[color=#b97703]“It’s [i]sort of[/i] like a trade,”[/color] Cas justified when Iris poked fun at the excuse he’d made at the hospital. [color=#b97703]“I’m just the only one in my class.”[/color] Well, classes plural. He had a lot to learn before he was ready to take over the handling of an entire country. Honestly, he didn’t know if he would ever be [i]ready[/i] to accept that much responsibility. It was why he tried not to think about it and why he often liked to pretend he was just another high born instead of the heir to the throne. Putting off the inevitable wouldn’t solve anything, since he would still be crowned king when his father died, but it made everything easier to bear for now.

Unfortunately, the older he got and the more Atlas’s health waned, the harder it was for the prince to ignore the inevitable role he was going to have to step into. Already, he had to manage a few of his father’s duties like meeting with foreign ambassadors to negotiate trade deals on occasion—the king was too sickly to put on a strong face for their neighbors anymore—and talking to the soldiers who guarded the market at the southern edge of the capital whenever they arrested any visitors from beyond the wall who were trying to start trouble. Compared to everything the king still managed, his responsibilities were nothing, but it felt like he was adding new ones to his list every month.

Cas turned back to Iris when she described the kinds of books she liked to read. At her comment that [i]The Art of War[/i] sounded enticing, he made a face. [color=#b97703]“Trust me, it’s not as good as the title makes it sound,”[/color] he promised her with a shake of his head. He’d had to read it last year, when his father had been teaching him about military strategy and tactics. To say it was a dull read was an understatement. The content was useful, but it had taken him quite a bit of effort to get through the whole book without nodding off a few times. It was hard for him to imagine that anyone would read it for pleasure.

As she went on to talk about making a new friend, he smiled, glad to hear once again that she appreciated his company. He was sure she meant it too. Out of all the people he had met throughout his life, the amnesiac girl had the least reason to try and use him for her own gain. Even Jay and Miles could have just been spending time with him in the hopes that they could coax favors out of him when he became king. He couldn’t know their motives, but he was certain that her words came from a place of truth.

He was just about to say that he was happy about the way things had turned out too, but before he could even open his mouth, he froze when she suddenly placed her hand over his. The unexpected touch made him blush. Her hand was soft and dainty, and he was torn between turning his palm over to hold it in his and pulling away completely. Apparently he didn’t need to decide anything though, because just as he was wondering if she was waiting for him to do something, she removed her hand, and his trance was broken.

He looked away from her, trying to refocus on the movie. However, it was difficult to do when he could still feel the residual warmth from her fingers on his skin. Privately, he wished the moment hadn’t ended as soon as it did, but he kept the thought to himself. Instead, he shifted to cross both his arms over his middle, too conflicted between his desire to get closer to her and his resolution to keep his distance to give her the chance to do it again.

A long moment passed, silent if it weren’t for the sound of the film playing in front of them. Cas couldn’t help but sneak a glance at Iris, curious to find out if she was as worked up over the brief moment as he was. It wasn’t easy to spot in the low light, but he was pretty sure her face was rosy too. He let out his breath slowly. He’d been trying so hard to keep his hands to himself that he hadn’t even thought about the possibility that she would be the one to reach out to him. Still, he wasn’t completely certain if she was blushing for the same reason he was or if she had been embarrassed by his reaction. Whatever the case, the color he saw in her cheeks didn’t change the fact that she might have had a boyfriend before she’d lost her memories. He didn’t want to step on anyone else’s toes.

Choosing to let the awkwardness pass, he sank down a little lower in his seat and turned back to the movie again, trying to watch without being too distracted by the attractive woman sitting next to him.