For Country and Peace (Watase Yu x Eternalsinger13

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Evelynne would smile as he shrugged off her swearing. Her mother would have lectured her silly if she had heard Evelynne use such language. The thought made her smile distantly for a short moment. As he comment on how he disliked how Rovan had treated her, Evelynne would arch an eyebrow. "Careful, Arikizo. Keep talking like that and I'll begin to think that you actually like me ..." She teased, a playful smile tugging at her lips. She would then giggle at his hotblooded comment. "True. I must have forgotten that tiny detail ..." She mused playfully.

As he mused about how Rovan seemed to like her fight, Evelynne would frown gently for a moment. "Yes, I noticed. I am not sure which is worse, him being intrigued or him immediately hating me. I think I would prefer him continuing to hate me ..." She would muse, partially playfully. Though there was some truth to the comment. "Very much a pain, I agree." She would say with a nod. "Two compliments in one day? What will I ever do with myself ..." She would say in mock surprise, though she smiled genuinely. "But seriously, that is very kind of you to say." She would say with a nod of her head.

Watching him stretch and place his hands behind his head, even would grin. She liked the genuine version of Arikizo over the forced, cold version she saw when anyone else was around. "Agreed, it is quite lovely out. And the silence is quite nice, I will say." She would murmur as she held onto the ends of her shawl. "Indeed. I can only imagine what will be in store once for us after the actually wedding. It is a bit daunting, I'll admit." She mused thoughtfully as her gaze danced around the garden as they walked.
 
Arikizo blushed a bit at Evelynne's comment, but smiled all the same. "Well, I do enjoy your company." He responded, even though he knew she was teasing him. "I don't dislike you, and I don't desire for you to feel like a target in your soon to be home." He chuckled at her comment about forgetting that he was a dragon. "Rovan had always said I'm more human than I am dragon. And you do seem as headstrong as a dragon, that I do do agree with. You're not some submissive little princess who just does what others tell her, and can't think on her own." He noticed her frown as he spoke of Rovan and his penchant for feisty women, and gave her a gentle smile. "Intrigued as he may be, you are betrothed to me and will be my wife in less than three days. Even if he wanted to, he couldn't stop this wedding. I bet he's stewing over his poor decision. Serves him right for judging too quickly." His brother had been the initial groom in this arrangement, but when he quickly refused, the second prince was put up in his place. It was better that way anyhow, and the crown prince couldn't do anything about it. And if he tried, Ari wouldn't let him.

"Two compliments in one day? What will I ever do with myself..." Arikizo chuckled and grinned widely at that. "Consider yourself lucky." He murmured playfully. "I don't give compliments to many people, and even fewer are honest." He gave a single nod in return to her added comment. "I'd like to think I'm kind. In a country where kindness seems to be nonexistent or seen as weakness, that may not be such a good thing." Once the fresh air got to the couple, it seemed like their mood changed instantly. While some of the tension still remained, it had been lessened considerably by the beautiful weather. "Silence is a rare commodity in this place. At least, inside the castle. Out here, there are less problems to face. Less people to run into." He glanced over to her as she spoke about her concerns about life after the wedding. Of course, he didn't foresee it being a smooth transition. Expecting such an outcome would be naive. She was a human among dragons, after all. But he would do everything within his power to make sure that Evelynne remained content and safe within the walls of the castle.

"Shall we pay a visit to the stables?" Arikizo suggested. "I've been kept so busy, I haven't gotten the chance to check in on my steed. I'm sure Marsy has been keeping a good eye on him though. Perhaps we may pick one for you that is to your liking." With her previous, he could safely assume that she would enjoy such an offer. It would given her another companion to keep her company, and even more reason to stay at the stables and away from his brother now that Rovan had begun to act up. "It's a bit counter-intuitive for dragons to have horses." He mused softly, mainly to himself. "Dragons often dislike associating with humans because of their short lives, but horses are even more short lived. Perhaps it is accepted because they are animals, and naturally inferior? You'd expect a kingdom of creatures that could fly wouldn't have any need for such creatures." He shook his head, laughing at himself. "There I go again with my rambling."
 
Evelynne would smile as Arikizo said he liked her company. Evelynne would nod her head. "Feeling like a target would not be pleasant. So thank you. I am grateful." She mused softly before looking to Arikizo thoughtfully as he spoke. "It is all a matter of perspective, I suppose. I think you are more dragon than your brother." She mused thoughtfully before smiling. "I head to be a lot of the time back home or my brother would have walked all over me. There were also the councilors at court. The first time I showed them up was rather amusing ..." As he gave her a reassuring smile, Evelynne would manage a smile back. "Glad to hear it. I am glad that you are the brother I am marrying, not Rovan. It is reassuring that there is nothing he can do." She murmured with a nod. With so little time between now and the wedding, no one could stop it at this point.

As he grinned more brightly and teased that she should feel lucky, Evelynne laughed. Her smile would grow as she looked his way. "I will try to remember that, Arikizo ..." She murmured with a playful wink. "I find it hard to understand how kindness can be seen as a weakness. The ability and willingness to show compassion to others and to help them when they are in need, that is more of a show of strength than power and pure physical force to me." She mused thoughtfully for a few moments. "It was back home as well, except for in the library." She would say with distant smile.

At his offer to visit the stables and possibly let her choose a horse of her own, she would grin. "Certainly. I don't believe you showed me your steed last time." She would say before she listened more. As he rambled thoughtfully, Evelynne would smile. It all made sense after all. "It is quite alright. I enjoy your ramblings." She would say as she steered them towards the stables at the far end of the grounds. "It does make sense though and it also makes one wonder." She murmured with a smile.
 
"There is no need to thank me." Arikizo replied with a bright smile. "You are going to be part of the royal family here, and should be treated as such. It's only natural." He chuckled at her next comment. "I guess you're right. Perspective means everything. And really?" His eyebrows arched a little playfully. "You said yourself that you'd nearly forgotten that I was a dragon... does that insinuate that you never saw Rovan as one?" He couldn't help but laugh wholeheartedly, more than he'd ever laughed before in the princess's presence. "Oh, but I can imagine." He said at the mention of her first time against the councilors of her kingdom. "You sure are something, Evelynne." "I am glad that you are the brother I am marrying, not Rovan." "As am I. I would've pitied you if you had been forced to keep him company. He's nothing but trouble."

On the topic of kindness as a point of weakness, Ari could only shake his head. "It seems our race has strayed very far from it's initial path." Her murmured. "Legend has it it that dragons were meant to be protectors, loyal guards of the other races. But greed brought us to what we are today. And with that greed came the noxious beliefs that we hold over other species, especially those of your kind. Because it was the humans that were willing to fight our ancestor's lust for power, despite their frailties and naturally short lives." He sighed, pushing the thoughts away.

Evelynne's response was plenty enough reason for him to get back off the subject. "No, I don't believe I have gotten the chance." He answered. "I shall do that today." This topic, of course, had led him to another ramble; but the princess didn't seem to mind. In fact, she said she enjoyed the rambling. "It does make you wonder. But I would say the most likely reason is that we dragons would become very tired if our only mode of transportation was flying." He said thoughtfully. "We may have wings, but constantly having to use them to travel long distances would be exhausting, if not painful." They soon enough neared the stables, and entered them, finding the servants hard at work. "We were instructed to clean the stable, top to bottom." One of them answered when the dragon prince asked. "Would your parents be likely to visit the stables after a wedding?" He asked Evelynne. He didn't think so, but perhaps they were more fond of animals than he assumed. Probably just the queen making sure nothing could go wrong; although an already not-so-dirty stable wouldn't be the end of the world in his mind.

Marsy peeked her head out of one of the stalls as she heard Arikizo's voice. "Good morning Prince Arikizo, Princess Evelynne." She called, grinning. "If you're looking for the horses, they're out in the pasture while we are mucking their stalls." Ari smiled and bowed his head. "Thank you, Marce." He gently replaced his hand on Evelynne's back, leading her through the stables and avoiding the paths of the overworked stable-hands. "The pasture is on the other side of the stables." He informed her. "Perhaps we'll be spending more time outside than we'd planned. Good thing there's such lovely weather today." Once they got back out into the fresh air, the large field lay ahead of them, fenced in on the outer edge by the tall castle walls and the rest by wooden pickets that went up to the prince's waist. At least a couple dozen horses were peacefully grazing in the pasture. "It may take me a moment to find him." Ari said, his eyes gazing over the herd to pick out his stallion. He stepped up onto the fence. "I'm sure he's not far."
 
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Evelynne would smile and nod her head gently. Soon, a giggle would escape her lips. "No, I said I forgot the breathing fire bit ..." She murmured before she mulled over his question for several moments. "A dragon is strong, cunning, yet loyal, caring, and compassionate for those they care about. From what I learned as a child anyway. Rovan is none of those things, except for strong. You, however, are ..." She would respond thoughtfully. "If pitied means you would have put me out of my misery, then I would have gratefully accepted your pity." She would say playfully with a laugh. Evelynne would listen intently as Arikizo spoke about the dragons of old, nodding here and there. "I have heard of some of those legends. They were some of what I learned from. Personally, I believe dragons should return to the ways of dragons past. Leave this cold and greed behind ..." She would say in response with a gentle shake of her head.

Evelynne would soon smile again as she looked to Arikizo. "I look forward to it." She would say as they neared the stables. As he continued his horse ramblings, she would smile affectionately as she listened. "When you put it that way, it does make sense then." She mused with a nod. As they entered the stables and Evelynne so the state of the servants, a sigh would escape her lips. At Arikizo's question, she would shake her head. "No. They are not overly fond of spending time in the stables in general." She would answer.

As Marsy appeared, Evelynne would smile. She had grown accustomed to the stable hand, even a bit fond of her from all the time she had spent here in the last few days. "Good morning Marsy." Once Marsy let them know where the horses were, Evelynne would thank her as well as Arikizo carefully led her through to the pasture. It was quite beautiful out here in a rustic sort of way, which Evelynne enjoyed. "I don't mind at all. I like being outside more than being cooped up in a castle." She would say as they reached the fence. Watching Arikizo step onto the fence, Evelynne would watch warily. "Do be careful. It would probably be best if you were in one piece at the wedding you know." She would say softly as she let her hands rest on the pasture fence.
 
"Well, I have rarely breathed any fire." Arikizo responded. "And, now that I think of it, I've never seen Rovan do so." He listened intently to her definition of a dragon, his smile quirking a bit more. It was the old lore's intended personality for a dragon, defined by the creation legends behind his species. "Rovan's pretty cunning too." He added playfully, knowing. "And I am what exactly?" He knew she probably wouldn't finish her sentence, too flustered and embarrassed to compliment him. But the implied compliment was enough, as he knew what she was going to say. He was everything his brother was not. The dragon prince shook his head at her comment about pity. "I couldn't have brought myself to kill you." He admitted. "I lack the conviction to kill. But Rovan might have done that himself, eventually." He shuddered at the thought, not wanting to imagine what would have befallen Evelynne had fate continued it's original path. "As do I. But with Rovan as the next king, no doubt things will stay as they are."

"That's what I thought." Arikizo responded softly, sighing. "Probably the queen being extra sure that wherever the guests went, they would not be put off. Even though stables aren't exactly known to be the cleanest place in a castle. Nor should it be." The smile she gave Marsy was very reassuring. It wasn't one of her false, forced ones like she gave his family. It revealed that she had accepted the other female's company, just as she had accepted Ari's. Having another companion here besides the prince was good for the princess. He couldn't always be at her side, but at least he knew that if she was here, she wouldn't be lonely. He nodded in agreement with her comment. "The castle is full of false airs. Out here, things are natural." He mused.

After climbing up onto the fence, Arikizo glanced down at Evelynne, chuckling at her warning. "You think I'd be careless enough to fall, princess?" He teased, grinning. "A fall from this height wouldn't badly injure even one of your kind. Some bruises, a couple scratches perhaps." He climbed up another rung, having only been standing on the first one. "This could be more dangerous, but barely so." He chuckled and sat on the top rung of the fence. "Don't worry, I'm not that easily hurt. Nor am I clumsy." His eyes returned to the horses, trying to pick out his steed. Finally, his eyes caught on the stallion; a horse with a honey colored coat and a long white mane and tail. "There he is." He said, jumping down from the fence. He whistled two notes, and the stallion's ears perked up, his head raising and turning toward the source of the sound. The horse came galloping over, recognizing his owner right away. The young man laughed a bit once the horse got close enough and nudged his shoulder, then his shirt, then his pockets. "Sorry, I didn't bring you any snacks."

The dragon prince turned, stepping a bit away from the horse so Evelynne could see him properly. "This is Lysi. As you can see, he is quite attached to me, because I haven't gotten the chance to visit him lately with all the wedding arrangement." He chuckled, gently pushing the horse away as it kept trying to nudge him. "I helped raise him from a young age, so you could say I was his childhood friend."
 
Evelynne would blush lightly as she realized the level of compliment she was giving Arikizo. As he asked for her to continue on, a blush would color her cheeks gently. Flustered, she would manage to answer his question. "A true dragon, at least to me." She would manage, her voice surprisingly steady. As he spoke more in depth about what she had said about if she had been stuck with Rovan instead, Evelynne would shiver gently. She would say nothing to it. Instead, she would shake her head at his next statement. "Which is too bad. I would love to see what could become of your people and kingdom if you returned to the ways of old ..." She would murmur thoughtfully.

Evelynne would soon giggle, nodding her head gently. "She wants everything to be perfect, naturally. Even the areas that won't really be visited by guests. You can't blame her for not wanting to take any chances. I agree with you, of course, but it is what it is under the circumstances ..." Evelynne would muse. As he teased her about her warning, she would chuckle softly, her blush returning some. She was grateful that soon after, he would spot his stallion. A rather impressive looking steed. Climbing onto the fence, she would sink onto the top rung. Gripping the rung, she would manage to swing her legs over with ease, so that she was facing the pair.

As the horse greeted Arikizo warmly, Evelynne would smile. Seeing such an affection bond was rather endearing. Something she hadn't expected from the prince. "I can certainly see. I am sorry I have been keeping him from you, Lysi. It is not intentional, I promise." She would say to the horse with a light nod of her head. Slipping her hand into the pocket of her dress, she would retrieve a small apple. She had stashed it in case she got hungry later, but this seemed a bit more fitting for the treat. "Quite impressive, he seems like a very sweet horse ..." She would say, smiling gently as she held out the fruit in the palm of one hand while she held onto the fence to keep her balance with the other. "Let's see if you have a similar taste for apples like my Haereleth back home ..."
 
Arikizo chuckled playfully at Evelynne's blushing, unable to keep from teasing her further. However, she actually managed to finish her sentence, contrary to his expectations. Now it was his turn to blush a bit. But he grinned as well. "Well, that is a very kind compliment indeed." He gently nudged the princess's shoulder with his arm. "Careful, Evelynne, or I might think you're starting to like me." He couldn't help but take the chance to return her teasing comment from earlier. Besides, her happy smile and lightly flushed cheeks were a pleasant sight. Endearing to say the least. He noticed her shudder and gave her a gentle look of reassurance, not readdressing the issue. On the topic of reverting the kingdom back to the way it used to be, he could only nod.

"She does seem set on perfection." Ari agreed. "But yes, I do agree. Under the current circumstances, it would be reasonable. And inevitable, with her personality." At her blushing again, he laughed softly. "You seem prone to blushing, Evelynne. Do I have such an effect on you, or is that natural to your kind?" Once Lysi had come over, and his gaze turned in the direction of the princess, he saw that she had climbed up onto the fence. Time to return the favor. "You tell me to be careful, but you are no different." He playfully chastised. "I would be more worried about you being in one piece at the wedding. You're the fragile one." The stallion took his distracted state as a chance to nudge his hair, which rose a complaint from the prince. "Lysi, cut that out. I can't have my hair messed up, my mother will scold me."

The stallion kept a wary eye on the female, always keeping to Arikizo's side. "Come on now, Lys. She won't hurt you." The dragon prince coaxed as the horse dodged aside when Evelynne offered him an apple. "As you can see, he isn't used to strangers. The only ones who ever tend to him are Marsy and I, because the other servants are scared of him. Managed to knock one of them out when they tried feeding him in place of Marce." He stepped toward the princess, the horse hesitantly following, but stopping a ways off. He stood close at the young woman's side, almost behind her, and stretching his arm out next to hers, cupping her hand in his. The stallion slowly took a step, then paused, then another. "It's alright." He murmured to the horse, smiling gently. After a little bit of hesitant movement, Lysi got close enough to stretch his neck toward the apple. With a few sniffs, he snatched the fruit from Evelynne's grasp, backing off a bit again. "Good boy." The prince murmured, laughing a bit. "He's much more shy compared to his predecessors. But also the most affectionate, once you earn his trust."
 
As Arikizo turned her own words against her, Evelynne couldn't help but bite her bottom lip. She would soon smile as he nudged her shoulder playfully. "I have no idea what you are talking about ..." She would murmur with a playful shake of her head, though she soon returned the playful nudge. As he spoke more about his mother, she would smile lightly. "If this were the other way around and it was to be at our castle, I can guarantee that my mother would be the exact same way. So, I don't mind it much." She would say thoughtfully.

As he spoke of her blushing, Evelynne would chuckle. "I won't give you the satisfaction of answering that question ..." She would respond teasingly with a light shake of her head. As he chastised her in return, she would giggle again. "I can function a lot more easily in this dress than the one I wore the day I arrived. And the fragile one? You said yourself, even one such as myself would bruise, maybe receive a scratch or two at most. I am not some fragile little doll to be kept safely behind glass ... Thank you very much." She would respond as she playfully stuck out her tongue at him.

Watching Lysi take advantage of the situation, Evelynne would grin as the horse messed up Arikizo's hair. "Oh, it looks fine. Quite handsome, I must say." She would say with a chuckle as she let her head tilt gently to the side. Evelynne wasn't to surprised when Lysi shyed away from her. Most animals weren't that shy, but once Arikizo explained how limited his contact was with others besides him and Marsy, it made sense. "He's all right." She would say gently. Her gaze would stray to Arikizo's hand as he cupped her's in his own. She knew it was only to show Lysi that she was okay, but she couldn't help but notice the butterfly like feeling that danced in her stomach. Forcing her attention quickly back on Lysi, she would smile as he finally got close enough to retrieve the apple before backing off some. "I hope he will fully trust me some day. He seems very affectionate. A beautiful horse, that is for certain." She would say with a nod.
 
Arikizo grinned cheekily at Evelynne's response, chuckling as she nudged him back. Her playful nature was one of the traits that he had grown quite fond of over the days since he'd first been introduced to his fiance. His parents was always so serious, and his brother was more mischievous and downright antagonistic sometimes than anything else. He nodded at her thoughtful musing; no doubt any mother would rather be safe than sorry when it came to their child's marriage. Her dismissive response about her blushing only urged him to continue. "Don't be like that." Ari complained playfully. "You make it too tempting to tease you." The dragon prince listened to her response, laughing along with her. "I only meant you were the frailer one of us two." He responded. "I didn't mean to imply that you were like a doll. I apologize if it came across that way." 'Besides, you should still be careful. You could hurt yourself.' He kept the last part to himself, knowing he'd only get teased if he said something like that.

Ari's hand, which had begun to run through his hair in an attempt to fix it, froze as Evelynne complimented. A smile returned back to his face. "Well, then perhaps I can keep it as it is for a while longer." He responded, lowering his hand. Her focus on Lysi, he noticed how patient she was with the horse. When he had been helping with the colt, he'd become easily frustrated by the horse's skittish nature. But the princess was calm and understanding. Another her calm perseverance was another thing he admired. There was a barely perceptible shift in her expression as his hand touched hers, and Arikizo grinned a bit. "Am I making you nervous?" He murmured, his head lowered to hover just above her shoulder. Once Lysi had taken the apple, he remained as he was for a moment longer before pulling away from Evelynne. "Sorry, I couldn't help it." He said with a quiet laugh in his tone, meaning his comment earlier. "And I hope so too. He is very sweet, and handsome indeed."

The dragon prince grinned down at Evelynne before turning his gaze back toward the herd. "Shall we find you a steed as well? One not as shy as Lysi."
 
Evelynne grinned as Arikizo chuckled as she nudged him back. He seemed to not mind her playful nature. It was nice to be able to be herself for a change. As he complained playfully, she would chuckle again as she shook her head. "Nope. Not answering ..." She would say, sticking to her guns. A giggle would soon leave her lips as she shook her head. "No need to apologize. It's fine." She would say with a smile.

As he froze mid-hair smoothing, Evelynne would grin at his response. Her opinion seemed to have quite the effect. Especially since he stopped and left his hair a bit messy, which she really did like on him. At his question as he moved in, a faint blush would color her cheeks as she managed to shake her head gently. "Not at all. Just caught me off guard is all ..." She murmured in response, her gaze drifting over her shoulder to meet his for a moment. As he pulled away, she would giggle. "You're fine. I rather enjoy your playfulness." She would say, before slipping easily down from her perch on the fence. "Yes, please. Shy isn't a bad thing though, don't worry Lysi. I can be patient." She would say, glancing to Arikizo's stallion before she looked Arikizo.
 
Arikizo chuckled at Evelynne's persistent refusals. "Fine. But I won't give up." He smiled and bowed his head for a moment. "I'm glad to hear it. What a shame it would be if I'd insulted you." It was half a joke, but he was honestly glad he hadn't upset her. A woman like her wasn't meant to be treated like a fragile little girl, and he'd thought he may have struck a nerve with what he'd said. Luckily, she was in a very good mood and hadn't taken it that way. She grinned as he stopped fixing his hair, and he couldn't help but laugh at himself. He would leave his hair a mess because his soon to be wife said she liked it that way? Apparently. Besides, the queen wasn't nearby, so she couldn't scold him.

The light blush that colored the princess's cheeks was answer enough for the prince. He had flustered her again. Ari grinned at her as their eyes met, winking playfully. 'I'm such a child.' He thought, almost laughing at himself. 'Teasing a young woman every chance I get, just to try to make her blush. Seems my family hasn't stomped all of my playful tendencies.' "You're fine. I rather enjoy your playfulness." "Well, that's good." He responded, grinning widely. "Because I didn't intend to change that. You're quite playful yourself." She got down from the fence, and he stood close by, ready to help her if she slipped or landed unsteadily. The fence wasn't that tall, but one could never be too careful. 'When did I get so protective of her?' He began to wonder, but shrugged it off. She was his companion, if nothing else, and he didn't want to see her injured.

As she spoke toward Lysi, Arikizo chuckled. "You're already growing fond of him. It would be nice for him to have another friend, and the same goes for you. It would be quite lonely for you to only have two friends in this castle." Meaning Marsy, and himself of course. "Now then, how about we go take a look at the rest of the herd. I'm sure there will be at least one that catches your eye. We have a lot, mostly for the sake of selling them to other countries. If you see one that is to your liking, just say so." He looked around the field, from one steed to the next. They ranged from all colors and breeds; from high-spirited to calm; from yearlings upward in age, though there were few old ones. The aged horses often didn't stick around long at the castle, because they lost the strength to travel long distances as necessary.
 
Evelynne would chuckle as she shook her head gently. "I didn't think you would. You'll just have to keep trying to pry it out of me, good luck though." She teased before smiling gently. "I appreciate that. I hope not to insult you either, I hope you know that." She murmured genuinely. It was hard to be in a bad mood when she was with Arikizo. Rovan certainly put a damper on things earlier, but Arikizo quickly helped Evelynne's spirit rise afterward.

As he winked, she would grin, winking in return. She held back another giggle. She was acting like a flustered school girl who just received some rare attention from her current crush. Thought made her sigh inwarddy. Though she wasn't ready to fully admit it, she was beginning to think she was falling for the dragon prince after all. "Well good, because I wouldn't want you to change in the slightest." She would say with a nod and a grin. "Only with you and on rare occasions, 'saiah or my dear cousin, Rynard. He is a year older than I and a year younger than Isaiah. Ryn was pretty much the only friend I really had growing up. Mother frowned upon such behavior at home though. It is unlady-like, as she would say." She mused, a chuckle escaping her lips.

She noticed that Arikizo stayed close by as she hopped the fence. He was becoming rather protective of her. A thoughtful smile graced her lips. Was she really growing on him that much? The thought certainly intrigued her. "I can't help it. He's so cute. Particularly his shyness. Gaining his trust gives me more reason to come here more often. I'll just have to remember to bring more treats ..." She mused with a smile. "I had about as many as home, if you can count your brother and cousin as friends ... So, as nice as it would be, it isn't something that bothers me all that much." She would say as they looked around the field. One quickly caught her eye. A young adult Dapple Grey Mare. Nodding her direction, Evelynne would smile. "She's lovely. What is her name?"
 
Arikizo grinned and gave a single nod. "And I will keep trying, you can count on that." He teased back. "And of course. What good would it do for either of us to insult the other? If you were to truly insult me, I doubt I would even notice, you joke so much." That much was true, and even if she did accidentally insult him he knew she wouldn't have meant it badly. He chuckled as her wink, enjoying how was around him. He had never been so happy in this place, within the tall stone walls that imprisoned him and kept him from the outside world. What luck had he gotten for fate to twist like this and find him such a perfect companion such as Evelynne? "I wouldn't want you to change in the slightest." His cheeks colored with a bit of blush, but he turned his head a bit to look toward Lysi. "The same goes for you. If you changed, it would be a loss."

He listened intently as she spoke of her family, specifically her cousin, and her rarely shown playful side; not exactly surprising. He wouldn't dare act like this around his own family. Arikizo's grin spread as she spoke of Lysi, and how befriendly the stallion would give her even more reason to visit the stables. "That's what I like to hear. My family doesn't visit the stables very often, so it's safe and peaceful for you." Evelynne continued, explaining that she was used to having only a few friends. 'She's not so different from me in the least.' He thought, marveling at how similar even their childhoods were. Granted, his companion had never been his cousin, but still. "That's not entirely true though. While they may not be close friends, I'm sure the people of your kingdom are your friends. Especially with how dedicated you are to helping them."

Ari looked at the horse that Evelynne pointed out. "That one?" He asked, his eyes catching on the mare. "She isn't Marsy's, or Rovan's... though I doubt Rovan's steed has a name. His is only for the special occasions that we leave the castle for... I don't believe the other servants give names to the rest of the horses." The dragon prince smiled, walking toward the mare. He was unfamiliar with the steed, so he couldn't easily call her over like he could with Lysi. The horse lifted her head as the two approached her, watching them curiously. "She is quite beautiful. You have a good eye, Evelynne."
 
Evelynne would chuckle again as she shook her head. "I was afraid of that ..." She would say teasingly. She would nod her head in agreement before another chuckle escaped her lips. "Trust me, you would know if I were insulting you ..." She mused, thinking of an incident back home. "Just ask Isaiah. Or Ryn for that matter. They have been on the wrong end of my temper their fair share of times." She would say with a light shake of her head. She would then look to Arikizo thoughtfully, a small smile tugging at her lips. "As would you, if you were to ever change." She would say.

As he spoke of how his family never visited the stables, she would smiled. She appreciated the reassurance. It was always good to know of at least one safe haven in a place such as this. Away from the hostility and politics. "Good to here. I haven't had any issues thus far. Plus Marsy keeps a close eye on me for you, so don't worry." She mused, glancing to Arikizo to gauge his reaction. As he spoke of how her people were her friends, she mulled over the thought before nodding. "You have a point. Though I don't know them half as well as I would really like. With that many people, it is hard too. Obviously." She would say.

Evelynne would listen quietly for a moment, her gaze drifting before the mare and Arikizo. "That is to bad. He must not have a very good bond with his horse then, which is sad. They are very affectionate and loyal creatures, if you are good to them." She mused thoughtfully. The mare didn't seem half as skiddish as Lysi was, if anything she actually seemed curious. "Thank you. I wonder if Marsy would know. Though, if she truly doesn't have a name I believe I have one in mind for this beauty ..." She would say thoughtfully with a smile.
 
Arikizo laughed softly at her teasing response. She should know by now how stubborn he was. "I'm sure I would, if you were really trying." He answered. "You seem like the type to be quite aggressive when you're ticked off enough. That, or the silent glare and the cold shoulder. Or both." He grinned at her next comment, somewhat surprised that she hadn't drawn attention to his cheeks, from which the light pink color was fading away slowly. With how much he'd been teasing her about blushing, he would have expected her to jump on any chance to get back at him. Perhaps he was just more childish.

"I would hope so." The dragon prince replied as Evelynne spoke of the stables being a safe haven so far. "And I knew Marsy would keep a good watch. It's the reason I suggested the stables in the first place, and introduced you two." At her response about the citizens of her country being her friends, he nodded with a smile. "I wish I could claim the same, but I have rarely set foot outside these stony walls. Perhaps once every couple of years, maybe twice if I'm lucky." He chuckled at her final comment. "Yes, very. Anyone who is able to befriend an entire country personally is either lying about such an accomplishment, or a miracle worker... or the leader of a very small country."

"He used to be close to his chosen steed when he was much, much younger." Arikizo explained when the princess mentioned Rovan and his lack of a bond with his horse. "When it fell ill and died suddenly, he was heartbroken; though he tried desperately not to show it. He hasn't bothered to form a bond with a horse ever since." While his brother was a troublemaker and sometimes cruel, he didn't hate him. He still remembered the friendship they'd had as small children, before the true burden of being the heir began to take its toll on him. The expectations of their father was a very heavy weight on his shoulders no doubt, and the crown's shadow even heavier. "Sometimes I pity him, as spiteful as he is." He murmured softly to himself.

He forced his mind to focus back on the mare, not wanting to trouble himself with thoughts of his brother any longer. "Yes, perhaps Marsy may know." He said. "But what might your idea be, just in case? It is likely that she is without a name." He reached out his hand to the horse, and she snuck her nose out to meet it, nudging his palm gently. His smile, which had faded when his mind had turned to thinking of his brother, quirked his lips again. "She's a friendly one. Nothing like Lysi."
 
Evelynne would grin as she chuckled. "I suppose that is true. You seem to be able to read me fairly well already." Evelynne would muse thoughtfully. She had been a bit more taken by the mare than she had realized, since she was just noticing his blush as it started to fade. Arching a brow, Evelynne would nudge his shoulder playfully. "Is that a blush I see? And here I was beginning to fear that I would not be have any affect on you." She would tease with a grin.

Evelynne would nod her head lightly as he spoke about Marsy. "She is rather fun to talk to. She has lots of stories to tell. Not to worry, I do not keep her from her work." She would say with a smile. "That's to bad, however with what you said about the Markets being dangerous, maybe not by to much. You will have to come with me for a visit back home. I will make sure to you give you a proper tour, the markets and all." She would say with a wistful smile as she thought of back home. She missed home terribly, but Arikizo and Marsy helped with her homesickness.

Evelynne would listen quietly, a frown tugging at the corners of her mouth. "That is to bad. It must have been difficult to deal with." She would muse quietly. She couldn't imagine how it would feel to lose her own horse back home. The short tale provide a small bit of inside to the person Rovan now was. Add the pressures of being the heir to the thrown, and Rovan made a little more sense. "I can understand why." She mused with a soft nod.

Blinking softly as Arikizo's question pulled her back from her thoughts, Evelynne would look to him for a moment. Her gaze would soon return to the mare as she nudged Arikizo's palm. She met the mare's gaze, holding it for several moments. Though physically the mare appeared to still be fairly young, it was almost as if an old, wise soul was looking back at her. Smiling, Evelynne would glance to Arikizo before looking back to the mare. "Idhrenel. It means wise and thoughtful." She murmured thoughtfully as she held out her hand, waiting to see if the mare would come to her as she had Arikizo.
 
Arikizo nodded; when she was around him, her expressions were clear, even the ones she tried to hide. When they were around anyone else, especially his family, that was when she became hard to read. Though, even then he was able to see more than the others and could tell when she was genuine; which was rare around anyone but him, and Marsy now. He glanced toward Evelynne as she nudged his shoulder, and blushed a bit more at her teasing comment. But his grin only brightened. "I was foolish enough to think that I'd snuck that past without you noticing. I've overlooked how perceptive you are, Evelynne."

"I would assume she would, after all her years of traveling." The dragon prince agreed. "And not to fear about keeping her from her work. She often isn't too busy, though Lysi probably keeps her on her toes. The other stable hands pull their weight." He gave a nod to her next statement, his eyes lighting up a bit at her offer to show him around the markets in her country when they got the chance to travel and visit her homeland. "I would enjoy that very much." On the topic of Rovan, he would only nod, not wanting to discuss it further. Why ruin their perfectly good mood with such dreary talk?

As their attention turned back to the mare that had caught Evelynne's eye, Ari smiled at the horse. She was well taken care of, which was good; not that he expected less from how hard the stable-hands worked as a whole. There may only be five or so of them in total, but they somehow managed to keep up with all of the horses well enough. Then again, if the monarchs ever came back here to fetch the parade horses and found that some of the herd were unkempt, the servants would be in deep trouble. "Idhrenel. It means wise and thoughtful." Arikizo nodded, coming back from his thoughts. "Sounds perfect. Very befitting of her." The mare turned her attention away from the prince, having determined that the scent of apples was not on him, and began to move toward the princess. Getting close enough, she sniffed Evelynne's hand and licked it a few times. "Seems like you've got a new friend." Ari said, grinning. "And I think she can tell you had a snack." The horse continued to sniff at her, nudging her shoulder, and her waist, seeing if she had any more apples.
 
She would glance to Arikizo, a smile tugging at her lips. "I only hope I can get at least half as good at reading you as you are of me." She would murmur lightly. A chuckle would soon escaped her lips as she saw his blush grow. "You almost had." She mused with a smile. As she listened to him speak about Marsy and the other stable hands, she would continue to smile. "Indeed they do. And she has all sorts of stories. Incredible to listen to. I can only dream of being as well traveled as she is." Evelynne would muse.

As he spoke of liking a visit to her homeland, Evelynne would beam. "We will have to make certain it happens in the near future." She would say with a nod. "I miss my home dearly. Here is becoming slowly more comfortable, thanks to you and Marsy, but it still isn't quite home yet." She would say thoughtfully with a soft sigh. As Arikizo nodded in agreement about the name Evelynne had in mind, Evelynne would smile. "I thought so too." She would say softly as the mare turned her attention on Evelynne.

A smile tugged at her lips as the mare licked her hand. The apple she had given Lysi. She must have smelled it. "So it seems." She would say with a giggle as the mare began to nudge at her shoulder, then her waist. "You got me, Idhrenel ... " She would say with another giggle as she reached into the opposite pocket as last time with one hand while the other smoothed over the mare to try and calm her long enough for her to retrieve the snack. "I may have came supplied with a second, in case Arikizo also got hungry. Though, it appears if either of us gets hungry, we will just have to sink and return to the castle now, huh?" She would say to the mare, not realizing she had called her Idhrenel. Slipping her hand from her pocket, she would hold out the apple on the flat of her palm for the mare with a soft smile.
 
"I guess it's a natural talent of mine." Arikizo responded, smiling. "I'm sure You'll get the hang of it. I'm not exactly very discrete with my emotions when I'm around you, am I?" He knew he was a lot more open around Evelynne than he was around anyone else... perhaps even Marsy, whom he'd known for most of his life. He folded his arms playfully. "And perhaps I'm not blushing." He responded stubbornly, grinning. "Perhaps it's the heat, or the wind, that's making my cheeks flush." He nodded as she spoke of Marsy's stories. "Well, when you're her age, and you're not royalty, I'm sure it's not that strange to be well traveled. And I would very much enjoy any chance to get away from this castle. Your kingdom sounds like a grand place to travel to. Compared to this dreary castle, I'm sure anything would be a nice change of scenery."

Ari chuckled as the mare continued to search for another apple from Evelynne. Which she just so happened to have on her. "Oh well. I'm sure she would appreciate it more than I would." He said, grinning. The horse snuffed about, clearly impatient as she could smell another apple. She leaned into the princess's touch, her ears flicking lightly as she curiously watched the young woman dig through her pocket. At the sight of the apple, the mare's ears perked up and she slowly stretched her head out to take the treat. She gratefully munched on the fruit, and once she was finished proceeded to prod again to see if there was another hidden snack to be provided. Arikizo chuckled, gently patting the horse's back and lightly running his hand along her side. "She's really docile. And desperate for attention." He added the last part as the horse, finding that the princess had nothing to give her, turned slightly and nudged his shoulder.

. . . .
​
Later that afternoon, the prince had returned back to the castle with Evelynne after hours out in the pasture. They'd gotten the chance to ride around the pasture for a while, and when the soon began to fall toward the trees and the wind picked up again, they'd regretfully headed back inside. It probably wouldn't be too much longer before supper. "I'm glad we got the chance to spend the day outside." He murmured, a smile on his lips as he walked alongside his fiance. "It was nice to get away from all this fuss about the wedding. If only we were able to actually leave the castle grounds, maybe take a ride through the forest." He ran a hand through his hair, remembering that Lysi had messed it up. "I might want to fix this before dinner. For all my mother knows, I've been in my room getting the finished touches done for my suit. Or something related to the wedding." He chuckled, walking up the stairs to the hall where their rooms and the library was. His gaze turned to Evelynne. "Did you have a nice day? I can say I haven't had such a day as this since I was young."​

((OOC: Hope you don't mind the little time skip. I couldn't think up anything else for them... although I didn't give much more action after the time skip, sorry XP))
 
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