Although Cas was sure Iris hadn’t meant to compliment him, he found her insistence that she would have still liked him as a servant flattering. Coming from a high born woman, it was high praise. Servants were almost always members of the middle class and were seen by the citizens in the capital as lesser than themselves. As empathetic as he was, even the prince found himself slipping into the hierarchical mindset more often than he’d like to admit. If the scenario had been real and he really had been a houseboy, he doubted she would have graced him with even a passing glance, but it was still kind of her to say she would. He was just glad they had met on the paths they were on now.

[color=#b97703]“I’d still like you too,”[/color] he returned honestly. If she had been a maid working in his home, he was certain he would have found her pleasant company. They wouldn’t have spent as much time together though. She was beautiful and funny and generally lovely to be around, but it was already scandalous enough for the heir of Aspiria to spend so much time with a normal high born girl. He couldn’t even imagine wasting the days away with a maid. [color=#b97703]“I’m sure you’re not,”[/color] he asserted when she said she could be a servant. [color=#b97703]“That’s not something you’ll have to worry about. My dad will realize that soon enough.”[/color] She had mentioned a few memories that made him feel confident in her status. That and the fact that he’d never seen any middle class woman who was as attractive as she was made him certain she was from the capital, but he kept that detail to himself.

Still, despite his convictions, she had a few quirks that he thought were unique for a high born. Her surprise at Martin’s address was a perfect example. Cas propped his elbow on the table and rested his cheek in the palm of his hand, watching her with an amused smile as she fumbled to decide what she wanted to drink. Even though her out-of-place dither was strange, he found it kind of cute that she would be so flustered by the bartender’s respect. It was almost as if she didn’t expect any special treatment at all, and he couldn’t help but wonder if she used to speak to the servants in her own household as if they were her equals.

“It’s no trouble at all, madam,” Martin nodded to her with the same respect he had shown the prince. He didn’t know who she was or what she ranked, so it was safer for him to err on the side of formality.

[color=#b97703]“Great,”[/color] Cas grinned at her eagerly and then turned to the servant. [color=#b97703]“Bring her a few classics to start. How about…”[/color] He studied her in a scrutinizing manner as he tried to decide what kind of drinks she might like. [color=#b97703]“Three M’s: martini, mimosa, and margarita. Just a little of each though. We wouldn’t want her to get sick.”[/color]

“Of course, Your Highness,” Martin bowed at the waist and turned around to prepare their drinks at the bar.

As Iris observed that he didn’t have many visitors over, Cas shrugged, [color=#b97703]“Yeah, it’s a bit of a waste, but it wouldn’t be much better if it was filled with people. Most of the ones who try to cozy up to me and my dad just want something from us.”[/color] He leaned on the table again and let his gaze wander over the room. The TVs played soundless reruns of various games like football, basketball, and even tennis to an invisible audience. Thinking about it, it was pretty lonely and he was even more appreciative that she was sitting here with him now.

[color=#b97703]“It definitely will be,”[/color] he agreed with a smile, finding Iris’s enthusiasm infectious as she brought up their plans for tomorrow. [color=#b97703]“If you want, we could go back to the mall. There’s a lot more inside besides just shops.”[/color]