The world changed but mucking out the stables remained the same. Ferdinand took comfort in it, when he could not take comfort in anything else. Very little seemed comfortable in the years since Edelgard carved out her shining path and cut down his in her wake. He returned to Garreg Mach with nothing but the few men still loyal to him and the horse he rode in on. Of course, he also came with a pair of hands. As they still worked well enough, if he achieved nothing else in the remainder of his life, he could at least keep the stables clean and the horses cared for.

And, truthfully, he enjoyed the task. Each horse had their own personality, and he enjoyed becoming familiar with them as he cleaned their coats, picked their hooves, and replenished their hay. Some he left alone – Dorte refused to cooperate with anyone not named Marianne – but he made his rounds between his own horse as well as the monastery’s slowly rebuilding collection. Some riders, he knew, viewed their mounts as little more than brooms with legs. He lost his temper just yesterday at a knight who rode their horse all night without stopping to rest. He regretted the outburst, but he could not help it! They nearly lamed the poor thing! Just the thought of it made him so angry that he’d started brushing Titania’s mane a little too harshly. The dappled mare pawed the ground with disapproval, so Ferdinand tried to center himself.

“My apologies,” he said to the horse.

“Whatever are you apologizing for?” said another voice. Ferdinand startled before turning around to see who’d entered. Oh, Flayn! It was Flayn. Her ethereal air had not changed in the years since he’d last seen her, much to his delight. Her laugh still floated like bubbles on the waves, her eyes still glittered like the scales of a fish, and her hair still sparkled like seafoam. How charming she was. Still, he frowned, dipping his head in shame.

“I forgot myself, and through my lack of diligence, I treated my horse unacceptably. If I had not realized my error in time to correct it, I may have even caused her pain.” He pat Titania’s neck in acknowledgment.

“I am certain your horse will find forgiveness in her heart.” Flayn nodded, hands clasped together in front of her. “But perhaps an extra apple will prove your sincerity?”

“I could never resort to bribery,” Ferdinand insisted. “I shall be forgiven by my own merits or not at all.”

Flayn brushed some dirt off her dress at the knees. “In that case, would you not mind sharing an apple with me? I find myself quite famished.”

Ferdinand laughed around a smile. He could not help it: her presence always brightened his day. How glad he was, that the war had not taken her from them. “You may help yourself to as many apples as you like.”

Flayn did so happily, bounding off to retrieve a handful from the bucket. She returned after no time at all. Her pockets bulged outward from the half-dozen apples stored inside. She took a bite from the crisp one in her hand and chewed it thoughtfully as she watched him go about his work. He’d finished brushing the mare’s mane, and so all that was left was detangling the tail. He picked up the comb and started unsnarling the worst of the knots.

“Was there a reason for your visit to the stable? Besides retrieving the apples, of course.” He continued his brushing as he spoke, though he trained his gaze on her for the moment.

“I have been assigned to Sky Patrol duty this week!” Flayn grinned, practically glowing with excitement. It was difficult to remain immune to her charms, Ferdinand found, and so he smiled right along with her. “I arrived here early in the day so that I might grow accustomed to the pegasus before I begin my task.”

“Have you not flown before?"

Flayn laughed, bright and sparkling. “No, I am familiar with the skill. Very familiar, as a matter of fact.” Here, she took a bite of apple. “However, I suspect many of the pegasus are newcomers to the stables.” She sighed as the smile drained from her face. With a faraway voice, she continued, “They must be. So many knights were lost when our home fell to Edelgard’s forces.”

Ferdinand ceased his brushing. There were more important matters to tend to. He frowned as he faced her, and if the wind picked at his hair, he did not care to straighten it. “I am relieved that this war has not taken you from us, as well.” He fidgeted for a moment. “Let us both be glad that we have returned here, and in as many pieces as we left.”

“It is indeed cause for celebration.” Flayn nodded, still solemn. “On that terrible day, I did not know if I would ever see my dear classmates again.” She reached out her hand, perhaps in invitation or for emphasis. “We must treasure this time we have been given to spend together.”

“My sentiments exactly!” Ferdinand buffed his fingernails against his coat before returning to his task. “How shall we mark this occasion?”

Flayn hummed in thought around the last bite of apple. Once finished, she discarded the core, and then smiled with utmost sweetness. “Perhaps you might join me on my patrol?”

Ferdinand, for his part, found himself smiling in return. “An excellent idea. Only….” Here, he brushed out the last stubborn knot, floundering in sudden embarrassment. “In truth, I have never ridden a pegasus before. I did not think such delicate creatures could handle my weight.”

With a gasp, she rushed to his side. “We must change that at once! Let us away, and we will meet our newfound friends in the stables.” Her eyes sparkled with determination. He sighed, hopeless. He could never say no to her, could he? He handed Titania her apple, a reward for putting up with his care, and stood from his stoop.

“Then let us be off,” Ferdinand nodded. Flayn grasped his hand, grinning brightly. His eyes went wide, boggling like a fish on the line. So sudden! What if Seteth saw them? Surely, she could not mean—no, no, he was getting ahead of himself. Holding hands did not imply romantic attraction, he knew that! She was simply excited, that was all. Very understandable! Still, Ferdinand had to fight to keep his blush down while Flayn marched them to the pegasus stables.

Three pegasus awaited at the fences, the others still being tended to by stable hands. Flayn abandoned his hand in order to hand an apple over to a splotchy white-gray mare. The mare was relatively small in stature, lean muscle as opposed to thick. She giggled as the Pegasus engulfed the entire apple in one bite. “This one is called Catria.” With a gentle pat to the muzzle, Flayn continued, “I have ridden her before. I do hope she remembers me.”

“You are very difficult to forget,” Ferdinand said, and if she noticed his continued blushing, she was kind enough not to say. All the same, Ferdinand found himself grinning easily. One of the pegasus galloped away, unwilling to be bothered, but the third came closer to him. Another mare, he thought, and this one with a chestnut brown coat. Her feathers ranged from deep to pale browns in the same range as chocolate candies might. And those wings! “How magnificent!” he could not help but exclaim. The wings were easily the same length as the rest of her and seemed incredibly strong. She approached him with quick steps and peered at him with curious eyes. He reached out, patting her neck with care.

“Her name is Shanna, or so I am told.” Flayn brushed some dirt out of her dress. “She seems to be fond of you.”

Ferdinand smiled as he continued his patting, especially as she seemed unlikely to bite. She was only curious of this stranger in the stables, after all. “She is a strong horse, indeed.” He supposed she was the pegasus equivalent of a carthorse, as she was much sturdier and thicker than the others. “I suspect she may be able to carry my weight without injury, as well.”

“Aha! Then you shall fly with me, Ferdinand!” A sly grin spread across Flayn’s face. “That is, if you are still eager to accompany me?”

He nodded, hand to his heart. “It would be an honor.”

Work continued in the stables, and by the time Shanna was saddled and ready, the sun peaked out from behind lacy clouds. He calmed himself as much as he could as he mounted the pegasus. For a moment, all he could see were feathers as she shook out her wings. He petted her neck while muttering things like ‘easy,’ ‘there you go,’ ‘good girl,’ and so on. With enough reassurance, she settled, and soon started pawing the ground in her excitement to get going.

Flayn stood to the right, eyes soft and wide. She extended her hand to him. “May I have some assistance?”

 “Of course,” Ferdinand said. He took her hand without delay, helping to lever her onto the saddle. She settled behind him with as much dignity as she could muster. For a moment, she seemed to hesitate, and then she wrapped her arms around his waist. How warm she was behind him, how delicate her hands were where they held him, how bright her laugh when she giggled. His heart skipped a beat, all too loud in his ears. Still, he fought to regain some semblance of calm – she needed to hold onto something! It was very sensible!

His conviction faltered, when he caught a glimpse of her behind him. How radiant she was, hair glimmering in the late-morning light. “Flayn?” he croaked.

She tilted her head, a coy smile on her face. “Is something the matter?”

“Nothing! Nothing is the matter.” After clearing his throat, he tried again. “Are we ready to begin?”

Flayn settled in for the long haul, plastering herself against his back. “Certainly,” she said into his shoulder blade.

He stiffened, just for a moment, before he let himself unspool. Tension would not be good for the pegasus, after all. He held the reins loosely in hand, and with a gentle motion, he nudged Shanna forward. She began to trot with an easy gait. The vibrations from her thumping steps jostled them here and there. He took her for a lap around the pen, and he sighed with relief when she showed no signs of pain or fatigue, as he knew that they would not injure her with their riding. He grinned, urging her to pick up some speed. With a twitch of the reins and a slight nudge with his feet, she flapped her wings until wind shook his legs. He held his breath.

When she lifted off the ground, he exhaled. The muscles of her shoulders flexed as her wings carved out a place for them in the air. Flayn gripped more tightly to him, though Ferdinand was too giddy to truly focus on the attention. His hair caught in the breeze, mingling with hers, and he spared no thought to the tangles he would have to conquer. Though they only hovered a few feet from the ground, Ferdinand felt as if he may as well be on top of a mountain. He laughed and laughed again, excited and proud.

“This is incredible!” Ferdinand wiped at his eyes, which had suddenly gotten a little dusty. “Is flying always so thrilling?”

“I suspect that many riders grow used to it with practice. But I always find it quite enjoyable.” Flayn nudged him so that he would turn to face her. When had she gotten so close to him? How could he look at anything but her sea green eyes? “Perhaps someday, you might fly amongst the clouds with me,” she said. Her smile seemed soft at the edges, fond.

He smiled in return, his heart fluttering in his chest. How wonderful it was, flying. How strong the pegasus was beneath him. And yet, he suspected that he would not enjoy this so much, if Flayn were not so close to him. If she did not smile so brightly. He bowed his head, hoping that it might hide his blush, and leaned down so that he did not have to speak so loudly. “I would like that more than anything, for accompanying you is a gift beyond measure.”

Flayn, it seemed, was not immune to blushing, either. Good! He would have hated to be alone in this. She held him tightly, and with a bit of shifting, she leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. It was brief, and more of a peck than anything, but Ferdinand felt it in his very bones. She settled behind him with a soft sigh. “That is a sufficient show of gratitude, is it not?”

Ferdinand was suddenly quite glad they had not flown so high up, for if they did, he was certain he would have let go of the reins and sent them plummeting. Instead, he managed to recover his hold after only a moment, and he laughed in a desperate attempt to remind himself how to breathe. “That is hardly fair! Now I must find an occasion to thank you in return.”

“Take heart, for I am certain the situation will present itself,” she said. He felt her laugh into his back again, easy and soft, and thought he may never run out of things to be thankful for when it came to her. Oddly, even though they returned to the ground a short while later, he still felt as though he were floating on air. He wondered if he would ever stop, and when he caught Flayn’s gaze, decided he may never want to.