Her smile was encouraging at least and Nolian shared another smile. There were thoughts behind her eyes but he wasn't privy to them nor to the undercurrents that everyone was passing back and forth. He wasn't the type of person to care about subtle cues and silent treatments.

His eyes flickered for a moment, flashing with surprise before his smile grew into a warm grin. "I am," he confirmed with an eager nod. "I enjoy the entire concept of horses. The intricate ways to help them and how they can help us. There's so many different ways other than just companions."

He launched into an eager ramble about the beasts.

"Even the breed that you have symbolizes something. Take for instance a Lustiano, a common noble horse. It signifies power and wealth but not too much wealth--you're not like... flaunting it in everyone's face. But Friesians and thicker draft horses that are reserved for looks alone--like Knabstrupper--those are definitely waving wealth in everyone's face."

He leaned back in the chair with a giddy grin. "But there's a lot of stuff going on too. Drafts and the common folk breeds can be traced back thousands of years! Breeding them is a huge pain though because so much can go wrong and if it's not carefully crafted then you can run into different issues."

Nolian waved one hand, brushing by the topic. "I prefer to have them just as companions. There's something freeing about having a good bond with your friend and going out in the trails and everything. I wouldn't mind getting to learn the horses here, I could always help you find one for you."

He hadn't realized that it was Kayeni's goal to get him on the topic but he was there now. Henry looked relatively relieved about the fact as well.

Kayeni smiled - partly out of relief that Nolian didn't start another war, and... that was pretty much it.

To anyone else, that smile might have been just her smiling at her suitor. Hell no, but it was a useful thing to wield, smiles were. People liked seeing them.

Honestly, Kayeni had barely understood half of what Nolian had said, but really - at least this was a more stable topic.

Of which Kayeni had absolutely 0 knowledge about.

She'd just have to wing it, she guessed.

"Hmm. Well, to be frankly honest with you, I know next to nothing about horses... mainly I just take whatever the stablehands gave me." It was true. She really didn't care that much on what horse she took.

Then again, she never really rode either. But that was something to be definitely not mentioned.

"I guess some day you could help me find one. I've never really taken to riding." Half-truth, but better than nothing.

Plus, it'd be a great way for her father to get a view of them "bonding" over something Kayeni really didn't take much interest in. And at least it may be slightly useful.

Damn, but this was annoying. Her tutors, in their infinite wisdom, had (perhaps intentionally) neglected to teaching her about every single breed of horses. Pretty useless knowledge, but right now her sole task was to not let this conversation die until the meal was over, because Nolian was prone to making extremely bad conversation moves.

"What did you see in the stables when you went over there earlier? Anything special?" Really, anything to keep Nolian on the track of horses, not mentioning his previous occupation - oh shet, she didn't think of that. Royals didn't always know everything about horses. Maybe they could just say Nolian was very invested in horses anyways... maybe being a prince would cover for it enough.

But for now, letting Nolian ramble on about horses was good enough.

Nolian fell silent at her smile and simply smiled back, far more relaxed and loose than before. As he listened, he added a few chuckles and waved his hand. "I used to be the same way but they just seemed so interesting to me. I took it up as a rather passionate hobby."

Nolian avoided mentioning an occupation and rather cited a hobby--that wasn't an unusual hobby, perhaps for nobles but he could figure out a way to explain that off later. "Riding is fantastic but it's easier when you feel more like you're in control and you have a bond with the beast."

Nolian gave her a lopsided smile after she asked the last question, citing a few things firstly to explain off the beginning of the interest before leading into his observations. "We use a lot of horses up North--a lot of different types and breeds of horses. I wanted to know why one could do one thing but another one couldn't. The stables here are well kept, they've been kept clean and structurally sound. The horses are fed wonderfully and they're beautiful. There is a wonderful array of war horses, chariot horses, noble steeds and even just farm breeds. They are all incredibly colored too. The grey and dapples are gorgeous. Though I do enjoy the good solid buckskin geldings near the back, they have such an incredible color."

He smiled faintly and sighed, setting his chin in his hand. "Traveling here, I had to leave my best bud behind. He... man. I don't entirely know what breed he is, I think he might be a crossbreed. I found him as a little colt. He is a gorgeous Rose Grey but he has chimera markings of a Bay Roan. But he is clever, he's fast and just gorgeous!"

Nolian let out a warm sigh and shook his head. "Sorry, I... I'm rambling again. I'm just used to talking during mealtimes... I'm so sorry. I... it's late too, I should probably head back to my chambers and actually clean off and everything... thank you for the meal, it was wonderful."

Henry dipped his head and followed after the new-found prince. The hallways were silent, the occasional guard giving them a small look but nothing more. The two men walked in silence as the tension started to grow between them.

They both knew more or less what was going to happen but it was going to be behind closed doors. Nolian lifted his chin, walking with his back straight beside Henry. The large door that hid the room for him hardly made a noise as Henry pulled it open for Nolian.

After the door closed, Henry took one hand and all but gave him a rather hard slap on the back of his head before shaking his shoulders back and forth. "Good glory, boy!" Henry shouted. "Are you trying to cause a civil war?!"

Nolian shoved him back and winced, rubbing the back of his head. "For the love, did you have to hit so hard?!" He scowled back at Henry before waving his hands. "I'm not a noble, remember? I'm a nobody from nowhere. We're just lucky that I managed to get through the day without doing anything else."

"You smell like a servant, you look like a ragged brat and--AND--that was a rather stupid move you pulled," Henry bellowed back at him, practically tearing the vest from his shoulders. "I'll have to treat this several times to get the sheer smell out of it. But beside that, do you know what kind of move you pulled?! That could've gotten you killed."

"If the king can't handle a question like that then maybe he ought to step down," Nolian retorted sharply, just as heated. "If he has his head stuck too far up his backside to realize that, then he's not fit for--"

Henry shoved him toward the door to the bathroom. "Don't you dare start getting cocky."

"Well, I know a thing or two," Nolian snapped back at him, the anger in his face surprisingly genuine and venomous. His tone was just as vicious. "The common people ought to know what kind of man leads them. We revere him and if he can't return that same respect to his own daughter or his own people? They should know! That's something they need to know."

Henry shook his head. "You best be careful, you fool. Not everyone is as gracious as I am."

Nolian squared his shoulders, finally towering over Henry for a brief moment. He leaned close and stared into his eyes. "You'd best be careful," he repeated the words in a short hiss, "I'm not who I seem to be."

He turned away, slamming the door behind him.

Kayeni and her father stepped outside of the dining hall into the corridor. It wasn't as brightly lit as the hall was, but it was still sufficient to see.

They had barely cleared the doors when Kayeni turned on him. "Father... why did you do this? How could you 'engage' me to someone we barely know, real or otherwise?"

Her father's mouth tightened slightly. "It was for your own good. There were too many-"

Kayeni completely lost it then. She rarely exploded like so, but today had been so hectic there was almost no way that she wouldn't, somehow.

"For my own good?!? How can you decide what's best for me, and what I should do with my life! I was perfectly fine until your forced him to pretend to be my suitor."

At that point, her father drew his brows together. "Am I not allowed to decide what's best for my daughter, the sole heir of the throne?" He didn't seem pleased. "Kayeni... you are my daughter. I can see that those that came here for your hand are not here for you, rather that they are here for the kingdom." He paused. "Your mother would have been fine with it."
Kayeni was far beyond being reasonable. "Just because my mother might have been fine with it never meant I would! When did you ever ask for my opinion on this?"

Her father, King Josef II of Galcolia, looked at his firstborn and only daughter. "I'm doing this because it's best for all of us. The other kingdoms stop sending their princes, we get a bit of peace and quiet, and you can choose yourself when the time comes."

Princess Kayeni of Galcolia still couldn't see the reason in it. "It may be best for you, but you never even gave me a chance to say anything before, at least to the rest of the world, you saddled me with this suitor that might have to be real eventually. Because what'll we say when we need to get rid of him? And what will we do with him!" A lot of the things Kayeni had kept locked down kept spilling out, knives pointed at her father.

Really, some of this anger probably shouldn't even have been directed at her father. But here she was anyway.

Her father's mouth tightened yet again. "We'll have it sorted out. Trust me."

Kayeni practically spat blood. "When was I meant to trust you throughout this entire process? When I was introduced to a common nobody and was told that he was my suitor? When I was forced to go and learn more about him? When-"

"That's ENOUGH!" King Josef had enough. "Kayeni, go to your room. You're having a meltdown."

Kayeni stared defiantly at her father.

"I'll see you in the morning. Hopefully by then you've calmed down." King Josef turned back towards the hall and strode in without a backwards glance at his daughter.

Kayeni fled to her quarters. Maybe she could wake up in the morning and this entire day could just be a bad dream.

Although, she inwardly knew that would never be the case.

Still. She wished for it.

Nolian rolled onto his back, looking up at the ceiling of the room. His chest lifted and fell, remembering the night before and his heart sank in his chest. Sure the bed was soft. The sheets smelled like rose.

But it wasn't home. It was a battleground of which he was supposed to tiptoe his way through. Henry had proved that rather well--and sharply. The back of his head still hurt from the hit he had gotten last night. How was he supposed to know? It wasn't like they had given him a rule book of do's and don't's. It was just throwing him in the deep end and hoping for the best.

Reluctantly, Nolian rolled out of the bed and stood up, shuffling around to get dressed. He'd be down in the stables before anyone could try and stop him. He needed the release of emotions in a healthy and constructive manner. So he threw on the shirt he had started with from yesterday, the trousers and his own boots before making his way out and down through the hallway.

He shuffled down the hallway with his head down, trying to remain unseen. Nolian didn't even stop to eat anything, just made his way out into the garden and along the pathway he remembered from yesterday.

"Noble," he grumbled to himself. "I'm no noble. I'm a... a ... I don't even know," he shook his head, pushing one hand through his hair. "But I'm not what they want me to be."

Sure he could pretend but what good did that really do? If he couldn't believe it himself, no one else would believe it either.

As he entered the stables with a far more pleasant smile on his face, the stable hands and even the barn manager seemed more than happy to see him. It wasn't long before he had started to relax in their presence and the chores to start the day. Maybe if he came back at night to cool off, things wouldn't be too bad.

He knew Kayeni would have talked to her father but he had a feeling it likely went about as well as the talk with Henry.

Kayeni rose the next morning feeling quite under.

She didn't want to get up. But to fulfill her duties as princess... she pretty much had to.

Getting dressed, her ladies-in-waiting helping - unlike most days, she barely noticed what she was doing. She usually talked to her ladies, but today she barely thought enough to say a thank you as they disappeared silently.

So. Her father refused to budge.

She was stuck with a "suitor" that she didn't want, and had no idea how the court works. Well, today was going to be interesting.

She entered the dining hall, where the nobility were already dining. Nolian was absent - and Henry was sitting with a rather resigned expression. Kayeni shut down the hope that maybe he had gotten lost, and wouldn't be here for the entire meal.

And as breakfast progressed, it certainly seemed like it. Henry getting even more jittery as the minutes drew past, Nolian still absent - did countrymen really sleep this late? - and a welcome silence as she ate her breakfast.

It was almost half an hour before Kayeni silently finished her breakfast. Maybe Nolian was right, she silently thought. We aren't very chatty at the table.

Then again, who was? Everyone was too busy eating, and you were never meant to talk while eating.

That gave her a thought. Did Nolian -

no, thank god, Kayeni didn't think that he had talked with his mouth full. She would have noticed otherwise.

She walked out the doors of the dining hall - past where her father and her had had a bit of a argument yesterday night - and noticed Henry catching up to her. She looked over her shoulder, a question on her face.

Henry looked to her with a slightly concerned expression. "Do you know where Nolian is? I need to bring him to the tailor in less than an hour."

Honestly, why would Kayeni know where Nolian was? They weren't even real suitors. Kayeni replied as politely as she could. "I'm sorry, but I don't know." She shrugged. "Maybe check his room? Or the stables?"

Henry did look a bit agitated. "I looked inro his room on the way to breakfast. But I didn't check the stables. He might be there."

Kayeni gave Henry a small smile. "He might be." she agreed with him.

Henry wandered off to the stables - no, more like speed-walked as fast as he could - damn, how late was Nolian? Could he ever follow what he was meant to do in the court? And couldn't he just stay in one place where they could find him when he was needed?

The horses in the royal stables were far better behaved than the horses he was used to dealing with. It was almost relieving, in a sense, for the young man. His eyes were bright, far brighter than before, his lips were pulled into a genuine smile.

The way he could simply blend in, chatter and talk with the others about odd things here and there. Horse breeds, horse ailments and what needed to be done. The extra set of hands wasn't really necessary or particularly needed but it was welcome. Nolian hadn't really kept track of time, not bothering with it at all. He'd eat when he was hungry, he'd figure out what menial tasks had to be done for the day.

And figure out how long it'd take before he could get back to his old life. The more he thought about being an actual suitor, the more he loathed the thought. This wasn't his life, the princess couldn't stand him, Henry--ugh, Henry--and the absent king? It was a recipe for disaster just waiting to happen.

Nolian shook his head, tossing straw into the stall and kicking it around to remake a bed for the horse that would stay there for the night. It was a good release for some emotions.

"Nolian!" Henry's voice called into the stables. He sounded a little more curious and calm than the night prior. Still, the young man stepped out and made his way toward the mentor.

Henry flashed the barn manager a warm smile before walking back toward the castle. Nolian shook his head. "This isn't castle clothing, this is my own clothes so you don't have to worry about stains--"

"You missed breakfast," Henry snapped at him. "That's an offense! You couldn't even blame it on sleeping in! No, you were back there acting like a common folk!"

"I *am* a common folk," Nolian replied dryly and glanced around the gardens. "I feel better when I am at the stables. It helps me calm down--"

"Calm down?!" Henry all but glared at him. "You're going to be the death of me! I have less than an hour to get you cleaned up, fed and then shuffled off to the tailor."

Nolian shook his head and waved one hand. "I don't see why it has to be me. This was a dumb idea from the beginning."

"Oh don't you go backing down on me," Henry pleaded. "You don't have the choice."

"I--beg your pardon?!" Nolian replied sharply. "I don't... have the choice?"

"Duty to your King says you should follow this command," Henry hissed shortly.

Nolian scowled for a brief moment before shaking his head. His expression softened as he let out a wistful sigh, looking back at the stables. He hadn't seen Kayeni in the near vicinity yet. "I don't see why I should. I don't know what I'm doing, there's no rule book to reference, the princess hates my very existence, the king isn't any help, I'm out of my element and alone."

Kayeni was wandering back to her quarters when she stumbled into her father.

"Kayeni?" He looked slightly suprised to see her here. "Where are you off to?"

She still hadn't forgotten their little argument the other day, and obstinately kept silent. Her father, undeterred, kept on.

"Well, you can either go to the council meeting, or you can go with Prince Nolian. I believe he has something scheduled."

Well, that was fun. Between another boring council meeting that she had already sat through a billion times, and doing anything, she'd take anything over sitting through another council meeting.

Kayeni really didn't like her father that much. She knew she was being baited into going with Nolian again... and she didn't like it at all.

Kayeni gave her father a bit of a glare. She knew her father wanted her to at least pretend to everyone that they were engaged suitors. She really didn't want to anymore.

A council meeting sounded better than being with her suitor. But... the council meeting would be so boring...

Sighing, Kayeni pivoted on her heel and made her way towards tthe stables. On the hunt for Nolian, she guessed she was doing. Who knew where he was?

(Apologies, my brain just stopped working and I can not think. This will be edited to be bigger later, if I get the motivation to >.>)