"We'll be arriving in Isklan by the end of the day… seems there was a cold snap that froze the tracks." Mirai stirred his tea, a chai tea mixed with milk at a warm temperature. Yuri and Yuki had both been served the same, and while Yuri seemed quite nonchalant about what he had been given, Yuki was the opposite. She watched the flecks of spices dance on the top of her mug as the train moved, lips puckered in thought. "So that explains why the train isn't moving. The last thing we need is an accident or derailment."
"Understandable." Yuri said this muffled, around the rim of his mug. "I hope this won't delay your plans or anything, Your Highness."
"Ah, please, just call me Mirai." Yuki glanced up at the faint whine in Mirai's voice. She looked at Yuri, who was eyeing the treats stacked up on the table they sat around, deftly ignoring Mirai. Seemed like he was attempting to keep a wedge between them while Mirai kept trying to climb it. She sighed silently as the battle continued between them. "It's already been communicated to the rest of the family, they'll set the welcome feast for tomorrow."
"A feast?" Yuki blinked, perking up at the mention of food.
Mirai turned a smile to Yuki, threading his fingers and laying his chin on them. She noted that he had shaved his skin clean of the stubble that had brushed her head the previous night, as he held her and soothed her fears. Though when she had woken up, she was back in her compartment with Yuri rubbing his eyes awake as well. Maybe it had been a dream after all… and one that didn't end badly like the others?
"A feast. It will have plenty of our homemade, hearty meals. Stews, soups, bread, game…"
"Game?"
"Ah, game meat. I assume you don't hunt down in Notos?"
At a loss, Yuki looked to Yuri, basically forcing him to participate. His spoon chimed on the edge of his mug as he looked up. Noticing that both pairs of eyes were on him, he jolted into sitting up straight, clearing his throat. "Ah, it's not common for us to hunt," he said. "But I will say we have rather… interesting meats. Snakes, lizards, alligators if you're closer to the port towns…."
"...alligators," Mirai echoed, raising his brows. Yuki puffed her chest out in pride. Alligator meat was rare even for the royals to come across because of how dangerous the creatures were, if they weren't hunted the right way. "I should have asked to try your delicacies while in the area…" He chuckled, clapping his hands. "All the more excuse to visit, no?"
Ah, so they wouldn't be trapped in Isklan forever, Yuki thought. She beamed, picking up her mug to take a drink of the spiced tea, just as the doors to the dining car opened. Glancing over, poor Yuki nearly choked on the warm tea as she watched who wandered in: Dresden and Annette.
"Ahh, finally our last guests have arrived." Mirai gestured to them. Annette was dressed in thicker clothing this time but still soft pink hues, and Dresden much the same. This time his long silvery hair was hidden under a newspaper boy's hat, the brim easy to pull down and cover his face; he did exactly that when he saw Yuki staring at him with wide eyes. "Oh, I see you've already met? Well, no need for introductions, then."
Annette curtsied with an elegant flutter of her skirts, and clumsily Dresden followed suit with a bow. They approached the table, where some of the dining staff rushed forward to pull out the chairs and serve them their tea. Once they were settled, Mirai finally reached for one of the many pastries on the table.
Yuri took the cue and reached as well just as Mirai had started. Yuki watched for the inevitable moment that their hands brushed, feeling a flutter in her chest when it happened. Yuri made a noise in the back of his throat, apologizing mildly and turning to Annette with a smile. "What would my lady like?"
She covered a dark-lipped smile with her hand, amused and demure by his actions. Yuki tightened her grip on her mug, not realizing she was still holding it until her hands cramped. Competition. Sure Annette was pretty in an ice princess kind of way, but Yuki couldn't believe she could do better than Mirai. Not if he was so smooth to comfort a scared girl -- in her dreams or otherwise. He was absolutely the healing salve than Yuri needed, not some ice cold shoulder from someone they didn't-
"Your Highness…"
Yuki just about jumped right out of her seat as she heard the rasping voice of Dresden close to her ear. She fumbled to put down her mug before she sloshed the liquid out to spill it all over the nice tablecloth, looking over to him. He had a small smile on his face as he leaned back, perhaps proud that he had finally garnered her attention. "Um… what would you like… Your Highness?"
Was he taking cue from Yuri? Yuki almost looked over to see if Annette was watching them with those sharp eyes of hers, but she managed to refrain from doing so. Else, she might look suspicious of the woman and based on their interaction the prior day… maybe this was an enemy not to make. Competition for Yuri's heart did not mean an enemy.
She smiled, crossing her legs at the ankle and swinging them under the table. "Whatever has the sweetest jelly in it! I'm sure you'd know, right Dresden?"
"Ah-" Dresden fumbled, leaning over the table and reaching for a small dessert that has sparkling blue jelly oozing from the sides of it. "Not… no. I don't eat these often."
So Yuki took it upon herself to pluck one of the treats herself and plop it onto Dresden's small plate in front of him. He jolted himself, flopping limply to sit in his chair and stare at the food she put there, still holding the one he was grabbing for her in his hand. Yuki reached over to take it.
"Well, you can enjoy them now! That's why you were invited, right?"
Happily, Yuki popped the pastry in her mouth, grinning toward Mirai as she still didn't want to look toward Yuri and Annette. He raised his mug to her in a silent toast. Teatime continued well into the hours after the train was able to make the final stretch to Yuki and Yuri's new home.