Archive of Our Own

“We must have patience, Agott,” Qifrey said as he took the kettle from the fire. He was remarkably calm given the events of the day. He went about brewing tea and setting a plate of finger cakes as if they hadn’t been fighting a dragon in a bewitched labyrinth just hours earlier.

“If we are too lenient, we’ll see ruin before restoration,” Agott snapped back. It was rare for her to display such disrespect to a superior. She had been trained better than that. Since her estrangement her anger became harder and harder to control. It had cost a great many awards at the Great Hall, but since falling into Qifrey’s company her outbursts were weathered. Qifrey was a generously kind and patient man. However, it was this exact quality that added to her current frustrations.

“It’s a drastic change to thrust upon any person. Let alone someone coming from Coco’s circumstances. A life can not so easily be boxed in. We must give room for that life or a person will never thrive.” Qifrey spoke in that gentle and precise way he did whenever he was giving a lecture. He pushed a cup of tea and the plate of cakes closer to Agott. Then he fixed her with a pointed look from his one good eye as he said, “Or do you not agree and think rigid expectations and duty are the only joys bestowed upon us?”

Agott did not answer. She couldn’t. That was a blade slap to the ribs if she’d ever known one. It was rude of him to use her own circumstances against her in this way. She let out a huff through her nose and sat heavily in the chair across from her instructor. There was no choice other than to follow along with his philosophies. Not because he was demanding it of her, but because she knew the truth of his words. She just struggled to apply them to the company’s most recent charge. Agott didn’t know how to demand anything of Coco that wasn’t expected of herself years ago.

Still, she made a point to try. That conversation was five months ago and she thought improvements had been made. She did better to not let anger lead her tongue, to take in other perspectives, and to hold patience and grace. Agott found Qifrey had been right about giving space for life. Things were not so dire that there couldn’t be smiles under a starry sky or laughter shared on a snowy hill. Although, perhaps all of that was all some trick to lure her into a false sense of security, to lapse her vigilance. For the trialing princess seemed determined above all else to drive her mad.

“Coco!” Agott shouted as she stood at the banks of a creek, eyes scanning the empty trees. “Where have you gone? Come back!”

No call answered back and Agott grit her teeth.

Coco had taken off early in the morning before anyone else in the company had woken up. They were currently traveling through the Naaikwan Downs on the way to the next trial. There was supposed to be a guard on watch, but Agott found him snoring away when she rose for shift change. Whether it was due to magic or incompetence, Agott did not bother to determine. She had more pressing matters to attend to; primarily, locating her wayward princess. She saddled her horse, Brushbuddy, and donned her plate with help from Olruggio who was too bleary eyed to question or follow her. Then she set off from camp trying to think past the storm of dark thoughts in her mind and the twisting feeling in her gut.

Thankfully, Coco wore an enchanted ring. It allowed one who bore a matching ring to hone in on her location. Annoyingly, when Agott found the ring, she did not find Coco. The only thing keeping Agott from going into a full panic was the fact the ring was left on a rock with a note clearly written in Coco’s hand, and there was no sing of struggle anywhere in the area. The princess must have removed the ring herself as a kind of lark. In fact, the note had explained just this. Agott did not feel the humor of it. The note crumpled in her tight fist.

“Do you sense anything, Brushbuddy?” Agott asked. It might have been a ridiculous notion to ask a horse who could not speak, but Brushbuddy was quite the remarkable horse. She showed a great deal of intelligence and had done much to help Agott in the past. Thinking back on those times only added to her irritation. She wished Coco would cease her incessant habit of dashing off as soon as an idea came into her head.

The horse, however, gave no indication she sensed anything Agott could not. Though her constantly moving ears assured Agott that she was at least trying to aid in the search.

“Talking to your horse? That’s cute,” a giggling voice teased from above. Agott spun quickly in a circle, the plate of her armor clanking too loudly for the quiet of the morning. It took almost one full rotation before her eyes locked onto to Coco lounging on a tree branch overhead. The light green of her hair and humble brown of her traveling gown helped blend her into the tree. The princess grinned down at her.

“Your Highness, what are you doing in a tree?” Agott asked, doing her best to keep her anger in check, although she was certain she was doing a poor job of it. Now that she had found the princess, all her anxiety began to melt away leaving only her frustration.

“Don’t start with that,” Coco rebuffed. “You were calling my name earlier. And I was waiting for you.” She shifted her position on the tree and held out her hands to Agott. The fuming knight understood well enough. Agott walked to the base of the tree and held up her arms to help Coco down. Agott had to fight hard to not note how warm and comfortable the princess’ hands felt in her own, or the floral scent that wafted into her nose.

“What do you mean you were waiting for me?” Agott asked once both of Coco’s feet were firmly on the ground.

“I knew you would be the one to come find me,” Coco said with a smile that took over her whole face. Agott almost felt lightheaded looking at it so close. The knight took a step back. There was no longer any need for them to be so near now that the princess was safely out of the tree.

Agott went to open her mouth to say something, but Coco interrupted with, “I grew up around here, you know. There’s something I want to share with you.” Keeping Agott on the back foot and not giving her any chance to respond, Coco turned on her heel and began leading Agott along the creek.

Coco’s hand remained firm inside Agott’s. The knight realized she had never let go after helping her down. Now that captive hand was being used to lead her farther away from where they were supposed to be. Yet, Agott couldn’t find it in herself to let go. She couldn’t pull back either. What if she pulled too hard and caused the princess harm? No, it was better to just keep holding on and let herself be lead away. At least this way she could ensure the princess didn’t run off on her own again. She was near and safe. It was for purely practical reasons.

They didn’t talk as they walked. The only sounds were Brushbuddy’s soft clopping against the grass, Agott’s armor rhythmically clanking, and Coco’s bright humming. This was not good for Agott. Her mind did not understand stillness. It always had to be turning over something. A lack of sufficient stimulus left her seeking for more in the feel of Coco’s hand. She knew her own hands often ran cold and were rough with callouses from long hours of sword fighting and horse riding. Did the princess mind that? Her hands were not so pristine themselves, having grown up outside of castle life. Agott still thought they were pleasantly soft, warm, and strong in a reassuring sort of way.

Agott shook her head. This train of thought was no good. She needed to find something else. Her eyes moved from their interlocked hands to scan the trees. It was early spring so the woods were just awakening from their winter sleep. Sunlight filtered through young, green leaves creating a radiant atmosphere. This was very reminiscent of the princess—stop that! Agott tried to busy herself with scanning the trees for potential dangers, but the wood was wholly peaceful and her eyes kept alliding against Coco in front of her.

She really did fit this wood so well. Didn’t she say she grew up around here? Maybe that was the reason why. This wood was a part of her home.

An aching feeling sprouted in Agott’s chest. While Coco was called a princess now, she grew up a peasant, a seamstress’ daughter. It was only by some star guided fate that she held the light within her heart, the magic of the peninsula, and could face the pentacle of trials to earn the right to become a fully recognized royal princess. Agott knew all this, she had been with her since Qifrey discovered her and brought her to the court. What Agott didn’t know much about was the time before all that, and she wanted to know. She wanted to know everything about Coco. She never grew tired of it. Everything she learned only endeared her more.

Agott squeezed her eyes shut. She shouldn’t be having these thoughts. She couldn’t afford to have them. There was only so much her battered heart could bear. This certainly would shatter it entirely.

Just when Agott was going to open her mouth to say something—anything—to take her mind from these haunting thoughts, Coco stopped walking.

The princess let out a giggle. “You didn’t have to keep your eyes shut. It wasn’t that kind of surprise, but—oh! I do suppose it is more fun this way. Go ahead, open them,” Coco said gently and full of mirth.

Agott immediately opened her eyes. “Th-that’s not what I was doing!” she protested. She could feel her face flush and turned her head to not meet Coco’s smiling eyes.

As she did so she saw that Coco had taken her to where the creek emptied into a small lake. The interesting part was that the banks were lined with paving stones, and there was a small foot bridge built over the mouth of the creek. The stones were old and in quite a state of disrepair. Many of them were cracked and upturned, grass and other plants pushing up through the spaces in between.

“What is this place?” Agott asked.

“I’m not quite sure.” Coco titled her head to one side and clasped her hands behind her back. Her eyes scanned over the broken stones as if she could discern their history just by looking. “I came here often as a child though. This is a magical lake you see. Before I knew anything about magic this was the most wonderous place in my small world. It’s still wonderful, even now, because it is filled with my favorite kind of magic.” Coco looked back at Agott. Her smile was small, only raising the corners of her mouth while her lips remained closed together, but her eyes were bright, almost golden in the color for all the warmth of emotion they held. “That’s why I wanted you to see it.”

Agott could only manage a small hum in response. She continued to stare back at Coco. It wasn’t often that she found her words inadequate, but she didn’t know how to respond to this display of affection. Her flush had certainly taken over more of her face. She could feel the heat in her ears.

Coco tugged on her hand which she still had not yet released. “Come. Sit with me. Enjoy the water.” This finally snapped Agott back to the reality of things, warning bells ringing in her ears. She pulled her hand free and took a step back.

“You Highness, we cannot,” Agott said quickly. “We must be getting back to camp. The others must be awake by now and worried.”

“I doubt Qifrey will be worried once he notices you are gone as well,” Coco challenged. “We can stay a bit longer without losing our schedule.”

“Still, Your Highness,” Agott said, stumbling through her words as she searched for another excuse. “I am in full plate. It is not comfortable for sitting around or swimming.”

“Stop calling me that. I’ve told you once already. Use my name.” Coco’s voice was stern. This was the first time Agott had seen her smile disappear from her face all morning. Her eyebrows pinched together as she searched her knight’s face. There must have been something she found approving because both her voice and face softened when she spoke next. “I can help you remove your harness. It is not a problem.”

“Your—” Coco raised one challenging eyebrow— “y-you,” Agott redirected, “cannot. I cannot permit you to do such a labor. It would be improper.” There was twinge of desperation in Agott’s words as she tried to hold onto reason. She couldn’t let this move forward, but she could only refuse the princess to a certain extent. One, because of her station, and two, because she was Coco. Agott had little defense against either.

“I get to decide what I am permitted. It is no such labor I am unfamiliar with. I don’t find it degrading,” Coco said in a firm voice.

Agott’s jaw worked as she struggled to mount another disagreement, but her words only came out as strangled breaths. She let a out a defeated sigh. “Very well. As you desire.”

Having gotten her way, Coco instantly brightened. The smile on her face challenged the sun for most blindingly radiant thing. It chased away that dark little voice in Agott’s head that told her this was all untoward and derelict. That awful part of herself that she wished would go away a little more every day. She always thought it was meant to protect herself, but since she met Coco, she wondered how much it had actually served her. It didn’t keep her a part of her own house, and it certainly didn’t bring the beautiful smile that was on Coco’s face now.

Armor removal was usually quite procedural for Agott. There wasn’t much to think about and it was beyond relieving to feel open air on her sweaty skin once more. Neither held true as Coco helped her with the buckles and ties. Agott simply could not stop thinking. She was thinking about how close Coco was next to her, the way her fingers would brush against her own. The relief from removing the hot, insulating layers of her armor was replaced with a flushed heat that spread from inside her chest. Although she had not been wearing her armor for long and the morning was cool, she was overly conscious of the sweat that made her tunic and braies stick to her body. Agott pulled at the collar of her tunic hoping it would cool her down.

“It must be nice to be out of all that cumbersome armor,” Coco said as she watched Agott with a tilted head. Her smile had shrunk, her bottom lip pulled in. Her cheeks pink and flushed. Agott’s fret grew. The princess must have been overexerted from handling the heavy pieces of harness. An apology was ready on her tongue, but the princess gave her a different order first. “Get in the water. It will be even more refreshing.”

At this Agott held no objection or hesitation. She was glad to create space between her and Coco. She had already committed herself to following the princess’ whims, but every moment more was threatening to burn her more and more. Internally, Agott shook her head at herself. She knew better than this. She knew what it meant to let herself relax and fall to complacency. She had been reduced to nothing more than a thrown away thought. It was stupid to let her impulses guide her further. It was ridiculous that Coco was so deft at stripping away all her carefully crafted defenses, and now she had done it literally.

Agott was such an idiot.

The lakes’s water was not as cold as Agott had anticipated. As soon as her feet splashed into the shallows she expected to recoil at first until her body could adjust. Instead, the temperature was perfectly pleasant. It wasn’t warm like a bath, but it held just enough warmth to be inviting while being cool enough to be refreshing. Was this part of the magic that Coco mentioned?

With no opposition from the water and driven by a need to put space between herself and Coco, Agott pushed through the water until she was deep enough that her feet could not touch the bottom. Then she let her head sink beneath. She held her breath and closed her eyes and let herself just float beneath the water’s surface. She let it wash away all her senses, her rising emotions, those darker inclinations of her hateful mind. She could almost feel the magic cleanse her in and out like a gentle current swirling around her. Then, when her chest and head felt peacefully empty, she kicked her way back up to the surface.

Her eyes instantly locked onto Coco, the instinct of a knight dedicated to protecting their charge. Nothing more. After all she had washed away all her conflict. She was just a vessel, a suit of armor, to be filled with duty, devotion, and purpose. Anything less was unacceptable for one of her station. Even a disgraced Arklaum still carried the name and weight of the house, and no brick could ever be out of place in those pristine walls.

Coco had slipped out of her traveling dress while Agott had been under the water. She was in just her chemise, dappled sunlight making the bare skin of her shoulders and arms appear like it was glowing. She had ventured only a short distance into the shallows and perched herself upon a large rock. One foot dangled in the water, while her other leg was pulled up to her chest and served as a rest for her chin. Her hazel eyes were bright, locked onto Agott’s own. An amused smile played at the corners of her mouth.

There had been a time before her knighthood when Agott spent hours studying poetry. She found there wasn’t any number of words or flowery language that could capture the beauty of the sight before her. Those old fools that wrote of love and beauty, that offered their hearts on gilded platters, that cried desperate appeals to goddesses, they knew nothing of what they spoke. For if they did, then perhaps Agott would have the words for this moment. Once more her mind and heart were swept empty by magic—Coco’s was far more powerful than the spring’s.

“So insistent on getting in the water and you just sit there?” Agott called out. We should get back to camp. It’s not safe to be out in the woods like this. These were the words she should have said instead. Her tongue moved on its own, an errant rudder piloting toward an entirely different direction. Words of duty were completely forgotten.

“This was for you,” Coco insisted. She looked away. Her fingers fidgeted against her arm. “I also… don’t know how to swim.”

Agott blinked in shocked. “What do you mean you can’t swim?”

“I grew up in the plains. Swimming wasn’t exactly a common pastime. You’ve seen how unfamiliar I am with fish and seafood,” Coco said with an embarrassed shrug.

“But you said you came here all the time,” Agott argued.

“Yeah, but I never swam. I mostly just splashed about in the shallows, did the washing, things like that.”

With strong and sturdy strokes, Agott quickly made her way back to shallow water. She felt some relief when she found the water around Coco’s rock only came up to her waist. Still, it was water enough to drown a person. She should have never gotten so far away from her princess. Agott stood awkwardly in front of Coco, hands uselessly working at her sides. Coco was a strong and capable woman. Agott didn’t want to insult her with unnecessary worry, but it was difficult for her to contain. How did she never know this before?

“You could have told me,” Agott said in a low voice. Her hand came up to rub at the back of her neck.

“I’m sorry. I really was more focused on your enjoyment.” Coco’s smile was sweet, placating. Agott hated how endearing it was. She hated how Coco it was of the other girl to be more attentive to another person than her own troubles. She wished she would share more with her. It was a knight’s duty to bear the burdens of others, but Coco never let her. It always felt like their dynamic was flipped more often than not. Agott just wanted to do more.

“Shall I teach you then?”

“I would love that,” Coco said, her smile wider than before. She reached out and grabbed one of Agott’s fidgeting hands. “Another time though. Sit with me?”

Agott nodded and climbed up onto the rock. If this was all she could do for the princess, then she would. She would follow her every request to repent for her shortsightedness. Agott tried to be conscious of her underclothes which were soaked through with water, making sure there was space between her and the princess as she sat down. Coco had no such regard however. She adjusted her seat until their arms touched and leaned her head onto Agott’s shoulder.

“You’ll get all wet doing that,” Agott said, swallowing hard.

Coco just let out a soft chuckle. “My ever-considerate prince.”

Agott stiffened at this. Her stomach churned. “Don’t call me that.”

“What? Considerate?” Coco asked with a faux innocence.

Agott scowled at her.

“I suppose there was a time you weren’t so considerate.” Coco ignored the knight beside her. She brought a finger to her chin as though she was truly thinking it over. “So perhaps ‘ever’ is not the correct modifier, but you have improved a great deal since then.”

“Stop playing around. You know exactly what I mean,” Agott rebuffed.

Coco dropped the act and lifted her head to truly consider Agott. “You know,” she started, voice full of certainty, “they may be able to remove your rank, but you still hold your nobility. They can’t remove you from the registry. They lack the legal authority to do so. I looked it up once when Qifrey was tutoring me on the Code of Courts.”

“Why would you do that?”

“I wonder.” There was a challenge in Coco’s eyes. She held Agott’s gaze steady, unwavering. It was Agott, as was typical, who looked away first.

Agott was a smart girl. She knew exactly what Coco was after. It was something, in the darkest hours of the night, when she was all alone and it was easy to be brave, that Agott had thought herself. She knew the rights and privileges she still retained even if she was no longer recognized in her house. She still held a place within the peninsula’s most prestigious court, although only in a legal footing. No one would dare risk their social standing by associating with one so disgraced. That would have been political ruin. Agott had already used what little influence she held to secure a good knight’s post as it was about the last meaningful position she could hold. She didn’t try to fool herself into thinking she could secure any more advantageous alliances. Not even if she still held full eligibility to marry into a royal house.

Her heart simultaneously soared and plummeted at the implication. She wanted nothing more than to believe in this ghost of a dream that haunted her when the world was still. She wanted to give it substance, to trust that the princess returned the affection she held for her. However, big dreams and aspirations had burned her in the past. She was no longer that young girl that could hope as before. Even though there were times when Coco made her feel like that again. Agott had to remind herself that things were just as they were now. It would be different as Coco learned more of her new role, when she fully ascended to her rank and spent more time in the courts. This was simply not meant to last; it was not sustainable.

“Never thought you would be so cruel,” Agott said quietly, so softly it was barely audible. “Is this the kind of hope the Child of Hope is meant to bring?”

Coco frowned. “Child of Hope,” she repeated bitterly. “Everyone uses that word. ‘Hope’. Yet that hope means so many different things, contradictory things. I shall restore the light. I shall let the walls of the Great Hall crumble. To rise or ruin. These are the hopes I am meant to carry. Which Child of Hope am I to you?”

Coco’s sudden severity startled Agott. However, she would be lying if she said she didn’t notice the way this journey had been weighing on the other young woman. The trials were tough on their own, but they had also been forced to face countless other horrific tribulations outside of those as well. Even a person as bright as Coco could be dulled by enduring all that. It would be nonsensical to think otherwise. As her knight, Agott endeavored to do anything she could to alleviate these burdens, to keep her light, but she always seemed to fall short.

In this moment now, she knew she had to consider this seriously. This was not something even a magical lake could just wash away. It demanded the full attention and devotion of a knight. How easy it would have been for her to say that Coco carried the hope of light and restoration. It was the hope Agott had demanded of her when they first met. It was the proper and just path, the duty owed to all that lived on the peninsula. If this had been even five months ago, this would have been her immediate answer. There was a part of her that still wished to answer this way. However, she knew far better now. She had gotten to know Coco better. They had grown to be friends. Agott knew Coco would lead them to salvation not because she was the Child of Hope, but because she was Coco. She was kind, patient, and determined. She had an open heart for all people and a strength of resolve unmatched by an entire century of knights. She carried hope with her not because of some prophecy or blessed light within her, but because she refused injustice and despair on instinct.

“Neither,” Agott answered with all the heavy weight of the truth within her heart. “You’re just… Coco.”

Coco stared wide eyed at Agott. Then she ducked her head as blush began to appear on her face. Even hidden, Agott could see a smile pulling at the muscles in her cheek.

“You have no idea how happy it makes me to hear you say that,” Coco said tenderly.

Agott continued to watch her, taking in all of her, all her unreserved glory in this moment. Her eyes fell to Coco’s hands in her lap, fingertips working against each other. She had held those hands so many times this morning already, but she longed to reach out and grab them once more. She hadn’t earned that right yet. Just as Coco’s question deserved serious consideration and nothing but the absolute truth, there was more truth and bravery she deserved before Agott could take her hand. Agott wasn’t sure she could manage it. Her heart had always been a traitorous thing, but for Coco she could at least manage a small concession.

“The next trial is the fifth and final,” Agott started.

Coco gave her a sideways glance. “Yes.”

“After that you will ascend and become a true princess.”

“I will.”

Agott swallowed. She fought every instinct to look away, to burry this under something else. Her heart was screaming at her to keep denying it; it was far too dangerous to be this vulnerable. She squeezed one hand in the other to hold herself together and push past her worst tendencies.

“Maybe then,” she breathed.

Coco turned to look at her fully now. Her brow was pinched and her eyes were slightly narrowed as she tried to puzzle out Agott’s meaning. She was a quick wit and a dedicated study of Agott. She had proved this over and over to her moody knight. So, it did not take long before a slow and doting smile grew on her lips. Agott’s chest could barely contain her pounding heart.

“After that then.” Coco spoke the words like a promise, a vow.

Having felt like she succeeded, Agott finally let herself look away. She stared out across the lake and tried to remember how breathing worked. Her cheeks felt tight, unfamiliar with the act of holding a smile. She felt giddier than winning at a tourney. Nothing in her life had made her feel more alive, like life was worth living. She didn’t know the last time she had something to look forward to and not just strive for. Everything else felt like an obligation, an expectation to meet. This felt more like a reward.

Coco reached over and grabbed one of Agott’s hands. Agott had almost forgotten that was what she wanted to do. She almost felt guilty for making the princess be the one to reach out again. Coco pulled her hand into her lap. Then she splayed out her hand, palm up, and began tracing the deep lines and callouses with a light touch. It sent a tingling sensation up Agott’s arm. She was caught between wanting to pull her hand back and surrendering it forever.

“Speaking of the final trial, there was another reason I wanted to come out here with you,” Coco said. “I’m nervous. Scared, really. When I think ahead to everything…” her words trailed off. Agott wasn’t sure what she supposed to say. Instead, she remained silent and gave the princess the time to find her own words. “I feel better when you’re with me. I know I can achieve anything if you are by my side.”

“I will be with you the whole way,” Agott assured her. “Always your sword and shield.”

Coco shook her head. “You misunderstand.”

“Coco, whatever you need I will do it for you. I am your knight.”

Coco squeezed Agott’s hand in her lap. Her other hand came up to gently hold Agott’s cheek. Her hazel eyes looked steadily into Agott’s purple ones.

“I know they’ve told your only worth is in your duty and how well you perform your obligations, but, Agott, you are so much more than all that.” Coco’s voice was resolute yet adoring. “Yes, you are incredibly intelligent, devoted, and capable. You are also so kind, more compassionate than you let yourself show. You have a passion for things others consider impractical, and you use that to find their place, where their impact in undeniable. Your resilience is astounding. After everything you have been through your smile is still bright and beautiful. This is who you are, not as a knight, but as person. As my Agott.”

Agott was frozen by her sincerity, by the way she could earnestly lay bare her heart. She turned the words over in her head until they were more digestible. She thought back to her conversation with Qifrey five months ago when he told her life could not be so easily boxed in. They had been talking about Coco then. Now, it felt as if Coco was telling that same thing about herself. She didn’t have to fit herself into just the roles prescribed to her as a daughter of Arklaum, as a knight. She thought about all the life that was lived in between obligation—secret laughter, warm smiles, intertwined fingers. She thought of all this and no words of her own came to mind.

She stared at Coco before her. The sunlight through the forest leaves gave a radiant glow to her light hair the color of spring buds. Her hazel eyes shined like gold. In those eyes she saw all of Coco’s stalwart affection. There was no smile on her slightly parted lips. Her expression was pleading, bidding Agott to understand. It made her no less beautiful. She was always the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. Agott stared at her, taking in every line and curve of her face. Still no words formed in her mind. There was only one thought, one action.

Agott leaned forward until her lips pressed against Coco’s own. Agott could feel the princess draw in a quick, surprised breath. The collision was a little rough in its haste. It was awkward for only a heartbeat before Coco responded and adjusted the contact. The fingers on her cheek slid and curled to cradle the bone of her jaw. There was softness and warmth. That warmth quickly grew into a roaring fire. Agott’s heart was jumping in her chest as though it was trying to escape the heat.

Just as quickly as they came together, Agott pulled back, lest the heat consume her. However, Coco was the one to look away this time. The hand that was on Agott’s cheek moved to cover the princess’ mouth a bright pink blush took over the whole of her face. Agott had an apology loaded on her tongue, a quick retraction, a denial of this momentary display of affection. However, seeing Coco’s reaction bolstered her. It was rare to see Coco get flustered in this way, and Agott was the one to do it. Pride and endearment flooded through her, and joy subtly lifted the line of her mouth.

“What are you acting all embarrassed about?” Agott asked. “Wasn’t that what you were angling for?”

Coco nodded vigorously, although her hand remained over her mouth, lifting only slightly so she could speak. “Yes, but I didn’t think you would actually take the initiative to do it.”

“Me either,” Agott admitted rather helplessly.

Coco let out a short chuckle at this. Finally, her hand dropped from her mouth and she was looking at Agott once more. As soon as their eyes met Coco laughed once more. Agott couldn’t bring herself to be insulted or embarrassed. This wasn’t a laugh born of ridicule. It was full of wonder and joy, unrestrained. She even found herself chuckling along.

“Well,” Coco started. She shifted her seat to bring herself even closer to Agott. It was a little awkward given the shape of the rock they were on, but neither one of them minded. Coco slid her hands onto Agott’s shoulders until they clasped behind her neck. Given their proximity, and the fact her hands were no longer being held, Agott found her hands settling around the princess’ waist. Their faces were so close their noses bumped against each other gently as they breathed. Coco never did finish her sentence before they found themselves in another kiss.

This kiss was nothing like the first. There was no surprise in it. They came together as though it was the most natural thing in the world. Agott could feel even more of Coco’s lips. They weren’t just soft, but firm. The warmth of them poured into her until it was impossible to discern a separation. Agott didn’t pull away from the heat this time. Instead, she took refuge in it, found comfort. It felt so good to be pressed against Coco like this. Agott had never kissed anyone before, but she had no doubt that no person could kiss her better than Coco. There was no point in even trying to test that theory. It was the truest thing in the whole world.

How could she ever pull away from this?

They made this kiss last as long as they could before their lungs demanded air. A breath took only a moment though. Then Agott was closing the gap once more, loathe to be apart from her princess. Coco gave no opposition. She melted against Agott, hand moving to tangle in her still drying curls, and pull her ever closer. If Agott could have formed a coherent thought, she might have thought how she did not deserve this closeness. Her presence could only lower the princess’ standing. Getting caught like this would only worsen that effect a hundred times over. She should have been putting distance between them, rather than chasing to close every little gap. However, Coco kept her close and pushed all these thoughts from her mind.

Brushbuddy suddenly stamped a hoof and blew out a loud rush of air.

The knight and the princess instantly pulled apart from each other. A small splash of water came up over them as Agott's foot jerked. It helped to bring down her temperature, though she was sure her face reflected the same deep crimson blush that Coco’s face held. They stared at each other with wide, startled eyes and open mouths taking in heavy breaths. When no further interruptions came through, they released the tension in their bodies with shared laughter.

“Ah, that’s for the best,” Coco said in a breathless voice. “You did say to wait until after the trial.”

“Yes. Right. After.” Agott’s hand went to rub at her neck as was habit when she was embarrassed, but that instantly made her think of how Coco’s hand had just been gripping there. She quickly dropped her hand into her lap, squeezing her fingers in a death grip with her other hand. Thoughts raced through her mind as she tried to set right the mess she had made of herself.

“Oh,” Agott gasped, as her mind snagged on a thought as she looked back through the interaction. “Are you feeling better about moving ahead. With the trial and everything?”

Coco’s smile was impossibly soft and affectionate. “Well, there’s still things that worry me, but, yeah. I do. Much better. One imposing question knocked out of the way.”

“Good. I’m glad,” Agott said with one of her rare smiles. Her eyes drifted past Coco to where Brushbuddy stood on the lake’s shore. The horse’s tail was flicking impatiently. “Shall we head back then?”

“I suppose so.”

Agott got off the rock first. Then she offered her hand to help guide the princess through the water as they waded back to the shore. The long process of donning armor was tedious, and normally Agott would complain about still being damp, but she had no complaints as Coco helped her. Unlike when Coco helped remove her harness, when their fingers brushed it was intentional, lingering. They used the proximity to steal quick kisses against necks and cheeks. Agott would have to suppress her laughter the next time a surly Olruggio helped her into kit.

Once they were ready to depart, Agott grabbed Brushbuddy’s reigns and held her hand out to the princess. “Your Highness,” she prompted.

“I never want to hear you say that when we are alone again,” Coco said with an unimpressed expression.

“You call me by terms of address I don’t even hold,” Agott complained.

“I call you mine,” Coco corrected.

“Coco, please.”

“Much better,” Coco praised, flashing one of her more knavish smiles. However, she relented to taking Agott’s hand and letting the knight seat her upon Brushbuddy. Though it felt as if Agott received the short end of that compromise, she was happy all the same.

Their journey out of the wood was slow and measured. All the same the end of the tree line came into view far too quickly. As soon as they stepped back onto the open plain all obligations and duties would fall back upon them. Agott could already see the figures of Qifrey and Olruggio on a low rise just past the trees. She could tell by his posture that Qifrey was stressed in searching for them. Well, it served him right for telling her that life could not just be boxed in by duty. He had encouraged her to live her life between all the expectations, and she had done just that. This was the result of that.

Coco’s face suddenly filled the whole of Agott’s vision. The princess had leaned over in the saddle to bring her face even with her knight’s. Then, just before the trees could no longer conceal them, she gave her one last, lingering kiss.