Still No Peace

Lucas POV

The soft crackle of the fireplace mingled with the sweet aroma of freshly baked bread as I leaned back in my chair, letting the warmth of the bakery seep into my bones. Winter had fully settled in, and outside, a light dusting of snow coated the rooftops. Lisa sat at the table beside me, tongue poking out in concentration as she sketched in her notebook.

Her exams were finally over and it's now winter break, so the girl had thrown herself into her art with a renewed sense of freedom. Every so often, she'd glance my way, holding up her drawings for feedback. I always gave her an encouraging smile and a thumbs-up.

"Cold?" I asked as she tugged her scarf tighter around her neck.

"A little." she admitted, rubbing her hands together.

So I brought over a blanket and draped it over her. The thought of traveling crossed my mind, it had been a while since I'd seen Evan. Mona's parents were along the way, too.

"Lisa, how would you feel about visiting Evan? He's the good friend I told you about. We can stop by Mona's parents' place on the way too."

"What about the bakery?" She asked.

"We'll just post a sign saying we're closed for a bit. It's winter break, and we've earned it. Besides, there's already another bakery trying to open nearby. Maybe that'll help them get a good start."

"Really? You'd just close the bakery for a trip?"

"Yeah, I'll introduce you to Evan and my in-laws."

*****

Lisa beamed as she proudly held up a small bag of lemon candies she had been working on. They were wrapped in bright yellow paper with hand-drawn smiley faces on them. We're currently in a carriage heading for the capital, it should be a few days' trip, we can travel faster with magic, but we have time, and we plan to enjoy every moment of our retirement.

"These are the candies I told you about! Super sour at first, but they get really sweet after a bit. Everyone in my class loved them!"

"Did you make them?" Mona asked

"Of course, all by myself." she replied proudly, "Here, try one."

Mona hesitated for a split second, but not wanting to disappoint Lisa, she unwrapped the candy and popped it into her mouth. For a moment, her face remained neutral, but then her eyes widened, and her cheeks puffed up as if she'd just bitten into a raw lemon. I raised an eyebrow. Mona hated sour things, and she wasn't exactly subtle about it. But, as expected, she was doing her best to endure it for Lisa's sake.

I had it and I liked it, but even the sweet part was still a little bit sour. Lisa then turned away to check her bag for more snacks and activities, and while she was distracted...

"Want me to help with that?" I whispered.

She shot me a confused look, her lips pursed tightly around the candy. Before she could respond, I leaned in and kissed her, using my tongue to swipe the candy from her mouth. Mona pulled back, her face bright red.

"What are you-"

"Shhh." I said as I silenced her, "I got you."

"W-where did you learn to do something like that?" She exclaimed with a flustered face.

"Hmm? What's going on?" Harper asked, "Why is Mona so red?"

"Oh, I just stole her candy."

"Lucas, you seriously should bully Mona too much, you know."

"Okay, I'll give it back."

I leaned in closer, and before she could react, I pressed another kiss to her lips, gently slipping the candy back where it came from. She froze, her hands shooting up to cover her face the moment I pulled away.

"This is so embarrassing…" Mona groaned, her hands still firmly pressed against her face, "Seriously, where did you learn to do that?"

"I saw it on a show that was based on this comic that I once read."

"I have no idea what that means, but please stop...I don't think my heart can take that again."

"We have done much worse things."

"No fair! Why are you only being lovey-dovey with Mona?!" Harper demanded as she latched on to me.

"You're seriously as clingy as always."

"Of course I am. Remember my vow, my closeness is to make up for the years that I wasn't allowed to do these things, so being clingy is normal."

"I'll kiss you later because Lisa might be uncomfortable."

"Don't mind me, you three." Lisa chimed in, "I'll just turn away and close my ears."

*****

The journey to the capital was long, but the sight that greeted us was worth every mile. Nestled in the heart of the mountain range, snow-covered peaks surrounded the city, the Northern Peak Kingdom's capital lived up to its name. The city was filled with stone buildings and homes that were covered in snow. Streets were packed with people, their voices blending with the sounds of merchants shouting, children laughing, and carriages going over the cobblestone road.

Lisa had never been outside our small town before, and now she was drinking it all in. The towering gates, the sprawling market, the endless swirl of people...it all seemed to overwhelm her but in a good way. Eventually, we made our way to Evan's address.

The moment Evan spotted me after his door opened, his face lit up with a wide grin. Before I could say a word, he pulled me into a tight hug, nearly lifting me off the ground.

"Lucas! Long time, no see!" he exclaimed.

"Hey, Evan, you didn't think I'd forget about you, did you?"

"You just show up unannounced and plan to stay at my house without even asking? Bold move, buddy."

"Let's be real, you'd be more pissed if I stayed anywhere else."

"And you're still shorter than your girlfriend, I see."

"She's my wife now."

"Somehow." He shrugged, "Nice to meet you...two...eh?"

"Right, this is Lisa. Lisa, this guy right here is the Evan guy I told you about."

"Ah, nice to meet you, Mr. Evan." Lisa bowed and greeted him, "I heard that you like to feed bugs to your wife."

"WHAT?!" a woman's voice screamed from the inside.

"Wait, Ari! She's joking! She's- POW!" Evan then went flying after a short brown-haired woman kicked him into oblivion.

"Hello, you three. It's nice to see you again." Arianna greeted us, "Ah, is this your daughter? How old is she?"

"Hello, I am Lisa. I'm 7 and I'm-" Lisa was then cut off.

"Wait, 7?!" Arianna greeted, "Did you force Harper into breaking her vow as a saint 7 years ago? How scandalous!"

"Can we come in? We'll tell you later. And I want to heal Evan before he gets brain damage."