Waking up was like resurfacing from the depths of a lake. Everything seemed dark, muted - and then all at once, light and sound burst out all around him, startling him into full wakefulness.
Neinhart glanced around to find himself in an unfamiliar room full of strange, foreign-looking objects and framed photos. Next to the bed, Serena seemed to be dozing off in a wooden chair. Was this his room?
"Serena?"
With a startled snort, Serena snapped awake. "…Neinhart! You're up!"
"That I am." Neinhart took in the room again. "What happened, exactly?"
Serena stood up and stretched. "You fainted straight into my arms." Smirking, he struck a pose. "If you wanted my attention, you didn't have to go to such extremes, you know."
"I fainted? May I ask why?"
"I'm not sure." Serena stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Maybe it had something to do with you wearing that armour of yours in more than thirty degrees Celsius?"
"…Oh." Everything was coming back to him now: he and Serena had left the palace to go shopping, but it had been much warmer than usual. Needless to say, he had ended up severely regretting his decision to wear armour. "Where's my armour now? I don't see it in here."
"Oh…" Serena scratched the back of his neck. "I may have taken it off of you after you fainted. Don't worry, though, I left it in a safe place."
Neinhart stared at him, fighting against his growing panic. "Where did you leave it?"
"In the bushes outside the market."
Cursing uncharacteristically, Neinhart leapt out of the bed, nearly knocking Serena over. "We have to find it before someone else does!" He strode toward the door - then he turned around, grabbed the back of Serena's coat, and dragged him through the doorway. "You did this. You're helping me find it."
Serena grinned, apparently oblivious to Neinhart's annoyance. "Okay. Let's go find your armour!" A few seconds passed. "…But could you let go of my coat first?"