Their second meeting, at the fair.

"McDonalds!" Lydia squealed in awe and delight as she gazed at the milieu, her almost green eyes sparkling with interest, There were so many people, so many shops and carriages, it was dark but that's the life in critic Arley, being a city populated with wealth, nighttime is the most lively of all other times, they were lights lit up in various places to make the area welcoming.

"I know I know, come I'd show you a lot of things" Shi'enz offered energetically 

"Come back here Shi'enz what do you think you're doing?" Mira called back with a small frown, her voice an octave too high

"I just wanted to show her around you know how she's never actually been…oh" Shi'enz's eyes widen as her brows shut up in recollection 

"Lydia doesn't need a chauffeur that is you; she needs someone elder and smarter" Liza supposed with convincing confidence.

"I hear you" Shi'enz agreed with a shrug 

"Mira you should show her around and be back within two hours so we can gather for the play" Liza said and promptly Mira took Liza's arms and dragged her to a small distance

"Why does it have to be me, Liza?" she whisper yelled looking genuinely pissed

"Because it'll be like I couldn't stand her so I forced you, she knew we all never liked her" Liza reasoned giving her sister a pointed look

"What about Shi'enz?" chin rose defiantly 

"You know we can't trust that kind-hearted fool, now go before she gets any more suspicious" and sure enough as they glance back at them, Shi'enz is happily the fair off to Lydia, looking more eager than the first timer

The two sisters walked back to them and Shi'enz looked at them expectantly 

"Lydia Let us go" Without looking at her she moved forward leaving the others to go around the fair too

"Okay" Lydia whispered not understanding the arrangements but conceding anyway, it'll still be fun she believed

Mira was a terrible escort she didn't explain things Lydia wanted to know about she didn't even stop at any store, she seemed to have a destination in mind and they were rushing there making Lydia frown, she wasn't enjoying the outing anymore, when they got into a considerably suspicious arena Mira stopped and Lydia almost jumped out of her skin 

"You should wait here I need to talk to someone" Mira ordered with a scowl drawing one out of Lydia too.

"Here? In the fair? Alone?" the question was for three different emotions and Lydia didn't want to think about them, what was Mira saying, she couldn't wait out here, she shook her head at the thought

"I thought I was the slowwitted one" Mira scoffed

"But I don't know my way around here" she rasped "It will be a bastard move" she completed

"That's why I said you should stay" Mira pointed out

"Can't I come along with you promise I won't tell Father about whatever I see" Lydia pleaded

"No, wait here smarty" Mira pointed to the space between them

"Alright please don't leave me here for long" She didn't miss the smirk on Mira's face but what was she supposed to do?

The time alone gave Lydia a chance to look around and the place wasn't pleasant, it was empty and too creep instilling, it appears the moon missed the spot because it was so dim she shuddered assuming there was a roof overhead, the breeze was unnecessarily chilly and as a last who barely went out, she was vulnerable to not just the weather but also other people and that made her clutch her shawl around her neck awkwardly, suddenly a movement, someone was out there and it wasn't okay with her body because she was almost shivering from the cold.

"Mira?" she whispered, praying to the heavens it was her cruel sister and not some stranger but Mira had never instilled such fear in her before so she was definitely in trouble

"Mira?" her voice more than a whisper as she started walking to the sound around the corner, it was so dark she had to squint her eyes.

A cool breeze seeped in "Are you okay?" a voice came from behind her and she whirled so quickly her shawl flew open revealing her wide-opened eyes.

"Lord Theodore" she gasped so relieved her eyes welled up.

"Gooseberry" he moved closer to her as he took in her appearance, she was wearing a blue dungaree and a black shawl with little daisies etched on them, she looked like she snuck out of the house but this must be how she dressed, he frowned.

"What are you doing here?" Lydia's calm was back, she wished she could run into his arms for a hug but she refrained from doing that because why should she, a lady whose chastity is pride?

"Are you lost?" he asked back instead, his voice emotionless.

"No I came to see the fair, but I seem to have lost my sister" she clarified, sounding like being lost to Theodore.

"I was supposed to wait for her here but I inevitably got spooked and curious" She glanced at the corner earlier and it suddenly seemed brighter there

"I could show you around" he offered with a welcoming smile

"I would not like to impose on your day, Lord…" 

"Theodore, Gooseberry I don't want to be a lord to you" his voice a warm veil compared to her shawl that seemed to forget its purpose, he was dressed impeccably yet again she noted

"Come on" he took her wrist and Lydia wished it was interlaced with her finger but she instead enjoyed the feel of his large warm palm holding her firmly yet gently

As they walked around the fair, with Theodore showing her stalls and explaining how old some shops were, the specialities of some vendors and how they get some products, he got them some fruit that bled, she was surprised because she had only read about it in an ancient book her mother brought for her once.

As they got deeper into the fair,  marketers started to call out to them.

"M'lady this is one of the finest pearls you'll come across, it is believed they have magic in them" a voice interrupted their separate train of thoughts and movement.

"M'lady they could make your wishes come true" the woman yelled determined to keep these customers, they looked wealthy, at least the young man did.

Theodore felt her hand still in his grasp "Do you believe that?" he asked genuinely curious.

"Mmm no of course not, it's just really pretty" he nodded but headed over for the stall of gems, mostly stones he noticed and a few beads.

She must be a witch. He mused.

"What are you doing?" asked Lydia as she tried to pull her wrist from his 

"How much is it" Theodore asked the extremely large witch, his eyes narrowed

"My lord that'd be a hundred crits" she told, too chirpy for her size, she sounded like a bird but she looked like a walrus, he thought incredulously

"Theo we don't have to buy it" and even if he would have agreed, the nickname she just used busted it, he's definitely getting it 

"Enclose it" he ordered and the broker did quickly a dirty smile dancing on his face

To Lydia's surprise, Theodore shoved it into his coat pocket, she didn't let herself dwell on the thought that he had been trying to buy it for someone else and she was simply getting ahead of herself by thinking he was getting it for her, she frowned suddenly embarrassed, her face flaming red

Theodore however was enjoying himself and the small frown that played on Lydia's face made him smile as he took her hand again to move around the sea of people, he hadn't wanted to come but he couldn't imagine how unfortunate it would've been to miss this experience

They got to a place where a small crowd occupied seemingly watching something and Theodore sensed the eagerness in Lydia to have a look so he led them there, the crowd unconsciously making way for them to get a better view, a huge metal cage was placed in the middle of the crowd as a man walks to it and swing the door open, the animal sauntering out as two other people move close to it for whatever reason, Lydia was no longer interested.

It's a game, they're playing with animals encouraging Lydia's eyes to widen as she turns to Theodore

"Is that…?"

"Yes that's a hyena" She heard the smile in his voice, drawing her gaze to his face before dropping it back on the game unfolding in their front, Theodore's gaze never leaving her as he studied her intently

"And they're playing with it?" she whispered yelled

"It's for entertainment, they earn and the audience enjoys" he shrugged casually

"It's allowed?" she asked and quickly countering herself "I mean of course it's allowed since they're doing it but isn't it dangerous" She was baffled

"I can feel you pulling me back gooseberry, let us get a closer look" he invited 

"We could look at other things I'm not that interested in that" she countered quickly

"You don't have to be scared of that, I'm right here with you" he reminded and that earned him a scowl

"I'm not scared, I am simply not curious" she insisted.

"It alright if you are frightened" he taunted knowing well she could take the bait.

"You know what?" she raised her chin "Let's go, it's just a four feet animal" she conceded 

The animal unexpectedly turned its gaze towards her and their eyes met, paralysing her

"Oh no, Theo it's coming our way" she whispered-yelled.

"I can assure you it's not, Gooseberry" he comforted, too unruffled for Lydia to like at that moment she turned back to the animal and sure enough

"It's looking directly at me, it's… its" she stammered taking measured steps backwards

chuckling lightly he shook his head his eyes trained on her "Definitely not…"

"Run!"