*disable_reuse We don’t say much else on our walk to the gardens. It wasn’t too far from the Great Hall, but the distance is long enough that the silence is almost unbearable. All that can be heard is the clicking of my shoes and the occasional mumble or grunt from $!{player_first_name}. I adjust the crown on my head every so often, but otherwise, my arms are folded tightly against my chest. I would dump $!{player_first_name} in the gardens and head back to my quarters, but I really wasn’t in the mood to hear Father yell at me for 30 minutes after the fact. A worker or two pause and bow towards me every so often but neither one of us says a word as we reach the gardens. For the workers’, that’s an improvement. Usually I would glare back. I stand back a bit, allowing $!{player_first_name} to take a good look at ${player_his_her_their} surroundings once we arrive in the gardens. The next time ${player_he_she_they} saw the gardens, it wouldn’t be because of a forced tour and I definitely wouldn’t be anywhere nearby. Flowers from each and every part of the rainbow dot the gardens as far as the eye could see. $!{player_first_name} and I are at the beginnings of a cobblestone pathway that leads towards the east and west areas of the gardens. In the center of the gardens is a large fountain that spurts water at regular intervals. These gardens have been the backdrop for many proposals, weddings and other events. I was sure that some part of the competition would take place here. “Well, you saw the flowers. Now if you’ll excuse me--” What I didn’t expect next was for $!{player_first_name} to: *fake_choice #Sigh and turn back on ${player_his_her_their} heel to go back inside. *set aloof +1 “Hey, wait!” I exclaim. “We did not walk all the way over here for you to turn around and leave.” I start to reach out for ${player_his_her_their} elbow, but I think better of it. Just because my father didn’t have boundaries doesn’t mean that I had to ignore them. $!{player_first_name} stops and turns around slightly. “Look, you don’t have to like this, or even me, but if this is how you’re going to act when it’s just us two, you’re going to have a really hard time when the other contestants come.” I sigh, as ${player_he_she_they} did have a point. Swallowing down an apology, I glance behind my shoulder. “Alright. I’ll show you a few bushes, you ask a few questions, if you have any and then we’ll call it a day. Deal?” I say. “Deal,” $!{player_first_name} replies. *page_break *goto rudequestions #Bite down on ${player_his_her_their} lip and play around with ${player_his_her_their} fingers, sniffling softly. *set shy +1 Oh for God’s sake. Please tell me $!{player_first_name} isn’t about to start crying. “Hold the waterworks, $!{player_first_name},” I say, pinching the bridge of my nose. “Look, we can go look at the flowers. Hell, you can ask me questions if you want. Just don’t cry.” I almost feel bad. $!{player_first_name} looks like how Mozelle used to get when I would tease her too much. $!{player_first_name} still seems a bit sullen, but does get around to speaking, finally. *page_break *goto rudequestions #Grab on to my elbow and yank me back to face ${player_him_her_them}. *set rude +1 "Who the hell do you think you are?" I ask, immediately yanking my elbow out of ${player_his_her_their} grip. The nerve of $!{player_first_name}! For somebody that seemed so good at following royal customs, $!{player_first_name} was doing a bad job of following them at the moment. *if (background = "guard") "Well, I was your guard once upon a time. So, I know a lot about you, whether you like it or not," $!{player_first_name} replies. $!{player_first_name} pinches the bridge of ${player_his_her_their} nose before continuing. "I'm not your damn punching bag, so drop the attitude. You can't just dump me here and not tell me how to leave or go somewhere else," $!{player_first_name} says. "What's wrong with you?" I narrow my eyes and boy, the string of curse words I want to direct ${player_his_her_their} direction was growing longer by the second. "We have maybe an hour or so left and then you can go back to ignoring me and yelling at anybody that breathes. King Frederick said that you might be able to answer some questions I had. You want to answer them, or do you want to continue being a dick?" $!{player_first_name} finishes. I close my eyes and try to center myself. I take quite a few deep breaths, still feeling that red hot rage deep inside of me, but at least the string of curse words I wanted to throw at $!{player_first_name} shrunk significantly. "Just ask already," I say. *page_break *goto rudequestions #Smile and pick a nearby flower off its bush, asking me what kind it was. *set charming +1 "Excuse me?" I ask in disbelief. Here I was being, well, a jerk, and $!{player_first_name} was just letting it roll off of ${player_his_her_their} back like it was nothing. "This flower? What is it? I've never seen it before," $!{player_first_name} repeats. "Of course you haven't seen them before. They're foxgloves," I reply with a roll of my eyes. "They have some sort of silly meaning, but I can't remember what it is." $!{player_first_name} smiles a little and pockets the flower before turning ${player_his_her_their} attention back to the flower bush. "Thanks for telling me. Do you mind if I ask you other questions?" I snort. "Of course I do. What makes you think I want to even talk to you?" $!{player_first_name} thinks for a second before shrugging. "I mean, you've already answered my last two questions." I groan and lean against a nearby bench. "Go ahead and ask before I change my mind," I tell ${player_him_her_them}. *page_break *goto rudequestions #Pout playfully, bat ${player_his_her_their} eyelashes and ask, “You’re not really leaving me here, are you?” *set flirty +1 "Yes. Are you hard of hearing?" I ask, resuming my walk back towards the palace. "No, I'm just heartbroken," $!{player_first_name} sighs exaggeratedly. I hear ${player_him_her_them} flop across a nearby bench and sigh yet again. I turn around, face scrunched up in annoyance. "Heartbroken? Do you ever give up that flirty act?" I ask. Surely somebody couldn't be that much of a flirt all the time. "What act? Yet again, you wound me, $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name}. The only way you can repay me now for being so mean is by answering my questions," $!{player_first_name} says, making ${player_himself_herself_themselves} comfortable on the bench. "I'm good," I shoot back, turning around yet again to continue my walk. Of course, $!{player_first_name} couldn't leave me the hell alone each step that I made. Finally, I give in, only because doing something drastic wouldn't be good for anybody. "Alright. Don't ask me anything stupid and we'll be alright. *page_break *goto rudequestions #Hold out a hand to stop me in my tracks and raise ${player_his_her_their} eyebrow. *set sarcastic +1 "Just what do you think you're doing?" I ask $!{player_first_name}. "Being a traffic cop, obviously. I'm stopping you $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name}," $!{player_first_name} answers, eyebrow dropping. "For, Officer?" Two can play at the sarcastic game. "Failure to stop being a dick and failure to not answer my remaining questions," $!{player_first_name} replies. "I can let you off with just a warning if you do answer them though." *if (background = "guard") "You do know you're not in the Guard anymore, right, $!{player_first_name}?" I ask, causing ${player_him_her_them} to gasp. Of course, ${player_he_she_they} did. "No way, I'm not in the Guard anymore? How did you know, $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name}?" $!{player_first_name} asked. "Ha, ha, very funny," I mumble, deciding to move on. "Go ahead and ask your question already," I sigh. *page_break *goto rudequestions *label rudequestions *choice #“When did you find out about all of this? The competition and everything?” I snort. “Pretty much the same time you did. Maybe 30 minutes prior,” I reply. I could already feel my eye twitching again as I thought about how Father essentially ordered me to get in front of a camera and pretend I cared. I obviously didn’t, which I made abundantly clear in front of the whole nation. It took days for the ringing to die down in my ear after he chewed me out afterwards. *page_break *goto rudequestions #“You don’t think you and I are actually that compatible, do you?” “Of course not,” I reply. Anybody that believed that a computer system could match up anybody, much less a royal, was crazy. Father included. “You’re so...average. Ordinary, you know? I only date models, people with star power. People on my level,” I say with a wave of my hand. *fake_choice #“So you tend to only date other people that act like dicks? Seems to be the only level you’re on,” $!{player_first_name} says, causing me to choke on air. *set rude +1 "What? What did you say?" I ask, eyes narrowing in ${player_his_her_their} direction. "Well, I won't repeat what I said. Just know you're on dick level 99, right now," $!{player_first_name} replies, crossing ${player_his_her_their} arms. "Also, glad to see that you only took away the fact that you're acting like a dick and not anything else." I can already feel a headache coming on. "Whatever. Insult me all you want. You'll probably be eliminated as soon as the competition starts and we'll be all the better because of it." $!{player_first_name} smirks. "Oh, I do believe I've rattled you, $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name}. Let's move on before you really go off the deep end." "Yes. Lets," I reply through gritted teeth. *page_break *goto rudequestions #"Well I think you're so...royal. Extra, you know? I only date whomever I want to because everybody is on my level, because I don't discriminate," $!{player_first_name} replies with a sniff of ${player_his_her_their} nose. *set sarcastic +1 "I-Is that sarcasm or something?" I ask ${player_him_her_them}. "If so, it's not very good." "Yet, you're tense," $!{player_first_name} says, motioning to my clenched fists. I quickly hide my hands behind my back. "Look, it's nothing personal. I have royal blood and you don't. It's only natural for me to want to be with somebody of my caliber," I say with a shrug. "So what if you have royal blood in you? Unless it has some magical healing powers, it's basically the same as mine. Get over yourself," $!{player_first_name} shot back. "Whatever," I say, feeling my fists clench again. At least $!{player_first_name} couldn't see them this time. *page_break *goto rudequestions #"I'm sure I'd be on your level if you gave me a chance," $!{player_first_name} replies with a smile. *set charming +1 "Ha. Doubt it," I say, giving $!{player_first_name} a good look up and down. "I think we're the farthest from being compatible." $!{player_first_name} chuckles and looks away from me, watching the garden fountain. "I mean, we're basically a perfect match for one another if you take into consideration Odessa Dates. But you're entitled to your opinion." I raise an eyebrow. Why was $!{player_first_name} so…nice? Everybody that was nice to me tended to have some ulterior motive. "Look, I don't know what you want, but you'll have to give up the act eventually," I say. $!{player_first_name} seems confused, but moves on without saying anything further. *page_break *goto rudequestions #"Oh, I seem average now. Wait until we get alone..." $!{player_first_name} winks. *set flirty +1 I roll my eyes. Going to bed with ${player_him_her_them}? Yeah right. "This is going to be the first and last time we're ever alone," I tell $!{player_first_name}, which causes $!{player_first_name} to chuckle. "What's so funny?" I ask, crossing my arms as I look at ${player_him_her_them}. "It's just, well…everybody says that. Until they come back for more," $!{player_first_name} replies, giving me another wink. "Yeah, alright," I say, rolling my eyes in response. "This conversation is over. Time to ask something else." *page_break *goto rudequestions #"I'm not that average. Otherwise I wouldn't be here, you know?" $!{player_first_name} says softly. *set shy +1 My eyes soften, at ${player_his_her_their} words, which surprises me because that's something I didn't do often. My mind stumbles to spit out an apology, but my mouth works faster than I do. "Sure you aren't. Father's technology is a joke. We'll see if you really belong here once the competition starts," I reply. "Right," $!{player_first_name} says, playing around with ${player_his_her_their} clothing. *page_break *goto rudequestions #"Whatever you say," $!{player_first_name} says with a shrug of ${player_his_her_their} shoulders. *set aloof +1 "Yeah…it is whatever I say," I reply, albeit hesitant to continue. It was a bit unnerving how ${player_he_she_they} didn't care, at least, that's what it seemed like. $!{player_first_name} gives me one more short look before focusing ${player_his_her_their} attention back on the flowers. "Fine, we can also just stand around in silence or whatever." *page_break *goto rudequestions #“What do you like to do in your free time?” "Wow, you actually asked a good question," I tell $!{player_first_name} before I ponder it. What should I tell ${player_him_her_them} though? I enjoyed hanging around Mother. We didn't nearly have enough time together every day, but we always made sure our Tuesdays were free so we could be together. Sometimes we'd get coffee or watch some movie, but most of the time, we'd go to the gardens. Not the ones $!{player_first_name} and I were in, but a garden much more secluded. Mother would weed and I would lounge around on a bench and sing while she worked. "You should sing in public," she'd say to me occasionally. "You know you're pretty good, baby." "No thanks," I'd reply back before launching into another song. Of course Mother would say that I was good. It was basically her job to boost up her child. I was content to keep singing to her and only her. Mozelle would say anything that I did was amazing and well, Father would just tell me to pick a more practical hobby. "Well?" $!{player_first_name} asks. I blink rapidly for a few moments, attempting to come back to reality. "Er, I like poetry. So I read occasionally. That's about all I have time for," I answer. It wasn't a total lie…I did like to read. *page_break *goto rudequestions #“Are you nervous about this competition?” "Am I nervous about having a bunch of mostly unqualified people competing for my hand? No," I answer. I think I was more nervous having to give my first speech in front of dozens of City and Town Heads when I was 10. *page_break *goto rudequestions #“What’s it like being the $!{royal_title}?” "Great." I grin to myself. Unlimited amount of money, no real obligations, can go and come as I please, within reason…what's not to like? Sure it was tiring at times and Father was a pain in my behind almost all the time, but I think if I had a choice to be a royal or being somebody average, I'd always choose to be a royal. *page_break *goto rudequestions #“Why are you so rude?” Ah yes, the question that has been asked constantly since I was born. "Well, because I can be?" I reply. "Take it or leave it. I'm not a people pleaser and could care less if somebody likes me or not." $!{player_first_name}'s eyebrows furrow in thought. God, was I about to be mentally dissected? "I think deep down you're pretty nice," $!{player_first_name} says and yeah, I think I would've rather been mentally dissected. "Oh please. Some people are just mean, $!{player_first_name}," I reply and roll my eyes. "Sorry to disappoint you." *page_break *goto rudequestions #$!{player_first_name} stops asking me questions. *page_break *goto_scene chp2_royalgoodbye