**A/N: Can't seem to make long chapters, haha. Maybe the next one will be
longer.
"You look lovely."
Cora leaned forward and kissed Gerald on the cheek. "You say that every time you see me. I'm beginning to think its just habit."
He grinned and held her at arms length, looking her up and down. "You do, though. You know you do."
She grinned in response and gave him a hug. "It is so good to see you. What have you been doing all day?"
"Practising." He frowned, making his vibrant features look tired. "Peter has been running me ragged."
She placed her hands on his chest. "Is there really a need?"
He sighed. "The competition is tough this year."
"But you'll beat them. You always do."
He sat down on a fence and looked her in the eyes. "Do you remember a few years back... a man by the name of William Thatcher?"
Cora's eyes flashed but she nodded. "He was good, right? Won tournament champion?"
Gerald nodded. "There have been rumors that he is entering again. Obviously he won't be very good, he's been out of practise for too long. But... have you heard anything?"
"I've heard his name around, but that's only because he lives over in Cheap side. His wife died, Gerald. He is probably still mourning that. You know there shouldn't be distractions during a tournament."
"Which is why I keep trying to get rid of you," he said, laughing. His features sobered as he looked at her. "If he does enter, I'll have Peter take care of it."
Cora drew back. "What do you mean 'take care of it'?"
Gerald laughed but something changed in his face. "Nothing. Forget it."
Cora's eyebrows furrowed but she remained silent.
"What do you want to do today?"
"I was hoping to watch you practise some. See how it was going."
He laughed. "You? Woman of royalty, standing in the mud watching Peter make a fool of me? No sir. Let's go buy you something."
"I don't really want anything, Gerald."
"Nonsense. All women want jewelry. What do you want? A brooch, a necklace? The stars, the moon?" He laughed and pulled her close. "Or perhaps not something. How about someone, Cora?" He kissed her cheek. "It feels like I haven't seen you in so long."
She didn't say anything.
He frowned. "And I still feel like I am not seeing you. Is something wrong?"
He ignored her startled jump. She could feel his eyes on her.
"No, nothings wrong. And I would like a new bracelet, my old one is broken."
"All right." He stepped away from the fence and took hold of her hand. "Today, it is just you and me."
Cora forced a smile and walked beside him. It would have felt so lonely, if she couldn't see Wat's fiery red hair poking out from behind a fruit stand.
"You look lovely."
Cora leaned forward and kissed Gerald on the cheek. "You say that every time you see me. I'm beginning to think its just habit."
He grinned and held her at arms length, looking her up and down. "You do, though. You know you do."
She grinned in response and gave him a hug. "It is so good to see you. What have you been doing all day?"
"Practising." He frowned, making his vibrant features look tired. "Peter has been running me ragged."
She placed her hands on his chest. "Is there really a need?"
He sighed. "The competition is tough this year."
"But you'll beat them. You always do."
He sat down on a fence and looked her in the eyes. "Do you remember a few years back... a man by the name of William Thatcher?"
Cora's eyes flashed but she nodded. "He was good, right? Won tournament champion?"
Gerald nodded. "There have been rumors that he is entering again. Obviously he won't be very good, he's been out of practise for too long. But... have you heard anything?"
"I've heard his name around, but that's only because he lives over in Cheap side. His wife died, Gerald. He is probably still mourning that. You know there shouldn't be distractions during a tournament."
"Which is why I keep trying to get rid of you," he said, laughing. His features sobered as he looked at her. "If he does enter, I'll have Peter take care of it."
Cora drew back. "What do you mean 'take care of it'?"
Gerald laughed but something changed in his face. "Nothing. Forget it."
Cora's eyebrows furrowed but she remained silent.
"What do you want to do today?"
"I was hoping to watch you practise some. See how it was going."
He laughed. "You? Woman of royalty, standing in the mud watching Peter make a fool of me? No sir. Let's go buy you something."
"I don't really want anything, Gerald."
"Nonsense. All women want jewelry. What do you want? A brooch, a necklace? The stars, the moon?" He laughed and pulled her close. "Or perhaps not something. How about someone, Cora?" He kissed her cheek. "It feels like I haven't seen you in so long."
She didn't say anything.
He frowned. "And I still feel like I am not seeing you. Is something wrong?"
He ignored her startled jump. She could feel his eyes on her.
"No, nothings wrong. And I would like a new bracelet, my old one is broken."
"All right." He stepped away from the fence and took hold of her hand. "Today, it is just you and me."
Cora forced a smile and walked beside him. It would have felt so lonely, if she couldn't see Wat's fiery red hair poking out from behind a fruit stand.