@cfkingdoms (eszti)
something about the hungarian princess. he saw her and... lack of a better phrase; he wanted her. not like some sexual deviant, but that could be a partial reason, he was well aware that he had a higher libido than a lot of people. it was the way she carried herself, the confidence.
he liked it.
it wasn't like she was cocky, it was like she was aware of her worth and projected that. for someone who hides his insecurities behind a smile and a joke, he couldn't help but find her irresistibly attractive.
however, he had to make his diligence first. he needed to make sure she was single, and if she were with someone he had to know if it was a monogamous relationship, and he had to make sure she didn't have kids. it was unfair to uproot a child's life when you have no intention of being a parent, something he had learned after his affair with the english prince. luckily for him, he and auggie never intended for their relationship to get serious.
"good evening, princess," claes said, moving to sit beside her. he usually didn't eat in the dining hall, he usually ate in his quarters. it seemed the best place as any to even bring up a conversation at all. royals often socialized over dinner. any on lookers would assume it was about joining an alliance or to ask if she could talk to her brother. which ever the nosey servants had concocted to entertain themselves. he had no actual plan, he hardly ever had one. if anything, starting a conversation was better than nothing. "you look awfully bored for meal time," he commented, grabbing the wine goblet set down for him to take a drink.
oh, of course she'd noticed him. if zosia had taught her anything, it was biding her time, taking everything in before one strikes. not unlike a viper, she'd thought to herself before. so, yes, she knew who prince claes was, and from what she knew of him? he's...intriguing. he'd kept her waiting, though. either from disinterest or, god forbid, a lacking confidence, he'd yet to approach her.
so when he finally does, of course she needs to assess. while she had seen him about the castle and the grounds, she couldn't recall seeing him here, which meant this was unlikely to be a chance meeting. he didn't stammer when he spoke to her, which was another point in his favor. unlikely to be a lack of confidence, then.
still, she would not be a simple bargaining chip. she doesn't know for certain yet whether he approaches her now in real interest or because of some boring political motivation, and the answer will greatly impact how this goes. "your highness," she greets him in kind, cocking her head slightly, as though his statement was perplexing. "or perhaps i am glad for the lull. for a peace summit, this has become quite the spectacle, no?"
















