Page 4 of The Freedom You Seek

“Naya, I was hoping to meet you today. I’ve been thinking about what happened the day before I left Credenta. I still feel deeply uncomfortable.”

“Oh. There’s no reason, though. Nothing happened.” I wanted to ease his mind because I’d never been angry with him. These days, I held the memory fondly.

Rewi grinned, and I could see she remembered as well.

Before Bryon went to the army, he’d wanted to say goodbye to his friends and acquaintances and had given everyone a little token or present. We hadn’t been close, and so I’d been surprised when he’d visited me at home, handing me a paper-wrapped gift.

“Gods take me, I thought it would be clever to give a bouquet of Nayana flowers to the woman named Nayana.”

“Well, it would have been.” Rewi jumped in, barely able to contain her laughter. “Just that you hadn’t gotten her Nayana flowers, but the poisonous lookalike. Had changed the meaning in a big way. Who would have thought you wanted to poison Naya?”

I couldn’t help but grin too. “It’s the thought that counts.”

“Not my most glorious moment. Do you remember I promised you to make up for it one day?”

“I do remember. Besides, I told you it isn’t necessary.”

“I’m a man of my word.” With a fluid motion, Bryon handed me a bouquet that he’d hidden behind his back. “If it’s the poisonous one again, I’ll eat one of the flowers and accept death as my punishment.”

My eyes widened in surprise as I caught sight of the small white blossoms, and it was only after Rewi had poked me that I accepted the small bouquet of Nayana flowers. Although they were technically wild weeds, I found them beautiful and didn’t mind being named after a pest. “Thank you, Bryon. This time, you picked right, as far as I can see.”

“Thank the gods. Can’t have you thinking I’d try to poison you again.”

“Once is an honest mistake, twice is intent.”

“True.”

Bryon looked at me warmly, and I tucked the flowers into my basket, taking great care that the groceries wouldn’t squash them.

Rewi was uncharacteristically quiet, but I knew her. She observed us like a hawk, and I wondered what was going on in her head.

“Nayana,” Bryon said, ripping me out of my pondering, “I guess I’m too late, and you already have a date, but if not—in four nights, there’s the festival dance. Do you maybe want to go with me?”

My cheeks were on fire again. “You want to inviteme?” I was aware that I was staring at him, and I feared I looked slightly unhinged.

Rewi must have come to the same conclusion, and I winced when her elbow connected with my ribs again. She could be brutal.

Glaring at her, I spun back to Bryon. “I mean…I’d love to.” It was safe to say I was as red as a tomato, and I figured I wasn’t over my crush yet.

“Great!” Bryon acted like a gentleman, ignoring the embarrassment I displayed. “I’ll pick you up at seven.”

“Seven sounds good.”

“I’m looking forward to it, Naya.”

“Me too.”

“I’d love to talk some more, but sadly, I have to get back to work. I’m already behind schedule. My brother had expected me to be done with the booth an hour ago, but then so many people I hadn’t seen in ages came by, and I got distracted.”

“Then you better hurry.” My face finally didn’t feel too warm anymore, and I gave him another smile.

“That I’ll do. See you soon, Naya. Rewi.”

Both of us said goodbye, and I watched him hurrying back to his brother’s half-built market stall.

“Told you so.” Rewi beamed like a thousand suns once Bryon was out of our vicinity.

I shrugged. “He’s still embarrassed about mixing up the flowers. I bet this is his apology,” I said, but for the entire rest of the morning, until it was time to head home, I couldn’t stop smiling as my gaze brushed over the small bouquet in my basket.