"'enemies' seems a strong word, no?" comes the entirely unbothered response, with a flippant motion of his hand as though batting a fly out of the air. after years of blowing off tutors and dukes and the like, he was not unfamiliar with being on someone's bad side. and it wasn't that he couldn't understand why he might frustrate some of the more uptight people around him, it is just that he didn't care. it was their problem they did not like him, after all, not his.

well, usually. until they decided to make it his problem.

"it is not my fault people around here do not have a good sense of humor. they do not know how to have fun, to let go for once!"

there's  a  part  of  eric  that  is  envious  of  how  unbothered  the  other  royal  remains.  well,  not  a  part,  more  like  all  of  him.  no  matter  the  situation  the  prince  of  maldonia  appeared  to  take  everything  in  stride,  and  remained  easygoing  in  the  process.  the  pressure  of  his  title  clearly  not  the  crushing  weight  eric  often  found  it  to  be.  it  wasn't  that  eric  was  uptight,  no that was more grimsby's thing,  he  was just oftentimes too  aware  of  the  many  eyes  that  were  constantly  on  him,  and  that  everything  he  did  should  reflect  well  on  his  kingdom.  an  ever  present  obstacle  for  a  prince  who  yearned  to  be  just  as  free  and  laid  back.  

"how  do  you  do  that?  how  do  you  just  let  go  of  everything?"  

Thinya chuckled as Eric agreed with her opinion about arranged marriages. "See, I would love to be optimistic and think that perhaps, in an arranged marriage, there could possibly be love. This only depends if both parties are willing to work on this." She paused before adding: "However, it's quite common to see failed arranged marriages, with only children produced and suffering from the lack of love from their parents. I do not wish this for my own children." Her smile grew warmer as she added: "I will wait as long as I can if the outcome of a match is love."

As he commented about her participation being due to her parents' encouragements, Thinya laughed and nodded. "Touché." His comment made her smile as she sighed: "I have respect for our parents. I know that before us, they had to face this as well. However, I wish to be different." She paused before adding. "I may be bold, pardon me for this. But you speak of your mother being disappointed because it would turn out as a waste of resources and time. I beg to differ on this: yes, you may have not found the one you would marry. But as far as I am concerned: you may have a found genuine friend. Me." She chuckled before adding: "And I am enjoying this conversation."

The conversation shifted to his living place and Thinya started dreaming about it. Her cheeks turned lightly pinker as he offered her a visit. "I would be quite honoured." She spoke truthfully, although her heart knew that it would be complicated for her to travel overseas. She would need a good reason to convince her parents. "A library? Oh dear me, when can I come?" She asked with a light laugh. "Now you're making me even more dream." She chuckled, her green hues admiring his features. She though soon recovered a serious face as he added: "I believe I shall find a good excuse to travel overseas. My parents might not send me if it's just for books and visit." She sighed, knowing that her parents would want her married by the end of the season.

"arrangements as such just feel so doomed from the beginning. there is too much influence from outside forces. too much pressure to try to make things work out the way everyone hopes. and then, of course, when things do not work out the disappointment and disenchantment must be crushing." he gives his head a gentle shake at the thought. "marriage should be something to enjoy, joyously participate in, not be coerced into. starting off resenting your spouse simply because of circumstance is no way to begin a marriage." 

thinya's words, expressing her desire to be different, strike a chord with eric. and bring a light to his expression. it is a sentiment that he shares in. something he's always wanted for in his own life— to be different than his father. a different kind of man, and leader. a smile tugs at his lips, head nodding in agreement. "you know, you're right. i have found a friend, which  is more than i could have hoped for from all of this." it may not be what his mother had hoped for, but friendship was important to eric and he was more than thrilled to find someone he could relate to. 

eric's own expression takes on a more serious air, though a touch of playful lightheartedness remains in his demeanor. "a personal invitation from the prince himself isn't enough for your parents?" a boyish smile makes a fleeting appearance before his brows knit slightly in thought. "what if a guided tour of the kingdom were to also be thrown in, would that help to convince them? or should he also include an invitation for dinner at the castle as well?"

poppy quickly breaks another half of a cookie off, ignoring eric's feigned ignorance over who he should be giving the sweet treats to before passing it to him with a smirk. "what about this? is this enough to stay on the nice list do you think?" her chin juts to his separate plate, "i think we'll have plenty. plus, i may have brought over something else." she moves to the bag of goodies still on the counter, hands diving to the bottom, to the final item that remained hidden. "brownies. double chocolate. we've definitely got enough for a sugar coma if we want it." and if they didn't, poppy would be taking it home with her. as they finish dishing up their own selections versus the perfect ones, she can't help but feel defeated. like she has eric but not in the way she wants him. after all these years, she didn't expect to ever be in his orbit again. let alone be in it and have their relationship be exactly as it was. but she has to share him, his time, his heart; and she doesn't want to. by settling in on the couch, poppy is face to face with a problem and whether or not they should talk about it. talking could make the night awkward, and it was clear eric seems to be happy with vanessa. so instead, she lets things go. he deserves to be happy. he would be for her if the situation was reversed. her mind races forward, wanting to stop eric from noticing that she'd been struggling with something thirty seconds ago and now she isn't. "what are you doing for new years? are you staying with your family the whole time or coming back here?"

"not sure about santa's list, but you're back on my nice list." a satisfied grin, accompanied by a wink, makes way for the piece of cookie she handed him. the sweet treat tasting that much sweeter knowing he'd conned it directly from poppy. with his curiosity piqued, eric is more than quick to follow her toward the bag of goodies, blue eyes lighting up at the reveal. "you were already at the top of my list, but now you're on your own tier completely." wasting no time, he snatches the box containing the brownies, pulls one out and takes a big bite. a telling groan escaping him as he chews. "did you make these? they are... mmm!" he pops what remains of the brownie into his mouth before snatching a second one. while preoccupied by deliciousness, eric isn't completely oblivious to poppy's thoughtfulness. he could almost see the distraction as she busies herself with the cookies and the brownies. something was bothering her and if something was bothering her, that something was also bothering him— whatever it may be. but with a mouthful of baked good, he can't just blurt out the conclusion he'd come to. and before he can get the chance, she's asking about him again, his new years plans, of all things. "mm, get this—" he says around the mouthful of brownie before he swallows and plops himself down on the couch next to her, "my parents aren't even going to be in the country. i guess they figured since i was here they'd celebrate christmas and new years in monaco." he couldn't even be upset, they finally saw their chance to escape and they seized it. good for them, he was actually kind of jealous. "so i'll be right here, watching ryan seacrest countdown to the ball drop." chin tipping toward the television. "what about you? will you be kissing some hunk at midnight at home or here? is that what people say? hunk?" there's a selfish hope that maybe she too would be alone. then the burning hope that they could spend the night alone together. "whatever they say, you'll probably be partying somewhere way cooler than home or here."

"i wish more people would be as encouraging and understand as you." a smile tugs at his lips before he presses them fully to hers. "grimsby can't talk about anything else, it's always about the wedding whenever he sees me. he's in such a hurry to get me married." a light chuckle escapes him. "i think he's hoping you'll take over all the responsibilities of keeping me in line once we're married and he can take a much needed break." 

"Exactly, and I would hate for you to think that I was upset with you, especially when I was not." Satisfied with herself and his willingness to oblige, Anne smiles and crossed her arms over her chest. She thought for a moment, pondering his question. "Some of the baubles might be too hefty for the plants, but perhaps some tinsel or ribbons would be a reasonable compromise?"

his lips press together considering the offered alternative. once again anne made a good point— they wanted the houseplant to feel appreciated, not weighed down by what was meant to achieve that. a finger points in anne's direction, enthusiasm clear in voice and expression, "ribbons! that's perfect. we keep the baubles for the tree and the plant can wear ribbons and tinsel. they both get to join in on the fun in their own way, and no one has to be jealous of the other. there's only one possible complication, are we going to be tying any of the ribbon into bows?"

Michael Zeno Diemer (German, 1867–1939), "Auf hoher See" (detail), ca. 1902

Vanessa felt his fingers lace through her own, she held herself back at calling him a idiot as he was going along with what EVERYONE else wanted and not himself, sighing softly. ' I want what you want, so no matter what that is I'll be at your side.' She leans forward, her lips hovering over his. ' But I also want you to make the decisions, don't let NO one step all over you my love.' She turned away giving a small dramatic sigh. ' What if...people don't approve of me as your wife? you deserve someone so much more...royal like. I am just a commoner.'

eric's lips fall into a soft pout as vanessa teases him with a kiss but instead pulls away. leaving his heart racing and him wanting more. he wanted vanessa, he was sure of that. he wanted to marry her, but it was the rush to the altar that he was unsure of. marriage meant settling down, giving up more of the freedoms he so enjoyed. a life full of duties, that was what he didn't want. eric's fingers find her chin, bringing her gaze back to him. "their approval isn't important" his hand moving to cup her cheek. "and you being a commoner doesn't matter to me and it shouldn't matter to anyone else. i deserve to be with someone i love, just as anyone else would. i deserve to be with whom i've chosen and that is you, vanessa. everything i do with the rest of my time here on this earth i want to do with you." 

"I don't see why not. They're living things, like you and I. Unless you mean to tell me you wouldn't get jealous if I gave everyone else a present except for you? If I greeted everyone else with warm and welcoming Yuletide cheer, but merely offered you a bland and lifeless ‘Your Grace,’ wouldn’t you be a wee bit miffed?”

"i would be concerned that i had wronged you in some way and i would begin searching for a way to make amends immediately. i would hate for the plant to share in that impression, to feel it had done something wrong— should we add some baubles as well, for good measure?" 

“they were flirting with you” and how was i supposed to know such a thing when everyone speaks in codes and puzzles

❛   i hope he finds an equally annoying princess. or maybe a girl that does want to raise her husband. i'm sure one exists. everything has an opposite , right ? ❜ hands smooth absently at her stomach , fabric soft to the touch. ❛ will you let me stand on your toes ?   ❜ a wry grin is given as she tips her head to the side to smile at him.

"i  have  heard  such  a  theory.  and  there  are  plenty  of  annoying  princesses  out  there,  maybe  he'll get  lucky  and  find  one  that  is  annoying,  motherly,  and  self-centered.  though  those  two  qualities  might  not  go  hand  in  hand."  he  lets  out  a  light  chuckle.  "for  you?  of  course  i  will.  i'll  wear   my  heaviest  boots  for  the  occasion, in case of crushed toes." an  amused  smile  of  his  own  returned  in  her  direction.  

❛ maybe it's the beard. what would you look like with a beard ? might change his mind.   ❜ her hands continue up their path from his chest , along his neck , then there to rest against his jawline so her thumbs can brush against the stubble. ❛ she's something , but i don't think she's some storybook villain. it's just . . . how henry's coping. kids do that all the time , right ? i used to make up stories about how i was like rapunzel , just waiting for someone to come save me.   ❜

"is  that  your  way  of  gently  nudging  me  towards  growing  a  beard?"  a  teasing  smirk  playing  on  his  lips.  "because  i  think  i'd  look  pretty  good,  and  it  would  definitely  rival  sheriff  scruff."  chin  tipping  to  lean  into  her  touch.  "rapunzel,  really?  you  don't  give  off  the  waits  for  a  handsome  prince  to  rescue  you  vibes."  one  of  his  hands  moving  to  run  through  her  hair  softly.  "kids  do  have  interesting  ways  of  coping,  i  always  imagined  my  real  family  would  show  up  at  the  door  one  day  to  take  me  home.  that  they  were  just  out  there  searching  for  me, door to door."  

'...Is    it    what    you    wanted?    or    your    kingdom?    '    Vanessa    said    as    she    was    pulled    close    to    him,    her    hand    resting    on    his    chest    as    she    looked    down    towards    him,    fingers    gently    moving    over    his    lips.

he wanted this. this was what he wanted. wasn't it? he knows that he wants what is best for the kingdom, and grimsby has made it more than clear that marrying will be wildly beneficial for the kingdom. and that is what he should want. he catches her wrist, laces their fingers together. "it's what i want, my love. to spend my life with you and rule the kingdom together." he catches her wrist, taking a hold of her hand. "isn't that what you want too?" 

“I would normally say yes, this is the part that can make or break the entire tree—quite literally. But I have faith in you, your majesty.” Bobbing into a curtsy, she couldn’t hide the grin on her face. In any other case she might shy away from teasing a man of his position, but Anne trusted him enough. If he was going to let her adorn the tree with its star, then surely he wouldn’t scold her for teasing him.

“It was—” Anne blinked, brows furrowed as she looked around for it. “Strange… It was just here a moment ago. You don’t suppose Max took it, do you?”

"well, now i'm feeling the pressure, but thank you for believing in me." an easy laugh bubbles from him. of course he wasn't about to scold her, even overlooking the curtsy and addressing him so formally. eric always felt so much more comfortable around people when they too felt comfortable around him and he appreciated when people were willing to speak with him as a friend rather than the prince. 

"max. . . of course. he must have been jealous he wasn't offered the job of putting the star up." another laugh leaves him accompanied by a playful roll of his eyes. at least now eric had a scapegoat if he messed up such an important task. "we should try to find him before he attempts to bury it." a hand stretches toward anne, gesturing for her to follow him as he calls out for max. "max! where'd you go, boy!"