The weather had continued being dull and dreary, the common type for Ylissean winters. Lon'qu downright hated it, if he had to be honest. Where Regna Ferox at least had snow, Ylisse only had grey, damp days followed by similar nights. It somehow felt worse to deal with that than snow and ice.
It had been a few weeks since Lon'qu had first arrived in Ylisstol and had tea, and slowly he had been moving closer to Maribelle. Where before he needed to walk twenty paces behind her as they traversed the halls of Maribelle's manor, now he only had to stay fifteen apart.
Part of him suspected it was more warming up to Maribelle, personally, rather than women as a whole. She had been the first woman in quite some time that he had felt close enough to that he needn't lash out every time they bumped shoulders, though there were still the odd outbursts and subsequent scolding.
He admired Maribelle's persistence and, more importantly, patience with his condition. Most women would have ceased talking to him the first time they spoke, then again, most of the women in the Shepherds weren't "most" women. At least they didn't laugh when he told them to keep their distance.
The swordsman was walking through Maribelle's garden, though most of the plants were hibernating or whatever plants did during the winter. It was probably very extravagant when they flowers were in full bloom and not wilting.
Speak of the devil, he heard Maribelle approaching slowly. Even without his honed senses, the crunch of her feet on the stone path gave her position away. "Ah, there you are, darling, I have been searching for you all over!" Maribelle was in a light winter coat, something unsuitable for a real winter, and shivered from a gust of wind. "Honestly, if I didn't know you better, I'd say you were avoiding me."
As much as he did prefer to be alone, there was part of Lon'qu that enjoyed the company Maribelle provided. "Just admiring the garden," he said with a shrug.
"Yes, the rose bushes are particularly not there today," Maribelle stood a ways away from him, as she usually did just before a less, "now I'm hoping we'll have enough time for you to see them in the spring. At least then we could have tea here instead of the study."
Lon'qu turned to her, "Is it time for that already?"
"Yes and no. I simply thought to inform you that Lissa would be visiting later this afternoon, so it seems that you have a break today from having to step closer to me."
Lon'qu had foiled an assassination attempt on Lissa months ago, just before attempting to rescue Emmeryn. The two continued to chat sparingly, more than Lon'qu had talked to any other woman before staying with Maribelle, anyways. For a moment, he was worried that he regressed from where he was with Lissa. Before, he could be in the same tent as her and chat, but had time and distance caused that to evaporate?
"Your brow is furrowed. Something on your mind?"
"I'm thinking… I should sit with you both, that is, if it's not too much of a 'girl time'."
Maribelle's face lit up at that. "Oh, I doubt it'd be any trouble at all! I know you and Lissa were close before, and no doubt she's missed your company as much as my own."
Lon'qu didn't doubt that, but he suddenly felt as though he was maneuvered into asking instead of simply being offered. Maribelle was quite pleased with her little move, to be sure. "Just tell me when."
"Funnily enough, Lissa is already waiting for us, and I do believe we've kept her waiting for far too long." Maribelle spun on her heel and walked off, letting Lon'qu follow at his own pace.
It was going to be an interesting evening, to be sure.