"Suits you," Sam smiled as he reached to touch the short locks that bounced about her chin.

After tossing aside his mother's locket, Samuel had been the next person to step through the barrier. A cool sensation had engulfed him, as if he had suddenly thrown himself beneath a waterfall. For a moment, all was white and silent.

Three steps later and he emerged into warm sunshine on the other side. As his eyes adjusted to the shifting light, they were soon greeted by the sight of the princess, perched in Touya's cart a little distance away. It had somehow, once again, been magically moved for their convenience. It seemed the forest really had taken a liking to them after all.

Calliope had turned to him with a sheepish expression, tucking her considerably shorter hair behind one ear.

"Hey." She greeted as he hopped into the seat beside her.

"What did you get rid of?" She asked, unable to mask the self-consciousness within her casual question.

"Just a piece of jewellery I'd been hanging on to," he replied lightly with a shrug. Letting go of the locket had been easier to do knowing what lay on the other side of the barrier. A sad reminder of the past in exchange for a hopeful glimpse of the future.

Together, he and the Princess sat in silence as they awaited to see who the next person through the barrier was. As they did so, Samuel couldn't help but cast sly glances her way.

It was late afternoon and the sun was approaching it's golden hour. The warm rays lit up Calliope's golden eyes like the bells of a church, the sight making Sam almost want to fall to his knees like a repentant sinner. Her bronzed skin glowed like the surface of freshly baked bread, the sight and scent of which was just as inviting. And though her hair no longer cascaded around her in elegant waves, but rather fell just beneath her chin in playful curls, he found the image equally as enchanting.

"It's rude to stare, jester..." he heard her purr.

Had he been staring? He must have gone into a daydream.

As his eyes slipped back into focus, he found himself looking right into her smirking face.

When had she gotten so close?

"Apologies, your highness!" He replied quickly, clearing his throat and turning away.

She laughed, the bright sound matching her eyes. "Oh Sam!" She cooed, her head falling onto his shoulder. "How many times must I tell you to call me by my name?"

"Of course. My apologies, Callie." She still smelt like the rosewater the Nymph's kiss had infused her with.

Her body rocked against his as she chuckled softly. "See? That wasn't so difficult, was it?"

When she raised her head, her face was barely an inch from his.

And in that moment, nothing in his life seemed difficult. In fact, anything seemed possible. From enchanted forests, to magical waters, to playful nymphs and shy elves...

To a court jester kissing a princess.

He wasn't sure who'd moved first. All he did know was that, when his lips met hers, the whole world seemed to stand still.

The birds in the treetops were silenced, overpowered by the beating of his heart in his eardrums as she moulded her mouth firmly against his.

The breeze that rustled the leaves overhead and swayed the grassy meadows over yonder, vanished beneath the feel of Calliope's breath on his skin as she sighed contently.

The taste of the summer evening dulled in comparison to the way she did as he boldly chanced a swipe of his tongue against her lips. They parted in a whisper. He heard his name spoken softly on the breeze, then felt her tongue in his mouth. The sensation drew out a low growl that rumbled in his throat.

He wondered who the princess had kissed before to be able to dance her lips and tongue so effortlessly against his. Then again, from what he'd observed from watching her with the knights, he knew her to be a fast learner. Perhaps she was simply mirroring him and for once, he didn't regret those drunken times he'd spent with the occasional waitress behind taverns late at night. Though those encounters had left him feeling lousy the next morning, at least they'd granted him enough experience to know how to elicit the gentle mews his movements drew from the Princess.

As her hands gripped the fabric at his chest, his drifted up her arm to grip her chin. With a slow twist of his wrist, he tilted her head so he could explore her mouth deeper. The long moan the next stoke of his tongue encouraged, spurred on his bold actions.

One hand went to the small of her back to pull her body closer, the other hand continued to cradle her head as their kisses grew fierce and fervent. Calliope arched her spine and wrapped her arms around his neck, breaking the kiss only to muttered his name again. The sound of which had his head spinning.

He hadn't ever imagined it to be like this- all groping hands and swirling tongues. He'd always pictured his first kiss with Calliope to be slow and gentle.

Not that he was complaining.

Unlike the voice that roused them from their stupor.

"Urgh, well I'm glad you two are handling the situation well."

Samuel and Callie sprung apart to see Touya's frowning face peering up at them. He held the reins of his horse in one hand while the other gripped his hip.

"Oh, don't hold back on my behalf..." he voiced petulantly, lip twitching. "In fact, do carry on. I could do with some cheering up considering I had to leave all our damn money behind!"

Sam cleared his throat into a closed fist while Callie shifted awkwardly beside him, suddenly very interested in the hem of her cloak.

Touya kept his eyes fixed on them both, looking downright unimpressed.

"We erm..." Sam began, searching for his breath and his dignity, "we have no money, you say?" His palms were sweaty. He rubbed them nervously against his thighs as Touya continued to glower.

"Yeah, weren't you listening, Jester?" He grumbled. "We're penniless. All that money made from the pendant and everything I took from the tavern? Gone!" He flipped his hand angrily. "The damn forest has it all. A nice little patch of bluebells for a fox to come along and piss all over."

"Well..." Calliope began, her voice rasping slightly from the kisses that had chased her breath away. "At least you still have your horse."

The merchant stroked the beast's nose fondly as he lead him to the front of the cart and attached him to the harness.

"Suppose so." He sighed, before adding, "same can't be said for the knights." Once the horse was securely fastened, he clambered into the driver's seat after swatting at Sam to move over. "They were debating having to leave their steeds behind just as I passed through the barrier."

Samuel raised his brows, as did Callie. They both knew just how much the knights loved their horses.

"Which means, we have an advantage. Despite being piss-poor paupers now." He cracked the reins and the horse whinnied loudly and began to pull them away.

Sam cast one look over his shoulder. None of the knights had passed through yet. He pictured his younger sibling bidding his animal farewell. His heart sunk a little. Russel had always loved his white mare.

But Touya gave the jester little time to dwell on the image as the merchant's previous annoyance with their situation was soon replaced with sly amusement.

"I guess it's separate rooms tonight, hmm?" He teased, casting a sideways stare at the awkwardly silent couple beside him. "And by that I mean I'm keeping you two apart from now on. In fact..." and he rose to his feet and shuffled over to wriggle between them. Sam scoffed while Callie giggled softly as the merchant settled his bottom in the middle of the bench.

"There we go." He grinned, stretching out his long legs. "Now, everyone. Keep your hands to yourselves. It's a long trip to the next village."

"So we're not camping in the woods again?" Smiled the Princess, swinging one leg over the other and easing into the sway of the cart as it ambled down the road.

"Absolutely not!" Touya exclaimed, handing the reins over to Sam and draping his arms behind both his companions. "What with the knights being horseless, I'd say we can expect at least a few days head start."

"So what's the plan?" Sam yawned, also kicking back his feet as he flicked the reins to make the horse to speed up.

Touya rolled his shoulders in a show of determination. "Find the next village and make some fast cash."

This was clearly an 'easier said than done' kind of comment.

"And how do you suppose we do that?" Calliope asked, frowning at the lanky merchant, who's sudden change in mood had her thinking that he was actually rather used to losing large sums of money and having to make it all back again.

Touya twitched a smirk in her direction. "Well, Sam does look rather lovely in his daisy crown..." The merchant teased, jerking his head in the jester's frowning direction. "Perhaps we'll sell him to the next cathouse we find."

Sam had obviously forgotten Nejire had adorned his head with the little, white flowers. At some point, Touya had disposed of his and Callie's had fallen away as she'd cut away her plait.

Sam hastily shook the daisy heads and snowdrop stems out of his hair as his two companions laughed. "Well, if anyone can sniff out a brothel, it's you..." He grumbled, running his hand over his head one last time to check for any remaining foliage.

Touya grunted a laughed, not at all fazed by the jester's comment. "Now, now, Samuel. Don't get all high and mighty just because you've kissed a princess."

Calliope clicked her tongue and swatted at his arm.

"Really boys..." she sighed, after watching Sam shoot his friend an impatient scowl, only for it to be returned with a playful wink, "we should figure out our next steps."

"Well," Touya began, "I'd say we have at least two more hours of daylight left."

Samuel hummed quietly. "Let's hope we reach civilisation by then. I don't fancy having to fight off bandits again."

His comment merited an amused grunt from the merchant at his side. He still had a few scratches left on his face from their run-in with Toga and Akaguro.

"How will we pay for a room?" Calliope queried, already yawning at the very mention of rest.

Touya shuffled down in his seat, forever the picture of ease as he let his eyes fall shut. "We'll jump that bridge when we get to it."

Sam sighed, watching as he two companions eased into napping positions. Calliope had let her head fall onto Touya's shoulder. Touya had crossed his legs at the ankles and was now resting his temple at her crown.

The jester averted his envious eyes where they then landed on a signpost that informed them that the nearest town was 12 miles away. At the pace they were travelling, they were likely to reach it by nightfall, given them no time to gather any money beforehand.

"We're gonna end up sleeping in the back of the cart, huh?" He grumbled.

Beside him, Touya pulled a drowsy smirk. "So long as I keep you two an arms length apart..." he drawled, one arm going around Calliope, merely to tease him, while the other turned Sam's staring frown back to the road.

"Eyes front, Jester. Me and the Princess need our beauty sleep."