[color=#b97703]“Sure,”[/color] Cas nodded when Iris asked if he would really talk to the doctor for her. [color=#b97703]“It’s no trouble at all.”[/color] The conversation would probably go better if he was the one to deliver the news anyway. He didn’t expect Dr. Emett to get upset with Iris, since he was a patient man, but if there was any frustration on his part, they could discuss it privately without making her feel any guiltier than she already did. Plus, the fact that he was the crown prince always helped in these sorts of situations. People were usually willing to cooperate with him because they had to. He wasn’t sure if they would need to come to an agreement about anything, but it was often best to be prepared anyway.

While Iris thought about what hobbies she liked, he subtly checked his phone to make sure he hadn’t missed any calls or texts while he’d been staying with her. Luckily, there was nothing important, just a long string of messages from Miles demanding an explanation about the girl he’d found in the woods. Jay must have told him what had happened. He rolled his eyes. Miles always talked a lot when he got excited. It was why he had muted their text thread. If he hadn’t, his phone probably would have been buzzing all evening and interrupted the chat he was having with Iris. Not wanting to type out the full story, he set the device down again and made a mental note to get back to his friend later.

As she told him that she liked dancing, Cas smiled with her, finding her enthusiasm infectious. [color=#b97703]“Dancing, huh?”[/color] he repeated with interest. [color=#b97703]“That’s pretty cool.”[/color] He didn’t know a lot about dancing, himself. It was a skill his father had wanted him to learn in case he ever needed to impress a princess from another country. However, he knew the king had just been talking about an arranged marriage, and he thought the concept was outdated. No one had their marriages arranged by their parents anymore. Still, his father always lectured him about “the importance of an alliance through marriage” whenever he expressed interest in any women from the capital. It made dating hard, and it was why he only had two ex-girlfriends even though he was already twenty-four.

When Iris named another passion she had, his smile turned into a grin. [color=#b97703]“Now, pizza is something I can get on board with,”[/color] he stated. [color=#b97703]“Maybe before we go for drinks, we can get dinner at Luigi’s? That’s my favorite pizza place in the city. They make a great deep dish.”[/color] The more he thought about it, the more he realized that their plans were starting to sound like a date. The only thing missing was a movie. He kind of liked it though. Spending time with her in the hospital was already fun, so going out with her had to be even better. As long as her regained memories didn’t ruin it, that was. He was still hoping that nothing would change in the way she acted around him when she remembered he was the prince.

[color=#b97703][i]But what if she has a boyfriend?[/i][/color] He winced as he suddenly thought back to his previous guess that she might have been out on a date with someone else when she’d lost her memory. He didn’t want to step on another guy’s toes if she was already in a relationship. He was sure it would come across like he was just using his status as royalty to take whatever he wanted too.

Maybe it was best if he didn’t get so ahead of himself until after she got her memories back.

[color=#b97703]“That might explain why you were in the forest,”[/color] Cas mused when Iris said she liked to be outside and explore. It was a strange hobby, in his opinion. Most high borns stayed within the capital walls, and there wasn’t a lot of wildlife around apart from the odd stray. Leaving the city was dangerous too, especially with the war going on against the Scourge. The rebels hated them, and from what he’d heard, they would kill anyone they found wandering past the stronghold in the most brutal ways imaginable. He couldn’t help but wonder how she would have developed a like for nature when it was so inaccessible right now.

[color=#b97703]“I can’t blame you for that,”[/color] he agreed when she spoke about not being stuck in the hospital. [color=#b97703]“Hopefully you’ll be out of here soon.”[/color] The mention reminded him of the reason why he needed to talk to Dr. Emett. [color=#b97703]“One second.”[/color] Not wanting to forget, he got up from his chair and stepped over to press the pager for the doctor before returning to his seat. [color=#b97703]“Just wanted to make sure I talk to Dr. Emett before I get distracted again,”[/color] he explained to her with a smile as he settled back down by her bedside.