Vaike felt somewhat mischievous as he lead Maribelle out of the colorful forest and into the picturesque, quaint settlement. He had won their bet, and now it was up to Teach to "teach" her a lesson. Perhaps drinking with, as Maribelle would say, "the unwashed masses," would finally get it through to her how snobbish she was. Maribelle inhaled the sweet, floral smell drifting through the air as she entered the alehouse. The woman behind the counter smiled pleasantly as Vaike guided Maribelle to the counter.
"What a pretty outfit you have on, young lady." The woman declared, leaning on the counter.
"Why, thank you, darling! Your outfit is quite lovely too. Anyways, Vaike, what do you reccomend off of the menu?"
"Don't worry yer pretty little head about it. Teach will order for ya." Maribelle rolled her eyes at Vaike calling himself "Teach" before walking away, her posture impeccable and her demeanor poised. Maribelle chatted and mingled with the various patrons as Vaike ordered their drinks. Every few minutes or so, Vaike would her Maribelle quip some clever remark, followed by uproarious laughter. Vaike finally sauntered over to Maribelle's table, which many other customers were crowded around, with two beverages in his arms- one was a cup of sweetened tea and the other was a cup of musky, strong-smelling glass of wine.
"Thank you, Vaike." Maribelle said, reaching for the cup of tea, but to her surprise, Vaike yanked the tray back.
"Aha! The tea is for me." He explained, his voice sounding a bit triumphant. Maribelle giggled as she grabbed the wine.
"A challenge, is it? I suppose I shouldn't let you down." Maribelle replied, taking a large swig of the wine, which tasted very bitter. Vaike stared, open-mouthed at the noblewoman, who was wiping some wine from her lip with a napkin.
"You've barely even had any! Why are you actin' so drunk?" Vaike asked, utterly bewildered. Maribelle giggled as she took another sip of wine.
"This has been such a lovely visit so far." Maribelle said, beaming at Vaike.
Vaike folded his arms, disgruntled, as he tramped through the woods beneath the stars.
"Don't pout, it's rather unbecoming. I had no intention of stealing the spotlight. But, please, can we go back sometime?" Vaike let out an exaggerated sigh.
"Okay, fine, but in return, I'd love to eat some of the fancy-shmancy food you nobles eat." Vaike mumbled, picking up a stick and using it as a walking stick.
"Tee hee. I can arrange for some 'fancy-schmancy' food if you'd like." Maribelle chuckled, nudging Vaike. Vaike laughed in returned, and the two joked around all the way home.