Rival Rulers

@ castle.
Alexandria was quiet for a long moment after she heard Dominic's idea. She didn't love the thought of going around and being - what she imagined would happen - surrounded by a large number of wolves. Even going around the castle alone wasn't all that enticing to Alexandria...being escorted by Dominic was only a small upgrade. 

However, the princess was aware that hiding and sneaking her way around the castle wasn't going to be an option. Even if her plan to get home permanently worked out, she would still be there for some time. She didn't have to love werewolves but she needed to get used to them being around. So, she gave Dominic a small nod as she stood up and took the plate of tarts into her hand. In the least, Alexandria did believe that Dominic could and would protect her. 

"Okay. It's probably about time that I met someone other than you." Alexandria joked lightly, her eyes softening as she did so. Perhaps she could find someone else that seemed safe to spend time with. Even better if it was someone who had a lot of information and was willing to share. "You should lead the way. I don't fully know my way around yet." 

Once Dominic started heading out, Alexandria moved to his side and followed him through the hallways. She wondered if Dominic had people in mind or if he was going to introduce her to whoever they happened to come across. Alexandria would just have to wait to find out. "How many people typically stay here with you and your parents?" She asked him after a moment. 

Dominic was relieved when Alexandria agreed to his suggestion. If she had been completely against it, he wouldn't have pushed her into it but he was relieved that she'd simply agreed. He smiled a bit as he nodded, turning lead her from his office. It also served as a good way to distract Alexandria from the fact that he hadn't answered her direction question. Dominic shoved his hands into his pockets, laughing softly at her words. "Probably is a good idea," he teased softly.

"There's good wolves here, other than me," Dominic joked, nudging her with his shoulder. It was all he did but he hoped that his little comment hadn't put her off. He had only meant it as a lighthearted joke despite someone potentially looking too much into it. Clearing his throat, Dominic glanced down to Alexandria.

"There's a few wolves that stay with us all the time because they are close to us. There's a few that stay with us because they have..." Dominic paused, letting out a deliberate breathe. "Have been orphaned through one way or another. My parents have always been strict about taking them in. About showing them they still have family, even if something has happened to the parents. It's what we thrive on. That sense of family, that sense of belonging to the pack."

Dominic looked up, his face breaking into a grin as he spotted his best friend. "Marcus!" Dominic called loudly, nodding when the wolf looked up. He led Alexandria forward, moving to the side so the two of them could speak to each other. "Alexandria made some tarts for everyone," he said, preening a bit at his own words. Alexandria was providing for her pack, even without intending to. Marcus eyed Dominic for a moment, knowing what Dominic thought.

Marcus turned to Alexandria and smiled brightly, taking a tart from the plate. He took a tentative smile, his face scrunching as he turned back toward Dominic with narrowed eyes. "It's so.. tart!" He exclaimed and Dominic couldn't hold in his laughter anymore as he gave Marcus a light shove.

"Be nice! Just because you'd eat a bowl of sugar if we allowed you doesn't mean everyone wants to eat something that sweet. Jerk."

@ castle.

"That is really nice of them to do that," Alexandria told him, her voice was soft. They certainly did not have any orphans at their home. Though they did have two orphanages that were run by the crown. But it would be odd if her family would suddenly do that as there were not many people who were allowed to stay with them, much less those who were there all year long. Someone was always staying with them but who and how many changed.

Lifting her eyes up as Dominic called out to someone, she took a moment to look him over. The man looked friendly enough, especially with his smile and how the two of them acted towards each other... Though she was also beginning to think that Dominic was friendly towards everyone. They all had some strange strong bond that Alexandria didn't quite understand, but it connected them.

Though, nonetheless, she gave Marcus a warm smile and held out the plate of tarts for him to try. "I am still not quite sure how many people live here so I hope I made enough." It had not been Alexandria's main intention to make dessert for everyone. But Alexandria had doubled her recipe to allow Dominic the chance to share if he had wanted.... she just didn't think at the time that she would be coming with.

She watched the two for a moment, seeing how they interacted. Soon a genuine smile was moving over Alexandria's face and a light laugh came from her. "Dominic told me that he didn't like a sweet dessert. Though I'll make something more resembling a 'bowl of sugar' next time."

Dominic could tell that Alexandria's hadn't made enough for everyone to have but it was a good show - besides he hadn't asked her to. All he had wanted from her was a simple dessert for him to enjoy. The fact that she had made so much warmed his heart more than it probably should have. They hardly knew each other, hell, Alexandria didn't even know that she was his mate. Dominic grinned as he glanced between his best friend and Alexandria. "You laugh like you think I'm kidding," he teased, pointing toward Marcus. "But I've caught him eating a mouthful of sugar before!"

Marcus groaned, tossing his head back while staring up at the ceiling. "Why are you like this? You know how your mother is!"

Dominic gave a cheeky grin, shrugging his shoulders. "Maybe if it was normal to eat spoonfuls of sugar but it isn't and you damn well know that!" He said with a laugh, shaking his head as he grinned.

Setting a hand on Alexandria's lower back, he led her away from Marcus after a moment. The moment they were away from him, Dominic's hand dropped from her back. He held his hands behind his back as they moved throughout the castle, stopping by anyone who they happened across.

"Marcus and I have been best friends since we are young. He's an awesome guy. If you ever need something and I'm not around, you can go to him. I trust him with my life," he said, nodding slightly. "I trust him with yours," he added softly. He glanced toward her. "I mean it."

@ castle.

Alexandria waved goodbye to Marcus as Dominic started to lead her away. It was odd feeling his hand on her back. Especially since she didn't love the contact. Though, Alexandria tried not to think much of it. Relaxing a bit more about it once his hand dropped away. She needed to get used to those small touches but all Alexandria could think of was his claws coming out and there suddenly being a hole in her back.

"Well, where would I be able to find him?" Alexandria asked him softly, her head tilting a bit to the side. It was good that Dominic was able to pinpoint someone that Alexandria was able to go to for help, but she wasn't sure about the whole trusting him with her life thing. She certainly did not trust Dominic with her life. But Dominic was easily the person there she trusted the most currently. So it seemed that Marcus had become second on that list... unfortunately the bar was low.

"Hopefully, I won't need someone to take my life in their hands but it is good to know that." She did really hope that nothing was going to happen to her there. Though she was still afraid that it would. Dominic was still on her list of potentially murdering her but he was much much MUCH farther down on the list than she orginally thought he would be.

Turning to another passerby, Alexandria smiled at them as she offered them one of the tarts. They took it with a smile before continuing along their way. It didn't bother Alexandria that they didn't stop for her a full conversation. Just meeting so many of them was enough for her for now. Though at some point she was going to need to get to know them all more, maybe even get some names. "What do you all normally have for dessert?"

Dominic's fingers twitching, wanting nothing more than to place his hand on Alexandria's lower back again. The contact had been so simple but it helped to calm his nerves, calm the brewing anger that settled in his veins. The full moon was less than a week away and he hated that his parents had planned Alexandria's arrival the way that they had. He had wished she would arrive just after the full moon so that he could have a month with her, to get to know her and to gain her trust before he had to suffer through another full moon.

He glanced toward her, guiding her toward the gardens that they had walked through on one of Alexandria's first days here. Dominic remembered how much she had liked it before and he wanted to show her that he could remember important details about her life. What she did and didn't like. Clearing his throat, Dominic smiled a bit.

"Usually things that are rich. Chocolate cake or cookies or.. whatever," he said with a half hearted shrug. "I actually love cheesecake. You can do so much with it. I once tried to make one..." he trailed off, his nose scrunching. "Never again will I try to cook. I almost ruined the oven. My mother banned me from ever touching an appliance in the kitchen again," he said with a laugh. It had been shameful at first but that had been nearly five years ago, Dominic could laugh at it now.

"What do you like to eat? For dessert," Dominic clarified as they made their way further into the gardens, toward a small, man made waterfall. He sat on the bench beside it, turning toward Alexandria. "Or just in general works, too."

@ castle.

Following him towards the garden's, Alexandria's eyes moved off of Dominic. She started to glance around at everything that was in there, taking in the wild-like place. Still, she was surprised by how different it was than the gardens at home but there was much that she enjoyed about it. It really did feel like they were in the wilderness somewhere, like things were growing wildly by themselves. Though it was clear that was not the case despite the look, as everything was so well taken cared of.

She stopped paying so much attention to where they were going, instead of focusing on what they were passing. Alexandria thought nothing of it as she allowed Dominic to lead her the way. She wouldn't be able to get out without his help but it wasn't like he would abandon her there anyways. "I do love the gardens here," Alexandria told him, her voice soft and full of wonder. How were they able to take care of this? There was clearly no order to what was occurring - or at least she didn't think so.

Once they arrived at the man-made waterfall, Alexandria slowly turned her attention back to Dominic. She moved beside him, sitting down on the bench next to him. "I can bake a cheesecake for you sometime if you would like," Alexandria told him. She found it rather easy to make a dessert like that. "Though how did you almost ruin the oven when baking?" Her head tilted to the side slightly. She found it rather interesting to learn what he did with what she considered a simple recipe.

"My favorite dessert is ice cream," Alexandria told him with a warm smile. "I don't make my own though, at least not very often. To be honest, I don't typically bake for myself. I enjoy baking, and I like the foods that I make typically. But normally I am doing it for others. It's a lot more enjoyable when you're cooking for someone else."

Dominic couldn't contain his grin when Alexandria mentioned liking the gardens here. It was such a simple compliment but it made his heart swell because all that he wanted to do was make her happy, to care for her in any way that he possibly could. It didn't matter when Alexandria needed from him, Dominic would happily give into her. He cleared his throat, looking up to her as she turned back toward him. His smile was easy, almost lazy in nature as she questioned him.

He couldn't help but laugh, shrugging his shoulders. "I think my mother said something about how I over beat the batter so when it baked, it rose too much and it cracked and it was just.." his face scrunched at the memory. "It just wasn't good. I trusted her when she said that it was a good idea that I didn't try making any desserts again. It's a waste because it doesn't turn out and there's apparently more important things that I could be doing in my life," he said with a roll of his eyes.

He raised an eyebrow, nodding slowly as Alexandria spoke. "Well, there's no reason that you can't do both, hm? That you can make a dessert that you'll enjoy while still being able to share with others. Best of both worlds, isn't it?" Dominic asked softly. His smile grew a bit as he looked up to her. "The kitchen is always open here, for you. Whether you want to cook just for yourself or others.. or both," he added with a lopsided shrug of his shoulders.

"What else can we do?" Dominic asked, wanting to learn as much as he possibly could about Alexandria and all that she liked to do. "Sorry, what else do you like to do? I know we're going to travel a bit together but I want us to do other things that you'll be able to enjoy. Once... we are married, things won't be as easy to just get away from. We'll have to be more mindful of when we take vacations," Dominic explained quietly. He hoped that his mention of them being married didn't make her uncomfortable because that certainly wasn't what he wanted to do.

@ castle.

Alexandria gave him a small shrug in response. She enjoyed baking quite a bit and she had a sweet tooth but Alexandria didn't want to eat sweets as much as she wanted to bake for others. It was just the way things were. Though, it did seem here that there would always be someone to bake for and that her treats would always be gone before she realized it. Well, Alexandria supposed that was the one nice thing she found while being here so far. But she didn't have the courage to go offer treats by herself. Maybe if she left them out during dinner, that would be enough.

Her attention moved back to Dominic as he asked what else she wanted to do, or rather what else the two of them could do. Alexandria did find it surprising that Dominic seemed to really want to put in an effort. Though she couldn't be sure as to why. Perhaps he was trying to do right by his country and by her, or his parents... or the worst-case scenario. Part of her wanted him to care less, to leave her alone. But if he were to do that she knew she would be more afraid of what they were planning. The other part of her felt better about the fact that he was trying to reach out. He really did seem like a good guy... if only he would stop mentioning the marriage.

"There are plenty of things that I enjoy doing, though we don't always have to do what I want to do," Alexandria told him, her voice softening. She was accepting that she would be spending a lot of time with Dominic. It seemed that they would be around each other daily, even if Dominic was busy it appeared he was going to make time for her. "If there is something that you want to do, we can always go do that. What do you enjoy? You know, things that you would do if you don't have to work that day at all."

Alexandria let out a small hum before continuing on, knowing that she should still answer his question about her likes. "I do enjoy traveling quite a bit. It's actually something I have to do quite a bit of at home. It sounds like you stay close to your pack but we are often traveling through our country or going to others to meet with other countries. But anyway, that's work-related. I enjoy playing games, Chess is always a lot of fun. Horseback riding is always a good choice, especially when I need to clear my head."

Dominic let out a gentle laugh, waving his hand to ward off Alexandria's words. There were plenty of things that he enjoyed doing but frankly, he didn't want to do any of them if Alexandria wasn't with him. Now he simply wanted to spend as much time with her as he could. She was his betrothed, his mate, and there was nothing that was going to separate them. Dominic wouldn't allow it. Even if they had to take things slow, Dominic wanted to be in some part of her life. They would move at whatever pace that Alexandria was comfortable with.

"We can always do things that I like later on. Right now I just want for you to be happy and comfortable. If you are happy, then so am I," Dominic declared. He shrugged his shoulders because to him, it was such a simple thing. It was such a simple truth to him, that it was expected of him - Dominic would stand by her side for the rest of time. It was the right thing to do, after all. He was not some barbaric animal that she thought he was. The thought caused a jolt of pain to shoot through him. Dominic didn't want Alexandria to be afraid of him or think she may be hurt by his hands, it very nearly made him angry but Dominic forced back the emotion to focus on the woman in front of him.

"I enjoy hiking. Swimming in the lakes of our country. There's a beautiful one that is filled by this waterfall not too far away," Dominic commented, tilting his head to the side. He hummed for a moment before sitting up a bit straighter. "We could ride horses the day after tomorrow, down to the lakes. That way we can go swimming and horseback riding. That way we can both have fun," Dominic suggested with a little grin.

Dominic thought that it was a good compromise, of them both being able to do something that they both could enjoy. "It's about an hour's ride there and then another hour back. Perhaps we could take a lunch and just have some time to get to know each other a bit more," he offered, holding his breathe in anticipation as he waited for Alexandria's response. He was hopeful that she would agree but he wasn't going to force her hand into anything.

@ castle.

As Alexandria looked at Dominic, a thankful smile moved over her lips. It was a really sweet thing to hear from him, that he just wanted her to be happy and comfortable. Hearing him say it caused her heart to beat faster for a few moments. She was scared of wolves but Dominic was good in her book. Every time she spoke to him, the more Alexandria felt reassured that Dominic was honestly going to try to make her feel good about being there. She didn't want to tell him it was a fruitless effort but it was still heartwarming nonetheless.

She took a moment to think over his offer but eventually she nodded to Dominic, the smile still on her face. "Okay, that sounds like fun. I enjoy swimming as well and I would love to see the waterfall." In truth, Alexandria thought it sounded like a good time. Horseback riding, swimming, and a waterfall? That should be a great afternoon. And she truly wasn't worried about Dominic. As long as she didn't enrage him, he would stay in his human form. His human form seemed trustworthy enough to spend time alone with. Though Alexandria would make sure to bring something to protect herself in case he switched. She wasn't sure his human side could stop his animal side from hurting her. But so far, she hadn't seen anyone in their wolf form. So perhaps it didn't happen as often as she was originally scared of.

"So is there anything happening tomorrow or are you just busy?" Alexandria asked, noticing that he had made their plans for the day after tomorrow. She wasn't really concerned about it. After all, Dominic did have to continue his responsibilities while she didn't have to. Things were sure to switch when they went to her home. It was a bit harder to do your typical job when you were away.

Dominic was more than a little relieved when Alexandria agreed to go on a lunch outing with him. A smile graced his features, nodding excitedly when she mentioned liking to swim. "Perfect. Then we're doing two things that you like doing!" Dominic declared in a teasing tone, feeling completely content at the moment. He had been hesitant, almost thought that Alexandria wouldn't even agree to go on an outing with him but now that she had, Dominic was more relieved than he even thought that he should be. He wondered if Alexandria even realized how happy she had managed to make him.

He shook his head at her question, chewing on the inside of his lip for a moment. Dominic didn't want her to ever feel any sort of uncomfortable so he had simply wanted to give her a bit of time so that she was prepared for their little outing. Dominic cleared his throat as he straightened up. "I do have to get some measurements taken for my suit as I'm getting a new one made to match your dress and the appointment is at 11 so I don't want to make you wait too long for lunch. I will probably take an hour or so before being all said and done and then it'll take another hour to get to the waterfall. We wouldn't be able to eat until after one in the afternoon. I just don't want to have to make you wait," he explained quietly.

"We can still meet for breakfast after that, if you want," Dominic offered after a moment. He shrugged as eh sat up a bit straighter. "That's totally up to you. I probably won't be back here until a little after noon but we could still have a nice meal together if you'd like. You could even ask for something specific to be made for us to eat together, if you had something particular in mind."

@ castle.

-Two Days Later-

Alexandria was already down at the stables, getting her horse ready as she waited for Dominic to come down and join her. She had purposely gone down early. Mostly because she wanted to spend some time with the horses before they went out riding. It seemed important to do so as the horse she would be riding was not familiar with her yet. But also, because she wanted to pack her own things in the saddle. Particularly, the silver knife.

While she had wanted to pack it on her person, it wasn't a logical idea. She didn't want Dominic to know that she had it on her and with them going swimming, he was sure to see it when she removed her riding clothes. Even if it wasn't in the best spot, it was better to have it than not at all. Besides, Alexandria didn't believe the human side of Dominic would hurt her, just his wolf. Sliding the sleeve over the knife, Alexandria slid it into the pouch.

With that done, she turned her attention back to the beautiful mare. Alexandria brushed the mane until she saw Dominic pop into the stables. "I already got our horse ready." She told him with a soft smile before she climbed onto hers. Alexandra had asked one of the other wolves which one she could use for today, and which one Dominic typically rode himself.

She ran her hand down the mare lightly before walking back and forth a couple of feet, just wanting to get a feel for the mare. Though once she was comfortable, and she was sure that the horse was comfortable with her, Alexandria turned her attention back to Dominic. "Are you ready to go?"

Dominic's brows shot up when he came into the stables and saw that Alexandria was already waiting for him, having seemingly already gotten their horses ready herself. He couldn't help but smile a bit, tilting his head to the side as he studied the young woman. "Thank you for getting them ready. Though it was not necessary," Dominic added quietly, reaching for the reigns of his horse. Dominic pulled himself up into the saddle, sitting up straight as he he turned toward Alexandria. He smiled as he watched her move back and forth. It seemed that Alexandria and the horse were both at ease.

He patted the bag that was already attached to his horse. "All of our food is inside. It's just sandwiches and a few pieces of fruit. Good for a ride but not too filling that you'll feel like you're about to burst," he joked as he began to lead them out of the stables. Dominic was at ease as he made his way through the streets, nodding and waving to anyone who looked toward them. Many simply carried on but some still paused long enough to look at their future leaders.

It was until they passed through the gates to his home that Dominic looked back toward Alexandria, a little grin overtaking his features. "Do you want to race?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. Glancing back in front of them, Dominic motioned toward a tree that was a few hundred feet in front of them, off to the side of the road.

"We can race to where that is equal to in the road," Dominic said. He had every intention of letting Alexandria win their little game. His pride didn't care all that much, especially if it managed to get a smile out of his mate.

@ castle.

"I wanted to. Plus I wanted some time to spend with the horses before I rode." Alexandria reassured him as she lightly patted her horse. She was glad for the extra time. It made her feel better about taking a two-hour ride on a horse she had never met. Usually, it was fine but she wanted a good warning on whether or not the animal would trust her. It seemed that the mare did so there was nothing to worry about.

Once Dominic mentioned a race, Alexandria's head popped up in interest. She did enjoy participating in competitions. More than that, Alexandria enjoyed winning. Looking out to where the finish line was, Alexandria looked back at Dominic before nodding in agreement. "Okay, that sounds like fun. On the count of three then, One...Two... Three!"

The moment Alexandria said three, she was off. She was an excellent rider, she knew that, but she was curious about Dominic's own abilities and the horses they were riding...though more than that she really wanted to win. As Dominic was head to head with her, Alexandria urged her horse onwards. Soon she was peeling out ahead. Alexandria leaned down a bit as she rode, wanting to go as fast as she could.

As she crossed the line necessary, Alexandria had her horse slow down. She let out a warm laugh before looking back at Dominic with a large smile on her face. The princess was more than satisfied with the win. Especially since she was not on her own horse. "I won!" Alexandria told him before teasing him a little. "I left you in the dust!" Alexandria leaned down and patted the mare gently in congratulations.

Dominic held his back straight instead of leaning over his horse, effectively slowing the stallion down enough that Alexandria was able to pull in front of him. His face broke into a wide grin as Alexandria passed the finish line and he was quick to spur his horse forward, only slowing once he was by her side. Dominic nodded, coming his head to the side as they continued down the road. “You did. I’ll have to keep an eye on you,” he teased gently.

“Have you always liked to ride?” Dominic inquires, glancing toward her with a raised eyebrow. It was good to him, that she seemed to care about the mare she had chosen trusting her. To him, it meant that Alexandria understood an animal’s instincts and their need to trust those around them. Or at least Dominic hoped that was true.

“I’ve had Lupo since I was 10,” Dominic explained, reaching out to run his palm down the side of the stallion’s neck, scratching affectionately. “It is part of our tradition - to raise and train a horse. So that we understand the importance of being close to all of those around us. Regardless of their race,” Dominic said, a small grin on his features. Lupo was a black and grey speckled mustang; a powerful horse that looked similar to Dominic when he was in his wolf form.

“And of course so that we can learn responsibility at a young age,” Dominic added with a firm nod of his head. “Not everyone participates with the tradition but most nobility does.”

@ castle.

"I first started learning how to ride when I was little. It's important that the members of my family know how to ride. So even if they don't particularly enjoy it, they still need to learn. I fell in love with it though." Alexandria told him with a large smile on her face. "I don't get to ride as much as I would like to sometimes, but even just going down to see Cinnamon makes me happy. She's such a loving horse. I am lucky to have her."

Alexandria turned her attention back to Dominic as he spoke on their family tradition. It sounded similar to theirs but it was definitely not the same. Family members needed to learn how to ride but they didn't have to train or raise a horse to do so. They didn't even have to have a horse if they didn't want. Though having one did make things a bit easier overall. "That sounds really lovely," Alexandria told him. "It sounds like a true bonding experience. Do you enjoy it? Having a horse, training one?" It was easy to see that Dominic had care for Lupo but it was hard to say if he enjoyed raising and training a horse by himself.

Looking forward, Alexandria let out a small hum. They were heading off of the road now and into the forest. She wondered how private the waterfall they were going to was. Dominic made it seem as though there would not be many there but that was hard to say if that was the truth... She did hope that it would just be the two of them. It would make her feel better about the situation, safer as well.

Alexandria pulled her horseback slightly so that she was able to follow Dominic through the forest. She didn't know the place well, he did, so it seemed better to let Dominic lead. Plus, who knew what kind of creatures were native to here.

(Should we skip to the waterfall?)

{I shall skip for you }

"It wasn't easy to train him in the beginning. He was a young stallion and I hardly knew how to ride, let alone to tame a horse with his will," Dominic explained lowly. He smiled down at his horse, running his finger's through his mane before he glanced toward Alexandria. "Even now, he doesn't like to be ridden by others. Only myself. Which I suppose is a good thing," he added lightly, shrugging his shoulders. "He will behave for them until they do something he doesn't like."

Leading Alexandria into the forest, it was nearly twenty minutes further before they came upon the waterfall. Dominic urged Lupo forward, until he came to a stop in front of a branch that stretched out from a large tree. He slid down, producing a rope from Lupo's saddle to wrap around the stallion's neck. He attached the young horse to the tree before giving it a soft pat on its hind quarters. "It's longer than his reins. Let's him roam a bit more freely," Dominic explained when he noticed that Alexandria was looking at him strangely.

Dominic lifted the bag from Lupo's saddle that held all of the items they needed for their lunch. He was quick to lay out the blanket before setting the bag down in the center. Dominic motioned toward it before he sat, opening the bag to start pulling out the already made sandwiches. "I had them leave off the lettuce and tomato and such, in case you don't want any of that. Or if you do, you can add it on yourself," Dominic added with a small smile. He picked up his sandwiches after adding lettuce and onion before glancing toward the waterfall.

"I'm sure that others know of this waterfall but I have never seen others here," Dominic offered gently. "It's peaceful. Nice to get away from the duties of the castle," he said, fidgeting slightly in his spot.

@ castle.

After posting her own horse up, Alexandria turned to Dominic. She watched as pulled out the items for their picnic. She was rather glad to see it, as the princess was beginning to grow hungry. As he did that, Alexandria slid off her riding boots, allowing her feet to press down against the grass with a pleasant hum. In truth, Alexandria didn't care much for shoes but they were necessary. Especially riding boots. They were part of what kept her safe.

Once the blanket was laid out, Alexandria headed over and sat across from Dominic. "Thank you for that." She told him as she started to make her own sandwich. "I actually do not care much for tomatoes or raw onions, really." After adding some lettuce, pickles, and cheese, Alexandria took a bite out of it. She let out a pleasant hum before continuing to eat. It was exactly what she would have wanted for a trip like this. It would be fulling but would not cause Alexandria to feel weighed down when they swam and then eventually rode home.

Her eyes lifted up as Dominic spoke again. A relieved look came over her face and her body instantly relaxed. It had been something she was worried about. The others had not done anything against her but Alexandria was more interested in the calm afternoon she had imagined it would be. "I am glad to hear it. I was hoping that it would just be the two of us. A relaxing afternoon just sounds a bit better today."

Her head lifted up as she looked out at the waterfall and the lake that it flowed into. Despite the waterfall, the lake, for the most part, was calm. The water was almost glass-like. She glanced up and looked to the trees, seeing the birds and squirrels move through the branches. "This is a really beautiful spot."

Dominic wanted to inch closer to Alexandria. He wanted to wrap his arm around his waist and pull her closer to him so that he could hold her and feel her against his body for a genuine first time. He knew what it would mean though. It would mean making her uncomfortable and that was the last damn thing he wanted in the world. Dominic just wanted to make her feel comfortable and loved until she was fine opening herself up to him. He didn't know how long that would take and frankly speaking, he didn't care at all. Dominic was content to do this for as long as necessary.

Alexandria relaxing beside him was enough for Dominic to calm his own nerves. It wasn't everything that he wanted but it was still something. It wasn't her pressing herself against him but it was still progress. He flashed her an award winning smile as he shrugged his shoulders.

Taking another bite of his sandwich, Dominic eyed the lake. He glanced toward her, a mischievous smile growing on his features. Dominic pushed to his feet and took a few steps forward before he held his hand out to Alexandria. He gave her a lopsided smile, motioning with his head toward the lake. "Come on. It'll be a good way to cool off," he added, helping Alexandria to her feet.

The moment that they were close enough, Dominic moved to lift her into his arms. He took a running start before leaping into the water, making sure to keep Alexandria pressed against his chest until they started to resurface. Dominic was grinning as he looked at her, wiping the water from his face. "So sorry. I must have.. tripped!"