Sweet Candy

“I’ve put in a good word for you, made sure that you are not troubled in this kingdom. That's the least I can do. Alas, war waits for no man but I do wish someday both our people can meet at the same table.”

Edman mounted his horse now with a full set of armour and a face that softened from decades of stoic statue-like stillness. He held onto his lance preparing for his departure but stopped momentarily with a painful pause followed by one final word.

“Lyse, I know it is your right not to forgive my actions but I am sorry. I am sorry that I let myself be consumed by righteous duty and thus forfeiting my own humanity.”

“It’s okay. The past is the past and I’ve accepted it. I still have anger for sure, but what is done is done and the only thing we can do is move forward.”

Edman smiled back, tapping his horse to move.

“A shame, you would have made a great king. Farewell you two.”

Estra and Lim watched on as Edman led his convoy of soldiers out of the city gate. They depart with crowds cheering them on with full fan fare. Flower petals of all colours and kinds were thrown all around as the festival resumed after being cut short.

Estra turned around to Lim with a childish grin on her face.

“Lim! Can we?”

“Let's go!”

***

“I’ve never been to a festival before, let's eat EVERYTHING! … oh oh is that a game let's go!”

“Wait for me Estra!”

Estra rushed over to a stall with a giant sign on top that read: “Hit the caged man and win prizes of glory!!!”

The person inside the booth looked out towards the pair with uninterested eyes. He was more focused on playing some card game than actually manning the stall.

“HEYYY!!!”

“Oh customers… AHEM! Welcome to The Caged man! It's very simple, just throw the ball into the hole to trigger a contraption to send the man into the water.”

Estra picked up the ball which was nothing but a tiny black painted egg.

“Wait a minute this isn’t a ball!”

“You picked it up so you already paid for it. So just play.”

“Everything in this city is a goddamn scam!”

Lim tapped onto Estra’s shoulders.

“Just pay it. It shouldn’t be too hard.”

“Now that's cheating Lim I wouldn't dare think of… DOING THAT!”

*BAM*

Estra hurled the egg into the hole with such force metal contraption swung open causing the man to fall into the water below.

*Spash*

The guy inside the booth opened his jaws speechless.

“HOW THE HELL!”

“My prize, give me!”

Lim hummed happily carrying a stuffed animal. It was more like a monster than an animal. A four headed hound made to look as cute as possible.

“Estra isn’t a cerberus so cute I want one.”

“Ah Lim you don’t want one…OH Look!”

They ran into another game stall with several swords stuck in the ground with rings to the side.

“Welcome! Welcome! Are you ready to play? Simply thread that needle into the ring hilt of one of those swords to win.”

Lim placed a bag of coins on the counter and picked up the needle. He frowned when he realised the trick. The needle was a light wooden stick painted silver which would make it harder to throw at a distance.

“Hah!”

Lim threw the needle and his suspicions were confirmed. The needle simply floated and barely moved very far due to how light the wood is. It is more akin to paper than wood at this point.

He picked up the needle again and before he could do anything Estra whispered in his ears. His ears twitch red from her soft words.

“You know what to do.”

Lim paused, feeling guilty but then saw the stacks of gold that the sleazy man had amassed. He channeled subtle magical energy into the abnormal wood changing its density into metal.

*Woosh*

*Ting*

“WHHAAA!!!”

“I DID IT ESTRA!!”

Lim hummed happily now carrying two stuffed animals, one of a cerberus and another of a cute chibi like medusa.

“Estra isn’t cute, I want one.”

“Ah Lim, you don’t want one.”

“Oh Oh!”

“Wait Lim!”

They arrived at another stall with a big wheel and a sign that read: “Spin Me!”

A lavishly dressed man in black suits and a walking cane appeared out from behind the couple with a wide devilish grin.

“Oh my what do we have here? New victims for my game of lies? To deal with the devil, you must spin the wheel. A prize you will get, but I promise that I won’t steal.”

Estra frowned with her shoulders down unimpressed.

“Hah poser… Lim this one is boring–”

*Tink*

*Tink*

*Tink*

Estra turned around with shock as Lim had already spun the wheel. His reaction to the man was the opposite of her.

“LIM! You’re falling for this scam?”

The wheel spun around briefly passing through all the coloured options until the peg stopped at a golden coloured square.

“DING! DING! DING! We have a winner!”

“Did you cheat Lim?”

Lim turned back as he nonchalantly grabbed his third stuffed animal.

“No.”

The man in the black suit stamped his cane on the ground smuggly smiled.

“It's no scam, just luck.”

“Huh… So it is. I didn’t expect that.”

Lim hummed happily now carrying three stuffed animals, one of a cerberus, a cute chibi like medusa and a cat.

“Really three?”

“That's right, aren't they cute, I want one.”

“Ah Lim… actually a cat wouldn’t be too bad… OH Look! FOOD!”

Estra ran over to a food stall as she jumped from each different one to another until she amassed a giant buffet of food in her arms.

“How are we going to finish all that?”

“We who's we? This is mine, get your own.”

“Hahaha.”

Lim snatched a meat stick from Estra’s treasure pile and sticking his tongue out as he munched on the food.

“Hey!”

Estra briefly complained, feigning her annoyance poorly as she couldn’t help but smile at Lim who ate his food like a rabbit. Tearing off small bits at a time.

“You know we’re going to be here all day, eating like that.”

“Shut up!”

“And by the way where are we going?”

Lim spoke with food still in his mouth as he pointed to an overlook over in the distance. A white gazebo sat at the top.

“I want to watch the stars tonight.”

***

Lim and Estra sat down on a hill that overlooked the city below. The night sky was filled with a bright starry sky full of complex galaxies like blue glitter sprinkled in the void.

“I’ve never had this much fun before Lim. Everything it's still such a shock to me.”

“Hmm? How so? You said you never had any festivals like this before?”

“We do but it was always very serious, traditional and religious. It was never fun and dumb you know. I never had to weasel my way out of scams before and it felt so good…being with you and doing all this.”

Lim was silent, causing Estra to look at him with a face of concern.

“Hello Lim? You okay? You’re awfully quiet all of a sudden.”

*Crash*

Out of nowhere Lim jumped up and pinned Estra down on the ground. His breath was heavy with face lit up bright and pink. His elvish ears twitch with soft lips dripping with sweet juice like candy. Estra was stunned as her body took control relieving all control from her.

“Lim?”

His voice buckled with clear nervousness in his speech but there was a hint of something more. It was something that Estra did not expect from Lim, for him to be this bold and forward.

“Ow.”

Lim softly bit onto Estra’s ears and whispered honey words that filled her with unfathomable ecstasy.

“I want….”

Estra held his head softly and whispered back.

“Me too.”