"Val!" Muri yells at me, "Go after her!"

I now realize and move. I jolt off the table and scan for Rose. I see her off in the distance leaving the hall.

I run after her and quickly catch up. She is fuming, flowing in clear frustration. Smoke flows off her cheese wheel.

I snatch it off her before she does anything she'll regret later, "Where are you going?"

"To the courtyard, I need to blow!" We turn into a corner and continue down the path.

"Careful Rose, I am sure you don't want to attract any attention."

"No one is there at this time."

We enter the courtyard and it's found empty, just like Rose says. The ground, the path, the stone-carve benches, and the central display statue are all covered in snow.

She takes a step forward and the snow at her feet melts, revealing the ground underneath, "I am done with this, I am done with this fort, I am done with these people!"

"Carefull, you don't want that to land on the wrong ears."

"I am tired of working so hard, just for my efforts to be disregarded in a flash. What do they want from me? Why did he do that? I thought... we were friends." Rose froze, tears finally ran only to evaporate, "Why would he use his 'reflex'?"

I look around clueless, not knowing what to do. Should I say something? What can I say? I look down at the snow, and without much thought, I grab some and throw it at Rose. It melts on contact.

She slowly turns, facing me with disapproval on her face. I drop the cheese wheel and make a proper snow ball, and launch it point-blank at her face. The ball crashes and splashes everywhere, "Really?" she calls.

I push her on the ground and some snow melts but not all. I force her flat on the ground and roll her like a log down hill. I end up slipping and falling on her, and she cries out in pain.

We lay there in awkward silence. My body on top of her, our bodies making an 'X' shape. None speak and no one moves. Then the cold is shattered by her chuckle, "What are you doing?"

I stay silent for a second, "I don't know." She chuckles a little more. I nervously chuckle back and before I knew it we're laughing with each other.

She rolls me off and hastily rolls on her feet, "Get ready," she calls, "You brought this on yourself."

I rush back on my feet, to the opposing side against her, "Bring it on! You're all bark but no bite."

She laughs and throws a snowball heading at my forehead, but misses its target flying over me.

"Ha, miss." My turn, I aim at her hand and the snowball knocks off her next projectile.

"That's not fair," she complains as she hustles to make another snowball. I run to the side and find cover behind the statue. "Stop cheating," she laughs as her next attack splatters on the statue.

"The solution is quite simple," I call out, "just get better. Don't blame me for your skill issue."

"Oh, now you've done it," she kneels down and starts hoarding up snow, making one big snowball. She runs after me and tackles me with her snow.

We are both back on the ground with her on top, "Up close and personal is more my style," she charms me as we both laugh the air out our lungs.

My body starts to uncontrollably shake as all the snow begins to freeze me over. She sits up and pulls me into her embrace. Rose hugs me as she releases a wave of heat that thaws me, "Thank you."

"Anything for my love," Rose responds.

"I know you were angry and you have every right to," I began to say, "That being said, Etaru means no harm."

"I know that," Rose responds as she continues to embrace me, "yet it doesn't change that his actions hurt me."

"And fuck him for that, you don't have to forgive him. I don't forgive him for hurting you. Still he is a friend."

"Yeah I know. If I'd hold a grudge at everyone who's hurted me, I would be alone."

"Then let my love heal you," I suggest and we continue our hug-off. The raining snow keeps falling on us and our silence. Every snowflake that lands on Rose instantly melts off.

"Want to leave the fort?" She ask.

"What... why?"

"I don't know, just to go out."

"And do what?"

"Well it is that time of the year when people give presents to each other, and do it underneath trees. Wanna go find a tree?"

"Not in this weather. We have a perfect room, my bed is our tree."

"Underneath the bed? That's just silly."

I laugh, "No, on the bed. Like yesterday."

"You're no fun," she calls out, "... well we could go out on a date?"

My eyes light up like a wolf who was just offered meat, "Ok now we are getting somewhere. Where are we going?"

"Yes," she celebrates, "I knew that would do it. We can walk to the near village."

"The village? There is nothing to do there."

"Yes there is, there is a pub."

"The local pub? I don't want to get drunk for our date. Besides, we basically have a tavern in the dining hall, a pub is not worth the travel."

"Fair point, what about the town? We for sure gonna need to go on horseback, but we could go to the market."

"That's not a bad idea, ok the town it is. But on one condition, I am riding with you," I demand.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," she stands up and helps me, "Alright let's go."

"Now? Don't we need to get ready?"

"What for? Is not like we are heading out for a hunt. We don't need gear, and I always carry my gold with me. I am ready."

"What about your cheese wheel?"

"I forgot about that, we need to stop by your room first."

I grab the cheese wheel off the ground, "It's a little crispy on one side."

"That's fine, it just enhances the flavor," I give back her cheese.

We start walking back to my room. The tension completely left Rose. I see her mind running, probably thinking about our date.

A date is exactly what I need. No interruption, only me and her. I don't have to worry about useless research, or reading books. No need for power, she's the only thing I need.

We reach my room and she enters first, and before I could follow I get interrupted.

"How is she?" Etaru asks.

"She is fine. What do you want?"

He cups his hands together and from it light shines through. He opens his palms and a sphere of light is born.

The sphere takes a shape and lands on his hand. Revealing a bouquet of sunflowers.

He offers them to me, "I know this doesn't make up for my actions, but can you give them to her. You don't have to tell her they are from me. I know they are her favorite, and I hope they make her feel better."

I take the bouquet, "Rose's favorite flower are sunflowers? I didn't know that."

"Oh," Etaru's expression changed, "It's nothing weird. She mentioned it once last summer. When we were doing a mission together. We walked past a sunflower field and she mentioned It."

"Oh... alright."

"That was all, I am leaving now," He left me and my thoughts alone.

WOW! YOU ARE PATHETIC. ETARU KNOWS MORE ABOUT ROSE THAN YOU. AND YOU CLAIM TO LOVE HER! DO YOU EVEN CARE ABOUT HER? NO YOU DON'T! YOU ONLY WANT TO FUCK HER! YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT HER HEART. YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT HER FEELINGS. LOOK AT THOSE SUNFLOWERS! HAVE YOU COMPLETED YOUR RESEARCH? NO! YOU'RE PATHETIC! YOU'RE WORTHLESS! YOU'RE USELESS!

I slowly enter my room and as I do Rose speak up, "I couldn't hear what he said but I recognized his voice. So don't try to h- Oh," she notices what I am carrying.

"He said these are your favorite."

"They are, it's nice he remembered that."

"I didn't know you like sunflowers, much less that they are your favorite," Any happiness the flowers brought instantly vanished at the sound of my words, "I also didn't know you were from Jeshil."

She sits at my bed and lets out a sigh. I think she's been aware of that and maybe it even took a toll on her.

I sit next to her with the flowers still at hand.

She looks at me, "During the year I've been reflecting on us. Thinking about the few times we've been together.

"And I realized something that saddened me. I don't really know you and you don't know me.

"It's not like I don't want to know you or share things about me. We just don't spend much time together.

"Now I hear you don't leave the fort. Meaning you stop taking contracts or accepting missions. Making us spend even less time.

"That's why I asked you if you'd like to leave the fort today. I want to spend more time with you."

I let her words sink in for a moment before responding, "I honestly didn't expect my absence on the field to have a negative impact on us.

"I also don't know if I can go back now or ever, but I do know this. I want to know you and I want to share things about me with you," I offer the bouquet and she takes them.

"Then let's make a promise to spend the rest of winter together."

"I promise," she hugs me and thanks me. I don't understand why she thanks me, but I am glad she did. It put my mind at rest, for only but a moment.

She left the flowers at my desk and turned back to me, "Let's go fulfill our promise."

Rose's hands hold mine and lift me up. She spreads her fingers and locks her palm with mine. Things become a little bit clear. My eternal flame dwindles to embers. Rose is what truly matters to me. The only thing that matters. As long as I have her, I'll be fine.