Her fingers found his hair and Nilo gave a happy sigh, glad he was able to share the news with her. The smile he wore was crooked and warm as she leaned forward, their foreheads pressed together. It was then she showered him with compliments, her voice kind and genuine. Oh, this woman… she knew just how to tug at his heart. The amount of love and faith she put in him never failed to make his heart pound.

And it only continued. She mentioned his fight, which was probably something he would never live down. His eyes gazed into hers, orbs that were ghostly and cold in color, but always had an insurmountable warmth whenever he looked her way. Whenever his eyes crossed hers, one could easily say there was nothing frigid about them. As she tucked against him, the man used his arms to cage her, resting his chin on her head. “And I am more than happy to be yours.” He agreed quietly, content in their little bubble or warmth.

Their silence didn’t last long, the woman asking him to join her on occasion on her new morning jogs. “I would love to, although, you’ll probably have to have to wake me up.” Nilo gave a soft chuckle, “I’m also afraid I’m probably not going to be much better than you are, running was never something I did, so we can get better together.” He told her, well aware of the fact his muscles were more prominent in his arms and what he had was all for show, to make his shoulders seem broader figure more prominent. It was most definitely not for practical use.

Her next request was somewhat of a bigger one, given his past relationship with swords, but this was different, wasn’t it? This wasn’t him learning how to harm, but helping out the woman he loved. Then there was the way she leaned back to give him a hopeful look… how could he say no? He could at least give it a try. Worst case it uprooted some painful memories and he stopped, but they were just training swords, weren’t they? There would be no flashing steel and possible injuries.

Nilo shook his head in defeat. “I guess I can be your “partner”, even if that’s giving me far too much credit. You are aware I haven’t properly trained with once in a while, aren’t you? I fear this will be a humiliating experience on my end.” He admitted, well aware he would be walking straight into the lion’s den when it came to sword-fighting with Gennadius. He may be a surprisingly agile man, limber and flexible, but did he know the slightest thing about wielding a sword? No. He didn’t remember much, having desperately tried to block those memories from his mind.

But this would be a new experience for him and hopefully a better one. Perhaps by the end of it, he could hold a sword without the weight making him nauseous and the sounds of blades clashing wouldn’t faze him. In all honesty, it was an opportunity to begin to move forward on that end, even if he was never completely comfortable with swords. He could learn to tolerate them and that gave him motivation, even if he was sure to get a few nightmares from the experience. It would be a way for him to both help himself and her.

“I don’t think I could ever keep up with you, you move far too fast for me. I like to stop and smell the roses.” Nilo joked with a wink, but his head thumped and his chest rumbled with laughter as she narrowed his eyes and mentioned his papers. “I have seen your handwriting. Kingdoms would mistake a thank-you-letter for a war decree.” Oh yes, her handwriting was positively horrid compared to his fluid, well-practiced calligraphy. “I do a lot of paperwork now since I’m juggling my father’s duties atop my own, but once he’s returned I can actually do some of my more entertaining duties. Although, I think anything I do pales in comparison to the hustle and bustle of your military life. ”

The man came up with another idea after a moment. “So I know you were super attached to your sword, cause you made it, so would you want to make another?” Nilo asked, tilting his head, “I can obviously get you in with the royal smithery, but if you wanted to go back to your old mentor you could too. It’s just a thought since you’re still technically off duty.” Nilo suggested, well aware that not any old sword would do for her. “I could even slip you a set of keys to the countryside castle if you decided to go the latter route and it was a multiple day process.”

Nilo was not only grateful that she was getting back into the swing of things but also that she inviting him in. Their worlds had always been rather separate and still, for the most part, were. Although now, Nilo had been given the option to come in, no matter how trivial his part was. "Y'know, with you having higher spirits and beginning your return to the fold, as well as my father's chance at recovery, I'd almost say we've found a stroke of luck Gennadius. Perhaps the Gods saw a future with of being a rye farmer and instantly recoiled, deciding to send you back in the proper direction." Nilo suggested, reaching out to give his own attempt at tucking the stray strands of hair behind her ears.

When Nilo agreed, her entire being seemed to light up. Deep down she had understood there was a chance, a decent one, that he would say no. And if she saw any evidence that it was starting to hurt him, she knew she would call it off immediately and ask Theophilus or Damien to help her get back into shape on that side of things. But as things were at the moment, the woman couldn’t be much happier.

“Why do you think I’m asking you?” she laughed, “If I asked anyone else, they would be sure to make me look like a total newbie with the sword. At this point, I bet Augustus could beat me into the ground.” Shifting, she moved so she was basically straddling him, one arm coming out to playful punch his shoulder. “Besides, it will be good for you! Since you won’t have a guard anymore, it will be helpful for you to be able to at least hold you own if the time or need came for it.”

As for the papers... Gennadius couldn’t help chuckling at the mention of anything she wrote being mistaken for something else. Nilo would probably be one of the few people who knew how bad her handwriting really was. Of course, there were the reports that needed to be written as colonel but... she may or may not have had Faust rewrite them for her considering the soldier had much better handwriting than she did. Of course, she always made sure he got a little extra, which having a family, the man had been grateful for. It had been a good deal for everyone involved.

“I will have you know that what you do, does not pale in comparison to my work!” she exclaimed, her voice taking on a dramatic tone. “Granted, being a colonel there is always the chance at physical injury and there is a lot of time spent running back and forth and trying to help with training. But! You mingle with vipers and, somehow, I feel that is a much more dangerous task. They nearly ate me alive last time I joined you for one of those entertaining duties.” Oh yes, she would never forget that day where she had dumped her wine on Seraphina’s lap. Though she still believed the woman had it coming.

It was the mention of making a new sword that silenced her, and for a few moments, she had no idea what to say. Yes, what had made her precious sword special was that she had made it. But... “I think I will stay here to make it.” Smiling, dark eyes glowed gently, “then I can take as long as I need and won’t have to leave you alone again.” Truth was, she didn’t want to be far away from him again, even if the country castle was really only a day’s ride away.

Though, what touched her was that he would trust her with the keys to the country castle. They were basically the keys to his own home, which in her mind would be the equivalent of Damien giving the keys of his apartment to Beatrice. Yes, as Nilo was saying, it really was looking like for once, the gods were smiling down upon them. “I don’t think I would make a very good farmer,” she chuckled, shaking her head. “I may get so bored after a while I’d be stealing rye from my own field.”

Her hand moved to take his as he tucked a strand of hair back. True to how it had always been, her fingers interlaced perfectly with his, allowing his larger hand to engulf hers. What else made her return remarkable was the circumstances in which she had come back. She had not returned to find Nilo distant or drunk... nor had she come back covered in blood or injured in some way. Another beautiful mercy granted them, and perhaps the first time that their separation had resulted in something good instead of bad.

Gennadius’s other hand reached out for his face again, as if her fingers were attracted to it, which perhaps they were. She loved being able to touch and caress the man, the back of her knuckles gently moving across his cheek before she began tracing his jaw yet again. “You know, I still think you’d look good with a beard,” she mentioned offhand, not putting much thought into the statement, more of just saying it. Not that she didn’t really think he’d look good with one. On the contrary, she thought he would look amazing if he ever decided to sport a beard, though it would restrict her ability to move her fingers over his jaw.

“But, this whole time we have been talking about my trip. What about you? Other than having Theophilus rock you to sleep, what have you been up to?” Gennadius’s head tilted as her hand fell from his face, though the other still held to his, giving a gentle squeeze. “How is the kingdom as a whole? Everything going alright? Have you been getting enough sleep? Rest in general?” Again, she found herself looking him over as if to just reassure herself that he was doing quite well.

Another bout of laughter escaped him as she considered the royal social functions “mingling with the vipers”. To him, it was just like a dance, and fortunately for him, he loved dancing, no matter how difficult the step sequence may be. Gennadius on the other hand did not share his same beliefs on the matter and instead saw such gatherings as the most dangerous of battlefields. “I do not think a social is as dangerous as a swordfight.” Nilo snorted.

He nodded as she decided to stay in the city, secretly glad she wasn’t going on an escapade to his former country home, simply because the man didn’t like the idea of them being separated again just yet. “I look forward to seeing the new stabby thing you produce,” Nilo admitted, arms falling to loosely band at her hips, “perhaps it will even be better than your old one.” He offered, knowing that even though the woman hadn’t touched a sword since she’d returned from the borders, the weapon had been something she was extremely attached to. Nilo had noticed how her hand would sometimes reach out for it at her side, only to find out it wasn’t there.

As the woman reached out to touch his jaw his eyes momentarily closed at the gesture, enjoying the feeling of her tracing over the contours. Although, at the mention of growing a beard, the prince felt a hint of unease. The man had never really… had luck growing facial hair, given the fact it took him about a week to have even the faintest shadow of a stubble. The man had never really minded, preferring his usual look over facial hair, which would probably require more upkeep.

Although, he had never told anyone that it took him way longer than your average person to grow a beard, and honestly, he didn’t really intend to. It embarrassed him, that as a man he couldn’t grow a beard so he’d always kept it under wraps and most just assumed he shaved often to keep himself hair-free. “I’m afraid facial hair is Damien’s thing. Wouldn’t want to steal his thunder,” Nilo casually pointed out, “Besides, I think I like the feel of your fingers too much for all that.” He gave a puff of laughter, eyes fluttering back open.

It was then she began to ask him about what he had done while she was away, giving him his own flurry of questions to answer. “I got into lot’s of mischief, I tell you. Even spent a few days on lockdown.” He joked. In all honesty, he hadn’t done things much different than he usually did, just spent more time working since Gennadius wasn’t around to spend time with.

He gave a chuckle as she seemed to analyze his condition. “I was fine darling and yes, I did get decent sleep, had a couple of nightmares, but it’s much better than it used to be in terms of frequency. I can actually sleep now.” To him, a nightmare that came about once a week was a miracle. He wasn’t spending every night shivering or pacing his room any longer. Granted, there were still phases where it was a few times in a row, but he was doing much better. “Work still keeps me up late pretty frequently, which isn’t fun, but I do what I have to.” It was true, that many nights he only got a few hours of sleep from being up so late.

“Everything’s going fine, the Theo’s are doing their jobs well and it will be nice to have Damien back on the team. The kingdom itself is in a mediocre position, we still have some domestic disputes here and there, which Theophilus is doing, plus there are the recruitment proceedings… so I’d say everything's the usual amount of busy you are accustomed to, just with me doing some more hands-on work in the city.”

Nilo’s thumb traced back and forth over the back of her hand as he though for a moment, enjoying the fact she was there with him and they were able to talk once more. “Flower is getting bigger, reaching her “teenage” stage where her body’s a little disproportionate before it fills out. Theodore took her into the city with him just to get her out of here.” He explained, “Oh! And I had them implement some of your new ideas in the infirmary. I’ll install the windows once my father’s released so he doesn’t have to listen to all that noise.” At that point, he knew he was on a borderline ramble, so the man stopped talking with a soft, nervous laugh.

“But overall, my life was very, very boring without my usual source of entertainment,” Nilo told her, leaning forward so his head could rest on her shoulder, “Yes, my colonel left me to go on a vacation with my best friend, leaving me bored and alone!” The prince truly had no contempt for her leaving, which had been evident when they had reunited, but it didn’t mean he wasn’t going to give her a little crap about taking off for a month with no notice.

He shifted back again so he could look at her, a question forming in his mind. “Where are you going to start staying again? I mean, do you think you’re ready to move out of the infirmary since you’re starting to exercise and plan on training?” Nilo asked, more out of curiosity than anything, but he was also aware the woman had avoided her room due to the connection it had with her duties

His dramatic first response amused her, but it always did. There was something about the way he could so easily joke about things and make them funny for everyone that she also really enjoyed about him. But at the mention of his nightmares, the concern crept into her eyes, gazing over his face as if there would be some physical evidence of the mental pain he still wrestled with and that she now more than understood and could sympathize with. However, he looked in good health as per usual.

Gennadius enjoyed as he moved on to all that had been going on in general, watching as he began to go on one of his ramblings. Not that she minded, loving to hear his voice and just listen to him talk. She was glad to hear that Theophilus was doing his job, and very interested in hearing about Flower. How much could the dog really have grown in a month? But if Nilo said she was disproportionate now, maybe she really was. But what excited her the most was that her ideas were being added to the infirmary, and that was something she couldn’t wait to see.

Dark eyes sparkled when he trailed off with a nervous chuckle, suddenly aware of what he was doing. It really was adorable, the decent sized man suddenly seeming get embarrassed that he was talking too much. “I guess it’s a good thing your colonel came back then... now you won’t be able to get anything done,” she teased, reaching up to gently play with the russet strands of hair which were now perfectly within her reach. “I am sure you missed using me as a desk instead of this lovely wood thing you’ve been using.”

When he pulled back to look at her, she released him, eyeing him to see what had come to that ever-working brain of his. The question that he asked threw her off for a moment and she fell silent, blinking. “I just assumed I’d go back to the infirmary,” she admitted, pulling her hand from his to start messing with her ponytail. “I’m not ready to face the soldiers yet... not until I know I am back to my old standard. So, the infirmary room is the only other place I know to stay unless I take my money and try and get a place in the city.”

She moved so her back was to him again, leaning against his torso as she stared at the ceiling. “I suppose I don’t really want to go into the city. I like it here and it’s been a long time since I was totally on my own. And while I am handling my nightmares much better... I don’t know what I’d do if they got bad and I was somewhere out there. And I would love to be able to move back to my old room because it is mine. I can’t exactly make the infirmary room mine like that. But...” a sigh “I’m not prepared for it yet.”

She slid across his lap to be slouching, the back of her head resting against his chest while she stretched her legs out over his desk. “That being said, I do look forward to actually getting the courage to get back to work.” Gennadius grinned, relaxing again. “And I think I know what I want to make with my new sword. I loved the old one but I want something different. Definitely going to have a leather wrapped handle though.” She gave a slight grunt as her mind drifted off for a moment, mentally picturing her new idea, though it was subject to change once she actually started working on it.

“You know... I want it to have a wolf symbol on it. Right in the middle of the hilt, on the guard.” She tipped her head back and tilted it slightly to get a partial view of his face. “I don’t think I could pull it off but surely someone in the shop can. But that is a must.” Her hand reached up to trace under his chin as she smiled, “That way I always have a symbol of you everywhere I go. And I think I have enough to get that part slightly gilded with maybe copper and maybe find a light blue stone to put in the eye. It would be obviously very small so shouldn’t cost too much.”

“What do you think?”

Nilo nodded, understanding her adversity to returning to her old room. “Well, worst case old Augustus kicks you out and you can always stay in Damien’s room or something.” He gave a grunt as she shifted in his lap, finding her new spot, which not only included him being used as a chair, but his desk as a footrest. He scoffed. “Am I just something for you to sit on? Do you really believe the crown prince and his desk are a chaise lounge?” He questioned with a mock offense, although his arms folded across her middle.

“And I also look forward to you working again, not that I won’t miss your seemingly endless free time, you just really seemed to enjoy what you did,” Nilo explained, glancing down at her, “I liked hearing about all the things you’d do and about your relationship with your soldiers.” Her work had always interested him, not just because it was her career, but because it was interesting to see the military side of things and peer into her little corner of the world.

He gave a snort as she mentioned the handle. “I am honestly the worst person to talk about this,” Nilo laughed, “I can name over fifty different types of flowers and confidently list every kingdom on this side of the ocean, but Gods I have no clue what to look for in a sword.” It was true, the man had no clue what made the best “stabby thing”, as he loved to call them. “Although, a leather handle sounds better for your hand. Less of a chance of blistering and all that gross stuff.” He commented although he wasn’t all that sure if that was even correct.

Nilo cocked his head as she began to talk about a wolf, confused. His brow furrowed and he tilted his head to look down at her. A wolf? What on earth did a wolf have to do with him? It was only when she mentioned having it made to have a reddish hue. Yes, it was about the book his mother had written, depicting him and his brother as animals. “I think it is a wonderful idea.” Nilo purred, “Then you can think of me every time you have to beat a man who has wronged you.”

The man gave yet another happy sigh and let his body fully relax, his arms absentmindedly pulling her a little closer, if that was even possible. “That’s very romantic of you, y’know, I must be rubbing off on you,” Nilo joked, pressing a kiss to the top of her head, “Even if it has to do with your fascination with stabby things. I wonder how many daggers you have hidden in your boots.” He speculated, remembering the time he had carried her through the castle halls and she had him remove the daggers from her person. The man remembered how she had just kept producing the blades as if she had an endless supply.

“Honestly, I’d contemplated getting you a sword as a recovery gift and taking Damien to help me shop, but I realized you would probably love a handmade one more and there is no way I am ever pursuing smithing.” Nilo told her, well aware that kind of work was far above his pay grade, “Which is why I shall leave you to your area of expertise. Perhaps I’ll just buy you a nice sheath instead, that I think I can do.”

Nilo shifted a little, well aware that by the time he got up, his legs would be asleep and any attempt to get up would result in him hitting the floor, but he was far too comfortable to move. “I wish we never had to move,” Nilo murmured, voice rather tender. Trying to rule a kingdom was extremely stressful for the inexperienced prince, especially since he didn’t have all the power of the king at the moment, which only made things harder. “Even if this study is a little dusty.” He turned his head to the side and sneezed as if his body felt the need to emphasize that fact.

She couldn’t help laughing at the way Nilo depicted just when she’d remember him by the sword. It really was an amusing thought, and really only one he could come up with. “As for the hilt, you were pretty much correct. It normally wasn’t a problem but... you hold it too tightly or use it with too much force and it left a bruise.” For a moment, her gaze wandered away from him and down to the open hand in her lap. No, she never wanted to carry such brutal reminders again, even if it was only for a few days.

But, she easily relaxed at his sigh, snuggling in against him as he wrapped his arms tighter to her waist, pulling her into himself. Gennadius gave a soft chuckle and smiled, tilting her head back and a little more into the kiss. Yes, the colonel loved receiving affections from the prince, like a cat who hated the world even reaching a hand out but turned into a purr bucket the moment she was around the human she loved.

“And if you must know, I proudly carry one dagger in my left boot, inside of the calf. I haven’t upgraded to more yet.” She grinned, eyes closing, clearly proud that she had been able to carry at least one blade now. Not to mention she was actively practicing with it, though she wasn’t about to try and pull it out and toss it at the door to prove it. No, she was far too comfortable for even the contemplation of movement. The woman was warm, relaxed, and feeling overall, very safe and loved.

Hearing that Nilo had been going to buy her a sword was truly touching, dark eyes fluttering open again. Had he done so, Gennadius knew she would have cherished the blade anyway, even if it wasn’t hand crafted by herself. “I think you would make a fine blacksmith. A handsome one for sure,” she playfully purred out her words, fingers coming to trace under his chin again. “Maybe you’d be a bit sweaty, and smell like hot metal, but that’s not exactly a bad thing…” Chuckling, her eyes fell shut again, just imagining him as such, which for her wasn’t a bad mental image, though she knew such thoughts would horrify him. Part of her still believed he bathed morning, noon, and night.

“But a sheath would be lovely. My old one is worn out and really has no place except with its sword.” The idea of a new sheath did actually bring her joy. There was something about creating a new sword and having the man buy her a new sheath for it that excited her, made her want to be ready to head back to her duties. And the fact that he seemed just as eager for her to be ready thrilled her as well.

At the mention of not moving, she couldn’t have agreed more, though did smirk when he sneezed off to the side. “This is nothing compared to the barn at Damien’s place,” she chuckled, twisting her body onto its side, legs crossing as they stayed stretched out on his desk. However, her cheek now rested against his chest and her fingers could fiddle with his shirt again. “But if you don’t want to move, let’s not… your prince… declare a national holiday or something.” A finger traced down his chest and up again a few times. Yes, she was perfectly happy where she was too.

But, Gennadius knew it was selfish to take up the rest of his day when he did have things to do and was probably heading towards his legs falling asleep, if they hadn’t already. So with a begrudging groan, she pulled out of his and swung her legs to the floor, slowly standing up. Gods… had she been comfortable! But she simply stretched out her arms and arched her back to pull out all her muscles and glanced back at the man she adored so much. “Need a hand up?”

The woman knew if his legs truly were asleep, he had a tendency to try and meet the floor. But surely with her help, he could stay on his feet right? Of course, Gennadius wasn’t exactly adding in the factors that she still wasn’t at full strength and even if she was, her size was no match for his 8+ inches he had on her and extra weight. Nor was she taking in consideration that her one leg was slightly weaker than the other and therefore she also had a slightly uneven distribution of muscle mass at the moment. Nonetheless, she stepped over and offered her hand, truly expecting to be able to help right him if he went to fall.

Nilo scoffed as she described him as a blacksmith, which to him, was a horrifying idea, given the fact he hates getting dirty. Loathes it. Granted, the man wasn’t going to complain if he did get dirty, but was he going to be silently uncomfortable? Yes, very much so. “You may have visions of a pretty blacksmith covered in soot, but I’m afraid you’re stuck with the royal heartthrob.” He concluded, satisfied with his choice of career, even if it hadn’t been much of a choice.

Another soft grunt escaped him as she shifted once more, his arms adjusting around her accordingly. “You just love to wiggle, don’t you?” Nilo asked, resting his chin atop her head, “It’s hard to imagine Damien as a farmer, he’s too gruff and scholarly, with his nose always buried in a novel. To think he was once one with the wheat.” The man with his tailored clothes and luxurious hair just didn’t fit your typical farmer bill, even if it was the truth.

Nilo grinned as she told him to declare a national holiday, which was a very entertaining idea, given the fact he could happily sit there all day and hold her, even if he couldn’t feel his legs. “I may just have to,” Nilo purred, although they were both aware such a thing wasn’t possible, “My father would kill me, but it would so be worth it.” A soft chuckle escaped him and his eyes closed, the man not wanting anything more at that moment. Whether she had only been gone a month or a day, he would still want to hold her.

Nilo groaned in protest as she shifted off of him and even though he let her go, the man immediately wanted to pull her back into the little cocoon of warmth they had created. “Nooooo,” Nilo moaned out in protest, clearly not keen on the idea of moving, “Why must you hurt me in this way?” He questioned, narrowing his eyes at her before he stretched his arms above his head and arched his back. He had been comfortable, but stiff, given the fact he had been confined in that chair since the early morning when he had begun to work.

When she offered him a hand, the man eyed her, not wanting to get up and also well aware he would be likely to hit the floor. He gave a dramatic sigh, clearly not pleased with having to get up, but he did take her hand. When he was tugged to his feet, Nilo stood for a moment, but only a moment. No, it was very quickly that his legs decided to buckle and send him careening towards the floor. Instinctively, his fingers had tightened around hers which resulted in her being pulled down with him, the prince and the colonel hitting the floor with a loud “thump”.

Nilo cursed as his head smacked loudly against the wood of the chair, hand coming up to the spot with a pained moan. “Damn that hurt, I didn’t know chairs could be that hard,” He hissed, rubbing the back of his head, “Are you alright?” He questioned after a moment, gaze apologetic as he clearly hadn’t meant to drag her down with him, “That was a failure, don’t you think?” Nilo chuckled, flexing his toes inside his boots to try and get rid of the horrible pins and needles sensation.

“You’re lucky I didn’t end up on top of you, I would’ve been responsible for crushing the knighted colonel/one true love,” He commented dramatically, “How could I have ever lived with myself?” Nilo grinned, his optimistic mood clearly not dampened by his tumble, even if his head was still throbbing in an irritating manner. No, Gennadius had returned, and nothing could make him happier than that.

For a moment, it seemed that all was well, Gennadius easily helping Nilo to his feet. However, it took only a few seconds before he went down, his hand tightening around hers. “Nilo!” She was yanked down with him, the sudden falling back of his body and the pull on her arm too much for her to escape. As she fell, she briefly caught sight of his head hitting the chair, hearing the sound before toppled on top of him, rolling off him and staring at the ceiling for a moment.

Groaning, she glanced over at him to see if he was alright, hearing his hissing as he rubbed his head. But he seemed to be in good health otherwise, no blood or permanent looking damage. As for her decent, it had been buffered by his body so she hadn’t actually hit anything harder than the man himself, which left her without even a possibility of a bruise. And with the realization that they were both okay, her lips twitched into a grin as her dark eyes began to sparkle with the humor of the whole situation.

“I... I’m fine...” she started to chuckle, pulling her hand to her mouth before it turned into peals of laughter, his dramatic comment not helping either. Instead, it only fueled it, and the woman was rendered incapacitated with her laughing, eyes squeezed shut as one hand clutched at her abdomen, her body rocking. Oh yes, Gennadius should have expected this, and perhaps that was some of what made it fun. But it was mostly the ingrained image of his face as he went down and just the fact that she had ungracefully followed suit.

She was desperately reaching the point where she needed air, and the sound of laughter stopped. But it was only the sound that was no longer present, except for her wheezing as she was still rocking, fist hitting the floor as she rolled to the side, trying to gain herself but failing. No, she was still laughing, her muscles seizing as she was flexing in and out of a ball, face bright red as she was releasing puffs of air and heaving them back in to try and fill her lungs with oxygen.

It really was an innocent and amusing situation from the inside, but had anyone been outside, it certainly would be suspicious. A loud bang followed by laughter, then wheezing, and accompanied by thumping (her fist was still repeatedly hitting the floor)? Add in the fact that the colonel had just arrived after nearly a month away. But then again, most of the staff was probably accustomed to the strange noises that came from any room the two happened to be in and the ever-constant claim of their innocence.

That being said, poor Gennadius was finally managing to gain actual air and stop the ever-threatening peals. Slowly she rolled back over to look towards the prince, her face still flushed a bright red as she brought her hands over her eyes and flexed her jaw which was aching some with her abdominal muscles. “I... I think you should be more concerned with... killing by stealing... stealing all my air...” she wheezed out, finally managing to sit-up. Reaching up for the desk, she pulled herself into a standing position, leaning over to take a few more gulps of air as she shook her head, grinning ear to ear.

When she finally did manage to straighten, Gennadius looked at Nilo again before ducking under his arm and pressing into his side, for a moment burying her face into his shirt to stem another attack from coming, though her shoulders did shake for a moment before she caught herself. Peering back out, she took another deep breath. “You sir, may be a prince, but you fall like a felled tree. Now... I would like some water and if you can control your limbs, perhaps you will join me.” It was all said in a dramatic voice as dark eyes sparkled.

Nilo watched as she lost herself in laughter, giving a few soft chuckles himself as he shook his head, cocking a brow as her display continued. Her exuberance was rather intoxicating, yet again reminding him of the gaping hole that had been left in the air where she had walked when she had gone on her trip. It was another one of the many things he hadn’t thought much about, but now that she was back, the man was sure he could be addicted to her laugh.

So yes, while Gennadius was quite literally laughing her ass off, the prince was falling deeper in love, if that was even possible. How could you possibly fall further in love with someone who already owned you heart and soul? Nilo wasn’t sure, but the blush that crept across his cheeks didn’t lie and soon the pain in his head became a memory as the crown prince quite literally resembled a lovesick puppy. He was glad she was so caught up in her own outburst or else Nilo was sure he would have died of embarrassment.

When she rolled to face him again, Nilo stared blankly for a moment before cracking a grin, breaking out of his lovestruck haze. He chuckled at her wheezy answer, a hand reaching out and drawing his knuckles over her cheek. “Perhaps it was all a part of my ploy to finally get rid of my clothing burglar once and for all.” It was meant to be a joke, but his tone was much too soft and eyes too adoring, leftovers from his reverie.

Nilo pulled himself into a standing position as well, much less graceful than even she did, given the fact his legs were still not fully functioning. The man barely had time to completely balance himself before she burrowed into his side, leaving his arm hanging awkwardly in the air, though he did laugh as she buried her face into his shirt to stem her own laughter, which tickled. He snorted, allowing his arm to drape across her shoulders. “It seems someone missed my humor, that wasn’t even some of my best comedy,” Nilo told her playfully, giving her shoulders a squeeze.

“And sure, I guess I can accompany you on your journey to quench your thirst. I can snag a roll from the kitchens in the process.” Nilo told her, leading her out of the study, “So, to nag the chefs we go!” He exclaimed dramatically, leading her on the short journey to the kitchens, where the staff would no doubt be bustling about per usual, despite there being a stark of residents in the castle. Typically, any intruders in the kitchens were shoved away, but then again, the prince that oozed natural charm was not your average intruder. No, the man was actually welcomed there.

The prince lit up at the sight of the familiar staff, greeting them warmly. “Your highness!” The chef greeted, wiping his hands on his apron before shaking Nilo’s hand, “It has been a while since you’ve been in here. It is nice to see that your companion is back on her feet.” The man grinned, shaking her hand as well, before moving to walk off, “Have fun children, and don’t steal too much from me now!”

Nilo, of course, beelined for the food. He didn’t eat all that frequently due to his work, but when the man got a hold of food, he was like a rabid dog. “Do you want anything?” He questioned, though the last part of his inquiry was muffled due to him shoving a raspberry tart in his mouth, which elicited a moan from him. “Mmmm, I haven’t eaten since yesterday morning. I swear you were my food schedule, Gennadius, with all your infirmary meal schedule.” Nilo chuckled, swallowing before he proceeded to eat another.

As they started for the kitchens, Gennadius was contentedly following the man. “And mighty fine chefs they are!” she chuckled with the same dramatic voice he had used. Yes, being with Nilo brought the woman even more to life than she had been. Even her best days on vacation could not compare to the joy and peace she felt walking in stride with the prince, for nothing more than to simply try and get away with stealing some food and water from the kitchen staff.

When they arrived, she shook the chef’s hand, giving a grateful dip of her head at his compliment before he left. And while Nilo went for food, Gennadius took the time to get herself a glass of cool water, wandering back over in time to see the prince already shoving his face full of tarts. The woman couldn’t help her amused snort, before sipping the water, enjoying the feeling and pure taste of it. Her laughter had left her quite thirsty so she easily downed the whole glass before feeling better.

“Do I want anything?” she repeated the question as she placed the cup down, crossing her arms of her chest before chuckling as he called her his food schedule. Though it did bother him some that he hadn’t been taking the time to eat, simply because she knew the man could eat an ungodly amount of food at a time and he was already keeping late nights and working hard. So she made note to make sure he ate, even if it meant raiding the kitchen every morning, noon, and night to drag bunches of food into his study and force him to eat it before he continued working.

“I ate this morning so I think I am pretty good but...” her gaze had drifted over to one of the cooks who was in the middle of making something. Gennadius wandered over, and to her delight, discovered it was the soup she liked so much. So, she wandered back over to the man with a bowl in hand, dipping a spoon in and sipping it. “Alright, I admit that this royal food is growing on me. And to be fair, I did kind of miss some of these softer mattresses. Not that I didn’t enjoy the ones at the inn, but I’m starting to like melting into my bed.” Yes... hell was freezing over because Gennadius was starting to like the royal life. At least the privilege parts she had so far been exposed to.

And then suddenly she fell silent, watching him as if analyzing him, as she stood opposite of where he was. But the smile never left her face, the woman suddenly staring at her soup as she continued to eat it. It had been for the briefest moment that while looking at him, she had fallen into a moment of just seeing nothing but how much she adored him, still stuffing his face with raspberry tarts and looking very much like a boy. A muscular, handsome boy...

But she regained herself soon enough, blaming it on the absence she had from him. “I should probably go say hi to your father. He stopped by a few times as I was getting better,” she said nonchalantly, tipping the bowl to get the last of the soup out before placing it to the side. “And I’m thinking I’ll start the sword this week, maybe even get it done.” Dark eyes sparkled as she looked up at him, the mischievousness creeping into her gaze, “And you could always come see me work... I might even have you hold some of the heavier things.”

No, she didn’t actually expect him to come but it was fun to tease him about it anyway. Most likely, Gennadius figured she would be fighting with Conner half the time and threatening him to leave her alone with a hot poker. But, the important thing was that her mind was finally starting to plan again, come up with schedules and ideas. “I think I can meet my battalion again by the end of the month,” she concluded out loud before looking at him with a smile. “By then, I should be able to jog without dying after 30 seconds and have beat you into the ground with a wooden a sword.”

Stepping over to him, she leaned forward, arms wrapping around his waist as she tilted her head all the way back to see his face. “By then, you and I will be the most fit people in your entire kingdom. We’ll even have Damien swooning over you,” she teased, “but we may have to do something about letting you eat all the tarts...” One arm loosened from around him to reach out and grab one, eating in front of him with a shrug.