"This is almost a bigger turnout than we get at the Termina Fair," replied a handsomely decorated Karsh, who strolled the streets of Termina with Riddel and Glenn.
It had been the annual Dragoonian Festival, in which various Dragoons were honored and celebrated by their townsfolk for serving the continent as valiantly and effectively as they did. There were no formalities about it, as would be the case at an event at the Manor, but the city certainly extended itself in terms of decorations and festivities.
Long, swaging garlands draped the length of the Termina Bridge and flowered pretty petals over the small canal of water below it. Vendors offered exotic foods and imported goods to trade and buy, and the Blacksmith offered his services for free to any family who had a relative in the service. It was an exultant and celebrated time for everyone involved, and this year, Karsh and Dario were getting their first taste of fame and glory as Devas, having just missed the fair last year by getting ranked only a month after it ended.
Similarly to Dario, Karsh was dressed in uniform, looking gallant and heroic, and Glenn, beside him, was dressed in well-polished armor and embellishments. Riddel stood stunning beside both boys in what came to be an expected silk dress.
"Do you think they still have Viper Churros left?" Glenn asked no one in particular, less concerned with being honored for his exceptional skills as a minor in combat and more concerned with the stockpile of Termina's most coveted indulgence: Viper Churros. Karsh rolled his eyes and let a heavy arm fall over Glenn's shoulders.
"No wonder you're still single, kid. You're focusing on the wrong things right now." Riddel bumped into Karsh playfully and gave him a look.
"He's thirteen, Karsh. He doesn't need to be looking for a girlfriend."
"How old were you when you started dating Dario? Oh, what was that? I think you were thirteen, Miss Viper, would you look at that."
"That was different. We all knew each other since we were kids. Glenn's grown up differently and I wouldn't necessarily say everyone should follow in my footsteps."
Glenn sighed, he didn't particularly care about his brother's dating habits or girls or romance at the moment, all he really cared about was finding a vendor interested in selling him a Viper Churro. He went to tell Riddel and Karsh that he would be going off on his own in search of his own personal conquest, but being met with their arguing and bickering soured his attempts and encouraged him to leave on his own accord.
"Oh, please, Karsh, would you have him take after you? Chasing every skirt you can find in town?" The two of them had been completely ignorant to Glenn's departure. Karsh laughed a loud, robust laugh.
"That's not entirely true."
"Your definition of what's true and what's not true is sort of loose," Riddel interjected. Karsh continued, unfazed.
"Besides, what's so wrong with a healthy, sexual appetite? I just…" he paused, smirking as he looked down at the floor for all of the irony that would follow, "I just haven't found the right girl yet." It was ironic because it was both the truth and a lie; Karsh had found the right girl, but that girl would never be the right girl, in this world or any other. Riddel never stopped to think the reasons behind his actions, but sometimes he wondered if she didn't already know them and all three of them just played at a lie for the sake of convenience. Navigating the waters of friendship became harder and harder with each year that passed.
Riddel went quiet at his reason for harnessing such a reputation for womanizing, and slowly, the two of them let go of the uncomfortable direction the conversation had taken.
"Where's Glenn?" Karsh had finally asked, noting his absence beside him.
"He's not with us?"
"Uhhh, he was with us, but now he's gone." Riddel looked around, concerned.
"We should look for him."
"Nah, he'll be fine. Probably went to find churros or whatever, kid is seriously obsessed." Riddel laughed. It was true, for as long as she knew Glenn, his big weakness was Viper Churros. She let a few moments pass in silence, the two of them walking arm in arm, before finally saying,
"Are you sure we shouldn't look for him, Karsh? I mean-"
"Termina's about the size of an average sized boat. If anything were to happen, we'd probably hear it before we saw it, and Glenn can handle himself, now, he's been training like it's going out of style. Give the kid a break, he just wants his damn sugar fix." Something about the way Karsh talked always made Riddel smile. He was so blatant and bold in everything he said, but it was always so honest. He brought humor sometimes where there was none to be found. She nodded and they wove their way between soldiers and villagers, passing by jewelry stalls and trinket booths all eager to sell them something.
"Hey, that necklace looks right up your alley," Karsh had commented as they passed a booth. Riddel wouldn't have stopped if it weren't for the gripping hand on her wrist tugging her towards the decorated booth of tiny treasures and glittering gems.
"I don't want anything, Karsh," she reassured him, not wanting to go out of her way to buy things she didn't need.
"I'm serious, though. Here, just try it on." Sweeping her hair into an updo, Karsh made her hold her hair up while he fastened the necklace around her neck. As his fingers grasped at the clasp, he could see goose bumps ripple down her back at the touch of his fingertips.
Standing beside her, he worked his fingers into her hair and let her admire the piece on her neck. It was certainly impressive, Riddel admitted to herself. With gold embellishments on the outside, the single purple gemstone in the center glimmered and danced beneath the sun.
"It's… beautiful Karsh, but really, I don't need it." He rolled his eyes and unsnapped the necklace for her.
"You sure?"
"I'm sure," she smiled, dropping the pendant into his hands and folding his fingers over it. "But thank you." He laughed.
"Who said I was gonna buy it for you." She smiled at his coyness but knew what he meant in his offer. He looked down, unfolding his fingers and staring at the jewel. It looked like a fireball explosion of glittering gold and royal purple, and it seemed so fitting for Riddel. "You sure you don't want it? It's like it was made for you."
Riddel looked at him with sincere eyes, the gesture itself something that moved her. Karsh was always too kind to her, and sometimes she wondered how much of his kindness she should allow.
"As a gift?" she asked, wanting an excuse for the generous gesture.
"A gift, sure." She smiled, but before she could answer, the two turned around at the commotion behind them.
"Dario! Sir Dario!" they heard, and as they looked, Dario, in all of his valor, stood suited and armed as he was barraged by a flock of young girls.
"It's a Deva," they whispered, and,
"He's so handsome."
"And brave!" At the festival, it was expected to be approached by fans, but Dario, being the poster child for heroism with his dashing good looks and apparent good nature, seemed infinitely more popular than even the bravest of soldiers.
"We have gifts for you," one of the girls had commented, and Dario, being the indulgent, well-mannered young man that he was, did not deny them their moment with a legend.
"He's unbelievable," commented Karsh.
"He's just… doing his duty," Riddel replied, feeling bad. She knew that grimace on his face well, however faint, and she knew what it meant: he would have rather been elsewhere if he could.
"Too fucking accommodating, if you ask me." Karsh remarked, to which Riddel laughed. This was true, in Dario's attempt to please anyone and everyone, he could sometimes run the risk of undermining his own desires for the contentment of others. It was what she loved about him though, his uncanny sense of modesty and his unrelenting humility. It was no wonder so many girls admired him, it was hard not to and she could not blame them.
Karsh and Riddel watched as the girls handed him presents; chains of mythril and daisy crowns for his head, blooming flower petals for his vest and most commonly, kisses for his cheeks. Karsh shifted his eyes towards Riddel, and he could see that even a Lady such as she was not without her jealousy. He nudged her.
"Still doing his duty?" he asked with a smirk, unable to let the opportunity for a pun slip by. She rolled her eyes, her face pinched with a sort of jealous hitch. Karsh could not help himself but find it extremely attractive and certainly humorous. "It's harmless," he finally tried to reassure her.
She did not hear him though, and he was surprised to find she very abruptly left. He watched curiously as she went up to Dario.
"Oh, Sir Dario," she mocked, her eyes alight with mischief most certainly borrowed from Karsh, Dario could see that much was obvious. She did not let him speak. "So handsome, and so brave. How could I ever thank you for fighting for your people?" Dario looked at Riddel perplexed; he did not know what she was getting at, but he knew somehow she was irritated. Riddel was not often irritated, but when she was, she breathed fire like the fiercest dragon he had ever seen. It was both beautiful and frightening.
"I… don't know, my Lady."
"Oh, but I think I do," Riddel replied, her voice heady with a certain possessive lust that he was both familiar with and enticed by. However, he thought her timing was particularly suspicious. Before he could properly put into words what he wanted to say, he could feel her hands tugging at his suit of armor, bringing him down for a serpent's kiss on her lips. These were not the sweet lips he remembered, instead, they were transformed fangs, intoxicating as they were vengeful. He knew then, as she pulled him still deeper, that she did this for the girls who showered him with affection he could not deny. He smiled amusedly into her lips.
"You are far more terrible than I give you credit for, my love," he whispered against her mouth. She smiled a wickedly beautiful smile. Too beautiful, he thought.
"My gift was far superior, and I thought you would want it most out of them all." He kissed her again, and the crowd of girls left annoyed by the interruption.
"Your name does not betray you, certainly," he breathed into her mouth, and she laughed. Acting so out of character was invigorating sometimes, but she had really only wanted Dario's attention and affections for herself more than she had wanted to prove any point. She knew his eyes were only for her, but sometimes, she thought it was ok to be the right amount of assertive. "And you were right. Clearly, this gift was better than any other I received today."
Karsh watched as the two embraced in the middle of the fair; the Knight and His Princess, they were irrevocably destined. His gift seemed incomparable to the gift Dario could give her, but he purchased the necklace regardless. His gift may not have had the same bearing as a kiss, but it was a gift nonetheless, a gift from a friend. Riddel's smiles were worth the cost of remaining in the shadows, even if he had to savor them from afar.