"Miss Estellise, you called?"
The sun was bright that morning, and Flynn really didn't feel ready for another day of fighting, so when Miss Estellise had called him to her quarters, he had gladly taken the opportunity, not only to catch up with her, but also to delay the inevitable workload that awaited him for just that little bit longer. As much as he loved his job, the work always made the days long and the body ache, so he would allow himself a few extra minutes of rest.
"Oh Flynn! So glad you could make it! Please, take a seat." She smiled sweetly, gesturing at a long sofa. "How are you feeling?"
"Absolutely fine," he lied politely, smiling back and taking the seat. "What can I do for you?"
She frowned, slightly confused. "What makes you think that I need something? Actually, I wanted to see if you were okay."
"Miss Estellise, I am perfectly fine", he steadily gazed at her, trying to work out why her usual worrying seemed to be somewhat escalated today. "What would make you think otherwise?"
"W-well..." she hesitated, eyes fluttering downwards as she tried to find the words to explain. "It's just that...Yuri said..."
Flynn's shoulders drooped. What on earth has he said now? "Miss Estellise, you don't have to worry yourself about..."
He thought that he had been doing a good job of hiding their little bust up from the princess, who had a natural tendency to worry. Then again, news travelled swiftly in the castle, so he wasn't that surprised that she had learnt of it despite his secrecy. Though it certainly would have been kept a secret for longer if Yuri hadn't snitched.
"No, no! I can't bear to stand either of you arguing! That's why I thought..."
"That us two should have a little chat," came a deep voice from the doorway.
Flynn gritted his teeth as he realised that the dark haired idiot had been standing behind him in the doorway all this time, waiting to jump in. Flynn suddenly felt the urge to fight monsters again. Or Yuri's face, he wasn't fussed.
"Miss Estellise, this really isn't necessary. There is nothing to talk about", he reassured her, standing up to take his leave.
"I, I..." she looked flustered for a moment, as she realised he was about to walk out the room and straight past Yuri. "I command you to sit down and talk to Yuri!"
She looked especially pleased with herself, especially when Flynn paused and hesitantly sat back down again. He forced a polite smile on his face, but for once he wished he didn't have to obey her. Even if it meant he had to go back out to work.
"She's right, we need to talk. We can't have you moping around the place."
Flynn stiffened and forced the sudden frown that had appeared on his face away. Estelle looked anxiously between the two of them before deciding she was better of leaving them to it. She bowed politely to Flynn and briefly let her hand skim over Yuri's arm as she passed him, as if to reassure him.
"So...how are things?" Flynn began, determined to keep things civil. Civil meant he was more likely to get out of here and back on the field. Yuri removed himself from the doorway and sat himself casually where Estelle had been a few moments ago.
"Everything is fine. Look, I didn't think this thing would blow up so much. I guess I didn't think that it would be hard for you to turn off the knight attitude."
"If you're talking about when I said to be careful, I didn't mean that you couldn't protect her. I meant I was more worried about you forgetting where her place in society is."
Yuri considered what he said, before smiling slyly.
"I think I'm doing okay. No prison for a while now, so you can't say that I haven't been on my best behaviour. Perhaps I'll have to earn your trust in another duel?"
Flynn couldn't help the smile that suddenly tugged at his mouth.
"What makes you think you would win?"
"The fact that I beat you down the last time with energy to spare", Yuri grinned, and Flynn felt relieved. He had his best friend back. This was normal, and second nature to him. "Loser..." Yuri added on the end with a smirk.
"If you have so much energy why don't you come down and help the knights?" Flynn challenged him
"And show them up?" Yuri replied his boyish grin back again. "Besides, I thought our Rita was on the case?"
"Not if I can help it", Flynn replied with a weary smile. "She needs to focus on her research, not dealing with the monsters. Miss Estellise shouldn't have said anything."
"Actually, I told Estelle to intervene", Yuri admitted. Flynn glared at him and Yuri held his hands up in defence "Now don't be like that. You wouldn't listen to me then 'cause you thought I was going to go running off and get into trouble, but you would listen to our princess. I just didn't think she would get our little fireball to do the helping."
Flynn felt his anger slowly simmering away, though he kept a lid on it. Why did all these people think he was suddenly not capable of doing his job? "So what makes you think I need help? The role of the Commandant is always going to be hard work."
"Look at yourself Flynn."
Flynn blinked at him, before actually looking at his hands. "And what do you propose is wrong with me?"
Yuri made some sort of gesture that suggested that there was something wrong with all of Flynn. Flynn suddenly found himself cursing that raw honesty Yuri possessed, because with a sinking feeling, he knew Yuri was right. Yuri wouldn't worry himself over a little bit of extra work, but if he felt the need to step in and lay the facts down bluntly, then perhaps he should listen.
"You're starting to wear yourself down. Take Rita's help. It's not often that she offers it," Yuri made to leave, but paused as he reached Flynn. "Just...keep her sweet. I don't want to have to see you one day with a black eye." He warned, his grin fleetingly returning.
Flynn smiled back, but took his warning. He had seen for himself the damage that girl could do, and he really didn't want to be on the receiving end of a thunderbolt, or something as equally painful. If he came away with a black eye, then honestly that would probably be a best-case scenario, considering her temper.
Flynn inwardly grimaced as Rita punched another soldier on the arm for failing to perform a spell correctly. If anything was going to wear him down, it would be this little spitfire of a girl and not his job. They were on the outskirts of Zaphias, and it had been an unusually warm day, which didn't make things any easier for him. He flinched again as she hit another soldier on the arm, earning an undignified yelp from him.
"Idiot! Say it properly or it will just blow up in your face!"
Flynn reckoned something else had already blown up in the soldier's faces. He cringed slightly at the accusing glares his soldiers gave him as the girl began lecturing them again. She was trying to teach them simple incantations, or rather what she thought were simple incantations. All he could do was watch as Rita's patience grew thinner and thinner as his men struggled with magic on a level above to what they had been accustomed to.
"Your soldiers are thick blondie. Where did you get them from?" Rita asked when she returned to him, finally giving up on this particular spell she was trying to teach them and letting them have a break. "Anyone would think you dragged them from under a rock."
Flynn gave her a slightly exasperated look. "Perhaps if you took your time...and maybe if you didn't punch them when they got it wrong-"
"Maybe if they concentrated then they wouldn't get hit! They're just lucky I'm not using fireballs. It's never too hot for magic!" She huffed, folding her arms and glaring at the soldiers who were brave enough to shoot her dirty glances. "Yeah you heard me!"
She made to go towards a particularly disgruntled looking soldier, but Flynn held her by the bow on her back, stopping her as she shook her fists at the offending soldier. She flailed her arms furiously before making a rude hand gesture at the soldier, who despite his sniggering, made the intelligent decision to take several steps back. The thought fluttered briefly through Flynn's head that perhaps being this close to her wasn't the safest decision.
"Yeah that's right! I can see you jerk!"
"Miss Mordio-"
"What?" she snapped, halting her manic flailing.
"Perhaps I think it would be better if for today you just help us defend against the monsters", he suggested pleasantly. "Unless there is anything you needed to do elsewhere?"
The brigade looked hopefully at the two, grateful for their commandant's tacked on suggestion. Flynn could tell they would rather just get on things without worrying about whether they would be stepping on Rita's toes, or more importantly, whether she would be stomping on theirs. To be honest, he would feel relieved too if she went back to the castle.
Rita considered his offer carefully, and he could tell she was torn between retreating to her beloved books and experiments, and from keeping her promise to Estelle.
"I don't think so Blondie. Nice try", she finally answered. "Don't be so ungrateful anyway! People would pay for my magic you know!"
"Oh I didn't mean that Miss Mordio."
"Don't bother, I know what you meant."
She studied him coolly, and Flynn felt like she was reading his very thoughts, and suddenly regretted his hasty plan. He had never felt like he was shrinking before someone who was at least a head shorter than him, though he supposed he had never encountered someone as fierce and dangerous as Rita. Flynn was pretty sure this girl could easily take on Yuri, if she cared to try, so he decided to best remember this. And remember that one day he would have to persuade Yuri that he would have fun duelling her.
Rita finally turned her scowl from him and back to his soldiers, who glanced with worry at her. Her scowl deepened, but instead of shouting, she took a deep breath.
"Right, from the top. Try not to mess up your words!"
As she turned her back on him, Flynn smiled. She understood that Estelle would worry if the soldiers came back bruised and battered. Miss Estelle had certainly made some good friends on her journey, especially in this miraculous bad-tempered girl.
"Not like that, you stupid-"
Well, not a completely perfect friend, but still a friend none the less.
Rita couldn't remember the last time she wanted to punch someone in the face so badly it almost hurt trying not to. Apart from the old man, but he was the exception. Blondie's soldiers had been the thickest soldiers she had ever met, and that was saying something, especially when those Leblanc losers probably set a new world record for dumb.
So when Rita found Yuri plonking himself down besides her in the garden that evening, she didn't even make any attempt at communication. She was too tired to talk to another sword wielding yob, even if he really wasn't that bad.
"So how did it go Professor Mordio?"
"Don't start on me you girly haired git. Besides, that reminds me, I need to burn most of your hair off for telling the old man I was joining the knights."
Yuri picked at the grass nervously. "Now who said that was me?"
"The old man."
"Since when did you trust him? He's got it all wrong.'
"You're lying."
"How do you know?" he grinned cheekily at her.
"I just do."
Yuri gave a wry smile. "You would think that after saving the world, I might gain a little respect."
"You're forgetting that I saved it too Mr Hero," she pointed out. "Besides, why should I give you respect when it should be you helping Blondie? Slacker."
Yuri glanced curiously at her, but couldn't read anything from her face as it was conveniently hidden in a book. "So things didn't work out so great on the field then, huh?"
"What did you think would happen?" she hissed. "That I would love it and go join the Knights, parading round in that stupid armour and waving swords around?"
"Now that would be a sight to see," he mocked, earning a sharp kick to his shin. "Ouch! Okay, no, haha. I at least thought you might be a little nicer to the poor men. I just walked past some of them in the dining hall and they looked more like the dinner then knights."
Rita sniggered. "Serves them right," she muttered.
Yuri couldn't hide the grin on her face. Yep, Rita was Rita, and nothing would get in her way.
"So it was a no go today then? Does Estelle know?"
"No, she's been busy all day. I haven't been able to talk to her into letting me go back my to studies", Rita sighed.
"I know, I couldn't get anywhere near her either", he agreed, looking a little crestfallen.
"Don't worry, you two will soon be reunited so you can do whatever yucky lover things couples do."
"Now that sounds like jealously."
Rita closed her book, opened her mouth ready to shoot him down and defend herself, but someone interrupted her before she could.
"Our Rita? Jealous? Now what could that be, eh?" Raven asked.
"Wanna keep your teeth old man?" Rita snapped, turning round sharply to glare at him.
"She wants a boyfriend." Yuri explained bluntly, his obscene grin growing as Rita's face reddened.
"Aww, is that what it is? Well, ya know, I know someone who's the perfect catch for ya."
The deadpan glare that she gave him was icy cold, and he slightly grimaced under it.
"Oh hell old man. I thought you might have wanted to value your life after, but apparently, you're hankering for death-by Rita." Yuri sighed. "Just make sure when she kills you, you don't get any blood on the tapestries."
"I didn't mean me!" Raven cried. "Ya think I would want to date a little girl like y-ACK!"
Yuri chuckled as Raven found himself shivering after being drenched in cold water, courtesy of Rita's spell.
"What are you laughing at?" Rita asked Yuri, turning her spell from Raven towards the long haired man.
"What do you know- I think it's time to take Repede for a walk..."
"Get back here!" Rita thundered, chasing after Yuri as he quickly dashed for the nearest exit, leaving Raven gasping and shuddering.
"When will ol' Raven learn to keep his mouth shut?"he asked himself, watching the two tear off. "I think that boy hit the nail on the head just then more than he realised."