Caspian tensed slightly when Iris insinuated that she knew he hadn’t had a chance to sleep yet. She didn’t seem to be pitying him though, so his stiffness didn’t last long. [color=#b97703]“I’ve been busy,”[/color] he sighed, giving up a portion of his act now that he knew she’d already caught on to him. His shoulders sagged a bit as he leaned into the edge of the mattress, betraying how tired he really was. There was no point in pretending if she wasn’t going to fall for the lies. [color=#b97703]“My dad still isn’t feeling the best, so I’ve had to take over everything. The prisoners, the council, the public…”[/color] He trailed off with a shake of his head. A mere list didn’t capture the full weight of all the responsibilities he’d had to take care of that afternoon. Right now, he wanted nothing more than to lay down and have a drink or two to take the edge off the stress he’d been under since the day before.

When Iris approached him, his smile returned. He appreciated her unspoken gesture. Her touch was calming, and her hand was pleasantly soft and warm through the sleeve of his jacket. Although they still hadn’t had a chance to talk through the feelings they had admitted to each other yesterday, he found himself hoping that she would want to be with him longer than just a couple dates. He enjoyed having her around and even though his father wanted him to think about marriage as a political tool, he couldn’t help but desire a relationship with someone with whom he genuinely connected. [color=#b97703][i]Call it romanticism, but I’d prefer to like the person I end up with someday,[/i][/color] he thought to himself. Of course, it was still far too early to tell where a relationship between them would go if she was interested, but she definitely fit in the category of the type of women with whom he’d like to test the waters for something long-term.

As she playfully called him a ‘slow poke,’ Cas laughed and took a step away from the bed to follow her out of the room. [color=#b97703]“You really want to go there, cyborg?”[/color] he teased, gesturing to the metal crutches she was using as support when he caught up with her. Even if he was wearing dress shoes, he was sure he could outpace her when she couldn’t even walk short distances without something to lean on.

[color=#b97703]“You would have made better company than the people I actually spent my time talking to,”[/color] he pulled a face at the mention of the soldiers and the high borns who had wasted his afternoon with their unnecessary fretting. Whether they could have spent time together or Iris had just slept for the last few hours, he would have preferred a day with her over the others. Maybe then he could have even napped for a while, himself. Her following comment lifted his spirits though. He didn’t find suits as comfortable as sweat clothes or even regular button-down shirts without the thick jacket, but at least she seemed to enjoy the ensemble. [color=#b97703]“I’d like to say this was for you, but unfortunately, I didn’t dress up for dinner,”[/color] he admitted, glancing at her sideways. [color=#b97703]“Since my dad is still in bed, I have to take his place and give the public address that he was going to give this evening. I’m sure you know already, but citizens of the capital wouldn’t take me seriously if I didn’t look like I’m about to attend a red carpet premier.”[/color]

As they approached the entrance to the kitchen, Cas trotted a couple steps ahead to open the door for her. [color=#b97703]“I hope so too,”[/color] he agreed, waiting for her to walk into the other room before he followed along behind her. [color=#b97703]“If everything goes well at the center square tonight, it should be the last major thing I need to deal with. Fingers crossed the soldiers catch those two missing terrorists quickly, because then we can put this all behind us and keep working on getting you home.”[/color]

Stepping over to the dining bar beside the kitchen, he could smell the dinner that the staff had already prepared for the evening. [color=#b97703]“Ooh, I think the chefs made salmon,”[/color] he grinned at Iris eagerly. It was a great choice for him. The fish was always expertly seasoned by the professionals that worked for the royal family, so it would taste delicious, but it was also light enough that he wouldn’t stuff himself before he had to give his speech.