Drake cleared his throat. "It's… Novaria. A quiet little farming village near the Dwarven Kingdom."
Elsa froze.
"Say… what now?"
Oh God. Oh no. That reaction—was it made up?!
System, if you lied, I will smack you into next week and uninstall you with a frying pan—
She stared at him. Unmoving. Unblinking. No smile.
Drake clutched his head. "What... have I gotten myself into…"
"Oh my gosh," Elsa finally continued, blinking rapidly.
Here it comes. Total retribution, Drake thought. She's going to smell my lies like a bloodhound on espresso.
"No-varia? Really?!" Elsa's eyes lit up like festival lanterns. "That's like—one of my favorite villages near the Dwarven Kingdom! Their honey cakes are legendary, and the way the morning mist rolls through those wheat fields..." She sighed dreamily, twirling a strand of hair.
PHEEWWW! It worked! Thank you, System! I couldn't have done it without your completely fabricated facts! Drake cheered internally.
"Tell me more! I was there just last spring for the Harvest Moon Festival, but..." Her brow furrowed slightly. "It's such a tight-knit community. Everyone knows everyone's business. I'm usually pretty good with faces, but I don't recall seeing you around." She tilted her head with that curious-cat expression. "Are you sure you're from Novaria?"
Drake's stomach dropped to his boots. He turned away, scratching the back of his neck.
"W-what do you mean? Of course I'm from there! Born and raised under those same stars you're talking about." He forced what he hoped was a nostalgic smile but probably looked more like he was passing a kidney stone. "Maybe you just missed me because I'm always out in the far fields? Or hunting in the Woods? You know how it is—work keeps a man busy."
Elsa studied him for a long moment, her blue eyes searching his face like she was reading a particularly interesting book. Finally, she nodded slowly.
"Hmm... I suppose that makes sense. The hunters do keep to themselves." She smiled, but Drake caught the tiny flicker of uncertainty. "So, Lorenzo, what brings a Novaria farm boy all the way to the royal capital? That's quite the journey."
Oh crap. Here we go again.
Drake straightened up, trying to channel confidence he absolutely didn't feel. "Well... it started when my father fell ill. Nothing serious!" he added quickly, seeing her expression. "But the medicine he needed... let's just say carrots and wheat don't exactly pay for expensive remedies. I had to come to Sidonia where the real merchants are."
"Your father's okay now though?" The genuine concern in her voice made Drake's chest tighten with guilt.
"Yeah! Yeah, he's much better. The village healer worked wonders once we could afford the proper treatment." Another lie. He was building a house of cards in a windstorm.
"That's wonderful! But..." Elsa's head tilted again. "If he's recovered, why are you still here? Surely your family misses you?"
Curse her sharp mind!
"Well," Drake said, gaining momentum as inspiration struck, "once I saw how much more I could earn here versus back home, I figured I'd stay a bit longer. Help set up my family for the future, you know? Besides," he gestured around them, "Sidonia is incredible. The architecture, the people, the culture—it's like stepping into a fairy tale."
Elsa's expression softened. "That's really sweet of you. Family first, right?"
"Always," Drake said, and for once, he meant it completely.
"But wait..." Elsa frowned. "Where's your cart? Your goods? I didn't see you arrive with any merchant caravan, and Novaria's at least a week's hard travel from here."
Drake's mouth went dry. Think, think, think!
"Bandits," he said grimly, letting real frustration creep into his voice. "Three days out from Novaria. They came out of nowhere—at least eight of them. I barely escaped with my life, let alone my merchandise." He looked down at his hands. "Lost everything. The cart, the horses, months of work..."
"Oh Lorenzo!" Elsa's hand flew to her chest. "That's terrible! You could have been killed!"
"Yeah, well..." Drake shrugged, trying to look brave and haunted at the same time. "I managed to hitch a ride with another merchant who found me on the road. Good thing too, because I couldn't go home empty-handed. My parents worked too hard to prepare that shipment."
Elsa was quiet for a moment, studying his face with those perceptive eyes. When she spoke, her voice was gentle.
"You know, your family would rather have you alive than rich. Money can be earned again."
"I know," Drake said softly. "But I also know my father. He'd blame himself for my failure, even though the bandits weren't anyone's fault. This way, I can earn enough to replace what was lost and come home with my head held high."
Something shifted in Elsa's expression—a warmth that made Drake's heart skip.
"That's... actually really admirable," she said quietly.
They sat in comfortable silence for a moment before Elsa suddenly perked up.
"But that still doesn't explain what you were doing up that tree looking like you were about to fall to your doom!"
Here we go again.
Drake groaned dramatically. "You're going to think I'm an idiot."
"Try me."
"There was this... creature. About this big," he gestured with his hands, "with reddish fur and these bright, mischievous four eyes. It snatched something precious right out of my hands and scampered up that tree."
"What kind of creature?" Elsa leaned forward, intrigued.
"Honestly? I have no idea. It was too fast for me to get a good look. But it had this long, fluffy tail and these tiny hands that were surprisingly good at grabbing things."
Elsa burst into delighted laughter. "Oh my goodness! You were mugged by a Crimsontail Vukari! They're like little forest bandits, but they're actually pretty harmless. They just love shiny objects."
"Harmless?!" Drake protested. "That thing nearly gave me a heart attack!"
"What did it take?" Elsa asked, still giggling.
Drake's expression grew serious. "A locket. It belonged to my mother." He touched his chest unconsciously. "She passed when I was young, and it's... well, it's all I have left of her."
Elsa sobered immediately, her hand moving toward his before stopping short. "Oh Lorenzo, I'm so sorry. Did you get it back?"
"No," Drake said quietly. "When I tried to climb after it, I lost my footing. And well... you know how that ended."
"Hey," Elsa said softly, her voice taking on a determined edge. "Don't look so defeated. You know what? I think fate brought us together today."
"Fate?" Drake raised an eyebrow, his heart doing something complicated in his chest.
"Absolutely!" Elsa straightened up with renewed energy. "You need help, and I happen to be excellent at helping people. Consider yourself officially under the protection of Elsa's Problem-Solving Services!"
Despite everything, Drake found himself smiling genuinely for the first time all day. "And what exactly do these services include?"
"Well, for starters, I know exactly where those Vukari like to build their nests. We can get your locket back. And then..." she paused, looking suddenly shy. "Maybe I can help you find some legitimate work in the city? I know people."
Drake stared at her, something warm and unfamiliar spreading through his chest. "Why would you do all that for a stranger?"
Elsa was quiet for a moment, absently playing with her hair. "I don't know," she admitted. "Usually I'm pretty cautious about people. But with you..." She looked up at him, and Drake felt like he might fall off the carriage all over again. "Something feels right. Like maybe we were supposed to meet."
"Even though I'm just a clumsy farm boy who gets mugged by tiny forest creatures?"
"Especially because of that," Elsa grinned. "Anyone can have a normal day. It takes real talent to have the kind of spectacularly weird day you've had."
They both laughed, and Drake felt something inside him uncoil. When was the last time he'd felt this comfortable with someone?
"Besides," Elsa added with a playful smirk, "I've decided I like you, Lorenzo from Novaria."
Drake's brain short-circuited. "You... like me?"
Elsa's cheeks turned the most adorable shade of pink. "I—well—I mean as a person! Like your character! Not like like—oh gods, is it getting hot in here?" She fanned herself frantically with her hand.
"I'll just... stop talking now," she mumbled, suddenly finding the carriage floor fascinating.
Drake's heart was doing gymnastics in his chest. She likes me. She actually likes me. Even if it's just as a person, that's more than anyone's said about me in... well, ever.
"Elsa?"
"Mmm?" she replied without looking up.
"I'd really like to know more about you too."
She peeked up at him through her lashes, and Drake was pretty sure his heart just stopped entirely.
"Really? You want to know about me?" Her whole face lit up. "Oh! Well, where do I even start? I love books—especially adventure stories—and I collect pressed flowers, and I make terrible tea but excellent soup, and I once accidentally set my eyebrows on fire trying to learn magic, and—"
THUUUD!
The carriage lurched violently to one side, throwing both passengers off balance.
"Whoa—!"
BOING!
The world turned upside down as Drake pitched forward, and suddenly he was drowning in softness and the most amazing scent of lavender and something uniquely Elsa.
Time stopped.
Oh. Oh no. This is... this is definitely her chest. Her very soft, very warm, very real chest. I'm going to die. This is how I die. Death by accidental face-plant into the most beautiful girl I've ever met.
"Mmph! Heavy—can't breathe—GET OFF!" Elsa's muffled voice came from somewhere above him.
"Sorry! I'm sorry!" Drake tried to push himself up, but the swaying carriage had other plans.
SLIP!
His hands shot out to brace himself and landed squarely on her breasts.
"AAHH! Those are—you're touching—!" Elsa's voice pitched higher than a tea kettle.
"I'm trying to get off!" Drake protested, his face burning hotter than a forge. But every time he tried to push away, the carriage would sway and he'd lose his balance again.
SLIP! BOUNCE!
"Stop groping me!"
"I'm not groping! I'm falling!"
SLIP! SQUISH!
"LORENZO!"
This was officially the best and worst moment of his entire life. The carriage seemed determined to keep them tangled together, and every attempt to separate only made things worse.
Finally, the carriage settled, and Drake managed to prop himself up on his elbows. Which put his face about six inches from Elsa's, her cheeks flushed and her hair spread across the cushions like spun gold.
They stared at each other, breathing hard.
"I..." Drake started.
"You..." Elsa whispered.
The air between them crackled with something electric. Elsa's lips parted slightly, her eyes fluttering between his eyes and his mouth. Without thinking, Drake started to lean closer.
"Wait," Elsa breathed, but her hands came up to rest on his chest instead of pushing him away.
"Should I stop?" Drake asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Instead of answering, Elsa's hands slid up to curl around the back of his neck, pulling him closer.
This was it. This was actually happening. The most beautiful, kind, amazing girl he'd ever met was about to—
CREAK!
THUD!
"My lady, we have arrived at the gates of Sidonia. Please step—"
The carriage door swung open, revealing an armored guard whose jaw promptly dropped to somewhere around his boots.
Drake froze, lips puckered and millimeters from Elsa's. Elsa's eyes snapped open, following his horrified gaze to the door.
The guard blinked. Once. Twice.
"Lady Elsa?!"
"IT'S NOT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE!" Elsa shrieked, her face turning a shade of red that probably violated several laws of nature.
Drake's blood turned to ice water. Lady? LADY?!
Oh gods. I'm so dead.