Aron walked slowly along the edge of the lake, eyes fixed on the narrow path Mira usually took. The sun was almost high in the sky, but he barely noticed it. He had been waiting for quite some time now, and still there was no sign of her. It was time for breakfast. Where was this girl? Had she already gone ahead without coming to meet him.
He rubbed the back of his neck, frowning. He had wanted to meet her before anyone else did. Especially today. Especially before she went anywhere near the three visiting lords.
And yet, the first time he had an urgency to meet her, she was missing. The girl who was always ready to tackle him when he came here was now nowhere to be found.
He pushed his hand into the small pouch, hanging at his side and touched the little ring he had hidden there. His thumb brushed the metal again and again, as if giving himself courage. It would be better, if he proposed to her before she had a chance to meet them properly.
If she met them first... if she looked at them and felt something... what then? Everything that he had done over the years would be for naught.
A sharp worry twisted in his stomach. What if Mira, simple Mira who laughed at the smallest things and always forgot her chores, actually ended up being fated to them?
No. He refused to even imagine it. That place was better for Shiqi.
He tightened his hand around the ring until his knuckles hurt. Losing her was not something he could bear. He had to speak to her before anything happened.
But still... she wasn’t here.
Aron let out a long sigh. If she hadn’t come by now, it probably meant she had gone off somewhere else. Knowing Mira, she was likely hiding behind the sacks of grain again, tying to study or to avoid morning tasks. He shook his head, half exasperated and half fond. That girl was really something.
He turned, ready to go search for her. He could check the storeroom and propose to her right there. He barely took two steps before he froze. Footsteps. Light, quick footsteps were heading his way and he spun around with hope rushing up his throat.
"She’s here," he breathed, relief softening his shoulders. "Finally."
But he was soon disappointed when he saw Shiqi running towards him. He looked behind her, expecting Mira to be trailing after her, but Mira was nowhere to be found.
Before Aron could ask where Mira was, Shiqi’s foot struck a loose stone hidden in the grass. With her momentum of running, her body jerked forward, her hands flying out as she tried to steady herself. But she seemed to be going too fast.
"Ah—!"
Aron reacted instantly. He lunged forward to catch her and stop her fall, only to realize he had made a mistake and shifted the wrong way. Shiqi crashed into him with full force and they toppled together.
Aron’s back hit the earth hard and his breath escaped in a whoosh. For a heartbeat he couldn’t breathe due to the jolt and Shiqi landing right on top of him, her palms pressing into his chest and her hair falling around his face like a curtain.
His hands came up around her waist to steady her as she wobbled and he let his head fall back onto the ground, trying to catch his breath.
Everything went still.
"Ow..." she heard her dazed whisper.
Aron tried to speak but only managed a strangled breath. "Shiqi, are you-" He coughed, trying to drag air back into his lungs. "You fell... on me."
"I know!" she hissed back, mortified. "I didn’t do it on purpose!"
She attempted to push herself up, but her knee slipped on the grass and she dropped again, her forehead bumping against his shoulder. Aron groaned, half in pain and half in disbelief.
"Stop—moving—" he managed through clenched teeth. "You’re making it worse! And I meant to ask you if you are okay because you fell on top of me..."
"I don’t want to be on top of you!" she snapped at him as she tried again to lift herself, only to place her hand on a slick patch of dew. Her palm skidded, and she flopped forward once more, her cheek pressing briefly against his collarbone.
Aron’s breath hitched. At this rate, she was going to... "Just—stay still," he muttered hopelessly, hands still hovering awkwardly at her waist. "For one moment."
"I’m trying!" she muttered back, but still continued to wriggle like a worm.
Aron finally gave up on her constant wriggling. If she moved one more time, she would end up crushing some part of him permanently.
"That’s it," he muttered, tightening his grip on her waist.
Before Shiqi could protest, he shifted his weight, braced his feet, and rolled them sharply. In one smooth motion, he flipped her over and pressed her down onto the grass, ending up above her.
Shiqi let out a stunned gasp. Aron froze. This position was too ambiguous.
For a long moment, the world went silent. His hands rested at either side of her shoulders, his knee accidentally wedged between her legs from the force of the flip. He tried to pull it back, but the angle only made it worse before he managed to shift slightly as he looked down at her blushing face.
He swallowed hard, pushing himself back at once, scrambling away from her as fast as he could without falling over again. "Sorry," he said quickly in a rough voice. "I didn’t mean to- It just..."
At a loss about what to say in this situation, he stopped himself from saying something foolish and extended his hand, "Come on. Let me help you up."
She stared at his hand for a moment and he wondered if she was going to ignore him. But in the next minute, she placed her hand in his...