They started out for Jalidi’s homeland early in the morning, and had been walking through most of the day. The dinner they had the night before kept them sated for the journey so far, though Jalidi’s generally cushy lifestyle in his pride left him a little unprepared for going long periods of time without food. Bedwyr did not bring up hunting for the day, though, and since she was sort of leading the expedition, despite his being the navigator, he did not want to ask. It would probably just embarrass him, and make her realize how squishy he really was.
If she had not guessed already, of course.
Bedwyr was feeling more at peace than she had in the last few days of her lonely journey, and noted that company really did help improve her mood. She was also very excited to find this snowy home, and see what kind of a place it really was. Then, maybe some day, she would be able to take him to her home in return. And maybe by then the war would be over and things would be better for them all.
In a better world, at a better time, she hoped to have a home she was proud of.
A place she would want to raise a family in.
“So, Jalidi, do you have anyone special back at home, waiting for you to return from your journey?”
Okay, so maybe it was not the most subtle she had ever been, but she was curious and since they had been getting along so well, she did not feel like she had to hide her thoughts from him. It was just an innocent question, after all, so she could know how they stood and what she was able to get away with. Was light flirting okay? Would she be leading him on? Leading herself on? Could they be a fling, or a one night moment in the snow, or something more? Wait, why was she thinking things like that? She was being ridiculous, especially for a knight of royal blood! She chided herself inwardly, though the thoughts remained and she watched him with a barely hidden look of eager interest as they padded along.
Jalidi looked at her, seemingly oblivious to any undertone or hidden agenda in asking him that. He smiled bashfully, more focused on the fact that no one had ever really been interested in him before, so he was kind of just embarrassed about being single. He always just assumed that any one he met had much better luck than him, and already had found their lot in life. The successful bachelors who could get anyone they wanted, or the committed, life long couples who knew only love. Sometimes he thought he was not destined for either end.
Forever alone, this one.
“Oh, no, no one. I mean. Not yet. You know. I was hoping one day maybe I’d find someone, you know. Maybe with a nice, icy pelt, like mine, but I’m not really specific. It’s just that sometimes people who don’t have snowy pelts don’t really… like those of us that do.They think we caused the heavy snows, and bad winters, by some sort of curse. My mother, the Queen, gets a lot of that blame, but she didn’t have anything to do with that. I mean, how could she? We’re all just lions. Not like, Gods.”
He had no idea that he had a God for a grandmother, or that his mom was the daughter of a goddess that ruled over glaciers. Not that it was related to the weather of their land in any way, but it certainly was a damning coincidence, should anyone find out about it.
“My father is a God,” Bedwyr said distantly, watching him with a kind of distracted look about her. He seemed to just babble freely, and did not really keep any secrets, as far as she could tell. It was a sweet, if not innocent, quality to find in someone. She knew she was very guarded, when it came to most of her personal life. Being able to share with him a little felt rather nice. “The God of Chivalry, in fact. Because I’m his daughter, I have these… powers. I can see little pieces of the future. It’s not really useful, at least not yet. I don’t see things very often. But… it doesn’t give me the ability to control weather, or anything like that. I don’t think it works that way.”
“That’s good to know!” Jalidi looked at her, shocked. “I didn’t know you were… well, I mean. Of course I didn’t know, I only just met you, but… your father is a God? That’s incredible!”
“And you’re the prince of your realm,” she reminded him, blushing under her fur, “that is no small detail, either, you know. I mean… royalty is often revered more than most Gods, these days, as far as I can tell.” Of course, in her home, there were a few Gods running about. In his, they did not see them, and had no idea there was one living within the pride to keep the Queen safe. Jalidi shook his head, now taking his turn to blush under his fur, and the two fell into a gentle silence as they padded along.
Bedwyr smiled and padded forward, catching up to him as he had been a few steps ahead of her for this last stretch. He was leading them, after all, and she seemed to have realized that at some point in the conversation to let him go by her. She now wanted to walk side by side with him, and he glanced at her as she fell into step beside him. She did not look at him, keeping her eyes straight ahead, and he chuckled softly to himself. He was certainly okay with this, and would happily walk in silence next to her if that was what she wanted.
So long as she continued to walk next to him, he could not really complain about anything at all. It was as perfect a day as he had ever experienced before, and he was hoping it was just going to get better. And, for the first time, he had the optimism to think that it would.
Word Count: 1053
