Audrey was feeling confused, and more than a little worried. She'd thought Seymour would have come to see her by now. But it had been almost a full day since the joust ended, and she hadn't spoken to him since. At the moment, she wasn't even sure where he was.

It wasn't like him to disappear like this, at least not from her. She knew that he could be shy and liked to avoid crowds, but he always seemed much more comfortable around her, and he would usually come to her if something was troubling him. Why should now be any different? But then again, maybe it was to be expected that things would be different. After all, something very important had changed between them. Seymour was no longer the friend she had to secretly pine over, he was now her intended. Was that what had caused all of this?

She tried not to let her worries run away with her. Based on how they had left things after they'd last spoken, she supposed she shouldn't have reason to feel any concern. Seymour had spoken as if this was something he wanted, and she'd never known him to lie to her. And everyone knew that jousts were dangerous even when you knew what you were doing, let alone when you were brand new to the sport and facing a much more experienced opponent. Surely he wouldn't have taken on such a challenge just for her sake if he didn't care for her.

But even so, she'd had plenty of experience with getting her hopes up and then having them dashed, and it was getting to the point where it was easy for things to seem too good to be true. Perhaps now that he'd had time to think, he'd decided he didn't want her after all. And maybe now that he'd realized she wasn't good enough, he planned to leave just as everyone else had done.

…No, she couldn't think like that. Seymour was more dear to her than anyone else in the world, and it wasn't fair of her to sit around and jump to conclusions. She'd just have to find him, and whatever was going on, they could talk through it together.

She knew Seymour well, and it didn't take long to guess where he could be found. The part of the gardens where they liked to meet was also the spot most teeming with plant life. If he was anywhere still on the grounds, she knew it would likely be there. But while it wasn't much surprise to find him surrounded by flowers and bushes, she was quite relieved to know that he hadn't left entirely.

"Seymour?"

He was startled by her voice, but calmed down a little when he realized who it was. Still, he looked troubled, and frazzled enough that she wondered if he had slept at all the night before.

She didn't know how to begin asking about what she was thinking, and he didn't seem sure what so say either. But even so, there was nothing in his demeanor that suggested he wanted her to leave, and she felt comfortable approaching to stand beside him.

"I haven't meant to avoid you." He finally spoke up, as if he could sense what was on her mind. "I'm sorry."

It certainly seemed as if something strange must have occurred. Seymour had never seemed so happy as the moment when he'd emerged from the competition victorious and the two of them knew they could be together. Now he kept his eyes on the ground, and he looked on-edge, or even frightened.

"Did something happen? You look as if you've seen a ghost."

He took a shaky breath, and didn't seem to know how to answer. She decided that maybe he just needed comforting and not questions, and she reached out to lay a hand on his arm. Seymour had found that being slammed by a lance at high speeds could leave one unbelievably bruised, but her touch was gentle enough that he didn't feel any impulse to pull away.

"I wanted to come find you sooner." She said. "It's just been a little busy trying to help everyone get on their way home again, and they're still trying to figure out where Lord Scrivello went off to."

Seymour blanched, fear immediately written all across his face. She had been quite afraid of the man herself, and she assumed Seymour was also worried about the thought that he was still around.

"But I'm sure he probably just went off ahead." She quickly added. "He must not have wanted everyone to see him after he was bested."

"I don't know if he cared about anything but the chance to charge at someone with a weapon." He swallowed, and seemed to be having trouble meeting her gaze. "Audrey, he… he didn't exactly give up after everything was over."

Audrey's eyes flooded with worry, and she took a step closer. "Is that what happened? Has he threatened you?"

Seymour nodded, staring almost blankly at some spot off in the distance. Once again, he looked as if he had much more to say but couldn't find the words. Wanting desperately to offer some sort of reassurance, she reached out to pull him into an embrace, though he seemed almost too lost in thought to notice.

"I'm sorry. For everything that's happened. I've never wanted any danger to come to you." She whispered.

The words seemed to pull Seymour out of his daze a little, and he brought his arms around her as well. "There's nothing I wouldn't face for you."

Well there were certainly other things to worry about, Audrey was at least able to let go of her fears that he might not have meant the words they shared the day before. The way he held her felt safe, and comforting, and tender, and she wondered how she'd ever let herself doubt his feelings.

"I'm glad you're alright now, at least. He was an awful, awful man."

She shuddered, and it was clear to Seymour that she was speaking from experience. He didn't know if he'd ever stop feeling sick to his stomach when he thought of what he'd done, but it helped ease some of the guilt to think that it had been necessary to protect Audrey.

A rustle came from a nearby bush, and the two of them instinctively pulled apart, before seeing a moment later that it had been only a small bird taking off. Audrey supposed they would be able to break that habit soon enough, as now there wasn't anything that she could think of standing in the way of the two of them being together.

Though now that she thought of it, that did bring up something else they needed to discuss. She wasn't used to being forward and might have preferred to wait for him to mention it first, but she knew that he'd likely hear about it the next time he spent more than a few minutes inside, and she figured it would be better if they weren't forced into the conversation in front of everyone.

"So, I um… I should mention that the household staff has been asking when they can get preparations underway for a wedding." She stared down at her hands as she picked at her nails in a nervous habit. "I didn't want to start anything without consulting you, but I had started thinking a little… I could set up a room for Mr. Mushnik to stay in so he won't have to leave yet. If we'll be wanting flowers, that is..."

Seymour cocked his head to the side, looking confused. "I didn't realize he was here."

"Of course! You're his apprentice, he was invited to come see you in the joust." Audrey smiled softly as she took his hand. "I'll bet he's very proud of you. I know I am." She took a deep breath, watching his expression closely. "…Should I ask him to stay longer? Tell him we'd like to start decorating for… you know…?"

Seymour stared back with an expression that mirrored her conflicting feelings of hopefulness and nerves. "As long as you're sure you'll have me."

She broke out into a broad grin, already leaning in closer. "Sure."