Arin sighed and rolled his eyes. There it was again, the usual sarcasm the princess resorted to when she was with him. Although he liked her and usually did not mind the time he spent looking after her - he did get annoyed at the constant sarcasm in her attitude. It was as if she tried to be as sarcastic as humanly possible at times. He tried to never show his annoyance, even though he knew it got the better of him at times - often to great amusement of the princess. It wouldn't get to him this time however, especially not after seeing the sadness that showed in her features.<br/><br/>His eyes followed her movements, from the way she moved over to the wall she leaned against, to the way she played with her fiery red locks. When they eventually found their way to her face and locked with her piercing green orbs, he started to speak softly. "You have to fulfill your duties and show your face at the festivities. You are the princess, after all. People expect you to be there, and it will be a learning experience for you. Someday this will be your kingdom and you need to be prepared." He was sure she had heard that a million times before, but he hoped it reassured her nonetheless.<br/><br/>"Of course I will be there too." He continued in a more lively tone, after a brief moment of silence. "Although I'm not looking forward to it either. These dinners can be quite dull." As a royal protector he couldn't enjoy the extravagant foods and drinks served at the dinner, or the festivities afterwards, and had to had to quietly watch over the royals and their courts. He was glad Nerida would at least provide him with some company during the night, even though she would have her hands full with the royal family of Yaro. Another sigh escaped his lips as he looked away from the girl. "We'll have to go now." He said, turning around and opening the door. "We can't be late, as that would make your father furious. We don't want that to happen, do we?'