Chapter Eleven

Mustadio could not help but make things awkward for his best buddy, when he had a good opportunity. And, Ramza publicly holding hands with Meliadoul was most definitely an 'opportunity'.

"So, Ramza," Mustadio said lightly, as they all walked along, "Have you begun properly courting our little Lady Meliadoul?"

Meliadoul cringed. Ramza refused to show any embarrassment, as he knew Mustadio was hoping to embarrass him. Instead, he replied, trying to sound like a dignified adult, "Yes. I am courting Meliadoul. As well as I can, at least, considering we are heretics hiding in the woods."

Mustadio raised an eyebrow. He was clearly savoring his next line, before letting it out. "Well, now, I was not born a nobleman, but I believed that in order to court a lady of Meliadoul's standing, you would need to obtain her father's permission." He gave a huge, gleeful smile. "Somehow, I do not think Lord Vormav is going to leap to give you his blessing!" He paused to chuckle. "I can see it now: the next time Vormav's men are trying to murder us, you're yelling over the battle, 'My lord! I humbly request your—'"

Meliadoul scowled. "Oh, stop it, Mustadio! We do not even know if my father is still my father! I would not expect Ramza to ask his permission for anything!"

Mustadio was still laughing to himself.

Ramza looked thoughtful. He knew Mustadio was just teasing them, but it did make him think. Ramza imagined himself to be an honorable man. He might be a heretic, shunned by mainstream society, but he tried to follow a knight's code of honor as closely as he was able.

"Hmm," Ramza said. "Fair point, Mustadio." He raised his voice, calling to the person walking a few yards ahead of them, "Excuse me, Wulfhilda!"

Wulfhilda, the ninja who was walking with Rafa and Malak, turned around and waited for Ramza to catch up to her.

Ramza gave his most charming smile. Meliadoul and Mustadio both looked confused.

Ramza said, in his best imitation of a proper courtier, "Wulfhilda, I wish to begin a courtship of Lady Meliadoul. As her father is unavailable, and you have been my Lady's escort for years, I humbly request—" he pointedly glanced at Mustadio, throwing his own words back at him, "—your blessing in this matter."

Meliadoul put her hand over her face, laughing. This was painfully goofy. But she kind of liked it, too.

Wulfhilda looked dumbfounded for a moment, before she slowly broke into a grin. Wulfhilda never smiled! That was just as shocking as Ramza's request.

In her grave, monotone voice, Wulfhilda replied, "I believe she could do much worse than you, Ramza. You do have my blessing."

Cid cheered loudly, and some of the others joined in too, though they were also laughing at Ramza's ridiculous display.

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Meliadoul's next sword fighting practice with Agrias happened to be scheduled for that very evening.

The Holy Knight laid into Meliadoul with hardly even a word of greeting, as soon as they had walked a small distance from the camp. Meliadoul scrambled to meet the sudden attack.

She was surprised at how well she was doing. She was landing strikes on Agrias, again and again. The blonde knight was not fighting at anywhere near her best.

Eventually, Meliadoul asked for a break, even though she was, for once, besting Agrias. She got the impression that maybe Agrias had something on her mind.

The Holy Knight definitely seemed distracted. Meliadoul and Agrias still did not really get along, but Meliadoul had thought that the dislike between them had eased a little bit. They usually spoke a few sentences to each other, at least, before and after their sparring matches. The raw, clumsy fury coming from Agrias right now was abnormal.

They both sat on the ground, several feet away from each other, catching their breath.

Agrias was trying to figure out exactly what she wanted to say to the irritating Divine Knight. She was not pleased to see Ramza acting so smitten with Meliadoul, earlier today. And she was fairly certain her displeasure was not even due to jealousy.

Agrias was genuinely worried that Ramza was setting himself up to get hurt. She just… did not trust Meliadoul. She had been suspicious of her ever since the woman just happened to show up behind them right in time for the fight with Zalera.

At first, it seemed likely to Agrias that Meliadoul had been sent by the Church to spy on Ramza and his party. Agrias had begun to find that scenario slightly less likely, after Meliadoul showed herself so willing to attack other Templars in their next couple of battles.

Still, the only reason Agrias had agreed to train Meliadoul in swordplay was because it gave her extra opportunities to question the woman, and try to figure out if she really was a threat to their group's already-precarious safety.

There was something she found unsettling about Meliadoul. Agrias believed herself to be a good judge of character, and something in Meliadoul's personality constantly seemed false to her. Like the Divine Knight was playing some sort of character, rather than showing her true colors. Just the way, for instance, a damn spy might act.

She did not like to know that such a person was in the process of ensnaring Ramza's heart. He might annoy the hell out of her at times, but she still cared deeply for Ramza.

Agrias was now peering at Meliadoul with an owlish look. Meliadoul asked if anything was wrong. After another moment's thought, Agrias said solemnly, "Hear this, Meliadoul. Ramza has suffered much, since I have known him. Now that he is apparently 'courting' you," she sneered, "If you are merely playing coquettish games with him—If you quit him in favor of Mustadio, one day… Mayhap you think this is all a silly game. But I will not sit idly by, while you hurt Ramza. I swear, I shall put you in a shallow grave if that day comes, and the others will never even know what befell you."

Meliadoul was wide-eyed for a moment, processing all of those unexpected threats. Leave Ramza for Mustadio? What in hell? She opened her mouth, and she almost smiled, ready to make a joke about it. But the deadly look on Agrias's face stopped her.

She could see that the Holy Knight would accept nothing less than honesty at the moment. Well, so be it.

"Agrias… the thought of quitting Ramza for Mustadio has never even crossed my mind. Believe me. It is—well… Mayhap, I fear the opposite," she fidgeted uncomfortably. "I really do like Ramza. I think it more probable that he would quit me, one day. Or find a woman he likes better."

Agrias snorted. "Then, perhaps you do not know Ramza very well, after all."

Meliadoul sneered in return. "Well, that is certainly easy for you to say!"

"And just what do you mean by that?" Agrias snapped.

"I mean, it is easy for you to claim that Ramza would not do such a thing! You walked away from him, knowing that he still wanted you! You never had to doubt that he desired you. You have the satisfaction of knowing that you can have whoever you want!"

Agrias scoffed, "Oh, as if you cannot? As if the men in this group have not been falling at your feet ever since you arrived?"

Meliadoul gave a bitter laugh. "I have never really been wanted by anyone! Not truly. I have been left, for someone else… Or simply used! You shall have to forgive me, if it is not so easy for me to believe that Ramza would actually want me."

She looked miserable and small, as Agrias stared at her.

So, perhaps Meliadoul was not a spy. But she had, in fact, been false with them. Behind her bold laugh, her flirty smile, and her confident swagger, Meliadoul was more insecure than most.

Hmm, Agrias thought. Mayhap we can actually be friends now.

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The two Knights had not resumed their sword fighting practice that evening. Instead, they continued to talk for a little while. Meliadoul was happy to hear from Agrias's own lips that she did not wish to rekindle her former romance with Ramza. Meliadoul hoped that hypothetically Ramza would not be willing to go running back into the arms of his ex-lover, but still… It was a bit of a relief to know that the ex wasn't even interested in that.

Agrias had also admitted that she had spent a long while believing Meliadoul was a spy, sent by the Church to report on Ramza's actions. Meliadoul had a good laugh at that.

"Oh, Ajora," she chortled, "I would be the world's worst spy. I think the High Confessor could send someone better than me, if he really wanted to."

Walking back to the camp, she finally felt that the ever-present tension between herself and Agrias had finally eased away. And oddly, confessing to Agrias her insecurities about herself in regard to men had sort of made the insecurities feel less valid. Seeing the situation through Agrias's eyes, it was clear that Ramza deserved a chance to be judged by his own character, not by the losers she had known in the past.

Meliadoul and Ramza slipped away into the woods together as soon as she had set down her gear.

They were both grinning like loons as they speed-walked away from the rest of the camp. Ramza followed as she tugged on his hand, leading the way. He had been thinking all day about getting another moment alone with her. They did not speak when they came to a stop.

Ramza slid his hand inside the hood of Meliadoul's green cloak, pushing it back so that her dark tresses tumbled out. She was sweaty from her sparring with Agrias, but Ramza rather liked that unmistakably female fresh-sweat scent on her. He clutched the back of her head, as he bent to take her eager mouth again.

Meliadoul gently pushed him until his back was against the closest tree, and she hungrily returned his kiss. He wrapped his arms tightly around her waist as he moved his lips to her neck.

"Ramza…" Meliadoul moaned ecstatically, as he sucked at a most tender spot on the slender column of her throat.

His hands both slid down to squeeze her bottom, and he pulled her even more closely against his body, slightly lifting so she was on her tiptoes. Meliadoul quickly wrapped her arms around his neck for balance. As they kissed again, she tentatively slid the tip of her tongue between his lips, feeling the ridge of his teeth, then his own tongue massaging against hers. The feeling caused her to press her hips forward, so snugly against Ramza's body. His hands squeezing her felt too amazing; her brain was practically shutting down from the sensation.

Meliadoul found herself, for a moment, wishing they were naked. She wanted to feel more of his muscular form, more of his warm skin, as their mouths explored each other. Ramza groaned as she kissed a spot on the side of his neck, following up by nipping it gently with her teeth, trailing her lips and tongue up closer to his ear. She loved the salt-taste of him.

Ramza's head was tipped back against the tree trunk, his eyes shut in pleasure. He was also rocking his own hips forward against her now, in a slow rhythm, essentially miming the motion of lovemaking through their many layers of clothing. She was aching for him. They kissed again, and her body was begging her to do more.

Fighting an almost paralyzing fog of lust, Meliadoul pulled her head backward so she could see his face. He moved his hands more chastely onto her waist.

"I would like to… move slowly," she said. "I only wanted to kiss you, tonight."

"That is all right," Ramza said, his hand rubbing up and down her back. "I do not mind moving slowly."

"You truly mean that?" she asked.

"Of course I do," he said.

She settled the side of her face comfortably against him, and he let his cheek rest on the top of her head. As much as he desired her, Ramza was honestly a bit pleased that Meliadoul wanted to wait to do more. He thought it made their budding relationship feel more meaningful, in a way. More real, perhaps.

With their lifestyle, they did not exactly have any guarantees that they would still be alive in the weeks to come. Or even tomorrow, for that matter. But Ramza hoped they would have that time.

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