"Yeah, no you're right, let's focus on the road... let me find the map first." Rena purposefully ignored his question, primary since she wasn't all that sure herself. True to her word the girl reached into her cloak, the map was stored in convenient pocket designed to hold such things. She must've been too rushed for whatever reason as the folded up parchment fumbled out of her fingers and on the floor, cursing silently under her breath Rena, still in a hurry, picked the map back up. Her face burned bright red, hoping beyond hope Noboyuki wouldn't say anything, how could this happen to her? She had been in court life for her entire adult existence, talking to powerful people without breaking a sweat, but here in a remote tavern located at a nameless hamlet she was bumbling around... and come to think of it, why did she care what Noboyuki thought at all...?
Rena closed her eyes and breathed deeply, trying to regain her composure, despite the lack of it in the first place, trying to calm her fingers, trying to calm her busy mind. When ready, maybe, she unfolded the map and lied it across the floor, possibly distracting herself by explaining the next stretch of the journey would be enough to help her relax. She launched into a needlessly in-depth summary of the next region up ahead, much more information then needed, and of course a bit quickly. When done she didn't feel better, well maybe glad something that simple still wasn't out of her grasp, but all the same it did little to help steady her nerves. She couldn't look at her partner, for reasons only unknown to herself, no matter how hard she tried keeping eye contact was neigh impossible, it only served to increase the awkward air between them.
After tucking the map away in its proper pocket, Rena didn't say anything else, other then perhaps a muttered command to follow, she practically ran out of the lobby, it was starting to get stuffy in there, she didn't like it. Now outside the princess touched her blushed face, it felt better out under the sky, somehow... something was wrong she only wanted to understand why, although she thought of the obvious cause, for whatever reason she did not want to believe it, couldn't be... Rena stood there by the door, fidgeting with her gifted collar.
