Page 63 of Noble Charms

Several of her dishes had been broken during the move, and Aria tugged Noble's sleeve as they passed this particular shop to get her housewarming gift for the party tomorrow. Aria made his way straight to a wall of serving platters, to a pink one shaped like a fish.

It was perfect.

Noble stepped behind him and said, “Really?”

Aria humphed. “Yes. It's her.”

“Romy is a salmon?”

Aria knocked his elbow back into Noble's stomach, and he coughed in pain. “She's a pretty fish, yes. She's a marelfine, if you didn't know.”

“Alright, alright.” Noble waved to the shopkeep. “Can we get this one wrapped as a gift?”

“Not a problem,” said the girl, hopping off her stool and making her way to the appropriate shelf. “That's a good pick. Made this when I was my most in love. Think the affection'll permeate out of it, I do.” She shuffled off to the back. “I'll wrap it for ya. Wait here.”

When she disappeared behind a taupe curtain at the back of the shop, Aria spun around to face Nobel. “You've been cheerful lately.”

“It's starting to feel like I've figured things out, a little bit. I mean, I don't know exactly how it's going to work—but.” His eyes scanned Aria's face. He lifted a hand, as if he was going to touch him, and then stopped halfway. “I’m optimistic I can make it work.”

“If you're planning your future,” said Aria, raising a brow and offering a smile, “you're missing a key component.”

“Oh?” Noble leaned forward, placing his hand upon the shelf at Aria's side, caging him in. “You got something I'm missing, then?”

Aria reached out to playfully pull at one of the dark brown ringlets that fell in front of Noble's face. “It's been a few weeks since you've gone out with someone. Maybe you should get back out there. Find that wife of yours.”

Noble's face fell. Slowly. Second by second, until he frowned. “That's not really what I've been thinking about.”

“Obviously not,” Aria said, “Not after what happened with Virginia. Who would want to invite that into their life again?” He sighed and said, “But I told you. Not all people will want your coin. There are good women out there for you.”

“I don't…” Noble began to say.

“Take someone to Romy's soiree tomorrow,” Aria suggested. Noble's face closed off entirely, then, and he stepped away. Aria added, following at his heels as he walked to the front of the shop, “I plan to. Do you remember Lord Hampenstead? We met him weeks ago.”

“The viscount?”

“That's right. I was going to take him as my double with you and Romy, but I had to put him off when you got Morgan to agree. I'm making it up with him tomorrow, at Romy's. You should find someone too—we can make it a double-thing. Like last time.” When Noble neither turned around nor spoke, Aria reached out to touch his arm. “The night was fun up until your former wife arrived, wasn't it?”

Noble had gone terribly still before he pulled his arm away from Aria's touch. He cleared his throat, and when he faced Aria again, his voice was feather-light. “You're right, of course. Right. Yes. Lord Hampenstead?”

“That's right.” He owned some land on the edge of the kingdom, near to the Northern Mountains. “He just moved here from Sallansa. Half-orc? Round glasses? He was a bit nervous to meet everyone at that dinner party.”

“No,” Noble said, firmly. “He wasn't nervous to speak with anyone. Just with you.”

Aria pouted as he recalled the night. “Me?”

“Because he liked you. Obviously. I didn't realize he'd actually built the gumption to ask you out.” Aria looked away, tucking hair behind his ear. Noble released an exhale, a quiet noise of understanding, and said, “You asked him. You're the one doing the chase.”

“No—” Aria started to say, uncertain why he would deny it, or why his palms sweated. “No, not quite like that. It's just—I thought he was kind, and not many nobles are that way. I asked him to call on me if he could, and when Romy told me about her soiree, I sent him a missive, and…"

“Half-orc, you said? Right.”

Aria could barely make out the words Noble muttered to himself as he continued to the front of the store. “What? What is it you⁠—"

“I think I may be able to find a date,” Noble cut in, tone firm. When Aria circled around to face him, his gaze was distant and focused far out the shop's window like he could see ghosts upon the winter air.

Aria picked his words carefully, his heart battering against his ribs like one of those ghosts had been trapped inside of him. “You should. A date will do you good, Noble. You'll see how desirable you are. A great many would be happy to have you as a husband.” May the devil take Virginia for what she'd done to him.

Noble's eyes met Aria's in a flash of emotion he couldn't quite grasp. “Many would. You're right.”