"Not at all, Princess." Nikolai smiled at her. "I'd love to show you around the castle." The only part of the castle he really wanted her to see was his rooms. His bedroom in particular... but there were other places in the castle he thought she might like to see.

The King nodded a little, but he didn't give her a nickname to call him by. His Highness was name enough for him as far as she was concerned. Nikolai's little brother's face turned bright red when Lina looked at him, spoke to him, and then smiled. He looked like he might simply die... or melt. He still didn't have the courage to say a single word to her, however.

When they had finished eating Nikolai stood and walked to Lina's chair, pulling it out for her again as she stood and then offered her his arm. "Shall we?"

Adalina finished her meal quietly, not knowing what else she should talk about to them. She glanced at Niko every once in a while before turning back to her food. It was interesting for her to be like this, she felt completely out of place. Her whole life being taught that demons couldn't be trusted and there she was, having brunch with them like civalized people.

"Oh yes, I'm ready." she replied, taking his arm. "Thank you for the lovely meal." she told the King and Queen kindly before she was lead away by Nikolai.

"Very nice job, Princess," Nikolai whispered to her on their way out of the room. "You were so polite and nice that I almost believed it myself." He smiled at her. "I think I'm only going to show you part of the castle today. I want you to pick a direction. North, South, East, or West. And then Up or Down."

He considered getting her hopelessly lost for his enjoyment but he knew the guard would take her back to her room if she got too distressed. She'd already won over Elisa... and Elisa's manly friend knew better than to take the opposite side. Elisa, being the woman in the relationship, was always right and always won. Nikolai was determined not to let that happen between him and Lina. He liked the upper hand.

Adalina smiled at him. "I actually like your parents thank you." she said softly into his ear as they walked out of the room. 'You're brother seems to have taken a liking to me as well." she added, raising her eyebrow at him slightly.

"How about north, and up?" she replied, guessing that was the way back to his bedroom. She was just testing to see what he would do if she told him that was where she wanted to see. She looked up at him and smiled, squeezing his arm gently as they walked together.

"My brother is easy," he told her quietly. "Smile at him and he's in love. Better be careful or you'll wake up to find your room full of roses... and none of them will be from me." That being said, he smiled. "I think my mother likes you, too. Hard to tell with my father. I can't even be sure if he likes me sometimes."

"North and up? Interesting choice. I think you'll enjoy it quite a bit." If she was trying to guess where his room was, she was wrong. Their tower was in the Western side of the castle. North, was something quite different. He walked with her calmly in the hallways of the castle. They passed a few courtiers, all of whom seemed to know exactly who she was as they greeted them by name. "Word spreads fast around here," he confided in her. "Maybe tonight you'd like to play a few games of cards with the courtiers. They're all dying to meet you, no doubt. And you really do need to learn to gamble."

He stopped her outside a large pair of double doors, three stories from the top of the castle. "Alright. This is as high as we can go for now..." He let go of her arm and pushed the doors open. "Welcome," he said, "To the library." It was the sort of place from a story book. The ground floor was full of desks and comfortable places to sit and read as well as bookshelves. But more amazingly the shelves lined the walls. Ladders ran up to the ceiling of the second floor, which jutted out about halfway around the room as a balcony of sorts. Up above that was a thinner balcony level of the third floor, which was reserved for the Royal Family and their guests. "There are winding stair cases in the corners of the room if you want to go up to the higher floors," he told Lina quietly.

Adalina took in what he said about his brother. "Well, I shall be sure to watch what I say and do around him." she said with a giggle. "Your mother is sweet." she added, her hand sliding forward slightly on his arm closer to his hand.

Lina nodded when he questioned her. "Yes, north and up." she replied, walking with him towards the library. When he got there she gasped in amazement. "Wow....." she whispered, letting go of his arm and walking into the library. She looked around the library, amazed at its beauty. "This is amazing." she whispered once more, looking through the many books they had.

Nikolai smiled and followed her into the library. When she approached the shelves he caught a hold of her hand gently. "Not these," he whispered. "Come upstairs to the third floor with me. It's reserved for the royal family and our guests. All the best books are up there and the view out the windows are amazing."

He led the way up the winding stair case, right past the second floor and up to the third. From there they could see down to the second and first level. They had a top view of the grand chandelier and the comfort of silence from the ceiling above them. There were reading nooks galore up here between more shelves and a few plush areas of carpets and pillows in front of fireplaces that would crackle and spill warmth in the winter times.

"Do you have anything like this back home?"

Adalina blushed softly when he grabbed her hand away from the books on the shelf. "Who reads the books on the first floor?" she asked, following him up the stairs. She had let go of his hand and held onto his arm, trying to show him that she was trying to win him over the way she should in the first place.

A soft gasp escaped Lina's lips once they got to the third landing. "Wow..." she whispered. She stared in awe at the beauty of their library. "This is amazing.." she murmured, walking around and looking at the books. "We have something like this at home but I usually spend my time in my music study." she told him.

"Visitors, pages, courtiers mostly. They're okay books I suppose... and the second floor has a lot of the books the advisers use. Boring stuff, court documents and what not. But we really do have the best up on the top floor. I guess we're just selfish like that." He smiled as she shifted her hand to his arm. It was nice to see her at least put in an effort.

Nikolai's face lit up when he saw her reaction to the top floor of the library. He was glad she enjoyed it as it was his usual haunt. Especially lounging on the pillows on the floor. It was incredibly comfortable... and he'd love to snuggle there with here on a cold day. He had to silently remind himself that they were not together before his mind let go of that idea.

"In your music study? I've heard rumors about angels being musically inclined. I guess I just didn't think it applied to you since you're so... feisty. But, if you want a taste of music, I think you should pick North and Down as your choice tomorrow when we continue this tour."

Adalina grinned. "Hey, I'm not fiesty. I'm.... the sweetest person you know." she told him, smiling brightly. She was busy looking through the books, finding the art section. She picked a book out and flipped through the pages and nodded slowly. "Art and music..." she replied, scanning through the book before picking another.

After a while, she finished looking through the books and they finished the tour of this side of the castle. It was now time for dinner, "Are we going to eat with your parents tonight?" she asked, walking back from the library with him.

"I must know some pretty rotten people then," he teased. He followed her, curious what she was looking for. When she found it, he smiled a bit. "I hear you're also supposed to be a wonderful dancer on top of being a fabulous musician and artist." He had to bite his tongue to stop from making his next comment, that would compare dancing and what they'd done in the carriage.

Nikolai paused to look at her when she asked her question and shook his head. "Not exactly. They'll be at dinner but we won't be dining with just them. We have a tradition here. Every night we eat in the dining hall with the courtiers. When the knights are home from war they join us as well... but while they are gone we invite a different group of tradespeople to visit and dine with us. I believe this week they're goldsmiths." He hesitated a moment. "They were invited in hopes of us bringing your sister back here by now... they were commissioned for her crown and a few other gifts we meant to give her after the wedding."

He took her hand and put it on his arm, leading her downstairs and to the East side of the castle, to a grand room decked with tapestries of demonic history and filled with long banquet tables that already had plenty of people sitting at them. Nikolai smiled at them all, and led Adalina up to a dais where a single table sat higher than the rest. His parents were there, and his little brother.

Adalina glared at his comment and looked at the book a little longer. "I suppose I can dance, but only if you ask me." she replied, not letting on that she had taken dance lessons for the last seven years.

"Oh..." she said softly. "They're going to be mighty dissappointed. I don't even look like her so they won't even know what she looked like." she added solemly. She slowly put the book up and sighed quietly.

Lina looked around the grand room in awe and felt completely out of place. She smiled at people as they walked by and stayed close to Niko's side while they made their way to the table and sat down. She smiled at the King, Queen, and Niko's little brother, completely aware that there was a room full of eyes watching her.

"I highly doubt that you will disappoint anyone, Lina. You're beautiful and fully deserving of being called an angel." He smiled at her and said nothing else as he led her up to the High Table and pulled her chair out for her. His own spot was right beside her at the table, so she'd at least have him to talk to.

"By the way, I was hoping you might do me a favor. There was a bet going on that even an angel princess would be so savage as to eat with her fingers... I bet against it, so try and use your fork?" He winked at her, well aware that she used cutlery like all other civilized people.

Adalina blushed gently when he called her beautiful. "Thank you." she told him happily, taking the seat next to him graciously. "You're pretty handsome if I must say. You don't look like the stereotypical demon we made up in our heads." she whispered into his ear after he sat down next to her.

She frowned at him. "Now who would ever think that about my kind?" she asked, just a bit angry about the little bet that was made about angel princesses in general. After hearing about this little bet that had been made, Lina could now feel several pairs of eyes throughout the banquet hall. "They're watching me." she said quietly, feeling slightly humiliated about the assumption that was made about her.

Nikolai lifted one of his eyebrows and grinned broadly at her. "You think I'm handsome? Princess, I'm shocked... and flattered. I didn't think I was your type." He did have to wonder what the stereotypical demon would look like, but didn't ask for fear of not liking the answer.

He saw how uncomfortable he had made her with telling her of the bet and sighed. "They're just curious. There is nothing malicious in their intentions, Lina, I promise. Would it make you feel better if I acted the heathen and took the attention off of you? I'm an expert at eating with my fingers. I could even pick things off your plate without asking first and you can look horrified at my bad manners. Or better yet, why don't we both eat with our fingers? Make a point to the people who made that bet?"

Adalina blushed deeply then shook her head. "I uh..... you said I was beautiful." she replied, trying to get back at him. She raised her eyebrows back at him playfully slapping his leg innocently under the table.

Lina shook her head. "No, I'll show them that angel's are not heathen beasts." she replied, laughing softly. She pulled her hand back from his leg and picked up her cutlery and began eating like a well brought up royal lady. "Though, I would love to see their reaction to you doing it." she then told him after giving it some thought.

"That's true, I did." Nikolai smirked at her. "But that doesn't mean you're obligated to repay the compliment. I'd still think you're beautiful even if you found me repulsive."

At least seeing that she's cheered up a little with his suggestion, he watched as she began to eat with all the manners a Lady could muster. Her comment, however, came just as he was picking up his fork. He laughed and looked at her. "If I do, you have to come play cards after dinner." It was less of a question and more of a demand before he picked the chicken up off his plate and dug right into it with his teeth.

Adalina smiled at him out of the corner of her eyes, wondering if he really meant it. "I meant it." she told him, smiling.

Lina laughed quietly and almost turned away from him when he started to dig into the chicken with his teeth. She cut her pieces up and ate them quietly. "I thought that was the plan anyway." she replied. "If I go play cards you have to kiss me, on the lips." she then whispered into his ear, jumping at the idea when it came to her mind.

Dinner was soon over, Lina had watched some of the other people talk and eat and occasioually glance at her and Niko as they talked quietly amongst themselves while they ate. "You'll have to teach me hardcore." she told him as they got up and headed towards the room where he usually played cards at.

"Ah, no way." He smirked at her request however, how eager she seemed to get another kiss from him. "That is the sort of thing you can ask for if you beat me at cards. You're coming to play regardless of if I kiss you or not." For a moment he considered taking her chin in his greasy chicken juice covered hand and planting his lips firmly on hers right here and now in front of everyone, but didn't quite date. She might never speak to him again if he embarrassed her like that.

He ate his entire meal with his hands, even managing the mashed potatoes by pushing them onto his roll and eating them like they were sandwich filling. By the end of the meal he was a mess and took a detour to wash up a little before taking Lina to one of the lounges on the South side of the castle. "I guess this means you can't pick South and down tomorrow," he told her with a smile.

Inside the room were a few men and women their age, all well dressed. Nobles whose parents either lived at the castle or had send their children there to find husbands and wives. There was a moment of silence when they saw Lina was with the Prince.

"I hope you all don't mind... but Princess Adalina here doesn't know how to gamble and we all know the fastest route to corruption is with you lot."

There were a few hesitant chuckles, but no protests. The girls and men alike kept looking at Lina side long while Niko acted perfectly normal, pulling a chair out for her. "Come on, Princess. It's time for you to show them what you're made of."

((If you want to make a demon character or two... friends of Niko's, please do.))

((Heh ok I'll try. ^^))

Adalina smirked. "Alright, teach me and we'll see what happens." she told him, the idea of a strip poker coming into her head made her blush slightly and she looked away from him. Maybe she would get good enough to beat him so he would do whatever she challenged him to do.

She couldn't help but chuckle at the fact that he was finding every source he had to not use his silverware. She was surprised when his parents weren't watching him disapprovingly. "Wow.... that is barbaric." she told him with a grin when he used his roll to eat the mashed potatoes. After they finished eating, she walked with him to the south part of the castle with her hand on his arm. "Aw, I guess I'll have to pick a different place tomorrow huh." she replied with a smile.

Adalina bit her lower lip when the room went silent. She still wasn't used to getting these types of looks from people, especially ones she didn't know. She then held her head up and smiled at everyone. "So corrupt me." she said with a laugh as Niko held out the chair for her. She sat down and thanked him as he sat next to her. "Now I just want everyone to know you don't have to treat me special just because I'm a princess... and an angel." she added, hoping it would ease everyone.

A demon who was about the same age of Niko grinned at her. "Only if you're ready Princess." he said, shuffling some cards across the table from her. Another demon, who looked almost identical to the one who spoke first smirked. "Now now Damien, is that anyway to treat our very lovely guest?" he asked, smiling at Lina. "Oh you're right Darien where are my manners." he replied, also grinning at Lina.

Lina blushed slightly then smiled at the two. "Alright you two, teach me how this works. I have no idea what I'm doing." she told them, laughing slightly and smiling at Niko.

The tension in the room did seem to relax a little when Lina spoke. Several smiles flashed when she asked to be corrupted. Niko was right when he said this was the place to be for such a task. The others settled in, waiting for the cards to be dealt.

"Let's play something easy tonight, low stakes. I don't want to force any of you to sit through me teaching the princess to play poker." Nikolai smiled at Lina. "I'll teach you that game some other time, alright? For now... Let's just have fun." He reached into his pocket and pulled out several silver coins. One less than needed for everyone to have one, and arranged them in a circle at the center of the table.

As he was doing this, one of the demon girls with silvery blonde hair tried to explain it to Lina. "The point of this game is to get four of the same card... it doesn't matter what card. We pass cards we don't want to the right, always keeping only seven cards in our hand at all time. Once you have all four kinds, you grab a coin. If someone else makes a grab for a coin everyone else goes for it, too. Anyone left without a coin- which will be one person at the end of each round- is out. We play until there is only one winner. First game is on Niko. After that we'll throw in our own coins. Winner takes the money. We can also bet extra coins and stuff to put in the middle."

Niko smiled that the others were talking to Lina, knowing it was important that she feel she could belong here. "Did you get all that, Princess?"

Adalina nodded slowly at the girl with silver hair explained the rules to her. "Okay so keep seven cards in hand. Get four alike. You mean like getting four kings?" she asked. "Or four of the same suit like hearts?" trying to get clarity. "Then when you have it grab the coin." she finished, nodding. "Okay I get it." Lina replied, smiling brightly at her.

The twins grinned at eachother. "Uh oh Nikolai, Princess catches on quick, better watch out." they chimed together. They were mainly trying to get Niko's attention to give him "the nod" about Adalina. In other words stating that they liked her.

Lina looked at the two and laughed softly. "We haven't even started." she told them, grinning slightly. She, however, did not notice that they did they nod to Niko.

"Like getting four Kings," the demon girl said.

Nikolai looked up at the twins and smirked when they gave him the nod. He winked at the two of them and turned his attention back to Lina. "So, you ready to give it a try, Princess?"

The cards were dealt and Niko picked up his hand, scanning what he'd be given. Not a single double card in his hand. He'd just have to pick one and hope he got it right. If he picked the same card type as another player he'd be screwed. From that point the cards started to be passed. Everyone had to keep the same rhythm and they took it slow at first to give Lina a little time to adjust but gradually sped it up, no one talking as their cards hit the table between players and they picked the one up that was left for them.


((Oh wow. I'm sorry. I typed this whole post and then never hit submit!))

Adalina laughed nervously, "I guess so, lets give it a go." she replied, taking the cards and looking at them. She had two aces but that was it. Biting her lower lip and passed a card to the side, waiting until she got more aces. Her eyes kept going to the center, hoping no one would grab for the coins until she got what she wanted.

The twins were shifting their eyes back and forth across their cards, waiting to get the cards they needed.

As soon as Lina got her fourth ace she reached forward and picked up a coin, causing everyone else to grab for the coins. Her eyes went wide, a little shocked at the quick shuffle.
((Hah that's okay =) ))

Nikolai was one of the fastest to grab a coin. His hand shot out and he slid it right across the table, not bothering to scramble to pick it up like some of the others.

It was the demon girl who had explained the game who was the slowest and she pouted as they boys and Princess got the coins. She stayed at the table to watch, her sore loser act being just that; an act.

"Looks like we have a natural on our hands, boys." He cast a grin in Lina's direction and winked at before collecting the cards and shuffling them before dealing them out.