A HAPPY BEAT
As the morning sun greeted the residents of Orario by peeking its head over the city walls, Aiz stood alone in the courtyard of her home, practicing her sword swings. The tip of her sword whistled through the air as she honed the techniques that earned her the name of Sword Princess.
It had been a few days since the Rakian army tendered their unconditional surrender. Some time had passed after the events at Edas Village in the Beor Mountains—the heartrending farewell and a goddess’s love song that were both fast becoming a distant memory.
Aiz stopped and looked up at the clear blue sky overhead while scenes from the past flicked through her mind.
“The festival was fun…” she said. “I enjoyed that.”
Dancing with the baby-faced goddess, wearing a village girl’s clothes as the villagers sang and clapped, and everyone laughing and smiling. It was like nothing Aiz had ever experienced prior, and the memory still warmed her heart.
Bell’s goddess always seemed to have it out for Aiz for some reason, but it was fun dancing with her…and yet Aiz couldn’t help but feel it was a shame.
“…A shame?”
The thought came unbidden from somewhere deep inside, and Aiz cocked her head.
Why? she asked herself, but before she could find an answer, her feet began to move. Tracing the steps of that night once more, feeling the warm glow of the bonfire—only this time, the one she imagined in her arms was not Bell’s goddess but a blushing white rabbit instead.
“………”
Aiz turned with a flourish and swept her feet across the lawn.
“She’s smiling.”
“She sure is.”
“How rare.”
From the stone passage that ran between the towers of the mansion, Tiona, Tione, and Riveria looked down at the scene below. Aiz’s motions were rhythmic, almost like she was dancing a folk dance in her mind. The Hyrute twins shared an odd glance. It was faint—so faint only those close to Aiz could recognize it—but there was a smile on the young girl’s lips.
“I wonder what happened to her?” asked Tione.
“I couldn’t even begin to guess,” said Riveria.
Tiona grinned. “But it’s not every day we get to see Aiz like that. I think I like it.”
The sight brightened up all three ladies’ faces. As for the girl in the courtyard below, she went on smiling and dancing as if she were a child again.
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