“I wish you the best of luck finding that love, then, your Highness.” Yvonne said softly, lips finally quirking up into that smile. She curtsied almost cheekily, straightening again and meeting his eyes. He hadn’t said anything about it, hadn’t told her to keep her place and remember who she was compared to him. “You’ll find it. The gods have plans for everyone, do they not?”
Wolf smiled back at her, bowing at the waist in an elaborate movement with an arm on either side of his torso, a kind grin finally making an appearance as he straightened back up. "I suppose they do, sweet. I should know." He tipped his head to the side and seed to come to a realization. "Right, speaking of, I should get this delivered. The ball is to begin shortly, and Mother wouldn't care much for the Crown Prince being late."
“Right, right, I should get along as well.” She nodded a couple of times, adjusting her skirts and motioning to the dress he was holding. “Make sure that gets safely to Ms. Song, or the Queen will have my head. Good day…What exactly would you like me to call you, your Highness? Other than your Highness?”
He waved his hand in a vague manner. "Wolf is perfectly fine. Preferred, actually. 'Your Highness' just feels stuffy and way too formal for my taste, like I'm playboy richy-rich." He scrunched his nose in distaste, then smiled. "I'll see you 'round, sweet. Perhaps at the ball?" He tilted his head in question.
“I will be working the ball, yes. Most of the staff are required that day, unless they absolutely can’t make it.” Yvonne arched a brow, smiling at him. “If you would like first pick of the appetizers, I can arrange that.” She was offering to stop and talk to him, if he wanted. It was nice, having someone else to talk to, beyond her coworkers. And he was one of the first nice royals she’d actually interacted with, all of the family’s guests preferring to send her off as soon as possible.
Wolf smiled at her in return, catching her meaning. "I'd love to," he responded with a wink, then sighed and took a step back. "Well, I should be on my way. I'll see you at the ball, then," he said, bowing his head to her with a smiling twinkle to his eyes, then turned on his heel and strode down the hall to the bedrooms. He hated just walking out of the conversation like that, but his mother would flay them both alive if things didn't turn out just perfect for her—mainly them both being late to their respective jobs. He wouldn't want to be responsible for Yvonne getting fired just for talking to him.
Yvonne shook her head softly, huffing a laugh as she turned to continue on her way. Now that this was, essentially, completed, she had to report back to Uri, and receive her next orders. Her steps were light, still silent, but happier, after the friendly interaction.
Even the impending ball couldn't quite dampen Lily's spirits. It was like she was coasting along, on the warm memory of her and Rhydar's failed date. Failed or not, it had ended better than anything she could have imagined. He had told her he loved her so many times that the word felt tattooed in her memory, alongside the comfort of him in general. Fates, how had she gotten so lucky?
Wolf stopped when he found Lily's room, knocking on the door. "Lily?" he called, then added with a slight chuckle, "It's Wolf, your thief's baby brother." He and Lily hadn't really had any time to get to know each other, what with Rhydar sweeping her off her feet every chance he got. Maybe he could use this time to get to know her a bit better. It's not like he'd try to take her from his brother—he was neither cruel nor interested—so sticking around for a bit might not hurt. That is, if she didn't mind. He could come up with the excuse of knowing how to navigate dresses due to his twin constantly needing help.
Lily looked up from the flowers she was playing with, uncrossing her legs. She'd pulled a chair over a few minutes ago, and had the vase in her lap now. When her happy humming stopped, the magic in the air began to fizzle out, though it would linger for a little while longer. "Come in! The door's unlocked. And what does that mean, 'my' thief?" She added, tilting her head as the door opened, brows furrowed curiously.
Wolf smiled and laughed softly, closing the door behind him and setting the dress down on the bed. "It means you two are so clearly in love with one another—and that you've got my brother wrapped around that little finger of yours." He sat next to the dress and propped his elbow on his knee, holding his head up. "Clear to me, at least. Mostly because I've grown up with him and never actually seen Rhydar in love, despite him being a notorious flirt. Quite honestly, I thought he'd never find someone." He gestured to Lily with his free hand. "And then you came along and changed that."
Lily's cheeks flushed, and she looked down at the flowers in her lap to avoid the gaze of the prince, biting her lip for a moment. "O-oh. I didn't-realize we were quite that obvious…" She said, eyes flickering back up to him. "Has he really never been in love before either?" She asked, a moment of curious doubt giving her the confidence to ask. She wanted to know, from someone else close to him.
Wolf shifted and leaned back a bit, folding his legs so he was sitting cross-legged. "I, ah, I suspected that he was never really interested in anyone like that. The only reason he'd be eyeing someone up and down would be to see if there was anything on them worth something. No getting doe-eyed or helplessly in love with someone, no putting someone before his own needs, nothing he does with you." Wolf twisted his face up and groaned, flopping back on the bed with a sigh. "Wish I could say I'm any different, but I'm not that far off. For reasons. I guess he doesn't have any reasons beyond what I already told you earlier."
Lily set the vase back on the table, running a hand through her hair as she stood. "Doe eyed? I really don't-" She shook her head, figuring that it was sort of hopeless to argue with him. Especially because she knew, deep down, that if she made the same expression, he probably did too. "Reasons? I understand that. It was a surprise, to find myself feeling anything like this, after…everything. But my reasons were most definitely different." She stepped over to the bed, sitting gently down beside him and arching a brow. "Should you decide you need someone to talk to, about those reasons, I would be willing to lend an ear."
Wolf opened his mouth, then closed it, seemingly nervous. He would've asked if Lily would tell anyone, but one glance over at the girl told him all he needed to know. He supposed it would be good to finally confess this to someone instead of hiding it, bottling it up and letting it eat away at his heart. "I, uh, umm. . ." he started, hesitantly, wondering how he should even start. He settled on just telling her without being overly direct. "I've got a particular type that isn't, exactly, regulation. I highly doubt people would approve, and it just kills me knowing that I could never have a relationship like what you and Rhydar have."
Lily studied him for a long moment, innocent features cracking just enough to let through a scarily perceptive expression. Then she nodded, once, then a few more times. "You could have just said so, easily. My eldest sister Daisy was the same, just opposite." She said, the corner of her lip flickering up into a half smile. "Rhydar and I's relationship, or whatever it is, will never be….everything we want it to be. There are too many things in the way, not only limited to me being very far from the Queen's first choice for him. But you will get the love you deserve, Wolf. Regulation or not."
"It's not exactly something I can just come out and say," he grumbled, throwing an arm over his eyes. "And trust me, once my mother finds out about my type, you'll look like a princess in her eyes. The public, too." He sighed heavily, then flopped an arm over to sloppily gesture to the dress. "Anyway, enough about my doomed love life. I came here to deliver that death trap. Queen's request."
"Maybe you don't have to just say it. If someone like me can manage, then you can absolutely do so." She shrugged, smiling softly. Her smile, however, faltered, when her eyes moved to the dress. It hit her that that was hers. By an order she couldn't refuse, she would be wearing-
Lily took in a shaky breath, nodding. "Thank you for bringing it. Are you-absolutely sure it was meant for me?"
Wolf sat up and looked at the dress, curling his nose slightly. Both twins had a strange dislike for dresses. Perhaps Wolf had gotten it from Cinthia through their odd twin connection. "Yup. A serving girl—Yvonne—was ordered to take it to you. I chatted with her a bit and offered to ease her burden. May or may not be because of an ulterior motive." He looked at Lily with a crooked and adorably guilty smile, then ruffled his hair a bit. "If you need any help with straps or buttons, just give me a shout and I can see what I can do. Promise I won't try anything," he added with his hands up in surrender.
Lily's smile strengthened a bit, and she forced the color of the dress out of her mind for the moment. "Your ulterior motive was talking to me about your brother?" She asked, tilting her head and gathering up the dress. She carefully avoided actually looking down at it, keeping her eyes focused on everything else. Wolf's face, the bed, the small songbird in the windowsill, anything. "I will keep you in mind, should I need the help." She would probably manage without him, but the thought was nice.
"No," he defended, crossing his arms over his chest with a huff, "My ulterior motive was just talking to you. Unfortunately, my brother is the only thing I could think of that I knew you were fond of." He flopped back onto his back, giving Lily privacy without actually leaving. He would leave, of course, if she so wished. There was just nothing striking about the female body that warranted him wanting to stare at her while she changed. The thought made him shiver in disgust and he quickly thought about something else. "You think I could persuade my mother into letting me get Yvonne as my personal servant? That sounds incredibly wrong and like slavery, but it'd mostly be for getting that poor girl out of the Queen's clutches and just a little more freedom than what she has at the moment."
"Next time, flowers and fruit work just as fine." Lily advised, standing from the bed and and slipping behind the dressing screen. She pulled it tighter, giving herself enough room to change, but effectively shielding herself. She trusted that he wouldn't peak, but it made her feel safer in general. If Rhydar trusts him, and so does Cin, then I absolutely can. Starting to remove her clothing, she hummed thoughtfully. "You might be able to. That's a noble thought, too. You know, if you wanted to keep the Queen, or anyone else, from finding out about your lack of…attraction to specific types, that might be a good way to ease suspicion. I'm sure she would appreciate the familiarity, too, and friendliness."
Wolf cocked his head to the side, humming. "You're right, with the whole Queen issue. I never even thought about that. It would raise suspicions, but it would shield me from some others. I might try that." He twirled his hand in the air, small twines of greenish blue magic twisting between his fingers and knotting in the space above his face. "Yvonne is nice, and bold." He quirked his lip up. "Most servants are too afraid to talk to me, let alone have a conversation with eye contact. Probably a good thing I covered my eyes…" The twins would probably never grow out of their insecurity when it came to their heterochromia. "Anyway, it'd be nice to have a friend, besides you—and I'm claiming you as a friend whether you like it or not. I'm lonely and like you."
Lily tilted her head, pausing halfway through pulling the dress down from the side of the screen. That was the second member of Rhydar's family to say something like that. And the second friend she had made. "She sounds like someone you could benefit from having around. A good friend, I mean. Though, I hardly think she would mind your eyes, you know. At least yours have set colors. Mine are never the same color twice in a row." She said, furrowing her brows as she studied the dress, dreading the feeling of the fabric on her skin. A hand closed around her arm, vicelike grip preventing her from moving. Not that she would. When he had his sights on her….that was a good way to find yourself unable to walk or even speak the next few days. "You're doing so well tonight, Rose-
"I am alright with being friends, if you're sure you want to be."
"I just declared you as my friend," Wolf drawled, "I'm pretty sure I don't want to be lonely, either." He tipped his head to the side and stared up at his twisting magic, painting a strange picture that looked like a winged reptile. He never really had any control over what he made when he was doing this. Magnus usually suspected that it was a prophetic vision being revealed in a different way. "Huh. You'd think the royal children would be a little less…" he trailed off.
"What, unique?" Lily said, making a 'tsk' sound as she shook her head, even though he couldn't see it. "Don't say imperfect. Because that insinuates that perfection even exits." She said, making a face as she attempted to lace up the back of the dress on her own, finding it a bit harder than she'd expected. While she was flexible, she was no contortionist, for sure.