The King And I

Charles briefly entertained the idea of feeding Arielle something else that was a bit out there for moment, unless you had tried it before. He only decided against it because he thought it was a bit too cruel, embarrassing her in front of everyone here would do no good. He was up for teasing and joking around with her but that was a step too far, he thought. At least when he hardly knew anything about her, other than her name and that her father wanted them to marry.

He let out a soft laugh as he mention of how bitter the wine was. "It seems to me that you have a sweet tooth, hm?" Charles asked, committing the thought to memory so that he could offer her gifts that she would actually enjoy, should he decide to court her openly. Charles cleared his throat, lifting a glass of wine that had fruit inside of it. He held it out to her, giving her an encouraging nod.

"This is what people call a sangria. The fruit make it sweeter," Charles explained, eyeing the fruit inside of the glass. "It won't be too sweet, like a dessert, but you'll like this more," he said, hoping that he was right. "Or I'm sure that we can have something a bit more to your liking put together. It wouldn't be hard," he said, knowing full well that if he requested something to be made specifically for her, that his servants would all but fall over themselves to please him.

@ castle.
As Arielle looked around the room for something that might taste better, she was thrown off her game by the Kings laugh. Raising her head, she arched an eyebrow and looked at the older man in confusion, not really sure what was so funny about saying that bubbly stuff was bitter. For a moment, she wondered if he lost a screw while they were dancing or something, but as he continued to speak, she understood.

"Oh, yes. I do." Ari said quietly, her cheeks a light pink color as she realized she had worried for nothing. "Sangria?" Arielle repeated as she casually took the drink from him. She eyed the fruit that was floating around in the glass of wine for a moment as she listened to the King as he spoke. Then, she slowly raised it to her lips and took a small sip of the drink.

A look of surprise crossed Arielle's face as the sweeter taste hit her taste buds. "Oh!" She exclaimed in surprise and covered her mouth like a proper lady. "That is sweeter than the other drink," Ari said as she looked up at the King with a surprised look on her face. "Thank you, your highness. This drink is definitely much better than the one I had earlier." She told him as she lowered her hand and offered him another smile before she took a few more small sips of the drink. She didn't want to get drunk, so she was trying to take things slowly.

Charles had never thought that he was going to find someone that he cared for enough to call his queen. He would worship them, would move Heaven and Earth for the woman that he decided to marry but he didn't want someone with him simply because of his title. Didn't want someone with him simply because of the title that he could offer to her. The title was glorious, Charles was not going to deny that, but there was far more duties than he thought some were prepared to handle. Charles would be beside them every step of the way but that didn't make it any easier for some.

When Arielle's father had proposed this idea to begin with, Charles had thought it was a joke. That there was no way it would work out; Arielle would be so focused on getting him to like her that there would be no chance at all of it happening. But then he had met her at the ball and they had spent some time getting together. Arielle's personality hadn't changed at all and that was what had drawn him to her. That she didn't appear fazed by who he was.

Charles had sent a letter to Arielle's father, requesting Arielle to return to the capitol with a month's worth of supplies. Within that month, Charles had several trips planned and plenty of time allotted for them to get to know each other a bit more. At the end of it, Charles would either propose to her or send her back home with demands of her father paying taxes. There would be no in between, he was sure that Arielle had to understand the importance of that.

@ castle.
The whole ride to the capital Arielle's father went on and on about how a proper woman should act. Sit up straight, two steps behind the King at all times unless told otherwise. She must keep her eyes down when talking to someone of higher rank, eat small amounts at a time. Dab, don't wipe her mouth. Sip her tea, not slurp it like a child. Most of all, no running or being rude. She was not a child and should know how to move about gracfully and speak peacfully without any hint of malice.

As the carriage that Arielle was seated in pulled to a stop in front of the castle, a small knot slowly started to form. She couldn't believe she was doing this. Sure, the king was a nice guy, but, could she really fall for him? He was so much older then she was. Not to mention all of those rumors that were floating around. Surely, he was just being kind to her at the ball and when he was staying at her parents estate.

"M'lady." Ari's driver said as he opened her door for her and helped her out of the carriage. "Thank you, Leo." Arielle said quietly as she accepted his help and exited her carriage. Then, as soon as her feet touched the ground, a man approached her and introduced himself as Sebastian, the head butler of the Palace.

"It's a pleasure." She said quietly and curtsied in greeting. "Oh no no no, you don't need to do that madame, you're a time guest here." Sabastion said, offering Ari a small smile. "The King is still in a meeting and sends his deepest apologies for not meeting you, but please. Do allow for me to show you around instead." Sabastion suggested, to which Ari accepted the offer. A small smile on her lips as she was allowed to tour the Palace.

Charles had been hoping that this meeting would be done and over with by the time that Arielle arrived at the castle because he had had every intention of being the one that greeted her upon her arrival. But as luck would have it, the meeting seemed to drag on longer than he had ever thought was possible. Or maybe it just seemed like it was dragging on because of the anticipation he felt for Arielle's arrival. He wondered what she thought about his interest in her, she wasn't from one of the closest families to the crown. He was sure that if he decided to propose marriage to her, that there would be people upset by the decision but he was king. There was surely no one stupid enough to try and speak out against his decision. Charles had never been kind to people that decided to try and pick apart his decisions.

The moment that the meeting was adjourned, Charles was on his feet and all but rushing out of the room. There was more of a pep in his step than usual as he moved through the castle, searching for Arielle. He'd appointed Sebastian to lead her on a tour and the woman should have arrived nearly an hour ago so he had no real clue where she would be at the moment.

When he happened upon them, Charles was the least bit surprised when Sebastian took notice of his presence. Shoving his hands into his pockets, Charles offered Arielle a gentle smile. It was no secret why she was here but still, he wanted to be cordial with her. "I do hope that Sebastian has done well with the tour so far," he spoke, nodding toward his butler. The man was nearly like a father to him, had been with Charles for as long as he could remember. "But I will take it from here," he said and that was all it took for Sebastian to take his leave. Charles grinned as he offered his arm to Arielle. "Shall we?"

@ castle.
The rumors about the size of the royal palace didn't even compare to the rumors that Arielle heard growing up. It was far larger then what her own little imagination could have thought up. Over thirty bedrooms, twenty something restrooms, four large dining rooms, two ball rooms, and she couldn't forget the three large gardens that the Palace held. Each with different types of flowers as well! The place surely blew Ari's mind, and to think she'll be staying here for a while.

So far, the garden in the middle was Arielle's favorite places to be. The white roses that aligned with the stone paths, the fountain in the middle of the garden and not to mention the beautiful gazebo that was off to the side. It was just the perfect place to sit and relax. A place she could see herself reading for hours on end. A place where she could feel at home in this big place.

As Sebastion was leading the way out of the garden, they stumbled upon the King. "Greeting your highness." Arielle said quietly, remembering what her father had made sure she memorized as she curtsied. "Yes, your grace. He has been quite kind as he showed me around." Ari said as she slowly stood up. Her smile a tad bit soft as she smiled at the King.

Then, she took a step closer to him as he offered her his arm. Her hand easily curling around his arm as she leaned into him ever so slightly. "How was your meeting?" Ari asked, just wanting to be kind to the King and start some small talk.

Charles raised an eyebrow when Arielle curtsied in front of him. It was pleasing because he knew it was expected of her. It proved to him that she would know how to play her position when the time came for it. When she had to smile as she stood at his side; as she moved down the stairs beside him. As they addressed their people, as they visited other lands to curate peace between Charles' kingdom and the others'.

He gave a small shake as he head as he turned them back toward the garden that Arielle had just left. Charles enjoyed walking through the gardens when he could and it seemed that she had enjoyed her moment there, or so he hoped. He wanted to show her everything that he could offer her, if they were to move forward with the relationship that was beginning to blossom. Charles cleared his throat, giving a half hearted shrug.

"It was longer than I anticipated. Longer than I wanted it to be," Charles added, tilting his head to the side. "I wanted to apologize personally that I was not able to welcome you here. I had every intention but.." he trailed off, giving a shake of his head. "Of course, things pull me in every direction when I want to do something for myself," he grumbled, letting off some of his frustrations to her for the first time. It was only their first real day together but Charles was not going to hide anything from her. if she shied away from being herself around him because of anything that he said, he knew it wouldn't work between them.

"How was your trip here?" Charles asked, glancing down to her. He smiled as they moved throughout the gardens. "Was Sebastian able to show you to your chambers or did you not get there?"

@ castle.
The fact that they were heading back into the garden that she had just left brought a small smile onto Ari's lips. She didn't mind staying for a little bit longer, it was beautiful out and she was kinda curious about how it'd be walking with the King. Without anyone prying into their conversation or being stared at constantly.

"Well, doesn't that just mean that you covered more than intended?" Ari asked as she glanced up towards the Kings face. A small smile slowly scrawling across her lips as she looked forward. "There's no need for apologies your highness, it's understandable, you've got duties that you must take care of after all," Ari said, offering him another smile before looking around the garden as they walked, taking in the beautiful flowers that looked like they were just starting to bloom.

"Long," Arielle said after a few moments, her bright green eyes focused on flowers as they passed them by. "Tiring, I read all of the books I've brought with me." A small giggle escaped from the girl as she looked up towards the King. "No, he hadn't shown me yet," Ari answered, looking back towards the flowers. "He managed to show me the gardens here and some of the different banquet halls that fill the palace. As well as a few of the libraries." She explained, wanting him to be filled in on everything.

Charles' face scrunched as he nodded slightly. "I suppose so. It is better that we covered so much," he agreed despite how frustrated he was over how long it had taken. he fired that it wasn't worth focusing on now because it was over. "I figured it would be best if we covered as much as possible so that I could spend more time with you," he spoke, figuring that Arielle would take his words as something sweet. Charles knew that a month was not a whole lot of time to truly make a decision on whether Arielle was a good match for him or not but he hoped that it wouldn't be such a short time that he regretted whatever he decided.

"Then he must not have shown you the library nearest our chambers if he didn't show you to your room," Charles said, his brows raising a bit as he came to a conclusion. "It tends to have the newest books because I like to read at night, before deciding to sleep," he explained, a bit bashful at the thought. It wasn't anything manly or even kingly - Charles had other duties that he could focus on but he decided to be selfish in the bedroom.

"Do you.. enjoy reading?" Charles asked, wishing that they could find a common ground. He cleared his throat, raising an eyebrow. "Tell me about what you enjoy. I want us to be able to do things together over the next month that we can both enjoy," he said, hoping he could still plan out the last two weeks of her stay here. The first two had been more focused on what he enjoyed but he thought that if he showed that he could listen to her and he could enjoy the same things that she did, that they could get along better.

@ castle.
It felt nice that the King was willing to unleash some of his thoughts onto Ari. Her father never spoke to her about things that included his word or life outside of the family. So, this was completely new to her and she would welcome it with open arms if he was willing to just speak to her about what was on her mind.

Then, as something he said caught her attention, Ari couldn't help but slow her steps as she looked up at him in surprise. "Our chambers will be close to each other?" She asked, surprise in her voice as she looked taken back. She hadn't been expecting that the rooms that'll be here for the length of her stay would be so close. She thought she'd stay on the other side of the Palace. At least, that's how it worked at home. Visitors stayed on the other side of the estate then the family.

"I love books." Arielle instantly spits out when asked if she did or not. A small goofy grin appearing on her lips as she looked up at the King and then looked ahead of them as they walked. "I also enjoy horseback riding, exploring, the ocean, and I enjoy eating sweets." Ari let out a small laugh at the last part, knowing that it was childish for her to say such things but she was just being honest. To her, if someone didn't enjoy eating sweets then they were crazy. She couldn't live without them in her life.

Slowly, the right corner of Arielle's lips raised as she remembered something she enjoyed when she was sent abroad to study for a few years. "I also quite like learning new languages and belly dancing." She said, remembering when she visited a nearby hostel while abroad and witnessed her first dance. She thought it was so amazing to watch, the way the woman managed to move her body. Since that day, even though Ari was of high status, she enjoyed studying the dance style. Actually, since her father found out about her interest, he told her to learn it to help get her connected with more men of high status. Saying that she was only useful if she was able to be used and that the more interesting she was, the better.

Charles couldn't help the grin that settled on his features at her surprise. He gave a quick nod of his head, glancing down to her. "It is customary for guests to be on the other side of the palace but should this continue... you will not be a guest. Pretending like you would be is foolish," he said as he shrugged his shoulders. Some of his advisors had been surprised and had tried to convince Charles that it was the wrong move but he had been quick to put his foot down. He was not going to put up with people trying to continuously change his mind. It simply was not going to happen - he wanted Arielle nearby because they would be wed in a little over three months time, if this next month went well. She would be his wife. Not a guest in the palace.

Relieved that the tension seemed to disappear when Arielle mentioned that she loved books, Charles turned them and started leading her toward the library nearest to their chambers. It was beside her own, a few rooms away from his bedroom. "We can go on a horse ride shortly," he started, nodding hs head once he started to figure out when it would work best. "There's a beautiful waterfall that we can visit the day after tomorrow," he said.

Charles' brows shot up at Arielle's mention of enjoying dancing. He turned toward her, his eyes appraising her shamelessly. "I would have never thought that you would.. dance like that," he said, tugging his bottom lip between his teeth. "Interesting though," he added, not wanting Arielle to feel uncomfortable. He grinned as he reached up, brushing his knuckles across her cheek. "I look forward to exploring everything with you," he said, tilting his head to the side. "Tomorrow I ahve things to tend to after breakfast so you will be able to roam the castle as you so please. If you ever have questions or need help, the nearest servant should be able to come to your aid. At any given time."

@ castle.
"Oh," Arielle mumbled quietly as she felt her eyes widen in surprise and cheeks turn a light dusting of pink. She hadn't thought about that. If they continued to get along, she would be marrying the King of the Empire. The man who pretty much had the world that she knew in his hands and he could change things completely with just a snap of his fingers if he so dared to.

"I... Keep forgetting that." Ari mumbled quietly acting shy as she allowed for the King to change their path. Her bright green eyes looking at everything as she tried to calm her racing heart. "T-that would be fun." Arielle mumbled, doing her best to not have her heart beat out of her chest as she spoke to him.

"Hm?" Arielle glanced back up towards the King and couldn't help but to let out a nervous laugh. "Aa, oh. No, I, it was a traditional dance style in Zaria. Its a pretty dances style. Please don't make it seem weird or scandalous your highness." Arielle rushed out, turning as bright as a tomato as she looked up at the older man.

Then, a small sigh escaped from her as he seemed to not mind her little outburst. Her heart skipped a beat as she felt his knuckles brushing against her cheek and couldn't help but to relax. It was a comforting act, and Ari couldn't help but to like the act.
An just like that, as me mentioned a meeting tomorrow, a small frown appeared on Ari's lips. "How long is it suppose to last?" She asked, not sounding very happy. "I just get here and you're already going to be abandoning me?" She asked, trying to tease the King by fake sniffling and bringing up her free hand to wipe away fake tears to go with her little act.

Charles couldn't help but laugh, biting back a sigh as he cupped Arielle's cheek. He seemed to hesitate for a moment before he leaned forward, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead before he pulled away from her entirely, taking a step away from her to create a bit of distance between them. "Don't go getting all shy on me now. Just because you are here does not mean that little spark that intrigued me gets to go away," he scolded her lightly. He made sure to keep his tone light but he hoped that Arielle realizing what the future could hold in store for them, that Arielle was not going to be too shy with him.

He shook his head, a little smirk settling on his features as he tilted his head to the side. Charles studied Arielle for a moment, enjoying the way that Arielle turned bright red. he couldn't help but enjoy it, knowing that he had that sort of affect on her. They hadn't known each other for very long at all but Charles wanted to make her nervous. He wanted her heart to flutter when he walked into the same room with her. He wanted her to feel nothing but butterflies and a childish sort of excitement whenever they were reunited, regardless of how short the separation was. Charles wanted them to be well and truly in love, not simply forced together as a marriage of convenience.

He couldn't stop the laugh that sounded from his lips as Arielle teased him, continuing on with her act. "If I don't cram it all together in the span of a day or two," Charles started, a pout forming on his lips. "Then I'm pulled away from you far more often. If I get all of it done in the next few days, then we can be focused on getting to know each other. Wouldn't that be preferable? Or should I just let myself get whisked away every day so that you can sneak off around the palace, without having to get to know your king?" he teased, raising an eyebrow.

@ castle.
It's incredible how much affect one man could have on someone. Ari's never felt her heart flutter so fast or so irregularly before. Maybe it was because of his position, or maybe she was just being childish, but. She was pretty sure that this man made her feel things that she's never felt before.

Closing her eyes as the King neared her, and then blushing deeper then the reddest tomato in the world. Ari felt her heart flutter once more. This man, will be the death of her. For sure. "It's kinda hard not to be shy." She said quietly, opening her eyes and looking at the older man before her. "I've never been alone with a man before." Her words were honest and true, she hoped he understood where she was coming from. She was a sheltered noble girl, she's never been alone with a man besides her older brothers and father.

Sowly, Arielle'a expression shifted as she understood what the King was saying and couldn't help but to let out a small sigh. She raised her hand and rested the back of it on her forehead as she tried to act dramatic. "Alright, alright. I suppose that's a wise decision your highness." Ari said, sounding whiney as she then blinked at him with puppy dog eyes. "As long as you promise to spend time with me after."

Once her little dramatic act was over, Ari looked around the area that they happaned to be in. "Are we near the library yet?" She asked, realizing that they kinda got side tracked with their little teasing moment.

“You were not shy when we met in the hallway of your home for the first time,” Charles commented quietly, careful not to make this conversation too hard. He flashed her a light grin, raising an eyebrow. “You were not shy when you ate pig intestine,” he pointed out. He gave a shrug of his shoulders. “There is no need to be shy now. We’ve interacted before, we’ve spent time together. Not much, no, but just because others have been around us does not mean anything.”

Charles’ lips quirked upward in a smirk as he studied the girl in front of him before giving a quick nod. “If it will make you feel better, I will promise to spend time with you. Already, we will have dinner together every night. So we will always have Tom together every day,” Charles said, turning to continue on their way toward their shared library.

Without answering her question, Charles stepped forward to push open a pair of grande doors. His mouth settled into a small grin as he stepped out of Arielle’s way so that she could enter the room. He waved her through before following her inside, moving toward one of the luxurious chairs in the corner of the room, by the window. He dropped down into it, his attention focusing back on Arielle. “Pick out a book you would like to read tonight. You can bring it with you when I show you to your chambers.”

@ castle.
It was pointless to argue with the King. He was right in so many ways, but also wrong. Arielle was terrified of him when she ran into him at her parents' estate. She was on the verge of crying out in disgust at the party when she ate those gross things. She just, couldn't handle embarrassing herself in those moments. Who in their right mind would confess to being spooked or embarrassed in their own home or at a party? Not many that Arielle knew about.

So, She just kept quiet and followed the King as they continued to walk. "Can we have some picnic's?" Arielle asked quietly as she listened to the King to speak about them having dinner together. The thought was nice, dining with the King sounded like a nice idea. Especially since he said he'd be busy for the first few days of her arrival here.

Then, a small gasp escaped from Arielle as they arrived at the library. Her bright green eyes widened as she took in the appearance of the room. Floor to ceiling bookshelves, large bay windows on one side of the wall to let in a vast amount of natural light. Not to mention the beautiful art decor and lavish seating that filled the room. The place did look like a royal library.

"Wow." Arielle breathed out quietly as she walked into the room. Her eyes taking everything in as she moved towards one of the bookcases and gently ran her fingers over the leather books spines. "Really?" Arielle asked, turning her head towards where she had heard the Kings voice and offered him a small grin. "Thank you, I'd like that," Ari said as she looked towards the books once more. Then, slowly walked along the bookshelves. Her strides were slow as she read all of the titles. Her hips swaying ever so slightly as she stopped to ponder over a book or two before moving along.

A couple of moments later, Arielle picked out a book. A beautiful dark brown color with gold-colored writing on the cover. The Disappearance of Zar. The cover read. Holding the book to her chest, Arielle walked towards the King and showed him the book. "Didn't take you for one to enjoy a romantic adventure." She said teasingly, even though it was probably from the old royals before him.

Charles let out a small laugh as he shook his head, watching as Arielle made her way around the library. He was perfectly content watching her move around because it was obvious that she was enjoying herself. That she loved the idea of having so many books at her fingertips. He couldn't help but wonder what exactly she was thinking, did she not have an elaborate library back in her home? The thought was enough to leave a sour feeling in the pit of his stomach because he thought everyone should have the option to enjoy reading, if they so wanted to. He nodded, at her question.

"Of course. You are free to have whatever you wish around here," Charles said, motioning around the room. "That includes the entirety of the castle though. Not just in the library," he teased, sitting up a bit straighter so that he could study Arielle form as she seemed to find a book that she wanted to read.

Charles raised an eyebrow as he tilted his head to the side, giving a lopsided shrug of his shoulders. "Sometimes you have to enjoy something, somewhere in your life. Even if you don't have what you want in your personal life," he said softly. Charles was intent on not marrying simply to say that he had a wife, he wanted to marry for love first and foremost. "I read every night before bed. It lets me relax, decompress from the stress of the day," he explained softly.

"Once I've read a book, it typically goes out to one of the other libraries unless I want to keep it close to read again some day," Charles explained further, leaning back in his seat. "Do you have libraries like this back home?" He asked, quirking an eyebrow. "You seemed very surprised by just how big it this library is.." he trailed off, wanting to keep the conversation going.

@ castle.
A small smile came across Arielle's lips as she listened to the King. His words all seemed so honest and real. Not what she'd expect from a man with so much power and ability to have whatever he wanted whenever he wanted.

Then, a small giggle escaped from Arielle as she heard the questions leaving the King's lips. Slowly, she moved to sit next to the King, her book resting in her lap as she faced him slightly. "I have a library at home yest." She told him a small smile appearing on her lips as she talked about her home. "But your majesy, no one besides you has a private one this well stocked with books or lavishly decorated." She told him and motioned towards the room. Pointing out the expensive looking paintings and tall bookshelves.

"I feel like anyone would be extremely happy if they got to look around this room." she said as she looked back towards the King. A soft smile playing across Arielle's lips as she looked at the kind man. "Thank you." She said quietly, not quite sure herself why she was thanking him either.

This was all so simple to Charles. This was what he had grown up around, he didn't know anything else but the lavish lifestyle that he had led from the day that he had been born. He tried to stay humble, tried to remember that not everyone led the sort of lifestyle that he did but there were still times that he seemed to forget. He was always quick to rectify the situation, if it was called for. He didn't think this particular one did though.

Charles cleared his throat, glancing toward the library's door. "Sometimes I forget. My apologies," he spoke, his voice keeping carefully guarded as he sat up a bit straighter on the couch.

"Do you want to stay and read for a bit or do you want to retire to your chambers for the evening?" Charles offered, wanting to leave the decision entirely up to her. He didn't want her to feel pressured, even if there was a massive amount resting on her shoulders. Her peoples' livelihood rested all on her shoulders and on just how much Charles ended up liking her.

Charles' brows shot upward as a realization hit him. He was on hsi feet before he even spoke. "Have you had the chance to eat since your arrival? I don't exactly know what Sebastian did or didn't show you..." he explained, trailing off as he realized that his excitement could have been off putting to Arielle.

@ castle.
A small giggle escaped from Arielle as she listened to the King. "There's nothing to apologize for your highness. " Ari said as she offered him a small smile. "I'm not offended by anything, and you have nothing to worry about." She told him, trying to make him understand that she wasn't against anything that he had just told her.

"Oh, um. I wouldn't mind resting in my chamber-" Arielle stopped speaking as the King seemed to remember something. Her lips dipping into a slight frown for a moment before turning into a small smile. It was cute how caring the King was, he was such a gentleman. "I have eaten, your highness," Ari said, letting out another small giggle as she saw how much energy the King seemed to have gotten all of a sudden.

"Have you had a chance to eat? Your highness?" Ari asked as she slowly stood up as well. A small look of worry filling her gaze as she watched him, not sure what else she could possibly do at the moment. "If you would like though, I wouldn't mind having some tea while you have your dinner." She told him, hoping that he would accept that since she really didn't feel like eating anymore. She had been on a long carriage ride and had only managed to stomach a small portion of the food that was offered to her.

Than, a small smile slowly appeared on the young girls lips. "Thank you for caring so, your highness. I'm honored to have your attention." Arielle said, her lips forming a small smile as she looked up at the older man.