A/N: This chapter's cute as shit y'all. I squealed while writing it so I hope you enjoy it too.

"How are your new boots holding up?" Xavier tossed a sword to Zephrine. He was, under Zephrine's consent, teaching her how to fight and how to be a significant addition to the military. They had just returned from the cobbler's with a pair of boots that were modeled after the knights' and were trying to break them in.

"They're rather comfortable, honestly." Zephrine adjusted her chainmail.

"You're walking like a blind duck." Xavier laughed, twirling his sword in his hand.

"I'm not used to wearing pants." Zephrine shot back. "Dreadfully uncomfortable. I don't know how you do it."

Xavier swung the sword at her side, and she blocked, ducking under him, and tripping with her foot as she stood.

"At least the chainmail is treating you better than a corset?" He took her outstretched hand and pulled himself up.

"Hurts like hell." Her smile sent chills down Xavier's spine.

"Your block is slow. If I wasn't going easy on you, you're head would be rolling across this field." He pointed out, eager to change the subject in order to stop himself from blushing. "Let's try it again, faster."

He swung again, and was given the same result, albeit, Zephrine did block faster. "Maybe swords aren't your weapon, that's okay though." He threw a mace to her.

From mace, to axe, to crossbow (which Zephrine immediately ruled out), Xavier couldn't find a weapon to fit her.

"You worked well with the axe, so try this. Just swing at the shield like you would with a sword." Xavier handed Zephrine a large hammer with little spikes on the heads.

"Is 'try not to decapitate you' an instruction?"

"That would be preferable, yes." Xavier ducked behind the shield. "Go!"

He felt the shield crack a little bit when the hammer made contact, the impact knocking him off his feet. "That was perfect!" He used the shield as a pivot to push himself back up. "Keep going!"

"Are you sure?" Zephrine helped steady Xavier. "I don't want to hurt you."

"This is a battlefield! The whole point is to hurt me." Xavier hid again. "Go!"

Zephrine swung again, this time getting to three swings before the shield completely splintered, sending Xavier sliding back a couple feet, landing on heavily his left arm.

"Well," Xavier shook the cuff from his wrist, which was the only thing intact from the shield. "I think we found your weapon."

"Are you okay?" Zephrine kneeled down beside him, taking his left arm and squeezing it up and down. "Does that hurt anywhere?"

"No, it's fine." He could only stare as she ran her hand gently around his muscles, carefully applying more and more pressure. "You really know what you're doing, don't you?"

"Rhys would read his medical books out loud all the time. I guess a just picked some stuff up." Zephrine sat down in the grass next to him. "There was also the fact that I was the most reckless, so he patched me up a lot. Your arm is fine, by the way."

"No offense, but I really hope you don't stop on the battlefield."

"Trust me, I'd only stop to help you, sire." Zephrine's small laugh entrapped Xavier.

Caius appeared on the field, carrying two plates full of food and goblets of water for the two. "Lunch, my Lord and Lady." He leaned down and whispered something in Zephrine's ear.

"Thank you, Caius." She pushed her brother away. "I'll talk to you later."

"Let me guess, sibling thing?" Xavier dipped his roll into a tomato soup.

"They're just teasing me. A side effect of both having three brothers and being the youngest." She sighed through a wide smile.

"What's it like?" Xavier shifted as close as he dared to Zephrine. "Having siblings?"

"Well, from my experience, you can get away with pretty much anything. But that also means you get away with a lot less, because you'll get thrown under the carriage as soon as any sort of reward is offered. You learn how to make alliances and bargains very quickly."

Xavier was hanging onto her every word, imagining himself in her place.

"There's always someone who'll have your back, making sure you don't die in idiotic ways. And of course, someone to intimidate anyone of the opposite sex that even looks at you. Even if you fight, you'll never actually mad at each other, you'll always forgive each other. No matter what."

"That sounds amazing. I've always wanted a sibling, but one heir is apparently all that my mother wanted. As for myself, I'd like to produce at least two heirs." Xavier smiled wistfully.

"If they're anything like you, your wife better watch herself around you three." Zephrine took a long sip from her goblet.

"Now, what's that supposed to mean? I'm a delight."

"No, I'm sure you are." She looked the other way, rolling her head as she did so.

"Sarcasm? Well, aren't you my dream woman?"

"You're such a flirt." Zephrine 'accidentally' brushed her fingers against Xavier's shoulder, closer to his chest than anything.

"And you aren't?" Xavier, bewildered by what had just happened, fought to keep a straight face.

"Look, it takes two to play this game, Xavier. You flirt, I flirt back. We'll see who wins. Want to play?" Zephrine set her glove on the ground in front of Xavier.

"How do you win?" Xavier straightened.

"Whoever gets the other to fall in love with them."

"You're on." He swiped the glove from the ground. "Zephrine Geûld, I accept your challenge."

Zephrine smirked and leaned in, whispering into his ear. "In that case, you might want to get to work, it looks like I'm already ahead."