"You're a fool."

"Hey, we all do stupid things in the name of love, don't we?"

Maribelle rolled her eyes. Of course he'd say something asinine like that–at this point, she was too used to it to give it much mind.

"Please do not speak," she said, tapping her mercenary on the head with her heal staff, "or the wounds will heal in odd angles."

It wouldn't, but he wouldn't know that, so he shut up in an instant.

Okay, maybe I was lying when I said I was completely used to it, Maribelle thought, suppressing her smirk as she raised her staff over his stomach.

Now, Maribelle considered herself by no means an amateur healer–the Shepherds could attest to that, after she'd saved their own lives countless times–but with the odd way the heal staff was bent, she could not get her full power through. It was not broken, and thank goodness for that, since that meant she could still use it plenty of times, but the strange shape did no favors in conducting the flow of magic, and as she pulled it away from her mercenary's chest, she could still see a few bruises on his ribs.

Maribelle frowned. No, that would not do. She attempted to try again, but a faint throbbing at the back of her head told her that any more, and she would use more energy than she had left. With her wounds still healing, she didn't feel that was a risk she wished to take.

"So, what's the situation, doc?" her mercenary asked.

"It will need a bit longer to fully heal," Maribelle replied, and as she set the staff down on the table beside the bed, she reached over to pull out a damp towel from a nearby pail she'd borrowed from the innkeeper and dabbed it over his skin. "Until then, I would recommend against any sudden movements for a while, lest you pull the newly healed skin. It is not my best job, I will admit, but it shall hold you together until the morning."

As soon as she had placed the towel back in the bucket, her mercenary sat up and stretched. "Really now? Don't sell yourself short, sunshine; I feel as good as new!"

"Don't–"

But of course, he did not listen, swinging his arms from side to side until Maribelle heard something pop. Her mercenary winced, and with a frustrated groan, Maribelle pushed him back onto the bed.

"You truly do not think before you act, do you?" she said, tapping him on the head again.

Her mercenary winked. "I'm a man who thinks from the heart."

"And one of these days that's going to lose you your head. Look where that got you!" Sighing, Maribelle turned away and slumped against the wall. Quietly, she added, "You didn't have to do it, you know?"

Her mercenary blinked. "What? Save you? Come on, you know I'd do anything for you, buttercup."

She did not doubt that, but– "You're supposed to take care of me!" she said, turning around with a huff. "Not the other way around. Who ever heard of the wounded tending to the wounded?"

Her mercenary blinked. Then, he looked up at the ceiling, and he hummed. "I suppose we'll just have to take care of each other. What do you say?"

"It's not as if I've any other choice, do I?" Again, Maribelle sighed. "At least it's more than my friends have done for me."

It'd only been a day, and perhaps it had been because everything had been so hectic, but she did not forget how the other Shepherds had left her behind. Were they looking for her now? Clearly, they weren't–if they had, they might have found her by now.

"Aw, why the long face?" her mercenary said. "Cheer up! We made it out in one piece, didn't we?"

"We did. I'm sorry if I seem ungrateful, I truly am–without you, perhaps there would not be as much reasons to have such cheer."

"Don't sell yourself short, sweetheart. You pack quite a punch for a noble lady–who knew such a dainty lady could fight with wits as sharp as her tongue? Anyone would be a fool not to admire a lady of so many talents."

"Oh, of course they would," Maribelle said, running a hand through her hair. "I'm not blind to not recognize my own best qualities."

"And what stunning qualities they are! Why, if I didn't know any better, I'd have thought you the princess of Ylisse herself!"

That one actually got to her a little. Perhaps Lissa would not mind being compared, but if Maribelle had to be completely honest... it was nice. Just a little.

"You flatter me," Maribelle said with a huff.

"When have I ever? I speak only the truth."

Maribelle folded her arms across her chest and glowered at him. "Then shall you allow me to speak frankly? Do not ever pull something like that again! If you get hurt, and I cannot heal you, who shall I rely on to help me get around, hm?"

The mercenary hummed. "You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you really do care about me, don't you?"

Maribelle blinked, taken aback. "I–is that what it sounds like? I don't. Not at all!"

"Oh, come on. Just admit it, you like me."

"I don't!" Maribelle said, turning away. "You are simply the only person I know in this town. If anything happened to you, I'd be–"

Upset? Well, of course she would be upset, who wouldn't be? Without him, she would be defenseless and alone, and anyone would want to avoid that. She simply cared for him as much as she simply despised the alternative of being completely alone.

Something in her head told her that wasn't the entire reason.

Thankfully, a knock on the door snapped her out of it before she could wonder why that was. She opened the door without much thought–only to remember that she'd placed the pail next to the door as she was swinging it open. She reached out to stop it, but she was too late to stop the door from hitting the bucket and knocking it over, spilling water all over her dress.

The old man on the other side of the door, who Maribelle recognized as the inn's owner, stopped and stared. "I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" he asked after a moment.

Maribelle did not dare look down at the sopping mess between her legs, but she was sure she must have looked awful, like a wet rat climbing out of a river–not at all benefitting a noblewoman of Ylisse! She couldn't be seen looking like this!

Maribelle puffed out her chest in an attempt to regain some of her dignity. "You are," she said

"Not at all," the mercenary said.

Maribelle shot him a frantic look and shushed him. Apparently, the mercenary did not get the memo, and he frowned back. "Are we?"

Maribelle hissed and nodded her head.

The mercenary blinked, thought about it, then shrugged. "Yeah," he said. "We were having a private moment. Do you think you could come back in a few minutes?"

Never in her life had Maribelle wanted to strangle someone so much. She turned back to the innkeeper, but before she could speak, the innkeeper gave her an understanding nod.

"Ah, I see. Take as long as you need, then," he said, waving a hand back at them as he turned away. "Take as long as you need, there's no need to rush. It can wait until after you're done."

"No, wait! We're not–"

But the innkeeper had already disappeared from sight and down the stairs.

Slowly, Maribelle turned back to the mercenary, her face bright red. It was only now that the mercenary seemed to realize something was up, and he frowned.

"What's up, buttercup? Was it something I said?" he asked.

Maribelle closed her eyes. She took a deep breath in. Deep breath out. Deep breath in. Deep breath out.

Maybe, just maybe, if she did this long enough, she could calm herself down.

It didn't work.

"I'll show you private moment, you pig-headed dolt!" she howled.

The mercenary's eyes widened. "Wait, I didn't mean–what about no sudden movements?!"

But it was too late. With a screech, Maribelle lunged for him, and that was the last anyone ever heard of the man for the next five minutes.

A day late, but I did actually have the chapter finished. I was just watching Sonic the Hedgehog with family and completely forgot to upload it. That's on me.

Life and other projects did sort of get in the way, so I wasn't able to get anything out last Saturday. This week doesn't seem to be any better, so I think for now I'll have to stick with shooting for every other week.

If anyone was expecting anything longer, I'm sorry! That last chapter was sort of an exception, my action scenes tend to drag a lot longer than my other stuff. This story is more chill than most of my other stuff, so it's a lot shorter as a result.

I'll try to get another chapter done by Saturday two weeks from now. Until then, feel free to leave a review! It helps keep the story at the front of my mind. Take care of yourselves out there, and stay safe!