I love Alice Edelweiss

Daylight was just starting to break when I woke up. It had been a good night’s sleep, the most comfortable I had been in a while. Looking down, it was obvious why. There, with her head upon my chest, was the woman I loved.

Considering what we had said before about not wanting to be seen sleeping in the same room, I had assumed she would return to her own before going to bed, but she insisted that staying for just one night would be okay, so we ended up sleeping in the same bed again.

Obviously that’s all we did, there’s no way the customs of a medieval world would let a highborn lady ‘do’ anything, but I didn’t much care for that anyway. The warmth of her beside me was more than enough.

It was strange, I had gone my entire 23 years of existence without even really understanding love. Now, when I looked down at the steadily breathing face lying on my chest, it was all I could think of. Now that I had confronted my feelings for her, it all felt so obvious, but I was left wondering just how long I had felt this way and just not noticed. Right from the beginning, I had found her both beautiful and inspiring, her every trait endearing to me, but was that enough to call it love? Was it love at first sight, or did it develop over time?

It occurred to me, however, that it was entirely pointless to think of about. Right then and there, in that moment, my mind was clear of any and all doubt. I knew how I felt, that was all that really mattered.

“Mmm…” slowly, Alice began to rouse, opening her eyes just a touch and seeing the dull glow of the rising Sun seep through the window. “Dawn breakeþ, my love. þou shouldst prepare for þe day ahedd, shouldst þee not?”

“Probably, I just wanted to stay like this until you woke up. Is that so bad?”

“I sayd no such þing,” she replied, raising her head from my chest and briefly gracing my lips with hers, before continuing “but þou promised to assist Eleanor today, didst þee not? ‘Twould hardly do to keep her wæting.”

“Yeah, prob'ly for the best. Considering she and Arthur 'ave been workin' their arses off these days, I’d feel like a bit of a lazy sod if I didn’t pull me own weight properly,” I replied, briefly kissing her back before rolling over out of bed.

“Of corse… pulling one’s own wate…” I heard Alice mutter quietly from the bed.

“…sorry, I know you’s prob'ly bored stiff, aincha? What with the ‘ole ‘never showin’ your face in public’ thing, shoulda thought before I spoke.” I felt like a bit of a prat for complaining when I was undeniably in the better situation of the two of us.

“Please, apoljyse nautt. ‘Tis hardly þy fault þat I have brautt such attenshon upon myself. ‘Twould not do for þee to hold þyself back on myne accaunt. Until such a tyme comeþ þat I may freely show my fase, I will have to content myself wiþ hyding,” she replied somberly. “However, I cannot help but feel þat I am nautt but dead wate, as it standeþ nau. þou, Eleanor and Arþur haþ all worked tirelessly as late, wyle it can hardly be sayd I have contribyuted at all. To tell þe trueþ, ‘tis raþer irksom to sit and twiddle my þumms wyle oþers pull my wate for me.”

“Quite the noble sentiment for an aristocrat, if you’ll pardon the pun,” I replied. “Still, you might not have much to do now, but eventually everything is gonna be hingin' on you. You’re the only one of us with the power to effect real change, ain’t ya? When we win this thing and put you in charge, you’s gonna have a long life of working’ your arse off tryna get shit done. So relax a little, yeah? I know it sucks not bein' able to contribute much right now, but the time’ll come, I promise ya’s.” I leaned over and gave her a quick peck on the cheek before turning to the wardrobe in the corner of the small room, filled primarily with spare clothes borrowed from Al.

“I suppose þou speakest true, I have myne own role in all þis, and ‘twould be wyse not to jeppordyse it simply to relieve myne own ajitaeshon. þough, þat unforchunately doþ little to alleviate myne ennui.”

“On that front I’m afraid I can’t 'elp much, but I’ll try to get back quickly this evening so you’re not stuck on your own for too long at least.” Pulling some underwear and trousers from the wardrobe, I turned my head to see Alice still staring at me. “Uhh… I’m about to change my clothes, y’know…”

“Ah- ryte! Of corse! M-my mistake…” she said, a blush creeping onto her cheeks as she turned away. She actually seemed disappointed that I noticed. This girl, honestly…

I changed my clothes relatively quickly, looking over my shoulder every now and then to check she wasn’t peeking, before addressing her once again.

“I’m gonna go do down for breakfast, you comin' with?” I asked, slipping on my shoes.

“Aye, I shall join þee shortly. I ferst must return to myne own room to chanje, so do go on ahedd. It ys… lykely better if we are not seen leaving þe room togeþer.”

“Y-Yeah… we should be careful about that…”

Even if we were officially dating… or whatever the old timey word for dating is… it still wouldn’t be looked upon kindly for a young lady to be sharing a bed with a man she’s not married to. And besides… I really didn’t want to cause poor Eleanor a heart attack.

But, despite my misgivings, and the possible necessity of keeping our relationship a secret, I couldn't say my spirits were dampened in the slightest.

Finally, for the first time, I was happy.

I loved Alice Edelweiss.