Oh My, I Messed Up the Story

Blaise had already surpassed the first hurdle. He was Abby's boyfriend, whatever that meant, and couldn't afford to mess that up. No matter what, he had to convince her that he cared enough to marry her.

A long time ago she told him that her previous courtships (he realized now that they were boyfriends) didn't work out because they hadn't cared about her enough. He had to prove that he cared more than them so she wouldn't call things off with him too.

He had to think about what he knew she liked. Music…sweets from the bakery in town…children. Come to think of it, there had been flowers in her hair likely put there by children nearly every time he had seen her during the summer.

The mountain had cooled down significantly—there were speculations of the first snowstorm being soon—but there were still a few scattered patches of wildflowers here and there. He could pick her a bouquet to place on her nightstand.

Blaise had been very young when his sisters were being courted but he remembered there always being wildflowers around the inn from their suitors. That could be a thing boyfriends did, right?

Abby was nearby making jam with a large group of women and he wanted to say hello to her but Carrick had eyes like a hawk. He would get in trouble for slacking off.

When lunch finally rolled around he had every intention of going to spend his break with her but she beat him to it. She proudly presented him with a thick slice of bakery bread covered in raspberry jam.

"This came from the first batch of the day so it's not fully set yet but it's in better condition than the others. It should still be delicious, if a bit runny. I figured it would help the rations go down a little easier."

Was this what girlfriends did? Many of the wives or fiancées of Kanta men currently working construction were doing the same thing.

The label was still a bit confusing to him. If he understood her intentions correctly, it was meant to be more casual than being betrothed or married to see if they would suit each other. But right now he very happily accepted the feeling of having a sweetheart regardless of labels.

"Thank you," Blaise said fervently after a few bites. "You were right; it is delicious."

Abby smiled in satisfaction before sitting down next to him with her own slice. "The construction seems to be coming along pretty well. When do you think it will be done?"

"Hopefully before the first snow. We are about halfway done and it has taken a few weeks with everyone working together. I would not want to have to dig all of the snow out or risk damaging the piano."

It was only the beginning of October. With any luck, they would finish in time. Now that the harvest was over, Alamar had called for everyone to put in extra hours because it was the last construction project they would be able to do until spring.

They continued chatting until his lunch break was over and Blaise had to get back to work until dark. He was sustained through the work by the impromptu hug Abby gave him before she headed back to the jam makers.

===

The two of them got into a pattern as winter approached. Abby would bring him lunch every day, even after the theater was finished and Blaise returned to camp for further training. Then he would eat dinner at her family's house before heading back.

This pattern was disrupted slightly after the first storm hit. No one could leave their homes or tents. The Warriors, used to much less snow in Shibatsu, barely managed to make it through.

Once it passed and Alamar saw the sorry state they were in, he told everyone to go sleep at the inn for the duration of the snowy months. They could leave their supplies in the tents and continue running drills as necessary but would be able to sleep with more protection from the cold.

Carrick was touched by this gesture and his respect for the man grew. Blaise was willing to bet that he would have nothing but good things to pass onto the king about the clan leader when he returned home.

The snow made it more difficult to do anything but the Kanta were a hardy people. They wore thick layers and braved the cold to do their jobs anyway.

They had far more energy for drills than their instructors did and snickered to themselves about how the tables had turned. The Warriors took their ribbing in stride since they had given the men a hard time about being weak and out of shape in the beginning.

Blaise saw Abby much less frequently once the snow hit. She was too busy working on things indoors or watching over her niece and nephew so Katie could assist her husband to bring him lunch most days.

And when it stormed he wasn't able to see her at all because the entire village was at a standstill until it passed. It snowed so much that shoveling had to replace drills on the day after a storm.

He wasn't used to this kind of weather at all but he couldn't hate it completely. Once or twice he had been at the de Kanta home when a blizzard hit and got stuck in there for a few days straight.

Watching Abby play with the children, drinking hot chocolate and huddling up with her by the fire, and having extra time to talk had been almost like a vacation. If this was what he had to look forward to during future winters, Blaise could accept the snow.