A Modern Affair

Erik walked with her showing her room to room. He stopped at the library and smiled at her, "This is our library." He told her. "And you're more than welcome to take and come in here. Read, or whatever. There are a lot of good books in here." Erik smiled at her.

"Dominic..." Erik paused. "He's good with swords." Erik smiled at her.

Dominic took and walked out of his chambers. He wondered around the castle till he heard Raven and Erik talking. He leaned into the doorway and smiled watching her. He felt lucky to have been betrothed to her. But he could tell his younger brother liked her. Sighing he knew this was going to be a rough road.

"Indeed." Isabella smiled at him. "My wish was granted. I got to hear you sing, and your adoring people adored it." She smiled clasping her hands in front of her and smiling at him. "I was wondering, could you or Jaime give me a tour of the palace?" Isabella asked smiling at him.

Raven watched him and smiled softly. Stepping into the library, her eyes widened in awe as she looked up around her her mouth agape as she took in the amount of books surrounding her. "Wow." She whispered. Hearing his words she smiled happily nodding. Hearing his words, she gave a soft laugh and said, "I hope there's more to him than just swords." She looked at the books, running her fingers down their leather bound spines. Biting her lip she smiled widely as she gazed longingly at the books. She had never been surrounded by so many books. Even the library in her kingdom was no match to this one. Turning she saw Dominic in the doorway and said, "Hello."

Jaime sighed as they put him into his dinner clothes. He stretched softly before feeling his neck and back pop. He gave a yawn before stretching to wake himself up. Once awake again, he looked around and came out of his chambers to see Dylan speaking with Isabella. He narrowed his eyes a little bit before walking up and clapping Dylan on the shoulder smiling at her. "We both can. I didn't not mean to eavesdrop. I was merely walking towards you and heard you." He smiled.

Dylan laughed and said, "They always wish for me to sing. Though, Father thinks it's more of a woman's task than a mans." He rolled his eyes at his own words. "He simply doesn't approve." He told her with a sad smile before straightening it up. Hearing her request he was about to say he would before he felt Jaime clap him on the shoulder and laughed. "I suppose we both can." He looked back at her.

@ McDreamy;

Dominic smiled at the two, "Hello you two." He told the two guiding towards them as he smiled at Raven. "Are you liking the tour of the palace?" Dominic questioned her smiling as he narrowed his eyes at his brother.

Erik smiled, "We were." Erik simply told his brother smiling. He clasped his hands behind his back watching Dominic begin to speak as a maid told them it was time for dinner. "Saved by the maid." Erik grinned.

Smiling at the two, Isabella nodded her head, "Well thank you, gentleman." She smiled at them. "I don't think it's a man task. I think either could do it." Isabella smiled at the two as she walked between the two men. "So do you all have a library or anything like that?" She asked smiling to the two.

Raven gave him a polite smile, wondering if there was more to him than just sword play. Blinkng, she nodded, "Yes." She was curious as to why he was narrowing his eyes at Erik. Looking up she heard the maid and smiled softly. "I don't know if there was anything to be saved by." She let them lead the way before walking with them into the dining room. She sat down where she was supposed to and looked at the King and Queen bowing her head.

Jaime smiled at her. He nodded his head before showing her around. He paused listening to their conversation before looking at her hearing her question. "We do, though it's much smaller than my mother prefers." He walked towards it, before opening the double doors and smiling looking up at many books that flooded the walls.

Dylan smiled hearing her and said, "I much agree, but there's not changing his mind once he's made it up." He sighed before hearing Jaime speaking and smiled. He walked in and murmured, "Mother also doesn't know what small is." He laughed looking at the books before going over to the musical section wondering if his mother was going to want him to play the piano tonight or not.

@ McDreamy;

Dominic took his seat waiting on his parents as they began eating. He took and sighed a little bit picking at his food. Watching his younger brother stare at Raven caused his blood to boil. He knew it'd be a long road. But he'd show her who the better man was, and that was him.

Erik ate his food like normal. Taking a sip of his water he took and looked around the dinning room. He kept quiet knowing that Dominic was pissed off at him. A smirked tried to tug at his lips but he shook it away and just grinned to himself.

Isabella smiled, "It's lovely." She told them smiling. She saw all the books and stared in amazement. "I love reading. It's such a joyful thing. Along with singing." Isabella smiled looking towards Jamie before looking at Dylan as he walked off. She looked at Jaime and smiled lightly.

Raven was feeling a little awkward at the silence. She was used to her parents and brother speaking to her while they ate. She slowly ate her food and commented about how it was good. She took a sip of her own drink giving a small sigh that was baerly audible. She was across from Dominic and on the side of Erik. She whispered softly. "You all aren't very talkative are you?" She had whispered it to Erik since if she had whispered it to Dominic, his parents would've heard her. She gave a smile biting her lip to keep from laughing. She had no clue as to what was going on between the two brothers at the moment. She was just glad to have a friend.

Jaime smiled and said, "I'm glad you like it. You're more than welcome to read anything in here, and to come in here whenever you please." He smiled at her again before hearing her words and nodded. "I'm guessing you heard my dear younger brother's singing?" He grinned grabbing Dylan by the shoulder and messing his hair up. He was getting annoyed by the fact that Dylan was spending so much time with Isabella. He was a little rougher than he should've been. He then smiled hearing the maid. "May I escort you?" He questioned Isabella with a smile.

Dylan chuckled hearing them converse before he was bombarded from behind his hair getting messed up. He turned his hair all in his face and said, "I think this is a good look for me." He heard Jaime laugh and grinned fixing his hair knowing their parents would be upset. He smiled at Isabella staring at her for a moment before hearing the maid tell them dinner was ready. He lead the way to the dining hall knowing he should keep his distance from Isabella, but if he was going to be truthful he didn't want to.

@ McDreamy;

Erik chuckled softly, "Sometimes they are and sometimes they aren't." He replied softly. "Tonight is one of those nights." He smiled to her. Erik took and smiled as he took and finished up and looked at her. "Are you enjoying your meal?" Erik asked her lightly.

Dominic watched his brother and Raven speak to one another. The temper was flaring up as he cleared his throat. "So Raven, what do you think so far?" Dominic asked trying to get everyone to talk.

Isabella saw Dylan walk onward as she smiled at Jaime. She took his arm and walked with him to the dinning room. "You and your family have a lovely home, Jaime." Isabella smiled at him as they walked together.

Raven smiled and gave a soft laugh and nodded. "I am, it's good. Different from what i'm used to, but nonetheless it is excellent." She told him. She turned her hair upon hearing Dominic clearing his throat and smiled and said, "It's very.." She paused searching for the correct word. "Different -- not a bad different, but it's different from my home. Though, I do feel very welcomed here." She smiled. "I thank you all for allowing me to feel comfortable here." She wiped her mouth before finishing up her own meal, wondering when her mother would write to her, and when she did, what she would write.

Jaime smiled at her and laughed, "We are very fortunate." He agreed with a smile feeling her arm on his own. "Thank you." He told her as they walked into the dining room. He led her to her seat pulling it out for her before going to his own. He waited for his mother and father to get in before setting a napkin over his lap and beginning to eat. He spoke with his parents a grin on his face.

Dylan smiled as he sat down beside Isabella and started to eat. He watched his parents talk to Jaime before figuring it was a good idea to talk to Isabella. "How is the food?" He questioned with a smile on his face. After a good couple of minutes speaking his mother wormed her way into the conversation and asked, "Oh, Dylan, won't you play for me tonight?" He laughed but smiled and said, "How could I refuse my dear mother?" He gave her a smile knowing he was a momma's boy.

@ McDreamy;

"You're very welcome." King James smiled at her.

Dominic smiled, "Quiet welcome." Dominic finished and laid his napkin on the plate. "Would you like to go explore the castle some more? And the courtyard?" Dominic offered her with a light smile.

Erik took and watched Dominic and narrowed his eyes. He excused himself leaving the dinning hall. He walked quickly towards the library and sat down at a small desk. He grabbed his book and began writing. It was the only way he could let himself escape into something.

Isabella smiled at Dylan, "It's lovely, thank you." She replied to him. Hearing his mother speak up she smiled. "Oh you play instruments too?" Isabella looked at Dylan amazed and smiled. "I'm like the Queen then. I can't wait to hear you play." She smiled at Dylan and looked at Jaime smiling as she took small bites of her food and drank on her drink.

@ McDreamy;
Raven gave them a soft smile before taking her napkin off her lap and laying it down on the plate to signal that she was finished. She haerd his words and said, "That sounds most interesting. Yes." She said with a smile. Hearing Erik, she turned watching him leave, biting on her lip before turning to Dominic and getting up, bidding the king and queen farewell as she walked with him. "So tell me about yourself." She questioned as she walked alongside him.

Jaime looked up hearing his mother speaking to Dylan and ground his teeth seeing that he had been conversing with Isabella once again. He met Dylan's eyes and simply gave him a challenging nod before smiling. "Yes, dear brother. Play for us." He laughed knowing he, too, enjoyed hearing Dylan playing. He glanced at his father, seeing he had set his jaw.

Dylan smiled at her. "I'm glad." He laughed before looking back at her and nodded. "Only the piano. And only because I threw the biggest of tantrums in order to play it." He laughed. He gave a nod, before metting Jaime's gaze and saw him look at his father, before he looked at him and bit down to keep from sighing. He simply smiled before standing up and going to the piano. He wondered what he would play, before his hands touched the keys and just started to move in a slow melody.

"I'm twenty-one." Dominic began as he looked at her. "I love to be adventurous. Sword fighting is my thing. Once I am a king, I plan to fight alongside my guards. Not like my father and cower behind them." Dominic told her. "I can be romantic, and I hope I get a chance to show you that." Dominic smiled at her.

Erik sat in the library sighing to himself. He took and wrote in the book as he ran a hand over his face and through his hair. He couldn't just ignore the fact of Raven. He was drawn to her, and he couldn't explain it. Sighing to himself as he took and cleared his throat he sat there a moment. Deciding on writing a poem for her, even if she was betrothed to his brother. He'd win her heart. He was sure of it.

Isabella watched Dylan in amazement hearing him play the piano as the melody escaped. She closed her eyes enjoying the melody as she opened her eyes lightly and smiled. He was truly gifted and amazing. She took and hummed lightly to herself along with the melody as she enjoyed it ignoring the fact of Jaime and the king in the room with her as well.

@ McDreamy;
Raven listened to him, knowing he was older than her by five years. She just gave a smile. She wondered how old Erik was but simply shook it before laughing hearing him. "It's very kind to describe your father as cowering." She said but smiled at him. Blinking, she heard him and blushed before giving a smile to him. "We shall see, won't we?" She asked with a gentle smile. She looked around the courtyard smiling to herself before turning to look at Dominic and said, "This courtyard is lovely." Her thoughts couldn't help but wander to Erik, but she shook them away looking up at Dominic.

Jaime smiled softly hearing Dylan begin to play and murmured, "It's been forever since he's played." He heard Isabella humming and bit down on his lip before looking back at Dylan, and saw his father's jaw set once more and he rolled his eyes softly giving a little sigh. He just wished his father would give Dylan more positive attention.

Dylan let his fingers do all the work as he slowly shut his eyes knowing that the melody was filling the hall, the only image in his head was dancers in the ballroom all dancing and smiling and being happy due to his melody. He finished up, before smiling hearing his mother clap and laughed before bowing. He walked over and kissed her cheek gently.

Dominic smiled at her, "Yes it is. This is mother's favorite place of all the castle. She loves her flowers." Dominic smiled. "I remember being a young boy. She'd bring me out here to help her. Of course I would. We'd plant, and plant flowers upon flowers. That's one thing she won't let anyone but herself do." Dominic smiled at her. "Something bothering you?" He questioned her.

Erik sighed walking over to the window and seeing Dominic and Raven in the courtyard. He smirked walking down the stairs and out into the courtyard, "Hello you two." Erik smiled sweeping a bow to Raven.

Isabella clapped with the queen and smiled. "That was lovely." She smiled. She enjoyed the small talk afterwards as the dinner was dismissed. She got up from her seat and walked out wondering towards the library. She walked inside humming as she walked over to the music section and grabbed a book sitting down as she began reading and remaining to herself.

Raven looked up smiling as she listened to Dominic explain about the flowers. She smiled softly and murmured, "I wonder if she would allow me to help one day." She looked up at him and smiled before blinking hearing him, "Just thinking." She replied giving him a smile. She missed her own mother at that moment and bit her lip before blinking hearing a familiar voice. She smiled laughing at his ridiculous bow and said, "Hello there." She looked back up at Dominic giving him a smile before turning to Erik.

Jaime clapped as well and sighed as he watched his father get up without a word and leave the room. He glared at the door shaking his head looking to make sure his brother was okay. He then smiled at Isablla and watched her stand and figured he would leave her alone to her thoughts knowing it must all be rather suffocating.

Dylan smiled and said, "Thank you, Thank you." He flashed a grin, completely ignoring as his father stood up leaving. His mother kissed his cheek and whispered into his ear, "Ignore him, my love. He doesn't understand that it brings you great joy." He smiled down lovingly at his mother and kissed her head and whispered, "No matter what he thinks, your compliments are the ones I always look forward to, mother." That brought a smile onto her face and he grinned at his mother before pulling away from her gently and wandering around the castle. He let Jaime and his mother speak, as he walked down. He ended up in the library, not noticing Isabella was in there as well and looked for new music to practice.

@ McDreamy;

Dominic felt his jaw clench as he looked at his younger brother, "Erik." Dominic replied to him.

"Hope I am not intruding, but I did want to come out and see if maybe we three could just sit and talk. Get to know Raven a bit better?" Erik smiled. "Ridiculous, my bow. How dare thee." He laughed smiling. "I agree it was." He joked.

"I suppose we could." Dominic replied nodding his head a little bit. Leading Raven to a small clearing he helped her sit on the small bench as he sat beside of her. He watched Erik sit in front of them as he looked at Raven smiling.

"So was reading your only pass time" Erik asked smiling at Raven as he laid his writing and sketch books aside. He admired her from where he was sitting he smiled at her. She was just so captivating.

Isabella looked up from her book and saw Dylan in the same section. She smiled to herself laying the book in her lap. "I guess great minds think alike, right?" She smiled. "You truly are amazing. You were so breath taking, and captivating on the piano." Isabella smiled at Dylan admiring him.

@ McDreamy;
Raven smiled at the pair and blinked hearing them and laughed shaking her head and said, "I'm not that interesting." She assured them but walked with them and sat down ont the bench wishing she could just wear pants and a shirt like they did, but instead she was stuck in this godawful dress. It was gorgeous -- that was true, but she would prefer if she didn't have to wear a corset. Maybe tomorrow she wouldn't, and see how it went. She looked up from her thoughts and shook her head, "No, I like to listen to music a lot, though me myself, have no musical talent." She laughed softly before looking back up at them. I like to think." She smiled, "It sounds proposterous." She laughed at herself looking at the sunset before murmuring, "I reall do enjoy swimming and animals." She turned looking at them blushing for a moment before looking at them. "I quite useless at much of anything else." She laughed.

Jaime had decided to take a midnight stroll around the courtyard as he looked at the heavens above smiling seeing all the stars and thought for a moment before going to find Isabella. He finally found her in the library adn saw her with Dylan and set his jaw before shaking it away and going up to her. "Pardon my intrusion, but may I show you something?" He questioned her for a moment with a smile.

Dylan smiled and laughed hearing her and said, "Great minds do think alike." He smiled at her before walking over and sat down across from her, not allowing himself to be any closer and smiled. "Thank you for your kind words, though I can't help but be jealous that I need an instrument to be captivating while you are captivating and breath taking all by yourself." His words came naturally and looked up hearing Jaime and smiled at his brother.

Dominic smiled at her, "You sound actually interesting, and captivating." Dominic complimented her smiling at her. Dominic took and admired her as he looked at Erik and smiled at his younger brother looking past how he was looking at Raven.

"Thinking can be fun. You can let yourself wonder in a part of your mind that no one can enter." Erik smiled. He took and looked up at the sunset and smiled. "It's so beautiful." He told everyone as he admired the view and began drawing it.

Isabella looked at Dylan and blushed at his word, "Thank you." Isabella whispered lightly and smiled at him. She heard Jamie and looked over at him and smiled, "Of course you can." She placed the book back on the shelf and smiled at Dylan before walking out with Jaime.

@ McDreamy;
Raven laughed shaking her head. "Thank you, but I don't think so." She smiled looking at the sunset watching it gently thinking about the fact that all she wanted to do was go run into the forest and go exploring. She hated being locked up all the time, even though she was the future of her country since it would put an end to the war. Her brother was older, and by right would take the throne when he came of age. Her younger brother was still just 5 and didn't know anything of the world and she wanted to keep it that way. She didn't want anyone to know the horrors of the world. She watched the red of the sunset and had a relaxed smile on her face. "I wonder if the colors blend together because they know they are made to." She whispered more to herself than anyone else but looked up and smiled at the men.

Jaime smiled and took her hand gently before leading her out into the courtyard. He stopped in the middle before letting go of her hand and saying, "Look up, Princess." He smiled as he looked up to see at least a million stars twinkling down on them. The moon was full as well. He smiled as he turned back looking up at the sky. "I thought you might like it." He murmured watching the sunset colors meshed with the violet and dark blue of the sky.

Dylan smiled at her nodding his head. "Pardon me if I overstepped my boundaries." He told her before watching Jaime whisk her away. He sighed before going outside at the other end of the courtyard having bushes to hide him as he looked up at the sky and smiled before laying down in the grass his arms behind his head as he hummed softly. He wished he could stay outside forever and look at this same view over and over.

(Do you mind if in the next day I have her brother be assassinated?)

Erik grinned at her, "I think the same." Erik replied softly watching the sunset. He smiled to himself. He admired the beauty that nature had to offer to them.

Dominic stood and kept to himself watching the two. A sigh escaped his lips as he shook his head lightly. He sat down and watched the sunset knowing he was going to have to strive harder.

Isabella glanced up and gasped in amazement. "Oh my." Isabella stared at the view. "This is so beautiful." She admired the gorgeous sky that mother nature had offered to them that night. She looked over at Jaime and smiled, "Thank you. This is lovely." She smiled before looking up at the sky as she smiled brightly while her eyes twinkled with the star light.

(I don't mind honey)

@ McDreamy;
Raven smiled at Erik before running a hand through her hair lightly. She hummed softly before looking up at the clock seeing the time and murmured, "I think I should head to my chambers and rest." The days events were starting to wear on her and she wanted to get out of the corset and just lay down on her bed whatever way she wanted and be herself and not have to deal with manners and being polite.

Jaime smiled hearing her. He laughed looking down at her with a smile. "You're most welcome." He told her softly as he watched her looking at her underneath his lashes before looking back up at the sky. Giving a smile, he yawned stretching softly. His warm body right behind hers.

Dylan watched the stars humming softly to himself as he did so. He closed his eyes as he started to sing looking up at the sky as he continued. His voice was deepish, but also had a very tenor sound to it. He smiled as he sang thinking of how amazing it would be to have an orchestra playing behind him as he sang.