I can't give up, I can't give in

@ BearGirl
As Prince Francis walked away, Nova could feel the pit of her stomach lowering its self. As if telling her that she had done something wrong. Like she always does, it's always her fault that people are uncomfortable. It's because of her that so many have died, that people's families have been torn apart and are spread far and wide. It's all because she's worthless, and can't do a damn thing right.

"Huh?" Nova mumbled, snapping out of her thoughts. She stops playing with her fingers, a nervous tick of hers, and stands up straight as she looks towards Nicolai's charming eyes. "Oh, uh. No, not really." She lied, her lips slipping into a slight frown as she glanced towards the direction that his friend had disappeared before looking back towards the Prince once more.

"Thank you, but. You don't need to." Nova said quietly as she took a small step backward. "It's a party, you should stay and enjoy it. I can make it to my room on my own, don't worry about me." She told him, doing her best to offer a small nervous smile.

Gathering the sides of her skirts, Nova gave the Prince a courtsey before she turned towards the side, ready to leave. Taking two steps, Nova paused and offered Nikolai a small smile, hoping like hell that he bought it. "Thank you, your highness. It, it was fun spending time with you," she said quietly and then moved to make her escape from the suffocating party atmosphere.

@ FallenHope95

Nikolai looked to Nova with uncertainly as she assured him that she did not need to be walked back to her room. It didn't seem quite right to him, letting her leave by herself. After all, Nikolai had seen the look on her face, had noticed how she was reacting to the others. Something was wrong but he could not quite pinpoint what it was. Perhaps she was not used to being around so many people? Or it was her shyness that was getting the better of her.

Either way, Nikolai wished that the princess would accept his offer but he would not push. He couldn't pretend like he knew Nova well enough to say that he was certain that what she needed was a friendly face. Perhaps, she would feel better with some time alone. And, in truth, she was correct about him staying at the party. It would be a little rude if he were to suddenly disappear for some time. So, the prince offered a small smile and a nod. "Very well, Princess Nova. I enjoyed spending time with you as well. Though, please rest easy tonight and I will see you tomorrow."

With that, Nikolai watched as Nova headed off back to the castle. Only once she was out of his sights did he turn back to his guests. There were still a few people that he needed to speak with before the party ended. With ease, the prince headed back into the party and continued to be his social, charismatic self. Only once the party ended did the smile from his face begin to falter.

@ BearGirl
A small chill ran down Nova's spine as she walked down the halls of the castle quietly. Her hands were folded politely in front of her. She could feel the butterflies fluttering in her stomach. Fluttering around, ready to cause her to be sick at any second because right now, it was like around two. Round two of meeting with the Prince for a meal.

The guard that was guarding Nova today, walked calmly behind her. Being polite and keeping two steps behind her as she walked. The silence that came from the man was even more nerve-wracking than the idea of dining with the Prince once more.

As they approached the room that Nova was supposed to have dinner with Nikolai, Nova paused in her spot. Her lips moving down into a frown as she glanced down at the ground. What if I make a fool of myself again? Or, he asks why I'm so fidgety? Or if he prays into why I haven't gone hunting much less riding before? Nova frowned slightly, her worried moving to the front of her mind as she thought up the possibilities of what could happen.

Then, the sound of the guard behind her sounded and Nova couldn't help but jump ever so slightly. Her back going rightly straight as she glanced back at the guard warily before once again moving towards the room they were to be dining in.

@ FallenHope95

There was much nervousness in Nikolai as he waited for Nova to come join him for dinner. What had occurred last time kept replaying in his mind. What if this was a disaster again? What if she kept trying to push him away? Nikolai really needed this to work. Everything in him desired to have a good relationship with his wife. Even if it was not born of love, he wanted them both to find happiness in each other, or, in the least, respect. But there was no guarantee of that and that scared Nikolai.

Even so, Nikolai was going to keep trying. Even if Esther blew up every time they met privately, he would push ahead. Until he succeeded or Esther forced her way out of their engagement. So, the prince moved along the dining room, pacing as he waited for her to arrive.

Once Nova walked into the door, Nikolai was quick to turn to her, a large effortless smile moving along his face. "Good evening, Nova. I am glad that you were able to join me for dinner." Heading over to the table, Nikolai pulled her chair out and waited for Nova to sit down before pushing it in for her slightly. When Nova seemed settled, Nikolai headed over to his own seat and sat down. "I hope you had an enjoyable day."

The servants came out and poured their glasses full and revealed their exquisite dinner before heading out of the room. Nikolai took a long drink from his cup as he waited for the servants to leave. And once the door was closed behind them, the prince turned to Nova with a gentle smile. "You look lovely today, princess."

@ BearGirl
It was only for a split second, but Nova had seen it. She had seen the nervous pacing that the Prince had been doing. The posture of a nervous man. The mere thought that the royal crowned prince was as nervous as she was, was, in an odd way. Reassuring. He was just as nervous as she was. Albait, probably for different reasons, but still. It was nice to not be the only one who was pretty much thrown out of her element.

"Greetings your highness." Nova's quiet voice rang out as she walked more into the room. She did her best to offer him a small smile as she accepted his help of pulling her chair out for her at the table. Then, once she was seated, she brushed out the skirts of her dress and looked across at the Prince as he sat across from her. A small smile playing across her lips as she looked down at her light blue dress with small tressels of white on the edges of the ruffles. "Thank you, you look quite nice as well." She replied, her cheeks turning a light pink as she reached out for her wine to use to hide her blush.

Slowering her glass after a couple of sips of wine, Nova raised her glance and looked towards Nikolai. "I have, thank you for asking." She replied quietly, not really sure what else she should be saying. Should she just reply with asking him the same thing? That seemed kinda boring though. Kinda like she had no idea of what else to talk about, well she didn't, but still. She wanted to try and get over any sort of suspicion he had of her. She needed to try and convince him to like her, that she was trying to make an effort.

"Um." Nova started to say, then paused as she glanced down at the beautifully roasted chicken they were to have, with sides of fresh steamed vegtables and mashed potatoes. "What's it like?" She asked quietly, pausing once again as she waited for the Prince's full attention was on her before she continued to speak. "To go hunting? Is it scary?" Nova asked, remembering how yesterday he and Lord Francis were speaking of the subject, but, Nova knew nothing of the sport. She just knew that people went into the woods to kill animals for fun.

@ FallenHope95

After a moment of pause, Nikolai looked down at his food. His nervousness was continuing to spread through him, especially now that he did not know what to say. Normally, Nikolai felt like he was able to navigate these things with ease, especially with women. Though it was not very often that it was important for him to impress someone. Normally, people were throwing themselves at him, wanting whatever Nikolai could give them. But Nova was different. He could tell that she didn't have the same desires others had when speaking to him. What was he meant to do in this situation?

Nikolai lifted his head as Nova spoke, glad that she was the one who broke the silence. There were many reasons why he was nervous when speaking to her. And part of it certainly came down to not knowing what to bring up around her. It was clear to him that there were some topics that the princess would prefer to avoid, and he was rather sure that there were a lot more that he did not know about. So, having her ask the questions tended to make life a bit easier for him.

"It typically is not a scary thing to do. Though, it depends on what you are hunting. There are animals that are always going to attack when you get to close and others that are more interested in running away from you. Like deer, those aren't scary. Neither are rabbits, birds, and turkeys. But large animals, then you could be risking your life if you do not go about it the correct way. Like boars. We eat a lot of it at the castle but they are nasty creatures and hard to kill. They can stay alive long enough to take you down with them."

Nikolai glanced over her for a moment before clearing his throat lightly. He knew he probably shouldn't be talking about one losing their life while hunting. Though he wasn't a proponent to lying about such things. Especially not with someone he wanted a good, long-standing relationship with. "I don't hunt such creatures though. I stick to deer and the like. Hunting is a good sport but I rather not get injured hunting down a boar." He gave her a small smile. "Would you ever be interested? In hunting or just coming along?"

@ BearGirl
Soft slow blinks of her eyes were the only movement Nova gave as she listened to Nikolai as he spoke. Paying close attention to him as he spoke. Making sure that she didn't miss a beat of everything that escaped past his lips. Then, a slow nod as he explained what things one could hunt in the area. Her lips twitching downwards ever so slowly as Nikolai also brought up how dangerous it could be. That, was something that Nova didn't want to hear about.

Slowly, Nova lowered her eyes and pushed some of the vegetables around on her place as she thought about his request. Her lips pursing together for a moment before slowly nodding her head as she glanced up at the Prince. "I'd like to come and watch." She said quietly, a small peak of excitement escaping past her lips as she spoke. As this'll be her first time in a while she'd be able to escape the castle since she was a child.

"Although," And just like that, Nova went back to looking like the scared and worried girl that she always played. "I don't want to see you hunting something scary and dangerous." She said quietly. She's seen a lot of death in her young life, and she didn't want to have the crowned Prince's on her hands as well. "Is, is that alright? No boars?" She said quietly, glancing down at her plate once more before looking back up towards Nikolai through her eyelashes as she waited for his reply. Will he call her a chicken for that? Would he take back his offer since he wouldn't be able to show off? He did say that he didn't like hunting the bigger game, right? hopefully, that'll still stand.

@ FallenHope95

A warm smile came over Nikolai's face as she said that she would want to come and watch. That was good. Anything that would allow them to spend more time together was a good thing. Though, he was a little worried about whether she would enjoy the hunting experience. There were plenty of noblewomen who found entertainment in joining, but there were also plenty of women that found it too gruesome to bear. Nova seemed to be a bit timider so that was a concern.

"Of course, Princess," Nikolai assured her. "I wouldn't want to put you in harm's way. Plus it wouldn't be safe to do something dangerous on your first time out. We will stick to deer and smaller creatures." He glanced her over for a moment, trying to gauge just how much Nova would really want to see of it. Though, he supposed he didn't have to worry about that all too much. Even when he did go hunting, Nikolai didn't catch much. He enjoyed the sport to a point but he also liked just fucking around in the woods where it was harder for people to find him.

"We can go out sometime next week if that would fit into your calendar? It would just be best to go before the weather changes. And I can ask some others to join us if you would like." It was hard for Nikolai to tell if Nova was one with a busy calendar or not. As a princess, he would think that she did, but Nova also seemed to enjoy keeping to herself. Either way, Nikolai didn't want to assume. She would let him know when she was free. As for bringing others with him, no matter what, a few servants would have to join on the hunting trip. Though, despite their engagement, he needed to be careful about crossing any lines. Nikolai didn't want to accidentally do anything scandalous.

@ BearGirl
It was a large relief that Nikolai had agreed to not go after dangerous games. He didn't seem like the type that would want to show off, but Nova barely knew him. They may have lived in the same castle for years, but that didn't mean that they've known each other. Hell, they barely even had a conversation since before they were engaged. Just a couple of formal greetings when they were passing each other. Mostly her curtsying to him and then running off, but still.

At the mention of wanting to go next week, Nova couldn't help but to purse her lips together. She didn't know he'd want to go so soon. She needed time to properly, mentally, get ready for something so different then what she was used to. "Um," Nova said quietly as she glanced up at Nikolai as she listened to him continue. He had a point, the changing weather was a sign that seasons were changing, so surely it'll be hard to hunt. Right?

"Why don't we go Wednesday next week?" Nova spit out, not quite sure what else to say. She didn't have anyone to hang out with, plus it'll give her enough time to get used to the idea of going out with him. Doing something that she's never done before. "A couple of people wouldn't be bad." She added on as well, not wanting to seem like a downer by saying she didn't want to see his friends again, or that she wanted to have him alone. She was a Princess after all, she shouldn't be left alone with a man. Even if they were to be married soon.

@ FallenHope95

"Wednesday is perfect," Nikolai told her without hesitation. In truth, it didn't really matter what day Nova picked. Even if he had been originally busy, he would have just canceled his plans to make time for them to go hunting. As far as Nikolai was concerned, building a relationship with his fiancee was the most important thing that he needed to do at the moment. And, as long as he wasn't ignoring his duties, it should be fine that he was moving his schedule around for her. It wasn't something that he could sustain, especially once he was King, or in charge of more, but for now, it was doable.

A gentle smile came over Nikolai's lips and he gave her a small nod. "I'll make sure to invite a few people then. Was there anyone that you wanted to come along with us?" Nikolai asked her curiously. He would make sure to only invite a small number of people. Even though it was his idea to bring others along, Nikolai wanted to spend most of his time with her and not get bogged down with a large party. Besides, the others would just be there to avoid any rumors people may start.

But, outside of that, Nikolai was very curious as to who, if anyone, Nova would want to invite to go hunting with him. He really did not know her that well, so he was curious as to who her friends were, or the people that were close to her. Hopefully, that would give him more ways to learn about her. And the type of company one kept normally indicated the type of person they were.

@ BearGirl
Hearing Nikolai agrees with Wednesday being the day that they'd go out hunting perked Nova up a little bit. She honestly didn't expect him to agree with the day. She had just named a random day and thought he'd be busy and then change his mind right away to say they'd be doing it a different day. Only giving her an option to make her feel like she was thought of.

"Um," Nova said quietly and tried to think about the people that she had met the other day. To be honest, most of them didn't make a lasting impression on her. There was that one girl who was a talker, but Nova couldn't remember her name and she didn't want to listen to her talk non-stop again so soon. Although, she was nice. Then, there was that Sir Francis guy. He was nice, and he seemed like good friends with Nikolai.

Biting her bottom lips a little nervously, Nova glanced up at Nikolai. "How about your friend? Sir Francis? He seems to like hunting." Nova said quietly as she l blinked innocently. Hoping it didn't put any bad ideas about wanting to invite another male to tag along with them on this little hunting excursion. "I honestly, don't know who else to invite." She said quietly, offering a small frown. "Anyone would be fine to join, honestly."

@ FallenHope95

Once Nova admitted that she did not know who to invite, Nikolai smiled softly at her and gave her a small nod. He had expected her to name a friend or two but it seemed that would not be the case. Perhaps she wanted to keep her attention on him as well during the hunt? Nikolai hoped that was the case. Though, perhaps Nova's friends were not interested in hunting. It did not matter, Wednesday was about him continuing to learn about Nova. He would meet her friends another day.

"Very well, we shall have a small hunting party. I will only ask a few people to join us." Still, Nikolai wished that he did not have to invite anyone. But he really did not want to deal with any rumors that the two of them had ventured off into the woods themselves. They may be engaged but it would still be considered a scandal. Besides, he didn't think that Nova was the type to really handle that sort of thing, she seemed so shy.

Nikolai took a few moments to focus on his food, taking a few bites of this and that. Though, he peered over at Nova curiously. There was so much that he needed to learn about her but he didn't want to push Nova past her comfort zone. The man cleared his throat before continuing on the conversation. "Have you read anything particularly good lately, princess?"