Marken sighed awake, feeling her breath so close against his face. He felt movement on his farm, realizing Ella was pulling herself off him as he opened his eyes. "Why am I an idiot...?" His voice was groggy, as he looked around the room. He had clearly heard Ellas word however, and attributed it as an insult to himself, in his groggy state of mind. He pulled himself to a sitting position, stretching out with a wide yawn. He'd slept better than he had in awhile, ever since this talk of him marrying some girl, Marken hadn't been sleeping well.

Wasn't that supposed to be for girls, anyway? Being married off to some suitor or another, rather than the other way around? It certainly brought a smile to his lips, now that he thought about it. "So how did you sleep last night?" Markens stomach growled, considering how late they'd slept in, he was likely hungry for more than a light breakfast. He stood up, looking down at his outfit and sighing. He'd certainly need to change... Which brought up an interesting question.

"You can't simply walk around in the same outfit, multiple days in a row... You'll need more clothes to change into here." He leaned back into his seat, sighing quietly. One problem after another continued to rise up, and it only made his head hurt. He was tired of all of these issues that continued to show up, first Ellas pure anxiety for the entire thing, then the issue of clothing. Granted, the second one was much more minor, however it was still an issue nonetheless. He also hadn't put it past her to have contacted her own kingdom at some point, given her status as a spy. It didn't sit well with him to have her so close to him with that possibility, but he couldn't help himself. It was simply another issue he would deal with if he needed to.

Marken could only chuckle at Ellas words. "Perhaps I am an idiot then, for allowing you that close. Or maybe you're the idiot for letting me get that close to you. Or perhaps we're both idiots." He smiled, highly doubting her words. She had her chance to kill him four days ago, and she instead let him live, and drug herself into this situation. Would she act on those words now? Highly unlikely, and if she tried to, she wouldn't live out the day. That much was certain. With her recent actions though, curling up onto his form to sleep, he knew that she was far too attached to him to simply cut his throat now.

Her blushing face confirmed his thoughts, and he simply stood up and smiled widely. "I think I should thank you, I haven't slept that well in weeks. I liked having you curled up with me." He was confident in his words now, not being nearly as embarrassed about saying such things as Ella had been. He decided that if she was to continue winning him over, it wouldn't do much to try and fight it, it would only ruin the illusion of marriage that they were trying to set up.

"Now, I think in the morning after waking up, couples would usually kiss... Hmm?" His grin lessened into a light smile, as he waited for Ellas reaction. He was teasing her, though his tone didn't convey it. If she did take him off on the offer, than he wouldn't stop her, Marken certainly enjoyed the feeling of his own lips on hers.

Marken was honestly surprised that she actually went along with what he said, though instead of letting it show on his face, he kept it neutral instead, allowing her to inch to him. The kiss on the cheek only made him smile and, turning to Ella, he pulled her closer to him. "Not quite..." Before she could react, he wrapped a hand around the back of her head and pulled her face to his, pushing his lips to her own, before any protest could be issued.

He knew she was embarrassed with the way he treated her, but to him, that only meant that she was trying to resist falling for him. Marken decided to simply enjoy the kiss for what it was, loving the softness of her lips on his own. He pulled her body to be straight against his, deciding to get the full experience out of this kiss. The only thing that he didn't get to experience was their tongues, though Marken doubted she was willing enough for that.

When he eventually let Ella pull her head away, still clutching her body against his, she would be met with a small smile. "That... Made me happy." The man simply held her there, staring into her eyes.

Her face was just within reach of his own, if he decided to claim her lips again. Perhaps he would, afterall the couple certainly needed 'practice.' "Who's to say I don't enjoy this more than I should? I don't see you arguing much..." With that, he pushed his lips to hers once more, deciding this would be yet another test to see just how attracted to him he was. This time, she was free to pull back if she decided to. Either way, he won.

The feeling of her body against him was hard to describe, and Marken would fall back to the couch once more, with her in his arms, whether or not she pulled away from him. Once they separated again, Markens smile would be wide, looking straight at her face again. "I must say, I enjoy doing that... Alot." He didn't move to kiss her again, deciding that if he did it too much, she would grow frustrated and pull away, though he offered her no leave, being mere inches away from her face.

"I think we may have to rethink sleeping arrangements as well, considering how well I slept with you in my arms..." He chuckled softly, before finally allowing his arms to fall away from her, allowing Ella to move away from him, if she so wished. "Regardless, we'll need to eat again soon, I imagine it's almost time for lunch... And if it isn't, I'm certain that I can have something prepared. Being a prince has its perks."

His thoughts were a curious thing. He knew what the relationship between the two of them was. Knew that nothing could come of it. So then... Why did he feel this way about her? Enjoying her embrace, her lips, teasing her whenever he could. He already knew that she shared similar feelings for him, her every action adding to that understanding. But Marken didn't enjoy this... Back and forth relationship they seemed to have, where she wanted to be with him one moment, and insulted him the next.

Ellas words drew him from his reverie of thoughts, looking up only to nod at her. "I suppose they will. Maybe they'll think we're simply enjoying each other as new lovers should?" His words didn't carry a teasing tone to them, instead rather seeming resigned to something it'd rather not be.

He changed from his outfit into something more casual, considering they had nothing important planned for the day. When Ella emerged, Marken looked at her curiously. "Yesterday, you said that we didn't need to pretend. What did you mean by that?" He sounded completely curious, nothing else to his tone.

"I see... However, you said this before my father treated you kindly. I'm thinking there's more to this, but I'll drop it, you clearly don't want to talk about it in detail." He was disappointed with her answer, his own thoughts about her going the other way. Perhaps he'd misjudged her reactions for something more. Regardless, it was time for them to eat lunch and no matter what, they still had an appearance to keep up. He would hold out his hand for her, though it seemed more distant. He seemed more resigned now, rather than try to tease Ella further, Marken simply kept to himself.

The entire situation made his head hurt. Her words conflicted with her actions, something Marken was more likely to believe, but he wasn't going to force the girl to talk to him. He honestly couldn't, short of something on the lines of torture. And, cold as he asked, Marken simply didn't have it in him to someone, much less for something of that caliber. "Perhaps you've already betrayed your king with your actions yesterday and today. I doubt marrying me is on the list of orders..." He wasn't pushy with his words, they just seemed to be meaningless facts, like his words before that. Emotionless, toneless.

As he awaited her response, Marken would start to lead Ella away from the room, into the mansion once more to the dining hall. The kitchens were nearby, in the event that a meal was not waiting for them, that they had woken up too early for lunch, which was entirely possible. Marken wasn't sure what the time was, he hadn't been woken up by the sunlight, it had been the shifting form of Ella that had stirred him from his slumber. Arriving in the dining hall, Marken was surprised to find that a meal had been waiting, it was just being delivered to the table. A simple lunch, of roasted ham, potatoes, and a gravy made from the grease from the meat, and hot bread, was prepared at a much smaller table. The dining table was far too large to use for such every day lunches, rather it was used in special cases, such as when a noble family was visiting, or a feast was held that required the entire table for food. Regardless, the small table beckoned to Marken with the scent of its delicious food.

"Shall we eat then?" No one else seemed to be at the table, perhaps it was too early for his father or mother to be ready for lunch. As much as that would suit him, Marken still needed to talk to his father about the details of this marriage, get it underway and in the planning. Things needed to be ordered, decorations created, it wouldn't be an overnight process, not even for a king and his son.

Marken watched the maid place Ellas napkin into her lap, and narrowed his eyes slightly. He didn't catch the item that was passed between the two, But what he did notice was very specific. He didn't recognize the maid, though that wasn't unusual, usually. However, Ella had been here for a day, the serving staff wouldn't know who she was, nor would they know to act in such a manner to her. However, the second action that she took, or rather didn't, is what set Marken off. She didn't try to put his own napkin in his nap, despite the fact it was obvious who he was. She was not normal serving staff, not in the least.

He made no note of it as he prepared himself a plate, cutting himself a large slice of ham before piling a large heap of potatoes next to it on his plate. Marken always preferred to serve himself, because only he knew how hungry he was. It just felt more satisfying to make himself a meal, because it was himself that did it, not someone who was paid specifically to do it. A slice of bread was the last thing he grabbed, though before he could bite into his food, Ella was asking him another question. "Er... Neither. I prefer to read. I know a great deal on things like geography, though most of my reading is fiction."

With that said, he cut off a slice of ham and brought it up to his mouth with a satisfied 'Mmmm'. A forkful of potato followed quickly after, the two tastes intermingling in his mouth. Another bite quickly followed, before he looked to Ella. "What about you? Surely you do something in your free time." He leaned back, pulling a piece off his slice of bread and popping it into his mouth.

Her words had him... On edge, to say the least. However, the initial reaction immediately died down when he remembered that he was the only one who knew who she truly was. Was Ella teasing him? That was new. He shook his head helplessly, before sighing at her words. "You know, that's not exactly something to joke about in public. People who aren't maids might end up hearing." He took another bite of his meal, closing his eyes and letting out another yawn.

"Regardless, drawing is a rather interesting talent, one I've never had myself. I've also never had vivid dreams to the point where I could sketch out a character I see in it. Is that common for you?" He sounded genuinely curious, though overtones of... Distance, remained. It was as if he was treating her like he was originally 'supposed' to. Now, instead of the affectionate man that he had been, he was barely interested in her. Marken had simply decided that if she wanted to continue acting like a spy, and keep all of her loyalties clear and open, then he would treat her like one. He doubted she would enjoy her day, like she seemed to have the day before. But Marken simply did not care, Ellas comfort was off his list of concerns now.

He looked up just in time to see his own father walk inside the room, his mother absent. This was twice in a row that she was missing from a meal, that... Wasn't natural. Glenn didn't seem to be as enthusiastic as he had been the day before, instead a more somber mood filled the air. Still, he sat down at the table and made himself a plate. "Hello Marken. Enjoy your night?" The words seemed to be forced out, said as a courtesy rather than out of a desire.

"We did, somewhat. Is something wrong?" Glenn shook his head, but the look in his eyes said otherwise. "I still need to talk to you about my wedding, if that's alright with you." Glenn seemed to consider this for a moment before nodding his head, before he went to his own meal in silence, Marken following suit.

He watched Ella walk away, before looking back to his father. He knew that something was wrong, and though Ella had given him a recipe for a tea, he knew that the reason for his lack of sleep wasn't so simple. A sigh left his lips as he spoke again. "Father, I know something is wrong. You start missing sleep right as my mother starts disappearing from meals? That's a tad suspicious." He folded his arms over his chest, looking to his dad as he waited for a response.

The man looked to his son, a strange look in his eyes, before pushing his plate forward and planting his hands on the table. A long silence drug out as Glenn carefully considered his words. "I believe your mother has been poisoned..." The silence took over again, and Glenn continued at Markens curious, and horrified, expression. "The night after your ball, we ate dinner and she fell ill not an hour later. We assumed it was just mere food poisoning, but it's been three days now, and her condition has only worsened. At this rate, she'll... Pass, within the week."

Marken closed his eyes for a moment, thinking heavily on recent events. "I see... I need some time to process this. I think I'm going to go speak to Ella about this. We can discuss wedding plans later, after I've dealt with... This." He stood up and nodded once to Glenn, before walking back to his room. He didn't make it halfway before anger overtook him. A loud thump echoed through the hallway as he spammed his fist against the wall, though that only served to injure his knuckles. He continued on to his room, clenching his fists as he decided what to do with Ella.

He threw open the door, slamming it behind him loudly. It would be obvious that he was both back and that he was angry. The first thing he saw was Ellas closed door. He fished a key out from his pocket. The locks to the doors in his room were all the same, and the door was open in seconds. He saw Ella sleeping, and he trembled in rage. Her kingdom had POISONED his mother, and she had the nerve to simply sleep? He noticed a note on the floor, and began reading it, his eyes narrowing as he did so. So, she had intended to extract herself, and her king had told her no. Good, it would serve the bitch right. He sat down in a chair in the room, staring across the room at the bed as he waited for her to wake up. She would have hell to pay when her little nap was over.

"Congratulations. He's abandoned you. Sounds about right for the man." He stood up, his voice was cold as ice, trembling slightly with anger. He didn't notice, nor cared, about the way she looked, the way her voice shook. "WHAT ELSE HAVE YOU DONE WHILE YOU WERE HERE?" The question was sudden, yelled at the girl with force. Marken was clearly angry, though the note in his hand wasn't the reason. He tossed it behind him, impacting harshly against the wall.

"I don't care that you tried to leave. I couldn't care less. Right now, my mother is in her room, DYING, because of your kingdom. I don't remember you being an assassin. Or perhaps you neglected to tell me that?" His tone was filled with hurt, anger, and pain. He was tired of this damn war, tired of this damn kingdom. Everything that it had been involved in turned to tragedy, in one way or another. He never moved from his seat, but it was plain in his eyes what he felt.

He pushed his head into his hands, staring down at the ground. Everything was piling on at once. He'd finally come to terms that this girl was a spy, despite everything he'd tried to believe to the contrary, and it only hurt more. With everything her country was causing him, he was surprised that he simply didn't have her executed or something similar. But no, Marken had no more words for her, instead just staring at the ground blankly.