Welcome to Gaia! ::

It wasn't that it was bad, per se, but it was certainly a bitter reminder of things. Life at the palace was nice but it was ever present that they could be tossed back into the gutter they came from. She sat down on the grass and stared at the pool and studied her own reflection, spotting the rosy cheeks which were a sign of her frustration. Taking in a deep breath, she steadied herself.

"Most of the time it isn't bad," she agreed. "Sometimes I can't help but feel tiny and insignificant in the grand scheme of things. When status determines whether or not you're disposable like, lets say, a broken glass, it can feel a little... bah. I shouldn't be saying this to you. You're not in the position to care and it just sounds like I am throwing a pity party."

The golden eyed girl paused. There were the rumors to go off of and, if she were to believe all of them, he would be an uncaring, tender, rich boy, gentle, intelligent, stupid, sweet son-of-a-b***h. Though mostly everything she heard about him pinned him as a lady's man and a player.

She gave him a hard, appraising look. "Nathaniel, I am not entirely sure how to answer that yet. I'll have to get to know the real you better. The only thing I can be sure of is that you like the ladies and I don't think that as an actual thing to judge your entire character by..." Andromeda always did things that way. She made snap decisions about people only to amend them later.

She spread out on the plush grass and took in a deep breath, sighing at the fragrance.

She pulled her mouth into a thin line at the question. Although she never had given herself to someone, she did not expect any future love she had to be virgin. In fact she hoped for at least some experience. The blind leading the blind wasn't too pleasing to her in that situation. Still, when she thought about it, experience or lack there of didn't seem like an indication of heart. She ran her fingers through the lush grass and turned her face to look up the cloudless blue sky.

"Well, it doesn't matter. A prince has obligations from what I hear. Alliances and what not but, really, I don't see why someone would judge the amount of girls you been with against you. Unless you betrayed them all somehow."

Andromeda grinned and turned over on her side. The brightness of the sun just off of the corner of her eye had caused the rest of the world around her to dim until her eyes adjusted again. "What about me? Do you think that anyone would want a guttersnipe orphan?"

Andromeda couldn't help but laugh at this. Vicious? Although she did not know the prince well she was sure that he could hardly be called vicious. He was a persistent flirter and a rake when he came to the girls, but she could not fathom him in the way he described himself. She watched him tear apart the water lily and scatter its petals across the water. The fresh scent of the blossom filled her nose, the oils being released on the water.

"There are plenty who wouldn't want me," she told him. "Though, I suppose, all of the things you've said are right. The gardens have been looking much better since I've had my hand on it and having an inner bs detector can be useful... though, really, if I hadn't been warned about your ways, I might have bought into everything."

She grinned as he leaned in closer. He wasn't bad to look at and it was strangely endearing that he knew he wasn't. His entire life probably consisted of people telling him what a looker he was.

Of course, when he made the comment about her eyes, she assumed that he was commented about the flowers that laid just behind her from his position. She clapped her hands together and sat up.

"Do you really think? I've been playing around with the fertilizer type and watering schedules hoping to get the brighter hues to come forth."

That bit of charm nearly worked on her. He mentioned the beauty of her eyes and she took in a sharp breath, forgetting about how all of the other girls had fell to charms. When he leaned in for the kiss her eyes slowly began to shut, long lashes brushing against his cheek from their close proximity.

Snap out of it! You're not as special as he is making you out to be! This has to be a joke!

Right when his lips brushed against his, she withdrew a little, but there wasn't the violence he was expecting. Instead she scooted shyly backward, like a wounded doe might in the sight of a mighty hunter.

"You really shouldn't... you hardly know me."

Oh, how badly she wanted to believe that someone like him could develop feelings so quickly for someone like her.

"Its in your nature," she said simply. "I do not blame you for it."

Her heart was racing and felt as if it had jumped up to her throat. Why did this feel this way? Carefully she examined him, trying to figure out what had caused her to react in such a way. It was as if she had missed out on something right. Something that just clicked. She licked dry lips.

"Besides, I never said it wasn't wanted. You have to understand though. I am... I am not exactly... well versed in the ways of affection. At all. I want things to go slowly at first if I am to get into any sort of romantic entanglement."

Andromeda chewed her lip. Well, he was acting as if nothing happened. Perhaps he had just been playing. It didn't matter though. They could be close friends, too, even if she had been secretly hoping for more. When he asked her about horses she brightened considerably. Horses were such beautiful animals but she had never gotten a chance to ride one.

Her own work worn hand reached out to rest in his hand as she pulled herself up. His skin was so soft there! Much softer than any servant's.

"You will have to teach me to ride. I have never done it before, even though I've always wanted to."

The excitement showed clearly on her face and she gave off a very childlike energy. For how mature she could be, she could be just as childish.