[color=#b97703]“I don’t know,”[/color] Cas frowned when Iris asked if his father would be joining them for dinner. [color=#b97703]“I hope not. Dr. Emett said he needs to be getting as much rest as he can, so he would be better off in his room.”[/color] Where he wouldn’t be able to question the amnesiac’s intentions. He knew the king had good reason to be paranoid, since there were many people in Aspiria who would have liked to overthrow their family’s reign, but it had been ridiculous of him to veritably interrogate a girl with no memories. Until Iris’s family claimed her or she had recovered enough to remember where she was from, he planned to keep her as far away from his father as he could.

Moving on from the serious thought, he was glad to see that she was enthusiastic about the prospect of getting ice cream. Truthfully, he was less interested in having a dessert right before dinner and more motivated by the chance to spend more time alone with her, since he had agreed to invite Jay and Miles over to the Maydestone manor in the evening. As soon as his friends showed up, he knew he wouldn’t have a second to talk to her without their interruptions. Perhaps it was selfish, since he didn’t know if she had a boyfriend nor even if she was attracted to him the same way he was to her; but even if it was, he couldn’t help but indulge himself a little. Besides, she seemed eager to spend more time with him too.

[color=#b97703]“Alright, just let me know if you start getting too tired or sore to keep going,”[/color] he grinned back at her. [color=#b97703]“Come on, it’s this way.”[/color] Taking the lead, he walked with her across the grass in the small park that occupied the center of the historic district. As he did, he saw a flash in the corner of his eye and turned to see a man with a camera pointed in their direction. It seemed like the paparazzi had finally figured out where he was and started flocking to snap photos of their crown prince and his outing with a mysterious woman. He rolled his eyes. It was a good thing it had taken them this long to catch up, or he and Iris might have had to cut the day trip short to escape the reporters’ incessant questions.

When they reached the stand, he smiled at the old woman who operated it. [color=#b97703]“Hey, Ellen. It’s been a while.”[/color] She had owned the cart since as far back as he could remember and had known him since he was still the little boy who used to drag his mom across the park for a scoop of ice cream.

“Caspian, it’s good to see you,” the creases at the corners of her eyes deepened as she smiled at him. Her words were friendly, but she still bowed her head to him, as was customary for every Aspirian citizen to do. “I assume you’re here for your usual?” she asked with a knowing glint in her old eyes.

[color=#b97703]“You know me too well,”[/color] Cas teased. [color=#b97703]“Yeah, I’ll get a cup of mint chocolate chip and whatever she’s having.”[/color] He leaned over to nudge Iris playfully with his shoulder. Since she didn’t have any money, he had planned to pay for her. And, if he was honest, the gesture made it feel just a little more like a date. He kept that detail to himself though.