Alex. Rosemary blushed slightly. The name fit him well. "I'm Ginny, nice to meet you." She gave a bow of her head in greeting. "Thank you for your help Alex. Both now and earlier today."

"Any time you need help just ask." Alex stood. "I'll leave you to take your bath...unless you want help filling the tub."

Rosemary blushed brightly at the thought. "Oh, n-no, I can handle that much at least!" She said, standing up. "Um...th-thank you again! Perhaps I will wait on you again tomorrow." She seemed suddenly eager to get him to leave.

"I'll look forward to it." Alex grinned and then slipped away hands in his pockets. His brother would be proud of him he had actually managed to have a slight conversation with a girl.

Cal, meanwhile, was actually doing the same thing as Lori: people watching. He was careful not to let himself watch her too much, so she wouldn't get suspicious of him. It seemed like the best way to get to her right now was to leave her alone, so he was taking the hard-to-get approach. Still, he couldn't stop himself from glancing over at the princess every so often. She was rather pretty, after all, and one of very few women he wasn't able to charm. That in itself had earned his respect.

Lori stretched and ordered supper for two wondering where her sister was. She smiled at Aurora who joined her "I'm leaving in the morning." Aurora announced. "What? Why?" Lori gasped. "My mother messaged me by hawk and she is very sick." Aurora saw the shock on Lori's face. "She won't tell where you two are. I promise."

Cal happened to be just close enough to see Lori's reaction to whatever her friend said. He couldn't hear them, but he could read their lips- a useful skill he'd picked up over the years. He schooled his expression to show nothing but indifference so that she wouldn't know he knew what was going on. The friend was leaving- what a break! He couldn't wait to tell Alex.


Rosemary re-entered from her bath at that moment and came over to the table where Lori was sitting. "What's going on?" She asked, catching sight of her sister's expression.

"my mother is sick and I need to leave to take care of her." Aurora sighed. "I hate to leave you this early but I need to check on her."

Rosemary made a whimpering sound. "Oh, Aurora, I'm so sorry! Don't you worry about us, we'll be fine. You go and see your mother. Go right away!" She insisted.

"Alright. Take care until I can get back." Aurora hugged them back then went to pack. "I feel so bad for her." Lori frowned. "At least she'll go see her mother...what would we do if our mother or father get sick?" she paled a little.

Rosemary frowned slightly. "I'm sure you would go right to them." She said. She knew Lori was loyal and responsible like that. "As for me...I wouldn't care one single bit." She added bitterly.

"I understand." Lori looked at the table. "If they got sick. I would go there would be no one else to run the country. I would do my duty. If mom had another child I would still have to go until the child was grown."

Rosemary nodded. She hated the idea that her sister would choose duty over her, but she knew that that was the right thing to do. She couldn't expect Lori to share her anger towards their parents, not when she'd had a completely different experience with them. "I wish..." She sighed. "I just wish I felt the same way as you."

"It alright. You don't have to feel the way I do...it's not even them I love it's the people who are counting on them to rule them justly." Lori shrugged a little.

Rosemary sighed and hugged her sister. "You're a much better person than I am." She muttered.

"If you had to you would take care of them to. If we don't the country would be destroyed with us in it." Lori shrugged a little. "I'm a little selfish as well."

Rosemary shook her head. "No I wouldn't. I wouldn't take care of them." She said. "That's just the thing. I don't care what happens to this country. There is a part of me...that wishes to see the whole country burn." She had never revealed these thoughts to anyone before. She laughed humorlessly. "You, selfish? I have a hard time believing that."

"Hey I want to live." Lori shrugged. "And I'm here aren't I?" she stared at her plate. "who could you say you want all our people to die?"

Rosemary's gaze darkened. "They are not my people." She said, then sighed. "But I don't...I don't want them to die. At least, I don't want to want that. But sometimes...my own thoughts frighten me, sister." She whispered the last. "I fear my darker side. It is too dark...not normal. I'm not normal."

"Your fine just the way you are." Lori squeezed her hand tightly. "You don't have to be like me. I'm way to nice."

Rosemary looked at her sister, who she's always looked up to, and nodded. "Okay...if you're sure." She said.

"Of course I'm sure." Lori smiled. "Hey it's those boys again...they must be staying here." she finally noticed Alex and Cal. "Though I have a weird feeling about them."

Rosemary looked over to where Lori was looking and spotted the men from before. She fought down a blush. "I waited on the younger one today. He gave me some advice on how to defend myself if any knights tried anything. He also helped me start a fire just a little while ago." She said. "I don't know...they're handsome, I'll give them that, but...you're right that there's something a bit...off about them."

"Did you just say there handsome...are you blushing?" Lori smirked a little. "Do you have a crush on one of them?" she looked over. "If they try anything I'll kill them." she smiled sweetly.

"Why do I get the feeling where are being killed?" Alex frowned. "Oh." he looked away. "That look was a little scary." he admitted. "The older one just murdered us with her eyes."

Rosemary blinked. "A crush?" She'd never had a crush on anyone in her life. Sure, she'd flirted with the servants, but only to get what she wanted- and to anger her parents. "I don't think so. The younger one is charming, but...I don't trust him." She shook her head. She would know, she thought, if she had a crush. "No, I don't like either of them that way. I would like to mention how the older one keeps glancing at you, though." She teased.

Cal glanced over where his brother indicated and shivered, looking away quickly- but he was smiling, too. That one was interesting. "Definitely a look that would kill if it could. She's a firecracker, that one. Kind of amusing." He said. Her attitude only made it more fun for him, of course. More of a challenge meant a sweeter prize when he won her over- and he would, of that he had no doubt.