Three days passed.
The young knight did not return.
The girl at the market told herself she hadn't noticed.
She had work to do.
There were customers to serve, accounts to check, goods to purchase, and a younger sister who seemed determined to turn every quiet moment into a new question.
That evening, she sat behind the counter with a small account book open in front of her.
Numbers filled the pages.
She carefully added them together.
"Twenty-three silver coins..."
She paused and counted again.
"Minus eight..."
Her finger moved across the page.
"Fifteen."
She closed the book and sighed.
From the floor nearby came a familiar voice.
"Sister."
The young woman looked up.
"What?"
Mira was sitting on the floor, playing with a small wooden horse.
"Can we have sweets?"
The young woman stared at her.
"We had sweets yesterday."
"But I want them today."
"You always want them today."
Mira smiled.
The young woman tried to look serious.
Then she smiled too.
"Maybe tomorrow."
"That's what you said yesterday."
"Then maybe the day after tomorrow."
Mira crossed her arms.
"You're mean."
"I know."
Mira laughed.
For a moment, the little shop was filled with nothing but their laughter.
It was peaceful.
Simple.
But it hadn't always been this way.
Years earlier, Elara had lived in a completely different world.
She had been born into a noble family.
Her family had owned a large estate.
There had been servants.
Fine clothes.
A great dining hall.
Books and tutors.
And a life she had once believed would continue forever.
Then, when Elara was fourteen, everything changed.
Her family's fortune disappeared.
Their home was lost.
The life she knew collapsed in a matter of days.
Then came the worst part.
Her parents were killed.
Elara had barely understood what was happening before she found herself responsible for the only family she had left.
Mira was only five.
Elara was terrified.
She was still a child herself.
But there was no time to cry.
Someone had to protect the little girl beside her.
So she did.
She took Mira and ran.
They eventually reached a small village far from the capital, carrying almost nothing with them.
There, Elara began again.
She sold whatever little she had.
She bought a few goods.
Then she sold them.
She watched how other merchants worked.
She learned what people needed.
She learned how to negotiate.
She learned how to keep accounts.
She learned how to recognize when someone was trying to cheat her.
Little by little, she built a small business.
It wasn't the life she had once lived.
There were no servants.
No grand estate.
No expensive clothes.
No comfortable life waiting for her.
But she had Mira.
And Mira had her.
That was enough.
The young woman closed the shop for the night.
She checked the lock twice before turning around.
Mira was waiting beside the door.
"Come on," Elara said.
"Where?"
"Home."
Mira took her hand.
They walked through the quiet village together.
Elara listened as Mira talked about her drawing, the wooden horse, and the sweets she still wanted.
For a little while, the past felt far away.
But Elara had learned one thing during those years.
Peace could disappear quickly.
So she never took it for granted.
The following morning, Elara was arranging goods outside her shop when she heard the sound of approaching hooves.
She looked up.
A familiar horse stopped nearby.
The young knight dismounted.
For a moment, Elara simply stared at him.
Then a small smile appeared on her face.
"You came back."
Kael smiled.
"I needed something."
Elara raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
Kael held up a small piece of paper.
"My commander needs supplies."
Elara looked at the list.
"That's a lot."
"I know."
"You should have gone to the larger merchants in the capital."
"I know."
She looked at him again.
"Then why are you here?"
Kael hesitated.
He didn't have a good answer.
Elara noticed.
A small smile appeared on her face.
"Come inside."
Kael followed her.
Mira was sitting behind the counter.
The moment she saw him, her face lit up.
"The knight!"
Kael smiled.
"Hello."
Mira looked at her sister.
"He came back."
Elara sighed.
"Yes, Mira. I can see that."
Kael laughed.
Elara began gathering the supplies from the shelves.
"You need all of this?"
"Yes."
She placed each item carefully on the counter.
"That will be..."
She calculated quickly.
Kael watched her.
"You do that very fast."
"I have to."
"Why?"
"Because if I calculate slowly, people think they can trick me."
Kael smiled.
"Has anyone tried?"
"Many times."
"And?"
"I usually notice."
"Usually?"
Elara looked at him.
"You're asking too many questions."
Kael laughed.
For the next several minutes, they worked together.
There was nothing extraordinary about it.
No battle.
No danger.
No great event.
Just two people standing in a small shop.
Yet with every conversation, the distance between them became a little smaller.
When Kael finally finished collecting the supplies, he placed the payment on the counter.
Elara counted the coins.
Then she looked at him.
"Everything is correct."
"I wouldn't expect anything less."
She gave him a small smile.
Mira waved at him from behind the counter.
"Come again!"
Kael smiled.
"I will."
Elara looked at him.
"You're making promises now?"
Kael paused.
Then smiled.
"I suppose I am."
He stepped outside and mounted his horse.
As he rode away, Elara watched him disappear down the road.
She didn't know why she had started looking forward to his visits.
And Kael didn't know why he kept finding reasons to return.
But something had begun.
Neither of them was ready to give it a name.
Not yet.