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Lyn frowned down at the letter, sipping from a warm mug of tea. With a sigh, she deposited it on the table on top of the pile. It tumbled down off of the top, fluttering to the floor pathetically. "Honestly, it's a waste of parchment," she scoffed.
"What's a waste of parch–?" Florina's sweet voice faltered as she stepped into the room, staring in disbelief. "What in the world are those?"
"Marriage proposals." Distaste dripped from her tone.
"Oh, i-is that so?" She slowly approached the pile of opened letters littering the oak wood. "…Surely they're n-not from the same person?"
"Thankfully, no. That would be concerning. These–" Lyn gestured at them disdainfully– "are all from, ahem, elligible suitors from across the land. Many of them say that they've heard of my wonderful exploits, as well as my breathtaking beauty, and are offering their hand in marriage to me."
"Well, you are beautiful. And, uh, y-your exploits are quite wonderful." Florina stood on her tiptoes, retrieving a mug from the cupboard. She filled it with tea from the kettle. It was floral scented. Lyn had bought it at the market a fortnight ago. The lavender buds in the blend had reminded her of Florina's lovely hair, such a gorgeous shade of purple. Like lavender itself, the mere sight of it calmed her.
"Breathtaking? I'm sure I steal people's breath – my blade has done that a great many times. I'm simply… frustrated." She set down her mug with a soft clack as Florina took the chair across from her. How easily she could live like this, with Florina sitting at the table with her, sharing meals and smiles with each other.
"It is quite a lot. It's o-overwhelming, isn't it?" Florina herself looked overwhelmed, her eyes flickering between each page. Some was fine paper, as white as a dove, and some were yellowed pages, corners of parchment reused. The richest and the poorest, the literate and the illiterate, all had petitioned for her. Not for her love, but for her hand. To win the greatest prize they could imagine – the Lady of the Plains – and come out ahead of everyone else, as well as neatly fold Sacae into their territories.
"It's overwhelming, yeah. Am I going to get all these every month until I marry? Every year? Even when I'm gray and wrinkled?" Lyn wrinkled her nose, crossing her arms. "If I am to marry, it will be my choice as to who and when. It will be for love. Not for status or gain."
"Have… Well, is there a-anyone you're considering?"
"Anyone in the pile? Gods, no."
"No, I meant…" Florina tucked her hair behind her ear, averting her eyes. "We met a great many people during the war. Among them were many capable men, and a good number of them were kind and even-headed."
Lyn raised her eyebrows. "I don't think I could bring myself to wed any of them."
She stared at Lyn in shock. "Any of them? A-at all?"
"None of the men, at least." She hid her smile behind her mug, taking a sip of tea.
Setting aside the conversation for now, Florina drank as well. "This tea is lovely, Lyn… Thank you for sharing it with me."
"Of course, of course." Lyn's fingers traced the porcelain gently. She had done many a courageous feat, had braved horrible calamities, and had come out the other side miraculously alive and kicking. Why was this so difficult to put into words?
"You seem to have something on your mind…" Florina gingerly took another sip, glancing warily at Lyn.
She set down her mug again, hard enough to slosh the liquid. "Florina, I could see myself marrying you."
Florina spat out her tea. It landed on that damned letter pile, browning the paper and blurring the ink. "E-excuse me?"
"I would happily marry you. It would make me very happy."
"I'm a woman?"
Lyn shrugged. "So? We can still get married."
Florina, with shaking hands, set down her mug. The aroma of lavender filled the small kitchen. "This is very sudden…"
"Oh, well, we don't have to marry right now!" Lyn beamed. "If you approved, I would happily court you. We could go to the market together and shop, we could go out and pick wildflowers, I could… I could show you the Plains of Sacae and tell you all I know of my home…"
"Why… Why me, Lyn?" She looked directly into Lyn's eyes, her voice small. "Of everyone you have met, of everyone you have yet to meet, why me?"
"Because you have brought out the best in me. Because I love spending time with you. Because I care about you so deeply, Florina. I think I have for a long time." Slowly, Lyn reached her hand over onto Florina's side of the table. It laid there palm up. It was Florina's choice whether to take it or not. After all, Lyn did not want to be forced into a marriage she did not want; This relationship was a choice Florina could make.
She was deep in thought for some time. Then, warily, Florina's hand inched towards Lyn's, slowly but surely, until it was placed on top. "I… I would like for us to court."
Lyn grinned, squeezing Florina's hand. "What an honor. I'm courting the loviest girl I have the pleasure of knowing."
Florina's cheeks went bright red. For a moment, Lyn tensed, wondering whether she had crossed a line. But then, Florina giggled, a sound as melodious as church bells, and Lyn's heart swooped in her chest.
"So, uh…" Florina glanced at the pile. "What shall we do with these?"
"If the word spreads far and wide that Lady Lyn is courting someone, well… I 'm sure the letters will stop. Eventually."
And stop they did. The last few trickled in the day of Lyn and Florina's wedding, and they could not help but chuckle at them. After all, it had been over letters like these that their journey as partners had become.
Florina was a vision in white. Lyn wore the traditional wedding garment of the Plains. The bouquet in Florina's hands smelled like lavender. The kiss they shared… it would live long in Lyn's memory. "My dear Florina," she whispered, overjoyed.
The eyes of her love were filled with joyful tears, and Lyn's heart overflowed.