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In some ways, Kirsch Baum was much the same as ever, but Finé could still see the small changes rebuilding had brought about. The tables were made of a different wood, and the walls weren't quite the same color as they had been, but the smiles of the staff were still just as warm, and the aroma of that famous cherry pie was just as mouthwatering. A feeling of nostalgia came over her as she and Izetta entered, but it was also a feeling that welcomed change.
A waitress greeted them, giving them both a knowing look, and led them to a small table in the corner with ample room for Izetta's wheelchair. Finé smiled as she and Izetta accepted the menus, and the waitress left them alone together. Izetta wore a sunhat with a large flower, but Finé had forgone the fake glasses; her disguises had never fooled anybody, and she knew hers and Izetta's identities were safe among the staff and patrons of Kirsch Baum. She'd visited a few times since its reopening, but this was Izetta's first visit since her recovery.
"It's quiet in here," Izetta said as she looked up from the menu.
"Some days are like this," Finé replied with a faint smile. "It's fitting for this time of year."
Izetta glanced out a window, and leaves of red and orange were visible. "Soon it'll be the first new year since the end of the war."
The waitress soon returned, and Finé and Izetta gave their orders. As they waited, they spoke of quiet, happy things, and Finé's heart felt more at ease. Finé couldn't yet visit Izetta often at that little cottage near the lake, away from the prying eyes of the city, but Izetta said she was adjusting well and enjoyed living with Lotte. However, she quickly added, she was also grateful to see the rebuilt capital with Finé too.
Finé found herself smiling; Bianca had been reluctant to allow this outing, as Izetta was believed to have perished in the final battle with Sophie, but Finé and Izetta had managed to convince her that the capital city at least would be safe for Izetta, and Bianca had eventually relented. After all, the people of the capital loved both Finé and her White Witch of legend, and Finé wanted to trust in that admiration.
When the waitress returned with their order, Izetta's smile was bright, and Finé herself too had to fight to keep her composure as the aroma of that freshly baked pie filled her nostrils. More customers now filled the café, carefree voices fluttering in the air, but no one seemed to give Finé or Izetta any notice. A smile tugged at Finé's lips; even though the memories of war were still fresh, life still went on.
"Mm, it's delicious!" Izetta exclaimed, swallowing the piece of pie she chewed.
"It's a little nostalgic too," Finé said with a gentle laugh. This was the taste of peace, and with sugar no longer needing to be rationed, she hoped more people would again be able to enjoy this taste.
Izetta's smile softened. "A lot has changed," she whispered, "but I don't regret anything that's happened."
As they ate, Finé watched Izetta closely. Izetta's smile was warm, and she enjoyed her food with such happiness, suggesting nothing of the girl who had nearly sacrificed her life to save Eylstadt. The day soldiers had pulled Izetta's body, bloodied and broken, from the rubble, Finé herself had nearly died too, cursing herself and the world for forcing the girl she loved to carry such a tragic burden. But Izetta had persevered, and thus so had Finé. The day Izetta had opened her eyes and could smile once more, Finé had broken down and begged for forgiveness, and Izetta had simply said there was nothing to forgive.
But since that day Izetta's eyes carried a different kind of knowledge and confidence. She and Finé were no longer carefree, innocent girls. They were now women who knew the horrors of war, of loss and suffering. Finé had forced Izetta to carry an unfair burden to protect this country, and now Finé carried the burden of protecting the fragile peace Izetta had sacrificed so much for. Yet despite all that they had endured, Izetta still smiled, still loved Finé.
"It's because of you we can enjoy this peace," Finé found herself saying, and she rested her chin on the back of her hand to smile at Izetta.
Izetta fidgeted as her cheeks became as red as her hair; for as much as she was revered as the savior who had sacrificed her life for Eylstadt, in some ways she was still a normal girl at heart. "B-But you and Bianca and everyone else has done so much too… Without you, I wouldn't have been able to do anything…"
Finé let out a quiet chuckle. As long as it was for Izetta's sake, she would shoulder any burden to protect this peace.
When they finished their meals, Finé paid for the order and she and Izetta left Kirsch Baum, and chill autumn air awaited them outside. As evening was falling, most people mulling about were heading home, and Finé was thankful for that calmness. Smiling at Izetta, she asked, "Shall we be off?"
Izetta nodded. "Let's take our time."
They followed the path of the river, and Izetta allowed Finé to push her wheelchair. Autumn-colored leaves fluttered in the wind, and Izetta adjusted her sunhat to prevent it from flying away. Her smile was gentle as she took in the sights of the reborn city, signs of both destruction and recovery. Much of the capital was still damaged, but rebuilding was steady and certain.
"It's amazing how much of the city has been restored in just a year," Izetta said, staring across the river at a half-completed building.
"The capital won't be the same as it was before the war," Finé replied, her fingers tightening around the handles of Izetta's wheelchair, "but that's all right too. The world is changing all around us, so we need to change too."
Izetta glanced over her shoulder at Finé. "But it's not so easy, is it?"
Finé let out a heavy sigh. "No, it really isn't. Even now some people refuse to see the price of this peace and want to continue on as they have, but we can't do that, not if we want to avoid repeating the mistakes that led to that horrible war. We must change this government at its core, and that includes the monarchy."
"So as I was the last witch, you still plan to be the last archduchess of Eylstadt," Izetta murmured, folding her hands in her lap.
"Yes, because I promised you a world where anyone will be able to choose their own future," Finé said firmly. "But even then, Eylstadt is such a small country, nothing like the great powers of the Volga Federation or the United States of Atlanta, so sometimes I fear there is little I can do as I am now."
"I believe in you." A faint smile came upon Izetta's lips. "I mean, I don't know much about politics, but because you believed in a brighter future, I was able to fight."
"Oh, Izetta," Finé said, and her eyes caught a pile of rubble nearly, scars this city still bore, scars that both she and Izetta still carried. "My sweet, darling Izetta, whatever would I do without you?"
Izetta reached out for Finé's hand, and her red eyes were warm and bright, even in this evening light, as their fingers intertwined. "I love you too, Finé," she said, and she no longer stumbled over speaking Finé's name aloud. Finé felt her eyes water, and she bent over Izetta's shoulder so that their lips could meet for a kiss.
Soon they reached their meeting point, where Bianca waited with their car. They had agreed to first take Izetta home to the cottage she shared with Lotte, and then in the morning Finé and Bianca would return to the palace. Once they were settled in the car and Izetta's wheelchair packed away, Finé took Izetta's hand into hers, their fingers lacing together. Often Finé dreamed of sharing Izetta's quiet life in the cottage by the lake, but she had made a promise to Izetta of a brighter future, and once that promise was fulfilled, she and Izetta could finally truly be together. Izetta rested her head on Finé's shoulder, and Finé brushed her lips against that soft red hair; as long as it was for Izetta's sake, Finé could change the world.