[IC] Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

[sukikyoufu]

Iris settled in the car watching the scenery pass by, it wasn’t a huge blur but fast enough she couldn’t take in huge amounts of detail but that was fine she had plenty of time to explore at a later date. “Well yeah, others keep it clean, but you still take care of it by not crashing into things. There isn’t a scratch on the thing.” Smiling as she looked over at Cas in the drivers seat, “So you still contribute towards its upkeep I guess, but I assume you’d get into a lot of trouble should you bring it home a mess each night.” Chuckling to herself as she looked towards the speakers grinning, she was quite excited to hear the music he would choose, maybe it would help something for her.

She couldn’t help but smile when he spoke about his friends, well scoffed because he was certain one of them spent time joyriding. “Well just saying who wouldn’t want to chance to take it for a spin? You can’t blame them and I’m sure they were careful. Plus, it means you wouldn’t have found something interesting.” Being out of the hospital had certainly perked her up, she felt free and not constricted by the four walls. Plus, she hated them anyway.

He wasn’t lying, damn the sound from these speakers! She was amazed at the quality and the way the music filled the car was pretty awesome. “You weren’t kidding!” Nodding in approval to the music she listened to it some more, it sounded familiar so maybe she had heard it once before? As the next song came on the smile spread across her face as she began to hum along, she knew this one. She liked this one. This artist was someone she had definitely listened too before.

One republic!!

Wherever I go, I’ll be looking for you~ She felt so carefree as a snippet of her past unlocked, she was dancing. Singing into her hairbrush as if no one was around. I know I could lie, but I won’t lie to you~ smiling to herself as she remembered something personal, it did nothing for knowing where she lived but it was a nice memory. Singing, dancing acting so carefree. It was nice to see that part of her life as she was sure there would be stuff, she didn’t want to remember.

Tapping along to the music as various artists played, she kept the smile in place because it was stuff, she remembered, artists she had heard before and it was hard not to be in high spirits because she felt like it was progress for her. Laughing as he called her the chocolate loving dancer, she looked back over at him, he had clearly paid attention to her and things she had spoken about before which was nice.

“Just a sort of dull ache, bit of pain but probably because this is the first time I’ve been up and about properly.” Glancing down at her leg which was still healing and heavily bandaged, she wondered just how much longer it would take before she could walk without the crutches. “I would love that though, I definitely need a toothbrush and something else to wear, this dress is not made to wear daily.” Smiling slightly as she met his gaze briefly, “But promise me that you will let me pay you back when I know who I am and can.” She hated the idea of not being able to be independent herself and pay for things, did she maybe have some sort of issue with money? No surely not. It had to be something to do with her being independent as she felt like she was quite strong willed.

Already he had opened up his home to her, brought her to the hospital and although she didn’t question it hospital bills costs. She knew it did but yet she hadn’t paid for any of it. She didn’t know if he had but who else would have done that?

[Rogue Sloth]

When Iris clarified that she had been talking about the fact that he hadn’t been irresponsible as a driver, Cas realized he must have misunderstood her. Now it made sense. She had just been referring to the fact that there were no blemishes on the outside of his car, not the cleanliness of it. “That’s true,” he chuckled. “I try not to scratch up the paintjob.” It also helped that it was pretty well known around the capital what kind of model he was driving. He didn’t have to worry about leaving the vehicle alone in a parking lot because no one would dare to even risk tapping it with their car doors or bumping into it when they backed out of their spots. He could trust that it would always be in the exact same condition in which he left it.

At Iris’s comment about his friends, he sighed exaggeratedly. “Well, I guess so,” he glanced at her with good-humored smile. “But that doesn’t mean I won’t give him shit about it.” In truth, she was right though. If Jay hadn’t agreed to take his car two nights ago, he probably would have waited at the party to sober up until he could drive it home, himself. He never would have noticed her cry of pain in the woods, and she might not have been discovered until it was too late. He shuddered at the thought.

When she agreed with him about the quality of the speakers, he grinned proudly. It was one of his favorite features, since he liked listening to music anytime he was traveling around the city. Having a quality stereo system only made it better. It was also adjustable, so he could toy around with the bass and treble depending on the kind of music he wanted to play. Ever since he’d gotten the car two months ago, he’d had a lot of fun experimenting with the sound.

Glancing briefly at Iris again, Cas noticed she was moving rhythmically to the beat of the music by tapping on the dash. He bit his lip to suppress a laugh, not wanting her to think he was making fun of her. He just thought it was cute how much she liked the song that was playing. It was also good to see her so lively now that she was out of the hospital. Before, he hadn’t even seen her get up from her bed, but now, he could tell she had a lot more energy than he’d originally realized. It was a good sign, he thought, because it probably also meant she was healing well. He couldn’t imagine she would be this happy if her leg was hurting her.

As she explained that she had a bit of an ache, he nodded. There would be plenty of time for her to rest when they got to his place, so hopefully she would recover quickly. Even if her memories took some time to resurface, it would be nice if she could lose the crutches to walk on her own again.

“Alright, we can make a stop on the way,” he said, taking a brief look around to decide which outlet was closest to them. Recognizing the street up ahead, he slowed at the light and turned right to bring them to a mall that was within a mile of where they were now. “Maybe we can split it fifty-fifty,” he shrugged at her request to pay him back. “It’s no trouble for me to cover it though. You don’t have to worry.”

When they arrived at the mall, he drove up the length of the massive, crowded parking lot and pulled into an open space close to the entrance. Another perk of being royalty, there was a designated spot for the Maydestone family in most large lots around the capital, so he never had to walk far when he visited. It was also helpful since it meant Iris wouldn’t have to worry about straining her leg from the car to the door.

Taking the key out of ignition, he climbed out of the car and circled around to get her crutches from the back seat before he opened the door to help her get out. “Remember this place at all?” he asked, offering her a hand in case she needed it again. “It’s a pretty popular spot, especially among girls who like to shop together on the weekends. You’ve probably been here before.”

[sukikyoufu]

Looking at the mall as they approached, she hoped it would spark something, but it didn’t seem familiar, which was odd as he mentioned it was a popular spot. Perhaps she had a memory on it, but the mall alone was not enough, going inside might help? Placing the bag of medication and spare bandages on the seat she took his hand getting out of the car trying not to aggravate her leg. “Thanks!” Taking the crutches, she steadied herself ensuring that she was ready to walk, well hobble. It was nice that Cas was here to help at least.

“Nothing is coming to mind at the moment, but I don’t really know how remembering things work? Maybe going inside will help? I’m sure I’ve been here.” Smiling slightly over at Cas she began to hobble towards the mall, thankful there wasn’t far to walk because she wasn’t sure long distance would work very well. “As you say it’s pretty popular so I’ve no doubt been here shopping with the girls.” Chuckling as she continued to walk at a slower place than usual, she glanced around hoping she would remember, she assumed she had friends so perhaps she did go shopping with them?

“You have no idea how excited I am at the idea of changing clothes.” Iris smiled glancing over at Cas as they entered the mall, blue eyes glanced towards the different shops. Everything looked so fancy, expensive and it reeked of high borns. The smells of different foods were amazing, and her stomach rumbled at the thought of good food, well anything was better than the hospital stuff she had. “I think that will be the first step to feeling normal. Clothes!” Anything was better than the dress she was wearing so the minute she could change, feel normal it would help speed up the recovery process, right?

“It’s weird right, feeling like I’m experiencing everything for the first time again?” Frowning slightly as she thought on it, there was plenty that she had forgotten and even though the odd things felt familiar there was a lot that didn’t to her. “I wonder what will happen when the memories come back.” It was strange to think on it, but still how would everything feel when it all came back to her? Memories were strange. Shaking her head, she moved into one of the clothing shops inside the mall, eyes darting round taking in everything. There was a lot of range on offer in the shop and she wondered what she usually wore, she liked comfort that was certain but what kind of style? Did she even have a style?

Leaning on the crutches she picked up one of the jumpers on the rack, it was a pale pink colour and the fabric was soft beneath her fingers. Stroking the jumper, she just looked at it for quite some time seemingly in a world of her own as she played with the fabric. This was crazy right? Staying with someone she barely knew (even if he was a Prince.) Shopping for clothes… was this the right thing? She had nowhere else to go so this was her best shot but at the same time she couldn’t help but doubt herself.

[Rogue Sloth]

Cas turned toward the mall as Iris said nothing was coming back to her yet. He was a bit surprised, since everyone in the capital liked to visit this place. There were plenty of stores for shoppers to visit, but there were also good restaurants, a virtual reality arcade, a movie theater, and other sources of entertainment to suit any type of visitor. Personally, he frequented it for the arcade, where he could lose his sense of time and waste hours playing games until his father called to make sure he was still alive.

“We’re going inside anyway, so hopefully it’ll come back to you,” he said, turning back to return her smile. “I’m sure you’ve been here before too.” If she hadn’t, he would have been shocked. Even if she wasn’t like most high borns in the sense that she liked to cook and knew how to clean, surely she had similar hobbies as everyone else. Maybe she had visited the mall more often when she was in high school, so the memories weren’t as close to the surface? He had a feeling she would find it more familiar once they started walking around inside. Perhaps even a certain store would ring a bell to her.

Falling in step beside Iris, Cas was careful to keep up a slower pace than usual, so she wouldn’t have to push herself to keep up with him. “I can imagine,” he laughed when she spoke so eagerly about changing clothes. “Wearing the same thing day and night doesn’t sound very comfortable.” He followed her gaze as she marveled at the stores around them. Having grown used to the luxury, he didn’t find them very impressive anymore, but he could see why she would have been taken by the sight. The tall ceiling was designed to look like a cloudy sky, giving off a steady glow to make it feel like they were still outside. All the storefronts were made to look like separate buildings too, with different materials on each façade and roof faces on top. It would have been a breathtaking environment to anyone who had never seen it before.

“Okay,” he nodded, following her lead as she headed into one of the nearby clothing shops. When she brought up how she was feeling, he casted her a sideways glance. “I’m sure it’s normal,” he assured her. “You probably won’t recognize much until it all starts coming back to you. Walking around might help though.” He waited while she examined the clothes on one of the racks, looking absently around the rest of the store. This one mostly sold women’s clothes, so he rarely stopped by, especially since his mother’s passing. There just wasn’t anything he was interested in buying here.

Movement in the corner of his vision caught his attention, and he peered over his shoulder to see a group of women looking in his direction and whispering amongst themselves. He turned away from them again. Everywhere he went, people stared, so he was used to the treatment. He couldn’t help but ponder what they thought he was doing with Iris though. He wondered if it would have been better for them to go to a less popular shop, so he wouldn’t draw as much attention to them.

Someone else might recognize her though, he realized suddenly, gaining some optimism in the situation. Maybe one of her friends was at the mall today and would come over to say hi. Deciding it wasn’t the worst thing that people were staring, he left it alone for now.

“Pick whatever you want,” he said, stepping up to stand next to her. “Money’s no object. You can have anything you’d like.”

[sukikyoufu]

Sighing to herself as she looked the pink jumped it felt similar, like something she had owned before. Was that even possible? Frowning she closed her eyes for a second before she saw something.

“You take care of this jumper, I bought it especially for you.”

It was a soft voice she heard, and her brows furrowed as she focused on it harder, glimpses of silver wrapping paper were at her feet and her fingers was holding onto a pink jumper. It looked expensive and it was clear it was something that had come from the Capital. It was similar to the one in the shop she was currently fixated on. She heard giggles and she looked at her hands in this memory, it was her but when she was much younger. “My mother bought me a similar jumper when I was your age. I wanted to do the same.”

“Thank you mum, I love it!”

Opening her eyes, she looked at the jumped once more with a soft smile, she would definitely choose this item. More because it could help her remember more. She heard her mother’s voice; she knew it was her mother. Picking up the jumper she balanced it so she could hold it and still use the crutches, “Thanks Cas, I won’t go crazy I’m just happy with something different to wear.” Smiling at him she moved through the shop picking up a few things. Essentials like underwear, a few different outfits so she could mix it up, something to sleep in and of course the odd dress. It would be enough for her to get by for a little bit and hopefully by that point her parents would have found her.

“Do you ever get used to people staring at you?” She couldn’t help but ask as she turned to look at him as she wobbled slightly on her feet, she could feel the discomfort from standing around too long on it. “Sorry, you don’t need to answer that. It must have sounded quite insensitive.” She hoped it didn’t come across that way, she was just curious over it. He had probably dealt with this his whole life and she wondered how he felt over it, she knew he had hidden his identity for a reason, so she wondered how he felt over this. “I mean… does it feel like you are constantly being judged for no reason?” That’s how she had or would interpret others staring at her, she would worry that they were judging for no reason.

“So, I think this will do for now. Thanks, for doing this.” Feeling her arms tremble slightly as they weren’t used to holding up her body weight for so long, she kept the smile on her face trying to mask the discomfort she was in. “Do you need anything whilst here? It’s a beautiful place, maybe we can come back when I don’t need four legs.” Joking over her situation but she really did want to have a look around, although it wasn’t something she was up to fully today.

[Rogue Sloth]

When Iris said she wouldn’t go crazy, Cas just shrugged. He could tell she wasn’t the type to take advantage of his offer, so he trusted she wouldn’t go over the top. Not that it mattered if she did. He didn’t mind covering the cost for her to have a decent sized wardrobe. He had more than enough money to pay for it. As long as she was enjoying herself, he would leave her to do as she pleased and follow along with a credit card to charge everything on.

While she wandered the store to pick out all the different clothes she wanted, he trailed behind her, keeping close enough to help her if she needed it but also giving her a little space so she wouldn’t feel pressured to hurry for his sake. When she searched the lingerie section, he took out his phone to absentmindedly check for new text messages, uncomfortable at the thought of watching her choose underwear. He definitely didn’t know her well enough to do that.

There wasn’t much, but he did have one text from Miles, who was pestering him again for details about what had happened two nights ago. He rolled his eyes, sending back a simple: ‘Busy now. I’ll tell you later.’ Hopefully that would be enough to get his friend to let it go for now. He wasn’t trying to keep it a secret from him or Jay, but he didn’t have time to repeat the story again while he was helping Iris get settled in at his place. They would just have to wait until he could give them an update when everything had calmed down.

As she asked him about the people staring, Cas looked up again, shoving his phone back into his pocket. He glanced over his shoulder to find another group of shoppers watching him. As they saw him turn their way, they all averted their gazes, trying to pretend like they hadn’t been ogling. “Yeah,” he answered, turning back to her again with a smile. “Don’t worry. I didn’t think you were trying to be insensitive.” He looked over the pile of clothes she had picked out. “I grew up being stared at everywhere I went, so it’s normal to me now. I don’t pay attention to it very much anymore, to be honest.” The only reason he’d noticed this time was because he’d been concerned that it would make her uncomfortable, since she probably wasn’t used to being the center of attention like he was.

At her follow-up question, he lifted his shoulders again. “I mean, sometimes. I know I can’t get away with doing anything stupid in public, because someone is always watching me, but I try not to read into it too much.” He hooked his thumbs in his jean pockets, glancing back at the staring girls once more. “They’re more nosey than judgmental, I think. As long as I don’t give them a reason to start gossiping, they’ll probably just brag that they saw me at the mall today.” He rolled his eyes. They would probably say they’d seen him with a girl too, but he kept that to himself. It was important to make sure Iris had everything she needed to get by at the Maydestone house. He didn’t want to make her worried that she might get looped into the rumors and want to leave before they could get all the supplies she was missing.

“Okay, let’s check out then,” he led the way over to the counter when she had enough. “You’re welcome,” he smiled at her again when she thanked him. Approaching the girl at the register, he helped Iris set some of the clothes down on the table—not the underwear, since it still felt weird to him—to be scanned. Once the worker finished ringing it all up, he took out his wallet and retrieved his card, a solid gold-colored piece of plastic that only members of the royal family owned. Of course, the transaction went through, and he collected the bags, so she wouldn’t have to carry them while she hobbled on her crutches.

When she asked if he needed anything, he thought about it and then shook his head. “Not for me,” he said as they headed back out of the shop. “But we still need to get you some toiletries. Luckily, there’s a place that sells bathroom stuff on this level not too far from here. I think that’ll be our last stop unless you can think of anything else you need before we go.”

[sukikyoufu]

“Yeah, I guess so.” Smiling as he didn’t seem too fussed over the staring, she wasn’t fazed over it either, what mattered was them getting the bits she needed and just relaxing. Plus, it didn’t matter what others thought anyway. Listening to his answers she understood, with eyes constantly watching you she doubted you could get away with anything. However, dealing with it all your life she figured there would come a point where you just didn’t care over it anymore. She couldn’t help but wonder if at any point he had been self-conscious, however it was not a question to ask as she was still getting to know him.

“I can imagine, they seem the type to gossip, I suppose if you were to have a new haircut the whole town would hear about it.” Teasing gently as she stood by him at the counter watching as the items were bought. “I bet your friends find it highly amusing to wind you up with too.” Thinking on it some more, friends were always the best to tease and wind each other up and she was sure his did the same. It made her wonder what her friends were like, that was if she had any.

What a nice gesture. Looking at him take the bags she was kind of glad in a way as balancing them around whilst hobbling along would have been quite the challenge, she was glad he had taken them for now. Eyes had caught sight of the card he had used, and she had never seen something so… so gold before. It must have been some card his family had that he used to pay for everything with, she wouldn’t ask though. That would be rude.

Following him along this time she was glad he had said the shop wasn’t too far, she hadn’t realised how much effort it would take to use crutches but then she had spent a couple of days in hospital barely moving around. “Oh yeah, nearly forgot about those.” Thankfully he had remembered about toiletries because she had forgotten, it must had been all the excitement with the idea of new clothes. “Least it’s not too far.” Smiling as she continued to hobble on trying to ignore the discomfort that was rising with each step.

Moving inside the last shop it was pretty colourful and there was plenty of smells and different scents that distracted her, it was all nice smelling and she couldn’t help but smile. The bottles looked pretty expensive but at the same time it looked so inviting, the idea of using them was pretty exciting. Shaking her head, she was getting distracted, so she moved herself towards the toothbrushes knowing that was definitely an essential toiletry she needed. Picking up a purple coloured toothbrush she held it up pointing at it grinning to Cas, “Purple is one of my favourite colours!” It was a silly thing to remember but she was clearly thrilled that just a little toothbrush had brought back a piece of something for her.

[Rogue Sloth]

“Oh, you have no idea,” Cas made a face when Iris mentioned the rumors that would spread if he got so much as a new haircut. “There are literally whole gossip articles that come out online just to talk about that stuff. I don’t understand why everyone likes them so much, but they’ve always been popular around here.” He thought it was weird how obsessive some high borns were with the royal family. If he did get a haircut, some eccentric writer would spin a whole page about where the style had originated and how clever he was for deciding to try it. They always gave him way more credit than he deserved. Really, he just looked up pictures on Google to show to the stylist, because he didn’t know the first thing about fashion trends.

As they headed into the next shop, Cas breathed in the floral smells of the soaps and shampoos that lined the shelves. This store was another one he rarely visited, since he only needed to restock on toiletries every once in a while and didn’t use the cosmetics they sold. The only time he ever wore makeup was if he was going to attend a TV interview, and even then, he only wore a little because he felt bad for turning down the artists who were always so eager to do it for him. He just didn’t like the feeling of having stuff on his face, so he chose to avoid it whenever he could.

When Iris picked up the toothbrush, he smiled, finding her excitement infectious. It was cute how happy she was to remember something so simple. He noticed that he was starting to think that about a lot of her mannerisms. Her unapologetic, childlike joy for the small things in life was appealing to him. He’d never met anyone else like her before. Most high borns, including himself, cared more about the finer luxuries, the things that money could buy. It made him wonder if he’d been looking at everything wrong.

“That’s a good one,” he commented, crouching down to grab a tube of toothpaste to go with the brush. As he stood up again, he pointed out one of the colors on the box. “My favorite is red. Well, a darker red than this, but it’s close enough.” He enjoyed talking about such casual things as favorite colors with her. It was nice to be so relaxed. He didn’t feel like he had to put on a face for her or live up to any standards, because she didn’t have any. It was definitely something he could get used to.

Looking up, he noticed that they were still bring stared at by other shoppers, but so far, all the attention seemed to be directed at him. If anyone recognized Iris, they weren’t coming over to talk to her. He exhaled. It looked like none of her friends were visiting the mall today. Maybe they would have better luck the next time they came back, if they had another chance before her family called, that is.

“What else do you want to get?” he asked, turning back to her again. “There are some bath supplies over there. You’d probably like the stuff they sell here better than what we’ve got at home, since it’s just me and my dad. All of our shampoo smells like dude.”

[sukikyoufu]

“You mean people read that kind of stuff?” Iris scoffed as she wandered well hobbled towards the rows of bath stuff, shampoos and conditioners. “I bet they have some stupid titles trying to find meaning on why you got a haircut.” Chuckling to herself as she picked up one of the bottles looking it over and smelling it briefly, it smelt lovely and had this hint of lavender. One of her favourite scents so it was pretty easy at choosing a set. Picking up the bottles she smirked at Cas thinking on one of the silly headlines he no doubt had over his hair, “Let me guess.” Clearing her throat she took a deep breath before she put on quite the dramatic sounding voice, she was still quiet so no one else could hear except them. “Haircut or heartbreaker? This new hair style is bound to have all the girls swooning over the Prince. Experts say this haircut originated from France. The city of romance.” Giggling to herself as she glanced round the store thinking on if she needed anything else. Looking at the various items she had the basics for her to get by and she was kind of glad, the idea of getting off of her feet was so appealing.

Moving once more towards the counter to pay for the items she couldn’t help but feel this was nice, they were still having normal conversations and enjoying each other’s company and she was glad for that fact. “Dark red, I’ll remember that.” It was silly that she was getting so happy over little things like favourite colours, food she liked and the fact she could share it with someone. Plus, he didn’t seem like he was bored or annoyed over it, he genuinely seemed interested.

“So, we have clothes, toiletries. I think that’s it right?” Looking back at Cas as she thought on if she needed anything else, but she honestly didn’t. She had somewhere to sleep, a change of clothes and painkillers in the car which was something she would definitely have to take after their little excursion to the shops. It was needed though plus it was good to get used to walking with the crutches with a bit more distance to it than to and from the bathroom in the hospital.

“However, I do want to come back, they have some great smelling food around here and I do love my food.” The different scents of food that she had smelt on the way in was enough to excite anyone, who would ever want to eat a salad? It seemed like there was such a range here that she doubted she could even get bored of the food; it would also certainly beat any hospital food she had eaten. “Maybe next time I may even bump into someone I know? Shame it didn’t seem to happen today but there is always next time!” It was strange but maybe her friends or family hadn’t been out today? But then it only furthered her thought of the fact she could have lived alone. What if no one knew she was gone?

[Rogue Sloth]

“I wouldn’t know. I try to avoid them, to be honest,” Cas shook his head when Iris talked about the articles that had been written about him. He’d stumbled upon a few of them years ago, but they were so ridiculous that he was a little disgusted by the measures the authors took to act like they knew him. None of them had even said so much as a word to him before, so they couldn’t say why he did the things he did. Of course, he knew the writers wouldn’t stop publishing stories about him just because he didn’t like it, so he’d decided it was best to ignore them altogether. He only read the ones that Jay and Miles told him about if the author had tried to claim something especially scandalous about him or his father, and that was just so he could privately send word to the publisher to take the article down.

“Oh my God,” he laughed when Iris invented a fake headliner. “I think I just threw up a little in my mouth.” Following her over to the counter, he took out his wallet to pay for the toiletries she’d picked out. All in all, it was turning out to be a good trip. Now, when he finally brought her back to his house, she wouldn’t have to worry about missing anything that she needed, and she could rest until she felt ready to leave again—or her family came to get her. Whichever came first.

“You’d better,” he glanced at her with a smirk when she said she would remember his favorite color. “There’s going to be a quiz later, and I expect you to be on your A game.” Running his card, he waited for the transaction to go through and then added the bag of toiletries to his collection. With everything finally purchased, he was ready to head back too. He wasn’t nearly as tired as she probably was, but he’d skipped lunch to pick her up from the hospital, so he wanted something to fill his empty stomach. Maybe one of the maids could make him a sandwich or something else that was relatively quick. Since he’d been gone and his father hadn’t been eating lately, he doubted the servants had even bothered to make a proper meal earlier, so there wouldn’t be any leftovers to come home to.

When Iris spoke up again, he nodded in agreement. “The food here is amazing,” he confirmed, holding the door for her to walk into the parking lot first. “All the chefs compete with each other since their restaurants are so close together. They’re always trying to outdo their neighbors’ recipes, so you can expect a great meal every time you come through for lunch or dinner.” Plus, if he went with her, he was sure the cooks would treat them to something special. Getting the best dishes with the freshest ingredients was yet another perk of being royalty in Aspiria.

At her mention of bumping into someone she knew, he nodded again. “You could sometime,” he said, opening the back door of his car to put away the shopping bags followed by her crutches, which he laid on the floor again. “If we stay longer next time, I think it’s pretty likely.” He offered her a hand to get in the passenger side and then climbed in the driver’s side to take them back to his place. “Alright, next stop, Hotel Maydestone,” he announced, casting her a grin as he backed the car out of the parking spot.

[sukikyoufu]

Iris couldn’t help but laugh when Cas had found it amusing over her little headline joke, she was glad he could see the humorous side and didn’t focus on the whole tabloids writing ridiculous news about him. Well she could understand as she was sure there were hideous stories amongst the silly ones but at least he could joke about it with her now.

“Oh, a quiz? Right I suppose I better remember then.” Teasing as if she hadn’t already, he was interesting even before the announcement of being the Prince and if she was honest, she had focused on the tiny details when they first met. She wanted to make sure she could remember current things and that it wasn’t just her past she had lost. She could remember the music that had played when he made the hospital room into a little café, she remembered how he had brought her three items from the vending machine a chocolate candy bar, chips and a blueberry muffin. She remembered how he seemed squeamish over blood and any sort of injury. It was strange but again she had focused on these things just to make sure she wasn’t completely broken.

“It smells it! I wish I could try everything! It would be good to know what my favourites are.” Nodding to herself as she walked into the parking lot, thanking him for holding the door for her. She listened at how all the restaurants competed with one another, it was understandable with being that close everyone was no doubt trying to get the most business. “However, we still need to go to this Luigis you mentioned, pizza is a must have.”

Moving back inside the car she couldn’t help but let out a shaky breath, she hadn’t realised how much of a strain that would be. She had moved the bag from the hospital with the medication and bandages onto the back seat with the other bits they had gotten from the mall thinking it best that it was all together and she closed her eyes just relaxing for a moment in the car. “I’ll never taking walking for granted again, but then I suppose you don’t realise the importance of things until it’s gone.” It was just like her memories, she hadn’t realised just how important they were, that somehow you could end up with amnesia and completely lose who you are and your family. It was only thanks to Cas that she was able to have the time to fully recover.

“Ohhh Hotel Maydestone?” Opening her eyes, she smirked over at him, but a part of her deep down was pretty excited to see what his place was like, “It better be five star or I’m leaving a bad review.” She was only kidding of course; she was just happy that she had somewhere to go. “I know I’ve already said thank you but well… it’s just nice to feel like someone is looking out for me after everything that’s happened. It couldn’t have been easy to ask your father to open his home to a complete stranger, but you have my word I will follow every rule in your home. I’m just glad I’m not wandering around like some lost puppy.”

[Rogue Sloth]

“Maybe you have,” Cas pointed out when Iris said she wished she could try all the restaurants in the mall. If she liked food as much as she thought she did, he wouldn’t have been surprised if she had already visited most of the food stops in the city. He wondered if going back to the places she had eaten at before would help jog her memory. Maybe the taste of foods she’d tried in the past would be familiar enough to help her remember more about herself. It was certainly worth a try, and there were no downsides to eating out at nice restaurants along the way. He knew he would enjoy himself if they gave it a shot.

When she brought up the pizza place again, he nodded. “That’s the first place we’re going for sure,” he announced decisively. “We need to get you some celebratory pizza now that you’re finally out of the hospital. It would be a crime not to.” They could probably go there for dinner tomorrow, since he guessed she would want to take the rest of today to get settled in at his place. The cooks at the mansion prepared good food too, so it would still be a step up from the emergency center, even if it didn’t have the same ambiance as a fancy, gourmet diner. Besides, if she really wanted that, he could just put on more music for them to listen to while they ate.

At her comment about walking, he let out his breath in an exhale. “I’ll have to take your word for it,” he said with a half-smile. As the prince of Aspiria, he rarely had to find out what it was like to lose something important to him. Usually, if he wanted or needed something, he could have it in an instant. Really, the only thing he’d lost that money couldn’t get back for him had been his mother. Aside from her passing, he had never experienced much longing. He had all the material things he could need, good friends, and an able body. He supposed he was just lucky compared to those who had suffered more.

Cas was drawn from his thoughts when Iris joked about the ‘hotel.’ “Oh, it’s even better,” he promised with a luring expression. “After you stay at our place, you won’t ever want to go back to a five-star hotel again.” Though he was joking, he was sure she would enjoy living at the Maydestone mansion while she recovered. He was looking forward to giving her a tour whenever she felt up for it. There were plenty of interesting rooms to keep them busy for days.

As Iris mentioned following all the rules in his home, he pursed his lips. Normally, he would have told her not to worry about it, but his father had outlined some pretty strict guidelines for her to follow during her stay with them. It was probably best for him to warn her about those ahead of time rather than spring them on her while she was making herself comfortable.

“About that,” he started, glancing at her while they sat at a red light. “My dad said that if you’re going to be staying at our place, there are a couple rules he wants you to follow.” He rolled his eyes. “He’s always been a paranoid guy, especially since that rebellion started, so he just wants to make sure you ‘aren’t a threat.’” He gestured air-quotes as he spoke the last words to emphasize the ridiculousness of the thought that she was dangerous. “Anyway, he wants you to stay in the bedroom furthest from our rooms, and he said you have to be in your room by ten every night. As long as you stick to those, you shouldn’t have a problem with him though.”

[sukikyoufu]

“I probably have.” Agreeing with their earlier comments of trying all the food places in the mall, perhaps going to one of them would spark a memory? Well she hoped so because her memories were all over the place but least, she had remembered a few things, nothing that really helped her, but they were enough to keep her positive. Celebratory pizza, that sounds wonderful. Smiling to herself as she thought on food in the ride, however her face turned a full-on crimson when her stomach rumbled in the car. It was no doubt to do with thinking about eating but still, she had been embarrassed. Hands clasped her stomach as she chuckled nervously glancing over at Cas, “Seems I’m not the only excited about food…” Her voice was a little higher than usual but again she had been embarrassed by the sound of her stomach.

Settling back down she glanced out of the window as they pulled up at a red light, the area they were in was quite fancy but then everything looked so fancy in the city. Maybe she was just too tired to remember anything? Hopefully once she was settled and feeling better, they could do some exploring and she would remember who she was, or even where she lived. Looking towards Cas as he spoke about the rules that had been put in place, she couldn’t help but smile, she honestly didn’t mind, and she could understand. “Honestly, it’s no bother I’m grateful I can even stay. You’re his only son, right? It sounds like he is just being that extra protective which only shows his care for you.”

It was no problem, ten seemed reasonable and it didn’t matter where her room was as long as it had a bed and she had somewhere to sleep. Taking a moment on his word’s rebellion sounded so familiar and strange to her, she knew about the rebellion. Why did she know about the rebellion?

“Your MOTHER was a casualty of this rebellion; don’t you forget it!” The sound of smashing wood against something, glass bottles falling with a clink to the floor. “She’s dead, what are you going to do about it?”

Blinking a few times, she averted her gaze from Cas, her mother was dead? That’s why her mother didn’t come for her. She was a casualty of the rebellion? What did that mean? That was a memory she could have done without, but she could hear the hurt in the male’s voice, her father she assumed. How old was she when that had happened? She could only assume it was however long ago the rebellion had started.

Distracting herself with looking back out the window she wondered if she should tell him about her memory? It seemed a bit of a heavy topic so perhaps she would wait until she was settled in and then discuss it. Plus, she didn’t want to dampen the mood as they had quite the fun day so far. “I gather your… mansion? Is quite the showstopper? Especially as you say it’s better than a five-star hotel.” Smiling back at Cas trying to push back the memory she had seen. Worrying about it now would do nothing, that was a problem for later.

[Rogue Sloth]

When Iris’s stomach grumbled, Cas glanced over at her with a smirk. “We’ll get you some food as soon as you’re settled into your room,” he assured her. Noticing the blush on her cheeks, he pursed his lips to stifle the smile that threatened to take over his mouth. He thought her bashfulness was cute, but he didn’t want her to think he was making fun of her. “I’m pretty hungry too, actually,” he added, resting a hand on his middle. “So I’m surprised your stomach beat mine to it.”

At least Iris wasn’t upset with the strict curfew she would have to follow. he was glad about that, since he would have found it suffocating to be forced to be in his bedroom at ten every night. Then again, he had always been fond of partying, and events like those usually happened pretty late. Maybe she was fine with the early time because she didn’t have any place to be after ten. All the hobbies she had told him about sounded like things she could do during the middle of the day anyway. She probably didn’t have a reason to stay out until the ungodly hours of the night like he did—or would if his father ever let him stay out past midnight again.

However, as she talked about how the king was only being protective of him, he wasn’t sure what to say. She was probably right. His father had every reason to want to keep him safe, since he was the only close family member he had left. It was just hard not to pay attention to the little voice in the back of his head that told him Atlas was just trying to protect his legacy. He was the king’s only son, but that also meant he was the only heir who could succeed him when he died. His father might only care about what happened to him because the empire he’d build was riding on his shoulders.

Don’t, he took a slow breath, catching on to his spiraling thoughts. He was just being ridiculous. Of course his father loved him because they were family. He was more than just a tool to be used. The king had told him plenty of times that he loved him, even before his mother had passed. He was sure was just overthinking it for nothing.

“Yeah,” he said quickly, realizing he’d gotten lost in his thoughts and fallen quiet. “He’s always been this way. He’s got a lot to protect.” She would see soon enough when they reached the mansion. The power and wealth of their family was tangible.

When Iris brought up his place again, Cas nodded. “It is,” he confirmed, a grin returning to his face. He was proud of his home too. Maybe not as much as his father was, but he still enjoyed showing it off to guests. The Maydestones had all the latest up-and-coming technology, cars, indoor recreation, et cetera. Even the other wealthiest families in the capital couldn’t compete because they bought everything before it was publicly released. He couldn’t wait to show her.

“In fact, you’ll see right about… now!” Rounding the corner of a building, he turned down a private street that led straight to his family’s mansion. The massive house stood in front of them, impressively tall even though it was still half a mile away. Having lived here his entire life, Cas was used to the sight, but he enjoyed watching other people’s reactions to viewing it for the first time. He turned back to Iris proudly, “So, what do you think of your hotel?”

[sukikyoufu]

Iris smiled in return looking at him, she could tell he was very proud of his home by the way he spoke. She was sure there was good reason as to why and when he turned into the road that led up to his house, she couldn’t help but gasp. It was barely a house it was a stunning mansion that dripped of wealth and the smile grew as she took in the beauty of it. It was huge and stood tall and there were no other homes near it which was understandable, there was a vast amount of land and she could only imagine the amount of people it would take for the upkeep of the place.

“I wish I could say I’ve seen better but… well wow.” Iris breathed out chuckling as she kept her gaze out of the window looking at everything. She could only imagine a complete tour of the place would take a whole day. “Is that a golf course?” Pointing towards an area of land, “Oh! Look a pool!” It was clear the excitement in her voice, she had never seen something so wonderful and it was hard not to be excited at the fact she got to stay here. “Stables? Oh, wow do you have like a garden area?” Looking over at Cas she grinned sheepishly rubbing the back of her head, “Sorry. I bet you get this a lot huh? Honestly though it looks great. I’m pretty excited.”

Even the gate looks fancy. She couldn’t help the wide-eyed expression as it was pretty amazing, the fact that she would be able to stay here was crazy. She knew he was the Prince and she knew he would have a gorgeous home but at the same time she hadn’t expected this. Well what was she really expecting?

“I can’t wait to see how it looks on the inside, I bet it’s even more luxurious.” Teasing him gently as she looked outside, thank god for tinted windows as she caught sight of photographers in the distance looking to take photos. “Do you get that a lot too? People wanting to photograph every part of your life?” Looking over at Cas she smiled wondering what it was like to have every aspect of his life on show, he had grown up with it so perhaps he didn’t think anything of it? “Surely there is other things to report than those wonderful hairstyles of the Prince articles.” Joking with him once more, especially after her fake article she had teased him with earlier.

“You know what I am looking forward too? A nice bath, change of clothes and just sitting and relaxing.” Iris sighed happily at the idea of it, “Maybe we could watch a movie if you aren’t busy?”

[Rogue Sloth]

Cas grinned when Iris gasped and started gushing at the sight of the mansion. It was definitely a lot to take in. Most of the mansions in the capital were impressive, but none of them could compare to the royal family’s estate. They owned almost twenty acres of land, and the house itself took up about a whole one by itself. It was why he was sure they would have to wait for her leg to heal a little more before he could give her a tour of the entire place. He couldn’t wait though. He rarely had someone to share the luxury with, since he and his friends usually hung out at parties, and his father would never allow so many strangers on their property. They hadn’t thrown a party since before the rebellion had started years ago. These days, the only guests he saw were the king’s council members, Jay and Miles (when they did stop by), and the paparazzi who lurked around the edge of the premises.

“Don’t be,” he shook his head dismissively when she said she was sorry. “I’m excited too. It’ll be fun having someone else around besides just my dad and the servants.” Even though there were plenty of things to do in the mansion, it often felt empty to him, since he was usually alone when he was enjoying all it had to offer. He was eager to have some company around. Maybe they could even do some of the things he couldn’t by himself, like play billiards or tennis—when her leg was better, of course. And assuming she would be around that long, which he couldn’t say for sure. As much as he liked the thought of having her stay at his place, he was still hoping they would get a call from her family asking to send her home.

At her comment about the inside of the building, Cas chuckled. “It’s pretty amazing, but it’s also easy to get lost in when you don’t know your way around. I can show you how to get to a few rooms you’ll probably visit often, so you won’t have to ask for directions everywhere. If you need to though, just talk to one of the servants, and they’ll help you out.”

When she pointed out the photographers, he glanced out the window, spotting a man aiming his camera lens at the car. At her teasing words, he snorted. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure they take shifts camping out here because there are almost always paparazzi waiting to take pictures of something newsworthy.” Pulling up slowly to the gate, he waited for the security system to recognize his vehicle and then drove through when it opened for him. Now within the private grounds, they were safe from the reporters’ waiting cameras.

“Sounds like a peaceful afternoon,” he agreed when she said what she was looking forward to. “We can watch a movie if you want. We’ve actually got a home theater, so we don’t have to use any of the little TVs in the other rooms.” He smiled proudly. “The surround sound system is one of the best on the market. It feels like you’re actually in the movie.”

Pulling the car around to the garage, he parked it in the usual spot between four other luxury cars that his father owned and climbed out. There was a lot to carry, so he strung the shopping bags on his arms and collected the medicine he noticed she had put in the backseat. Once he had everything, he balanced it carefully while he picked up her crutches and leaned them against the side of the car, so he could help her out of the passenger seat. It was a lot to juggle, but he managed it.

“Alright,” he beamed at her excitedly. “Are you ready to see your room?”

[sukikyoufu]

“Yeah I’m sure it will be nice to have some different company around.” Smiling at the thought, as much as it was pretty exciting, she still wanted her memories to return, to find out who she was and her family. Well what was left of it she assumed. This would however be a nice distraction and a good place to try to regain her memories, she doubted she would be troubled much whilst here and her father could call at any moment for her to come home so she should enjoy it whilst it lasted.

“Yeah I bet it’s pretty easy to get lost amongst your what… a million rooms?” It was an exaggeration of course but she knew he would take the joke, “As long as I know where to get food, sleep and the bathroom I’m sure I’ll be fine.” Grinning as she looked over at him, she was glad he had been more than happy to help her. It was kind of scary to think what could have happened had he not found her; she certainly wouldn’t be enjoying the high life right now. “You mean they camp here? Jeez do they not have homes to go too?” Shaking her head at the idea of them camping out here she looked around the garage he had parked in. There four other stunning cars and they looked as if they had just been bought. She thought Caspains car was nice, but they all looked great together and she could tell any car enthusiast would have loved to have seen them. It was hard not to be impressed with everything that she saw.

Taking his help once more as she managed to clamber out of the car she hoped on her leg for a moment until she grabbed her crutches. “Home theatre?” Shaking her head, she didn’t know why she would be shocked at that, of course he would have a home theatre, who wouldn’t with this kind of money? “That sounds great, and if it’s anything like the sound in your car I think I’m in for a treat.” Laughing softly as she began to follow him at a slower pace. Her body was already starting to ache from the amount of effort she had been using but then it was natural, she couldn’t wait to use her leg properly.

“I’m pretty excited to see where I will be staying!” Smiling she couldn’t help but match his beam, it was infectious, and she could see he had the kind of power to light up a room or vice versa. He had probably been moulded like that from a young age. “So… what kinds of movies do you like?” She was quite curious about his movie taste; his music taste was pretty decent, so she had high hopes when it came to movies. It made her wonder what kin of movies she herself had been into, she could imagine comedy was a big one as she enjoyed the jokes between her and Cas. What about horrors? Would she be creeped out by them? Action was pretty standard stuff and then there was romance, did she enjoy those cheesy kind of movies? Well she was sure she would find out, especially if she was resting as what better way to rest than watch a bunch of stuff.

[Rogue Sloth]

“Okay, it’s a little more reasonable than a million,” Cas rolled his eyes at Iris’s exaggeration. He had to admit it was a lot though. There were twenty-five rooms if one only counted the bedrooms and bathrooms alone. He didn’t even want to do the math to include the rest of the mansion. When he was a kid, he’d run through the whole house to count how many rooms there were, but it had been so long since then that he’d forgotten the total number. He was pretty sure it was somewhere around forty though.

When she asked about the photographers again, he shrugged. “Who knows?” he adjusted his grip on the bags to make sure he wouldn’t drop anything. “They’re pretty annoying though. My dad forbade them from trespassing on our property a long time ago, but they still stalk us from the outside. They’ve got these fancy cameras that can zoom in over a long distance, so we don’t have a lot of privacy if we want to go outside.” He casted her a joking smirk. “It’s not completely awful, I guess. Just means no skinny dipping in the pool.”

Leading her inside, he held the door open so she wouldn’t have to struggle too much with her crutches. The entry on the other side was already elaborate. A crystal chandelier hung over a decorative tile floor with expensive furnishings that lined either side. Even the most basic of rooms oozed money, but it was nothing compared to the rest of the mansion.

“It’s even better,” he said confidently when Iris talked about the home theater. Having seen the luxuries of the Maydestone house every day his entire life, he didn’t look twice at the space around them as he led her to the room that his father had chosen for her to live in while she stayed at their place. “My car is nice, but the theater was made to have the best quality showings you can get. You’re gonna love it.” Every room he led her through was even more richly decorated than the last, but he didn’t bother looking at it.

Eventually, he brought her to a long hallway that was lined with doors to the first-floor bedrooms. It was right underneath the level where his room was. “I like a lot of movies,” he mused, answering her question as he led her to the room on the end of the corridor. “I mostly watch action films, but I’d say I really like suspense and horror too. Anything that give me an adrenaline rush, you know?” Most of the time, the thrills he got from movies and TV were the only kind he could get. He’d meant it when he’d told her he led a boring life. In a way, watching exciting and scary shows filled a gap he was missing.

“It’s kind of ironic, since I don’t like gory stuff in real life,” he shrugged, thinking about how he’d reacted to her injured leg the day he’d found her. “But it’s different when I know it’s not real.”

When they reached the door to her room, he pushed it open to reveal a quaint bedroom. It was on the smaller side compared to the ones he and his father used, but it was still fairly large. The bedroom was set up with a full-size bed, a desk, a couple lounge chairs and a fireplace. Off to the side, a door led to the connecting bathroom. It was similar to his own with a glass-front shower and a tub with a TV built into the wall. Overall, the room would be more than enough space for one person.

“Here we are,” he said, stepping inside and turning back to her with a smile. “Better than the hospital, right?”

[sukikyoufu]

“More reasonable?” Iris scoffed but she couldn’t help but laugh as she walked through, the entrance was beautiful at that was just the beginning. Everything looked and felt lavish, how could you not be proud to own a home like this? It felt so spacious and the finishing touches like the marble top tables were stunning. Looking up towards the chandelier she couldn’t help but smile, they were always stunning. Especially the way light bounced off the crystal

She felt a pang of guilt when she realised, he was carrying her stuff, she wished she could offer a hand, but it was rather difficult when on crutches. Continuing to move on she couldn’t help but glance at the furnishings, everything was lined with what looked like expensive fabric and she could only imagine it was comfortable to sleep on. Heck she probably would have been fine on the sofa considering it look so comfortable. The home was breath taking and if she wasn’t in pain, she could have sworn it was some sort of dream.

Following him down the hall everything looked so perfect, she almost felt giddy that she would staying here. “Oh really? I’m quite excited to see this home theatre, does it have a five-star review?” Teasing as she tried to at least remember where she was walking so she didn’t get lost in future. Pulling a face at the mention of suspense and horror she couldn’t help but laugh, “Wow I didn’t expect that! You are so squeamish.” Honestly, she had thought maybe he didn’t enjoy them but when he said how it wasn’t real, she could understand, knowing something wasn’t real did help. She found it hard to believe horrors as to her it wasn’t realistic, it was great having the tension and build up but then it seemed highly unlikely it would happen in real life. Maybe she did like horrors then?

Oh my gosh… Her jaw nearly dropped looking at the room she would be staying in, everything looked stunning and soft and just so inviting. Her eyes looked towards the fireplace and she grinned, there was nothing better than sitting in front of a fire reading a good book. She was sure they had to have a library, here right? Maybe she could read a few books whilst recovering. If she was allowed of course. Moving towards one of the lounge chairs she sat down letting out a sigh of relief, it felt so good and it was so comfortable. “This is pretty amazing; however, I think we will both miss that wooden chair.” Glancing over at Cas she grinned, there was no way she could even compare this to the hospital.

“I think I’d even be happy just sleeping here, it’s so comfortable.” Looking down at her hands she touched the fabric of the lounge chair smiling at the fact she got to stay here. Even if it would be for a couple of days this was certainly an experience she would not forget. “Thanks for bringing the bags.”

[Rogue Sloth]

When Iris teased about the theater, Cas smiled. “It does from me,” he said loftily. “I like it better than going to the public theater anyway. It’s nice to have my own spot where I can watch all the newest movies without a crowd watching me.” He shook his head at the thought. He was used to all the attention he got as the prince of the country, but that didn’t mean he liked it. It was hard to relax in a movie theater when he knew half the audience was sneaking glances at him to see how he would react to a jump scare in a horror film or a tearjerker in a romance flick. Plus, there were always the reporters waiting to look for material they could use to write another pointless article about him. Being alone or with a few friends in the comfort of his home was much better.

At her gibe about him being squeamish, he scoffed. “I’m not that bad!” he defended, a little embarrassed by the accusation. “I still took you to the hospital even though you were bleeding all over me. I just prefer not to be around it if I don’t have to be…” That, and he just didn’t have much experience with blood and gore in general. High borns rarely engaged in anything that might get them hurt. The worst injuries he’d seen happen to real people before finding her were players on sports teams breaking bones every once in a while, and even that was through the distance of a TV screen. Still, though he was chagrined, he appreciated that she was even willing to say something like that to his face. Most other people he knew weren’t that bold.

While Iris looked around the bedroom, he set her things down by the wall and then stood near the window with his arms folded over his chest. Every time she reacted to the places he took her with such childlike enthusiasm, he liked it. Her energy was infectious, and he felt a smile creep its way onto his lips as he watched her sit down in one of the lounge chairs.

“Sure thing,” he said when she thanked him for bringing her bags. Taking a step away from the window, he added, “I’ll let you take some time to get settled. When you’re ready, come to the kitchen. It’s straight past the room we came in through on the other side of the house. If you need directions, the maids can help.” He glanced over his shoulder through the door. There hadn’t been too many servants running around that he had seen, but there were always some nearby. His family had a small army of hired staff, since their estate was so huge. He was sure she could find someone if she looked.

“I’ll ask the cooks to make us a late lunch,” he went on, turning back to her. “Hopefully, they’ll have that ready by the time you come out to eat.” He walked back to the door and grabbed the handle, casting her one more smile. “See you in a little while, Iris.” With that, he headed out, closing the door behind him to give her some privacy while he went to find the chefs.