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“Ta-da!” Halden cried, swooping his arm in front of him, green eyes sparkling.
Violet and Dain merely gaped at him and the thing he was showing off proudly. They glanced at each other, then Violet asked, “What exactly is it?”
Halden’s excitement dulled a bit, but he quickly recovered and grinned. “It’s a corn maze.”
“A…corn maze,” Violet repeated.
That answered the original question, but it also brought up many more. Dain asked one of them: “Why did you ask your father to make a maze out of corn?”
“Why not?” Halden shrugged. “I’ve heard some people do it on the outskirts for the season. Just seemed like a fun idea.”
Violet and Dain exchanged a look again, although there was now a small smile on Violet’s face. Halden’s answer wasn’t exactly surprising. This was the last year before he went into the infantry, and although choosing that branch meant he would still be able to visit often, he had taken it upon himself lately to do as many things as he could as a sort of farewell to the last of his full freedom - or as free as he could be as the first born of the king.
Violet found it cute. She tried to join as many of the quests Halden created that she could. Dain usually joined just to tag along. Alic could rarely be bothered to leave whatever trouble he was up to. Halden never invited Aaric, which Violet sort of felt bad about.
Halden grabbed Violet’s hand, which made her blush. They were friends - had been thrown together numerous times basically since birth. But lately things had felt a little…different. Maybe that’s why she had been so encouraging with Halden’s last-year-together ideas. She wasn’t looking forward to when he wouldn’t always be around. She, too, wanted to soak up as much time together with him as she could.
“Come on,” Halden interrupted her thoughts. “Let’s see what all the fuss is about.”
Halden tugged her to the entrance of the corn maze. Dain, looking intently at their threaded fingers with a frown on his face, followed them.