" ah, marianne, " he had grown attuned to her gait, that feather-light disturbance in the air, and the sense of tranquility it provided. from the stool he sat upon, khalid nodded in half-greeting, half-apology, " hope you don't mind the fact i was keeping dorte company today. you see, i needed a model for this little project of mine, " and then, he raised his hand, revealing a small, wood carving of a horse. " you know him best, so tell me, did i capture his likeness alright ? and don't hold back on my sake, " he chuckled, standing now. after sparing dorte a fond look, he faced her again, " in any case, i'd like you to keep it. you can't bring a horse to your chambers, but you can place his mini-him by your nightstand to keep you company. "
❝ ah! thank you, ❞ she cupped the wooden horse in her hands, the tiniest of smiles crossing her lips as she ran her fingers across the surface. she couldn’t recall the last time she felt so moved by a gift, perhaps when her adoptive father first saw to it that she received dorte. said horse circled around towards his companion, taking a look at the wooden figure before giving a snort of appreciation as if to say: he got all of my good sides. it made marianne allow a small giggle to pass her lips, before turning back to her leader and giving him a bow. ❝ dorte believes that you caught all of his good sides, and i agree. this… i genuinely appreciate this gift more than you realize. ❞
as silence fell between the two, marianne squeezed the horse in her hands, before being nudged by dorte. tell him what’s on your mind, it was ironic how an animal’s body language was clearer than whatever she could say openly. the silence continued for a bit longer, before she began to open her mouth hesitantly, before letting out a sigh to relax her nerves. again, dorte nudged her with his head before resting it on her shoulder. tell him will you? i’m right here with you, and besides, he’s not too much of a rude guy. it was almost embarassing that a horse could be more open with his feelings than marianne could with her own, but, by some miracle, it worked.
❝ claude, i wanted to tell you, if you’d like to spend time with dorte again, i don’t mind… he really does like you, ❞ before she noticed it, her hands were clenched tight around the trinket in her hands, anxious about his response.