Akito had most definitely been alert when the guard had approached his betrothed, but he'd kept it hidden well behind the guise of patting the horse's neck and checking his tack. He knows he should trust everyone in the palace without question, seeing as [i]he's[/i] the new guy after all, but he can't exactly stamp out a lifetime's worth of trained instinct in a matter of months. 

He is finally able to relax as the palace falls out of view behind them however and he can feel himself breathing more easily. The warm body in front of him, the steady motions of the horse. . .Something about it all is very peaceful. The laugh that tumbles from the other man's lips brings a smile to his own, a few more muscles relaxing. He's still nervous around the man he's meant to marry, but he feels far more in his element atop a horse and away from prying eyes. He shifts the horse gently once they leave the woods, taking them almost immediately off the road. Vendors and sellers have been coming in often enough that Akito wants to avoid having a run-in with someone delivering flowers or foods for the upcoming nuptials.

They skirt along the edge of the wood, making a calm beeline for a nice pond Akito discovered on one of his forays – well escapes – from the palace that is surrounded by high grass to provide a good bit of privacy for their quiet outing. His head tilts as he hears the question from over his shoulder and tries to silently determine what “a lot” entails. Given how little Hiro even leaves the palace grounds he's sure any amount of travel is “a lot”, so he's not quite sure how to respond.

“I traveled when it was required of us.” he replies simply. Knowing that's not exactly what Hiro wants to know however, he goes on. “Because of my specialty, sometimes I would travel without the unit, so I suppose I traveled more than they. For the most part, the unit stayed around the war front, but I would occasionally have a job alone in an enemy city, so I would go along my myself as to not raise suspicion. A couple times a year I'd say, after my qualification was confirmed.” Pulling off to the side a bit Akito carefully dismounts before holding his arms out to help Hiro down as well. Once the prince is on his feet the once soldier moves a little ways off to tie the horse to a branch of a log hidden in the tall grass that he saw peeking up as they came upon it.

Turning, he offers one of his small, quite smiles to the other man. Turning back around he leads the way forward, carefully brushing the grass aside so as to not accidentally step into the pond he's looking for. Once he finds it he calls out for Hiro to watch his step, circling the water until he comes to a side of it that has clearly been used more than others, leaving the grass flattened and perfect for sitting on. Turning, he ushers the prince forward, taking his seat only after making sure Hiro's comfortable. [i]'Well, as comfortable as he can be not sitting on one of those plush seats or cushions they have all over the palace'[/i] he muses. [i]'I swear, some of those rooms are nothing but pillows. . .I wonder if his bedroom is like that too'[/i] He flushes at the thought, having not even seen the other man's room yet.

True, spending any amount of time in such a place with the prince would lead to rumors, which is partially why he's not asked. The other part of it however is his own fear of something besides rumors. While Hiro's made no inclination towards intimacy himself – well, beyond getting closer than he's used to and occasionally touching him when he doesn't expect it – he's not sure what would happen at that level of “alone” with the beautiful man beside him. Flushing a little deeper he shakes his head, making a slight clicking sound so Hoko knows he can go explore. The sinuous beast slides out, stretching, and is off in the grass in moments. Looking over at Hiro, Akito clears his throat, trying to push back his embarrassing thoughts and smile, this suppose to be a peaceful time.