He didn’t say anything for a moment. “Mm..? Oh, yes I remembered.”
“Are you alright? You seem upset about something.”
He looked at her blankly. “It’s nothing for you to worry over.”
She turned from him stifling the irritation that he didn’t think she needed to know. It was obviously important enough for him to be upset about it and she knew he didn’t get upset easily. “I think this is the perfect place to meet for your birthday don’t you?” He said obviously trying to change the subject.
She kept her voice precise and sharp. “Yes this is fine.”
He cleared his throat. “You’re going to love my present.” Involuntarily a smile crept onto her face. He leaned around to see if he had succeeded in cheering her up. “It’s not something your mother would approve of but..”
“Then it’s perfect.” She interrupted him turning back around.
Most people would be cautious of their friendship. Most Lords didn’t befriend women or speak with them alone in a gardens without chaperones, but their relationship was different from most. She once thought that perhaps he was like a brother, but that wasn’t it. On many occasions they had laughed racing their horses and despite his proper exterior, inside he enjoyed fighting with her. It was a thrill knowing there was someone else like her. There was a time when she was much younger when it was a master, pupil relationship while he taught her the basics of swordplay. Then once she improved to a point, it evolved and became a true friendship of equals. There was never any awkwardness or uneasy pressure of society with him, at least when they were alone.
