Dancing On My Own

"You could always satisfy his curiosity and say yes." Midori suggests, shoulders shrouded together as they crowd the corner of the pub. Such a place that might've been unthinkable to an Empress of Korea, but was common place to Midori until a few years prior. It's the beauty of their friendship; new experiences all around. "As long as fun doesn't involve puttering around Tian Feng or watching the European royals nip at each other's heels? It is already fun."

RELATIONSHIP BUILDING

He doesn't delude himself; in the realm of ancient rulers, he is but a spec. A second-hand Duke turned King in the blink of an eye. But Elias has come far from the humble roots associated with his birth right, and he meets King Graeme on equal footing. Even if the decaying King still considers himself the golden goose that lay Liechtensten's prized egg. "She's the most contended bride I've seen in a generation." Elias layers on, in response to Graeme's barbed response. Joanna said as much; the Stuart's cared for one another, in a way Elias could hardly understand. It had to start from somewhere right? And that happiness should be of more value than Graeme weighed it at. "Actually, I thought I might help you with something." He prefaces, settling across from him. "Since we are about to be family and allies." He add with a ginger smile. "I wished to inform you of an... Auspicious opportunity. Involving my new alliance with Russia and her allyship with the Vatican."

"It's the Royal Wedding of the year, what did you expect?" anyone who'd glanced at King Graeme's checkbook for this event would certainly know just how much went into the whole affair. Not only was this his youngest child, but it was the first Scottish royal wedding of this generation. It had to set the tone for the others and the pressure was surely on both countries to make it perfect. "Honey, I wouldn't trade our wedding for anything," she assured him, hands sliding up to his rather broad shoulders, "It was precisely about one sixteenth of the work for this one, so I was carefree and well-rested." A proud grin rested on her face as he doted upon her. Gizella sank into a dream-like haze each time Elias complimented her or boasted about her, the wishes of a lovesick princess all coming true and each time it felt entirely brand new. She reached up to her toes to place a very well-intentioned kiss to her husband's lips, a soft whimper humming through her throat. "Well, we are the ruling monarchs of an entire country and people will be awaiting the announcement of an heir," though she may not have been intentionally trying to get pregnant, as the idea of being a mother was all-together terrifying, "If anything, we can just blame it on that."

"Guess I didn't expect much of anything from Ruby. Least of all a wedding." Elias would've bet money the Schellenberg's didn't have that his brother would be the eternal bachelor. Then again, he also would've bet on his own non-existent fortune that he'd never marry himself. But Gizella's what happens when Elias is making other plans. "I'm glad. We only get one, after all." Sure, they could afford a grander one at any point. Or splurge on some extravagant wedding vow renewal. But Elias likes the singularity of one wedding day; his simple tux and the pink sheen on Gizella is uneclipsable in memory. "Besides, we more than made up for it with the honeymoon." He teases, wandering hands touching her back from beneath the fabric of her shirt. Those long days and nights spent together, fervent and untamed. Elias is already imagining it when Gizella makes mention of an heir. Fatherhood, like marriage, is something Elias never expected in his life. With her, however... He's reframed expectations. "You mean a baby, don't you, love?" Elias teases, noting the impersonal way heir sounds compared to a child of their own. The wistful energy is there, but replaced with something more serious as he takes stock of Gizella's every expression. "You know I don't care what other people want, right?" If he did, he'd concern himself with the fact that everyone wanted any other Schellenberg but he for the crown. "I just care about what you want, if you ever want it."

❛your welcome for that.❜ they add with a cheeky note. it has been well worth it even if their parents would punish her. the late rulers of prussia loved their children, dotted on them, and in the same breath weren't shy of discipling their children when needed. losing them had been a below that the wagner children are still recovering from in many ways, but of them all, it is their eldest brother who had finished grieving them. it has been too long since her brother cracked jokes as often, a side of him that was seldom seen due to circumstances. that's what mal is afraid of the most, that her brother would lose himself in all of this. worse, that if he enters this loveless marriage with the dutch princess, what will it do to him? has he even considered this? ❛he can't really do anything, we're not married yet. not to mention, her future husband could give a rat's ass as to what she's doing.❜ the look that briefly crosses his features is not missed by the crown princess. perhaps she too was making a dumb decision with her chosen intended. ❛you get drunk enough home. it's more important for you to be sober tonight.❜ his alcohol intake has also not gone amiss, but given the position he's in right now, under so many eyes since his engagement, javi had to be on his toes tonight. the last thing she wants for him is to have his name plastered across the media for the wrong reasons. ❛oh, javi...what happened?❜ her hand squeezes his, ❛maybe she thinks she's doing a favor given your engagement and all.❜ in truth, mal suspects that just as he couldn't be away from the scot, she too couldn't, not for long anyway. both of her brows arch as she eyes her brother, ❛you would sound more convincing if you had more to say about her. I don't not like her, I don't know her. while i'm sure she's smart and could do well for prussia, she's not the one for you." she was just so....how does mal put it? cold. everything her brother is not. she'd been pleasant enough with malai, even nice enough, but wouldn't most women in her position? try to get along with her husband's siblings, but there's an aloofness to the blonde that made her worry about javi all the more. even if she didn't love javi, would valencia care for him?

"Wow... Love story for the ages." He doubles back at Mal with a pointed lift of his brow. Devotion to his sister aside, few people in this world are willing to give Javier righteous hell. And in turn, he does her the same courtesy. That's the plight of siblings, after all. "Maybe I should ask you why you think a loveless marriage will be worth it." Between the two of them, maybe they'll come up with an answer that satisfied the whisper of their parents' souls in the back of their minds. The very ones that cared for love, above all else. "Sober, charming, Kingly." He lists off the litany things he needs to be, winking at his sister. "Easy." And it is for him. Natural charisma has been his friend over the years, in place of his sister's brilliance. Sighing, he ruminates on Isolde's fate and the privacy she demanded. "It's just... A lot more than you can imagine. But that's all I can truly say about it. Okay?" There's an unspoken look in his eye - there are some things he couldn't say, for her sake. He says in regards to his fiance. "And we both know how rare loyalty is when you're royal. Maybe it's time to get to know her better? I mean... The wedding day's coming up."