More than That || Royai

Chapter Three

Chapter Three

Riza stifled a yawn and proceeded outside. She was pretty exhausted, considering she only got about four hours of sleep, but she had promised to meet Liam outside. Where is he? She wondered, squinting through the darkness. She held up her lantern to light the way as she trudged through the forest, stopping occasionally to admire the fireflies. There was rustling nearby, and she followed the sounds.

"Liam?" she asked, looking around.

"I'm over here," she heard a voice answer.

Liam held up his lantern for her to see, and she went in the direction of the light. As she got closer to where he was standing, she noticed several wooden boards set up around the center near a pond. Did he make these? She wondered in amazement. They were pretty well made for a makeshift target board.

"Alright, all done!" Liam announced, his hands on his hips. "Thank you for agreeing to practice with me, Miss Riza."

"Just call me Riza," she said, smiling.

He offered her a warm smile in return and handed the bow he had agreed to give her the other day.

"Are you sure about the bow?" she asked.

"Yeah, of course. This is the least I can do. Besides, I can always get more."

She took a deep breath, "Alright then, let's see how well you do first."

Liam nodded, focusing intently on the target board a few feet from them. He drew the string back, holding it there for a few seconds and released, watching as the arrow hit the side of the board. Riza's eyebrows furrowed. His aim was rather awful for what you'd expect from a knight in the king's division. Looks like they had a lot to practice. The woman thought for a moment, trying to come up with something to say that wouldn't sound too harsh, but honest. "Your technique could use a lot of improvement. Your posture is quite horrible and your aim is awful."

Did that sound too harsh?

"You don't say..." Liam replied, sighing while messing up his hair. "It's scary how blunt you are, Riza."

She merely shrugged in response. "Just the truth," she stated, kneeling down next to him. She took his arm and adjusted his grip on the bow. "Keep your back straight. Yes, just like that. Now, instead of holding the bow like that, put your hand here. Like this," she held her bow as demonstration.

He nodded every time she spoke, mentally jotting down the information. At times, he couldn't help but gape at her in astonishment because she was so incredibly skillful and intelligent. He was nearly positive that she would be able to take down an entire army of knights singlehandedly if she really put her mind to it, which was honestly pretty terrifying. Not to mention, she had the looks: beautifully braided blonde hair that reached just below her shoulder and glistening brown eyes; she was ultimately a woman with both beauty and brains.

"Liam, are you listening?"

"Oh, yes, of course."

An hour soon passed, and Liam decided it was finally time for a break. They only had approximately two more hours left until they had to return to the arena anyway, so he figured he could take her to one of his favorite taverns known for its exotic food. Standing up from the ground and stretching, he inquired, "Hey, maybe we should get some food before we go back. I know a place nearby. Coming?"

Riza realized she hadn't eaten since yesterday afternoon, so she agreed to go with him. They walked for half an hour through the forest until cottages could be seen a few feet ahead. Even though it was very early in the morning, lights were lit up around the area already and the tavern close by bustled noisily. She didn't know there was a village this close to the palace.

Liam led her toward the tavern and they entered, only to be greeted by a large black and white dog with an armored paw. The dog tackled them, nearly knocking them over, and Liam laughed amusingly. "Why hello, Den," he said, petting the dog's head. Den barked and wagged his tail, his tongue lolling out of his mouth.

"Den!" A young girl shouted, "Don't jump on our customers!"

An old woman peeked out from the counter, "Ah, Liam. Good to see you again," she grinned, her eyes hidden by her round glasses.

"Good day, Pinako," Liam responded. "I brought a friend with me today, if you don't mind."

A young blonde-haired girl—probably around 11-years old—approached them curiously, her blue orbs locking with Riza's momentarily. Noticing a sword hanging at her side, the younger girl squealed in delight. "You're a knight?!"

Riza smiled softly, unsure of what piqued the girl's interest. "Is it that surprising?" she asked.

The girl squealed again, twirling around in circles as if she had seen a handsome prince. "I've always wanted to be an armourer! It's been my dream since I was a little, and to have a real knight here!" she took Riza's hands, her eyes sparkling with joy. "I'm Winry, by the way! Pleasure to meet you!" she chirped.

"Are you saying that I'm not a real knight?" Liam questioned, clearly offended.

Winry's head made a dramatic creaking sound as she turned towards the other knight, "Yes, Mister Liam."

"He's horrible at archery, actually," Riza added with a laugh. "I wondered if he was a real knight myself."

"You two are bullies..." Liam muttered, slightly embarrassed and straightened himself, "A table for two, please," he told Pinako, who chuckled and led them to a nearby table.

The two settled down at the large wooden table and Winry was happy to take their orders. Because Liam was a regular customer, Pinako had been generous enough to allow Riza to eat for free. She felt guilty, but the older lady insisted it was fine and that it was her treat. When their food arrived, she was astonished to discover how big their meal was; she wasn't even sure if she could finish it herself, but Liam had eaten some of it for her.

Unfortunately, as much as Riza wished to stay, the time they spent there was brief, as they had to return to the palace before dawn, but she had to admit, the experience was almost surreal. It made her forget she was supposed to be a knight training for war and enabled her to live like a normal girl who was simply enjoying her life, even if it was just for a little while.

~

Liam threw his arms in the air, yawning. "Thanks a lot for the food, Pinako. It was just as good as I remembered it to be."

The elderly woman nodded, "Of course. Make sure to stop by again. I'm sure Winry would be delighted to see you two again."

Winry nodded too, a bit saddened they had to leave so soon. She barely had enough time to talk to Riza and she wished they could've spent more time together, but she figured it could wait; she was certain they would come by again anyways. Liam always came at least once every month.

"It was a pleasure to meet you, Miss Winry," Riza smiled, holding out her hand for her to shake. 

Winry smiled back and shook her hand, "Yes, please come back soon, Miss Hawkeye!"

Riza waved, glad she had accepted Liam's offer. Everyone at the tavern had been so welcoming, nothing like she'd ever experienced before. They treated her like family and she was grateful for that.

What a long night it has been, she thought, smiling. The tavern was a place she could finally call home.