After a tense night of watch duty, dawn finally softened the distant darkness. Julie set a pot to boil with some of the spare nettles Sammy had gathered and some mint she’d spotted on the way to the river. Once it all had time to steep, she strained out the leaves and waited for it to cool a bit before pouring out two cups. When she considered the time, she put on another pot to boil, grinding up the hard tack to get started on a porridge.

Then she finally went over to the hollow. “Sammy?” Julie said, speaking softly as if she wasn’t trying to wake Sammy.

Yet Sammy woke all the same, sitting up as she stretched and yawned. “Good morning, Lia,” she said towards the entrance.

“Morning,” Julie replied.

Sammy smiled, having someone say that to her so incredibly pleasant in the most mundane way. All her life, she’d only ever been woken by the curt greeting of a maid, had developed the habit of rising early precisely so she wouldn’t have to start the day with cold words. Now, she wanted to hurry through her dreams.

Although she combed through her hair with fingers a few times, she couldn’t wait to see Julie, getting to her feet with hair still ruffled. In a couple of hasty steps, she reached the canvas doubling as a door (hung on hooks left behind by a previous tenant) and peeked around it, finding her precious jewel standing there with a cute awkwardness. Julie noticing her, their eyes met for a long moment before Julie glanced down and then looked away, a redness starting to blotch.

“Your… clothes,” Julie said.

Sammy laughed heartily before pulling the canvas a little more open. With a coy smile, she asked, “You want me to take them off?”

Those words pushed Julie all the way round to stare in the opposite direction, but Sammy could still see those tanned cheeks stained by blush. “If you’d… fix them,” Julie mumbled.

After a giggle, Sammy did as asked. Leaning forwards, she tightened her half-corset and then got the fit comfortable, before straightening up and doing the rest of the buttons on her shirt. “Is this better?” she asked.

As if expecting trickery, Julie gave her the smallest glance she had ever seen, only then daring to properly looked. “Y-yes,” Julie said.

Not one to be idle, Sammy scanned their campsite and noticed the pots, asking, “Did you prepare something?”

Thankful to change the topic, Julie quickly answered her. “Yes! Um, tea and porridge—for you.”

Sammy lowered an eyebrow. “Really, you won’t be joining me for breakfast?”

Julie chuckled. “I nibbled on stuff, so I’ll eat later.”

With that said, Sammy slipped into her leather slippers and then went over to the fire with Julie, the two sitting close together as they sipped their nettle tea. After that, Julie served up the porridge for her.

“It’s hot, so be careful,” Julie said.

Sammy smiled as she took the tray, resting it on her lap. Steam rose from the brass bowl and with it an almost sweet scent; however, Sammy conceded that that was simply her mind adding in the flavour of Julie’s love.

“Thank you, it looks wonderful, and waking up to a cup of tea is wonderful too,” Sammy said.

Julie ducked her head, looking away. “It was nothing. I mean, you made me tea yesterday,” she mumbled before breaking into a yawn.

“You should get to sleep. We do not have to get far today, so let me wake you up for lunch,” Sammy said.

Julie looked ready to argue, only for Sammy to fix her in place with a look that brooked no disagreement. Deflating, Julie nodded and said, “Okay.”

“Good,” Sammy said with a smile sweet as sunshine.

So Julie took a pot of water with her into the hollow and drew the canvas shut behind her. Sammy stared for a while, eventually returning to her breakfast. Although still steaming, she took out a spoonful and blew on it, eager to eat. When she did, it tasted just as bland as it had the day before.

Yet she smiled.

The taste of the food didn’t matter at all to her: it was her lover’s cooking. A princess as she was, there was something incredibly intimate about having someone else prepare food for her to eat, far different to having a servant cook it. Her thoughts went back a day, remembering how Julie had crumbled up the hard tack by hand before mashing it up; imagination running wild, she generously thought how it was like Julie was feeding her, and then she considered whether she should try and feed Julie at their next meal.

Finishing her porridge, she came down from her sweet thoughts. However, her mind didn’t move far, going back to that moment of flirting earlier. She was so very thankful that every day seemed to show her that Julie was taking their relationship seriously.

Her thoughts dried up there, turning her attention to properly keeping watch. She really doubted that that man would come back for them in daylight, more likely that another person or group would come along, so she keenly listened out while she washed up and tidied things and checked on the horses. Staying near to the campsite, she also investigated the plants only to find that, from what little she knew, the edible stuff had been picked by previous campers.

Although she preferred to be active, she settled down. There was nothing else important to do. The rest of the morning slowly passed in a silence sprinkled with birdsong and noisy insects and the spluttering of the stream, pleasant as she slipped in and out of idle thoughts.

With the sun climbing ever higher, she began to consider waking Julie up, only for her consideration to be needless; the canvas rustled and Julie appeared in the gap. A smile came to Sammy’s lips, brought about by the cute sight of hair a touch dishevelled and collar in need of smoothing.

“Good morning, my previous jewel,” Sammy said across their campsite.

Like cold water, those words washed away the last of Julie’s sleepiness; however, they left behind something like happiness: a small smile and warm eyes. “Morning,” Julie said with a shy wave.

“I am afraid I have not prepared anything for you,” Sammy said, bowing her head.

Julie chuckled as she walked over. “That’s fine,” she said, and she sat down beside Sammy.

Unable to resist, Sammy brought up a hand to comb through Julie’s messy hair, only for Julie to lean into the touch. Well, Sammy’s heart pounded despite her attempts to calm it. She moved slowly, neatening Julie’s hair, careful to use her fingertips and not scratch the scalp with her nails. Straining her restraint, Sammy watched how Julie melted under the touch, watched Julie’s eyelashes flutter as she struggled to keep her eyes open, heard the satisfied breath slip through her lips.

The journey would be much harder than Sammy had initially thought.

After dragging the moment out, Sammy took back her hand and looked to the distance. Her heavy breaths gradually settled. Finally, her heart returned to a slow beat.

Then, as if to tempt her, Julie lazily went about smoothing out her clothes, drawing Sammy’s gaze to exciting places. She eyed that slim neck, remembered how wonderful the skin there had felt when she’d put on the ribbon as a choker. With the top buttons undone, Sammy admired how the toned muscles there seemed to highlight Julie’s clavicles—or perhaps the muscles there simply gave the illusion of them; either way, Sammy’s fingertips ached to run across them.

With her eyes already in the area, she naturally looked down to the low neckline, catching sight of Julie’s undergarment. Rather than a supportive corset like she wore, this one bound Julie’s chest, keeping things in place without flattering. However, Sammy rather thought of it as the wrapping to a present.

Feeling Sammy’s gaze, Julie turned away and quickly did up her buttons, a blush adding warmth to her tanned cheeks. Sammy smiled, covering her mouth lest she laugh. “Do you dislike my looking?”

Julie fidgeted, unwilling to turn back just yet. “It’s… hard to say, but, well, I just think… I’m not worth looking at like that.”

“Oh? You understand how I am looking at you?” Sammy asked, smiling coyly.

Julie shrunk away a little farther. “That’s, um, yeah,” she mumbled.

“You know, I am rather particular when it comes to women. Even as a baby, I would only let beautiful women hold me.” Leaning in, Sammy whispered, “And from now on, I will only let you hold me.”

For a long moment, silence reigned. Then Julie sank even deeper into her seat. “I’m not….”

When it became clear Julie wouldn’t be finishing that sentence, Sammy reached over and rested her hand on Julie’s back. “I cannot know what you are thinking unless you tell me. However, if you are worried I do not think you are beautiful, then I am so very sorry for not making it clear that I utterly adore you.”

“No, no—you don’t need to apologise,” Julie said quickly. “I mean, it’s my fault for… being boyish and rough.”

Sammy softly laughed, even as tears began to gather in her eyes. Then she leant over and wrapped an arm around the front of Julie’s shoulders, leaving a kiss on the back of Julie’s head, staying close afterwards.

“To me, there is nothing boyish or rough about you,” Sammy whispered. Then she sighed, her thoughts unfortunately struggling with what she wanted to say next. “Growing up, I only read of beautiful maidens with fair skin and dainty figures, so I don’t quite have the words to tell you how I admire your beauty, but I shall try.

“Your skin glows so warm, and in the sunshine glitters, neither too soft nor rough, yet splendidly supple. And your face is pretty, both soft and feminine, eyes bright, lips alluring. Your hair may be short, but it is a different style than men have, and I have found it cute how freely it moves, light and energetic just as you are. Oh and the colour—it’s so beautiful, so wondrous how every hair seems to be its own shade of brunette. I could spend hours enthralled by trying to count each of them.”

Pausing for a moment, Sammy brought her other arm around Julie. “Rather than dainty, your body is toned, and I love it. I love how your arms swell when picking up the packs, I love how reassuring it when you squeeze my hand so tightly. I cannot wait for the day when you use that strength of yours to lift me up in your arms.”

Lost in the moment, Sammy moved on from just Julie’s appearance.

“And I love how kind you are, how considerate. That you put up with me with a smile, and answer even my most awkward questions, and follow my most awkward requests. Even when I am up to my antics, you play along.”

Sammy let out a long breath, smiling as her own heart bubbled over with joy from praising her precious jewel. However, after going over what she had said, she thought of one more thing to say, something she hoped would pierce Julie’s heart.

“You know, when I brought down that wild beast, I could act without restraint knowing that you would be my shield. I have trusted you with my life long before we began this journey. Even before that day, I had a small fancy for you. I never acted on it because of the difference in our status; however, my heart is now free to love whoever it wishes.”

Those words lingered in the air, and then Julie melted back into Sammy’s embrace, her own hand coming up to rest on top of Sammy’s. “It’s just… hard to believe… you’d really choose me,” she whispered.

Sammy gave her a squeeze before resting her head on Julie’s shoulder. “Is it?” she quietly asked. “You have seen how many others I have pursued only to be scorned in the end; that is my fate as someone queer. However, I am not so naïve to believe in fate. After all, how lucky it is that the butcher’s daughter happens to find her true love in the carpenter’s apprentice down the street, and that princesses happen to fall in love with princes.”

Pausing there, Sammy let out a tinkling laugh before continuing. “You accept me for who I am in a way that no one else ever has. Even if someone else was to come along now, they would be too late: I am falling in love with you. I know how tempting it is to contemplate what-ifs, but pray look at the world as it is. The paths we have walked have brought us together and I have no intention of letting go of your hand until it is our time to return to the earth.”

Punctuating her monologue, Sammy turned her head and kissed Julie’s cheek. Gods, she wanted to nibble on that ear, run her nails across that alluring nape. If only Julie could have read her thoughts, then there would be no question of whether or not Sammy found her attractive.

Reigning in her increasingly lewd impulses, she released Julie from her embrace and sat up straight, a long sigh slipping out as she did. She was becoming rather addicted to holding her precious jewel.

To Sammy’s surprise, Julie softly chuckled. Before she could ask why, Julie whispered, “How the world changes when you speak.”

That left Sammy a touch off-balance as she tried to understand it. Giving up, she asked, “Pardon?”

However, Julie just shook her head as she let out another chuckle. “I still don’t quite… feel it’s true, but I think I get what you’re saying. And I’ll try to, you know, properly be your lover… soon.”

Sammy gave Julie a bittersweet smile she couldn’t see. “Have I not made it clear that you should take it as slow as needed?” she said.

“I just want to be a little braver,” Julie said softly. “It’s strange. Like, I want to be more like you, but I also want to be the person you need me to be. I want to be honest, but I don’t know what I’m really feeling. It’s confusing. I just… wish I loved you, so you’d be happy.”

Having listened to that, Sammy wasn’t sure if her heart could take much more. “Really, that you want me to be happy brings me so much joy already,” she said.

“But that only makes me think you’d be even happier if I…” Julie said, trailing off as she didn’t know how to finish her thought.

Feeling like they were more-or-less talking in circles now, Sammy said. “As long as we are always moving forwards, we shall reach our destination, so let us also enjoy the journey.”

That seemed to resonate with Julie, her head finally rising. “Right, yeah,” she muttered.

They stayed as they were for a little longer before Julie stood up. With a half-natural smile, she offered to make lunch and walked over to their packs. The fire, unneeded in the day’s warmth, had burnt out, so she softened up the dried meat by using a whittling knife to shave off thin slices. For the bread, she filled up cups with fresh water to help wash it down.

“Thank you,” Sammy said, accepting her plate and drink.

Julie chuckled as she got her own meal and then sat down next to Sammy. “You don’t have to be polite,” she said dryly.

But Sammy leaned over and stilled Julie with a kiss on the shoulder. “Thank you,” she said, a breathless whisper tickling Julie’s ear.

Knowing better, Julie said no more and instead started on her food. Sammy watched for a moment before looking down at her own plate with a smile. So the two ate and drank, and Sammy found the food going down a little easier. She liked to think that that was because of Julie’s care-filled preparation rather than her becoming (a little) used to it.

After the early lunch, Julie went about packing up their things. Sammy stayed out of it, not wanting to get in the way, knowing that Julie had everything neatly organised and she hadn’t yet taken the time to memorise how.

They finally set off a little past midday, the sun softened by the trees’ shade. On foot, they kept a steady pace, loosely following the river and often giving the horses a break to graze and drink. Towards the end of the afternoon, the forest thinned, trees increasingly spread out until they gave up all together.

So high up, the thin air had a pleasant freshness, albeit at the cost of mild breathlessness. Still, they slowly carried on along the river until they came to the spring from which it sprang.

While Julie set up a campfire—fed by wood brought from the forest—Sammy investigated the bushes around the spring and otherwise looked for what could be herbs, but only found woody shrubs and coarse grasses.

Once the fire was going, Julie roasted a small assortment of fish she’d caught over the afternoon. By the time they finished eating, the sun had almost set, already hiding behind the mountains, so Julie got started on putting up the camp. Without trees to anchor on, she used a few branches to hold up the canvas, but as a windbreak rather than a tent.

As soon as it was up, Sammy snuggled herself on the bedroll with the blanket that faintly smelt like Julie. Exposed to the elements, it wasn’t a good place for bathing, so she stayed in her clothes; a bit of sweat never hurt anyone, she thought.

Then she tried to fall asleep as quickly as she could. It was quite easy, the crackle of the fire pleasant and a kind of weight on her chest—the comfortable weight of knowing Julie was watching over her.

In that peace, she slept.

However, she did not stray too far into her dreams, and she awoke in the middle of the night just as she had wanted to. Although the canvas covered the night sky above her, she caught a glimpse of the cremoon to the south; her sense of time settled on more-or-less midnight.

After a moment to gather her will, she sat up and checked her surroundings. Where the fire had been, she saw the outline of Julie, a smile coming to her lips. It was such a pretty silhouette of a lady amongst nature. Lit by weak moonlight, below a rich blanket of stars, Sammy knew she would forever remember the sight.

Attentive as Julie was, she quickly noticed Sammy had woken up. Sammy shuffled out of the windbreak, greeting the walking-over Julie with a brilliant smile and a whispered, “Good morning, Lia.”

In front of Sammy now, Julie squatted down. “Are you okay? Did something wake you?” she asked quietly.

Sammy reached over and caressed Julie’s cheek. That Julie let her do that brought another heavy sense of peace to her chest, as if her heart swelled in a tight embrace. “I slept well, thank you,” she said. “If you would rest now, we have a long day tomorrow.”

Although Julie looked conflicted, she soon gave in with a nod. “Okay.”

It took another minute for her to arrange blankets for Sammy and she twice asked if she should relight the fire, only then reluctantly settling herself down.

Without a fire to stay near, Sammy sat closer to the windbreak than Julie had, and she watched as Julie drifted off to sleep. It rather reminded her of their first night together. Oh how stiff Julie had been, her training ingrained into her. Yet she had still been as kind and understanding as the years since their second meeting.

Through the late hours of the night, Sammy split her focus between staying aware of her surroundings and reminiscing over the little moments she had shared with Julie over the years. Every now and then, she also spared Julie a look, admiring the cuteness of that sleeping face.

Eventually, the darkness softened. In the touch of light, Sammy slipped out of her boots and socks and inspected the backs of her feet, poking at the blisters. Painful as they’d been by the time they had set up camp, nothing remained of them now but oddly smooth skin and a slight squishiness. That settled her heart, glad she and Julie could continue without delay, so many more sights and experiences she wanted to share with Julie.

Still, the situation reminded her of her dancing lessons, practising until her feet bled, shoes stained. How she had healed without so much as a scar, no one knew; now knowing how, she conceded that being the gods’ chosen hero maybe had a few useful perks.

Putting those thoughts aside, she walked over to the spring with a pot and slipped her bare feet in where the stream spilled out, letting the cool water dull the lingering pain. Once satisfied, she dried them and then filled the pot with fresh water. Back at their modest camp, she scooped out a cup for herself, sipping at it.

After half an hour or so, she thought the time about right to wake up Julie. Now, if Julie had been a princess, then Sammy knew exactly how to wake her up; alas, Julie would only be a princess once they were married.

So she pondered for a minute how one wakes up a Royal Guard, ultimately settling on something simple. With a mischievous smile, she crept close to the windbreak and started kneeling down, ready to blow in Julie’s ear, only for Julie’s eyes to flutter open and meet her own.

Caught in the act, Sammy seamlessly switched to a serene smile. “Good morning, Lia,” she whispered, lowering her hand to caress Julie’s cheek.

Although Julie had awoken alert, she appeared to relax upon seeing Sammy’s face and even leaned into the touch. “Morning,” she mumbled, punctuating the word with a yawn.

“Pleasant dreams?” Sammy asked.

“Mm,” Julie replied, her eyes barely open as she gently nodded.

Sammy tittered. Then they stayed in silence for a long minute, Sammy’s hand resting on Julie’s shoulder and softly rubbing it. Once Julie looked more awake, Sammy squeezed her shoulder before standing up, offering her a hand.

“Come with me,” Sammy said.

Julie neither asked why nor offered any resistance, getting up off the floor as Sammy tugged her, and then dutifully followed, hand-in-hand.

Although there wasn’t exactly a path, they were on a mountain pass, the area around them almost a plateau as the land barely sloped while it slipped through the mountain range between Schtat and Sonlettier. Sammy led Julie loosely up towards the pass, the few minutes of walking bringing them that bit higher until Sammy was finally satisfied.

“Okay, here is good,” Sammy said, coming to a stop.

Again, Julie didn’t question anything. Sammy thought it was rather cute how obedient her precious jewel was. It seemed to her that, as long as Julie didn’t have a reason not to, Julie really would follow her anywhere.

Rather than dwell in thoughts, Sammy sat down on the ground and patted next to herself; Julie understood, sitting down quite close to Sammy. The temptation too much, Sammy looped an arm around and pulled Julie into a sideways hug.

And then the sunrise spilled over the horizon.

Julie let out a slight gasp, bringing a smile to Sammy. “Isn’t it beautiful?” Sammy asked, a whisper so as not to disturb the beauty.

High up as they were, the landscape stretched out far before them, but still only showed trees and meadows. Upon that canvas of greenery, the dawning sun left streaks of warm hues. Such a vibrant scene.

Having lived in the mostly flat plains of the south, Sammy had only ever seen the sunrise as light filtering through the trees or glittering on the water, dainty and weak. Yet now it engulfed everything in its path, setting the world alight. An unstoppable force. It made her think how, no matter what she may accomplish in her life, what the race of humans may accomplish across their entire existence, the sun had risen before them and would set after them all the same. A humbling thought.

Belatedly, Julie whispered, “Yeah.”

Sammy broke away from the sight and looked at Julie. Even in profile, she could see the awe on Julie’s face, seemingly enraptured. And that same light of dawn landed on Julie’s face, giving it a pleasant glow. It was the sort of glow that begged to be touched, caressed, kissed.

“So beautiful,” Sammy murmured.

After a moment, Julie glanced over and saw Sammy staring at her, and her breath caught. Then their gazes locked, and Sammy tried to convey if only a fraction of the desire she felt. She wanted the fire burning in her heart to spread to Julie’s, for them both to be engulfed by the same desires, to need each other.

However, Sammy never made the same mistake twice. She reached up and cupped Julie’s cheek, and she leant forward, closing her eyes, but went no further. In darkness, in silence, she waited for a long second before she felt Julie move, closer, close. A breath tickled her lips, her heart beat painfully in her tight chest.

Then a soft touch pressed on Sammy’s cheek. Leaning into it, her lips spread into a smile. Once Julie pulled back, Sammy’s eyes fluttered open and thoroughly enjoyed the sight of Julie’s sun-kissed skin appearing more copper than bronze, coloured by a blush. Only, the longer Sammy looked, the more she thought it was a flush, perhaps her own desire truly catching.

Moving in, Sammy waited for Julie to tell her to stop, but nothing was said. So she kissed Julie on the cheek—the skin there hot—then moved back a bit.

Still, Julie looked at her with a drunken gaze. And again, Julie leaned in, leaving a light kiss on Sammy’s cheek, which Sammy returned a moment after. This time, when their eyes met, they could only hold on for a second before both dissolving into giggles. Rather than sober up, they carried on exchanging those brief kisses, covering not just each other’s cheeks, but along their jaws and on the tips of their noses, ending with a last kiss on their foreheads.

Light-headed from the laughter, they finally settled down, holding hands and staring into each other’s eyes. Sammy felt satisfied. Even though the memories lingered, the loneliness had been chased away. More than that, she was making new memories, happy memories, ones she would cherish for the rest of her life.

Memories with the woman she loved.