[center][color=royalblue][h3][i]Valentine/Edelessa of Luxième[/i][/h3][/color][/center]

Valentine reclaimed her hand and tucked it in close to her body.  Prince Akio was still talking, but she could tell he was trying to be helpful.  She wished, briefly, that he was something other than kind.  If he wasn't so kind then perhaps she could have found it within herself to hate him, but with him trying so very hard she instead felt guilt for that wish, guilt that she couldn't reciprocate his effort properly, guilt that she was inevitably going to let him down.

And then he asked if she wanted to stay or leave, and a fleeting sting of anger flitted through her heart.  Did she want to leave?  She'd wanted nothing else since her arrival!  But how dare this stranger decide what was "enough excitement"?

The anger didn't last.  She couldn't maintain it for long, not here.  But she couldn't leave either.  She'd made a promise, to Anton and to herself.  Valentine shook her head no, that she didn't want to be walked back to her room, and made herself uncross her arms and fold them neatly in her lap.  She fixed her gaze firmly on her clasped hands, and did her best not to look as miserable as she felt.