Nilo’s night had been a rather eventful one, given as once Gennadius was sleeping soundly, the man returned to work. He was certain she would be out for the night given her physical exhaustion. First, the man discreetly disposed of the soiled clothes and anything that had come in contact with the vomit, disposing of it all down one of the garbage chutes in the servant's area. All of it. The mop, the bucket of suspicious smelling water, the rags, and of course anything else he could. Hell, the man probably would have thrown the cart out if he could have.

Next, he stopped at the kitchens next door, which were empty and dark. After weaving bumping into several counters he found the pantry and practically feasted. The poor cooks would be so confused in the morning, not to mention he was sure he knocked some pans over. Once he was done there he went to her room and rifled through her own wardrobe to find some clothes that would be comfortable. The last thing she needed was pressure on her torso, considering it would probably only irritate her.

Damien happened to be still lurking around as well and the two exchanged words, though the advisor could clearly sense the prince’s tiredness. He did ask about Gennadius, but Nilo lied and claimed she had gone down with relative ease, though she had been gregarious. He’d neglected to say she’d vomited all over his floor, scarred his dog, and ripped through his room like a tornado. No, more like a hurricane. Hurricane Gennadius. That was much more accurate. Although, he didn’t tell Damien any of that. It wasn’t right to do so.

When the man finally returned to his room he allowed himself to rest, changing his shirt and pants, which somehow had ended up with stains on them. The man was promptly horrified and disgusted, but said nothing and crawled into bed. He gave her space and for a while and simply watched over her before falling asleep himself. Everything was cleaned up, Gennadius was asleep, and he finally allowed himself to rest.

Once the man woke up his neck ached, as he had fallen asleep in an awkward position. With a soft groan, he flopped into the pillow, face buried in it for a moment. Until… he realized something. His head turned and he saw that Gennadius was gone. Her old clothes were by the door so she had changed… but where had she gone? Why had she left him?
Nilo slipped his boots on and stopped in the bathroom before he left, looking himself over. His clothes were rumpled from sleep and his hair was a mess, not to mention he looked like crap. The man hadn’t actually been asleep for all that long, but he was determined to track her down. He snatched the small bag of rolls off of his desk, the painkilling syrup, and took a glass of water with him for good measure. He was slightly irritated she had left without saying anything, given the fact he was now somewhat worried and utterly confused, but the man assumed she wouldn’t be hard to find.

And she wasn’t, as predicted. The servants had caught sight of her and the man thanked them for their information. Nilo approached her room with a loud yawn and gave the customary knock before opening the door. Except, it didn’t open. She had locked it. A small, barely audible noise of frustration left him, but he maintained a positive face. He was just tired. “Gennadius,” Nilo called out, resting a hand on the door. “It’s me, your future husband, can I come in? It’s rather cold out here you know…” He trailed, an absentminded smile dancing on his features at the thought of seeing her.

Nilo held up the bag as if she could see it through the door. “I brought you some rolls so you wouldn’t upset your stomach with a full meal. Some water too and some of that nasty syrup in case your head is still hurting.” He explained, leaning against the door as he waited for her to open it, “You’re bound to be hungry. I know, for a fact, that your stomach is empty. Soft, semi-fresh rolls and some luxury tap water.” The man spoke in a dramatic tone as if he were offering her the most luxurious of food to nurse her hangover.

At the knock, Gennadius pulled the blanket tighter to herself, pressing her face further into the pillow without suffocating herself. It was Nilo... of all the people... She might have been able to face a random servant for a few moments, and maybe even Theodore or Damien. No, on second thought, not Theodore. She remembered he had been there. But the point was Nilo was the last person on earth she wanted to face considering she vividly remembered him being there.

The mention of food brought to mind her hunger and her thirst but the woman was trying to collect what little shards of her obliterated pride she could. Nor did the reminder of him knowing she had an empty stomach help, since she did at least remember hurling in his toilet. So the dramatic tones that were so iconic of him were ignored in the face of her mental agony. There was no way she opening her door... no way. When she got hungry enough, she planned on daring to flag down a servant, and sending them.

“Go away.” Her voice was muffled but loud enough so he could hear it. “Just go away Nilo. Let me die in my shame alone.” A frustrated sound escaped her just at how plain what memories she had were. She did pull her head from the pillow, but only in favor of tucking herself in a ball under the thick covers. Perhaps attempting to sleep would help? Maybe she would be able to sleep forever and be forgotten. That seemed a solid plan, right? Anything that did not involve leaving the room and more specifically, not facing Nilo.

She wasn’t taking in account that had the situation been flipped, she may have been a little amused by it all, but taken it is stride and just moved on with the man. In fact, there had been the time she had found him drunk, nearly freezing himself to death on his balcony. Then again, he had not thrown all her clothes all over her room, dressed up her dog, sang loudly and horrendously, or made a fool of himself in front of the very society in which he was already struggling to try and get comfortable with.

“Please leave me alone,” Gennadius groaned, though there was no harshness in it. If anything, it was just her pitifully pleading him. “If you must, leave the food at the door but go away.” She knew he deserved at least as much as her voice, but that was all she was willing to give at the moment, and she was sure even that was coming out rather pathetic. For a moment, she entertained the thought of telling him to go somewhere else if he was cold, but decided against it. She felt she had made her point clear and the door was locked. There was no way she would be opening it and she desperately hoped his enjoyment of comfort would send him off.

Her eyes were closed tightly with her back to the door as she tried to nurse the dull headache and ignore her dry throat. The woman just wanted to forget but the memories were to fresh and incessant. Had she really put Nilo’s good white coat on Flower? And the crown? What... what has she been thinking? And why had she felt the need to go through all of Nilo’s clothes? That part wasn’t bad... it was the strewing them everywhere that was but still!

“I want to die,” she moaned to herself before making another unidentifiable sound, other than being able to tell that it meant a lot of unspoken emotions. The blanket was pressed to her face and she settled with trying to zone out from everything.

Nilo sighed at her instant rejection, rolling his eyes. Granted, her embarrassment was extremely valid, given it was clear she hadn’t forgotten the entirety of her intoxication. Still… locking him out? As if! The woman acted as if she wouldn’t monkey up his balcony if he did that to her. Not to mention she would probably be upset because he had the audacity to not only leave her in the morning without a word and lock himself in his room and refuse to let her in. She would have broken the handles off his door just to prove her point.

Now Nilo, Nilo wasn’t that hardcore, but was he dedicated to getting himself into her room? Most definitely. For a few moments, he stood there in silence, pondering, before he suddenly had an idea. The grin he wore was mischievous, but the plan he had come up with was rather trivial in its nature. It was nothing fancy or difficult, but in the end, she was probably going to smack him whether he’d entered with a bang or slipped in unnoticed. He resisted a laugh as she claimed she wanted to die, clearly wishing to spend the day in the darkness of her own pity party. As if the prince was going to let that happen.

“On the contrary, I’d prefer if you were alive,” Nilo piped again from behind the door, quietly setting down the things he’d brought with him so he could freely go on his next quest. “And fine, I’ll leave you alone for now, but I’m taking my rations with me since I’m clearly unwanted.” The words were spoken with a hint of jest because the man truly wasn’t angry. and he didn't want to appear as so. That, and he had only lied because he would be returning to present her with her food soon enough. So what were a few minutes of her assuming he was being petty going to hurt?

It was with that the man walked away, looking to flag down the first servant he could locate. It only took a few minutes, as he found a young man in the halls, no doubt in the midst of his morning duties. “Sir!” Nilo called, waving at the man, to which he immediately stopped to bow at the prince. “Thank you and apologies for interrupting your current task. I was wondering if I could get the keys to all the guest bedrooms in the southern wing? It would be much appreciated.” He inquired, fully intending on unlocking her door and simply walking in.

“All the guest rooms have the same key, your highness,” The man gestured for him to follow and the prince allowed the servant to take him wherever, “It would be too cumbersome to have a different key for every room, don’t you think? Sure, the other rooms have unique locks, but it makes cleaning after we host guests much easier.” He explained and the pair caught a stray cleaning cart near one of the rooms. A few guests had spent the night following the social, given they had traveled a rather long distance to get there.

The servant ducked inside the room and Nilo was left outside for a few moments as a conversation ensued inside, but as promised, the servant boy reemerged with a solitary key. The determined royal couldn’t help his grin, and with a rushed thanks, he nearly ran back towards Gennadius’s room. He was rather smug and satisfied, given as his plot had worked wonderfully. To have only one key instead of having to rifle through a key ring and guess several times, which would only amplify his chances of being caught before he could enter? It was great!

So, the man arrived again at her door and recollected the small sack and water glass. Without a word, slipped the key in and turned it. A satisfying click emitted and the man slipped it in his pocket before opening the door. “To be fair, I only said for now. It’s after for now,” Nilo announced himself, shutting the door with a sashay of hips before approaching the bundle of blankets that held his betrothed, setting the food and drink on the nightstand. “You can only take the syrup once you’ve eaten. It’ll only make you sick if you take it on an empty stomach.” He explained, before turning to face her.

“And to answer your question, no, I could not just “leave you alone” in here," The man used air quotations for effect, “because you’re going to sit here, pouting and wallowing all day, then probably do it again tomorrow.” Nilo pointed out, sitting on the edge of the bed, “Because your pride has been injured and, let's face it, your sin, if any, would be pride.” He pondered that statement for a moment, before deciding to continue, “Actually, it could be wrath, but that’s not the point. The point is that you’re twenty-three and a little too old for homemade blanket cocoons.”

Nilo sighed, glancing over at her with sympathy. He did understand her turmoil because he’d felt it all before. Embarrassing himself in front of the nobles? That was practically the man's entire teenage years and a portion of his adulthood! Although, he did understand that this was a very different case for her and unlike him, her bloodline wasn’t that of royalty and wasn’t a solid buffer. “Look, you act as if you wouldn’t have torn down my door if I’d done his. Leaving you in the morning without a word after you were up half the night then locking you out to simmer in embarrassment all day? Pffft, as if Gennadius. You would find a way to manifest in my quarters if you had to.” Nilo told her with a soft laugh, shaking his head.

The man crossed his legs and shifted to sit against one of bed four columns. “It certainly isn’t as bad as it could have been,” Nilo reassured, which was true by all means. She could’ve caused much more a scene if she had been left alone and if it had been with a different noble than Donovan. This situation the prince was able to salvage. “Fortunately, I believe we were convincing enough with the fever story. The members of my court are the only ones aware of the actual situation and I’m sure they spread the cover-up story rather well. No maids entered my room to clean up the mess either, so I believe your secret is rather safe with us.” He explained, attempting to get her to look on the bright side of it all. He was sure the nobles had probably scorned her for the behavior, but as far as they were concerned, she was sick.

The click told her the awful truth before the man even spoke. The bastard… Her only response came in the form of a grumbled moan, pressing her face into the mattress. The fact that he couldn’t see her face which had heated up again brought some comfort, though she was a little irked that forced his way in. Actually no… he had to unlock it which meant he must have gotten a key. Barging in might have been more forgivable.

His rendering of her wallowing in self-pity earned an irritated snort, the pathetic display of embarrassment shifting to some irritation… because she was embarrassed. “Not ALL of us got to be children our entire lives… let me have my moment,” came the muffled growl from beneath the blanket as she shifted, the whole bundle seeming to try and move farther from the edge where Nilo had inconveniently placed himself. Though she shut up the moment she realized that mini hidden outburst could be categorized as wrath. Which didn’t help her wounded pride any.

“What I would have done doesn’t matter,” she finally dared to speak again before getting the rundown on how the whole thing had been covered up. Surprisingly… it didn’t help that much. It was suddenly in a flurry that she untangled herself from the blanket to pop her upper torso out with a glare in his direction. “At least it would have been expected coming from you.” It was a rather unnecessary comment that she bit out but clearly, her and embarrassment did not make a good mix when she felt cornered. Though she did reach out and snatch two rolls before folding back under the blanket with her claimed prize.

Gennadius nibbled at the bread slowly at first under her makeshift cave, fuming silently as she wrestled with the unfortunate circumstances she had gotten into. Only his entire court knew? Only??? As in the people she had to deal with every day? Her friends that she faced constantly. Only them? It should have made her feel better, but the more she thought of it, the more she felt like withering away, though she continued to eat some of the bread. But the infernal man wasn't leaving! Which really was a good sign of character considering they were to be married. But that wasn’t the point.

“You should have warned me about the drink beforehand!” The woman re-emerged just long enough to take the roll she hadn’t touched yet and chuck it at his head before returning under the blanket. “Then none of this would have happened...” She began grumbling again, ignoring her headache which was still insistent. That and ignoring her thirst, which would mean being out for longer than a moment. And she wasn’t ready for that. At all... And she didn’t really blame Nilo, she just needed an outlet and since he had let himself in, he got to bear the brunt of it.

“I don’t even like alcohol... at least, I don’t like the idea of drinking it. How was I supposed to know what it was? It’s not like I got a rundown of what everything was on the table... WHO SERVES ALCOHOL AT A SOCIAL?” She was ranting now, trying to place some blame somewhere, though her throat was not appreciating the raving by any means. That was followed by a groan as she shook her head, the blanket tugging as she did, “How am I supposed to face anyone again? I don’t even want you in here... so please just go away now.”

A hand reached out towards the nightstand, trying to feel for the glass of water as she decided to dare and attempt to drink it under the blanket. However, she wasn’t finding it and was forced to peek out, blue eyes darting to look at the man. And that was when she had the painful memory of vomiting on his floor, about the same time she had let her thoughts go to him cleaning the room. She released another groan, immediately withdrawing before even attempting to actually find the glass.

“Go away Nilo! I’m a disgusting creature... so leave me be!” Her voice was muffled again since she was pressing her very hot face against the blankets. Her only reaction was to roll away from him. Which truly was a dumb idea considering she was wrapped in a blanket from head to toe and unable to see where on the bed she was. So she ended up rolling off the other side of the bed and hitting the floor with a thump and a hiss. But there was no attempt to move from her new residence on the floor, nor did she attempt to untangle herself.

“I’m never leaving, you hear? Never. Go find yourself a bride who actually knows what she is doing and doesn’t make you clean up her messes.” This time, the woman really just sounded defeated, and it was clear she was not coming out of her cocoon by her own decision.

Nilo only listened to her rant with a cocked brow, arms crossed over his chest. It was abundantly clear he wasn’t leaving, even as she jabbed at him and was overall an unpleasant character at the moment. Although some of it was amusing, except the part where she threw a roll at him that he had to dodge. That was not. The man sighed, waiting for her rant to end so he could speak, not wanting to interrupt her for fear of having his head bitten off. Even so, it was rather funny the way her head would poke out to glare at him, stormy blue eyes meeting his light one of good-humor.

He reached out as she rolled towards the edge of the bed, but was too late. The man flinched as she rolled onto the floor, landing with an audible thump. With another sigh, he approached her squatting down and examining the bundle of blankets that contained his bride. “What a feisty little alley cat you are…” Nilo trailed, heaving her into his arms and depositing her gently back on the bed, giving her a pat once she was safe on the bed. The prince didn't move to unravel her yet, though he figured he would have to at some point.

“You are not a disgusting creature…” Nilo trailed softly and rather fondly, though he knew she was only being dramatic. A quiet laugh escaped him and the man shook his head, realizing how ridiculous it was that he was trying to coax a fully grown woman out from beneath her blanket hovel of embarrassment. “You are correct in that I could find another wife. One that is dainty and sweet, that is the epitome of flawless and would agree with everything I say.” He agreed with her initially, pausing for a moment, “But finding another woman that I love as much as you? That is impossible. I did not wait two years just for you to tell me to find someone else, so hush.” Nilo gave her a gentle shove, though not enough to send her rolling again.

“As for the mess you made I didn’t have to clean up anything. I chose to do so because not only would servants have probably woken you up, but because they would have spread the truth.” He explained, sitting down next to her, conveniently blocking her between himself and the foot of the bed in case she decided to attempt to roll away. She had been allowed to stay in her comfort zone at that moment, but she wasn’t going to continue to avoid him. “I guess I should be upset that you dressed up my dog, destroyed my closet, and vomited on my floor amongst other things, but I’m not. Honestly Gennadius, I never was. The entire time you were the only thing on my mind and not once was I upset. I did it once and I would do it again for you if I had to.” Nilo told her, kicking off his boots and drawing his legs onto the bed, crossing them so he could face her.

Although, the man had absolutely no clue where her head was, so he just stared at the middle. “Now, I feel like we’ve established that I’m not going away,” Nilo pointed out, reaching out to give her another push, "because if I walked away every time you were mean to me, we wouldn’t be getting married in a few months. In fact, we would have never gone riding three years ago.” A snort escaped him as he remembered their first day together when the woman had treated him like some sort of disease.

The man fell back on the bed next to her, whether he landed at her top or bottom, he did not know, nor did he really care. “I’m not in here to take away your moment. You can have a moment. You get to feel embarrassed, horrified, and everything in between and I’m not going to tell you those feelings are invalid. I’m here to pick you back up and tell you that you’re okay. Because truthfully, you are. The nobles think you're sick and you were with me for the majority of it all. Damien and Theodore are aware of the situation, but that’s it and they’re your friends. Honestly, your reputation is fine and physically you’re fine.” Nilo told her, giving a poke, simply to bug her.

“And we can sit here all day if you’d like, if that’s what it takes, but we both know that you can’t disappear for a week just to wallow in shame. You’re going to have to come out at some point darling, but as I said, I can just sit here and talk your ear off all day…” Nilo trailed, drumming his fingers on his chest, “We can talk about all the embarrassing things I’ve done while intoxicated if you’d like… there are some bad ones…” He laughed shaking his head, glancing back at the rolled-up version of Gennadius.

Nilo let out an audible, offended huff. “Okay, no. This isn't working.” He sat up and grabbed the nearest grabbable part of the blanket, beginning to pull her out. “I am done talking to a comforter when my fiance is less than a foot away.” The man knew his actions would not be appreciated, but he didn’t care. “You are going to let me give you love and affection and you are going to like it, you blanket gremlin! Do you understand? I am your soon-to-be-husband and I have a right to actually talk to you instead of a damn blanket. Do you know how hard it is to shove an entire mop and a bucket of vomit water down a trash chute? Do you?!” He exclaimed before his voice grew dangerously low and filled with a mischievous promise. “Gennadius I will find and take back all the shirts you stole from me. A black one with baroque swirls ring a bell? If you insist on being rolled up like a fancy napkin I will have no choice but to raid your wardrobe and steal them all back.” Nilo threatened, casting an icy glare at her.

The last thing she expected was to suddenly be picked up, which earned a small noise of surprise, but nothing else, going still the moment she realized she had been placed back on the bed. There was a small huff somewhere within the bundle, but otherwise, nothing. Instead, she was just listening and nursing her aching head, somewhat calming down. Though the listing of the perfect wife did cause a twitch, the woman wanting to shrivel. Of course, he did end with how she was the one he loved but...

And then the rehashing of all she had done. The woman wanted to die again, or have the bed just open wide and swallow her whole. There was no reaction to his earlier nudge, nor when she could feel him shifting his feel weight onto the bed. Of course, he made it clear that at the end, he hadn’t minded but still. The poor woman had never said it, but she had been more than nervous about what was going to be her new title and getting along with the nobles, and just over all, being there for Nilo as his wife.

He did receive a groan as he gave all the reasons that it would be fine in the end before poking her. It was NOT going to be fine, nor was any of it fine. Even if the nobles did buy that she was sick, she still had lost some reputation at the social, or at least became the new gossip of interest, she was sure of that. And physically, she may be fine, but her headache did not help her feel fine.

“I will stay here for the next month if I have to,” she mumbled her response, truly meaning it in that moment. “And your stories aren’t going to change mine...” Later, if, or rather when, she recovered herself though, she most certainly would be interested in those stories. This was just not that time. She was living in her worst nightmare.

The moment he started tugging on the blanket though, her body curled up more and she grabbed at it. “Nilo, no! No Nilo!” Gennadius struggled to try and hook her leg around a part and fully tangle herself inside to make it impossible but she was failing. “Go away Nilo!” she tried her plea again, though knew it wasn’t going anywhere. But the losing point for her was when he mentioned cleaning up the vomit and she loosed her grip on the cover in shock and embarrassment at the mental image. Though, it was also a rather amusing mental image... the ever dapper, never get his hands dirty prince trying to shove something so gross and large down a garbage shoot?

But it was the threat to take back his shirts that really caught her attention, specifically one of her favorites which she protected, and probably would with her life. “You wouldn’t dare...” And ever so slowly her head slowly popped out. Luckily Nilo had chosen the right side to flop beside so she was face to face with him, noses almost touching as her eyes narrowed. “Touch that one and I’ll chop your hands off...” And that came with the very faintest twitch of a smile. “I’m just marrying you for the shirts, you know.”

Oh, she was still most definitely embarrassed, but she could not resist the smile anymore. How could she when her fiancé was working so hard to bring her out of her shell? Slowly, she sat up, her hair a tangled golden mess as she reached for the water, gratefully drinking it. Though she still took it slow and cautious just in case, not looking for any repeats. “You are annoyingly insistent... and I hate you...” But the words were said rather fondly, despite the heat growing on her cheeks just because of the unfortunate memories. She figured she’d have an eternal flushed face for a while though she supposed it could just go to prove the idea of sickness.

Now that she was out of her cave, she finished the glance and flopped back down to nestle against him. “I guess I’ll be staying away from the refreshment table from now on,” she gave a slight chuckle, holding a touch of nervousness to it. Gennadius released a sigh, and just relaxed some now that she felt some safety with the prince, and arm wrapping around his torso. “Though, the very thought of you trying to get a mop and bucket down the garbage shoot is funny.” And that came with an actual laugh, the woman envisioning it again, the humor like a balm to her aching pride. “I wish I could have seen it.”

Blinking, her grin widened before falling again, turning so her back was to his front and she could stare at the wall. “Thank you for covering it all up for me... I’m sorry I caused you the trouble. If I had even the faintest clue what it was I was drinking, I would have never touched it. I still don’t think I want to ever show my face at another social though...” She gave another frustrated groan, leaning forward some as she shook her head.

“I don’t think I’m ready to be a princess Nilo...”

Nilo was hard-pressed to resist his grin when her head finally popped out, glaring at him with all the fury any blanket gremlin could muster. Eyes narrowed as hers did as the woman threatened to chop his hands off. So she had been the one to steal that shirt. The poor man had been robbed of one of his favorites, but he wasn’t even that mad. It had not only become a bargaining chip in the situation but had found its way into the hands of someone he loved. In the end, he didn’t care much, especially after getting to see the corners of her mouth lift, which meant a smile was imminent. “And I’m only marrying you for your body heat. The winters here are cold.” Nilo fired back.

The woman spoke her “harsh” words through her blush, nursing her water. It was clear she wasn’t mad at him anymore and he doubted she ever had been. The woman was humiliated and he understood that, hence why he wasn’t pushing her to leave the room or even get out of bed. She was allowed her time and the man wasn’t going to force her. The man watched her rather fondly from where he laid on his side, head propped up in his palm. “I’m also handsome… a good kisser. Just a real catch in general.” The man retorted jokingly, though he was somewhat surprised she chose to snuggle against him.

But given as it seemed her mood was improving, he certainly wasn’t complaining. No, he lowered himself completely so he could throw an arm around her, resting his chin on top of her head. “I should have told you about it. It completely flew over my head when we were planning that you might not know.” Nilo admitted with a sigh, though chuckled as she mentioned his nighttime fight with the trash chute. “It was Flower and I’s late-night adventure, but it was extremely difficult. Typically they only use it for food and I probably wasn’t supposed to throw out a cart's worth of supplies, but I was not cleaning them and I was dedicated to my fever story.” Nilo chuckled, giving her a squeeze. It was nice to see her lighten up, even if all was not fixed yet.

When she flipped around, the man held her close, sensing new unease, though he did not question. He would wait for her to tell him and for a few quiet moments, he pressed his nose to the top of her head, something he often did. “It’s okay,” The man’s reply came out quiet and honest, “I figured it was an accident and even if it wasn’t, I don’t think I would’ve been too mad. It is hard to resist drowning yourself in alcohol when talking to those vicious snakes.” He joked, but he could still feel something off… something different.

“I’m sure you could get away with not going to socials for a while, not to mention we won’t have any for a while either,” Nilo added, but it was more just to fill the silence. At her groan, the man's concerns grew and for a good reason. She wasn’t ready to be a princess… What did that mean? Nilo knew she had never wanted to be a princess nor a queen, but it had seemed like she was handling the idea rather well and was dedicated… He had worried about this and occasionally, it kept him up at night. The man knew he was asking more than he should have ever asked of her, but that was just how it had to be.

If he could have given away his title as crown prince and just lived a rather easy life with her he would have in a heartbeat, but he couldn’t. Nilo couldn’t run away with her and abandon his post either. He was the last prince and there were no other heirs. Not to mention he couldn’t do that to his father, for the man would be all alone if Nilo left and the very thought broke his heart. “I…” He trailed, though his voice remained calm. He wasn’t trying to project his worries onto her. “What do you mean by that? I'm not sure I fully understand.” He settled, though he nestled closer to her, as if to protect himself from what could be a difficult situation. He didn’t even want to think about it…

“We can postpone the wedding if that’s what you’d like or… or we can just not… not get married.” There was no way the statement would have come out eloquently and it was the only testament to the man's anxiety. Gods… how many times had he imagined this happening? He was afraid. Hell, the man would probably be afraid even after they were married. What if she suddenly decided she couldn’t? Could it really all end, everything they’d fought for, just like that? “You just have to tell me what you need. I’ll do it.” Nilo knew he would do anything to keep her, but he also wasn’t going to force her into something she hated.

His fingers found and fit themselves in between hers, not quite wanting to let go. For the moment, he was afraid of looking into her eyes, afraid of what he would find. Nilo didn’t need the tables to turn and receive comfort from her. No, all he needed was an answer. “I love you, but I don’t want to force you into anything you don’t want. I don’t want you to marry me and regret it because then everything would multiply tenfold in difficulty. I just want you to be happy.” The man's voice dipped into a sad murmur as he spoke his last phrase, but it held so much truth. Nilo didn’t want to be the reason she felt stuck and the very thought of that made the man feel absolutely horrible.

Saying she wasn’t ready had just slipped out, her concerns and fears compiling into that one sentence. At his question about what she meant, she released a soft sigh. Her embarrassing situation had brought out all her stress that came with trying to fit in for the entirety of the kingdom. Gennadius knew she was accepted by Nilo and his court, and even by Leonel. But she also knew she still had the nobles and entire kingdom to impress and prove her worth to. And she had screwed, no matter how intentional, and no matter how perfectly Nilo had ‘fixed’ it.

The woman had not sorted through all these thoughts yet before the prince spoke again. His words stopped her thoughts in their tracks and she almost flinched at the idea. However, she did not take it wrong, instead realizing that Nilo had his own fears about it all. It was one of the things the two didn’t really bring up in conversation, though it had finally niggled its way through.

Her body turned back around in his arms so she was facing him again, though his gaze didn’t meet hers. But his hand did and she gave it a gentle squeeze, letting him finish. Gennadius could hear the sadness of his words and offered a small smile. Her free hand shifted so she could reach out and run her fingers through his hair, pushing the russet strands from his face. “I love you too Nilo. You know that. With everything I have, I love you.” Her words were gentle and adoring, light blue eyes shining gently. Her embarrassment could wait for later.

“And I still plan on marrying. Marrying you this spring on the very day we’ve planned it. I can promise you I’ll be standing there right next to you. Nothing could persuade me otherwise,” she told him, knuckles brushing against his cheek as fingers tightened around his even more. “Truth is, I don’t think I’ll ever be ready to be a princess. Who truly would be? But that will not change me marrying you. I love you far too much not to.” Her head bent to tuck under his chin as she spoke, what she was saying genuine and from deep within.

“I never meant to imply otherwise,” she admitted softly, buried close to her soon-to-be husband. “I have never once doubted wanting to go through with this. My life would be empty without you. I just...” Another soft sigh escaped her and she paused for a moment, simply focusing on the warmth and almost protectiveness which she found in his arms. “I just get worried sometimes Nilo. I’m not royalty, my only status is from being a soldier who made her way up the ranks. So to the world, that’s what I am. I’m just a glorified soldier. And everyone, at least it feels as if everyone, is waiting for me to prove I’m worthy of the royal bloodline.”

Gennadius’s light eyes were closed as she tried to snuggle in closer if that really was possible. “I’ve been trying to be ready to fit in Nilo. I’ve been working to understand the politics and history behind everything. To figure out the economics and everything involving civil borders and the geography of the entire kingdom... I’ve been working to become comfortable enough with the nobles to actually mingle as I should be able to. And then... this happens and you are left trying to salvage what you can of my name and cover the whole thing up.”

The woman couldn’t bring herself to pull her head from his chest, having traded in her blanket of embarrassment for the sturdier hiding place against her betrothed. “I guess, I get worried knowing that you’ve struggled to get to where you are, that I’ll bring you down. And that is the last thing I want to do. Every kingdom needs a king like you will be... but they don’t need a queen who still can’t figure out why you need multiple forks and knives at a formal dinner and who will, for a fact, be just as confused at her first one.” And that resulted in another pitiful groan as she fell silent.

Her words instantly told him he had overreacted and the man's anxieties soothed. Nilo knew he had thought too complexly of her statement and honestly, it had been rather evident she was simply overwhelmed and just looking for an ear. Blue eyes flitted down to hers as her fingers brushed his face, now understanding. He hadn’t meant to project his fears nor had he really wanted to, but it had happened and the woman had wasted no time putting them to rest. For that the man was grateful.

As she nestled closer the man released her hand so she could so do, lifting his head ever so slightly so she could tuck herself comfortably beneath it. It was only right for her to be worried entering a world she scarcely had any concept of. Nilo may not be able to feel the way she felt, but he did understand. So when she tried to wiggle impossibly closer, the arm that held her grew slightly tighter and he wished he could protect her from it all. If he could weather every storm for her, fight every battle, he couldn’t. He couldn’t, but he could walk beside her as she faced every new problem and be there for support.

“What measures a queen is not her ability to distinguish between silverware, but her ability to lead her people.” Nilo broke his silence, pressing a kiss to the top of her head, “Though I suppose that doesn’t sound any less intimidating.” He admitted with a sigh of his own, resting his chin back atop her head as he searched for words. The man knew he could not make her worries disappear, but he could do his best to put them to rest or at the very least, offer encouragement. “I wouldn’t have courted you in the first place if I didn’t believe you could do it nor would my father have allowed it. Just as you have a duty to your men, I have a duty to the people I’m expected to lead.” It was true, for as carefree as the prince had always seemed, he had a rather profound sense of duty when it came to serving his citizens.

But Nilo knew no matter how many times he said he believed in her, she would have to convince herself. “I hate the fact I’m some sort of packaged deal with the crown. It makes this so much more difficult.” An exasperated sigh escaped him and the man wished for a moment that he was just… normal. That he could have asked her to marry him and she wouldn’t have to sacrifice anything but her maiden name. “I’d rather take difficult with you than easy with anyone else, but this… I hate that I have to ask you to make a choice that will take you away from anything you’ve ever known.” He admitted. He did not regret asking her to marry him, but if he had any opportunity to abstain from monarchy that was reasonable? He would have taken it in a heartbeat for her comfort.

“I’m simply lucky enough you're willing to try.” He added after a bit, looking to steer back towards the positive. “And you seemed to do well with the snakes for the beginning portion of the social and even the ball. I don’t think you give yourself enough credit.” Nilo encouraged, a genuine smile accompanying his honest words. He had noticed the fact she had mingled more instead of being off on her own, which was an accomplishment, no matter how small. “I know what happened was incredibly unfortunate, even if it was rather ridiculous in its nature, but I don’t think your name is as tarnished as you believe it to be. Sure, you’re a commoner, but it isn’t as if you were involved in some scandal.” He pointed out, “I wasn’t salvaging your name, I was only trying to protect what you had built.

“I, on the other hand, am the king of scandals,” A soft laugh escaped him, “The only reason I have struggled so much is that I threw everything away, Gennadius. Not because I started at the bottom. I threw everything away because I thought I didn’t need it and when I realized I did, I was digging through the garbage I had turned my life into to find it all again.” Nilo explained, staring off as he remembered when he had decided to “rejoin” the upper class. In the beginning, it had been in efforts to distract himself from her, but when he returned the man had returned to a reputation that was rubble.

In an effort to draw her back out of her shell once more, he hooked one of his legs over hers, and rolled onto his back, taking her with him. The man unwrapped his arms from around her, and brought his hands to her face, lifting it so he could see her eyes. “I don’t think you’ll ever fit in,” He told her, fingers coming to brush her hair away from her face, “because you are so much better than they are. Normal is boring, Gennadius. That’s their lifestyle, but it doesn’t have to be ours. We just have to play their game here and there.” He tried to reassure, words soft.

This wasn’t the first time he would have to soothe her and it wouldn’t be the last. “I think our kingdom could use a ruler with your knowledge, even if it doesn’t pertain to ballroom dance or the intricacies of social etiquette.” Was he biased? Of course, but did he have a point? Certainly. “You understand war better than half the monarchs that have ever sat on that throne.” He explained, eyes glittering with both excitement and adoration, “And as much as I want to be the best king I can be for my people, I haven’t the faintest clue what it’s like to be them. You can actually speak for them because you were one of them. You weren’t raised in a palace or on an estate, you grew up in the city as a commoner. Your understanding of them and their feelings will be far more complex than mine ever could be.”

Her skill set was unique. It was different and it was unconventional, but like the man had said. Normal is boring. The nobles might hate it, but he liked the idea of something different in the monarchy. Something not so status quo. “Gennadius, your bloodline only matters on paper.” To the nobles, it was everything, but they were living proof of the fact that one's bloodline doesn't mean they are deserving of status. “What matters here is that you can offer so much more than half those people can.” He purred, knowing if she couldn’t be confident, he would just have to be confident enough for the both of them.

“And if you are truly worried about the forks, we can have dinner brought to us later and I can teach you.” He chuckled, “Hell, I can teach you as many times as you want until you're confident in it. You just have to ask.” He offered, hoping to give her just a little more confidence when it came to such events, even if it was just forks. “I’ll have you reciting the forks and their uses in your sleep by the time I’m done with you, just you wait darling.” Nilo chuckled, pressing a featherlight kiss to the tip of her nose.

One Week Before the Wedding

The woman was making a dash through the castle halls, full speed ahead. The only time she slowed was to shove her boots on, still moving as she did so, hopping on one foot while yanking to get the other clad. Then she made a dash forward, slowed down long enough to pull the other on, and she was off. The halls were dark, almost pitch black as she went except for the few lighted sconces along the way that cast shadows around.

But it was clear Gennadius was on a mission that was time sensitive. It had to be considering the entire castle was sleeping at 2am in the morning. Everyone except the stable hands who just sent someone to inform her that Wicke was in labor. And that was something she did NOT want to miss. Her foal was coming and she wanted to be there as soon as she could to see the little creature enter the world. The one she was going to get to bond with from birth and one day break.

She could have just gone to the stables, but in her extreme excitement, she wanted Nilo there as well. He had to be there to see her new horse! And that was what had her careening around a corner and flying towards the prince's door. The assumption was that it was unlocked, as it used to be so she did not slow a step down as she came towards it, reaching for the handle and pushing as her whole body flew into it with a heavy thud. Clearly it wasn’t unlocked.

Did this phase her? Not one bit, only grunting slightly at what was possibly going to cause her shoulder to ache for a bit. Not that she noticed reaching for the handle again. She had not heard the slight crack that came with the thud after her full 130lbs slammed into the wood at a run. So to her pleasure, the knob turned when she tried it again and the door opened with a groan of its own to allow her entrance. When she released it, she didn’t notice how the knob seemed to flop down in its socket some. No, her mind was totally somewhere else.

“Nilo! NILO!” The moment she was inside the room, she ran to the edge of the bed, struggling to see in the darker room. Which meant both hands came out to pat along the mattress to find the bundle that was her betrothed. “Nilo!” her hands made contact with a blanketed torso, and her grin split wider, though it couldn’t really be seen in the shadowed room. “Come on! It’s happening! Wicke is having her foal!” She cast an anxious glance towards the doorway, practically dancing in place before ripping the blanket back to expose the man to the air.

“Hurry up Nilo! I don’t want to miss this!” her voice was still racing with excitement though there was a niggling of exasperation as she reached for an arm to try and tug him awake. This was the one downside to planning on marrying a deep sleeper. Not that she was really keeping in consideration that it was an ungodly hour of the morning. All she could think about was the exciting news, eyes sparkling as she was like an impatient child. Which she was at the moment. She hadn’t had her horse for far too long, or any equine to call her own. Until now. And now she wanted to be there, to be one of the first people to make a connection with what was surely going to be an adorable, spindly, little beast to call her own.

“Nilo VAN ASLAN! That foal can some any minute now!”