Ch. 5: Good Morning

The rest of the Aasleaghans eventually made their way to bed, though some of them needed more help than others. Hayward, meanwhile, slept soundly, at least until the first light of dawn started peeking through his window. He slowly, lethargically, dragged himself out of bed and walked over to the window. Without really thinking, he stripped off his shirt and then spread his arms, basking in the morning sun. Living and growing up in the desert, one learned to appreciate its warmth, even if one spent the rest of the day hiding from it. The prince closed his eyes and soaked it in; up in the mountains, he was going to want the heat. Then he opened his eyes and looked straight at the sun, his pupils contracting until they were little more than black pinpricks against a green background.

Alright. I made it through the first night. No one tried to kill me. Good start. I may have even gotten on Elissiana's good side. That'll be helpful. She's pretty, too.

The last thought brought a smile to his face. He wasn't sure yet what to make of the princess, but at least he would enjoy her company. He didn't expect much to come of it—her mother was likely to be disappointed. Still, making friends with the princess would be good for their future relations, assuming that was what both sides desired.

A low rumble drew Hayward's attention away from the warmth of the morning sun.

Ah, right. Food. I forgot to ask what the plan was for breakfast. I guess I could walk down and ask Elissiana...

He shook his head. That was a rather silly idea. He didn't need to bother the princess just to ask about breakfast. Instead, he put a shirt back on and rang the bell on his nightstand.

Elissa herself had slept a little later than she had intended and decided to forgo breakfast, opting instead just to grab a piece of fruit off her dresser. She always kept a few pieces in her room for snacks or, in this case... breakfast. She looked in the mirror, debating if she needed to actually fix her hair, and after undoing the plait decided it was good enough to just wear down.

Then she poured over whether to wear what she wanted, pants, or what she knew she was supposed to when visitors arrived, a dress. After a moment, she decided on comfort and her favorite way of asserting herself, quiet disobedience, and pulled on the pants. They were fitted, showing off her shapely legs and buttocks. She was quite athletic and her body showed it. The top was also fitted with sleeves that went to her elbows, both a deep midnight blue with gold swirling patterns. The gold piping on the top made an ornate design across her breasts that looked almost like a faux piece of armor. She pulled on a pair of leather slippers and was content enough with how she looked to exit her room.

Elissa walked down to the prince's quarters, wondering if he would even be inside. She wasn't sure if he would've gone down for breakfast, or if he was even back by now as it was mid-morning. She greatly preferred nights to mornings, and so it wasn't unusual for her to rise at 9 or 10. Still, she rapped at the door and waited to see if there was any answer inside.

Hayward had returned from breakfast only a few minutes before and was expecting Dantares to join him shortly to discuss the coming day. He had just finished pulling on a pair of gray pants when a knock at the door.

"Come in," he said over his shoulder, then turned back toward the bed as he pulled off his shirt and started sorting through the options in his bag. His back was to the door as it opened, putting him on an unknowing display, showing off a well-built musculature and sandy complexion as he rummaged through his available clothes.

Not hearing his friend's voice, he realized quickly that Dantares wasn't at the door. Whoops. Maybe an attendant? He thought as he turned to glance over his shoulder.

Nope. Princess. Oops. He glanced back at his pack and grabbed the first shirt available, a deep scarlet. He wouldn't have dared wear it outside in the desert, but it would be fine up in the mountains.

"Forgive me, your highness," he said, straightening up and turning to face her. "I... was expecting someone else." While he might have been able to pass for a proper nobleman if he had been dressed (and kept his mouth shut), the illusion didn't last. The scars of battle marred his arms and chest and his figure was clearly that of a fighter, a warrior. There was none of the plump of a comfortable life to soften the edges. Though with the way the elves were willing to feed him, he might put on a few pounds during the visit.

She had blushed just slightly when she entered on his shirtless self, but it wasn't as if it was something she hadn't seen before. A shirtless man wasn't exactly a shirtless woman... which she had also seen... but would be considered a different level of improper altogether.

She did find his body interesting. He'd clearly had his mettle tested and won. She had more respect for him because of that. There weren't many men who fought any longer in her country. There had been no need for quite some time.

Her father had made it his chief priority to bring peace to the lands, and so far, he had succeeded. Not to say that there weren't soldiers at the ready, but rarely did she see battle wounds across their skin. It was impressive. It was...sexy.

Damn it. No. No. He isn't sexy. Don't think that. He's not anything. He's a human, just a plain ordinary human that you have to be friendly to. The end.

He didn't seem to be in any hurry to cover up; modesty was not something he bothered with most of the time. He still held his shirt in one hand while the other was propped on his hip, and his eyes ran quickly over the princess's outfit. "I would say this makes us even," he said with a playful grin, "but I suspect I'm still in your debt." He started slowly pulling on his shirt. "And I'm going to stop there, because another word will get me in trouble, and then—"

"I'll end up winning my bet with Deker and I won't let him live it down for a month," Dantares finished the sentence, appearing beside Elissiana.

"Forgive me, your highness," he went on, turning to face the princess. "I really have tried to teach him proper manners."

"Instead, all I got was mannerisms," Hayward mused as he stuck his other arm into the shirt and then pulled it over his head and down, realizing that he and Dantares had used the exact same phrase, 'forgive me your highness.'

The old man shook his head. "Pardon me, again," he said, bowing politely to the princess. "I'll return later." He turned and retreated down the hall again, as suddenly as he had appeared.

"So," the prince said. He smoothed his shirt a little and then pulled his long plait of black hair out from under it to let it fall down his back. "Time for the tour? And then what, lunch?" Much like her outfit, his fit him well, if slightly looser. They allowed for effortless movement but didn't show off quite as much.

She enjoyed the little spat he seemed to have with the elder man, laughing slightly at the two of them. He was clearly a good friend. He had tried to teach him? Was he his tutor? Or maybe just by example, he meant. She wasn't sure of the relation yet, but she'd ask. After his exit, she motioned for him to follow, turning around for the first time in the form fitting bottoms...showing off her own well sculpted bottom, and went to exit the room.

"Yes, tour, lunch, and then I imagine my parents are going to bore you with some sort of talk about peace and formal treaties and blah blah..." she rolled her hand in a motion of 'this will go on forever.'

"But tomorrow..." she said, her voice picking up in excitement, "tomorrow I'm going on a hunt, and you are welcome to come along if you wish..." she glanced back over her shoulder "do you hunt?" She raised a brow at him.

The prince's eyes flicked down from her face toward her legs as she turned around.

Damn. That's pretty nice, too. He chuckled as he followed her down the hall.

"A hunt sounds..." Like a lot of fun, and a perfect time for some sort of accidental misfortune to befall one of us. Dammit. "... like a good chance to get to know the mountains better. I imagine it's a very different thing, hunting in the forest rather than the desert." For him, hunting was as often a matter of endurance as stealth; it didn't matter if the animal saw him coming, if he could keep running well after it had collapsed of exhaustion. But following a creature through the desert was a far simpler matter, and he wasn't sure it would even be possible in the forest.

"Do you usually hunt alone or with a group?" He knew it might be seen as improper to go out alone with her, but he would be much happier if he could escape without his men.

"I normally hunt alone," she responded, not really thinking much about the two of them being alone and that being, well... improper, but she was always one to push boundaries so it wouldn't matter that much. "I mean, if you're more comfortable hunting in a group, your men can come along. But I'm pretty good with a bow. I promise I won't let anything eat you..." she teased.

Hayward laughed. "Ah, you needn't worry about that. I'm much too tough and bitter to make a good snack. Most animals just take one bite and then leave me be," he said, sliding up his sleeve to reveal what certainly looked like the scar from an old bite wound.

"Especially," he added, looking at her with another sly grin, "if there's something sweeter available." He licked his lips for a moment, looking down the hall to see if they were alone. His eyes burned into her skin as he fought the urge to kiss her pale flesh.

"I'm quite happy to hunt alone, so long as it won't cause any kind of scandal—at least in the eyes of people who matter. I'm not sure yet who's on that list, but I'm guessing it includes the king and queen."

"As for your parents," he whispered as they walked through the halls, "I suspect they're going to be... disappointed. Dantares is the closest thing we have to a diplomat on this trip, and he's really just an advisor. We can talk about treaties, but I don't think I have any actual authority to negotiate." Nor do I think my father actually wants peace.

"Well, I'm sure my parents will get to have that lovely conversation later and without me, because that's not my department. Dad is all about peace and trade and such. I'm just hospitality..." she laughed a little at the thought. She wasn't the world's most hospitable. So the fact they had nominated her for this was rather amusing.

Nonetheless, she had. She knew why she had. It was her mother, who was still convinced peace was better achieved through marriage than peace treaties. She wasn't sure peace could truly come through either.

"But!" He waved a hand dismissively. "That can all wait. This place was incredible to see last night in the dark, and I cannot wait to see it all in the daylight," he said, smiling pleasantly.