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In this new land of dulcet winds and freedom, Miss Alice had told you that there were a number of knights that you may find yourself coming across.
Why, you might even become entangled with them due to your own curiosity or mischief if you were anything like her dear little one, who by the way, could do absolutely no wrong in her eyes. Since you bore no resemblance to Klee whatsoever (of course, you still loved her with your whole heart despite all the differences) there hadn't been any real cause for concern.
You spent your days in a peaceful haze, the winds of Mondstadt softening your temper and easing the furrow of your brow with an airy caress. Things would have stayed this way if you hadn't been unlucky enough to cross paths with the vice captain of the fifth company, Lohen. He was responsible for disrupting the stillness of your life in ways more than one.
Take your pick from the selection — was what your dear mage benefactress always liked to say whenever she stopped by to visit with armfuls of zany gifts. Don't be shy in letting me know if you need anything else, Auntie will get it for you! Here she would pinch your cheek as you held back a scowl.
The next time you see her, you plan to be the very picture of loveliness. All the better to make good use of this offer while you can, clinging to her skirts as you beg to be dropped off in Fontaine instead. Yes, you've heard that they have a nice variety of operas and the knights remain safely confined to the stage.
♥︎
You hummed as you straightened up a practice dummy, tenderly dusting off their shoulder as if they were a real person. After a long day of being beaten up by fledgling would-be-knights, they were probably feeling as exhausted as you did.
Stifling a yawn, you thought eagerly of the treat that awaited you after this. Noelle had offered to wrap up some tea-break pancakes in brown paper for your breakfast the next day if you cleared up everything in her stead while she went off to complete the next item in her list of maid duties. It was the least you could do to help the poor thing who never even quite dared to spend a minute idle.
Not that you minded at all. This was a mind-numbingly easy task that anyone could do without a hitch...
Something landed on your shoulder all of a sudden. Absently, you swatted it away. The pigeons in Mondstadt were particularly friendly and they probably recognized you because you were always feeding them grains, cooing at them in an attempt to communicate. It was just too bad that you didn't have any on you then. Fingers pulled on your collar abruptly. You froze. That couldn't possibly be a pigeon. And practice dummies can't move, right?
Spinning around, your lips nearly brushed against someone's cheek. You tried your best not to scream and become the starring role of a scene that surely would have all the locals gossiping about for days on end. The afternoon light washed over a young man dressed in knightly attire, donning a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.
His hands slid down to where yours rested on the lifeless dummy who probably did not take too kindly to being subjected to such an intimate display between two strangers, thank you very much.
"Oh dear, it looks like I've scared you,” the should-be-a-knight lamented. "Such a nice young girl's first impression of me has been absolutely ruined, how sad for me!"
”It's fine. I just didn't really expect anyone else to be here since it's long past practice time, you know." You shook the dummy for emphasis as if you were a bartender at the Cat's tail mixing up their umpteenth drink of the day.
“Ah, I missed it then." He tilted his head at this, very dejected and kittenish. Such a cute action would usually endear you instantly to anyone but you couldn't help but feel that there was something a bit off about him. You just couldn't put your finger on it yet.
(Was that a streak of jam on his cheek or something else? He had a little star of a mole too, the size of a currant decorating a loaf of bread.)
"Don't worry. There's always tomorrow. The dummies aren't exactly going to make off on an expedition with their wooden Grand Master," you giggled nervously at your own stupid joke. "Now, if you'll excuse me—"
"But you're still here, aren't you? At first, I nearly mistook you for one of these battered old dolls because all your movements were so listless! I was wrong though. You're far more adorable in motion and expressive too."
Before you can even begin to comprehend what's going on, the should-be-a-knight wrenched the dummy away from you before sending it hurtling towards its neatly stacked brothers and sisters — reminding you of the time Durin's tail accidentally thumped against the table while Fischl and Razor attempted to play a one-sided game of TCG, sending all the pieces flying helter-skelter.
However, that was nothing compared to this. This was even worse! You gasped in indignation at seeing your hour of handiwork ruined, fists balling up into the fabric of your skirt.
"Yes, it's such a treat to watch you. You look sooo mad right now. I could look at you all day~"
There was not even a single doubt left regarding his true identity. Putting two and two together from you've heard around the city of freedom, you were able to give a name to his face: Lohen, the fervent vice-captain of the fifth company. Not even formally back and what a total nuisance he was being already!
"You're terrible!"
You caught a fistful of his surprisingly silky hair and pulled. Hard. Lohen only laughed. He behaved so giddily that if you weren't blessed with clear thinking even in times of irritation, you would have thought that you had given him a searing kiss.
♥︎
It had really been too much to hope that you would never see Lohen again after that initial encounter. Unfortunately, the wreckage that followed after completely shattered your hopes of continuing to live unassumingly.
You weren't sure if half of the time he was trying to exchange tussles with you or making a shoddy attempt at courtship. Well, whatever it was that he was doing — he was failing most miserably. It just didn’t bode well for such a coy young thing as yourself to subject yourself to the affections or attention of another so easily.
Or perhaps you were starting to waver in your resolve of having nothing to do with him... Because what on Teyvat were you doing, right now?
"Why can't you stay still for even a minute?" You tsked, trying to wipe a string of blood away from the corner of his lips. "It would do you good to sit quietly and maybe read a book for a change instead of rushing around looking for a fight."
"Aw, that's no fun at all. If only you would try to see how thrilling it is to be up and about," his head rested on the crook of your arm; gazing up at you through the curtain of his lashes. "You do know how to fight so why don't you indulge me for once?"
He was conspiring to get you into further trouble and locked up in solitary confinement so that he could say whatever he wanted from behind the safety of the wooden door as you sulked, you just knew it.
"One of these days," you said airily as you finished removing the crimson from his skin. A sweet indigo bruise beginning to bloom amid the paleness. Your fingers grazed against it questioningly and Lohen doesn't even flinch, blinking innocently up at you with his void eyes. He made you press down on it harder. You caught your breath.
"My body will be looking forward to your blows, my dearest princess."