Heather
"Zora~!"

The princess dropped the braided flowers she'd been working and lunged herself forwards to her friend. Alora loved Zora for the honesty and loyalty she showed towards their friendship, as well as the respect she had for her kingdom. In addition, they've shared a majority of their lives with one another to keep anything from one another. Seeing Zora in the flesh with this impression of her engraved into her mind excited her immensely. The princess yanked the box that'd been tucked below Zora's arm to give herself the room for a grand welcome. Before Zora knew it, the box had been placed on a random table and Alora's arms were squeezing her waist. The princess was so happy she could nearly lift her feet off the ground and leave her entire weight on Zora, which she did *Not* Do. 

"You made it in time, no need to apologize. All that matters now is that you're here." 

The princess released her arms and raised her hands up to Zora's shoulders. With a warm smile she concluded her welcome to her friend. It'd been a while since the two had interacted. The meeting would have been their only opportunity to reunite, yet that had not been the case. It was a very frightening day and heavy-hearted for Alora. 
The princess let her hands drag down Zora's arm to make their way to her palms. She gently tug onto Zora's hands and had her follow to a table with two chairs that'd been specifically set up for them two. 

"We've been separated long enough to keep quiet. Was your way here at the least comfortable? I would hope so."
Trevor
The sudden onslaught of physical affection from her friend only caught Zora off guard due to her rushed state. Still, the sentiment was returned with a complimentary hug and warm smile. Not a moment later she'd found herself plopped into one of the many chairs arranged in the garden. 

As much as she tried to convince herself otherwise, she had missed the company of the Alynthi princess during her time back home. Morning spent taking tea alone were no match for the lively conversation and gossip she had grown used to. 

"I am well, all is well, as I hope it is with you!" Her words were light and smile bright as she beamed at the other woman. "It has been too long, to be sure. How has it been here? Have you been keeping busy despite your brothers brooding?"
Heather
"That's a relief to hear, Zora. It's been quite . . Tense. I'm convinced Astalios's recent emotions have been setting the mood of the castle. Some days the castle is as cold as a morgue. Our duties don't really converge so it is difficult for me to soothe his worries. When we meet, the castle is so tenderly warm. The weight of the kingdom is on his shoulders so he isn't to blame, which is also half the reason why I worry he's unintentionally distancing himself off from marriage. I was hoping that this tea party could allow me give him a helping hand. After all, he hasn't denied his yearn for love." 

Alora sat down as she spoke. Her legs had ended up crossing and with her hands resting on each arm rest. After a moment of silence, Alora's lips curled which promoted a smile to blossom onto her face. A thought of something, or most definitely someone, had made it to her mind for a brief moment before vanishing. 

"That royal meeting was something, wasn't it? Got us all on our feet and picking our skins. I was impressed how civil is remained."
Trevor
Alora's comparison of temperature seemed about as would be expected from the King whose acquaintence she had been making more frequently. Though icy might be too harsh of a description from the man she'd begun to learn more about, there was a general standoffishness that seemed almost second-nature to the young man. It was possible this was residual from his days as a commander, and Zora generally believed as much when weaving together the threads to the tapestry of the King together within her mind. There was another explanation though, that his sister unknowingly suggested. Perhaps he was lonely.

That loneliness had not presented itself before in her mind was a source of mild irritation, however, there was no reason to dwell on missed opportunity at the expense of new ones. As her friend continued, though, the thread became more difficult to follow. *His yearn for love*What an odd way to phrase a desire to wait for favor in the form of fancy to fall at ones feet. Though there were many that might be considered and backwards, there were also traditions that existed with reason. Kings and Queens rarely had such freedoms with their marriages as to delay the inevitable in the hopes that they might find one with whom their connection was instantaneous and ideal. A monarch's duty was two-fold: lead their people now and secure their future. 

One might consider Zora a romantic upon further investigation, however, that quality would never shine at the expense of her people. She had a hard time believing that the King would allow it to either. Not to mention that the man she'd come to know was many thing, but romantic did not seem to be one of them. Perhaps he simply had no interest in such desires of the flesh and heart. 

The Princess's eyebrows furrowed down in sympathy and then up with surprise. "I certainly do not claim to know the King to the same extent that you do, Alora, but I did not think him the kind of man to put duty second to fanciful fantasies of romance.

" 

The meeting. That had been another matter entierly concerning her friend's brother. Zora feared if it hadn't been for the Findaran heir's interference there might have been far less civility. 

"Yes, though I must admit I did not have the chance to meet many of the other dignitaries. There was a lot to discuss after." Her brow furrowed once again. "I believe I tried to catch you before I left, had you retired early?" That wasn't the entire truth, of course, she hadn't left until well in the night after her meeting with the King, but that wasn't the point at the moment.
Heather
"Oh, he's certainly not the type to do that. But a part of me has faith that he will from time to time. As important as it is to be monarch, so is it to continue on living through your children and loved ones. Being remembered as a good king is one thing, and being remembered as a faithful *Figure* Is another. I cannot fathom being alone 'till dusk. I am willing to be by his side as he takes his last breath, but I wish to marry. But I possibly can't move on until I am sure he has found his one. He needs him a good wife, and Alynthi needs a good queen. Without him finding a pair, I won't have the heart to move on and leave him to be on his own. I sound selfish and pitiful now, but it is true. I wish to marry just as much as he does."

Alora rested her elbow down on the arm rest and raised a hand up to her forehead. She rubbed and pinched her temples with her fingers as her thoughts churned and thickened. This conversation had her thinking if she'd ever end up wedded with how things were currently going. A frustrated pout escaped her round lips as her hand dropped down to her chin. 
The change in topic had Alora sit back up right, letting her hands drop down to her lap. 

"Right, I did dismiss myself quite early. I wasn't feeling too well. Then, I got caught up in a conversation with . . *Someone.*"

Alora's fingers started to twiddle and dance under the layers of the gown she wore as she spoke of Cyrus. An index finger began twisting and twirling a piece of fabric around. The expression on Alora's face softened, a little too much to the point where the peach fuzz on her face stood and tickled her cheeks 'till pink.