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Nerissa had also been fed some c**k-and-bull story about why, exactly, she should be meeting up with Akida, some cub from the Pridelands. That was all she knew of him. Her mother and father had said that she get to know him today, because they thought she and he would make good friends one day. And like Akida did, she wondered why she wasn't allowed to decide for herself. Sure, she'd met no one around here really that she liked, but that didn't mean she was actually incapable of finding a friend if she chose to. She just preferred to spend her time hunting bugs. Nothing wrong with that... right?

The white and silvery female trotted across the dusty ground of her home, navigating with ease around the bones and gnarled tree roots covering the ground. Such a pretty lioness shouldn't be cooped up in a place like this, so dark and dreary, but she was used to it, and this place was running alive with bugs. She was content here. And where she was going happened to be one of her favourite spots close to her den. She suspected her attraction to that particular tree (the large beetles that were often found around it) was why her father had suggested it as a meeting point.

She came into view of Akida then, stopping in her tracks, heedless of how dust clung to her paws. She tilted her head as she surveyed the male, guessing this had to be the Pridelander she was supposed to meet. He was, after all, sitting beneath the tree in question.. and he definitely wasn't coloured the way she'd seen anyone else in the Graveyard coloured. Her parents had told her Pridelanders most often tended to be more golden in colour, and now she knew what they meant.

"Akida?" she called, with a slight smile. Normally, she might have smiled broader than that, but it felt weird to her to be pushed into meeting this one particular lion by her parents.

Nerissa was honestly surprised that Akida seemed to be so scared. Sure, this place was dark and creepy, and it was easy to get a bit spooked if you let your imagination run away with you, but Nerissa had never been truly afraid of anything here since she'd learned what was to be expected. No one else she knew was afraid like Akida was. She had to remind herself that he was from another place to stop herself saying something and perhaps offending him.

Her smile growing stronger, she nodded, pleased that he knew her name. She would have felt insulted if he hadn't; after all, wasn't he supposed to be someone she would like? "Yes, I'm Nerissa."

She came forward toward the tree as Akida invited her, sitting under the branches and looking up at them, bare of leaves right now. "So... do you know why our parents want us to get to know each other so much?" she asked, lowering her head to look at Akida again. She couldn't get over the oddity of it. But of course... she couldn't possibly guess at the real reason.

Looking down at Akida, she tilted her head in question. "Running? Why?" She let out a little laugh. "Am I that ugly and scary-looking?" She was hoping to get a laugh out of him, help him feel more at ease; he obviously wasn't comfortable in the Graveyard.

With one of her paws trailing back and forth across the ground, making odd, nonsensical patterns in the dirt, she shook her head. "No... I can't think of anything. But I'm a loner, too. I don't have any friends here." She thought for a moment, then raised an eyebrow at him. "Maybe... our parents are friends, and because we have stuff in common, they thought we'd get along and be friends?"

She didn't show surprise he was a royal - she knew that; she'd been reminded to show the proper respect - but she was surprised that he was an heir. "Really? You'll be king one day?" She smiled slightly. "I'm a princess, but my brother is heir here, so he'll be ruling. I doubt I have as many duties as you.. other than growing up to be a respectable princess. At least... I have none that my parents have told me about."

Nerissa blinked, and paused before answering, wavering between feeling pleasantly complimented and insulted. Only her parents had ever called her pretty (they had to as parents, though, right?), and so naturally it was a big thing to her. She may like to crawl around in the dirt chasing bugs, but she was still a girl at heart. She found she quite liked being complimented that way. But then, there was the slight against her home. Sure, from what her father had told her, the Pridelands probably looked nicer, but she liked where she lived. It was her home, and she was able to find things worthwhile here.

"Uh... thank you," she finally mumbled in reply, and then quickly changed the topic to the defence of her home. "It's not a dump. Really. There are a lot of cool things here." Momentarily, she was stumped by Akida's question, unable to think of an answer for some time as she looked up at the sky. "Maybe... they just care about us that much?" All right, so it was a lame answer and she knew it, but it was plausible. She knew, for one, that her parents would do anything for her.

"Um... I suppose that could be it." She flicked her tail slowly, making tiny clouds of dust rise from the ground, but then she shook her head. "I dunno, though... My brother, Lysander, is supposed to be heir. If your mother wanted you to have an ally... wouldn't it be best to get to know him instead? I mean... I'm just a princess. I'm not really any more important to the pride than that," she said modestly, and she was ok with that. Little did she know her parents had plans for her to be very important.

Her brows furrowed slightly and she glanced away from Akida. Was the Pridelands really that much better than the Graveyard? All nice and clean, while the Graveyard was dingy and dirty in comparison? Sure, there was dust here, and it wasn't the most cheery scenery, but she loved it here. She didn't think the Pridelands could be better than her home. She loved the Graveyard, and that was that. It would never be surpassed by anything. She wouldn't let it be. "It's all right. You don't have to say sorry."

As Akida scooted closer to her, though, her attention was brought back to him. Since he seemed to be so nervous, she offered a little bit of comfort to him, leaning over until their shoulders were touching just slightly. Touch always made her feel better when she was upset; maybe it would for him, too?

Nerissa's ears lowered, though, at the thought of going to the Pridelands, especially because how Akida phrased it sounded like it would be a permanent stay. She was still only a cub; she didn't want to be separated from her parents, and she knew, as rulers here, they wouldn't - couldn't - come with her. "Maybe... maybe for a visit one day? Not to stay. My family is here... so I stay here." Her voice had a firmness that surprised even her. She wasn't scared of much... but being parted from her parents forever at this age frightened the very life out of her.

Nerissa's ears perked up a bit at the idea of asking her parents about this. Her daddy wouldn't lie to her! He'd tell her the truth of why he and her mother wanted her to meet Akida. Though, she still figured it was because their parents were friends and just hadn't told them yet. "Yeah, we should! If they want us to hang out, we should at least know why!"

But then her ears drooped once more, and she shook her head determinedly. "My family never will! I don't know about yours, but my mummy and daddy would never leave us!"

Nerissa felt better for the apology, and she even managed a bright smile, swishing her tail across the dark and dusty ground. "It's all right, you didn't mean anything bad by it. And you're right; nothing will ever split our families up! Ever! They love us too much." She nodded an affirmative at the end.

She perked up even more, her smile growing wider. "So you're going to come back? Even though you don't like it here? Really?" That was how she interpreted it. If Akida was going to tell her, he'd would have to come here... for she did not intend to go elsewhere.