Jaspar had a maid come and get Maude from her bedroom in the middle of the following day. She’d reluctantly followed the maid, who had insisted that his grace was trying to take Maude somewhere. She’d followed Jaspar into the carriage and rode in silence.

I don’t know what to say at this point, she thought. I don’t know what to do, either. Do we stay together until the end? Is there truly no other easy way to be together in the future?

Jaspar had informed her that they were going to Rosenberg’s marketplace, rather than the capitol’s which was where she had primarily gone with Helena in the past. She’d only nodded, though she admitted to herself that she was excited to see more of the Rosenberg that Jaspar wanted so desperately to protect.

Much to her surprise, they had arrived at what was most certainly a sword shop.

“We’re stopping here,” Jaspar said to her, gesturing at the shop. Maude nodded at him, and he opened the carriage door for her, offering his hand to help her down out of it. Despite how she was feeling about him at that moment, she took his hand to get out. Jaspar smiled sadly at her.

“Why here?” she asked as she planted her feet back firmly on the ground.

His lips tightened further into the sad smile. “You’ll see,” he said, offering his arm for her to link into. She did so, reluctantly.

He escorted her into the shop. As they walked in, Maude gasped in wonder. Covering the walls of the store were ornately decorated swords, knives, daggers, and anything else pointy and stabby that Maude could think of.

“What is this?” she asked in wonder and amazement, releasing her arm from Jaspar’s and doing a small twirl in the center of the small shop.

“Welcome,” the shop keep said from behind the desk. “Are you here to pick up your order, Duke Rosenberg?”

Maude looked over at him and raised one of her eyebrows. He just gave her the same sad, small smile.

“I am,” he replied to the shop keep.

“Wonderful,” the shop keep said. Maude turned to look at him. He was a small man with a hunch in his back. Silver, gray hair streamed around his face in wisps, while most of it was pulled back into a ponytail on his neck. “Let me go and grab that. Just a moment, please.” He turned away from them, and went into his backroom behind the counter.

“Order?” Maude asked, turning back to Jaspar.

“You’ll see,” he replied looking at her sadly.

How mysterious, she thought, feeling a wave of heat rush through her. I wish he would say something more than just “you’ll see.”

She turned away from Jaspar and looked at a couple of swords that were resting on the display case in wooden boxes. Next to them was a little card that said “Tester.”

“Are these to hold?” Maude asked, gently touching the handle of the sword.

“They are,” Jaspar replied, coming up to her on her right.

The handle of the one Maude was touching was encrusted with glittering seashells and was smooth to the touch. She gently lifted it up out of the box and felt herself gaping at it.

“Wow,” she said. “The balance of this sword is incredible.” Jaspar chuckled softly beside her. She pulled the blade close to her face so that she could inspect it. It looked razor sharp. “How can a sword be this light and sharp?” she asked. “This is amazing.”

“I’m glad you think so,” Jaspar said, leaning on the display case.

“It’s most certainly the most balanced sword I’ve ever held in my life. I’ve never felt anything like this before.”

“This particular blacksmith is renowned as the best blacksmith in all of Aulbert,” he said, as she continued to inspect the blade. “He does impeccable work, and many famous swordsmen have purchased a blade from him and are never let down.”

Maude felt her eyes widen at the information Jaspar was giving her. Looking down at the weapon in her hands, she felt herself start to panic a bit.

This is probably the most expensive item I’ve ever held, she thought, gently putting the blade back into the wooden box. If he’s recognized as the best blacksmith in all of Aulbert, I’m sure his prices are quite hefty.

She couldn’t help herself though, and she gently stroked her hand across the handle again. “It’s beautiful,” she murmured.

“It is,” Jaspar agreed, peeking over her shoulder.

She smiled awkwardly at the situation she found herself in. She was enjoying being so close to him again but wasn’t really sure of the status of things after their fight.

Thankfully, the shopkeeper came back from his backroom, and was holding a wooden case, similar to the one the “tester” sword was in. Maude’s heart skipped a beat. Is that sword for me? She wondered. Or is it for someone else? Maybe he got a sword made for Jakob and he’s going to send it to him?

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Still, she noticed that she was getting excited, and her heart was beating joyfully in her chest, at the thought that the sword might be hers. I can’t let myself get too excited, she scolded herself.

“This is it,” the shop keep said, handing the box to Jaspar. “And it looks like you paid for it on the front end, so you should be good to go.”

“Thank you so very much,” Jaspar said with a smile, while smoothing his hand over the wooden lid.

“Anything else I can do today to help your grace out?” the shop keep asked, nodding at both of them.

“Not at all,” Jaspar replied with a warm smile. “Thanks so much.”

“It was my pleasure,” the shopkeeper replied with a gap toothed smile. Jaspar turned and began heading out the door.

“Thanks,” Maude said softly, as she turned to follow after Jaspar. She exited the building, expecting to be getting into the carriage, and noticed that Jaspar had started leisurely walking away from the rest of the shops.

“Where are we going?” she asked as she caught up to him.

“There’s a park nearby that I wanted to show you,” he replied, looking at her again with the same sad smile.

“You’re not going to put that in the carriage?” she asked him, gesturing to the wooden box in his arms.

“And leave a precious, expensive sword unsecured?” he asked. “That’s just asking for trouble.”

“I suppose that’s true,” she murmured, still puzzled by his actions.

I thought Rosenberg was one of the safest territories in Aulbert though, she thought. Her heart stuttered again at the possibility that the sword might be for her. Stop it, she told herself.

They rounded a corner, and Maude could see the park ahead. There was a gazebo at the center of it that had flowers blooming and growing over it. There were several entrances to the park, and each had an archway that grew beautiful, many different colored, flowers. She was taken a bit back by the beauty that she could see from the distance.

I wonder if this was the park that Helena thought of when she and I walked in the Rosenberg garden, she thought. If I had known that such a place could exist, maybe I would have enjoyed being a lady who walks around in parks.

As they got closer, Maude was beginning to be able to smell the lovely scents of the flowers that were flourishing in the garden. She couldn’t help but feel that the garden park seemed to have an aura of magic around it.

“It’s beautiful,” she commented to Jaspar, still following him from behind.

He chuckled softly. “I’m glad you think so,” he said, referring to the park this time.

They walked through one of the archways, and the scent of flowers engulfed them momentarily. Maude looked up as they passed under it, in wonder that there were plants that could grow on an arch like this.

The gazebo had a small crowd in it, and it looked like the group of people were enjoying some afternoon tea. Jaspar started heading towards a bench that was shaded under a tree. Maude followed closely behind, and watched him put the box down on the bench. She swallowed hard, hearing her heart thundering in her chest.

But what if… she thought. What if the sword is actually for me?

A lump formed in her throat and she felt her palms starting to sweat. Her chest felt tight.

If it is actually for me, then I’m the biggest asshole on the continent, she thought. I acted like a spoiled child who wasn’t getting what they wanted while all along he was planning on getting me something incredible.

She walked up the last few steps between her and Jaspar, each one feeling like she was treading through mud.

He looked at her with the same sad smile he’d been giving her all day. “Open it,” he said, gesturing at the box on the bench.

“You want me to open it?” she asked, pointing at her chest. Her stomach twisted around inside.

Jaspar nodded at her, and she reached down and gently flipped the lid of the box open. She couldn’t help but gasp loudly at the sight. The sword that was enclosed inside was elegant and beautiful, all wrapped into one. The sword’s hilt was encrusted with peridot, and there were two long strands of metal that worked its way up from the hilt to the top of the pommel, effectively working as a hand guard. On the strands were teeny tiny metal flowers, blossoming as though they were on a vine.

“Is this for me?” she asked, gently touching the hilt of the sword. It was smooth, just as the one at the shop had been.

“It is,” Jaspar replied. His eyes looked sad.

Maude gently lifted the sword out of the box, noticing that just like the one in the shop, it was perfectly balanced. “The stones are the same color as my ability,” she remarked.

“Peridot reminds me of you because of it,” Jaspar answered. “My choice of them was intentional.”

Maude felt her heart squeezing hard in her chest. Why did I say those things yesterday? She asked herself. Especially when I know for a fact that they aren’t true.

“It’s beautiful,” she murmured softly. “And it’s a similar style to my sword from the empire.”

Jaspar nodded. “Now that the king trusts you, I need to give that back to you.”

Maude smiled lopsidedly at him. “Without a doubt, this is the superior sword,” she said. She turned her eyes back to the blade to begin to inspect it. Right underneath the hilt, she noticed some lettering. Without a doubt, the letters clearly spelled out her name, “Maude Holloway.”

The tears came instantly. She couldn’t hold her emotions back any longer. “I’m so sorry,” she murmured. “I’m so sorry about yesterday.”

“It’s alright,” Jaspar said. “It’s not as though I don’t understand where you are coming from.”

Maude gently placed the sword back in the box, and then began drying her eyes. “Thank you so much,” she managed to get out, her voice cracking. “This is an unbeatable gift. I’ll cherish it.”

Jaspar, again, smiled sadly at her. “I actually came and had this sword commissioned at the start of our relationship,” he informed her. “I wanted to give you the kind of sword that you should have received when you became a sword saint.” He cleared his throat and started patting Maude on the back. “As things got more serious, I started thinking that I would give it to you when I proposed to you.”

Maude’s head snapped up, and she met his eyes. He had a dreamy, forlorn look on his face.

“So it really hurt me to hear those things yesterday, since this has been my intent for a while.” He paused, an awkward look passing over his face. “I don’t like the way things have turned out for us, but I’m not sure what else we can do,” he said, finishing his thoughts. “I’m sorry that the war is wreaking havoc for our relationship as well. I genuinely wish things could be different.”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Maude muttered, her tears starting up again. “I shouldn’t have said those things.” She turned away from Jaspar, and brushed her hand again along the hilt of the sword. “It’s beautiful. I love it, and I love you,” she said, turning back to him. She kissed him softly on the lips, doing her best to hide their faces with her hands. As she pulled away from him, she noticed that he had a surprised look on his face.

“Maude,” he murmured softly.

“I’ll keep looking for a way for us to be together,” she said. “Surely there is some other way.”

His face contorted into a look that seemed frustrated, and he turned his face away from hers. “Okay,” he replied, a note of clear irritation in his tone.

I wonder if he’s frustrated because I keep looking for a different way, she thought. She turned away from him and closed the wooden box, her mouth starting to run dry, and her insides churning. Why is that so frustrating to him? She pondered.