Author's Note: Lots of fun stuff this chapter. There's very much a point to introducing Naomi here, and me having way too much fun at Serenoa's expense was entirely based on that one early exploration scene where he can say that he used to like hiding in barrels as a kid. And, most importantly, there are a few more bits of development on his condition. Good times.

Chapter Three: Progress

The rest of the morning was rather slow, which was fine, all things considered. Frederica stepped out to let Roland visit Serenoa, and she took the time to look around the camp. Everyone found something to eat, and a few people settled off to one side to sort through the packs of supplies. Jens, Medina, and Hossabara started rigging up a makeshift litter so they could carry Serenoa once it was time to start marching again. Most of the rest of the group formed pairs and trios, and Frederica absently weaved her way around them.

Finally, she settled next to a young Rosellan woman who'd been at the Source. Her name was Naomi, if Frederica remembered correctly—she'd heard her introducing herself to one of the Wolffort Roselle earlier. There was a baby cradled in her arms; thankfully, she was sleeping peacefully. Naomi looked up and smiled as Frederica sat down.

"Good morning, Lady Frederica," she greeted. "Will we be marching soon?"

"I think so." Frederica nodded. "…Your baby is lovely, by the way. How has she been?"

"Thank you." Naomi looked fondly down at the child. "Eden is fine. Honestly, she's slept for most of the trip!"

Frederica watched as Eden yawned and rolled over, but didn't wake up. There were a few other Rosellans with small children; fortunately, most of them were handling things well enough. They tired easily, of course, but they'd gotten by with being carried on their parents' backs. A baby had to be especially hard to care for on a trip like this, Frederica thought.

"I'm glad," Frederica replied softly. "I know this must be difficult, but…"

Naomi rested a hand on Frederica's arm. "Don't worry; we can handle it. Things may be hard now, but we've chosen to believe it'll be easier once we reach our destination. That faith will get us through."

"I know." Frederica smiled again. "I, too, am carrying myself with that same hope."

"We know—it's what convinced us to follow you, after all!" Naomi laughed lightly, shifting so she could hold Eden more easily. "And…I'm glad my daughter will have an easier life than I did. That alone is enough to keep me going."

Frederica gazed down at the child again. It was a complex feeling—one she was sure was much more complicated for the freed Rosellans. She was still heartbroken to know that so many Rosellan children had suffered more than any child should. At the same time, they were making things better for everyone this way. Frederica had to believe that.

Before she could reply, though, Eden opened her eyes and whimpered softly. Naomi smiled apologetically up at Frederica, and one hand shifted to loosen her tunic.

"She must be hungry. I'm sorry, milady, but…"

Frederica smiled and nodded. "I'll give you some space."

She stood up and dusted herself off, politely turning away as Naomi began to nurse her child. She was sure there were still some things that needed to be done, so Naomi would have time. Regardless, Frederica would see what else needed sorting—the sooner they could continue marching, the better.

Eventually, everyone was ready. Supplies were organized and distributed, and Serenoa had been maneuvered onto the litter. Everyone formed into a group, and they began their third day's march.

As usual, Frederica stayed near the front. It was tempting to keep her attention on Serenoa—how relieving it was to know he was there!—but she had to focus. Still, she never strayed too far from him. He was currently being carried by Erador, Julio, Roland, and Maxwell, and he leaned up to observe their surroundings.

"I hope I didn't slow you down too much," he finally said. "We don't know how long this will take, after all."

"Don't be ridiculous, lad," Erador replied with a fond chuckle. "It gave everyone a few minutes to rest, and we all needed that."

"Besides, none of us would be here if it weren't for you, Lord Serenoa," Julio added earnestly. "We're glad you came back to us!"

Serenoa cracked a small grin. "There's no need to address me like that. Status won't matter where we're going."

Julio gave him a sheepish look. "Well, you have a point, but…"

"So no more 'Your Highnesses' for me, either," Roland mused. He'd more than made peace with the idea when they were departing Castle Wolffort, but he smiled as his statement sank in. "I suppose we'll have to set some kind of rule up when we arrive, if only for formality's sake, but…"

"That can wait," Frederica said. "We have to get there first, after all!"

Serenoa nodded. "I just wish I could make the trip myself. I feel like I've got an easier time than the rest of you."

How could he say that in his condition? Frederica wanted to protest his concern, but she couldn't help admiring it a little, too. Fortunately, she was spared from debating him when Erador laughed and shook his head.

"Come on! It's no different from carrying you around like I used to."

Serenoa flushed. "E-Erador—"

Roland grinned conspiratorially. "What's this, now? I'd like to hear you elaborate!"

"Oh, it's nothing, really… You know he couldn't help climbing anything bigger than he was, right?" Erador's eyes glinted. "He never could resist anything with a good vantage point, and, well…"

"I had a good view from your shoulders, that's all!"

Roland laughed uproariously. "I knew he couldn't resist climbing into a good barrel, but this is the first I've heard of him climbing up things!"

"And there's plenty more where that came from!" Erador's grin widened. "Did he ever mention that time he got up on top of the stables with a few conveniently-placed boxes? Or when he tried to scale Castle Wolffort on his birthday once? When was that—when you were eight or nine?"

"Erador…" Serenoa groaned, covering his face with one hand. "No one needs to know about that!"

"I, for one, would love to hear more about your childhood," Frederica replied, grinning herself. "How did such a rambunctious child turn into the man I know and love?"

"W-well, I…suppose it couldn't hurt, in that case…"

Serenoa smiled awkwardly up at her, and another light blush crossed his face when she leaned over to briefly comb her fingers through his hair. His four carriers all exchanged knowing grins at the display.

"Ah, you two truly have something special," Maxwell mused, his tone an odd combination of teasing and warm. "I don't doubt that Lady Frederica would carry you herself if she could!"

"Please," Frederica replied, reddening as well. "D-did we not just say there was no need for formalities?"

It was a weak topic change, and everyone knew it. Maxwell shook his head and smiled, apparently deciding to humor her (at least a little).

"I suppose we did. But is it such a bad thing to know that your affections give the rest of us courage?"

"That's true," Julio agreed. "If the two of you can keep your spirits up, the rest of us surely can as well!"

Frederica glanced down at Serenoa, and they exchanged awkward grins. Well, they had a point, she admitted silently. She could endure a little teasing if it made everyone happy.

And so she found herself reaching down to hold Serenoa's hand as they walked, tuning out everyone's commentary in favor of appreciating the warmth of his touch.

Eventually, it came time to set up camp for the night. Frederica helped distribute provisions and bedding before getting a few bites to eat for herself. Finally, she took a deep breath and approached the edge of camp. Serenoa was sitting up, supporting himself with one arm, and he was watching Geela and Roland set up a tent for him.

"Serenoa," she said hesitantly as she sat down, "I was hoping you wouldn't mind if I stayed with you tonight. Nothing untoward, I assure you, I just—"

He shook his head and reached for her hand. "I wouldn't mind the company, but… Well, I guess it's a bit ridiculous—"

He was interrupted, too, when Geela finally turned around. "We're mostly ready. We just need to move a few things inside, and then I can check you over if you want."

"Yes, that would be nice," he replied, nodding in her direction. After she and Roland disappeared inside, Serenoa awkwardly glanced back at Frederica. "Well, I thought maybe it would be hard for you to see me like this, is all."

Frederica squeezed his hand lightly. "I…want to know how you're doing, Serenoa. Besides, if you do need help for a while, I'd like to know what I should do, too. But if you'd rather not…"

"No, it's fine. I guess I should just swallow my pride, then." He squeezed her hand in turn. "I do appreciate your support, really."

Soon, Geela and Roland were back outside, and Frederica separated from Serenoa when they approached. They both slipped an arm around him, Geela taking his shoulders while Roland held his legs, and Serenoa sighed as they carried him inside. Finally, they got him seated in the tent, and Roland nodded as he headed towards the flap again.

"I'll fetch Cordelia later if you need help," he offered. "I think I saw her with Hughette earlier, so…"

"I think I can handle this myself for now," Geela commented, "but I'll let you know if I need anything."

"All right, then."

Roland finally ducked out, and Frederica slipped in around him. Geela raised an eyebrow as she settled next to Serenoa, but it was more out of curiosity than judgment.

"It's fine, Geela," Serenoa said. "I don't mind if she's here."

"If you say so…"

Geela made an amused noise as she got to work. She peeled away the spare clothing they'd found for him, and Frederica forced herself to watch. She had to see how badly he'd been hurt, had to acknowledge what her decision had done to him.

His upper body was heavily bruised, and bandages were tied around one of his arms. Geela reached for her staff, first applying some healing magic to the smaller injuries. Then, she carefully removed the bandages, taking his hand and placing her other hand on his elbow.

"I'll go slowly, but we need to see…" she murmured, trailing off.

Serenoa nodded, though he winced as Geela carefully bent his arm. Frederica bit her lip; he'd possibly broken it after his fall. Even with magic—and whatever Geela remembered from her time at the Ministry of Medicine—it would take much more than a day to heal up.

Geela glanced down at his arm. "Still a bit swollen around the middle. We'll need to rewrap it, probably keep it like that for a few days…"

Frederica watched as Geela applied fresh bandages to Serenoa's arm. Fortunately, that seemed to be the worst of things on his upper half. His legs were much worse, though, and Frederica bit her lip again. It had been hard to tell when he was fully dressed, but they were heavily swollen, not to mention covered in gashes and large, mottled bruises. Serenoa hissed in pain at the slightest touch, and Frederica cringed as Geela worked.

Finally, Geela pulled back and helped him redress. "Corentin left me some of that special ice of his—would you like any of it?"

"Some for my knees would be nice," Serenoa admitted.

Geela nodded and rummaged through one of the bags nearby. Then, she pulled out a few carefully-wrapped blocks. Frederica blinked curiously as Geela rolled up the loose trouser legs and tied the ice compresses to Serenoa's knees.

"It apparently never melts," Geela noted. "He shouldn't wear these permanently, of course, but it's true they held their shape for a few hours last night."

"Ice that never melts?" Frederica repeated in astonishment.

"I don't know how he did it, but Corentin certainly has some creative ideas on how to apply his magic." An amused half-grin crossed Geela's face. "It truly would've been a waste for him to stay in Hyzante much longer than he did, I can tell you that. Anyway…I suppose you two would like to be alone, yes?"

"I-I just want to watch him for tonight," Frederica said, blushing lightly. "That's all."

"I didn't say otherwise." Geela raised an eyebrow knowingly. "I'll come back to check on you in the morning, Serenoa."

He nodded. "Thank you as always, Geela."

She nodded in return and headed out. For a few seconds, there was silence—bar the sounds of Serenoa shifting slightly. Frederica realized he was trying to maneuver himself into a comfortable lying position, and she hastily moved over to help him. Geela had provided an ample amount of pillows, fortunately, and Serenoa was soon comfortable.

"…Did you eat already?" Frederica asked.

"I did—though I hardly need help feeding myself."

"I-I just…"

Frederica blushed again, but she grinned and shook her head when she saw that Serenoa looked amused. He wasn't accusing her of babying him—he was only teasing her gently. She shifted closer to him, reaching over to place a hand on his cheek.

"I just want to know if you're all right."

He smiled, reaching up to place his hand over hers. "I know, and I do appreciate it. I'm fortunate to have a wife who cares so much about me."

Frederica's smile turned wistful. She recalled their conversation just after they'd gotten out of the Source; how could she forget it? Initially, she'd felt a little guilty for lying about their marital status. The word "husband" really had felt nice on her lips, though, and she'd been glad to know that Serenoa felt the same way.

"And I am lucky to have a husband who cares so much about the things important to me."

She moved her hand temporarily, just long enough that she could lie down next to him. Then, she turned her face towards him and reached over to cup his cheek again. Serenoa obligingly turned his head to make it easier for her, and his eyes were half-closed as he replied.

"As I ought to. I really am glad to be here, my love."

She let out a soft breath of relief. "I am, too. Now rest well."

Frederica reached somewhat clumsily for a blanket, and they carefully pulled it over themselves. Then, she moved as close to him as she could, reveling at the warmth of Serenoa beside her as she closed her eyes. They both really were fortunate, and she wouldn't trade this for anything.