The list of things they needed was small. Mostly food and perishables. Loran had insisted on a few other small things like darts and weapons. She was going to travel by herself for the first part of the journey. Ko'Loss had locked himself in his basement working on a special project.
When a small list was complete For'Ten and Loran gave it to Ed to approach Priya.
Today was her day off and Priya was resting on a white and red gingham cloth in the front garden. The house goblins and butlers were enjoying having a young woman in the house for the first time in centuries. Loran had pouted whenever they gave her special treatment, she was a woman too and wondered what made her different.
Besides this bit of special treatment, the two women were slowly becoming friends. They would meet at the house at night occasionally and drink coffee and talk. It was the first time in a while that Priya had a female friend she could really confide in. And she was a knight so nothing she said was going to get passed around the house as gossip.
Priya was laying out on her side, the weather today was cool with a slight soft breeze. The wind kept the smell of the city from lingering and ruining the serene moment. She had a blanket rolled up under her head like a pillow and was reading a book that belonged to Ko'Loss old wife.
Ed had walked out the front of the house and stood to look at her for a minute. This was the first time in a while he had seen her in a dress since they left each other back at her family farm. Normally when she went to work she wore a thick shirt and a pair of pants that were obviously meant for a man. It wasn't the most flattering clothing but it was the uniform of the Le'Liss traders.
The house had found the wardrobe of the lady of the house and done some modifications to make them fit. They had hemmed in the waist and tailored the edges. She was laying out in the yard in a white dress that went to her mid-calf. It had small embroidered blue color mums at the hems and neckline. Her golden hair was pulled up to the top of her hair and braided with a blue ribbon keeping it all together. It was a setting like a portrait.
"You are blocking my light you know." She said over her shoulder as she flipped a page.
"Sorry," Ed said and walked over beside her. "Can I sit?"
She put the page down for a second and looked up, "You have knee's don't you? Of course, you can sit." She patted the spot next across from her.
Ed nodded and pulled at the edge of his plain black shirt. Ko'Loss and For'Ten had arranged a new set of traveling clothes for him to wear. It was all dark greys or black with brown pants. They insisted it would look clean longer on the road.
"Are you going into work tomorrow? Can you maybe order a few things to be delivered? Or at least brought to the Knights depot?"
She sat upright and took the list from his outstretched hand. "You never come to see me for anything exciting." She shook her head. "Yeah, this is all easy. You sure this is all you need?"
Ed shifted, "Well, I mean I get nervous talking to you." The admission was not easy to make. He had never been good at talking to women about anything emotional. He was a great listener solely because he didn't interrupt or ask too many questions. He lacked insight on how to respond.
Priya crossed her legs and leaned her elbows on her knees to put her chin in her hands. "I still make you nervous? I'm not 16 anymore you know." When she leaned over Ed got an eyeful of her long neck and chest. When she first came to the capital she was a half-starved slave. Since being at the house she had eaten like a queen and had filled back out. Her skin took on a soft glowing tone. The butlers made sure she had everything the lady of the house might need. Priya knew she was going to go home back to a farm so she enjoyed this life while she could.
Ed swallowed. "I mean... I thought about you... a lot. I didn't want to leave, and then when I found out what happened to you. I felt... guilty."
Priya sighed and straightened herself out. She got up and put her legs under her and tucked the dress across her knees. "You know, I thought about you very often also. My memories are of another face and when you told me things only you could know... I was almost mad. Here I was chasing after you, I wanted to bring you home, even if you were broken and beaten." She sighed and looked up at the bright blue sky.
"And then here you are. Barely aged and different. Was what I felt then just all teenage fantasy? The heart of a young woman chasing after the first man who came and treated her like a woman and not some silly girl." She sighed before looking Ed in his eyes. "Be honest, that really was you at the farm right?"
Ed sighed and leaned back. He put his hands behind him. "Can I trust you with a secret first?"
Priya sighed, "Here it comes..." She thought to herself. This was all a prank. "Yes, what is it Ed." She said with sad resignation.
Ed took a deep breath and started from the beginning. He told her about his death. He told her about his town and how he was brought back. He explained that he did have another face before and this was his real body. He then laid everything else out for her right up to the moment they met for the second time. He told her about Rennish and Ashra last.
"Wait, you knew it was me on that bench?" She said after he was done.
Ed nodded, "I was trying so hard to hide my panic. You were just back in the city and I could see something horrible had happened. We left after that and then I was killed, sort of, again."
Priya wasn't one to believe tall tales. This whole story sounded ridiculous, that was if you weren't living in a house made by a golem, in the capital of the southern lands. She was far more open-minded now than she had been as a girl. "So you are not a hostage of the gods anymore, right?"
Ed nodded, "Yeah except now I am hiding from them. Not that it's much better this way either."
She laughed. "Well, it's tons better! Now you can tell me the truth. Would you have stayed if the gods hadn't been involved? Were you really responsible for my hair? What kind of tricks can you do?"
Ed watched the blush on her face spread to her ears and nose. He smiled to see that had not changed. The soft face of a 16-year-old was replaced with the more mature face of a 21-year-old woman. For just that moment though, the young girl was back.
"Yes, I would have. Yes, I am probably responsible for your hair, and I wouldn't call them tricks." Ed replied hiding a smile.
She reached over and slapped his arm repeatedly. "I knew it!" she said laughing as he hit his arm. "I knew I wasn't crazy and that this wasn't lye in the water again!"
"I didn't know how to control divine power yet. I was leaking. I was so terrified I was going to bless your whole house so much it would be unlivable." Ed admitted, feeling relief at getting all this off his chest.
She leaned back and crossed her arms. "What else did you do bless in the house."
Ed shrugged, "I really don't know. Anything I forged probably. Only time will tell."
Her smile was bright. She was glad she was right about her hair, "So Erust is a real person now though too after the thing with the oracle. Does he remember the time at the farm?"
Ed nodded, "Yes he does, but Erust is married. And if he is made from part of me I can tell you he is loyal to his wife."
She looked him in the eyes. "Is it weird knowing that another you is running around with a different face and all of your memories? I mean you should be able to outguess what you would do. That gives you a bit of an advantage."
"For'Ten said the same thing. If nothing weird happens I should always know what my enemy is going to do and out think him." Ed smiled weakly. "It's so weird though. I mean I was afraid that all of the things I did as Erust weren't really me. And now that I am me again, did the things I do as him really matter? Can I claim any of them?"
Priya leaned forward on the blanket and quickly kissed him on the cheek. "I can tell you, no matter what face you wore, what you did matters." Ed blushed.
"Am I forgiven then?" He said touching his face.
She looked down at him. "Somewhat. Thank you for trusting me enough to tell me. I have to know though. Since you were raised as a blacksmith do you not have any scars either? Was your whole body someone else's?"
Ed shook his head, "I'm covered in little burns." he stood up and lifted his shirt to expose his chest before she could protest. Small scars showed all over his stomach where spare bits of hot metal had burned his skin.
She blushed as he showed her his chest. This was the chest of a working man. Something about that reminded her that even though it wasn't 5 years for him, he had changed an equal amount in the time he had been gone from her also. "Looky there," She said breaking the ice, "You really do have scars after all." Her blush was coming back full force. "I need to get inside and get some lunch. Thank you for talking to me, I will take that list back in the morning."
Ed nodded and picked up the blanket and gingham. "Okay, I will take these to the butler then." He handed her the book she was reading which she tucked under her arms. Ed watched her walk into the house. She had some of her spring in her step. The grown-up in her was glad that she finally had the truth. The young girl that lives in every woman's heart was glad to know that her crush had liked her as well. Another part of her was still mad it took her this long to get the truth.