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Enter Allen - resident rake and asshole, with a sweet center if you can get to it.

Rest and Refuge

Chapter 2

It was another typical early morning for Farmer Ellie, who hobbled along the thick snow drifts from the path outside her farmland to the front of Emma's home. She was the closest neighbor geographically, which was convenient when Ellie was carrying a sack of produce or gems to ship. Like this morning, when she was dragging a sled full of stone that she'd been hoarding for Dunhill's crazy projects. At this rate she had more than enough for whatever he decided to throw at her next, and the word on the street said that Rebecca was in a bit of a financial bind. Her suppliers wouldn't send her next shipments unless she settled her outstanding bills. It had been Emma's idea to purchase stone from Ellie and devise a way to secretly get it to Rebecca. But Ellie had no intention of receiving payment for the stone and told Emma thus. Her crop over the year had been profitable, so she had no reason to be stingy.

The shipping bin was surprisingly spacious, with a separate insulated section for perishables, and Ellie carefully deposited a few daikon before stacking the stone in neat rows and gently laying the gems beside them. She rolled her shoulders and massaged her upper arms, feeling the pinch in her muscles from the repetitive movement.

"You're going to bulk up like man with all that manual labor."

Ellie jumped in surprise and almost smacked her forehead on the lid of shipping bin that she'd started to close. "Sweet goddess, Allen! Could you not?"

The bespectacled hairstylist shrugged in a manner Ellie always found highly irritating. "My apologies."

Like hell he's actually sorry. Ellie rolled her eyes and retrieved her sled. "If I do bulk up like a man, as you say, your ass will be the first one I'll kick." She stomped past him. "Although I could likely still accomplish that now."

Allen chuckled and fell in step next to her. "You're so easy to rile, love. Isn't it too early for such hostility?"

Ellie wondered if she could trip him without feeling too guilty afterward. "No, not when you're around." The bag she had slung over one shoulder was starting to slip at her brisk pace and she wiggled to adjust it. "Speaking of early, why are you even up and about now? Don't you roll out of bed right before your salon opens?"

Allen sighed and grabbed the strap of the bag and slid it from her arm. "Not at all. And I'd hate to miss this Snow Festival that Dunhill's been going on about." In one graceful swing he had the bag over his own shoulder. He huffed lightly, taking in its full weight. "This is ridiculously heavy! What do you have in here?"

She snorted. "We're not all delicate and simpering, you know."

"So it would seem." Allen grinned as a devil might and playfully nudged her shoulder with his. "But I hear you play the damsel in distress rather nicely. What with Neil-"

"I'd rather not talk about it."

Allen's eyes narrowed while his grinned widened. "Oh, but we must! How unusual for Neil to risk his own safety for the mannish village farmer!"

Ellie flushed from her checks to well below the modest collar of her knit sweater. "You and I both know he came for the cow!"

Allen hid his snickers behind his pale, find-boned fingers. "Poor dear, shown up by a cow. You'll never get married at this rate. Isn't that every woman's dream?"

It probably was. Ellie didn't give herself much time to think about such things since coming to Echo. She knew her father had hinted more than once in his recent letters about family and children, her increasing age and as well as his. She knew her time was limited for children, as it was for all women. But it was too much to bear if she really considered it - the pressure of finding a spouse, planning for a child, managing her farm. She didn't feel like she could successfully handle all three.

Allen had grown quiet while she was lost in thought as they made their way to the far edge of town. He tugged on a loose strand of hair that had escaped her ponytail. "I'm sure someone will feel enough pity and propose."

"Oh, like you?" She smacked his hand away. "Don't be offended when I don't faint from excitement."

Allen rapidly wrapped the length of her ponytail around his hand and gave it a sharp tug, taking her head with it and exposing the delicate arch of her neck. He leaned in and brushed her pulse point with his nose. "If I wanted you, sweet, I would have already had you."

"Miss Ellie?"

Ellie's stomach dropped when she caught sight of Sanjay, who was standing a few feet away with a shovel in hand, likely removing snow from the mansion's entryway before spotting them. It had been days since she'd seen him and the prince last, and she'd been so distracted by Allen that she hadn't even noticed that they were right in front of the mansion. Her face was burning red, and Allen still hadn't released her hair.

"Well, that was fast." Allen whispered in her ear. Before she could begin to question what that meant he took a quick nip at her neck and unwrapped his hand from her ponytail. Ellie shrieked and covered her neck with her palm, quickly putting space between herself and Allen, who was currently ignoring her. "Hello, butler." He greeted Sanjay with a small wave of his hand and placed Ellie's bag in her sled. He turned to her and tapped the tip of her nose. "I'll see you later."

Ellie stood as if frozen, her hand clasping her neck and her eyes wide in shock. He made such a display and left her to explain it! She heard the snow softly crunch behind her.

"Miss Ellie," Sanjay spoke so gently as he approached, close enough to touch her but not taking that liberty. "Are you well?"

She exhaled for what felt like the first time in years and winced slightly at the burn in her chest. "Y-yes, yes I..." Ellie paused briefly at the intensity of his gaze and had to look away.

"Did he hurt you?"

Ellie gasped. "What? No! No, not Allen." She chuckled breathlessly and ran her fingers over the loose bits of hair that had fallen around her face and tucked them behind her ear. "Allen likes to say ridiculous things and unsettle me, that's all." Ellie could tell that Sanjay remained unconvinced, as his eyes roved over her. Normally such scrutiny would have made her uncomfortable, but it was clear that he intended to see for himself that she was unharmed.

"I understand it is not my place to say so, Miss Ellie, but..." Sanjay coughed lightly into fist and furrowed his brow, "But he shouldn't manhandle you in such a manner, even in jest."

Ellie felt a warmth grow in her gut and her lips quirked into a small smile. She was inclined to agree that yes, it wasn't his place to say anything about how she interacted with the other villagers, but his concern was heartwarming and the formal way he went about it was very cute. "Thank you for being worried, but I'm okay."

Sanjay let the matter drop and with his height easily looked over her shoulder at the bag and sled that until that point had been forgotten. "Are you on your way to forage? Do you require assistance?"

Ellie turned from him and knelt before her pack. "No, actually. I was wanting to drop these off for Amir." She pulled out two cardboard tubes that had managed to remain unscathed despite sharing a space with her mining tools. "He said he was interested in the blueprints for the next two buildings I'm planning."

Sanjay offered his hand and she placed both tubes on his large palm. He smiled at her and gestured toward the palace doors. "Master will be very pleased. He is available at this moment - would you like to speak with him?"

"Oh...well, I mean I could. I know he's busy, so I wasn't planning on bothering him." Ellie turned back to her pack, hoping that Sanjay couldn't read the truth in her eyes. She was still rather embarrassed from their last encounter. Sanjay would graciously avoid mentioning it, but she doubted Amir would be so kind.

"Master Amir doesn't see you as a bother. Rather quite the opposite."

Ellie laughed dryly. "I don't know about that." She had an item for Sanjay as well, but had hesitated giving it. Did they have specific traditions about gifts? Would she offend him? That morning while packing her bag she had run through all of the terrible scenarios that a poorly-thought gift could garner. Perhaps she was also thinking too much. "I..I have something for you as well." She lightly grasped the bag she had loosely wrapped in colored parchment. "It's sort of an apology, for how I greeted you when we met...and for using your scarf...and...well, here." She couldn't meet his eyes when she placed the gift in his empty hand. "I heard from Clement that you really enjoy tea, and I grow it on my farm. It's probably not the quality your used to or anything, but-"

"Thank you." Sanjays fingers trembled slightly as they brushed away the parchment to reveal a small bag of dried whole leaves. "I have never received something so wonderful. Thank you very much."

Ellie smiled and rubbed the back of her head, an uneasy mixture of pride and bashfulness swirled in her stomach. "You're welcome."

As if remembering himself, Sanjay once again gestured to mansion. "You must be cold from traveling so far. Please, warm up inside for a moment. I will brew some tea from my homeland, if it would please you."

It would, very much. Ellie smiled. "Sure, that sounds nice."