*disable_reuse    
$!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name} don’t say much else on their 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 the $!{royal_title}'s shoes and the occasional soft sigh from $!{player_first_name}. 

$!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name} fiddles with between a loose string on ${royal_his_her_their} clothes to ${royal_his_her_their} hands while walking with ${player_first_name}. The $!{royal_title} is too busy looking away from $!{player_first_name} to pay much attention to ${royal_his_her_their} surroundings. 

A worker or two pause and bow towards the pair every so often, but neither one of them say a word as they reach the gardens.

$!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name} stands back a bit, allowing $!{player_first_name} to take a good look at ${player_his_her_their} surroundings. The $!{royal_title} had seen the gardens hundreds of times, but the first time seeing it was always special for most visitors. 

Flowers from each and every part of the rainbow dot the gardens as far as the eye could see. $!{player_first_name} and $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name} rest at the beginning 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.

The gardens have been the backdrop for many proposals, weddings and other events. $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name} was sure that some part of the competition would take place in them. Lost in ${royal_his_her_their} thoughts, the $!{royal_title} doesn’t realize that $!{player_first_name} is no longer near ${royal_him_her_them}. After a quick glance around, $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name} finds ${player_him_her_them} over by a few bellflower bushes. 

“These are nice,” $!{player_first_name} says. “I’ve never seen these flowers in $!{player_hometown}.” 

$!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name} smiles slightly. Queen Ramona planted them when she first arrived in Odessa. They were supposed to mean unwavering love when an individual gave them to somebody. $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name} wasn’t sure how true that was, but they were still pretty to look at.

“So, I was wondering if I could ask you some questions?” 

$!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name} nearly jumps at  $!{player_first_name}’s question. Though a bit apprehensive, $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name} eventually nods. 

“Sure,” $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name} answers, eyes shifting away from the bellflower bush.
*label shyquestions
*choice
    #“When did you find out about all of this? The competition and everything?”
        “Probably a couple of hours before the press conference,” $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name} answers.
        
        King Frederick held in this news about everything until it was nearly time to go on air, much to $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name}'s dismay. He claimed that he didn’t want to stress or freak ${royal_him_her_them} out, but $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name} was sure that those were lies.
        
        If the King could’ve found some way to have the press conference without ${royal_him_her_them}, $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name} was sure he would’ve done it.
        
        “That soon? We basically found out about the same time,” $!{player_first_name} replies with a shake of ${player_his_her_their} head. $!{player_first_name} waits a few moments, seemingly expecting $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name} to continue talking more about the situation, but eventually moves on when after nothing but silence followed ${player_his_her_their} words. 
        *page_break
        *goto shyquestions
    
    #“You don’t think you and I are actually that compatible, do you?”
        “I don’t know, $!{player_first_name},” $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name} answers. “Father’s team seems pretty competent.”
        
        $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name} thought the whole idea was pretty far fetched, but ${royal_he_she_they} knew it was too late to do anything about it.
        
        “I guess we’ll see,” $!{player_first_name} replies eventually. 
        *page_break
        *goto shyquestions
    
    #“What do you like to do in your free time?”
        $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name}'s eyes widen a bit at that question. It had been so long since ${royal_he_she_they} heard a basic first date question like that.
        
        It takes ${royal_him_her_them} a minute to come up with an answer.
        
        “Usually, I like to get away. Go to places like this,” $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name} answers, looking away from $!{player_first_name}. “Sometimes I garden. Maybe sketch.”
        
        None of the plants and flowers that ${royal_he_she_they} tended to were in this particular garden, but ${royal_he_she_they} recognized most, if not all of them. Some were ${royal_his_her_their} mother’s specialties or plants from other countries, but overall, the flowers were natives of Dia. 
        
        Sketching, on the other hand, was probably one of the only things that King Frederick didn’t mind $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name} doing. $!{royal_he_she_they} could stay in ${royal_his_her_their} room for days and focus solely on it, as far as he was concerned, so long as it could impress other dignitaries and important visitors. 
        
        A small price to pay for happiness, $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name} figures. 
        *page_break
        *goto shyquestions
    
    #“Are you nervous about this competition?”
        Very, $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name} thought. 
        
        Mother tried to keep ${royal_him_her_them} out of the public’s eye as much as possible when $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name} was younger, but ${royal_he_she_they} continued to find ways to get out of events, up into adulthood. Of course, there’s only so many things a $!{royal_title} can bribe ${royal_his_her_their} younger sister with until she eventually just tells ${royal_him_her_them} to suck it up and just go.
        
        This competition is the largest event $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name} has ever been a part of, besides a few royal weddings on ${royal_his_her_their} Mother’s side of the family. There was no hiding, no bribing, no way to not participate.
        
        So yes, $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name}'s nervous about this competition, about the millions of ways it could go wrong and how ${royal_he_she_they} could potentially be alone before all of this started. However, $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name} doesn't tell $!{player_first_name} any of this and instead says,
        
        “Not really.”
        *page_break
        *goto shyquestions
    
    *selectable_if (background = "guard") #"This is kind of weird, isn't it? I used to guard you and Princess Mozelle and now there's a possibility I might marry you..."
        "I guess," $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name} replies softly. 
        
        King Frederick kept Mozelle and $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name} away from the active Guard members as much as possible. The only ones he would allow the siblings around were Ross, Ryr and $!{player_first_name}, the Elite Squad, he called them.
        
        $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name} had to admit that there was something comforting about $!{player_first_name} being in the competition. A friendly face was always comforting to see, ${royal_he_she_they} thought.
        *page_break
        *goto shyquestions
    
    #“What’s it like being the $!{royal_title}?”
        “Hm, lots of meetings. Impressing people. Stress,” $!{royal_title} $!{royal_first_name} chuckles, which makes $!{player_first_name} to smile. “But it could be worse. I try to avoid things where a lot of the media will be at, except something like the competition, of course.”
        *page_break
        *goto shyquestions
    
    #$!{player_first_name} stops asking ${royal_him_her_them} questions.
        *page_break
        *goto_scene chp2_royalgoodbye