The Prince exhaled and started to unlatch portions of his armor that wouldn’t come off easily. He then removed each piece one by one and set them down next to him. It took him a while but eventually he got everything off down to the clothing he wore under the chainmail. It felt like a huge weight had been lifted off his body and for a minute or two Hal thought he was going to fall asleep right away. It felt good to be free from all of that heavy steel but he felt vulnerable now.
The pile of armour took up near as much space as a person, which Summer supposed made sense, given that it went /around/ a person. Clearly he didn’t need her help, so she began to rummage in the sealed jars shelved on the back wall. A cheese, wrapped in sackcloth, came readily to hand, as well as a long sausage. Most of the jars proved to contain pickled foods, so she closed them back up, and kept out the barley she’d found.
“I’ve found sausage and cheese, my lord, as well as can make porridge if you like,” she said, turning back to the Prince. Her mouth dropped open slightly at the sight of him in his loose shirt and breeches.
The Prince sat up when she spoke again and smiled. “I do not wish to burden you with the task of cooking this late at night milady. The sausage and cheese will do just fine and I thank you.” He said and nodded in thanks. But something was wrong… or at least he felt as though something was wrong. “Is everything alright? Do I have something other than dirt and blood upon my person?” He asked and checked himself over. He didn’t have any large open wounds that needed to be tended to… But he was filthy.
“No, you — I — ” Summer had to stop talking before what she was thinking spilled out of her mouth totally uncensored. Taking a deep breath, she tried again. “Please don’t call me ‘milady,’ sire, I’m truly not. I’m just a country girl with a bit of luck.” She held out the round of cheese.
“Than what shall I call you? Simply by your name?” Hal asked as he took the cheese and pulled a chunk off of it. She looked rather flustered and he wished that he’d kept the armor on more so now. Even if she didn’t feel as though she should be called ‘milady’ Hal still felt it proper. Summer had shown him kindness and merited a title to match her generosity.
“Well, yes.” A hot blush climbed her cheeks, and she hoped he couldn’t see it in the dim firelight. She was for it now, but the topic must be broached. And as terribly gallant as he was being, there was no doubt she’d a fight on her hands, one she hoped she could win. She could not allow, by any means, the prince of the realm to sleep on the floor, yet he would surely insist on it. And the other alternative was … not to be thought of.
No matter how much, in her secret heart, she wanted it.
“Um, there is but one pallet.”