"You speak your mind and stand up for yourself, I admire that." He said with a smile. "And you are a very attractive woman." His eyed sparkled as he spoke.

Annika smiled. "I'm happy to hear that. You seem like a very good person as well, though I must warn you, that's not going to change how I feel about this marriage," she said with a flip of her long black and silver hair.

"I wouldn't expect it too." He said with a smile. "I mean I know I will have to get married. I just wish I could control it more." He said with a sad sort of smile as the two of them walk through the gardens.

"Yes..." Annika said with a little sigh as she walked. She enjoyed the garden setting more than inside the castle. Though she fit the spoiled princess role perfectly, she was the type that enjoyed looking out at the countryside and the peasants working there most. Or even better, the lands beyond her own kingdom. "I wonder. Do you have someone you like? I was surprised that you tried to pull out of the arrangement and that's the only reason I can think of."

"In fact I do." He said with a smile. "Very special indeed. What about you, anybody special in your life?" He asked as they continued to walk.

"I think you're lucky then, to have someone like that. Or perhaps not? Since they aren't the one you will be marrying," Annika said. "I don't have a person myself, though I have a type." She laughed a little at herself. "The forbidden type! Whoever I would never be allowed to be with, that's who I like."

"My relationship is... complicated." He said chuckling at her comment on her type being the forbidden. "Complicated on a couple of levels." He can't help but smile when he thinks of Cain waiting for him.

"Well, I wouldn't mind hearing about your troubles some time, if you don't mind sharing," she said. "I'm sure you can return the favor to me some day. It's too bad we can't just marry who we want though."

"My special someone is a human male." He said deciding to be open with this young lady. "Hence why it's complicated. And I agree that we should be able to marry whom we want. He smiled enjoying the ease he feels around the princess.

"I see," Annika said after a pause. A human male was certainly something different from the ideal marriage material. "But isn't loving a human setting yourself up for pain? If you're going to love another species, it's best to pick something with a lifespan that doesn't fit in a grain of sand!" She could understand how that would be complicated.

"I know it will painful. I've been through it before." He said with a bit of a smile. "But I cannot help but to love him. There is something about him though, that is amazing." He fell silent for a moment. "I know it seems silly to love someone with a short lifespan, but yet there is something amazing in what humans can do with what little time they are given."

Annika considered Kirin's words silently for a minute. Although she didn't quite understand it, she thought the love and admiration in Kirin's voice was beautiful. She'd had loves before of course, but none had been the sort of true love she'd heard about in the folk stories. "You shouldn't be walking with someone like me then. You should spend time with him," she said with a little sigh tinged with jealousy.

"I enjoy spending time with you. You are unlike other princesses." He said with a smile truly meaning it. "And yes, that is a good thing."

Smiling, Annika thanked Kirin. "You are the first that has said that to me. It's too bad you're not my type and you already have someone. If I could, I'd like to fall for someone like you," she said honestly.

"I do hope you find somebody." He said with a small smile. He would have liked her to be his queen but he wouldn't ask her to be second in his life. That wouldn't be fair to her. Though he knows he'd be hard pressed to find another like her.

"Thank you, I hope so too. Are we really going to marry?" she asked. "I feel like it would be too terrible of an idea. Though my father would throw a fit if we both said no.."

"I'd hate to keep you from your true love." He said pausing under the shade of a tree. "Though I agree your father would probably be upset." He chuckled a bit. "I'll make you a deal. If we marry, and you find your true love, you will be free to be with that person."

Annika smiled. "That sounds like the right move. We will be happy ourselves, but also make our parents happy. But what about your lover? Is he alright with us marrying?" she asked, worried that the human boy would make any relationship between her and Kirin, false or not, worrisome.

"He is aware of my obligations as king, and if it hadn't been for him I wouldn't have shown up." He said with a smile. "Would you like a tour of the rest of the castle?" He asked heading that way but more then willing to change the direction of their path if she would rather stay outside.

"Wherever you decide to go, I don't mind. It don't care as long as it's not that meeting room!" Annika said with a bark of a laugh as she followed Kirin. She was glad that things were going so well. She hadn't expected to like Kirin. "It's good that he understands then. I don't want to end up hated by the person you love."

"I can almost guarantee he won't hate you." He said leading her inside. "I should warn the queens suite needs a bit of cleaning. It hasn't been lived in for many years." He finds himself liking Annika more and more as time passes.

"That's good then. Ah, too bad it needs cleaning. A hate a mess, but I'm sure that can be fixed easily," she said as she walked. "I want to meet this lover of yours at some point. Perhaps we should all eat dinner together?"

"I think I shall arrange to have dinner for the three of us brought to my rooms, if that works for you." He said. They had gotten to the queens quarters. He opened the doors, he stepped aside letting Annika go in first.

Annika stepped into the room, inspecting it with a critical eye as she did so. As expected, the room was lovely at it's core. Rich and well decorated, even if dust softened the surfaces. She nodded her head after a second. "Lovely. That sounds most satisfactory. Send someone for me when the meal is ready then. In the meantime, I wish to speak with my father to explain things and hopefully keep him calm," she said with sureness. As much as she enjoyed spending time with Kirin, she knew that she had things that needed to be attended to elsewhere.

"I will do that." He said with a smile. He leaned in and kissed her cheek. "Oh and if you wish to make any changes to the room you may." He turned to leave.