Nilo laughed at her parting comment, shaking his head as he led the horses down the designated path. The man hummed softly as he went with a horse on either side of him, enjoying the feel of the sunset breeze. Within moments the small stables came into sight amid an equally little courtyard. A boy, who was probably a teenager, lounged upon a hay bale with his nose buried in a book. “Sir?” Nilo questioned once he approached to get the boy's attention, “Is there stall space for these two horses? I’m taking up residence at the inn tonight.”

The young man hopped off and led him to the stables, where two stalls were presented to him. It was small and warm, with only six stalls in total. Nilo was to pay the innkeeper a small fee, which included feed and water for the night, when he re-entered the inn. He tied each of the mares up and moved to prep them for the night, looking forward to relaxing with Gennadius. “Seems like a pretty comfy job you have here.” The prince commented as he unhooked one of the saddles and went to put it away, just trying to make small-talk.

“Indeed sir,” The boy replied and went to help with the other horse, eyes asking silently for consent, to which the prince nodded gratefully, “I don’t really have a home, so the man inside offers me a room inside and a little money to help him. I’ve worked for him since I was young.” He explained, clearly fond of the gracious innkeeper, “It may not seem like anything special, but it has a small fireplace for when the winters get cold, so it’s certainly more than I ever dreamed of having.”

Nilo nodded, offering the younger boy a soft smile. “It’s rare to see such kindness. I’m glad you found your place.” He concluded, putting the rest of its tack away. He started to give the horse a quick brush-over, patting its dark neck. After a few minutes, the man was done, leading the animal into the pen, which the stablehand quickly followed. “Well, I guess that’s it for me here. Have a nice night!” Nilo waved and turned away, shoving his hands in his pockets as he headed for the inn, excited for a peaceful night with his wife.

“Wait!” The boy called, “I didn’t catch your name, sir.” Nilo turned and cocked a brow, curious. “You’re just awfully nice, is all.” He added quickly, scratching the back of his head.

The prince chuckled. “It’s Nilo.” He answered before beginning to walk off again, "Thanks for the chat and help with the horses. I’ll see that there’s a tip in place for you.” He left the horses behind and re-entered the inn, grinning warmly at the man at the front desk. He was quickly given the number of the room they would be staying in and the man even offered to walk him up, which Nilo politely declined. He walked up the stairs, looking around the place, which was much nicer than he had expected, not that he minded.

Nilo burst into the room with a dramatic flourish, a humored grin high on his face. The man closed the door in a much more quiet manner behind him though, taking a small look around. The luxury of it surprised him, expecting a much smaller room. He certainly hadn’t seen a fireplace and a view coming, as well as what appeared to be a bath through another door. He removed his cap and hurled it at her playfully, clearly over the hat that he had been forced to wear all day. “I must applaud your choice of room,” Nilo finally commented, “it seems we will continue to live like the upper-class tonight.”

The man flopped onto the bed, wiggling to where his head occupied her lap simply because he could. Nilo released a soft, content sigh, still glancing around the little room that would be theirs for the night. It was interesting to think of how many different places they would stay in. “I paid for the horses for the night. They’re in good hands.” He told her, arms coming to fold over his chest. “So it seems we now have the rest of the night to ourselves, how nice. This trip was most certainly necessary.” He purred out, eyes fluttering shut for a moment as a satisfied hum escaped him.

Nilo had quieted to leave her to her book when he remembered they hadn’t eaten since they had visited the countryside town that morning. “Darling, are we going to do anything for dinner?” He questioned, looking up at her, “I just know we haven’t had anything since breakfast. I’m not particularly hungry, but you know I can always eat.” He gave a soft laugh, a hand coming up to brush some hair from his face since the cap had completely messed up the russet strands. “Or we can just stay in, I don’t mind either way as long as I’m with you.”

The dramatic entrance brought the woman’s head up and an amused grin danced across her face. Not that she had long to stare at him that way before she was forced to duck as his hat was playfully thrown her way. A soft laugh escaped her as she reached over to pick up the headpiece, moving it over to the nightstand. “The innkeeper chose it. I do believe he sniffed out that we had money long before even entered the town,” she remarked in return, watching as he moved onto the bed.

Blue eyes fell to the page of her book again, though she couldn’t even remember what paragraph she was supposed to be on considering she hadn’t been able to digest anything. Instead, she found her expression warming as the man’s head found her lap and he made himself comfortable. One hand held her book while the other came to run her fingers through his hair. “Then it seems all is well for the night. Horses are bedded down, we are comfortable. A very needed break indeed.” Fingers continued to smooth through the messy hair, never looking at the page again as she inspected his face instead.

A soft huff escaped her at his next question and the book was laid down beside her. Reaching out, she brushed against his hand to help push the hair from his face. “You? Not particularly hungry? I wouldn’t believe it. Nor would I believe that you could eat immense amounts of food.” Bending her torso down, she pressed her lips to his forehead before leaning back up to rest against the headboard. She traced over his jaw as an almost thoughtful sound escaped her and she gazed up at the ceiling as if seriously debating his words.

“Let me ask you something,” Gennadius hummed out, focusing back on his face, continuing to traced the contours of his face slowly, running her fingers over the warm familiar skin. “What kind of wife would I be if I didn’t even think of feeding you? Hmmm? In that case, I think I would give you permission to get a refund.” The back of her knuckles brushed against his cheek before moving to his hair and tousling it, not that it needed any help from her to look anymore wild. Nilo defined hat hair.

Her body leaned down again so their noses brushed, “I will have you know that I did in fact think of feeding you, highness. I even dared to order food to be brought up here. Just a private dinner for a ruggedly handsome prince and his beautifully charming, charismatic, intelligent guard.” Her smile turned mischievous as her hand moved from his face to teasingly run under the collar of his shirt to his chest. “And then good sir,” her voice lowered, tone shifting to a purr, “I believe another advanced snuggle lesson is in store.”

The timing was perfect because as soon as she had spoken the last word, there was a knock at the door. Nilo was immediately released as she wiggled free, throwing him a playful look as she moved to the door, letting her whisper sit in his head while she threw the door open somewhat forcefully. The innkeeper looked a tad shocked, holding the tray out as he tried to peer in. To which the woman promptly blocked his view from seeing the tell-tale red hair and took the tray from him.

“I thank you very much kind sir,” she nodded, using her foot to push the door shut before bringing the tray to bed and putting it down for Nilo to inspect. She returned to the door to lock and bolt it, going over to the balcony curtains to make sure they were secure enough. Making her way back to the bed, she plopped down and looked over the tray, choosing a roll to munch on as if she had never said anything other than relating to food, innocently looking around.

“I have to say, they make decent food here too. Though I prefer the castle sandwiches,” Gennadius noted calmly, picking up half a sandwich to start munching on it. Dark blue eyes blinked innocently at Nilo, though the spark gave away the fact that she was anything but. She took one of the glasses and filled it from the pitcher, sipping it as she held it one hand, the slowly disappearing sandwich in the other. “They do feed a person well, I give them that.” Another glance was sent his way before she scooted to the edge to place the glass down on the stand and she stood up, striding across the room to be as far out of reach as she could possibly manage, toying with the man.

Spinning on her heels, she faced him, stretching her arms upward and arching her back. “You know Nilo... you’re awfully dusty,” she purred, keeping to her corner of the room, turning to stare at the fire now. “I’m not sure if I want you getting all that dirt over my bed covers. Maybe I should have you sleep on the balcony.” She kept her eyes on the dancing flames, resisting the urge to look at him.

Nilo cocked a brow at her hum, patiently awaiting an answer while he enjoyed the feeling of her wandering fingers across his face and through his hair. The gesture was a common one but nevertheless brought him satisfaction every time. “I would never expect you to feed me. You’ve told me more than once you never learned how to cook. So should I be afraid?” Nilo questioned jokingly, gazing up at her with a lopsided grin. Soon his humorous inquiry was answered and the man shouldn’t have been surprised by her forethought.

He blinked at her final comment, watching somewhat stunned as she skittered off to answer the door. A soft laugh escaped him at her boldness, intrigued by the game she was clearly now playing. Apparently, there was a new level to her typical teasing. He propped an elbow up and rested his chin in his palm, watching with curious eyes as she set the tray on the bed, walked away, and closed the curtains, which left them in shadows. The man sat up, munching quietly on the sandwich he now held for several moments as if mulling over what he had to say.

“I must agree that the castle will forever be my favorite, but this is certainly good.” Nilo agreed, drawing a thumb over his lip to dust off a few stray crumbs. The man chewed thoughtfully, watching the way the firelight licked at her features, casting her in an orange glow. He did not miss the way she seemed to slide out of his reach, something she often did when she was playing one of her games. Truthfully, it didn’t surprise him much, knowing she was prone to mischief. Now what to do… that was the one thing he couldn’t quite figure out.

When the man finished his food he lifted the tray and set it on the nightstand, scooting to sit against the headboard she had been against minutes ago. A low laugh sounded as she claimed he was dusty. “On your bed?” Nilo questioned, untying the laces on his boots, “Now, it appears I’m the one on the bed. As I recall, you got up, so I claim it for myself. So perhaps you should be the one to sleep on the balcony if you fear my "dustiness”. It looks cozy.” He suggested, nodding towards the curtains which covered the outdoor platform.

“Might even give you a blanket if I’m feeling kind enough.” As if to prove his point, the man shifted to the center of the bed in a childish manner, though his eyes betrayed nothing. Did the man want to throw out his calmness and pounce? Of course, when had he ever not? But he couldn’t let her win every time, now could he? If he did, he was sure her antics would worsen with a taste of success. Sure, she had won during most of the “scouting expeditions” or flirtatious challenges, but this had higher stakes.

That being said, Nilo was still willing to lose if it was in his favor, even if he was going to be picky about it. Long legs crossed over each other and he cocked his head expectantly. “That is…” He trailed, fingers coming up to scratch at his jaw as he made yet another careful selection, “Unless you’re going to fight for your “spot”.” Another chuckle escaped him. His words were serious for the most ridiculous of reasons. “Because I can assure you I’m not budging. This bed is far too comfortable.” He shifted some as if to emphasize that fact, “Unless you have something to counter-offer?” Nilo asked innocently, still intrigued by it all, “Then I’m certainly all ears.”

Staring at the flitting flames, the truth was that Gennadius didn’t have a full plan yet. Not by any means. The woman dared a look towards him, brow raised. A light scoff escaped her as he claimed the bed, though she did not move. It had always been a possibility he would claim it, but she had also been aware that by staying on it she would have been at a disadvantage. Not that she wasn’t now, but intelligent eyes gave away the turning of wheels in her head as she tried to solve the puzzle.

“I see,” came the soft hum as he moved himself to the center, the woman glancing at the balcony. She wasn’t one hundred percent sure if she did say she would sleep outside that he would stop her. And she wasn’t positive that he wouldn’t lock the balcony doors for the fun of it. Not that she believed if she truly wanted in he wouldn’t let her, but did she dare take such a chance at having to beg him for entrance? Absolutely not.

Hands linked behind her back as she finally faced him, taking in words and mulling them over in her own silence. Not budging, eh? A counter offer? Gennadius straightened, beginning a methodical pace for show, looking thoughtful and only occasionally glancing at him. The stakes were indeed high, with her previous statement still floating in the air, and no doubt in Nilo's mind. But while she held quite a bit more power now than she had before, the man held the most at the end of the day. Which meant if she wanted to win, she had to think carefully.

Did she truly care if she won? No, not tonight. There really wasn’t a way it wouldn’t end the same no matter how they worked it out, but it was a game and she intended to enjoy every moment of it. And that meant stalling for a few moments while she worked out a good plan. “Well, I suppose I could take out my sword and fend you off to claim my spot, but then I’d still have a dusty man on part of the bed.” She glanced over him, taking in his features as she meandered around the room, pausing by the bathroom. “Though I could always fully kick you off, stretch out, and sleep with a dagger in hand.”

Dark eyes shifted to look in the bathroom, and suddenly lit up. “But I think I’ll give you a few minutes to think about it before I initiate that strategy,” she huffed out to hide her pleasure, stepping into the little bathroom and slamming the door for effect. It seemed that she had, in fact, snagged the honeymoon suite, which would explain the relative extravagance compared to the general appearance of the rest of the place. No doubt the inn had one because it was a main way through the kingdom for higher status people who were looking to really go anywhere.

But, more importantly, it came with two robes, one of which Gennadius quickly claimed because it might just be the advantage she was looking for. “I hope you are thinking long and hard about your possible fate,” she called out, changing from her travel clothes into the soft material which she found to be rather soft and nice. Not that she truly believed that they were ‘complimentary’. No doubt it would be added to their bill but desperate times called for desperate measures.

Tying the white soft belt around her waist, she shifted the robe a few time until she was happy with it, allowing the V shape to go down farther than she would ever allow her shirts. But this was war and if she planned on winning, or even surrendering, she would use every option at her disposal. So it was in this way that she finally exited. Well, she did grab his shirt she had been wearing and as she walked out, tossed it at him, “There. A peace offering. I grant you your shirt back.”

A playful brow raised as she strode over to the bed, pretending to be wary as she got closer, though this time she purposefully moved within reach. Her foot lifted to rest against the edge of the bed as she bent to rub her bad leg, though it was clearly a ruse to get him to look considering the bad part of her leg was the thigh, not calf. She released a small yawn as if exhausted, glancing at Nilo with the most pathetic of looks, bordering on that of a homeless child. "But if you would be more comfortable with the whole bed, I can just curl up by the fire..." Gennadius was counting on the combined effect of the robe, yellow glow, sorrowful look, and proximity to work to her advantage. Because while grabbing her would technically be considered a win for him, she'd count it as a win as well.

Nilo feigned offense as she seemed to mull over abusing him with her stabby things. “How rude of you to even think about threatening your husband with knives. First forcing me to wear a cap and now this?” He questioned incredulously, clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth, “Rather shameful behavior, I must say.” Nilo accused, though it was clear that for once, his focus wasn’t on his usual dramatics, but rather on her. There was certainly tension, but both of them were in rather difficult positions.

At the moment, Nilo couldn’t tell who would walk away the victor, nor could he tell what the outcome would be. Obviously, there was a much-preferred way for it all to end, but was the prince about to give himself away? Of course not. Where was the fun in giving up, anyway? Not to mention he was relaxed and rather unaffected, unlike many times before when the man seemed to radiate heat and restraint. His brow lifted in confusion as she beelined for the bathroom, puzzled by her sudden movement. He flinched as the door slammed, not expecting the gesture.

What the hell was the bathroom for? Whatever the case, the man sat there, long fingers toying with the fabric of his dark slacks. He was left to his own thoughts for a few minutes, trying to figure out a way to win or at least make a valiant effort that would satisfy him. Nilo snorted as she threw a comment out from in the bathroom, crossing his arms over his chest defensively. “Oh, I certainly am! Harder than I’ve ever thought about anything before!” He called back, face filled with amusement. It was hard to remain serious when the two were fighting over a bed.

He heard the door open, head swiveling in her direction, only to have a shirt hurled at him. Deft fingers grabbed hold of the soft projectile, eyeing it oddly. Then what was she… Oh. Nilo blinked, unsure of how to react at yet another daring move on her part. Truth be told, the man had been on the defensive side the entire time, and yet again, he was stumped. How was he supposed to respond to that? The man was sitting there, in rumpled clothes and with utterly destroyed hair. There wasn’t even a possibility to compete with that unless he suddenly decided to shed his clothing and he wasn’t trying to look that desperate for a win.

She was playing him. Hard. All the way down to reaching for her calf and the sad look she cast him. Nilo could see straight through her, but he figured she already knew that. “I suppose I accept your peace offering. It isn’t often you return my clothing so I guess I should be taking this shirt and running.” Nilo responded and he did so rather tentatively at that point, only because he couldn’t figure out how exactly to react. At the mention of her sleeping by the fire, he couldn’t help his sigh, shaking his head with a quiet laugh. “Now what kind of husband would I be if I had my wife sleeping on the floor during her honeymoon? That would be your time to request a refund.”

Another soft laugh escaped him, something he seemed to be full of that day. An ever-gentle hand came up to her face, fingers brushing over her cheek and the gentle curve of her jaw. His hand dipped to find hers and the man placed a chaste kiss on the back of her palm before deciding to speak again. “You manage to play a very pitiful character, I must say,” Nilo spoke, eyes glittering with mischief, “but I know you better.” His voice lowered to an affection purr as he was clearly amused, the man shifting to sit directly in front of her, legs dangling off the edge of the bed.

Nilo leaned back on his palms for a moment, looking up at her and quite blatantly ogling, though his focus didn’t stray for long. “Only you would use a robe as a battle tactic.” He told her, hand reaching out to find hers again and interlacing their fingers. “So I assume it is only correct to allow you a spot on the bed for your efforts. That is, if you’d still like to join me?” Nilo questioned, cocking a brow, “Unless we are going to be at war all night, then I may have to see what other tricks I have up my sleeve to have a fighting chance.”

The prince tilted his head, watching her with expectant eyes. Did the man want her? Most definitely and the robe had been an unfair move. He did his best to keep his rather cool persona, gaze only betraying only the smallest spark of passion, though it was well leashed. “So what shall it be? Are we abandoning this silly game or am I doomed to spend my night alone and sad, in these dusty clothes that really should be removed?” Nilo asked, wearing his most wicked of grins.

The woman was immediately pleased with the way he spoke tentatively. It was clear she was hitting her mark, though she kept her gaze sad, resisting the smile that wanted to pull at the edge of her lips. However, he did not disappoint long as he began to rally himself, though it still seemed rather cautious at first. Not that even that caution lasted long as he reached for her face.

Against her better judgement, Gennadius instinctively leaned into the touch, lips starting to twitch. His fingers were always so gentle and careful. A soft amused huff escaped her as he spoke again, realizing he was already roping her in with his soft touches and the way he purred out his words. The man was smooth, she granted him that, her chin lifting just a bit as he shifted closer. The look of pure pitifulness had changed into one of near indifference, though it stayed somewhat soft. It was her turn to watch him warily.

Her cheeks heated up as his glacial gaze blazed over her, the raw moment he allowed himself to take her in. Looking away for a second, she did her best to regain semblance of indifference. Softly clearing her throat, she dared to look his way again, raising a brow to match his expression. Her fingers tightened around his in a soft squeeze and she offered a smirk, “I suppose I can accept just a spot. Not as good as the entire bed to myself. But it will do. Though I might have taken you up on the offer for war if we didn’t have a long trip tomorrow.”

She moved her leg so her knee we leaning against the edge, looking thoughtful as if truly debating what she wanted to do. It did not last as his words caused dark eyes to flash over at his face, catching the evil grin he wore. Gennadius released a soft snort, head tilting in a calculating manner before her own orbs sparked. “Silly game? Silly?” She released his hand, placing both palms on his chest to push him back, climbing onto the bed to loom over him. “I cannot believe you would call my romantic teasing silly,” she huffed with mock irritation.

But even as she stared down at him with a scowl, it was more than clear that she was in a very good mood. Her finger trailed down his chest, toying with one of the buttons as she stared him dead in the eyes. “Your clothes really are dusty you know...” she purred, patting the fabric as if expecting a dust cloud to rise, which it did not. “If I am to share the bed with you, then I agree that these clothes have to go...” A soft laugh escaped her as she finally cracked, leaning down to press her lips to his, the one hand bracing between them while the other found his hair.

Breaking away for a breath, Gennadius grinned down at him, messing with his hair. “You know, we should keep the messy hair. It suits you. But you know I love your hair however it ends up, now don’t you?” Their noses brushed as she continued to play with the buttons to his shirt, undoing a few as she offered him a playful peck. Her hair fell from her shoulder, brushing against his cheeks as her eyes never wavered from his. “I don’t think I will send you to the floor... it might be nice to have something to keep me warm other than a fireplace. Besides, I can’t very well talk to the fireplace... now could I?”

She was out cold. It was one of the few times that her entire body was totally relaxed, content to stay in its current position. And why not? A warm body was pressing down on hers, the familiar weight of it combined with the steady breathing keeping her lulled and happily intoxicated in comfort. There was so much right with the world in this moment of sleep, so why wake up? There were no impending needs to flash through her mind and pull her from slumber, no deep concerns or uncertainties, just her and her husband.

It was the lack of that weight on her that caused her to slightly stir, her body turning on its side as her arm flopped across the bed. Of course, there was nothing there, but she was still too deeply gone to register that. Instead, her body curled up some, one arm hooking around the blanket to pull it closer to herself in search of the warmth that had left. Her search went no farther however as she fell back into her full unconsciousness, not even stirring long enough to get the chance to really wake up.

His touch was what brought her back, a soft incoherent murmur escaping her as eyes tried to close more tightly for a second. But it was the fond voice that caused eyelids to peek open slightly, dark orbs registering the figure sitting on the edge of the bed. A smile twitched at her lips as she finally comprehended his meaning, a soft puff of air escaping her in amusement, though she wasn't saying anything yet. She was far too comfortable and rather enjoying the attention being shed on her.

Gennadius's nose crinkled slightly when he gently thwapped it, her eyes finally fully opening to gaze at the lazy and amused smile being cast down. For a little while, she simply stared at him before a yawn escaped her and her body arched beneath the covers, arms stretching out. She twisted as she stretched before relaxing back down again and blinking a few times, gaze coming back to him, her smile fond and pleased. “I think I much prefer being woken up by you than some hideous morning light,” she agreed in teasing, voice rough from a heavy sleep.

Another yawn escaped her as she sat up, dragging the warm covers with her as she did so. Her knees came up and she leaned against them, letting out a small hiss as the cool air hit her back. “I may take you up on your offer for a lazy day once we get there, I do admit. It sounds rather nice, curled up next to you all day,” she purred, a hand reaching out to gently rest against his chest, focus shifting to gaze over the scars she loved so much. “A day to admire you,” she added, fingers gingerly patterning across the lines, her smile widening.

“Your scars are so much cooler,” Gennadius laughed after a moment, pulling her hand away and gazing around the room, clearly in search of something. Which she easily found laying to the side on the floor. Stretching out across the bed, she reached over the edge and snagged Nilo's shirt. Sitting back up, she pulled it on and loosely buttoned the top few before moving free of the blankets. It was an advantage of marrying a taller, bigger man… his shirts. They could easily double as long blouses.

The woman moved across the bed to be next to him, wrapping her arms around him as she did so. Burying her face into his chest, a content sigh escaped her before she pulled back, eyeing him up and down as a hand found the damp hair. “It seems someone got all cleaned up,” she chuckled, leaning back into him to press her nose against the side of his neck, for a moment not wanting to move or really do anything productive. But, she knew that the sooner they did get to the coast, the more time they would have to do just as they pleased. So she slowly pulled herself away, moving to her feet.

Taking her bag, she stretched one more time before heading towards the bathroom, stopping long enough to turn and throw a smile his way, “You know, you could make yourself useful and go grab us some breakfast while I get ready.” She threw him one of his eyebrow wiggles before disappearing into the bathroom. Gennadius took the opportunity to also quickly clean herself up and wash her hair out. It didn’t take long before she was using a towel to get as much moisture from her hair as possible and changing into a fresh set of clothes for the day.

Feeling refreshed and excited for a new day, Gennadius exited with a flourish, stepping out into the room with a wide grin. “Did you manage to find food for a poor starving maiden before you decide to drag her across your kingdom?” Dark eyes flashed with amusement, “Or must I be the one to do everything?”

The glare only earned a laugh, Gennadius looking over at fireplace, eyeing the ashes as if she was truly debating going and trying them. But midnight eyes quickly moved to stare at him with a half-grin, amused by his display of mock annoyance. For those few moments, they were two immovable walls... and amused one and a bitter one, facing off and refusing to budge. Though that didn’t last very long as Nilo broke first.

As the bag flew her way, she easily caught it, opening it up and burying her nose into it. It smelled amazing, that was for sure. Glancing over the options, she claimed what seemed to be a smaller roll with what she was almost certain was a sugary glaze of sorts. “Every place does need that royal review, I do concede,” she agreed with a soft chuckle, slowly meandering over as she placed the bag down and brought her chosen roll up closer to her face for inspection.

The moment she bit into it, Gennadius shook her head, quickly swallowing, “No... no, we are bringing these with us. I’m carrying them.” She quickly took another bite, this time savoring the flavor. Never as good as her favorite pastries but they were certainly still fantastic. “But you can grab a few sandwiches too. I know one of us could eat a horse if he wanted.” As she said that last sentence, she plopped down on the bed beside him, pulling her legs up criss-cross as she did so.

Her gaze followed his towards the bathroom, landing on the robe as her lips twisted further up. “Oh, I think he smelled money long before he even laid his eyes on us. Maybe it was the charismatic woman looking for the best room he had and ordering dinner to the room. Just maybe.” She continued to stare at the item she had worn the night before, rather fond of the part it had played in the entire game. Yes, a good memory indeed. A memory that she planned on cherishing and keeping close forever. And laughing at as often as she could.

“Oh yes, we must keep it as a souvenir. We can finally put my past to some good use.” Gennadius gave him a playful punch on the shoulder as she continued to munch on her own breakfast, taking it slower than he was taking his. The woman leaned against him as she chewed, tipping her head back to stare up at his chin, grinning warmly as she did so. “You know, you really look handsome from every angle. Though I like last night’s angle pretty well.” Her finger reached up to poke under his chin, tracing along his jawline before she finally finished her roll and was up on her feet, glancing around the room.

Snatching up her bag, the woman threw it over her shoulder before starting for the door. “Come along my royal pain. We have many things to see, and never enough time to see it all.” Her eyes sparkled as she turned on her heels, backing closer to the door as she snatched up her boots. She bent down briefly, just long enough to tug them on before straightening, hand on the knob. “While I do enjoy admiring this view...” she motioned towards him, “I’m afraid if I don’t get to see other things it might get a bit... boring.”

Would she ever find him boring? Absolutely not, nor would she ever get tired of looking at him. But she wasn’t about to admit that either and give him ammunition. Instead she gestured towards the bathroom, “And do grab the robe. I would hate to leave such an important article of clothing behind. I may find it necessary for later...” Gennadius couldn’t resist winking at him before she swung the door open and darted out, making a dash for the stairs. She took them two at a time, practically leaping down the whole way. Over all, she was feeling quite giddy, like a young horse released out into the wild for the first time since being a filly. Just this time... she had a stallion to keep her company.