Welcome to Gaia! ::

Once she had taken the flower, he gave her a gallant bow. "It was my honor, m'lady. The flower suits you charmingly, I should say. Should you see any other such blooms that strike your fancy, please let me know and I will be delighted to retrieve them so that you need not risk your own safety."

He smiled faintly, touched by her apparent concern for him. It was rather nice to have a beautiful mare worrying about him. "I have never met a maiden so lovely as yourself," he answered her initial question. He knew better than to add that the few mares in that territory were all too distressingly independent to appreciate him doing much of anything for them. He didn't get to serve a proper lady too often. "And while it's true that my guardian responsibilities do take up a fair amount of my time, I still have far too much free on my hooves," he sighed wistfully. "It would be my joy to have a fine lady such as yourself to devote myself to when my duties allow... Ah, not to be too forward, m'lady!" He scrambled to correct his mistep. He didn't want her to think he expected anything more from her than what she was willing to grace him with. "It would be foolish to presume that a damsel as stunning as m'lady doesn't already have a knight willing and ready to devote himself to your desires..."

Was he truly hearing her correctly? He felt his step perk up a bit as he considered her words. Was she really agreeing to be his lady? Was she saying that she didn't already have a knight at her beck and call? He couldn't believe his luck. "I would make time for my duties around serving you, m'lady," he assured her quickly. "It would be my honor to do so! Ah... provided you'll have me, of course. And that you find my home to your tastes..."

He smiled, feeling as though he had just grown wings. This day, which had started so plainly, was turning into one of the best in his memory. He stepped out of the woods and stood aside so she could see his not so modest abode. He really was quite proud of the stone castle he had built with his own hooves. "This is it," he told her, pride evident in his tone. "It's safe and secure... if a bit...erm... drab. It needs a bit of a mare's touch..." He trailed off, hoping that she would be that mare.

He soaked up the admiration, practically puffing up with pride. "It took a long time," he admitted. "And a great deal of effort... and some help from the local alpha." Or at least his mate. He still wasn't convinced the tiny orange beast was the alpha. But as he hadn't met her mate yet, he couldn't say for certain. "Come! It's even better inside!"

Midagi beamed at her, happier than he had been in a long time. He had a lovely lady admiring his work. What could be better than this? Eagerly, he led her toward the palace, showing her how to get past the carefully crafted door he had managed to put over the opening. No snakes or critters would get into his home. Not without his permission at least. Or that of his lady.

"Of course!" It really hadn't occurred to him to do any less. Though... since she asked... maybe she didn't really want it? "That is, if it pleases you, m'lady, it would be my pleasure to show you around my humble home."

He happily did so, taking her on the tour of his palace. He hadn't quite mastered a second level, but he was figuring out how to make it work. He did manage to make a cold room where he could store plants and fruits for the long, harsh winters. All of this, he gladly explained to her, along with an in depth explanation on how, exactly, he managed to build each room.