Hello All! Chapter 3 is here!

Late again, I know. But it's still fall so it's fine.

In this chapter, we continue to see a bit more of Ophelia's personality and skill.

Let the Autumn Festival continue...

Drawing her hand back to her cheek, Ophelia aimed and released the marble.

"Bullseye!" exclaimed Varian.

Another stack of bottles went crashing down. Ophelia was dominating the bottle-shooting game within the festival's activities section.

The more bottles she knocked over, the more she won. Each victory coming with a prize. She had already obtained a dozen free eggs, a new giant picnic basket, and now her latest prize; a beautiful hand-stitched quilt with all the colors of a sun set.

Ophelia's accuracy was unreal.

An on-looking crowd applauded as the game organizer handed Ophelia the folded quilt. Varian stood behind her, applauding while holding onto her winnings for her. Beside him stood Truffles—now all cleaned up and snorting in glee for her new owner's accomplishment.

"Okay, I think you've won enough prizes for today," her boyfriend said as he placed the quilt in the new picnic basket.

"Says who?" Ophelia boasted while pulling at the band of her sling shot, "There's still that big jar of honey up for grabs." She gestured behind her to the prize table where there were all kinds of things to win. Each item also had a small card showing the number of bottles needed to be knocked over to win it.

Varian spotted the large jar—about twice the size of Truffles—then the bottle number it was worth. "That's worth 30 bottles," he stated. That was more than her other prizes.

"I can make that," Ophelia said confidently before turning to the man in charge. "Stack them up, my good sir!"

The game organizer proceeded to pick the fallen bottles up from the ground and started stacking them again on the wooden long-bench into a tall pyramid with two other smaller pyramids connected on both sides, making sure to use exactly thirty.

The game organizer then handed her three marbles.

In the crowd, some kids around their ages were watching.

"There's no way she can hit all of those," one of the older boys in a straw hat chuckled.

"I don't know, she hasn't missed a shot so far today," another boy said. He was a bit impressed with her talent so far.

Having heard them, Ophelia turned to the crowd. Her eyes landed on the two boys, who snapped their mouths shut upon seeing her looking at them.

"Watch this," she told them smartly. "30 bottles, 3 marbles…1 shot," she said, pointing at the completed stack before loading all three marbled into her sling shot together.

Ophelia turned back to her target and pulled back on the band. Carefully aiming with her eye, lining up and three simultaneous shots.

She released.

All three marbles went shooting out, hitting different lower points of the pyramid, causing them to fall either from gravity or by knocking into another.

The crowd erupted with applause as all thirty bottles hit the ground.

Ophelia jumped up and spun around in joy. Varian did the same behind her while Truffles ran in circles.

The naysaying boy with the straw hat looked on, amazed at first, but quickly snaped back to his original rude expression. "So what?" he hollered, making Team Awesome and a few other people stop and look over at them. "That's a big target. Easy to hit."

Varian glared. He opened his mouth to tell that boy off for under minding his girlfriend's skills—she had always stood up for him in the past, so it was only right he do the same when she was being picked on—but stopped as Ophelia raised her hand to him. Her face was calm as she addressed the people. "You know what, he's right folks," the auburn-haired girl said to the crowd. Everyone murmured among themselves, wondering why she would say that. "It was a lot of bottles, but they were all so close together. A big thing like that is way too easy to hit." As she spoke, Ophelia walked over to the box of marbles the game organizer provided for playing and casually grabbed a few.

The rude boy and his friend were too distracted to notice that Varian had walked up beside them until he muttered "Now you've done it," to them before taking a step back, a smug grin on his face.

After loading a marble into her sling shot, Ophelia aimed it at an empty bottle someone had set on the fence by the crowd. "This game is supposed to be about accuracy," she said plainly just before loosing her hold. The marble hit its target, knocking the glass bottle off with loud clank!

The crowd collectively gasped in amazement as Ophelia automatically loaded another and aimed it just above the rude boy's head. "Being exactly on point every time," she continued before firing, the marble zipping straight through his straw hat. Which left a small hole clear through the top. The stunned boy slowly took his hat off, looking through the hole, amazed and a little frightened.

Ophelia continued without pause, loading another marble. "Total and complete focus on your target." She had it aimed at an apple hanging from a tree just above the crowd. When she released it, the marble hit the steam, snapping the apple from the branch, allowing it to fall right into the hands of a little girl.

She looked up from the apple to the shooter, and the older girl gave her a wink before taking aim with her last marble.

"No matter how small."

Her last target was a jack-o-lantern that sat on a hay bale close to the fence. All eyes were on her target as she released the marble. The crowd once again was amazed when it zipped right into the little triangular hole in the hollow pumpkin that served as the face's nose.

The gaming grounds erupted with loud applause and cheering, twice as loud as before, while Ophelia smiled and curtseyed to them.

"Your honey, Miss Hilt," the game organizer said, the enormous jar of golden liquid in his arms.

"Thank you," Ophelia thanked him as she took the jar from him, holding it in her arms close to her chest. It was pretty heavy but she could carry it just fine. Varian came up to her and took the sling shot from her hand so she could hold the jar better. "Come on, Vary-Berry. This will go fabulously with some biscuits," she told him, finally ready to leave.

"Ooo, that sounds good. I'm starving," Varian said, putting her sling shot in the basket with the rest of her prizes. "Are you hungry too, Truffles?" he asked the gitty piglet walking beside them.

The only response they got was a loud but enthusiastic squeal. She could smell what was in the jar and wanted some.

Ophelia giggled. "I'll take that as a 'yes.' Come on."

The rest of the day was pretty fun, even after Ophelia and Varian came home with a mess of prizes and a new animal companion.

Quirin was busy pressing cider with their apples, so—after setting everything inside and introducing him to Truffles—the two lovebirds began helping with the pressing.

Pressing cider was fast-passed and busy work, but it was enjoyable busy work. Loading the apples in the grinder and turning the pressing mechanism till it was taut wasn't easy but just easy enough the more hands that were helping.

They collected the cider into bottles and barrels to be either sold right away or stored away to age into hard cider.

When they were finished; all the cider put away, presser cleaned and stored away, and Ophelia had saved a good portion of the apple scraps and divided them into equal shares for both Truffles and Ruddiger—who, thank heavens got along—the small family settled into their home for the evening.

Father and son helped Ophelia make a delicious dinner and they ate together. A good end to a good day.

But it wasn't over just yet.

Later that evening, Varian was dressed in his cozy teal night shirt and pants. His light still on in his room as he read in bed. Instead of a standard oil lamp, Varian preferred using some of his growing chemicals in test tubes bunched together on his nightstand. The light they gave off was brighter but not blinding and were less of a fire hazard. The chemicals he used were technically flammable, but only when added with another substance—which was not present. The different test tubes glowed blue, green, purple, and pink; illuminating his room with a glowing rainbow of gentle color and light.

At the foot of his bed, his pet raccoon laid half-asleep, listening to his master read aloud. Well, not too loud, so to not disturb the others in the house who were most likely already asleep.

The alchemist was incorrect, however, when he heard a light knock on his closed bedroom door.

Varian glanced up from his book. "Come in," he called out, but not too loudly. He hoped it wasn't Ophelia or his dad there to tell him he wasn't being quiet enough. Again.

When the door slowly creaked open, he was surprised to see Truffles run in and leap up onto the side of his bed with her front legs, greeting him with a snort.

Happy, but a bit confused, Varian looked back at his door to see Ophelia standing in the doorway. She was wearing a peach-colored rode with dark brown slippers.

"Ophelia, what are you still doing up?" he asked her.

"Why are you?" she replied with a smirk.

"Reading," he said, holding the book a little higher for her to see.

"Reading what?"

"Flynnigan Rider and the Forbidden Fortress."

Ophelia gasped. "You're reading that one without me?!" she whisper-shouted in outrage. Of all the Flynn Rider books, that was one of her most favorites.

"Uhh…I-I'm only on chapter four," he quickly informed her. This comforted Ophelia and calmed her mild betrayal. Chapter five contained her favorite part and the story only got better from there.

"Well then," she said before making her way over to the left side of his bed. After removing her robe—revealing her wearing a dark magenta-purple night gown—then hanging it on top of one of his bed posts, Varian scooted over, allowing Ophelia to lay beside him, her head propped up on her hand as her elbow rested on his pillow. "Read on, my fine fellow."

Varian smiled and settled back against his headboard before continuing the story.

The two sweethearts had done this so many times in the past. And even if their relationship was different now, it still felt the same. Growing up, they had cuddled on one of their beds and read together often. Either in the early evening or during the day if it was raining or one of them was sick. Sometimes, they even fell asleep like that.

True, it did feel a bit more intimate now, but it was still their thing. And they never did anything inappropriate. Ophelia didn't even close the door all the way after coming in. Another new house rule Quirin had instilled while they were both under his roof. Fortunately, he still let them have their little sleepovers.

"As he scaled the fort's wall, Flynn Rider heard the melodious voice of Mimi the Amazing from the courtyard. Just as they had planned, her show was the perfect distraction so he could sneak in. Not a guard nor a solider was lurking about, paroling for intruders. Much too interested in the enchanting talents of the traveling showgirl there to 'entertain' them. The gold that General Forseth had stolen from her village was within his grasp," Varian read on. However, he had just reached the end of chapter nine, and it was already very late. So that was where he decided to leave the bookmark. "We can read the rest tomorrow before you leave," he told Ophelia.

The auburn-haired girl groaned in disappointment but her eye lids were getting heavier by the minute. "Okay," she mumbled.

Varian closed the book and put it on his nightstand, then he lowered a specially-made cover onto his collection of glowing vials to stop their light from illuminating the room. He can't stop them from glowing any other way.

With the room now properly dark enough for them to sleep, Varian settled down under his quilt and put his head on his pillow. He turned his head and saw Ophelia on her side, her hand resting on the pillow right in front of her face. Her eyes already closed.

She was so beautiful. Varian gave a content sigh.

"Ophelia," he whispered. She hummed in reply but kept her eyes shut. "Could you…could you sing for me? Please?" he asked.

Ophelia grinned. How could she forget?

Varian always read them a bedtime story. So naturally, it was her job to supply them with a lullaby.

However, tonight, Varian decided to help get her started.

"Lavender's blue, dilly, dilly, lavender's green.

When I am king, dilly, dilly, you shall be queen."

Ophelia giggled. She hadn't sung that song in quite a while. But she still remembered it as well as then. Still keeping her eyes closed, she sang on.

"Who told you so, dilly, dilly, who told you so?

'Twas my own heart, dilly, dilly, that told me so.

Lavender's green, dilly, dilly, lavender's blue.

If you love me, dilly, dilly, I will love you."

As she sang, Varian reached his hand up from under the quilt and placed it on her hand between them.

"Let the birds sing, dilly, dilly, and the lambs play.

We shall be safe, dilly, dilly, out of harm's way.

I love to dance, dilly, dilly, I love to sing.

When I am queen, dilly, dilly, you'll be my king."

When she sang those last couple of words, Ophelia opened her eyes to look as her sweet alchemist.

"Who told me so, dilly, dilly, who told me so?

I told myself, dilly, dilly, I told me so."

Ophelia leaned forward, placing a quick peck on Varian's nose. The second she pulled away, Varian leaned toward her and kissed her forehead.

Not long after, the two quickly fell asleep, their hand still held by the other.

Song I used here is 'Lavender's Blue' from the live-action Cinderella (2015). Very cute song for bedtime.

I know the apple pressing scene was sort of rushed and feels hastily plugged in, but I wasn't part of my original plot and I really wanted to include it in some way. Pressing apple cider is a very important part of fall to me and my family (I've been doing it my whole life).

1 more chapter of this story to go.

Stay safe, stay healthy, stay respectful, and stay tuned ;)

And Happy Thanksgiving!