Stavanger Bay give in to me

"I'm okay," she assured him, a bit disappointed that she'd ended the game so soon. In apology, she cleaned the rest of the egg off of his fur, preening until it was snow and ginger wisps once more. She'd always liked eggs, and the gritty sand that'd caked over some of the treat made it all the more palatable. That was one good thing about the beach - the sand here felt and tasted much more pleasant than the red dirt from where she'd been born. There are a lot of nice things about the bay, she thought, but I know which one is my favorite.

And her favorite showed her just as much favor. Szymon took such care with her - brought her food, endured her teasing, made her laugh. Even now, he cleaned the mess from her face, soothed her hurt pride with his gentle touch. She never wanted this to end; never wanted them to change. Though she'd told herself she would honor Skellige if he had other plans for her, she knew now that it was not quite so simple. For Szymon had become essential to her in a way she'd never known before - and though the feelings were unfamiliar, she understood them well enough.

"But you do choose me, right?" she asked softly, drawing away from his grooming to look more fully into his handsome features.