The gentle sound of air being sliced apart echoed through the training grounds, accompanied by rhythmic grunts of exertion. Laura was in her element, moving with grace and power as her sword arced through the air in a series of flawless motions. Fie sat a short distance away, sprawled comfortably in the grass, chin resting on her hand as she watched.

Laura's movements were steady, precise—her strength and focus evident in every swing of her blade. The way the sunlight hit her, illuminating her hair and the sheen of her sword, made her look, well, knightly. Fie's thoughts drifted as she watched Laura's unwavering focus, her brow furrowed just slightly, a look of determination on her face.

Without realizing it, Fie muttered to herself, "Such a majestic knight queen..."

Laura's sword froze mid-swing, the motion broken as she straightened up and blinked. Turning toward Fie, she tilted her head curiously, her blue eyes glinting with both amusement and confusion. "I'm sorry—did you say something, Fie?"

Fie's eyes widened slightly as she realized she'd said that out loud. She coughed and quickly looked away, feigning disinterest. "Nothing much."

Laura, however, didn't let it slide. Setting her sword down, she walked toward Fie, wiping a light sheen of sweat from her brow with the back of her hand. "Something about a 'knight queen,' I believe?"

Fie let out a long sigh as Laura loomed over her, crossing her arms and looking far too pleased with herself. "Fine," Fie muttered, flopping back into the grass. "I might have said you looked majestic. Like a knight. Whatever."

Laura's lips curled into a smile, and she gave Fie an amused look. "A knight queen, specifically," she teased.

Fie waved a hand dismissively over her face. "Yeah, yeah, don't let it go to your head or anything."

Laura chuckled softly before settling herself next to Fie in the grass. "Well, I appreciate the compliment."

Fie grumbled something unintelligible, turning on her side. There was a moment of silence as the two enjoyed the calm that followed Laura's training session, the sounds of birds chirping and the gentle breeze filling the space.

Breaking the quiet, Fie glanced toward Laura again and, without much thought, mumbled, "You did save me once though."

Laura blinked, looking at her curiously. "Saved you? From what?"

Fie's expression shifted slightly as she thought back to it. Then realization hit her. "Uh. From…the darkness of a dream unfulfilled."

Laura frowned thoughtfully, tilting her head. "Fie, that's a line from the play I was in."

"Ugh." She groaned, covering her face with her arm. "I was thinking of a dream I had, okay?"

"A dream?" Laura echoed, a spark of curiosity lighting in her eyes. She leaned forward slightly, the corners of her lips tugging upward. "Now I have to know. What was this dream about? Won't you tell me?"

Fie peeked out from behind her arm, giving Laura a sidelong look. "It's nothing. Forget it."

"Come now, Fie," Laura pressed, her tone gentle but insistent. "You've piqued my curiosity."

Fie hesitated, sitting up and hugging her knees to her chest. She glanced at Laura, weighing her options. On one hand, it was embarrassing. But on the other hand, it could be fun to see how Laura reacted. And if it didn't go well, she could just play it off as silly nonsense.

"Fine," Fie relented, sighing. "I'll tell you. But only because you're being pushy."

Laura smiled softly, resting her hands on her knees as she listened. "I'm all ears."

Fie looked down at the grass as she started. "So… I had this dream where I was captured by Jaegers. Like, they tied me up. I was dressed as… uh, a princess." She glanced at Laura to gauge her reaction, but Laura remained quiet, her interest clear.

"And?" Laura prompted.

Fie looked away again, cheeks faintly pink. "And I was tied to a pole. They'd gagged me, too. You know, classic bad guy stuff." She paused, fiddling with a strand of grass between her fingers. "Then… you showed up."

"Me?" Laura asked, surprise evident in her voice.

"Yeah," Fie continued, sneaking another look at Laura. "You were dressed in full knight armor. You came riding in like this brave, heroic knight and beat all of them. It was something."

Laura's cheeks tinged pink at the image, but she smiled warmly, charmed by the tale. "That's quite the dream. And what happened after I saved you?"

Fie hesitated, suddenly realizing she'd backed herself into a corner. "...You untied me and… took the gag off."

Laura arched an eyebrow. "And?"

Fie let out a heavy breath, her face flushing fully now. "And I said, 'I knew you'd come for me, my brave knight.' And then…" Fie paused, mumbling the last part quickly. "...we kissed."

Laura blinked, clearly caught off guard by that revelation. Her face turned noticeably red, though a soft, shy smile tugged at her lips. "Oh… I see."

Fie groaned, burying her face in her knees. "I told you it was silly. You can laugh now."

Laura didn't laugh, though. Instead, she spoke softly, her tone warm and affectionate. "I think it's sweet, Fie."

Fie peeked up at her, blinking. "What?"

Laura gave her a small, genuine smile. "That dream of yours—it's sweet. And flattering, too." She looked out over the horizon, her expression thoughtful. "I'm not sure I'd make much of a 'majestic knight queen,' but I would protect you if the need arose. That much I can promise."

Fie stared at Laura, surprised by how sincere she sounded. "You're serious?"

Laura met her gaze and nodded. "Of course, Fie. If you were ever in danger, I'd come for you."

Fie blinked a few times, her face heating up again, but this time for a different reason. She muttered quietly, "Hmph. You're really living up to the knight queen thing, you know."

Laura laughed gently, the sound warm and bright. "Perhaps your dream wasn't too far-fetched after all."

Fie grumbled and flopped back into the grass. "Hmph. I'm taking a nap."