[IC] Runaway Secrets (YamiCuoreLaroux and Durachka)

[Durachka]

The new Queen of Avra sat in a secluded location in the middle of the forest. Her husband 20 minutes away by foot and likely sleeping away at their campsite. They were currently traveling to their new home after the elaborate wedding from two days past. She still could not believe that she had gotten married and was now Queen of this beautiful land. It was all like a fairy tale to her. She hadn't expected she'd ever be married or Queen because she was the fifth in line in her old Kingdom. The fairy tale wasn't like any other, however, she was not in love with her King. She silently hoped that one day she would.

Sitting alone in the woods certainly would not solve that particular problem, but Laura had to get away from the stifling atmosphere surrounding her new husband. She hadn't exactly known him when they were announced to be married. She still hadn't spent a single second alone with the man once they stood in front of each other at the alter. She just hoped circumstances would change over time as they got to know each other. Until then she'd need to get away every once in a while. Otherwise she would go certifiably insane.

A slight ruffling sound coming from the Queen's right startled her. She stood quickly and struggled to see in the dimming light of late afternoon. "He...hello?" She said tentatively. "Joshua? Is that you?" She hoped it was in fact her husband. The feeling in the deep of her stomach unsettled her. She was scared. Out from the shadows stepped a man. "who...who are you?" She reflexively stepped back a little and bumped into the rock.

[YamiCuoreLaroux]

Having sufficiently bored himself with his princely duties, Cirro had only intended to take a short walk at first to clear his mind. What had ended up happening, though, was his sense of adventure getting the better of him and leading him further away from his home than he intended. He was not lost by any means, just a little far from any motivation to go back just yet. The forest was always a lovely place, even more so the more he walked.

As he was enjoying the calming atmosphere the trees provided, the prince soon became aware of something else nearby. Not one of the animals, by the sound of it, perhaps someone had followed him to bring him back? Cautiously, he went to investigate, finding only...a human? He hadn't seen one in quite some time, so this was very interesting to him. What was she doing here alone? That seemed a bit dangerous; he wasn't the only thing wandering around here.

After a while, his curiosity overtook him, and he approached her, apparently startling her from the way she stood so quickly. She called for someone named Joshua...who was that? Nobody else seemed to be around. As he stepped out to where he would be visible, he could hear her ask something. "Who...who are you?" Cocking his head to the side, he answered: "Well, I'm certainly not Joshua. You may call me Cirro."

[Durachka]

The person in front of her didn't necessarily appear to be human, "Cirro." She said cautiously, "You aren't human...are you." She said this as if she knew for sure. It didn't come out as a question. She had heard tales of the Fae people, but she had never actually believed such stories. His pointed ears unnerved the woman as she raised an eyebrow at him. After a short pause she gulped, "My... The King of this land isn't far away from here. If I were to scream he'd come running." She said quickly.

She sounded as if she were scared of the creature in front of her. Was that even a good idea? If she seemed scared he might take advantage of it. She was driving herself insane. Maybe she was just hallucinating due to something in the air. She stared at the man to watch what his reaction to her statement would be. She doubted he would hurt her, but her intuition wasn't always correct. He could use the peaceful demeanor as a way to lure people into a death trap or something. After a while she sighed, "I'm sorry. I'm a little rude. My name is Laura."

[YamiCuoreLaroux]

Well, she traveled with the king, or so she said. Whether it was a true fact or she only meant to intimidate him mattered only a little in his mind. It would take some convincing to drive him off, though if the statement held any truth, perhaps a hasty retreat would be best. The last thing he wanted from this little adventure was to bring trouble back home. He wanted to wait a bit first, to see how long she would hold to the threat.

The Fae prince bowed. "A pleasure, Miss Laura. And you're certainly welcome to scream, if you think it would help. I know my own escape routes, but it would be a shame to cut off this meeting so soon." Straightening up, he walked a slow circle around her, keeping his distance in case she did try something. The Fae may be feared by humans, but he knew that they had their own tricks as well. "I don't even remember the last time I met a human. They truly are fascinating."

[Durachka]

The way he circled her struck Laura as odd. To her it seemed as if he were an animal circling it's prey. Yet she wasn't struck with fear. Once again her instincts were telling her he wouldn't harm her. So she stood still as her eyes followed him in his circle, "I suppose it would be a shame. You seem fascinating yourself." She offered a small smile, "But I do not see why you find me fascinating?" This came out as a question. She honestly was just a normal person on the inside, despite her recent earning of the title Queen.

She briefly wondered if she should tell him she was Queen. Would this make him kidnap her? Or would he decide to leave without bothering her more? But he isn't bothering you, a voice in her head reminded her. In fact, this meeting was intriguing. Despite his inhuman appearance she felt oddly pulled towards him. He was attractive and she found this odd as well. How could she find a member of the Fae attractive? Especially when she had just gotten married not even a week beforehand.

She sat back down on the rock so that it she would seem less tense. At least she hoped that was the effect on the Fae in front of her. After several more minutes of conversation about each other's species she was truly mystified by him. They told each other stories and at one point Laura realized that this was what it meant to meet someone without politics. The connection that seemed to just have formed all by it's self despite her marriage was real. She knew that Cirro would be a good friend of hers for a long time to come. When she heard her husband's voice calling out her name she frowned, "Queen Laura! We must get a move on it! Please come talk to me. I'm sure we can work things out!" There it was. The brand of her as a Queen. Perfect.

She stood from her rock and smiled at the Fae. "I've enjoyed this meeting." She said as she walked closer to him, "Meet me here again in a month? I'd like to see you again. Perhaps we will have more stories to tell each other." She kissed his cheek as a form of goodbye and then disappeared through the woods. She met back up with her husband and they traveled back towards the castle. Almost a month later Laura requested she could take a trip into town. With a denied request she stole away in the middle of the night towards her meeting spot. It took her almost a week to reach it. All of that time she was worried her husband would find her and punish her.

She waited for hours on that rock with nothing to light her way besides a small lantern. When she finally did hear a rustling she smiled softly as she stood, "Hello again, Cirro." She cocked her head to the side, "Anymore stories to tell me?" It went like this for almost two years afterwords. She would meet up with him every month or so and they would talk. Without the strains of politics around her this was a time in which she could relax. The connection she had felt as just friendly soon turned into more than that. Soon it turned into an affair that in another life she would hate herself for. Yet she found she didn't care about anything outside of that small section in the woods when she was with Cirro.

Then she stopped bleeding every month. This unnerved her as well. She knew the father couldn't possibly be her husband for she hadn't had relations like that with him since their wedding night. So she went into the King's chambers late the night after she found out and much to her shame she slept with him. When the meeting time had come around again she found herself not wanting to go. What would Cirro think of her now? The shame she should have felt for cheating on her husband was now what she felt for cheating on the man that she loved.

Four months later she made the trip with only a small amount of hope that Cirro would be there. She sat on the rock and when she finally did hear a rustling in the woods she couldn't make herself look up at him. "Hello again." She said weakly. She stood and forced herself to look up at him. She had missed him so much everything in her ached, but the shame had forced her to not come back. The folds of her dress fell downwards as she stood and a small bulge in her belly could be seen through the fabric. "I...I'm pregnant. I had to do something when I found out." She whispered, "You're the father Cirro." She took a step forward, "But Joshua needed to think he was the father. Otherwise I'd be hanged. I just..." she frowned, "I couldn't come see you after I did that. It felt so wrong of me." A tear slid down her cheek, "Please don't be upset." She awaited his answer silently with her eyes focused on the ground in front of him.

[YamiCuoreLaroux]

"Laura..." Cirro was stunned. Part of him was overjoyed at the news of the child, and he wanted to cling to that emotion of love and pride. At the same time, though, his heart sank as he knew that this could only mean trouble for the both of them. It had already caused such distress for the one he cared most about, and if anyone found out...

He had kept the meetings a secret from his own father and the others he knew back at home as well. He couldn't bear to have anyone try to stop him from being with the human queen. Even after finding that she was the queen, he was too intrigued by her, by her manner, by her tales to resist meeting with her a month later. In truth, it had actually given them another way to relate, as they often had to deal with very similar issues on a normal basis. It made their meetings so much more refreshing; an escape where they both could throw away all pretenses and agree not to deal with all of the nonsense. To her, he was just Cirro, a curious man of the Fae, and to him, she was just Laura, a fascinating and very pretty human...
...and soon the love of his life.

He could never forget how it happened, from that first day when she caught him off guard with that kiss on the cheek, to the many meetings they had first as friends and eventually as lovers, enjoying such a relationship that he had never dreamed possible. But now here they were, finally facing the danger that came with it. Cirro looked from the telltale bulge to his lover's face. His own expression softened as he took in the tears in her eyes and he stepped forward to embrace her. "Laura, please...it would have far been worse if you had been killed along with the child...I'm glad you came back, I was so worried when you stopped." There weren't enough words to describe exactly how he had felt when she never showed up the past few months. The fear and longing had hurt more than anything he could remember. She was safe, and that was what mattered to him, but now what were they to do? They couldn't give the human king any reason to suspect anything of the queen, and he certainly couldn't just steal her away, as much as he wanted to. That would likely bring the humans to declare war on the Fae kingdom on the grounds that they had abducted their beloved queen.

Wanting more than anything to be able to say that he could make everything better somehow, he could only give Laura the obvious answer. "We...we will have to...stop meeting like this. We can't let your husband discover what's going on. I love you, but I can't let anything happen to you or our child." He tightened his grip, fearing the eventual parting. "After tonight, it won't be safe."

[Durachka]

"No." She whispered shaking her head as more tears broke free. "I can't leave you. I love you, Cirro. Can't we just figure things out?" She stared into his eyes and even in the darkness she found the beauty in them. She kissed him then and then pulled away, "You can't tell me to not come very month. I still will. They all think I go to the spa that is in town. I..." She frowned, "I can't bare the thought of not seeing you anymore." She put a hand up to his cheek and shook her head as she came to the realization that he was right. She would have to say goodbye to the one man she'd ever love. More tears left her eyes as she thought about how true his words were.

"Why do you always have to see reason? Can't we both just be idiots for once and run off together?" She sighed and glanced down at the bulge, "What should we name him or her?" She gave him a small smile as she held him close. She still wanted to act like nothing in the world outside that small section of the woods mattered. She wanted to fantasize about having a family with Cirro and forgetting all about the Kingdom she had belonged to for two years. After they decided on the names she was reluctant to separate from him. "I will see you next month, Cirro. Just one more meeting time, Okay? For me and the baby? I think that at 6 months you can feel a baby move. I've heard it from some of the midwives that I've interviewed." She gulped, "Next month."

They departed from each other and sure enough a month later Laura showed up to the spot. She worried so much that he wasn't going to show. She wouldn't blame him for no longer wanting to put her in danger. The rustling in the trees made Laura grin with happiness. He had come back for this one last goodbye. She stood from the rock, but it was not Cirro that had come through the trees. A different and much younger Fae appeared before her. Just when her hopes had crashed and shattered Cirro appeared as well. She breathed a sigh of relief as he embraced her. "I thought...Never mind what I thought. Who is this?" It was explained to her that he was a protector for the baby. Someone to look over him or her. She nodded and asked the Fae to please give them a moment of privacy. Once he had disappeared into the woods once more Laura looked at him. "Want to feel the baby kick? Shes feeling especially happy today." She took his hand and placed it over her belly. Sure enough the baby kicked. "I love you." She whispered as she hugged him again. "We'll see each other again someday...right?" She knew it was impossible, but she could hope.

With a parting kiss Laura and the young Fae left the meeting place for the last time. Laura cried all the way to the castle and three months later a baby girl was born. She named her Genevieve as Cirro had wanted. She cried as she held her baby for the first time knowing she'd never see him again. The love she had for him would now have to be replaced by the love she had for her daughter. She wrote a letter for Cirro and gave it to the Aedan to give to Cirro. This way he could know that they had a beautiful baby daughter to call their own.

20 years later a rebellion began in the Fae Kingdom.

[YamiCuoreLaroux]

How it had started, he still wasn't sure. How exactly had things gone so wrong?

The kingdom had been doing very well in recent years, and Cirro was set to take the crown in just a short time. But in the blink of an eye, everything changed. What had started as merely a few minor disturbances in the further reaches of the kingdom soon turned into several uprisings spreading unrest throughout the entire land. Despite the many attempts to deal with the problems and quell the fires of rebellion, the damage had been done. Within a few months of quick and terrifying destruction, the fight was finally brought to the palace of the Fae royals.

The rebels fought through the front gate, somehow overwhelming the soldiers despite all their best efforts to keep them back. Flooding through the halls, they killed off practically anyone they saw in a blind fury. They had already killed off the king and the queen, leaving only the prince still left alive. Even that was not sure to last long, as the rebels still swarmed the castle in search of him. All the royals had to be destroyed so they could set up their new regime without opposition.

Cirro had actually been set to escape along with the queen, but crucial information was leaked somehow and the plan to get them out was abandoned. He was instead left inside his bedchambers as the thundering footsteps drew ever closer, waiting for the fate he knew his parents to have already faced. Knowing that his time was short, the prince snatched up the letter he had kept hidden for 20 years. Reading over it one final time, he pressed his lips to the signature at the bottom and held it close to his chest. "Laura...Genevieve...I'm sorry...I really had hoped to see you again." The doors burst open, and the rebels entered...

...After the palace was emptied of the rulers, the letter sadly did not escape the notice of the rebels. A few sharp eyed and shrewd individuals caught sight of it and noticed the mention of a daughter. The information was kept secret, entrusted to only a few who would be sure to deal with it accordingly. After all, they needed the people to believe that they had won, that there was no chance of the royal family returning. It wouldn't be a lie for long, they just had to ensure complete elimination of their last little problem...

[Durachka]

As the unrest occurred in the Fae's kingdom the human's kingdom prospered. They seemed to have everything going good for them. Laura had found a small amount of happiness in mothering her daughter. She watched Genevieve grow into a beautiful Princess who luckily looked more human then Fae. Sometimes she could see Cirro's mannerisms in her facial expressions. It made Laura's heart ache for longing, but she tried to ignore it best that she could.

On a beautiful sunny day Genevieve sat under a tree with her horse grazing nearby. She was reading a book she was particularly fond of as the summer breeze played with her black hair. She reached the end of the book for the thousandth time and she could still feel the tears in her eyes at the main character's death. She sighed and closed the book, holding it to her chest as she did every time she read it. She then stood and walked over to her horse, "Hello beautiful lady. I guess its time to head back in." She kissed the mare's nose and mounted her. Once back in the stables she stumbled upon Aedon, "Finished the book again!" She said gleefully as she lead her horse into it's stall. She kissed the horse's nose before closing the gate and returning to her good friend.

"I was thinking, we should take a trip to town tomorrow. Or maybe even today. I want to stop by the bookstore and see if I can find any more classics." Sometimes she seemed to get to far ahead of herself before she actually thought about things. She often forgot that Aedon was just a servant at the castle and not someone she could drag around everywhere, "Your busy aren't you?" She sighed, "Never mind then, I suppose we can go another time. Maybe this weekend when your off duty?" She smiled hopefully at him. She had known Aedon since...she realized that she might have just known him her entire life. He always seemed to be around when she was younger. As if he were her shadow. As she grew older they had become very good friends.

In fact, he was her only friend beside her mother. Her father had strict rules about who she could talk to. Sometimes she wondered how she got away with the friendship between her and Aedon. Then she'd decide it best that she not overthink such luck. Without Aedon she feared that the good mood she always seemed to be in would falter. Despite her demeanor and her smile she did not genuinely feel happy. Often she faked it just so that her mother or Aedon would stop asking her whats wrong. Her father was often yelling at her or telling her how worthless she was. She felt like a small fire being suffocated. She wanted to burn brightly, but there was no air to feed her.

[YamiCuoreLaroux]

Aeden smiled as the princess came to join him. She was so cute when she was in a good mood, though he wondered if it was difficult to maintain that with such a strict father. "I think I can manage that this weekend, 'M'Lady.' " He playfully ruffled her hair, despite knowing that he'd have hell to pay if anyone else saw him commit such an informal action. "Assuming that the knights don't suddenly decide that they need a new training dummy, of course." Some of the younger recruits seemed to have some sort of issue with him, but it wasn't his fault that they didn't understand how card games worked. Or that they didn't know when to stop placing bets. He honestly thought they would learn eventually.

He walked just ahead of Genevieve, turned around and walking backwards just so he could look her in the face while talking to her. Her expressions were always interesting to him, especially when she was happy or surprised. "I assume there must be something else you want me for today, yes? I know I would very much like to avoid the kitchen for a while considering what cook's gonna do to that poor soul who messed with the fruit." Pulling out a couple of apples, he tossed one in the air and caught it before passing it to the princess. "Pity he got caught, but at least some of us got something out of it."

[Durachka]

"Hey!" She yelled as she tried to fix her hair. It was always unruly and Aeden usually just made it worse. She laughed softly as she shook her head, "You are a mischievous man, Aeden." she said with a giggle as they began walking back towards the castle. She raised an eyebrow as he walked backwards in front of her, "If you aren't careful you will run into something or more importantly someone." She shook her head with a sigh.

"Hmmm. Maybe I could pull you away for the afternoon. I'm sure we can figure out some shenanigans to get to before it gets to late." She caught the apple and took a bite out of it. It's sweet juices filled her mouth and she sighed happily. Apples, next to bananas, were her second favorite fruit. "Let me guess who the poor soul is. Does his name start with an A and end with a n?" she raised her eyebrow playfully at him. "Oh wait. Did you frame someone, Aedon? Simply devious." They finally arrived at the castle's doors.

"Maybe you could help me pick a dress for the ball this Friday. I never know which one fits with which ball. My father is always holding the stupid things. I think he actually believes I will find someone at one of those dreadful parties." She shook her head as they began to walk up the stairs towards her bedroom. Honestly she was just waiting for the day her father stopped waiting for some man to catch her eye. One day he would find someone he thought worthy and attempt to make Genevieve marry him.

[YamiCuoreLaroux]

Aeden placed a hand on his heart in a melodramatic fashion. "Me? Frame someone? Now how could you possibly think me capable of such a tricky act? I might have planted a few suggestions in the right places, but I assure you, they got themselves into it entirely on their own." He wasn't a bad person, just a little easily bored and maybe a bit passive aggressive towards certain people sometimes. Really, though, some people just made it too easy. Someone had to get them to wise up. Turning around at the doors, he made sure that they remained open as the princess walked in.

"Ach, another ball? How does the man keep finding ways to keep having them? Surely he's exhausted his supply of stuffy, boring, and annoying nobles already?" The servant commented as he followed her up the stairs. "If you ask me, he's going about this the wrong way. If you want a party for people to find husbands at, you need livelier music and less stiff clothing. Something people can move around in, I mean. And a contest of some sort might help. How can the good men possibly impress their ladies without the proper opportunity?" Truthfully, Aeden really wasn't looking forward to the day that Genevieve either found a husband or was made to accept one chosen for her. The thought of some boring windbag coming in and cutting short their time together on suspicion of certain happenings irritated him to no end. Still, he knew there was not much he could do about it. At least Genevieve was stubborn enough to refuse everyone so far.

As they reached the bedroom, he held open the door for her before waltzing over to the wardrobe. Opening it up, he stood back and looked over the complicated looking articles of clothing. He knew what he liked, but pleasing the upper class was an entirely different matter. They had so many rules and odd tastes. He turned back to his companion. "What exactly were you thinking of going for?"

[Durachka]

Genevieve laughed kindheartedly, "Of course you would frame someone! Your Aeden!" She nodded in thanks as she stepped through the open doors. She nodded once more as he began to speak of the ball, "My father, bored of stuffy nobles? Never!" She walked up the stairs with a hand on the railing. Her skirts trailing behind her posing a risk of her tripping and falling down the steps. "The men simply cannot impress the ladies without the opportunity, Aeden. So many have tried and failed to be gallivant in my presence. I doubt I'll ever find anyone."

She thanked him for holding the door for her and sat down on a chair in front of her wardrobe, "I am unsure at the moment. Might as well anger my father. What about sexy. Do I have anything that gives off that vibe? Shows off a little to much skin maybe?" She was joking of course. As if she could possibly wear a dress like that. Then again it would be amusing to see her father's face go as red as an apple. When he would ask her why she was wearing such a garment she could simply state back, "You want me to find a suitor correct? Then deal with it." Oh how she'd love to then go stand next to her lovely mother and joke about the expression of disgust on the man's face. A grin spread across Genevieve's face and she couldn't hold in a small giggle.

Oh how joyous it would be to see her father try to shield her away from every man in that ball. She could picture it then. Then when he would ask her afterwards why she hadn't talked to a man the entire night she could tell him, "But every time one of the noblemen showed an interest you ushered them away!" At that realization he'd likely burst once and for all into a fit of rage. She'd be able to sit back and just grin at the sight. She felt slightly devious for this.

[YamiCuoreLaroux]

"Oh my, looks like I'm not the only bad child here today. Let's see, there has to be something here we could use..." Rifling through the various garments, Aeden selected four dresses. One of them was unceremoniously thrown onto the bed, and the other three were draped over another nearby chair. He figured that she might want some serious options eventually, but they could get to that one tossed carelessly later.

Picking up the first dress, he held it out: A dark fuchsia one with a sweetheart neckline and a silky skirt. A pretty embroidered pattern was present at the top of the skirt, but it was one of the more simple ones, overall. "I'm sure we could just alter this one a little. Deepen the neckline at the center, hem the skirts shorter, or even just put a long slit in the side, here. It already has a nice compelling color." He tossed it aside before picking up the next one, looking a bit shocked when he got a better look at it.

A bright red with a very low neckline decorated with matching coloured beads. The skirt was long and seemingly respectable, but upon closer inspection, a large portion of it was a bit thinner than expected, allowing up to about half the thigh to be seen if one stood in the right lighting or at a close proximity. "Now where and when did you get this one? I would have thought making this for a princess would be considered treasonous!" He took another good look at it slightly blushing. "Still, I can tell you right now that it certainly is attention grabbing."

[Durachka]

Genevieve stood and walked over to Aeden, "I love it! I think that my dress maker slipped it into my monthly wardrobe ideas just so I'd have it. Just in case I needed to go to a private meeting with a suitor." She shook her head, "That woman is devious if I may say so myself. I'm going to go try it on." She took the dress from her good friend and disappeared into the dressing room. Luckily she was already wearing a corset under her current gown. She would likely wear a different one when going to the ball, but it would do for now.

She slid the material over her head after taking off her other dress. It fit wonderfully and she couldn't help, but smile in the reflection of her mirror. With the right shade of lipstick and her hair up in an elegant bun she'd likely make her father go crazy. It was perfect. She exited the dressing room and smiled at Aeden, "So, what do you think?" She asked as she did a small twirl in the dress. With the added poof of the wiring under it the dress looked a little shorter than it had on the hanger. It was mainly so she could show off the cute shoes she'd wear with it. She had in mind the perfect pair. She walked over to her wardrobe and fished around. She grabbed the shoes and sat down on the bed to put them on.

"My father is going to have an aneurysm!" She said gleefully. A knock at the door startled Eve, "Yes?" Her mother walked in. At an older age Laura was still very beautiful. She had grown into her Queenly status and now an air of power radiated around her. The woman would be lying if she said losing Cirro didn't effect her personality. "Oh my!" The woman exclaimed. Her eyes glanced over at Aeden with a questioning look, "What is that dress for?"

"The ball. I don't know how, but Sophia somehow managed to sneak it into my dress selections without father noticing." She smiled hopefully at her mother, "Maybe now men will notice me a bit better."

"Sweetheart, don't you think its a little bit of a trashy color?" Laura said with an eyebrow raised.

"But think about the look on His Majesty's face when he sees me in it. It would make for some entertainment at the ball Friday." She put on a puppy eyed look to attempt to win her mother over on the dress choice.

"Its your funeral when he drags you back up here, yells at you, and then forces you to change." She shook her head and smiled at Aeden, "Nice to see you Aeden. I'll be going now. Was just checking on you. See you for dinner?"

"Of course!" Genevieve answered as Laura walked out of the room. She was shaking her head as she closed the door behind her. Eve laughed slightly, "Its a definite choice then. I'll have another one picked out just in case father decides to reprimand me for it." She shrugged.

[YamiCuoreLaroux]

"You're actually going to do it, then?" Aeden had kind of thought she was joking at first. The moment she actually took it to the dressing room, he wondered if he really should have encouraged it. When she stepped back out, though, he couldn't help but think that maybe there was some good in this decision after all. She was quite stunning in the outfit, even if it was a bit bold. "Um...it's fantastic. I bet you'll catch the eyes of all the men." He wasn't sure how he felt about that, really. Maybe he should keep a closer eye on her this Friday. For protective precautions, of course!

The knock at the door caught his attention, and he was both a bit startled and relieved when the queen came in. As awkward as this probably looked, at least she wouldn't do anything too bad to him for catching him in this situation. It wasn't like he had actually done anything wrong, right? Besides, she normally didn't have a problem with what he did, and she likely knew a lot more about that than she commented on. At the look she gave him, Aeden threw his hands up in front of him as if pleading his innocence, though the very guilty looking blush on his face as he looked off to the side probably said anything but that.

He wanted to make a few playful comments of his own about the colour of the dress, but though the queen had put up with a lot of his antics around her daughter before, he figured he shouldn't push it. It really wasn't his place, anyway. Instead, he kept quiet until she spoke to him before leaving, smiling back in acknowledgement. "It's good to see you as well, Your Highness." He bowed his head respectfully as he watched her make her way to the door, then turned back to Genevieve.

"I had a feeling back-up plans would come up." He walked over to the bed where he tossed the other dress earlier and picked it up. Dark green velvet formed a simple, yet elegant top and skirt. An ivy design decorated the loose, silky sleeves that hung from the shoulders. "There's something deceptively seductive about a darker tone, too. Add in an intriguing texture, and people can still get trapped easily." His eyes twinkled mischievously. "Like in a deep forest."

[Durachka]

Genevieve grinned down at the dress, "I love it! I also love your ideas. When did you become good at fashion?" She raised an eyebrow at him as she took the dress out of his arms. She was tempted to try it on, but she was enjoying being in the red gown entirely to much. She sat down at her vanity and began doing some work on her hair. She would need to have the look perfected once Friday came around. She tried a lot of different things and ended up with a elegant knot on the back of her head. She sighed as she began to brush through her hair again.

A few minutes later her hair was in a beautiful bun that was also slightly messy. She picked up her favorite shade of red lipstick and applied it, "Maybe I will find a suitor on Friday." She glanced over at Aeden, "Maybe it'll be my Prince charming. I've always dreamed of one of those." She was only half joking as she said this. She hadn't necessarily dreamed of having a Prince. She mainly just wanted someone that was kind towards her and saw her for who she really is. Someone like Aeden...She stopped her thoughts in their tracks. Had she actually just thought that? She mentally slapped herself as she turned around and looked at Aeden.

"Well. The look is complete and I shall surely turn heads on Friday." She grinned as she stood, "Care to dance, kind sir?" She asked with a curtsy. The look on his face made her roll her eyes, "oh come on. I'm in a beautiful dress with my hair up in a bun. I don't want to waste it by taking it off. Dance with me." She stepped closer to him and put a hand on his shoulder. She took his hand into hers and smiled at him. "Imagine there is beautiful piano music playing in the background." She closed her eyes for a second, "And we are surrounded by people gawking because they are snobs and they hate the colour of my dress." She opened her eyes with a grin still playing across her face.

[YamiCuoreLaroux]

After shaking off his initial surprise and confusion at the request, Aeden snickered a bit at the thought of those people. They obviously never saw the parties held in the town when the gypsies came. Vaguely thinking about sneaking Genevieve out to one next time they arrived, he turned his attention back to her and fixed his posture. "As you wish, My Lady Eve. They're probably jealous that they seem so drab in comparison." He hadn't danced formally a lot before, but he knew the basics well enough to keep from messing it up too badly.

As they stepped lightly across the floor, the servant could almost hear the music playing, soft and elegant. The colors around were rich in hue, though favoring softer shades. Glittering lights kept the ballroom bright in his imagination, and the princess looked to be enjoying herself greatly. "You look quite lovely this evening, My Lady. I'm sure your Prince Charming will be most pleased." He twirled her and gave her a smile. "He'd better be polite, though. I'd hate for your father to have to tear him apart when you've only just met him."

[Durachka]

Dancing around with Aeden made Genevieve's heart soar. She laughed and smiled as he twirled her around. It made her wish she could dance with him at a real ball. It would certainly make the thing an actual party instead of a snooze fest. Alas the man standing in front of her, though sometimes she wanted to forget, was a servant and nothing more. He couldn't possibly attend a ball with her even if she wanted him to. How good would it be to have her best friend along for the ride? She wouldn't sit around idly that was for sure. She pushed the thoughts out of her mind as she stared into his eyes.

"Why thank you, kind sir. Its just that I cannot find him anywhere. It seems he may not exist." She faked a frown, "Oh well. You can stand in if you want." She winked at him playfully with a short laugh. She pulled him close and put her head on his shoulder, "Now. Imagine the music slowly dying away." She whispered softly, "The signal for the end of the dance." She pulled away slightly and grinned at him as she stared into his eyes again. "Oh how lovely it was to dance with my best friend, Aeden." She said. She kissed him on the cheek and pulled away from the dancer's embrace completely. She curtsied and then sat down. "That was fun. We should do it again sometime."

[YamiCuoreLaroux]

Aeden laughed lightly along with the princess. "Why, I would be honored, My Lady." He closed his eyes as she placed her head on his shoulder and slowed his steps as he imagined the disappearing melody. It was kind of sad that it had to end so soon, but even the imaginary musicians had to stop and rest eventually. At least he could look forward to watching the princess dance elegantly again at the ball, even if he would not be allowed to join her then. He could still provide support from the sidelines, though, as he always did.

As he always would...

The kiss on the cheek had left him with a slight blush as he bowed to his dancing partner. "I agree, this was quite enjoyable." He straightened up and picked up the dresses still left around the room, placing them back on their hangers and hanging them up in the wardrobe where they belonged. As soon as the room was back in order, he stood in front of Genevieve again and made another small bow. "Is there anything else you wish of me this evening, My Princess? Or shall I go see how fares the poor soul from the kitchens now?"