Archive of Our Own

The late evening air cooled the castle, and while the breeze carried the smell of the plains, Florina could no longer concentrate on her training; her mind only capable of thinking about Lyn.

She decided to finish her lance practice earlier than usual and spend some time with the plainswoman before dinner. Huey wasn’t particularly thrilled to have his enjoyable ride being cut short, but he understood perfectly the reasons behind his partner’s dilemma.

A simple thanks wasn’t enough to show just how grateful Florina was with Huey. She promised to make it up for him soon.

Castle Caelin was modest in comparison to other castles but it was certainly big for the few people currently living in the place.

Finding a certain person in the nearly endless halls would be a hard task if not because Florina knew just where to look for the woman. If Lyn could smell the plains in the wind as well, she was most likely in the only place in the castle where she could see the plains from.

Soon, from the end of the hallway, Florina saw her, leaning over the railing of the balcony. Lyn seemed nostalgic; Florina had this impulse of hugging her and keeping her company, staying quiet in case Lyn needed to be in silence.

She moved with intentions of doing just that, but before she was able to, she heard Sain’s voice from the other end of the corridor.

“Lady Lyndis! Lyn!”

Lyn immediately turned around, her back to Florina, giving the girl a chance to hide behind a column.  She didn’t want to interrupt anything and she would rather talk to Lyn while the other knight was not around.

“Hello, Sain.” Lyn sounded so calm it soothed Florina’s nerves even if the words weren’t aimed towards her.

“Enjoying the view?”

Lyn sighed, her back slouching a bit. Florina couldn’t see the action, yet she knew the girl enough to see the image clearly in her mind after listening to Lyn’s sigh.

“I can’t wait to go back to the plains.” She answered wistfully. Now Florina could be sure that Lyn was in the balcony to enjoy the breeze.

Florina didn’t mean to eavesdrop but her curiosity had been spiked and couldn’t help but stay and overhear the conversation.

There was a moment of silence before Sain spoke.

“Is beauteous Florina coming with you?”

Florina’s heart skipped a bit after hearing the question and, had she be paying more attention she would have heard Lyn shuffle nervously instead of replying.

“That smile tells me more than the answer I was aiming for,” Sain noted with his trademarked enthusiasm. Florina could only imagine how Lyn’s face must look at the moment with a radiant smile on her face, shining more than every word she could ever say.

“So, forgive me for assuming, but would you say Milady and Lady Florina...” Sain voice lowered to a whisper and Florina had to strain her ear to keep listening to the conversation.

She had no luck with what Sain said but could hear Lyn hum and the sound made her feel jittery for no apparent reason.

They kept chatting in hushed voices for a couple more of exchanges. Florina decided to stop the eavesdropping then. She was already leaving when without even trying Sain’s words reached her ears.

“Perhaps you... with Lady Florina... so...”

Even if Florina couldn’t hear everything that was said, the tone Sain used hinted more than enough and suddenly Florina was rooted to her spot on the floor.

“What makes you believe I know anything regarding that sort of... activities?”

“You are very close with Lady Florina, I assumed--” There was a quick pause before Sain’s tone changed from playful to serious. “...my apologies, Milady, I got no right to speak to you in this manner, I--”

Florina could only assume Lyn was giving Sain a certain look, to make him realize she was getting uncomfortable. She heard Lyn clear her throat and Sain stopped his words immediately.

“No need to apologize, Sain,” Lyn assured. “Aren’t we friends? I don’t find these topics vulgar or offensive, yet this is something concerning Florina as well so I rather keep this particular subject private.”

“Yes, of course, Milady, I never intended to pry or make you uncomfortable by talking about private affairs.”

“As long as there is love involved this kind of thing isn’t anything to be embarrassed about, I believe.” There was this air of wisdom in her words that made her sound like a respectable noblewoman.

“You make it sound so easy; Lady Florina is a lucky lady.” Sain laughed and it sounded like he was patting Lyn on the back or the shoulder.

“It’s the other way around, I’m lucky to have her favour.” The sweet inflection in Lyn’s voice was enough for Florina to imagine the smile that should be growing on Lyn’s face.

“Look at you being all chivalrous, you may have thought it would be hard to act like a lady, but right now, to me, you are the living image of a noblewoman from the Caelin house.”

Lyn laughed softly and Florina felt her knees go weak. She ran away towards the stables before anything else was said.

Suddenly she felt like skipping dinner altogether. She knew of her own inability to hide anything from Lyn.

If she went to the dinner hall, Lyn was bound to notice something was amiss and Florina didn’t fancy dealing with the potential embarrassment or awkwardness, for an hour or two, while they sat next to each other at the table.

She wasn’t sure exactly what she was trying to hide from Lyn, but she didn’t want her to find out while they were in the big hall having dinner surrounded by other people.

At the stables most of the horses where already asleep but she was lucky Huey, her Pegasus, was still awake.

Talking with Huey had always been therapeutic. Back when she had no friends to talk to, Huey proved to be a great listener and excellent moral support. Even now when she had met so many people it still remained true.

The Pegasus neighed happily to greet the girl but whined softly when he noticed the troubled look on her face.

After greeting Huey, without even trying, she started to vent to her friend.

She liked spending time with Lyn; although she couldn’t help but note that since they became lovers their relationship hadn’t changed much from their time as friends. She wondered if Lyn wanted it to stay that way.

The little changes in their relationship, like the kisses, were really nice; Florina loved the new level of contact between them. Lyn would kiss her whenever they greeted each other or parted ways, or the occasional kisses they would exchange whenever they had some time alone.

Florina wouldn’t change it for the world, but she was fooling herself if she refused to acknowledge she desired more.

...So much more.

Kissing her in places other than Lyn’s lips, touching skin nobody else was allowed to even graze.

Her lips felt suddenly very dry and her hands were already sweaty. This wasn’t the first time her mind wandered towards those dangerous places, but that didn’t mean she had gotten any better at dealing with those thoughts.

Huey’s navy blue eyes were looking at her and Florina couldn’t help but feel judged.

Lyn wasn’t embarrassed by the prospect, so why was she? Did she really dislike the thought that much? If she did, why did she dream of sharing this with Lyn? Did Lyn wish to be intimate with Florina just as much as her?

If she didn’t... would there be any other reason for Lyn to ask her to come to the plains with her?

Lyn had done that, hadn’t she? She had asked Florina to come to the plains with her... That thought alone was enough to make her feel like she was soaring through the sky...

The words, pouring endlessly from Florina’s mouth, stopped abruptly when Huey neighed sadly.

Florina realized something then. Despite it being something she ached for more than anything, she had responsibilities with the Pegasus knights of Ilia; a duty she had left behind in favor of staying by Lyn’s side.

Lyn’s time as Lord of Caelin was coming to an end... meaning Florina would definitely lose her title as a knight of Caelin... if Florina wasn’t a full-fledged Pegasus knight by then... what good was she?

Once Huey fell asleep Florina walked back to her room. Try as she might to shake the thoughs, she was still thinking of Lyn when she entered her bedchamber.

Crestfallen, she felt torn between not wanting to leave Lyn’s side, and having to in order to be better for her; wishing to be closer to her, do with her the things lovers where supposed to share... or train to become the person Lyn actually deserved to have by her side.

With her back leaning against the door, she failed to shake the emotions tingling in her chest or the thoughts plaguing her mind.

Being honest with herself, she really craved to be intimate with Lyn, but... if she was parting to Ilia soon, leaving her behind, did she really have any right to ask anything so special from the plainswoman?

Would Lyn actually desire to share that kind of thing with her?

The conversation she had overheard between Lyn and Sain hadn't cleared anything up or given her any clues... Lyn sounded as neutral about the topic as she did about most things.

Florina didn’t know what to expect of the conversation that was most definitely happening soon between Lyn and herself; her heart wouldn’t stop beating with dread and anticipation.

She removed her armor and placed it on a stand by the corner of the room. She brushed her hair and sat on the middle of her bed (a bed that currently felt so uninviting and uncomfortable), with her knees to her chest. While her mind kept wandering towards Lyn, she wasn’t sure if she wished to stop the thoughts altogether.

A knock on the door temporarily interrupted her musings. Some hours had gone by but she hadn’t come up to a conclusion yet. Her time was up when she saw Lyn opening the door a crack; not enough to see anything but barely sufficient to hear the voice clearly without being muffled by the thick wooden door.

“Florina, can I come in?”

“Y-yes!” She managed to answer.

After Lyn entered, the door was closed behind her, the metal hinges clicking to indicate it was locked now. Florina noticed she was carrying a tray with food in her hand.

“I didn’t see you at dinner,” Lyn commented leaving the tray in a small table by the door.

“I wasn’t feeling hungry.” It wasn’t really a lie; it was not the whole truth either.

“Well, I brought you some food in case you fancy some refreshments.”

“Thank you, Lyn.” Standing up from the mattress, Florina moved to close the curtains.

“Wait, don’t close them, the moon is beautiful tonight.” She wasn’t even looking through the window; instead she was admiring Florina’s face illuminated by the moonlight.

As if it were the first time under Lyn’s reverent gaze, Florina’s heart raced and her throat failed to produce any sound at all. She walked back to her bed using the scarce seconds she had to compose herself before facing Lyn again.

“Do you mind if I sit down with you?”

“N-not at all.” Florina sat on the edge patting a gap beside her for Lyn to fill.

There was a pang of sharp pain in the knight’s chest when Lyn didn’t immediately lean down to kiss her, perhaps assuming Florina was having troubled thoughts about their relationship.

“You’re thinking about something.” It wasn’t a question, but it was her chance to back down if she wished to avoid the impending conversation.

Lyn wouldn’t pry if she detected hesitance from Florina. But Florina really wanted to stop tormenting herself with the odds and what-if’s in favor of getting answers to her inquiries.

She moved towards the middle of the bed, sitting with her back against the headboard, and beckoned Lyn to sit on the gap between her legs. Her arms surrounded the taller girl’s shoulders as she released a sigh. Meanwhile, Lyn waited for the girl to speak, setting herself with her back to Florina’s chest and her head under Florina’s chin.

“I overheard Sain talking with you earlier...” Florina blurted nervously. She needed to get this out before she regretted her decision to bring up the topic only to regret not bringing it up at all.

Lyn looked up at Florina for some seconds before recalling the conversation the girl referred to.

“Oh, don’t pay his comments any mind; I know he didn’t mean to say anything foul, he was just curious.” Lyn’s hands grasped the arms surrounding her neck and squeezed them softly. She rushed to add something else when she was met with Florina’s silence. “If it bothers you too much I can have a word with Sain to--”

“No, it doesn’t bother me, at least not much. It’s... It’s not like I’m offended by his words.” Florina interrupted Lyn.

“Then what is it?”

Florina’s fingers played with the fabric of Lyn’s sleeve while searching for the words she needed to say. She knew she would regret it if she didn’t say anything, so without noticing the words where leaving her mouth already.

“You asked me to come to the plains with you, remember?” Even when she tried to steel herself for the statement, her voice wavered with self-doubt.

Lyn nodded softly and then prepared herself for the worst case scenario. She was in no way an insecure person, yet when it came to Florina she couldn’t help but doubt herself constantly.

“You don’t want to?” She asked carefully, her voice cracked even when she tried to keep her insecurities at bay.

“It’s the complete opposite,” Florina paused, “yet this has nothing to do with my wishes...”

The formal tone Florina acquired made Lyn believe the girl was going back to calling her Lady Lyndis again.

The fear that Florina would reject her offer was starting to make her feel sick in the stomach. It had been something very selfish to ask of the young knight, but going back to the plains alone had been such an upsetting thought, she had decided to avoid thinking about it altogether some time ago.

“Even if I go with you to the plains, I’ll eventually have to go back to Ilia to finish my Pegasus Knight training, it will probably take a while before I can go back to you on the plains.”

That wasn’t an outright refusal to accompany Lyn, but it didn’t sound quite like the answer she was eager to hear.

“I’m sorry, Lyn, I must sound so selfish, thinking about my Pegasus knight training over your feelings.”

“No, if anyone is selfish is me... Asking you to follow me to the plains without actually thinking about you... Just because I’m renouncing to Caelin doesn’t mean you would do the same with your own duties.”

Those words were like a slap in the face, Florina was suddenly overwhelmed with sadness and guilt of hurting Lyn. She rushed to explain herself to avoid any more harm.

“N-no, it’s not like I’m choosing my responsibilities over you... it’s just... the way I am right now... I’m... I’m just not worthy... I--”

Rising from her position, Lyn sat in front of Florina.

“Why would you say something of the sort?” Lyn asked in a hushed voice which did little to hide how hurt she sounded.

Florina could notice her own lower lip trembling and the tears she didn’t want to shed were pooling in the corners of her eyes.

“I know how much you dislike being alone...” She stated with an emotionless tone Lyn had never heard in the smaller girl. “You don’t deserve someone who leaves you behind.”

“Is this why you’ve been upset lately?” Lyn’s soothing voice made Florina want to cling to Lyn and bask in the warm sensation of being protected by the young woman she loved so much. If this conversation about her worries was to continue she had to fight that impulse, though.

“N-not quite,” she replied, her voice shaking a bit.

Florina shook her head and focused her eyes elsewhere, Lyn could suddenly see the tears gathered in the corners of the girl’s eyes and the image was enough to make her feel a stab in her chest.

“Florina, tell me what is it, please.” Lyn wasn’t being forceful, but Florina couldn’t say no when Lyn asked so gently. Despite knowing that, she tried.

“I can’t,” her refusal was out of embarrassment of admitting something she didn’t like about herself and not because she actually wished to keep this from Lyn.

“Florina, I would never request you do anything you don’t wish to do, but I really need to know what’s making you this miserable.” Lyn’s voice sounded so caring and soft, Florina couldn’t deny her an answer any longer.

“It’s just so... selfish. I already know I’m leaving to Ilia sooner or later, but... before I went away I wanted to...to be closer to you...” Her volume lowered so much if Lyn hadn't been close to the girl she would have missed her last words.

Lyn looked at Florina with tender eyes and the most vulnerable expression she had ever showed the Pegasus knight.

“I know I should push you away to avoid hurting you but I just...can’t...” The girl sounded so utterly defeated Lyn wanted to take the anguish out of her eyes but she didn’t know how and the remorse was already eating her.

The painful expression in her face made Lyn want to look away, but she fought the urge.

“Florina...”

“I can’t ask anything of you if I know it could cause you pain,” Florina assured, her voice was enough to break Lyn’s heart

“Florina, can we pretend for a moment that I didn’t ask you to come with me to the plains? We can worry about that later...”

Florina swallowed in a very noticeable way before nodding, her tears shining under the soft moonlight entering the bedchambers.

In hopes of lighting up the situation Lyn decided to talk with an exaggerated faux chivalrous tone, adding a kiss to the back of the girl’s hand for good measure.

“Pray tell, what is bothering you, Milady?”

All the blood from Florina’s body found a way to rise to her head and cheeks making her dizzy, or perhaps it was just Lyn’s natural charm doing it for her. She closed her hands in fists and made a great effort to stutter the words that needed to be said, though.

“S-s-since we b-became...eh...eh?” She wanted to blame her current state on her usual shyness but she knew there was nothing usual about this situation.

“Lovers?” Lyn supplied.

“Y-yes! Since then... I f-feel like... like we’ve grown distant... or maybe... our relationship hasn’t changed much since we were friends...?”

“We are still friends, Florina, and whatever happens we will remain as the best of friends, before anything else,” Lyn promised.

“I know that! ... It’s just...”

This time, Lyn had no idea the things that Florina might be planning to say, or maybe she did know but the words where too harsh for them to be said instantly.

“Florina... Are you unhappy with our current relationship?” The question was very hard for Lyn to ask, it killed her to say it out loud, but Florina’s answer had the potential to hurt her even more.

Lyn glanced at Florina with her determined green eyes, even when it pained her to do so. Florina could hold the gaze only for a few seconds before looking away.

“It’s not like I dislike what we have but... Am I at fault for hoping for... something more?”

The distress was quickly replaced with awkwardness.

“You don’t mean... do you care to... you know, be intimate with each other?”

The smaller girl had her eyes closed and a blush covered her whole face. Lyn misinterpreted Florina’s bashfulness for discomfort.

“Sorry, it wasn’t my intention to make you uncomfortable.”

“I’m not uncomfortable, just... self-conscious,” while speaking, Florina’s hands closed in fists around the edge of the white skirt she was wearing.

Whilst waiting for the girl to gather her thoughts, Lyn took her time to delve in Florina’s appearance, the white button-up shirt and white skirt were probably difficult to keep clean yet Florina always looked immaculate and spotless.

“We are... l-lovers, right? Shouldn’t we... take our relationship further?”

The words caught Lyn by surprise and she had to take some extra seconds to calm her stutters before answering.

“N-not necessarily...” Lyn spoke so quietly, she doubted Florina had heard her but she didn’t repeat herself.

“I really like the kisses and holding hands with you, but... is this all you want out of our relationship... or is there something else holding us back?”

“I wouldn’t know...”

“Are you interested in being intimate with each other?

For someone as shy as Florina, the words sounded very determined and firm. Lyn remained silent for several seconds. She felt as if her modest and reserved lover had just been replaced with this equally gorgeous woman who was very sure of what she wanted out of their relationship.

It was ridiculous, but it made Lyn feel unsure of the fact that there was something —other than lance-training or Pegasus-riding— where Florina had more confidence than her. Not necessarily a bad thing, but still an unusual happenstance.

“If I say no... would my answer drive you away?” Lyn asked cautiously placing one of her hands over one of Florina’s still closed fists.

Florina shook her head and, surprisingly, there was no disappointment at the notion of not being intimate with Lyn in case she refused.

“I’ll always stand by your side, if--” Florina paused, “...if you’ll have me, though.”

Lyn smiled softly. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Florina seemed to be about to cry—out of happiness if the smile in her face was anything to go by—but before Lyn could say anything she got tackled by the Pegasus knight and both fell on the plush bed, a pair of slender arms hugging Lyn’s shoulders firmly.

“I love you, Lyn.”

A smile reached Lyn’s face and even if she tried to return the words they got stuck in her throat, she only managed to hug Florina even tighter.

“Florina, I just want you to be happy.” Lyn assured, bringing one of her hands to cup Florina’s cheek.

“I’m so happy when I’m with you no matter what we do or where we are.” Florina leaned forward and kissed Lyn’s cheek multiple times.

Lyn angled her head a bit until their lips met.

Florina stayed frozen for a fraction of a second before moving her hands towards Lyn’s cheeks and deepening the kiss.

Like Florina herself, the kiss was soft and tender yet full of passion. Lyn couldn’t ignore the warmth growing in the pit of her stomach.

“I never did answer your question,” Lyn said, gasping for air when their lips parted.

Blue eyes scanned Lyn’s green ones with slight confusion.

“About wishing to, you know, get intimate with each other...” Lyn added while finding difficult to hold Florina’s gaze.

In an instant, Florina looked away, conscious of the blood rushing to her cheeks, then Lyn’s next words managed to make her blush even more.

“My answer is yes, a thousand times yes, because you’re the only one I’d enjoy sharing this with; that is whenever you prefer...”

Florina closed her eyes and felt shivers run through her body after hearing Lyn’s words.

Some seconds went by without a verbal reaction, so Lyn reassured Florina they were in no hurry to make any changes to their relationship. Her words went over Florina’s head, who was so deep in thought, she didn’t hear a thing Lyn was saying.

“You said you want me to be happy,” Florina said with sudden resolution in her otherwise sweet voice. “This would make me really happy... not that I’m not content already, but I... I would really like to share this with you...” The more things she said the more she felt like she was putting her foot in her mouth, so by the time she trailed off she was very hesitant to say anything else.

She was about to tell Lyn to forget about everything and go back to the usual kind of conversations they shared; Lyn spoke before that happened.

“...at once?”

“I m-mean... I’d love to say I’m in no rush, but t-to be c-completely honest...” Florina trailed off again while her face reacquired a very strong red tint, or maybe the blush had never left and had just become stronger than before.

Lyn lowered her gaze and Florina noticed the woman licking her lips slightly. It wasn’t supposed to be seductive, it was just an unconscious reaction Lyn had when she was nervous, but it was enough to make Florina’s heart beat faster.

“I love you, Lyn, I really do love you,” she declared, her tender voice trembling under the weight of the honest words she was unable to hold back. “I know I say it a lot and it may sound trivial by now, but I... I... don’t know any other way to... to let you know how much you mean to me... I...” her voice quivered and lost all its volume until it was nothing but a timid mumble. “I don’t want to leave your side.”

“Me neither, I’m not going anywhere, not if you’re not with me.”

Unconsciously, Lyn brushed her fingers lovingly along Florina’s hair, her fingertips massaging the scalp underneath; suddenly recalling that Florina liked to see her with her hair down she decided to do just that.

Without any warning she rose till she was sitting on the bed with the other girl on her lap. Florina looked at her with a mixture of confusion and wonder.

The hair tie was removed, with one fluid motion of Lyn’s fingers, letting the strands of green hair fall down her shoulders. The simple action appeared unusually erotic and the tiny knight had to wonder if it was Lyn’s natural appeal heightened by the circumstances or if Lyn was outright aiming to be appealing.

Florina tensed. Had she been holding anything in her hands she would have let it fall unceremoniously at the sensual view in front of her.

Leaning forward, Lyn trapped Florina between her body and the headboard; being this close, Florina could clearly see the blush in the other girl’s cheeks.

“What do you want to do now, Florina?” Lyn asked, her eyes twinkling with eagerness and her airy whisper sounding unintentionally suggestive.

“I don’t really know.” Florina whimpered weakly, her mind going completely blank when faced with the significant opportunity to make a choice.

“Just do what you always longed for,” Lyn suggested in a low whisper. The confidence in her words weakened considerably with her nervous fidgeting. Unable to look at Florina in the eye she gazed down at the space between them, making an effort to not focus too much on Florina’s chest rising and falling with every quick breath.

Florina bowed her head and her hand moved slowly with a clear direction in mind, Lyn following her every move with her eyes. Florina’s fingers stopped just a hair’s breadth away of Lyn’s breasts.

“Do you want to touch them?”

With a startle Florina shook her head, clearly embarrassed, but her mouth betrayed her by saying the exact opposite. “Y-yes.”

Lyn brought one of Florina’s hands to her lips and kissed the back of it.

“Then don’t hold anything back.”

The only reply Florina could muster was a quick nod whilst Lyn brought the girl’s hand to one of her breasts. Florina could feel the heartbeats under her fingertips and knowing Lyn’s heart was beating as fast as hers made her less nervous.

After some seconds of Florina fondling the girl’s chest, Lyn spoke up. “The clothes are in the way,” she sounded breathless. “Perhaps you could h-help me remove them?”

“Of c-course, anything for you Lyn.” Florina’s hands started to untie the sash holding Lyn’s robes in place; her movements slow and cautious.

“There’s no need to be so careful,” Lyn whispered with amusement, a warm smile in her lips.

“I-it’s not like I have a choice... my hands are trembling so much.”

Lyn smiled fondly and caressed Florina’s cheek. That seemed to calm the girl enough to remove the Sacaean robes Lyn wore. The underwear was removed by Lyn a second later making good use of her legendary speed.

Instead of bringing her hands up to touch Lyn, Florina leaned to kiss the exposed flesh, her mouth leaving a trail of kisses leading to her chest.

Lyn’s reaction was to grab onto Florina’s head and thread her fingers along the strands of soft lilac hairs. Everything was soft with Florina, soft name, soft curves, soft voice, soft--

Her train of thought was interrupted when she felt the girl bite one of her breasts. It wasn’t that harsh of a nip, but it was still surprising coming from the gentle Pegasus knight. Perhaps the part that surprised Lyn the most was how pleasant it felt when combined with more kisses to her skin.

A gasp left her lips and Florina paused her ministrations. “S-sorry, should I stop?”

Pulling Florina’s head gently Lyn kissed her lips, her eyes clouded and dark.

“I need to feel you,” she whispered when the kiss ended. The words surprised even Lyn herself, but Florina rushed to speak giving Lyn no chance to back down.

“W-where?”

Lyn took a deep breath but for some reason her next words sounded choked. “...Everywhere.”

Florina could sense her increasing heartbeat in her throat and she gulped slowly. It took some time to even a bit her shaky breaths.

“R-right! You need me to shed these clothes in order to do that, I...”

After removing her skirt in a fluid motion, she started to unbutton her shirt, but her shaking hands were making difficult the otherwise simple act. She took some seconds to close her eyes and calm down.

“You don’t have to don a brave face for my sake.” Lyn took Florina’s hands with a lot of care and squeezed them gently.

“I’m n-not just p-pretending to be brave...” Florina stuttered quietly.

Lifting an eyebrow with concern, Lyn glanced at Florina. The girl took a deep breath before looking at the Sacaean girl with determination shining in her beautiful eyes.

“Haven’t I told you already? I promised myself I would be braver for you,” Florina declared sounding more convinced.

“Yes, yet I assumed you intended to apply that concept to the battlefield not... well... here.” Lyn hoped that her blush wasn’t as notorious as it felt. At least Florina didn’t mention it so Lyn felt less self-conscious.

“As the saying goes, love is a battlefield, yes?” Florina replied with renewed zest.

Lyn laughed but it wasn’t condescending or cruel, it was a warm sound which made Florina’s stomach tighten.

“I don’t think anyone but Sain says those kinds of things.”

Florina smiled and the casualness of the whole situation made her feel at ease. She had already unbuttoned her shirt halfway when Lyn’s hands relieved her from the task.

The Pegasus knight’s hands moved to the other girl’s face, thumbs rubbing Lyn’s cheekbones while fingers teased the skin behind Lyn’s ears. Lyn couldn’t help but lean into the touch.

Once Florina’s shirt was off her body, Lyn took her time to slowly remove her undergarments. Florina closed her eyes and when she felt the last piece of cloth being removed from her frame, she threw herself towards Lyn in an attempt to hide while she worked up the courage to show her body to the other girl.

The Blade Lord understood the actions and didn’t attempt to rush Florina. She couldn’t see the girl’s face but somehow just admiring her backside was enough for now. She blushed after noticing she had been staring at Florina’s derriere for more time that she would deem acceptable. She also shook off the thoughts of touching it.

Her body trembled with the sensation of her skin grazing against Florina’s, their breasts brushing against each other with every breath, and she couldn’t keep her hands still in their position over Florina’s unclothed back.

Conversely, Lyn’s warm skin made Florina drowsy; being in the woman’s arms was so comfortable. It was exciting to feel her skin against Lyn’s, knowing there were currently no barriers between their bodies and, in a way, there were no barriers in their relationship either.

Florina breathed the scent of Lyn’s body, a particular herby fragrance that brought Florina back to the times when they both played around in the plains, when Lyn was just Lyn and they had no duties weighing them down.

“Florina, are you asleep?”

A soft hum was the answer she received before the girl pulled back just enough to see Lyn’s eyes. This closely the soft blush in the girl’s cheeks was extremely noticeable.

“Sorry, I just want this to last forever.”

Florina rose and the sight of Lyn lying under her made her lower body quiver. She closed her eyes and bit her lip; without noticing her actions drove Lyn to lift her torso to hold Florina close to kiss her on the mouth, biting the Pegasus knight’s lip when the girl had stopped doing so.

“We can take it slow,” Lyn promised; her lips grazing Florina’s as she spoke, “make it last as much as we desire...” her arm pulled the smaller girl’s body closer to her while her free hand fondled the skin of the girl’s thigh. “and when we get tired we can rest in each other’s arms until we’re in the mood again.”

Cool fingers touched the plainswoman’s cheek, leaving traces of goosebumps in the skin. The agreement was implicit enough in the caring gesture. The smile in Florina’s lips resulted so contagious it found its way to Lyn’s lips in barely a second.

Taking some moments to catch her breath, Lyn took her time to admire Florina; with her blushing cheeks that made her blue eyes stand out. From her vantage point she saw the way their chests nearly touched with every breath.

The desire to be closer filled her head, but she wanted Florina to be the one to take the reins just as she did when riding a Pegasus.

The filthy thought of being mounted by the smaller girl, filled her head and made her nearly choke. She cleared her throat hoping it could help clear her mind as well.

“S-so, what’s next?” Lyn asked in whisper.

“I... T-there’s something I really yearn to try...” she trailed off but Lyn nodded firmly, giving Florina her approval without the need of any explanations.

Closing her eyes Florina leaned closer; Lyn closed hers as well and enjoyed the contact between their lips for some seconds before Florina moved back.

Remaining with her eyes closed Lyn didn’t know what was coming next till she felt timid fingers lifting her leg by the calf and wet lips making contact with her shins.

The caress made Lyn shudder with each tiny kiss pressed to her skin. She let out a soft gasp but refused to open her eyes, she was sure the sight of Florina kissing her legs would be enough to make her combust and faint or something worse.

A tiny tongue started trailing up her leg, slowly, from the ankle all the way to the smooth skin of her thigh.

When it was nearly reaching the junction of her legs Lyn left out a choked moan. Before any other sound could leave her mouth she bit down on her fingers in hopes of muffling the noises forming in her throat.

Some hesitant licks over her nether regions made Lyn trash uncontrollably and from her own mouth came a noise that was both a grunt and a moan.

Her trembling fingers reached for Florina’s forehead and pushed her back gently.

“S-sorry... if we... keep this up, I... I’m afraid our whole, uh... activity... might be cut short,” Lyn explained as well as she could, with her feverish mind, between short breaths.

As if she had been woken up from a trance and she was just realizing what she had done, Florina seemed to be taken aback.

She crawled up the bed until she was face to face with the Blade Lord, her fingers intertwining in green strands of hair, massaging the girl’s scalp affectionately. An apology got stuck in her throat when she noticed the fingers Lyn had been biting, her teeth leaving angry red bruises in the skin.

With her previous bashfulness forgotten, she took Lyn’s fingers in her hands and kissed the damaged skin, an unspoken apology for putting Lyn through an uncomfortable situation.

Lyn couldn’t help but hold Florina’s face between her hands and kiss her with an incredible amount of adoration, without caring nor thinking about where the girl’s mouth had just been mere minutes ago.

Breaking the kiss they looked at each other’s eyes; Florina was thrilled and it gave her this radiant glow in her whole demeanor. Lyn knew she was staring and she also knew her mouth was hanging open, but she couldn’t take her eyes off the girl.

“May I try something else?” Florina asked with gentleness.

Lyn took some seconds to admire Florina’s face at close range. This whole experience had been so new and thrilling so far that Lyn could easily understand why the knight would want something like this to last forever, even when she hadn’t really given it too much thought before.

“As long as I can touch you and hold you close,” she finally answered.

Florina bit her lower lip and suddenly Lyn’s next breaths were inconsistent and short, as if the action set inside of her a berserker spell of sorts and she was no longer in control of her own bodily reactions.

Starting by touching Lyn at her knees, Florina moved slowly up her thighs, caressing the firm muscles jumping slightly under her fingers. The knight didn’t know if Lyn was ticklish or the twitchy reactions were due to nervousness.

She left her hands at either side of Lyn in the juncture between leg and torso waiting for any sign to stop her ministrations but found none. Lyn was breathing heavily, looking at her with wild eyes, as if she was trying to hold herself back while Florina did what she had in mind.

She kept moving her palms up Lyn’s midsection pulling out gasps from the girl’s mouth and noting the muscles shudder under the skin.

Her breasts weren’t Florina’s final destination but she took her time to explore them and feel the heartbeat thumping under her touch, then after several seconds her hands kept going up.

Florina’s hands were as cool as the wind from the mountains of Ilia where she hailed from. In contrast Lyn’s skin was warm like the earth from her beloved plains of Sacae.

The small knight grabbed onto Lyn’s shoulders for leverage, those strong shoulders covered in heated skin which made her felt like she was melting.

She lifted her body on her knees and Lyn’s hands found themselves in Florina’s torso under the girl’s breasts. She could feel Florina’s ribs under the cool skin. Running her hands till she reached the girl's thighs made her realize Florina's body was so tiny and fragile. She wondered where did this girl find the strength to fight against all odds and remain as untainted and innocent as ever.

A leg found its way between Lyn’s legs and she felt a thrill run through her spine at the sensation of Florina’s cool thigh sliding against the most sensitive part of her body.

Her body quivered while her hands flew to clutch the other girl, the sensation between her thighs made her shudder but she didn’t want to stop, she didn’t want Florina to stop.

It wasn’t like Florina wanted to stop either; grinding against the solid frame under her, Florina was starting to realize this was even better than she had originally imagined.

Every small contact between them made her head spin, but not in an uncomfortable way. It was exciting, exhilarating... soothing.

All the nerves in her body were alive, aware of every delightful sensation. Her breath left her lips in soft gasps and the occasional whimper when the pleasure reached some new limit.

She could feel the exact moment when Lyn’s soft hands started helping her movements. At first Florina thought Lyn was growing impatient and trying something to accelerate the friction between them, but after some seconds went by, she realized Lyn was only aiding her in every move she chose to do, letting her decide the pace.

Rolling her hips slowly she couldn’t help but shiver whenever Lyn’s thigh rubbed against her center in the right angle. In return she tried to rub her thigh along Lyn’s pelvis; awaiting the shuddery breaths telling her Lyn was enjoying this as much as her.

Lyn reached for her face and kissed her between urgent pants, there was this evident strain in everything Lyn had been doing, this impulse to act faster, kiss Florina faster, touch her faster, but Florina could see how much Lyn was struggling to pace her every move, for the knight’s sake.

Lyn was as fast as the wind. She could probably grind their bodies quicker, make this whole act end in seconds—since they were both very close to release, already—yet she was taking her time, making every instant last as much as it could...

In that instant Florina realized the extent of Lyn’s love, the plainswoman didn’t say it as much as Florina, but there was something inherently Lyn in this particular way of acting.

She couldn’t see herself loving anyone else as much as she loved this girl.

“Florina, don’t cry.” Lyn’s strained words made her realize tears had been running down her cheeks.

Florina shook her head, wiping the tears with the heels of her hands. Lyn reached up holding Florina’s shoulders, her face, her neck, every movement tentative to avoid doing something that might upset the girl.

“You mean so much to me, Lyn; you mean more to me than the clouds, than the wind, than the sky...” Between hiccups the girl managed to let the words flow out of her mouth.

“Florina...”

“You mean more to me than flying, this... doing this with you is better than flying...”

Lyn licked her dry lips and blinked to stop the tears before they came to her own eyes. Taking shaky breaths the words she wanted to say left her mouth without her even trying.

“Florina, you mean to me more than the plains.”

A gasp left Florina’s lips. Listening to the plainswoman say those words was so much better that a simple 'I love you'.

It was enough to heighten all the nerves in the smaller girl’s body; the caress of Lyn’s chest against hers or the way their thighs rubbed against each other’s most intimate parts. She noticed for the first time how truly overwhelming her own heartbeat felt, pulsing not only inside her thorax but also between her legs or in her ears. All the way from her toes to her head, she could feel the blood coursing through her veins.

Suddenly Florina was hugging Lyn’s back tightly while her lower body moved against Lyn’s. The muscles in Lyn’s back rose with every move, trying to keep up with Florina’s actions.

Through the pleasure overload Lyn was reaching she felt the hands grasping her shoulders starting to lose their grip. Lyn hold over Florina’s waist became unyielding while she examined the Pegasus knight’s face searching for anything amiss with the girl.

The dreamy expression she got out of the girl made her realize Florina was close as well.

It wasn’t long before they reached their sweet release; Florina reaching it before Lyn. The girl stood frozen with her hands clinging to Lyn, her short nails digging into the skin of the plainswoman's back. Lyn couldn’t feel the pain. She was so focused on every other blissful sensation reaching peak in her, she had no mind to feel hurt.

Dispersing like wildfire in the plains, her whole senses got engulfed in heat; the sounds coming from Florina’s mouth were like wind, rekindling the flames in Lyn’s body.

Lyn felt her vision blur and her limbs lose strength. Her muscles went slack and even when she felt so spent she was sure she was more relaxed than tired.

After some seconds of catching her breath and basking in the calmness, Lyn remained still, searching for any sign of movement in Florina. A dash of sharp pain came to her when the smaller girl’s fingers unlatched from her back.

Noticing this, the girl rushed to apologize. “Sorry, Lyn, I felt like I was falling.”

The smile already gracing Lyn's face somehow grew even more; her eyes shining with adoration. “It’s all right, Florina, I’m here should anything happen.”

“I’m here for you too, Lyn.”

Lyn nodded. “You’re right, we’re in this together”

Both sighed at the same time and then laughed afterwards at how in sync they seemed to be.

“Did you... uh... enjoy it?” Lyn asked, her voice was surprisingly hoarse, as if she had run all the way to Bern and back.

“Y-yes, it felt so... nice.” Florina’s sweet voice was also a bit husky and Lyn felt her heart skip several beats at how endearing it sounded.

Pressing her sweat-covered forehead against Florina’s, Lyn scanned the face of the woman she loved. For the longest time Lyn had thought her one true love was the plains, but she really did love Florina more than the warm earth and blue skies of her beloved Sacae.

It was beyond her how such thing had happened. When did her desires to be with Florina overtake her wishes to return to Sacae?

“Is it alright if you spend the night... uhm... with me?” Florina whispered, her gentle voice sending shivers through Lyn’s body.

There was no way Lyn could refuse (not like she would want to anyway).

Cuddled in the plush covers of Florina’s mattress Lyn felt everything falling into place, if she could just stay like this with Florina forever she wouldn’t need anything else in her life.

Florina was always a light, bringing comfort and familiarity. When everything in her life had changed for better or for worse Florina was the true constant that grounded her.

Yet it wasn’t as if Florina herself hadn’t changed...

Lyn’s index and middle finger drew circles idly on the skin of Florina’s back; the Pegasus knight humming contentedly in response. The comfortable silence was broken by Lyn’s words.

“You’ve become so assertive, Florina, I know I shouldn’t be, but I’m a bit sad.”

Florina yelped and reluctantly rose from her position lifting her head from Lyn’s breasts. Her orchid-colored hair was completely disheveled giving her an attractive appearance in an involuntary way her orderly 'Pegasus knight looks' lacked.

“I’m sorry! I never meant to do anything to upset you!”

“No, you’re not at fault here, I just... I have always felt inadequate around you,” Lyn confessed rather sheepishly, “as long as I could protect you, I thought it to be fine; now when you don’t need me for that, though... I just wonder if I possess anything else to offer to you.”

Florina blinked several times, her eyes adjusting to the darkness of the room. Lyn seemed genuine but Florina couldn’t understand where Lyn was coming from.

“Eh?”

“I’m not lady-like or graceful like you, I’m just a woman from the plains, rough around the edges, simple-minded and uneducated. Try as I might you’re miles above me in every aspect.” Through her embarrassment Lyn sounded very displeased with herself.

Florina frowned. “It’s thanks to you that I’ve become what I am today; you make me thrive to be a better knight and a better person.”

Her words were sealed with a sweet kiss that had Lyn thriving for more. When Florina moved back Lyn found herself leaning forward, seeking Florina’s lips for another kiss.

“After all that has happened, I’m certain I wouldn’t have been able to overcome anything without you by my side,” Lyn admitted as she planted kisses to Florina’s jaw lovingly.

Grabbing Lyn’s face, Florina reluctantly halted her kisses in favor of looking at her in the eye.

“You sell yourself too short, I’m sure you would have managed, regardless.”

“Even if it’s true I’m glad you saw me through it all.”

“Anything for you, Lyn.” Florina reaffirmed her words with a hug.

Lyn took a deep breath making sure to enjoy Florina’s scent, she didn’t think she would ever get over how the Pegasus knight made her feel. She would definitely have a hard time being apart from her small, tender knight.

A timid mouth searched for Lyn’s lips, a hum echoing in the girl’s chest when the desired contact was granted to her.

Strong arms surrounded the tinier girl’s frame, pressing her smaller form against the Blade Lord; the muscle and soft flesh in their bodies weighing comfortably against the other.

Florina’s hands latched onto Lyn’s legs, her thumbs stroking the sensitive skin of her inner thighs. Lyn’s sigh allowed the kiss to deepen naturally.

With her face completely red, Florina could perceive the blood under her skin, normally that would have been a sign that the girl was getting bashful, but her kisses were anything but shy.

More kisses followed afterwards, Lyn took the opportunity to kiss every portion of skin in Florina’s face, making the girl giggle. It was such a delicate sound that Lyn’s heart fluttered inside her chest.

“Florina, let me go with you,” Lyn declared all of a sudden, startling even herself.

Florina blinked slowly trying to recall what were they talking about before they started to kiss.

“When you go back to Ilia, let me go with you,” Lyn elaborated removing some stray hairs from Florina’s face; a face currently harboring a very bittersweet expression.

“Ilia is nothing like the plains, the ground is always covered in snow and the weather is harsh. I’m used to the cold, but what about you?”

“I wouldn’t mind if I have you to hold me in your warm embrace,” taking Florina’s arms in her hands she enveloped herself in the Pegasus knight’s grasp.

Resisting was futile, but that didn’t stop Florina’s weak attempts.

“I don’t wish to keep you away from the plains any longer,” she whispered with alarm.

“I still dream of going back to the plains with you, but I rather stay by your side than return there all by myself.” Lyn only huddled closer to Florina, resting her head in the girl’s soft chest.

“B-but... I-I can’t... I can’t ask you to yield the plains just because I have to return to Ilia.”

“We can still visit the plains. We’ll travel together! With Huey’s help, traveling between Ilia and Sacae shouldn’t be a problem.” Lyn’s warm fingers caressed the girl’s ribs until a dreamy sigh left her lips. “Then, when you finish with your training we can go back to the plains... together...that is, if you still wish to come with me.”

Lyn waited for Florina to gather her thoughts without noticing the soft smile gracing her lips.

“My sister once told me,” Florina whispered, “that if I went back to Ilia I could easily be promoted to a Pegasus knight first rank and work by her side; I rejected her offer telling her I didn’t want to be under her protection forever, but truth is... I didn’t want to leave your side; still don’t want to... Having you by my side while doing this really means a lot to me.”

Lyn hummed in understanding but she also did so because having her head to Florina’s torso whilst the girl spoke sent pleasing shivers down Lyn’s own body with every rumble produced by each word.

“Thank you.” Florina talked with so much earnestness Lyn’s breath got caught in her throat.

“I love you.”

This time it wasn’t Florina saying it.

The Pegasus knight felt her stomach shrink and a pleasant thrill run through her spine. Her arms, which had been surrounding Lyn’s back tentatively, became more possessive and hugged the other girl tighter against her.

Her bed felt so much inviting and comfortable while sharing it with Lyn. She’ll have to ask the Sacaean girl to consider sharing a bed from now on...

It wasn’t long before they both fell asleep together while the winds caressed the plains.