The little cove around them was a secluded spot that seemed like it had been dug out of the forest by a large hand. The carved out earth stood around them in a large semi-circle of boulders, as if a giant had carefully placed them to create a shelter just for himself.
Ethyn had discovered it once by following Sage and Silver on an outing--one on which he was not invited--and had admired the beauty of the spot even through his disgust for one of the occupants.
A small brook ran through the hideaway, leaving a perfect spot for the horses to drink and dine while the humans did the same. How such a lovely place existed in the middle of a dense forest, Rose could only guess.
However she was in no mood to question nature's wonders. "Beautiful!"
The knight smirked. "I wholly agree."
Rose looked at her companion only to realize his arms were still outstretched, an open question on his face.
How long had he been positioned like that, staring at her? Was his comment about the cove or her? The princess wasn't sure which answer she preferred.
Rose brought her legs to the same side of her saddle and allowed the young man to lower her to the ground. His strong arms suggested he could handle things much sturdier than the princess, and she felt safe in his care. She tried to hide the pink tinge on her cheeks as her feet touched the ground.
"Thank you, good sir," she managed.
Ethyn bowed, clearly pleased with the effect he had on the young woman. Stepping back, he retrieved the basket and a blanket from the back of Courage and allowed both horses to roam free.
"Will this spot work?" the knight pointed to a small patch of grass that seemed particularly lush. It backed up to one of the large boulders, which would give them somewhere to lean their backs while they ate.
"It's perfect," Rose answered without hesitation.
"Then you both have something in common." Ethyn handed the girl the basket without noticing the furrow in her brow.
With a flourish, he spread out the checkered blanket along the side of the rock before smoothing the edges. Rose offered him the basket, which he placed in the middle of the blanket before motioning towards his companion.
"Care to join me?"
Together they situated themselves comfortably and unpacked the food. Small cakes, succulent fruit, and other parcels wrapped tightly to keep the food fresh poured from the wicker container in ample supply.
Rose looked contently at the display. "Doesn't it all look lovely!" She exclaimed.
"Present company included." Ethyn nodded with sagely wisdom.
Rose stiffened and turned away to check on the horses.
"What is it?" The green-eyed man could see he had made another mistake. He wasn't about to let another mishap happen without setting it right as quickly as he could.
"It's nothing," the princess looked over her shoulder at him with an unconvincing smile.
"I have seen better acting from Conall when he is trying to pretend he didn't have the last of the mead…" Ethyn pulled his lips to one side. "Something is definitely wrong."
Rose pushed her eyes shut and pressed her lips together. "I just…I wish you would stop…"
Her halting speech alarmed the knight greatly. "Stop what?"
Running her fingers through her hair, the princess finally answered. "I want you to stop giving me all those compliments..."
"But I mean what I say..." Ethyn tried to defend himself.
"I actually think you do, but that doesn't make it better. It almost makes it worse, really." Rose opened her glistening eyes toward him. They were icy blue full of pleading.
Frozen by the stunning sight, the knight stopped for a moment to study what he saw. There was a frailty to the girl that Ethyn was only beginning to notice. She put on such a strong front both at the palace and even in front of her brother.
The green-eyed man had glimpsed it briefly before when they talked about the soldiers' deaths. However, at that point Ethyn was trying to cheer the princess from her sorrow, so he had not taken the words he had spoken into account.
Upon further inspection, he realized most any compliment he paid her was either ignored, deflected or discounted. Could it be more than just her being polite?
"You are far too smooth in your talk when you give your flowery words," the princess explained. "It is so natural for you that it seems practiced."
"And that's...bad?" Ethyn raised one eyebrow. He had mostly felt awkward and clumsy around her, yet she thought he was smooth and practiced. 'What could be the problem with that?'
"I suppose not in and of itself, but I spend my days around people who compliment me day and night. Other than Father and Cait, I am pretty sure most of them don't mean half the nice things they say to my face. They are all such gossips about each other…"
"Noble folks say more cross words about one another than peasants ever could." Ethyn nodded.
Perhaps it was because the nobility did not have better things to do like toil the ground, but some of them treated the art of insulting like it was a profession.
"Indeed. So when you compliment me so easily, I think of them, and I don't like it. If I am being honest, I find I much prefer your banter because at least I know it is real." While picking through the food, Rose peeked at the young man to see his response.
Ethyn was suitably shocked. His mouth hung slightly open as he struggled for words. "You… you want me to be mean to you?"
"Not mean…just not overly nice either." Even as the princess spoke it, she could feel how silly it sounded.
How in the world was anyone supposed to know how to act based on that description?
Yet, Ethyn nodded and raised one hand. "I, Sir Samberg, do solemnly swear to never compliment Her Highness, Haven, ever again."
Rolling her eyes, Rose giggled lightly. "I am not sure I would go quite that far."
"For the rest of the week?" The young man offered the woman a piece of fruit as penance for his crimes.
Even though she accepted the fruit, Rose shook her head. "I think that is a promise you will break."
"Fine, for the rest of the day, then. No compliments." Ethyn offered his hand this time instead of food.
"For the day? It's a deal." The two shook forearms. The princess shook a little too hard and pulled Ethyn toward her.
The pair nearly collided.
"Haven't shaken on a deal before, have you?" Ethyn managed to lean back before their foreheads—or worse—bumped together.
"Afraid not. It was trickier than I thought."
"I would have thought your grip would be slightly…daintier." Ethyn squeezed her arm gently.
That is when Rose realized she had not yet released him. She let go and hid her embarrassment behind a bite of the apple.
The succulent morsel cleansed her of her thoughts as the sweet yet tart flavor danced on her tongue. She hummed with pleasure.
Holding out the food for Ethyn to examine, her face lit with delight. "This, mmm now this is divine!"
"Just like someone else here," the young man responded automatically.
The princess glared at him but received a cherubic grin in return.
"Me, of course!" Ethyn finished his statement. "Who did you think I meant? You? Did you already forget I promised not to compliment you today? Really, princess, I am beginning to worry about you."
Rose pretended to throw the fruit at her companion before leaning against the boulder and taking another bite. Tilting back her head, she let a ray of stray sunshine bask her face in its radiant light.
Rose sighed as a smile crept onto her face. "No need to worry about me, Sir Knight. For the first time in a long time, I am quite content."