der herrscher;

sofia nodded, smile on her features. “that is good to hear. an honest king is a most noble king, after all.” watching him with a curious expression on her face, she cocked an eyebrow, his next move surprising her further. however displeased as she had been, she dipped ever so slightly in a curtsy and placed a hand in his own, “you may, though i must warn you i am rather rusty,” before her other hand came to rest upon his shoulder.

“the french do have great taste when it comes to wine,” sofia agreed. it was one of the few things she believed they had going for them. “i hope you always speak such kind truths then.” it was a jesting comment, her gaze returning to him once more. “no siblings at all? that must be lonely. no, no, it’ll be alright. my sister and i will reconcile eventually. she’ll understand one day,” she added quietly, before a kind smile returned to her face. “though i thank you for the offer.”

“it would certainly be more tolerable if there was something to actually enjoy.” sofia hadn’t recognized who she had wandered upon initially, but realizing that it was the belgium prince made him welcome company. she bowed her head in response, smiling slightly and offering an appreciative glance of her own. “thank you, your highness, you’re very kind. and you look very handsome, yourself.” with a small sigh, she turned her gaze outside. “my sister and i aren’t seeing eye to eye on things and it’s rather taxing on me, i’m afraid.”

she hadn’t enjoyed a ball or party since she was quite young, when it wasn’t nearly as imperative to make lasting impressions and alliances. not only was it rather boring in her eyes, as many would spend the evening drinking their concerns away, but it also seemed utterly useless. what would having so many important people in such carefree states do to benefit their time in french court? stepping out for some much needed air, she wasn’t surprised to find that she wasn’t the only one with the idea. “you may be hoping for a while then. i’m afraid neither are going very well at the present moment.”

Maksym nodded as the royal spoke, agreeing in his mind and forgetting he needed to speak to keep the conversation going. “Italian architects, may I inquire as to why?” He was curious, not judgemental. Maksym wondered if he would have the desire for a home outside of his courts, but he so enjoyed being with his people he could not imagine it. Perhaps if he found a Queen, had children, but then who knows.

“i’ve seen their works in my travels and grew particularly fond of it, simply.” ansel shrugged his shoulders - like a child, all he had to do was point at something that he wanted, something that he fancied, and it’d be in his hands. “but it is such a long way. i still need to be coronated first.”

“It might, yes. That is a possibility. However, it might not. And it could impact each person differently. Some might be pushed to leave faster, others to work out differences to create a lasting peace so they won’t need to leave for war again soon.’

her smile dimples from lips pressed together in an act to suppress amusement at the prince’s words. “you are of the mind that all people are cruel and seek what is only beneficial to themselves, prince ansel.” she pondered on his words nonetheless, “I trust in your word of course ..but I however endeavor to be somewhat advantageous without it being of ill intent or personal gain. – That, I can assure you.”

“your personal achievements, while very noble, will not change the general selfishness that infests us all.” ansel maintained his side of the argument logically, “and no matter how hard you try, altruism is a nonexistent concept. only a fool would attempt an action that presents no benefit to him.”

“It sounds like ye ken from experience,” Marjorie teased, smirking and chuckling before her expression changed to one of amusement. “The’ sounds like a challenge, yer highness.”

“There’s only so much I can carry,” she responded truthfully. Marjorie looked both ways, as though checking for people listening in on their conversation. “And my sister found my stash,” she explained with a chuckle.

“if someone is truly strong, how can they be easily swayed, even by beauty? i suppose there must be a fine line between the strong and the weak in some cases.” she spoke steadily. “and appreciation of beauty has little to do with the strength one has. how is seriousness a weakness?”

“what does that saying say...” ansel hummed as he pretended to recall the old sage, “the weaker the personality, the louder the opinion. it’s very general, really.” he shrugged his shoulders, as if that had made his point of view the clearest it can be.

“as opposed to my bad time management?” he questioned with a slightly raised eyebrow. it was hard not to be amused by the light-hearted conversation they were having, and for some reason, leon found himself enjoying it. “when i’m not discussing peace or having meetings with my council, i just worry about the future and if this peace is even possible.”

ansel didn’t comment, rather just smirked against his goblet before finishing the last of his wine. “see, that is the fault in all of it. worrying is only a method to age faster. we are far too young and handsome to worry so much.”

sophie blushed and looked down shyly. “i prefer not to be.”

“is that so?” ansel mused as he shook his head, “then what is it that you prefer to be?”

“That it is.” He had no doubt in his mind it would take far more negotiating before the treaty was ready. There were far too many parties involved for it to be an easy task. “Yes, we will be. As if the years of war to keep many of us away from home weren’t enough already.” He sighed, longing to return to his home. He’d spent too much time away from it. He was more than ready to return. “I hope the homesickness will make us move faster in our negotiations.”

“It’s no problem at all,” Lucien smiled at the man. “Uh, well, my wife had some input as well as my cousin who holds the English throne…” he paused for a moment, “and I believe it’s what my father would have wanted.”

“your wife? is she not an austrian princess as well?” ansel found it difficult to pledge loyalty to two different countries. “i don’t think my father would have appreciated the peace, he was very much fond of the war.”

          anja, despite her next words, smiled. she enjoyed ansel’s company;; it was a breath of fresh air, so to speak. “it seems you’ve misread me, your highness. i haven’t so much mind for my hair as i do the crown atop it.” a sly smile spread across her lips. “though it seems you’ve taken an interest in it.”

sofia was rather surprised that he was interested on her reasoning, though she was happy to indulge. “all of you men are so bull-headed, as am i, at times. it will be a long while before even the slightest agreement is settled upon. and by the time we reach that point, who knows how many more lives will be threatened?”