Chaos in the Castle

@ Sweet.Persephone

Maisie laughed at his teasing, nudging him back as she shook her head. "I don't hate history, and I wasn't bad at it like I'm assuming you were with math, but I just like the appeal of how fundamental math is, there's no interpretation or guessing, there's just a right and a wrong." She explained with a bit of a smile, following him through the exhibit and into the next that he'd been mentioning. She smiled a bit as she felt him rubbing his thumb along the back of her hand, leaning into his side slightly as they paused in front of one of the artifacts, a beautifully decorated vase with various scenes from one of their kingdoms' shared myths.

"I always liked this story, the one with the two star-crossed lovers. When I was little, before the cancer and when I could go to school like everyone else, they made us all act it out for our parents. It has such a sad ending, though, I'm surprised that they let five year olds do it." She mused, looking up at him. "Do they tell it the same way as they do here in your country? Or do they change it?" She asked curiously. The story was about a prince and a princess from each of their kingdoms who fell in love despite the countries being at war and the two royals being betrothed to others. Despite it all they continued to see each other, and eventually the princess gave birth to twins, who were split up so that each parent could raise one of them. However, because of the war they were never told about their real parents or that they had a sibling, and they ended up meeting in battle and slaying each other without knowing the truth. When the two lovers heard the news they blamed each other, but arranged peace between the kingdoms because they didn't want their sons deaths to be for nothing. "I know our countries share some myths and folktales, but I never remember which, and I know that some of them are told differently."

@ katahdin

"Hey, hey now. I never said that I was bad at math. I just said that I did not care for it." Charles told her with a laugh as he shook his head. "Now I am certainly not as good at the subject as you are, but I can manage. And I didn't fail anything so maybe that will reassure you in my ability." As Maisie explained why she enjoyed the subject, Charles gave her a little nod. It was interesting. It seemed to him that the princess just wanted to know what was right and wrong. That perhaps she did not enjoy the 'in between' that often shined in through life.

"It is an interesting story, to say the least. Though I can't say it was my favorite... It just seems so silly to me, you know. Something that could have been avoid with ease." Charles glanced down at the plaque that was in front of the exhibit, taking a moment to skim through the story. "It is one that I know well. Though we do not tell so young. It normally gets saved for middle school, like for literature or some kind of myths subject." He gave her a little shrug. "Even so, it seems that that story is the same from what we were told."

@ Sweet.Persephone

Maisie couldn't help but laugh along with him, blushing sheepishly as they were shushed by a few older people, quickly apologizing as she led Charles away, nudging his side. "You're going to get us kicked out if you're not careful." She whispered, smiling up at him teasingly. "I'm sure you're the smartest prince where you come from.. unless you have a brother who's smarter?" She grinned, shaking her head a little at the thought.

She nodded a little as he spoke about the myth she'd brought up upon seeing the vase, tilting her head a bit as she looked at the beautiful painting on it, resting her head against his shoulder in the process. "I don't know if it was my favorite, but I did always like it. Maybe because it's what brought peace after such a long period of fighting." She shrugged a bit as he called the story silly, lifting her head from his shoulder. "I don't know... Sure, they loved each other and should have said something, but they were already engaged and they thought they were doing the right thing by keeping it a secret. I feel bad for them, it's sad to have to hide how you really feel about someone." She frowned a bit, releasing his hand so that she could move over to look at some of the other artifacts, suddenly feeling self conscious holding his hand.

@ katahdin

"Me?" Charles asked her, slightly agasp as he did so. "I am certainly not going to get us kicked out of anywhere. Who do you think I am?" Reaching down, he lightly poked her side. "Now you certainly will get us kicked out of this museum. Your laugh will be so contagious that everyone else can't help but too and then we all will get kicked out." He joked but this time his voice was a lot softer. "And I am the smartest heir there and here."

Charles started to feel hyper aware of the woman that was besides him as she laid her head on his shoulder. Suddenly aware of how she was pressed against him, of how their hands were together. Though before he could really start to enjoy it, Maisie was pulling away and heading off to another part of the exhibit. He watched her for a long moment, feeling a little dazed but eventually he followed her towards the next part of the museum.

"It would be sad, wouldn't it? To have to hide your feelings." He slowly turned his gaze towards the tapestry.

@ Sweet.Persephone

Maisie couldn't help but roll her eyes as he pinned the blame on her, scrunching up her nose and giggling as he poked her side, a bit ticklish. "And it'll be your fault for making me laugh, so it's your fault we get kicked out." She joked softly, scoffing as he said he implied he was smarter than her. "I don't think so. I think you're just as smart as me, but not more." There was no denying he was smart, but no way he was smarter than her.

As Maisie pulled away from him and moved to stand in front of the tapestry she crossed her arms over her chest and rubbed her hands over her arms, as if trying to warm up. It was a little chilly in the museum, but the goosebumps on her skin weren't from the air conditioning, but from the sudden realization that she might care for Charles as more than a friend, that she didn't want the engagement to be called off anymore, that she wanted an opportunity to have a relationship with him. But of course he didn't feel the same way, the princess assuming he had someone back home waiting for him, and she didn't want to tell him and risk losing the only true friend she'd had in years. She could hide her feelings, after all she'd gotten very good at hiding herself from others.

She was pulled from her thoughts as Charles moved to stand next to her, gazing up at him for a few moments before nodding as she turned back to the tapestry. "Almost tragic.. But sometimes you have to, because if people knew the truth, they might hate you for it." She murmured softly. "At least the prince and princess in the story had the same feelings for one another and just had to hide their love from everyone else. It'd be even sadder if only one of them loved the other, and they had to hide it."

@ katahdin

As Maisie's eyes were focused on the tapestry, his eyes were on hers. It was almost eerie how close her words were to the extact situation that was playing out in his head. Was everything they had been working for the last few weeks really what he wanted? To get away from Maisie, to break off the engagement... It was what he wanted at first but Charles could feel that something had shifted, or rather, had changed in him. It wasn't that he was ready to jump into marriage with Maisie but... but he liked her. He didn't want to just go home.

"I suppose..." Charles said softly in response. "To know that you care about that other person and to never say so. I think that just might be harder than saying so and getting rejected. At least you can move on if they don't care for you back." Although the words were coming out of his mouth, Charles wasn't sure how to feel about them. Should he say something to her? Or just keep it to himself? Would he be messing up a good thing by telling Maisie the truth?

"Lets go to the next exhibit." Charles said softly before turning and making his way to the exhibit that went over one of the wars the country had gone through in it's early years.

@ Sweet.Persephone

Maisie turned her head to look up at him as he spoke, frowning a bit as she thought over his words and looked away. If she said anything and he rejected her, she wasn't sure if she'd ever get over the pain she knew it would cause her, and she'd probably be too scared to open up to anyone ever again. But she'd also be miserable if she never said anything, so it was really choosing between the lesser of two evils.

"Charles..." She started, voice barely above a whisper as she looked up at him nervously, but before she'd finished saying his name he was suggesting that they go on to the next exhibit, so she fell silent and turned to follow him into the next exhibit. She'd barely been able to summon the courage to say something just then, she doubted she'd be able to say anything again.

@ katahdin

As they were walking through the next exhibit, Charles' mind was racing. It was too difficult to pay attention to what was being shown and it all meant nothing to him at that moment. What he really wanted to do was go get some fresh air, just to try to clear his head for a moment, try to make a quick decision as to what to do about his feels towards Maisie. After all, he needed to do something. Even if that choice was to just bury his feelings.

The man's eyes started to glance around the room until they finally settled on a door that lead to the outside. Charles looked back at her and nodded his head towards the door. "It said on the map that they had an outside sculpture garden. Do you want to go look at it?" He was hoping to distract her with art so he could take a moment to think.

@ Sweet.Persephone

Maisie had been idly following Charles through the next exhibit, hardly paying attention or even trying to pretend that she was. It was awful to know that she'd never be able to tell him the truth, even though there was almost no chance that he felt the same way. She was drawn from her thoughts once again as Charles suggested that they should go outside to the sculpture garden, forcing a small smile and a nod as she headed for the door. "That's a great idea."

She held the door open for Charles as they walked outside, letting out a sigh as she breathed in the fresh air, which did help calm herself down a bit. "When I was little my parents held a party here, some sort of fundraiser, and the sculptures were all lit up and the flowers were all blooming, and everyone was dancing, and all I wanted to do was play hide and seek." She smiled a bit at the memory, shaking her head at how silly it was. "I wish I'd wanted to dance, I never have a chance anymore. Not that I'd dance with anyone but my dad or my uncles, but still."

@ katahdin

Once they were outside, Charles took a moment to take a deep breath of the fresh air. He suddenly felt less suffocated now that they were out in the open. And as he looked over the open space, Charles started to think about what he should do. Perhaps he should tell her how he felt? Just to see of she felt the same? If she did not, then he could move on. If she did... well, Charles would worry about that when it came to it.

His eyes shifted down to the woman as she started to talk about dancing. A smile came over his face as he thought about dancing with her. It was a nice thought, something that he wanted to do. Though now was not the place or time. "I am sure that you will get the chance to dance with someone sooner than you think."

@ Sweet.Persephone

Maisie had closed her eyes for a moment as she breathed in the fresh air, finding it nice to be out in the open after feeling so stifled inside. The sound of the birds flying around the garden and the water from a few of the fountains was very relaxing, and for a moment she could almost forget how her heart felt when she thought about Charles. Almost. Opening her eyes again she began to walk through the gardens with Charles slowly, not really paying much attention to the sculptures, mostly focusing on her feet.

She looked up at him as he mentioned her getting the chance to dance with someone sooner, a teasing smile spreading across her lips after a moment. "You mean like with my fiancé at our wedding? How could I have forgotten. We'll surely have to have a few practice lessons, though, since I'm convinced that he has two left feet." She said with a little laugh, nudging his side teasingly.

@ katahdin

"Well, considering that your fiancée is a prince, I am willing to bet that he had to take many dance lessons for balls and other royal parties." Charles lightly teased back. "Otherwise, it would look a bit silly if a prince didn't know what to do on the dance floor, don't you think?" With that, he nudged her before lifting his head up to glance at the sculptures. He had decided. He would tell her that he liked her, and what was going through his mind. It was worth the risk. If Maisie liked him back, he would be walking on cloud nine.

Though when? Now seemed like a bad idea. They still had plenty of day left and Charles did not want to make it more awkward than it had to be if she decided to reject him. Plus Charles knew he would want to hide away if she had. Perhaps dinner would be a good idea... Or after dinner would be better. When they were already on their way home? He would just have to feel out the mood before he opened his mouth. "A few practice lessons is always a good idea though."

@ Sweet.Persephone

Maisie laughed a bit at his teasing, swatting at his hand again as he nudged her side. "Just because you take dance lessons doesn't mean you're any good at dancing." She pointed out teasingly, grinning up at him. "I had to take painting lessons growing up, but I never got very good. For all I know my fiance is the same way with dancing. Although you are right, practice lessons are a good idea, because if you don't get along with your partner it doesn't matter how good of a dancer you are."

She remained silent for a bit as they walked further into the garden, letting out a sigh after a moment of thought. "Too bad my fiance and I hate each other. I'm sure he'll step on my toes on purpose, or try to make a fool of me out of spite for this arranged marriage... I hope your Bahamas girl is a good dancer, though. I'm sure there's lots of places to go dancing there, it'd be a shame if you couldn't go have fun."

@ katahdin

"I am just saying that I think I can manage a dance or two." Charles said as he shook his head at her a little. "But I suppose we can test my skills out one of these days and you can tell me if I am good enough to dance with you." He let out a little hum, glancing at one of the sculptures that was in the garden. "I would like to see one of your paintings." He murmured to her, a little lost in thought. Charles was willing to bet that she was not as bad as she made it seem.

His attention was pulled away from the metal sculpture in front of them as Maisie joked about getting her feet stepped on during their dance. "I think I would just spin you into the closest fountain if I really wanted to make a fool out of you." Charles joked warmly. "Though, if you prefer it, I can move down to something as simple as stepping on your toes."

A little shrug was all he offered when she mentioned Bahamas girl... Charles wasn't so interested in her anymore.

@ Sweet.Persephone

"That might have to happen. As long as we don't dance near any fountains." Maisie teased as she smiled up at him, hesitating a moment before she moved a bit closer to him to link her arm back with his, shaking her head a bit as he asked to see one of her paintings. "No way. My parents made me take lessons in high school, and I only ever paint anything now when I'm extra stressed, and it's usually just an ugly mess of colors smeared all over the place. The last thing I want is you seeing them and laughing."

Maisie was surprised that he hadn't said anything in response to her teasing him about his Bahamas girl, looking up at him for a moment as she studied his face before giving his arm a little squeeze. "Is everything alright, Charles? I don't know if I said or did something to upset you, but if I did I'm sorry.. And if you want I can let you continue exploring on your own, so I don't ruin it anymore than I have already. The reservation for tonight's dinner is just going to go on my parents tab, so maybe you could find a pretty lady to take with you on a fancy date?" She suggested, hoping it might cheer him up. The thought of him going on a date with someone else made her hear clench, but if it made him happy that was all that mattered.

@ katahdin

"Everything is great," Charles said, quick to reassure Maisie. He did not want another repeat at what happened at lunch. "You haven't done anything to upset me, and trust me, there is no one else I would rather have come with me for dinner than you." As he said that, he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled the woman into his side, a smile coming over his face as he looked at her. "Sorry if I have seem a little lost in thought, I have just been enjoying the art around us."

He squeezed her gently, trying to ensure that Maisie knew that he was more than happy and that Maisie had not done anything wrong. Though to say that he was happy wasn't completely accurate as he was more nervous for tonight than anything else. "Now stop worrying so much and enjoy the day with me." Charles glanced around for a moment before chuckling lightly. "Alright, how about we play a game and guess which each abstract sculpture is suppose to represent?"

@ Sweet.Persephone

Maisie blushed faintly as Charles wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close, looking away from him quickly so he wouldn't catch her reaction, although she was happy to lean into his arms. His words were kind, and made her heart flutter, but he knew that he just meant it in a friendly way. Still, it was nice to be close to him, and she wanted to enjoy the time she had with him.

"It's alright. I just want to make sure you're ok." She murmured, resting her head comfortably against his shoulder as they walked through the gardens, smiling a bit as he told her to stop worrying and suggested they play a game about guessing what the abstract sculptures scattered around the garden represented, giving a little nod. "Alright, sounds fun."

@ katahdin

"Great," Charles responded as he started to look around the garden, wanting to pick the perfect sculpture for their first on. And it was not long before he found something that was abstract enough to really genuinely not know what it was meant to be based off of. The sculpture that he had picked for their first guesses was, in his opinion, a good choice.. It was interesting but he had no idea what it was.

Once they got over there, Charles slowly walked Maisie around the sculpture so that they could fully take it in. Charles even took in a deep breath before looking down at the woman. "Ladies first," He said with a smirk. "What do you think it is?"

@ Sweet.Persephone

Maisie stuck close to Charles as they approached the sculpture that he'd seemed to pick out as their first subject to guess the meaning behind, humming a little as she gazed up at the sculpture. She didn't really know what it was supposed to represent, and hadn't the slightest idea where to even begin, but she figured she'd give it a shot anyway, especially when she looked up to see Charles smirking down at her.

"Hm. I think they look like trees. Maybe a forest?" She suggested, nudging his side a little. "Alright, smart mouth, now it's your turn."

@ katahdin

The man let out a hum at Maisie's answer. It was hard to tell if she was anywhere close to be right or not. Though he could see how the sculpture might look like trees to represent a forest. Once it was his turn however, Charles stood up a little straighter and squinted at the piece. What did this sculpture embody... "It represents the flow of time." Charles finally said as he lifted his free hand up, pointing out how the piece moved. "How sometimes we have up hill battles and downturns in life but time continues to move either way."

Charles smirked down at her once again, thinking that his explanation was rather artful. "Alright, let's see what the plaque says then." His eyes shifted down as he read the definition. However the smirk he had quickly disappeared and was replaced by confusion. "It is meant to represent the form of the female body?" He lifted his eyes up and glanced at the piece once again.