"Here, I'll try to squeeze my way forward," Lon'qu said.

She noticed with a warm rush that they were still holding hands. For once, she was thankful that he wasn't paying any attention to her – that way, he wouldn't notice the crimson blush that had forced its way onto her cheeks.

"So will you tell me what's happening now?" she asked.

They had finally found an opening in the crowd where both could safely see the makeshift stage erected at the center of the square. She hid her disappointment as he let go of her hand.

"Well," Lon'qu said, "every second Saturday of the month, there's a small festival in Wu'fen's town center. I thought you'd like to see it."

"Seriously?" she said, astonished. "I've lived here my entire life and I never even got to go to one of them!"

"I mean, now you have your chance, right?" Lon'qu smiled. "I hope you like it. It's a little more crowded than usual."

Though outwardly Lon'qu continued smiling, inwardly, he cringed. What had possessed him to bring her here? It was too hot, too crowded, too smelly, too common for a girl of Ke'ri's stature. Sure, she might have expressed an interest in learning what the commoners did. But he should have taken it slowly. And now…he winced as the joker climbed to the stage. He tended to make his jokes quite crass, and today was no exception.

Hesitantly, almost afraid to see her expression, Lon'qu snuck a glance at Ke'ri.

And was flabbergasted to see her guffawing at the comedian's latest gag about sleeping with a politician's wife.

"Th-this is great!" Ke'ri managed to say between her bouts of breathless laughter. Normally, she would have worried that she was acting too unladylike, but in this crowd, she was nobody's daughter. Wiping tears from her eyes, she impulsively hugged Lon'qu. "Thank you so much for bringing me here!"

Feeling him stiffen under her embrace, she quickly let go and patted him awkwardly a few times. "Sorry about that," she murmured.

"No, it's fine," she heard him reply. "It's just been so long since…since I've had a friend."

A little piece of her heart withered as she heard those words. Smiling brightly to make up for the pain that she felt on his behalf, she grasped his hand once more. "Well, I'm here now. And I think that we'd better make up for all that lost time."

Suddenly, Ke'ri felt the crowd beginning to shift and disperse. Although another question was on the tip of her tongue, she paused when she heard the sound of bells. "Dancing?" she asked incredulously, turning towards Lon'qu. "You know how to dance?"

"Kind of…but not well," he replied hesitantly. "I just thought that it would be something you'd like to do."

"Well, you thought right!" she replied excitedly. "I get the chance to dance quite often, but it's usually at a ball or a formal event, so I always have to watch my manners."

He grinned. "Here, milady, you have the chance to be as free as you please." Bowing at her, he extended a hand. "Lady Ke'ri, will you dance with me?"

"It would be impolite of me to refuse," she replied with a small smile, taking his hand.

Despite his previous statement, Lon'qu was an impeccable dancer. His agility from fighting in the arena translated to graceful, light, and sure-footed movements.

All too soon, the music ended, and Ke'ri found herself wishing that the band would begin playing once more. But it looked as though the festival had ended, and the crowd began dispersing in earnest.

"So where are we headed now?" she asked Lon'qu, fervently hoping that the answer wasn't "back home."

"I thought I'd take you out to eat," Lon'qu replied. "I hope you're in the mood for noodles."

"Are you kidding? We're both from Chon'sin. I'm always in the mood for noodles," Ke'ri answered happily.

The noodle place that Lon'qu brought them to was comfortably cramped. Ke'ri rubbed her hands together appreciatively and took a long whiff of the delicious aroma. She had always wished to go to a place like this – dirt cheap yet completely satisfying. Her father no longer permitted her to eat at any of the street stalls, at least, not after his committee had dealt with a fiasco involving an unsanitary food stand and a contagious disease.

"So," she broached the topic cautiously as he walked her to her doorstep. "Would you like to meet again on the second Saturday of next month?"

"Sounds good to me," Lon'qu replied.

"This time, I'll show you around," Ke'ri offered excitedly. Already, she was making a list of things that they could do together.

Lon'qu nodded. "It would be impolite for me to refuse such a kind offer."

"Great!" Ke'ri smiled. "You better not forget."

"I won't."

A/N: Sorry guys that this chapter is kind of short and awkward. I have very little experience with writing romance :T