Having already chewed her nails to stubs, she had begun meticulous work on gnawing the skin from her nailbeds. It was unlike Cro to be late and the stone planter she sat upon was beginning to numb her bottom. This edge of the gardens was their meeting spot, a small corner hidden by a misplaced hedge that the guards of the palace rarely took the time to look behind.

It was here that Cro had taken up training Holli in secret, a pact that was made covered in mud after having helped Holli defeat her young bullies. Young Holli had expected the strange and rigid child to betray her or get bored within a few days, but Cro never did. He met with her daily, until he turned seven and was sent to The School of the Ring to be trained into a true and proper Finisher–a soldier born to fight against magic and all of its evils.

Even still, he had left Holli a detailed notebook of things to practice in his absence, annotated with helpful tips and little jokes. And during the Reflection Days, a three day festival every year that students are permitted to come home, Cro had always found a day to meet Holli here, in person, and give her another manual to last through to their next meeting.

This was the third year of this tradition.

The previous notes sat next to Holli, heavily worn and stained from plenty of use. Bookmarking the pages were a few of their letter correspondances. Cro wasn’t allowed communication often, and the notes had to be written carefully so that nobody suspected Cro was teaching the young girl to fight, as each letter was read by administration before being sent to her.

Eventually, the letters were less about supplemental battle tactics than just trying to keep in contact with a friend.

Holli stared at them intently as she chewed another piece of skin off.

“Apologies, milady.” A voice came from the other side of the hedge. Holli whipped her head around and pulled her wet hand from her mouth. Cro appeared into the space, already taking his respectful bowing position.

Holli cocked her head. The boy looked different. Of course he would have the obvious aging of the year, being inches taller and having lost some of his childhood plumpness. These changes weren’t shocking. It was the fact that his jet black hair wasn’t slicked back neatly, but allowed to be a fluffy mess atop his head.

Cro straightened up. “Is something the matter?”

“Your hair.”

Cro tried to slick it back with his hand, a rare blush coming over his cheeks.“Oh, like I said, I must apologize. I got caught up-”

“I like it.” Holli interrupted him with a smile.

The boy’s expression softened, his hand falling from his head and back to his side. He took a step toward Holli, standing with his hands clasped behind his back next to her seated figure. She let out a huff before grabbing his arm and yanking him down to sit next to her. He gave a small yelp, but quickly found a seat.

For a brief moment, they sat in silence. Holli stared at the garden around them. These meetings were always done in secret, stowing away from their families at a time of celebration. And sometimes the couple used it as a reprieve from such excitement.

Cro spoke first, pulling out another notebook from inside his coat.

“This has the drills and teachings from the last year. I circled the exercises that I thought you’d especially benefit from.” Cro placed the notebook in Holli’s hand. She stared at it for a moment before looking into his emerald eyes. A familiar mischievous smile crossed his lips. “You will certainly be well prepared for your entrance into the Sisters of the Ring.”

She let out a half-hearted laugh. Holli was approaching her tenth birthday. This was when she was expected to make a choice: enrolling into the Sisters of the Ring for a lifetime of service to the Finisher cause or staying at home and learning to be a home maker from her mother and eventually taking a husband. For the longest time, she was certain of her choice. But the past few months have led doubt to bubble up within her.

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“Thank you.” Holli placed the notebook down onto her stack.

Cro nodded dutifully. “Should we begin training then, see how well you’ve mastered the last lessons?”

Slapping his hands to the stone, he had begun to push himself up. Holli grabbed his arm again, pulling him back next to her.

“I…missed you.” She whispered timidly, avoiding eye contact.

“Oh?” Cro’s arm muscles tensed up underneath her small hands.

“Did you…miss me?”

Holli wasn’t sure he’d answer, and the moments of silence that came after her question felt like eternity. Her heart was beating out of her chest, and she had suddenly felt nauseous. Anxiety was a rare emotion for the young girl, and Cro had been the cause of so much of it for her, recently. She wanted to hate him for it. But he was strange and endearing and sweet and strong. And Holli had come to a realization recently that she didn’t hate him, it was quite the opposite.

Her hands loosened their grip on his arm.

“Abundantly.” Cro stated finally.

Letting out the breath in her lungs, Holli turned to meet his gaze. A gleeful smile had begun to creep up on her. She cleared her throat and nodded.

“Do you admit feelings for me, Cro?” Holli prodded further. Her own formal training coming through in her words.

Cro pursed his lips before giving a single nod of affirmation. “I do.”

Holli’s joyous expression widened, taking over her entire face. She clutched onto Cro’s arm tighter in an awkward and painful attempt to be like the Finisher women who walk with the Finisher men they court. She saw them sometimes gallavanting in this very garden during the three years the men are allotted to find a bride before going off to war.

If her pointy fingers hurt, Cro made no mention of it.

“Perhaps I should stay, then.” Holli suggested.

“No, you shouldn’t.” Cro pulled his arm from her grasp and turned his body so that he faced her. Holli blinked, unprepared for the sudden rejection. “You must go.”

Tears had already begun to well up, her feelings of hope being crushed before her.

“You don’t want to be with me in the future, then?” It stung, but it made sense. Although Cro had strange tendencies, he was always very put together. He would never struggle to find a match when it came time, especially after the years of chivalry and charm that the School of the Ring taught. That same poise could not be said of Holli. Cro had seen her at her lowest, meanest, and sweatiest this past few years. Perhaps he didn’t believe that she could grow out of these things.

Cro found her eyes, halting her tears from falling with the sincerity and wisdom that she found within them. Holli listened intently as he spoke.

“When my imagination is kind about the life I have before me, I cannot picture anyone but you as my eventual wife.” Cro grabbed Holli’s hand, reiterating his point with another statement. “If I do not marry you, Holli, I’m sure I will not marry.”

“I don’t get it, then.” She shook her head.

Letting out a sigh, Cro released her hand. “I cannot be selfish. To deprive the Finisher clan of such a strong fighter and resign her to do nothing but fret and wait until I return from battle, like my mother and hers before that. I will not ask you to give up your desire to fight for my desire of your companionship.”

Holli pursed her lips in thought. The decision felt so large now that it made her head hurt. This was the only boy that had ever thought of her as an equal, and she’s sure he’s the only one who has ever admitted that a girl could also be a strong fighter. This admission almost made her want to agree just so she wouldn’t be letting him down.

“You don’t get to choose for me.” She eventually decided, crossing her arms in front of her chest. “It’s not just about you. I can decide how best to serve the Finisher clan myself. And you claiming you know what’s best for me is stupid.”

“That’s not what I meant-” Cro’s brows furrowed tightly as he leaned in closer. Holli threw out an accusatory finger his way, stopping him in his place.

“Would you marry me when we’re older, yes or no?”

“Milady, I think that-” Holli’s finger poked him firmly in the chest.

“Stop thinking. Yes or no?” She waited expectantly.

Cro’s knowing smile appeared on his face. He was the top of his class and tougher than any other boy in his year, yet somehow Holli always won. “Yes.”

She retracted the finger and bounced happily up and down. Holli beamed a bit as she giggled excitedly. “Alright. It’s decided, then. One day, Cro, I’ll be your wife.”

Without hesitation, Holli found her way to her feet. She grabbed one of the small notebooks from the stack and held it up with a small sigh.

“I guess it’s time to go over last years lessons now.”

Cro stared at her for a long moment. He ran his hand through his messy hair before his mischievous smile returned to his face. When he stood, he now towered over her by a few inches. She didn’t mind, though, as it just made it easier to knock him off his balance. And they began sparring for the first time in a year.