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“So, the scene I’m thinking of goes like this…”
Filled with the war cries of their allies and the screeches of the Corrupted, the warm green meadow doesn’t feel like it should be host to yet another clash of armies. The mismatched scene never fails to get Chloé's blood pumping, especially when watching her suave knight battle. Said knight, Merrin, with a grin as feral as her stead’s, guides her wolf around the staggering Corrupted. A flare of bright red flashes with her strike of steel, and the creature disintegrates into powdery dust.
Chloé applauds from atop her Pegasus as Merrin strikes a dashing pose. Not for the first time, Chloe’s heart flutters at the sight of the handsome knight she can call her own. Just like a fairytale. Not quite the ones she had imagined herself as a child, of course. For the longest time, she had seen herself as a princess waiting to be swept away. And, in a way, she has been swept off her feet. But not by someone saving her. She can handle that herself nowadays.
It doesn’t take but a moment for Chloé to make her guess at her and Merrin's game. “Oh! Of course, that’s the scene in Everlasting Night, with Sir Ambrosia! The battle at the fortress!"
“Nothing gets past you,” Merrin says with a nod. “You’re right as always!”
"Oh! That was exactly what I imagined!" Chloe sighs dreamily as she readjusts her grip on her spear. “Your turn!”
She spins her Pegasus, slashing a Corrupted trying to sneak a blow in undetected behind her. Merrin cheers along with her wolf's howl as the monster dissipates into a flurry of light.
"That was just like that one scene in-" Her sentence is cut short by Chloé's spear speeding by her cheek. The death cries of a Corrupted ring out behind her, and she turns to look with wide eyes.
"Oh, Chloé! My knight in shining armor! Thank you."
Chloé grins. "As much as I enjoy our games, perhaps we should focus on the very real battle at hand?" A shame that the Corrupted do not simply allow them to enjoy themselves. Merrin shines so bright when she’s reenacting scenes of the knights that inspire her.
Merrin flashes a grin. With a howl with her wolf, she speeds off into the thick of war.
—
The battle over, the Divine Dragon’s forces take their time to collect themselves and patch up. Alear themself runs across the battlefield and over the winding river, feet tapping along the bridge, energetically as ever checking on the weaker members of the army and collecting dropped items on the ground. On one of their passings, there is a cat nestled into the crook of their arm. Chloé watches the Divine Dragon with glee, wondering how many creatures they’ll collect for their steadily growing homebase / ranch today. Merrin is always glad to see the new critters.
Oh, and speaking of…
"Oh, Merrin, dear, come here!" Chloe calls. Merrin, perking up from what seemed to be a lively bragging contest with Kagestu, leaves her wolf to Zelkov who guides it alongside his own to rest in the shade. Merrin bounds over, scooping Chloé into her arms and spinning her around with a bright laugh.
“My!” Chloé exclaims when her toes touch the ground again. “Did we depart the battlefield and waltz straight into a ball?”
Merrin chuckles. “Should I not show my joy whenever I see you? Though, we should consider studying dance to incorporate into our next battle. Perhaps Seadall will train with us?”
“Dancing?” Chloé asks. There’s a bit of dirt on Merrin's cheek, and she can’t stop herself from wiping it with her handkerchief, biting back a laugh. “Why on earth would we dance on the battlefield? I do believe Seadall has it covered.”
Merrin leads her to the riverside, sitting them both down and taking a satchel if snacks from her bag. Simple dried fruits and nuts, not quite to Chloé’s taste, but Merrin has done her best to find fruits that are uncommon to Fireine.
“Well, I've heard that dancing is good for soldiers on the battlefield. It keeps you limber and quick. And, of course, I read it in a story when I was much younger. A knight who danced his way through battle. I’m failing to remember the name of it.”
“Oh! I’ve never heard of such a tale!” Chloé remarks. “It sounds delightful. We should try to find it someday.”
“Or,” Merrin says, an uncharacteristic blush rising to her cheeks, “we could learn to dance and write a whole new story ourselves. And, you know, dancing may be necessary for the future, after all this is over. There will be balls and, ah, weddings.” She’s not looking at Chloé at all, eyes on the river instead.
Chloé smiles, leaning in to leave a chaste kiss on her favorite knight's forehead. “Now that, my lovely knight, sounds very cool.”