and that was enough to shut up the old man.
"Estelle, just curious; why was that glove in your room?" The krytian woman asked kindly, and Yuri frowned because of the way the question was formulated. However, Estelle, ignorant of the current situation, observed the glove a few seconds, remembering the events.
"Well… one day, Yuri went to the castle to visit us both me and Flynn, and I invited him to my room to show him some of the stories I've written." The pink-haired girl explained with a smile on her face.
"Surely the glove was a bother to read, wasn't it? And that's why Yuri took it off…" Raven continued, placing his intertwined hands behind his head.
"Well..uhm.." The princess started, but she was interrupted by Yuri:
"I was eating some ice cream but it melted, and my glove got dirty because of it. Estelle offered herself to wash the glove, so I left it with her but I forgot to pick it up. Was that what you wanted to hear, old man?" Yuri mentioned with a cold tone, slightly annoyed now that he knew about the wrong idea of his friends and for the fact that he couldn't get to sleep yet. Raven watched Yuri's serious look.

The fun was over.

"Uh, not exactly" Raven murmured.
"What was it then, Raven?" Estelle asked innocently. Then, Rita sighed and walked towards her:
"Forget it Estelle. Now, let's get to sleep, today was an exhausting day." The mage pointed out.
"Ugh, tell me about it." Yuri added, and after that, he lay down once again and closed his eyes, ready to rest at last.
"Yes, I'm really tired too…" Karol yawned. Judith smiled, satisfied.
"Well, good night everybody. Sleep well." The blue-haired woman mentioned while sitting on a bed.
"Good night!" Estelle added.
Raven sighed, disappointed.
"Aw, the fun was just getting started... I was already plannin' my next questions." Raven muttered, and then, smiled. "Well, maybe one day this ol' man could see some romance between those kiddos."
After that, he headed to the last bed available and lay down to rest as well.

...

"Hey, Flynn." A bored Yuri called. The swordsman was sitting in front of a small table that was located in the kitchen from the castle of Zaphias, visiting his Commandant friend. The castle was really lively and crowded in the moment because the Council would be giving a party later on that day to celebrate Ioder's birthday. The kitchen was lively as well, with all the chefs and maids working hard to have everything ready for the important event. Repede was resting next to Yuri's chair; he didn't seem to care about all the noise, or maybe he was already used to it.
"What is it, Yuri?" The blond guy asked his friend, focusing his gaze at an important document he was reading in front of Yuri. The swordsman, who had his chin resting on his left open hand, was observing the movement of the people around him carrying food, ornamentation and utensils for the party of that night. After a while, he answered lazily:
"This is boring."
Flynn sighed, folded his document and put it away. He didn't have his armor on, since that day was his free day.
"I'm sorry Yuri, I thought I would finish this matter sooner…" Flynn said. Yuri shook his free hand nonchalantly.
"Nah, I came here too early. Finishing the guild's job of the day faster than usual isn't as good as I thought, either." Yuri smiled, and the Commandant smiled too.
"Weren't you heading to Danhgrest today to join Karol and Sch…I mean, Raven?" The blond questioned. His friend shook his head, then sighed.
"Yesterday Captain Karol fell into a fountain and caught a cold, so we decided to change the day of the meeting." Yuri explained. Flynn raised an eyebrow.
"The boy was distracted, huh?" Flynn added, smiling, and Yuri nodded with his eyes closed.
"And I finished my duties of the guild earlier and…"
"You decided to come and visit." Flynn finished the sentence.
"Yeah."
Flynn sighed once again, slightly ashamed.
"I'm really sorry, Yuri…" The commandant muttered.
"Shut up Flynn, I already told you that it was my decision to come here. Besides, why do we have to chat in a noisy place like this?" The swordsman interrupted him.
"Well, the rest of the castle is being cleaned right now for the party."
Yuri opened his eyes and smiled.
"Ioder will have his big party, huh? I didn't think he was a party guy."
"He is not, but the Council wanted to celebrate his birthday and his newly received title of Emperor as well." The commandant said.
"Hmpf, always making excuses." Yuri muttered, and Flynn said nothing. After a few moments of silence, the blond guy resumed the conversation:
"Will you stay for the party? His highness Ioder asked me to invite Brave Vesperia to the event."
"Well, the invitation arrived too late, Commandant." Yuri mentioned, closing his eyes again. Flynn frowned; he knew that when his friend called him 'Commandant', it was just to make fun of him. Flynn ignored the comment and continued:
"This party was an unexpected event, Yuri. Look at all these people; they're in a hurry trying to have everything ready for later. The council told us just yesterday that they were giving a party."
"Anyway, I don't think the rest of the group could make it in time. Well, maybe Judy, she's with Ba'ul." Yuri answered while closing his eyes, nonchalant as always. Flynn observed him attentively.
"Lady Estellise will be attending the party." The blond man said. Yuri didn't change his position nor his gesture, and they remained like that for a few seconds, the Commandant looking at his friend and Yuri resting his chin on his palm with his eyes closed. After a while, Yuri opened his orbs and said:
"She has to. She is a noble after all."
"Yeah, but, she would be very happy if she sees you here."
Yuri gazed at his friend with an indifferent look. After analyzing his friend's face for a while, the swordsman looked away and sighed.
"You know I don't like these sort of things. This is a party for noble people." Yuri explained, saying the last phrase with a sarcastic tone.
"You are not coming for the nobles, Yuri. You're coming for Ioder, Estellise and me." Yuri frowned.
"I'll think about it. Right now, I'm gonna check if Hanks needs help with somethin'." The swordsman said while standing up and grabbing his sword, which was leaning against the wall. Repede stood up, stretched his members and followed his owner. Flynn, without changing his position, looked sideways at him.
"You can't remain sit, can you Yuri?" Flynn asked him. Yuri, without turning around, shook his left hand waving goodbye and led to the exit along with Repede. A smile appeared in Flynn's lips.
That was his good friend Yuri.

...

The night had fallen on the Imperial capital Zaphias, and most of the citizens were resting inside their houses. However, the castle was having a party in that moment, and the place was totally lively and elegant. Nobles from all over Terca Lumireis were invited to the event, which was offering live music, exquisite food, refined drinks and good company. The Emperor Ioder was very busy with all his guests; all the people wanted to salute and congratulate him personally, so he couldn't stand for a few minutes in the same spot, let alone rest for a while. Commandant Flynn was keeping an eye on the emperor from his site next to the main door. Next to him were Sodia and Witcher. Ioder told Flynn and his brigade to relax and enjoy the party for that night, but the blond guy said he couldn't afford that luxury.
"Sir, would you like something else to drink?" Sodia, who noticed his empty glass, asked him. Flynn looked at his Second in Command and shook his head.
"No thank you, Sodia, I'm fine. You and Witcher should go ahead and enjoy the party." He said with a small smile. The orange-haired girl next to him frowned.
"No sir, we can't leave you behind." She refused.
"If the commandant isn't coming with us, we're not moving from here." The small mage Witcher added. Flynn blinked, amazed by his brigade's loyalty. Then, he smiled again.
"Okay... Well, let's try to have a good time, but don't forget to keep an eye on his Highness every once in a while, all right?"
"Sir, yes, sir!" The two knights replied.
"Flynn!" A familiar voice exclaimed suddenly. The Commandant turned around to see a well-known pink-haired girl.
"Lady Estellise, how can I help you this night?" The blond knight said. Estelle was wearing her turquoise dress with her short hair tied up. The Child of the Full Moon looked around before asking:
"Are Yuri and the others coming to the event?
Flynn looked down for a few seconds. After that, he replied:
"I'm not quite sure, Lady Estellise."
Estelle looked away, disappointed. Flynn didn't know that to say; it could be worse to give her false hopes, and that is why he decided to remain silent. After a while, Estelle looked up and made an attempt to smile.
"Thank you, Flynn." She said. Flynn nodded and gave her a reassuring smile. In that moment, a young noble with red hair and penetrating green eyes approached them, coughing to attract their attention. Estelle and Flynn observed him.
"I am sorry to interrupt you, but, if I'm not mistaken, you are princess Estellise, am I correct?" The young man asked, and Estelle nodded with a sad smile.
"The one and only." She murmured. Flynn couldn't help but smile because of that response; it was obvious that Estelle spent a lot of time hanging out with Yuri, and the commandant proved this by noticing how Estelle usually use words and phrases that he only had heard from his Lower Quarter's friend.
"Well then princess, My name is Brian Colville, it is a pleasure to meet you. I was wondering... the next dance is about to begin. May I have this dance?" Brian asked kindly, offering his hand to her. Estelle looked at him, and after a few seconds, she placed her hand on his softly.
"It would be my pleasure." She replied, the sad smile still on her face. Before going to dance, Estelle looked at Flynn quickly and nodded. The blond guy gave her an encouraging smile. When the princess was no longer visible, Flynn sighed.

Perhaps the princess wanted to be with another person.

"Uhm, Sir, I…" All of a sudden, Sodia's voice resonated in Flynn's mind. The Commandant observed his Second in Command, wondering why was her face so red.
Maybe she was feeling ill…? She did seemed a little uneasy, after all.
"What's the matter, Sodia?"
"I… wanted to know if you would…like to…uhm…" She muttered slowly while she was playing with her fingers, making it difficult for Flynn to understand what she was trying to say. Witcher, who was next to Sodia, facepalmed. "…d-d-d-dan….ce… with….me….
"I'm sorry Sodia, but I did not understand the last part. Could you repeat it for me, please?" Flynn asked her, slightly shy. Sodia was about to answer, but in
that moment, she was interrupted by a noble young woman with brown curly hair who approached the brigade and asked Flynn straight away:
"Commandant Flynn Scifo, Would you dance with me?"
Flynn blinked; he didn't expect that request. Sodia widened her eyes, bemused.
"Eh, o-of course, my lady." He coughed, and then said: "May I have the pleasure of this dance?"
The brown-haired girl smiled a coquette grin, and nodded:
"Yes"
After that, Flynn offered her his arm.
"Uhm, Sodia, Witcher, I'll be righ back. Meanwhile, keep an eye on the Emperor, please." The Commandant said to his companions before going to dance with the
noble woman. Sodia and Witcher nodded in silence.
"You were too late, Sodia." Witcher said to his companion once they were alone. The orange-haired girl reddened even more, but not for the same reason as before.
"That girl… she will pay for it…" Sodia mumbled, frowning. Witcher sighed.

It was a shame that his friend's lack of courage ruined her night, he thought.

...

Yuri and Repede were standing in front of the stairs that lead to the castle of Zaphias. The place seemed to be pretty lively from outside, and some knights were guarding the entrance; the moonlight was illuminating the castle.
The swordsman sighed.
What was HE doing there? He still couldn't believe that, when lying on his bed, Yuri started to think about the possibility, and finally decided to come to the party to visit Flynn and Estelle. However, now that he was there, he was starting to regret his earlier decision.
"Maybe it's better to go back, Repede. This isn't place for us." He sighed. "What was I thinking…"
Repede growled, slightly annoyed for walking all the way to the castle and having to return to the Lower Quarter right away.
"We are already here, though…"
In that moment, two voices were heard near the stairs, at the entrance, and Yuri, instinctively, went and hid. Repede mimicked him.
"It's not necessary, but thank you." A feminine voice said.
"I have been waiting to give this to a woman as beautiful and splendid as you." The second voice replied; it was a man.
"But I… I can't accept this, Brian." The woman persisted.
Yuri was starting to feel that he was overhearing a conversation he shouldn't listen to. He was about to return to the Lower Quarter when he heard a familiar name.
"But princess Estellise, I have totally fallen in love with you. It was love at first sight. You're such a lovely, kind and enchanting woman." The man blurted. Yuri frowned, concentrating himself to listen to the conversation better.
"Duke Brian, you're a nice man, but I cannot accept that present from you, and… I cannot return your feelings either." Estelle muttered.
"Mmh? I didn't hear that last part…" Yuri thought.
"I see… then, I presume that you love another man, princess? If that's so, please, tell me… because I will do anything I can to reach your heart, princess Estellise."
"Huh? love… another man…? Well, I…" Estelle wasn't sure of what to say. Yuri noticed that she wasn't doing well, and decided to interfere.

"So you were here, Estelle." The pink-haired girl widened her eyes, amazed, and a feeling of joy started to form inside her. She turned her gaze to the long stairs next to her, encountering Yuri's silhouette not too far.
"Yuri…!" She sighed in relief, excited of seeing him there. Duke Brian eyed them, raising an eyebrow.
"And who is this petty boy supposed to be…?" The noble asked disdainfully, but Estelle ignored him and ran towards Yuri.
"Yuri! I'm so happy to see you!" The princess exclaimed, laughing happily. Then, she pounced on him to hug him tightly. She surely was happy of seeing him there. The heart of the naïve princess skipped a beat when she felt the swordsman hugging her back for the first time since she met him, and Estelle couldn't help but smile and blush between Yuri's strong arms. Yuri glanced at the noble man sharply one last time before focusing on the princess. Duke Brian frowned and groaned in annoyance before returning to the castle, unsatisfied with the unexpected outcome of his courtship. After a while, Estelle freed Yuri from the hug, and she glanced at him under the moonlight.
"I thought you wouldn't come." She said. Yuri looked away and scratched his head.
"Well, I wasn't going to come, but I didn't have anything better to do…"
Estelle observed her for a few second, and then, she smiled softly.
"Thank you." She muttered, the smile still on her lips. Yuri looked at her, curious. "Do you want to go in? Flynn and Ioder would be happy to see you as well."
"Nah. Repede and I were about to return to the Lower Quarter, but then I… overheard your conversation with that guy and things didn't seem well…"
The princess looked down.
"He invited me to dance, and after that, he asked me to follow him to the castle's entrance. I didn't expect him to confess his love... and I didn't know what to do back there."
Yuri smiled, satisfied, and said:
"I guess I came just in time, then."
"Yes… thank you, Yuri."
In that moment, Repede approached them with a calm pace. Estelle looked at it and crouched down to pet him, and to her surprise, the dog let her pet it. Meanwhile, Yuri took a glimpse of the castle's entrance. It surely was lively.
"Would you like to sit?" Estelle asked him all of a sudden. Yuri glanced at her.
"Yeah, I don't see why not."
After that, the three sat on the stairs that led to the Public Quarter, keeping their distance from the castle. Estelle seemed so happy to have Yuri's company, and she was telling him about all the things she had done since the last time they saw each other, when they went to the Coliseum in Nordopolica.
"…And it was delicious. Yuri, you should try it sometime!" Estelle was saying in that moment. Yuri laughed mildly.
"It sounds good, Estelle. Hey, you don't want to return to the castle yet?" The swordsman asked her, and the princess denied vigorously with her head.
"I'm fine! I wanted to talk with you."
"But if you don't go back, Flynn would get worried..."
"I'm with you, Yuri, It would be fine."
Yuri sighed. That was the always stubborn princess.
"Suit yourself." He smiled.
"Tell me Yuri, how have you been?"
"Well, there's a lot of work for Brave Vesperia, but nothing we cannot do.
"That's wonderful! Karol must be so happy because of that." She replied with a smile on her face, and Yuri observed her.
"You look more relaxed now than when we went to the Coliseum." The man commented. Estelle blinked and looked down.
"Yes…"
Yuri said no more, and they contemplated the moon above them. After a while, the princess asked with notorious awkwardness:
"Y-Yuri.. Have you seen… your fan club… since the day of the Coliseum…?"
"Huh?" Yuri blurted, not so sure that she was talking about the same thing as before. "You mean the girls from the coliseum?"
Estelle nodded slowly and gazed at him deeply. Then, Yuri watched the moon, thoughtful.
"I haven't." He answered.

Silence.

"Uhm… Yuri…" Estelle muttered while playing with her fingers nervously, a few seconds later.
"Mmh?"
"Do you think that… those girls were cute…?"
Yuri raised an eyebrow and glanced at her.
Did he hear correctly?
"Why do you ask?"
A light crimson appeared on the princess' cheeks.
"I… well… you see… uhm…"

Yuri frowned, piecing things together. Perhaps Estelle was…?

All of a sudden, the swordsman smirked mischievously.

"What do we have here? Our dear princess is…jealous?" Yuri asked with a teasing tone, waiting for the pink-haired girl's response. Estelle widened her eyes and frowned, more nervous than before.
"Jealous? M-me?" Of course not!" She replied, slightly annoyed, and Yuri widened his smirk.
"Then, why're you so interested in that, huh?"
"Well, that's because I… I…"
Yuri stroked his chin, faking reflection.
"Mmmh.. Nah, no one grabbed my attention."
"Huh? Really?" Estelle asked, curious.
Yuri observed her, his mischievous smirk still on his lips.
"Nope. What a pity." He mentioned with his teasing voice.
"Oh…" Estelle muttered, looking down. Then, Yuri sighed.
"Hey, Estelle, I think it's time for you to return to the castle. That noble guy from before… he better not make up something stupid…"
"Don't worry, Yuri." The princess interfered. "I'll make sure he doesn't say anything. Well, thank you for being here with me tonight, Yuri. I really enjoyed your presence. I hope I can see you more often."
The swordsman raised an eyebrow; he surely didn't expect that answer.
"Yeah, I'll try to come soon, and I'll bring Rita, Judith, Karol or Raven with me next time." Yuri stood up, and his two companions did the same.
"That'd be wonderful, thank you." The princess said.
"Do you want me to take you to the entrance?"
Estelle shook her head slowly, rejecting the offer.
"I'll be fine. It'd be a problem if Flynn sees you."
Yuri looked away.
"Good point." He said.
Estelle smiled sadly and walked to the stairs that were in front of the castle. Yuri and Repede followed her, and the princess turned around suddenly.
"When are you going to return to Dahngrest, Yuri?" She blurted.
"Tomorrow before noon." He responded. The pink-haired girl waited a few seconds before saying:
"I see." She looked at Yuri with a determined look."Can I see you before you go? I'll try to be quick about it."
Yuri observed her, and placed his hand on his waist.
"Okay. I'll come to the castle in the morning." He replied.
"If it is possible, I'd rather meet you at the Lower Quarter."
Yuri blinked.
"Sounds good to me." He mentioned, and Estelle nodded.
"It's settled then. Well, have an excellent night, Yuri, and take care." The princess smiled.
"You too, Estelle."
The girl shared a last smile with him before she started her slow return to the castle. Yuri observed her go until she entered the castle, remembering the day when he met her, with that same dress, in that same place but in completely different circumstances...
The swordsman shook his head mildly, wondering why he started to think about that. Then, he and Repede went to the Lower Quarter to rest. After all, the trip to Dahngrest was neither short nor easy.
No one inside the castle perceived the nervousness that started to pile up inside the naïve princess.

...