Katelyn's POV

I stepped off the boat and onto shore with a tiny smile. As soon as I did, six figures came running down the path.

The three in front I recognized immediately. "Katelyn!" Aphmau yelled.

"Aphmau!" I exclaimed happily. We hugged each other, then I hugged Jeffory.

"Kate we saw each other literally a week ago, what the heck?" He asked.

"You look like you wanted a hug as well. Abby!" I said, and the adorable ten year old jumped into my arms. "Happy Birthday!"

"Yay!" Abby said. I let go of her and turned to the other three people, who were most obviously guards.

"Hello. My name is Katelyn. Officially Katelyn the Fire Fist, but call me Katelyn." I told them, holding out my hand.

"I'm Garroth. This is Laurence, and Dante." The guard in front shook my hand, then two others as they were introduced.

Garroth's POV

As Jeffory led Katelyn to her house, Abby with them, Dante walked off to do something, and Laurence went on his patrol, because it was his shift.

That left me and Aphmau on the beach.

I bit my lip, and thought it over. I think it's time to do this- to tell her my feelings. But...maybe she won't return them. She probably won't.

I really shouldn't do this. I can't tell her. But I have to. I can't keep quiet about it anymore.

Gah! I'm so confused! Conflicted emotions!

"What?" Aphmau asked.

"Huh?" I said to her.

"You just randomly yelled 'I'm so confused! Conflicted emotions!'. Why?" She asked.

I facepalmed. "Ow." I forgot I had my helm on, and accidentally smacked myself in the face with my helm. "Well I'm an idiot for doing that."

Aphmau giggled. "You're adorable." She told me.

"What?" I asked. Did I hear that right?

Aphmau then just seemed to realize what she said and a light blush dusted her cheeks. "Nothing." She said a little to quickly.

"Okaaay." I said, drawing out the 'a'. I pulled off my helm and walked over to Aphmau. I took a deep breath. "Lord Aphmau, you may hate me for this, and if you do I completely understand, but I need to do this."

"Do what?" Aphmau asked. She seemed somewhat wary. "Garroth what are you doing?"

I didn't answer. I just leaned forward, wrapped my arms around her waist, and kissed her, all in a matter of seconds.

The thing was, instead of pushing me away or running off or anything, she wrapped her arms around my shoulders and the back of my neck and kissed me back.

We finally stopped a few moments later, and I stared into her eyes. "Aphmau, I love you. I have ever since you came to the village- even if I didn't know it at the time."

Aphmau smiled. I couldn't see it all that well because I'm taller than her so I have to look down, but it was there. "Garroth, I'm in love with you, too. I realized it back in the Neapolitan villages, when you bailed me out of prison."

I smiled at her and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Will you go out with me?" I asked her.

"Yes." She said immediately. Literally no hesitation.

I kissed her softly again, but this one was just a quick little kiss. "I'm sorry, Lord Aphmau, but I must go patrol. Being a guard and all isn't easy."

She laughed. "I know just how that is. Seriously, I do. I was a guard once." We both laughed. "And Garroth?"

"Hm?" I asked.

"Just call me Aphmau or Aph." She told me.

"Alright then, Lo- Aph. I can do that." I told her.

She grinned. "Right, well, we've got duties to take care of." Then she giggled. "Duty."

I closed my eyes and wanted to facepalm but I was chuckling too. "You're so childish." I told her.

She just laughed. "I am. I really am." We walked up the path, and when she turned away to the village and I turned to the tower, she looked over her shoulder at me with a tiny little grin. "Bwaboo!" She said in a baby voice.

Then she ran off laughing. I just stood there, confused, for a moment.

"Whoa, Garroth?" Laurence said, coming up. "What happened? You're standing here with your helm off, it's not around here at all, and you seem confused."

I turned to him. "I took it off down at the beach. Must've forgot it over there. As for why I'm confused, Aphmau just said 'bwaboo' in a baby voice. Randomly. Then she just ran off laughing."

"What?" He asked me, laughing. "Bwaboo." He said in a baby voice.

I had been looking down in thought, and when Laurence said that I looked up at him and snapped. "That's it!"

"Huh?" Laurence asked.

"That's what my youngest brother said when he was a baby!" I exclaimed. "How did she know that? He's dead..."

"Who?"

"My youngest brother, Vylad, he died in the Nether." I told him.

Laurence frowned and shook his head. "Bro, Vylad's a wayward Shadow Knight. He's still alive, kind of."

I stared at Laurence. "Really? You're telling me my baby brother is alive?"

He shrugged. "Not really. Shadow Knights are 'reborn', sort of, in the Nether. He also did actually die or something, and that's how he's a Shadow Knight."

I blinked. "But he still has a physical body and can speak to people?"

Laurence nodded. "Yeah, he does."

"Then he's alive in my book." I decided. Then I turned back to the beach. "I better go get my helm. Oh and Laurence?"

"Yeah?" Laurence asked, turning from where he was heading to the new guard tower.

I smirked back at him. "I confessed." Then I turned back to the beach and made my way to my helm.

"What?!" Laurence ran over. "You what?"

"I confessed my feelings for Aphmau." I rolled my eyes. "Kissed her, too."

"What?!" Laurence exclaimed.

"Twice." I laughed at Laurence's expression. "And now we're dating."

Laurence blinked. Then he grinned and clapped me on the back. "Well, good to know you've finally manned up, bro. But you better not screw up, because if you do I'll be all over Aphmau in seconds." He walked back to the tower.