It had been three months since your wedding and you slowly started to learn more about your husband. You found out that he preferred beer to wine and could hold his liquor very well, contrasting your relatively weak resistance on alcohol. He didn't like to hold parties much and for that you were glad. He works in his father's multinational company and so he has contacts from all over the world and some of them would come to visit every once in a while. Aside from German as his native language, he speaks English, French, Spanish and Italian very well. You learned that he is very skilled in martial arts and sword art, and he had reached a respectable position from the time when he served the German military. You observed that he had two close friends, Francis Bonnefoy from France and Antonio Fernandez Carriedo the Spaniard, whom both of them you had met at your party. They were regular visitors to your mansion and they often spend the night there.

Another regular visitor was Ludwig. You learned that he was two years younger than Gilbert, making him a year older than you. He lived not quite far from your mansion, and he would visit once or sometimes twice a week, mostly to discuss business.

You had struggled managing the household for the first week you were there, but you adjusted quickly and by now you have already gained the respect from all your employees.

Your and Gilbert's relationship had been calm and rather monotonous. He would often kiss and hug you, but you were convinced they were a form of mindless affection for his "belonging" and you paid no mind to it. Every day you dreaded your presence there, but you decided to make the best of the situation and busied yourself with your daily duties. You take pleasure in your spare time and you would spend it working on some embroidery, reading books and painting, but you had kept it a secret from your husband, thinking there was no need for him to know each and every single thing you did. You never left the mansion unless Gilbert invited you outside. You didn't have any friends to hang out with anyways and you tried to avoid meeting people in general outside what was necessary.

That day, you were reading a book in the drawing room, and the lazy wind from the opened window made you sleepy. You almost drifted to sleep when all of the sudden Gilbert bursts into the room, making you jump in your seat. He had a wide grin pasted on his face, and this puzzled you greatly.

"Come with me," he said, grabbing your hand. Without waiting for an answer, he yanked you on your feet and dragged you outside the room. He wouldn't stop and explain, despite your protests.

He led you outside to the front porch, where he finally stopped and released your hand. In front of you was a magnificent chestnut mare standing next to Gilbert's white stallion, which he proudly presented to you. "What do you think?" he asked, the grin still hasn't left his face. "It's beautiful," you said as you stepped closer to admire and further examine the proud creature.

"Good," Gilbert said, "then it's yours."

You almost didn't believe your ears. But upon seeing his smile, you know he wasn't joking. "Thank you very much, Gilbert," you said happily, "I loved it." You moved your hands to caress the mare's muzzle, mesmerized by its beauty, and you giggled as it snorted softly in your hair.

"I'm glad you did," Gilbert said, and you could've sworn you saw a tint of pink on his cheeks. "Care for a ride?" "Ah, I'd love to, but…" you answered, looking down at your delicate dress. "That's fine. I'll wait right here. You go ahead and get changed." Hearing that, you quickly nodded and dashed to do exactly that. A few minutes later, you returned in proper riding attire and the both of you immediately hopped on your horses and set off.

It was far from a leisurely stride. You had raced your horse as fast as it could go, and the adrenaline rush made you feel more alive than you have felt in months. Gilbert had easily kept up with your speed, but he kept his distance a few paces behind you.

After a full hour of riding, you both decided to rest beside a small lake and let your horses have their fill of water. You sat down on the grass, silently appreciating the whispering wind, when Gilbert came up to sit next to you and handed you a flask of water. You thanked him and took a few sips of water.

"How do you feel?" He asked, breaking the comfortable silence that had built between you. "Better than I have felt in months," you answered as you turned to him with a smile. "Thank you, this meant a lot for me," you said honestly.

"How did you learn to ride like that anyways?" he asked, his lips stretched into a playful grin. "I used to own a mare of my own back in my father's place," you told him, "and in those few occasions when I could be whoever I want, I would often race my horse through the forest until we both tire out. I used to ride faster than this, but once I almost break my legs falling off my horse and since then I slowed down a bit."

"Huh, that was unexpected," Gilbert said. "Well, don't think you've known me yet," you said absent-mindedly. He noticed that you had grown drowsy and sleepy from the soft wind, and he wrapped an arm around your shoulders and pulled you to lean on him. You didn't struggle against this, but instead you leaned your weight on his shoulder. He began to nonchalantly stroke your hair and quietly stared off into the distance. Before you know it, you were closing your eyes and slowly drifted to sleep.

.

"_, wake up. It's time to go," you heard a voice softly calling you back to consciousness. You reluctantly opened your eyes to find that the sun had begun to set. You must've fallen asleep for at least two hours.

"Oh God, I'm so sorry," you said as you quickly rose to your feet and dusted off some grass that stuck to your clothes. Hearing that, Gilbert just laughed as he too stood up. "It's fine, frau," he said, "I don't mind. Besides, you looked adorable sleeping soundly like that."

Suddenly you felt your face heated up. You knew he was teasing you, and he saw your sleeping face every other day anyways. But somehow seeing him like that, playful and in a way, childish, you couldn't help but to turn bright red. There was a strange tingling in your chest, and you weren't quite sure how to translate that feeling. However, you decided that it meant nothing and simply brushed it off as you collected yourself together. You leapt onto your horse, and the both of you started the peaceful ride back home.