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It all began with an assortment of flowers.
Which may have been a rather romantic gesture, if one, the target of the gesture hadn't been someone as no-nonsense as Brigid, two, if the flowers hadn't been practically shoved in her face first thing when she went to open the door, and three, the initiator of the gesture hadn't been the knight she mostly associated with hopelessly drooling after her sister.
So all Brigid really had to say in response to the floral offense presented to her was:
- Midir, what the actual hell is this?
Midir, undeterred, smiled excitedly.
- Milady, this is but a small token of my affection towards you. Words fail to adequately express my feelings, so I thought I would let the flowers do the talking for me. These mignonettes and daisies, they represent---
- So you seriously thought you'd woo me with a bunch of weeds?
- Milady! Midir exclaimed. - The florist in town assured me these flowers are of the highest quality---
- What's their medicinal use? Can they be used to aid headaches, or perhaps seasickness?
- Well, as far as I can tell, no---
- Then you were ripped off. Like I was ripped off the forty-three seconds wasted on this conversation, Brigid said. - Goodbye, Midir.
She slammed the door shut, and didn't think anything of the surprised yelp that sounded behind it. A little harsh even for her standards, but what else was she supposed to think? Was she supposed to be flattered that Midir would settle for sloppy seconds after Edain married another? Brigid liked to think her standards were higher than that, and she hoped Midir had gotten the message.
Apparently not, as she'd find out the next week, when at the end of her bow practice, Midir suddenly manifested from behind a corner with a lute in hand.
- Milady, you must be exhausted after training so hard. Might I interest you in a moment to relax to the tune of a serenade I have prepared for you?
- I thought words failed to adequately express your feelings?
- I have since then decided that your highness is well worth the effort, Midir said, stringing the lute. - For you, milady: Oh, fair Brigid, with hair like gold! Her personality so wondrous and bold! She would sail across the seas, her bearing fresh like the ocean breeze...!
- You're out of tune and making your poetry mentor weep in shame, Brigid said. - Now if you'll excuse me, I need a bath. Your song somehow made me feel filthier.
- Ah, but milady! Midir cried as she began walking away. - Isn't there something I could do to ease your burden on this day?
- You know what? Brigid turned, and smiled. - There is one thing you could do.
- Anything! Just say the word, and I'll---
He got interrupted as a dirty shirt was flung in his face. When he removed the garment, he saw it was the sweaty training garb Brigid had just been wearing.
- There, have some of my “fresh ocean breeze”, Brigid said, and laughed at how Midir blushed at her shirtless form. - Take that to the laundry, will you?
With that, she turned away, sparing no more thought to Midir and his flustered attempts at gaining her favour. Really now, poetry? Did things like that work on the women in Yngvi? Well, seeing as Edain hadn't fallen for him, he really should have guessed that it wouldn't curry any favour with her either.
…Not that Brigid didn't have appreciation for good music, or respect for those with the willingness to learn, but... Really, if it was as transparent as Midir, then she shouldn't feel bad for dismissing him! It's not like he could have spent THAT long writing that song, right? So it's fine! ...It's fine. He'd get over it.
Well, the next week, she indeed found out Midir didn't appear too bothered by her rejection. Unfortunately, Brigid found this out in the form of yet another wooing attempt directed at her.
- Milady! Midir exclaimed, bright as ever as he caught up to her as she was about to return to her room. - What a stroke of luck! I've been looking everywhere for you! It's strange, no one seemed to know where you were...
Brigid wondered if the others had taken note at how unrelenting Midir was in his attempts, and had taken enough pity on her to stand in Midir's way. Not that they should have bothered. She was more than capable of handling herself.
- So what is it this time? She asked. - Another song? Please tell me you've improved your pacing at least.
- Actually, milady, I wanted to find another way to thoroughly express how you've inspired me, Midir said. - I understand I am not yet quite so talented, and I was limited without a proper model, but... I wanted to plainly express just how beautiful you are to me, so I humbly present you this gift!
He handed her a piece of parchment. She hesitated, but upon accepting it and having a closer look, Brigid gasped in surprise.
Because in her hands, she was holding the most vivid portrait of herself. Drawn with only pencil, it still expressed her likeness to extraordinary detail, shadow and light drawn to accentuate her features perfectly. In the portrait, she looked just like she had imagined herself as the captain of her ship: fierce and brave, yet compromising none of her feminine features.
Without a doubt, this was a picture of her. Not just Edain in Brigid's clothing.
- You... drew this? Brigid asked incredulously. - Do all knights know how to draw this well?
- Ahaha... It's just a hobby of mine, Midir said, smiling timidly. - Never earned me much acclaim, but I thought... Well, there is just so much beyond the superficial you can express through drawn art, right? So I thought, perhaps this way, I could get through to you...
It was truly the most stunning piece of art Brigid had seen. Brigid could barely take her eyes off it. This... was truly how Midir saw her? How could he have captured her essence so perfectly? And all from memory too, it just spoke of how talented he---
---and then she remembered this was the same man who on their first meeting had just gone on and on about how she was a prettier version of Edain, and instantly, Brigid changed her tune.
- …How creepy. To think you'd think so much of my face that you'd be able to draw this!
- A-Ah! Midir's face blared red. - N-Now that you mention, it does come off a little---!
- Well, wh-whatever! Brigid said. - Look, I'll accept the gift, but don't pull something like this again!
And so, she turned on her heels and ran away. Before staring at Midir's dumbfounded face would make her feel guilty again.
It was the following day that Brigid decided to confront Midir. She found him in the gardens, humming to himself while practicing with the lute. She recognized the words of the song as the serenade he'd written for her, and sighed.
- Midir, she called out. - We need to talk.
- Milady! Midir spun around surprised. - Ah, I hope you didn't hear anything! My skills are still unworthy of your ears...
- Look, I'll cut to the chase, alright? Brigid said. - I appreciate the sentiment, but you can cut it out. You know as well as I do I'll never be able to think of you as anything but a guy coming after me because he couldn't get my sister. It doesn't matter what you do. So what's the point of just getting rejected over and over again?
For once, Midir didn't jump straight into a fervent reply. Instead, he took his time mulling it over, before speaking.
And it certainly wasn't anything like what Brigid would have expected.
- I admit, I thought it would sting more. But somehow, it was almost sobering being shot down.
For a bit, all Brigid could do was stare dumbfounded. For all the stupid things she'd heard in her life – and trust her, being among the pirates of Orgahil gave plenty of opportunities for hearing stupid things – none of them could have prepared her for this.
- Excuse me?
- Yes. So, I'm a bit much. You're right, I was a little too... insistent... going after Lady Edain, Midir said. - But it wasn't until you that I realized that. After the initial hurt faded, I started thinking about all the ways that I could better, be better. And what better way to check my progress than with the one who'd given me the wake-up call?
Brigid couldn't believe it. It was one thing to weather rejection... But to actually be inspired by it?
- So you're just going to keep at it? She asked. - Because it's the journey you're after, not any specific end goal?
- With your approval of course, milady, Midir said. - If you explicitly told me no, then I would respect that, but... Perhaps it's just my foolhardiness, but I do believe you haven't yet said so.
She supposed she hadn't. Brigid had no patience for men who didn't know when to quit, but when they were as harmless and non-threatening as Midir... Perhaps there was some value to it. Even if it did come dangerously close to making her heart flutter...
- …Alright, fine, she said. - If you like being stepped on so much, who am I to judge?
- I do respect any woman who can lead me to new discoveries about myself, Midir grinned.
For once, Brigid felt she could laugh honestly in his presence.
- In that case, I'll leave you to your practice. Oh, and three things before I go, Brigid said, and smiled – truly smiled, without a shred of mockery. - One, my favourite flower is the edelweiss. Two, you're singing has improved much already, keep it up. And three, if on your next trip to town, you so happen to find the right frame for the portrait you made, I would appreciate having it to keep your gift safe.
With the bright look in Midir's eyes and the radiant smile to match as her reward, Brigid turned away. But even after she'd left, the smile on her face persisted. It was a little silly, she admitted. But somehow, her conversation with Midir just now confirmed to her that he saw her as her, and not just a substitute for her sister... And that, to Brigid, meant more than all the gifts in the world.