“Hayes, please.” Alucard glances over at his partner and Hayes lets out a deep sigh. It’s clear that he knows what his friend is going to say. “Please, she’s not her father and I love her.” Hayes takes a deep long breath, he is pondering how best to respond to this. Meredith raises an eyebrow at Hayes when he shuts his eyes. He is mentally debating something and the wrinkles that form between his eyes make it clear it’s not a simple question. “Princess, I’ll never forgive your father for what he did to mine.” Meredith once again gets angry at this but Alucard makes a simple motion to her, he wants to let Hayes finish. “That in mind, I can’t say I really trust you.” He had just met her, while most people would fall all over themselves to be in the royal families good graces. However Hayes grew up hating them, all of them.<br/><br/>It wouldn’t be easy to change that fact, however he could at the least try. “I’m willing to try to put the past behind us.” He stands and slowly walks over to the princess. “I shall not say I’m sorry, I can’t hinder nor help the fact I don’t take a shine to you.” He says this and sets his mug on the table. “However I can damn well try to move on with neutral feelings for you and put the hate away.” He offers a hand to the princess and Meredith’s eyes shoot up and Alucard stifles a giggle, Hayes had a reputation for being stubborn, however Alucard had made a deal and Hayes was going to do his best to keep his end of it.