Well, that wasnāt very telling.
Luca had to step quickly to avoid her arm being pulled, her mind churning through new thoughts. It seemed ridiculous to assume that Irvine was blind; after all, he had made a select few observations that should be possible for someone who couldnāt see. He was a bit socially awkward, and she had known several soldiers who were. That wasnāt uncommon at all, and seemed like a much more reasonable theory.
And yetā¦ she couldnāt shake her suspicions. Something in her gut was nudging her, and she had learned to always trust her instincts. Irvine did not feel particularly safe, a slight buzzing in the back of her mind said, but he wasnāt an immediate danger either. And something about the way he moved, the way he oriented himself, and his eyes encouraged the theory.
Sheād need to try a bit more.
āIāve been to this market several times; itās one of my favorites.ā Luca slowed her pace, forcing Irvine to slow beside her as she began to admire the wares they passed. Food, animals, supplies, and even the occasional clothing and jewelry vendor loudly proclaimed their prices to any who could hear.Ā
Her eyes took everything in, smiling sweetly at anyone who paid them mind, and then lit up. A little girl, no more than twelve, had a tiny little shop set up for flowers of all shapes and colors. It was obvious she had picked them herself; the assortment ranged from wildflowers to weeds to plants Luca suspected were outside the Princessās buildings. Behind her, a large bearded man watched with his arms folded and a scowl.
Slowing again, Luca bent a bit to talk to the girl.Ā āExcuse me, but how much for one of your flowers?ā
The little girl shyly named a price, her large eyes flitting between Luca and Irvine. Luca produced a couple coins and placed them on the table, and was about to reach for a flower when she stopped. A tiny smile curled her lips as she turned to Irvine.
āExcuse me, Mr. Irvine, but could you hand me the red and yellow flower there beside you?ā
Irvine blinked, his head jerking slightly as he registered Lucaās question and that it was directed at him. He had just lost himself in the smell of tanning hide and rich leather from a stall on the other side of the market, largely ignoring Lucaās passing observations so he could instead focus on grounding himself in the moment.Ā
āOf course,ā Irvine answered before he could stop himself.
It was then he acknowledged the two new pairs of eyes on him. The first was male, guarded and scrutinizing. Irvine felt the urge to intimidate the human if for no other reason than to get his eyes off of him, but doing so would affect the owner of the second pair of smaller, female eyes staring at him from below. And of course there was Luca, who was also watching him rather closely.Ā
Feeling pressured, Irvine tilted his hat forward and tried to parse the smell of the flowers from where he stood. The flowersā fragrance melded together, but from the bunch, Irvine picked up on wild rose and yarrow, both on the side of the stall closest to him. It would have to be good enough.Ā
Gingerly he picked the blooms from the cart, tipped his hat to the child and handed them off to Luca without another word, oblivious to the curious look the girl gave him. He handled the entire exchange as he did most everything: stoic and removed.Ā
But he couldnāt help the questions rising in his mind. Why had she asked him, when surely she could have reached the flowers on her own? She didnāt seem bothered by personal space. Maybe she merely wanted him to choose for her. Women were so peculiar in that regard...
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