Prince Anders

Elias opened his mouth to argue but sighed and paused to collect himself, “Well Anders you made it clear you do not wish to share your issues with me. I believe it best I not step on any other toes by being overly familiar.” he said quietly, “Besides, I do so for your own good. Yours and Olives. I only wish you to be safe.” 

“And since when does keeping me safe involve me having to tell you everything that may be bothering me?  You kept me out of your life for years, and I keep one secret and you shut down entirely on me?

“I was not complaining. Do you have a better idea where to keep it?”

“Why don’t we figure this out over drinks?”

she could see she was making him slightly uncomfortable, but she didn’t mind in the slightest. She thought of him as naive and probably very sheltered in comparison to the people she knew and herself “I guess it’s all about the question you ask then. I’ve never been told no nicely.” she tilted her head “For some reason people just don’t seem to like me that much - at times. So how about you take me on a tour of the fancy castle ground then - i doubt they’d tell you no”

“You seem rather defensive....did I do something that offended you or something?  If so, I’m sorry....”  he didn’t really remember having ever really met this woman before.

Elias had a bad habit of falling back on what felt ‘safety’ for him. Trouble was, that usually involved placing as much distance between himself and others as he could. 

“You are,” Anders insisted,” You’re doing that thing again where you hold me at an arm’s length.  I don’t get it Elias.  I’m your brother, but there are times you don’t act like it and I don’t see why you feel the need to shut me out sometimes...”

“You want me to draw lines on your belly? Perhaps you are becoming more forward…”

“No, that’s not what I said.  It just seemed wrong that my drinks are on yours.”

“No. But I will draw lines on my belly. I have seen them do this before,” she explained, as though this were a tried and true method of keeping track of drinks for a friend.

“I feel like, if they’re my drinks, they should be drawn on my belly, not yours.”

“Oh yeah, if Olive hadn’t said your names i wouldn’t really have pegged the three of you as a group.” she smirked, listening to him talk about people being understanding. In her experience people weren’t always the most trust worthy - she at least certainly wasn’t so why should anyone else be? “You Royals definitely have an in with everyone. I’m sure you’ve always been given what you ask for, after all - why would anyone refuse?” she tilted her head “The other half - well we live quite differently so asking doesn’t usually come to mind off the bat. We rarely get what we ask for, and we get plenty of what we never wanted to begin with” a slightly sour tone had gone into her voice, but she quickly snapped out of it. This poor guy had nothing to do with anything that’d happened to her and most of it was her own doing. He didn’t need to hear any of this.

“Well, that’s a bit of an idealistic way of putting it?  I like to think that we provide opportunity for everyone in our kingdom... where we can anyway,”  he gave a slight laugh, not sure how to digest what the woman was saying to him.  It seemed like a tangent on a specific event that she was a little bitter about.  People did get oddly hung up on things sometimes.  He continued,”  How do you know what is offered to you if you don’t ask?  Assuming the answer is no is the quickest way to make it true.”

“Do not worry–I will help you keep track this time,” Navi promised, not entirely sure it was a promise she could keep. Then again, she was not exactly known for being reliable in that area.

“Because you remember from our last outing?”

Elias removed his hand and held it with the other, almost as they he was trying to hide it. Anders was usually so jovial, did he find his touch quite so repelling? Was he finally tired of attempting to indulge him? 

The switch in his brother was pained Anders.  It wasn’t like he could explain to him what was happening, he couldn’t even hint at it.

“A random place it is then.” He laughed. “And it’ll me just me.. A welcome change. It’ll certainly be a new adventure.”

“That’s the spirit!   You’ll find it’s a prime way to fill the time.”

Elias was slightly torn. He was both happy to be able to something as simple as place a hand on his brothers shoulder but at the same time was terrified things would go wrong. Like they had as a child, and almost did after his coronation. It was slightly awkward but he left the hand in place, hoping Anders would at least see it as a good thing. “What is different?” he asked quietly, wandering what had changed in his brothers life, Elias had remained very similar, he thought, and despite a location switch they were all fulfilling similar rolls. “Is it anything you would like my help with?” he asked. Thinking about Anders’ behaviour brought the changes in Olive to mind, “You know, Olive went to a council meeting in my place the other day. Isn’t that something?” he smiled.

“What is different?”  It was a loaded question, and his brother didn’t even realize it.  Anders couldn’t tell him about his hear and he certainly didn’t have a backup lie in place to respond with.  He just shrugged again, not trusting himself to make up a lie on the spot.

“D-Did I r-read too m-much into it? Did I m-mistake what y-you were s-saying?”

“No-no, it’s not that.... I just... I’m awkward sorry.”   This was not going at all how he imagined, what little thought he had given at meeting her.  It came at such a horrible time too, when he wasn’t as willing to truly get close to someone new.  How selfish would it be for him to allow someone to get close only to have them become a part of the group pained at his possible demise.   He couldn’t let her get too close to him, but couldn’t just push her away either.  He needed to sort out his heart before he could really do anything..... his thoughts were just going in circles.

“I am always up for it,” she clarified, grinning up at him. “And I would love to go out for another night of drinking.”

“Well, we may as well start right now,”  he said,”  I feel a need to try and out drink myself from our last night out.   I can’t remember how many drinks I had, but that should make the challenge rather easy.”

“Yes i suppose it is  - but you’re one of the first people to call me out on that, not many can tell when i’m unsure” she leaned back , sitting back on her hip and crossing her arms “Ah so you’re their brother” she nodded “It all lines up - i’ve met both of them, they’re quite different” her grin faltered slightly at the question of family, “Nope, just me. Not really the family type.” she recovered her grin “I’m better being on my own”

Anders was starting to see the trend of his siblings meeting people before he did.  When did this start happening?  He was usually the more outgoing one, and the one to really introduce others to their family,”  I would say we’re all pretty different.”  He matched her grin when she said she was better on her own.  He couldn’t picture not having family, but who was he to judge how others flourished? 

“And that isn’t the case, Anders,” she said, shaking head with a smile. “Why would I need to be sarcastic with you?”

“I’m not sure, but you sure seem to be.”

“Yeah I guess I do.” He smiled. “I think so too, you think you can suggest a spot to travel? I find them fun with others as well I know some of my knights might travel with me if I were to suggest it but.. My sister I don’t think would agree. I may just ask to tag along at the next meeting though I’m not as well versed on the matters she deals with.. It may be worth it though.”

“I don’t really have suggestions..... why not just let your legs lead you somewhere?”  Anders really didn’t know what to say about his sister or the knights or anything of his situation, but just winging it seemed the just the thing the guy needed.

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