The Life and Times of Princess Frey(Rune Factory 4)

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day in Selphia is a bit different than it is in the West. In Selphia, it's usually the girls that give sweets, usually cookies, to the boys(and often to female friends as well). The boys then later return the favor on White Day, which is later on in the season.

Kiel was a rare exception to this. Kiel was one of the more feminine boys in town. He loved to bake and participated in both Valentine's and White Day activities. He'd bake a whole bunch of cookies and distribute them to everyone in town. Under most circumstances many of the guys would be a little put off by Valentine cookies from a male but Kiel was the rare exception.

Kiel was the only bachelor native to the town(in its present era) with the others moving in for various reasons. He was also the youngest and had somehow become everyone's little brother. None of them had the heart to reject his cookies.

The day before Valentine's Day, Kiel was really happy.

Instead of baking cookies of his own like he usually did on Valentine's Day he was getting a little help from Frey!

Kiel glanced up at princess standing by his side, spooning out batter onto the cookie sheets. Her usual cloth gloves had been removed and her hair was tied back with a red bandanna. Over her usual dress she wore a white apron. Her face was smudged by flour.

Kiel stopped stirring the bowl in his hand and took a moment to appreciate the sight before him. Frey, intensely focused on putting the perfect amount of batter for each cookie didn't notice him staring.

"Cute..." he murmured.

"Hm?" Frey looked up. "Did you say something Kiel?"

"You look cute," he repeated. Kiel wasn't one to try to take back his compliments.

"Why thank you, Kiel, I try," she replied with an exaggerated flip of her hair.

Kiel chuckled. Frey smiled and went back to work. She put the tray she had been working on in the oven before gathering a finished batch of cookies and putting it in a small bag.

"Hey," he said, looking at the cookies she had in her hand," those cookies are chocolate aren't they? Why are they the only ones that are different?"

A small smile appeared on Frey's face and a faraway look came into her eye. "I figured that this Valentine's Day I'd give cookies to someone special."

"Special...?"

The two stood there in silence for a few moments before Frey cleared her throat. "Ehem, sorry about that. I disappeared a little there."

Kiel put on a smile. "It's okay. Let's get back to work."

The two finished baking the cookies and parted ways. Forte came home and Kiel prepared dinner but his mind was far away. Even when he went to bed he could take his mind off what Frey had said and the question that it posed:

Who was her special person?

....................

Kiel felt bad following Frey around like this. He really wished he had just been upfront and just asked her who she was giving her chocolate cookies to.

He stood on the lower steps on the left side of town square. He was up just high enough to see Frey checking her mailbox ("Eliza" she called it) but low enough that someone in the square could not see him unless they came close.

Kiel tried to be discreet. The other townspeople would be out and about soon and quite a few of them would question why he was following Frey

"He-o, Kiel!"