The fact that Percy isn't here alone is something of a relief - one he doesn't feel the least guilt about, since the twins would be stuck in this place whether or not he'd stumbled out of the woods as well. When it comes to actually being in Vex's presence, however, he finds himself more agonized than anything. It's a pleasure to be near her, as it always is, but he knows so little about her time here - and when it comes to the time they spent together at home, he can tell her even less. Every conversation feels like a careful balance of expressing his friendship without letting slip about his love.
But he's done well enough that she's invited him to see her house, at least. (It's hard not to think of the keep, and to wonder whether an invitation to stay might be forthcoming - but the nature of the town makes that all the more complicated. As long as they live apart, he doesn't have to wake up to breakfast with whatever lovers she might have taken the night before.) And as he approaches the gatehouse this morning, he doesn't try to hide the way his face lights up at the sight of her.
She's taken to this place, in the time she's been here; he can't help but notice how the local fashions look on her. (Beautiful. She is, as always, stunning.) He's in better sorts than on that first endless walk, too: Besides finding a pair of spectacles and a walking stick, he's acquired some fine linen trousers and a handful of vibrantly embroidered shirts. It's impossible not to feel half-dressed without a well-tailored coat, but at least he's wearing something besides Vex's cape - and he's well-rested as he comes up to her, no longer moving like every muscle in his body aches.
"I managed at the boarding house," he answers, giving her a small smile. I'm weaker than you remember, but I'm not quite that badly off. "Unless we're climbing a mountain, I'll be fine."
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But he's done well enough that she's invited him to see her house, at least. (It's hard not to think of the keep, and to wonder whether an invitation to stay might be forthcoming - but the nature of the town makes that all the more complicated. As long as they live apart, he doesn't have to wake up to breakfast with whatever lovers she might have taken the night before.) And as he approaches the gatehouse this morning, he doesn't try to hide the way his face lights up at the sight of her.
She's taken to this place, in the time she's been here; he can't help but notice how the local fashions look on her. (Beautiful. She is, as always, stunning.) He's in better sorts than on that first endless walk, too: Besides finding a pair of spectacles and a walking stick, he's acquired some fine linen trousers and a handful of vibrantly embroidered shirts. It's impossible not to feel half-dressed without a well-tailored coat, but at least he's wearing something besides Vex's cape - and he's well-rested as he comes up to her, no longer moving like every muscle in his body aches.
"I managed at the boarding house," he answers, giving her a small smile. I'm weaker than you remember, but I'm not quite that badly off. "Unless we're climbing a mountain, I'll be fine."