*Paige's P.O.V.*

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I really have no excuse, I should have—"

"Paige." Madison stops her before she can keep tripping over her own words, her sister's hand landing on her shoulder just for an instant before it drops back to her side. "It's alright. It's alright. We told him you weren't feeling very well and he didn't take offence."

"He ran into me when I was just sitting in the gardens with Bela," Paige blurts out, staring fixedly at a point on the floor next to her sister's left foot. "I fell asleep out there and he found us just sitting there, I'm so stupid, how am I ever supposed to face him after I missed his arrival because I slept through it in the gardens, oh my god!"

Out of the corner of her eye, she sees Madison giving her a calculating look.

"It wasn't a lie, though, was it?" she asks. "You weren't feeling well."

Paige pauses. It's... true, when she says it like that. She can't even justify it by saying she was physically fine because all morning her anxiety was so bad it made her feel physically ill. She almost threw up at least three times, and only managed to keep it down with the help of some tea and breathing exercises.

"I guess not," she admits, shoulders slumping in defeat. "Bela and I made flower crowns so I'd have something to do with my hands, but then we fell asleep..."

"You've told me yourself that panic attacks and anxious spells are exhausting," Maddy reminds her. "I don't blame you. I'm not mad, and neither are our parents, so the only one upset with you is yourself. I'm not gonna, like, shame you for being upset at yourself, but just know that you're not in trouble, okay?"

Paige hangs her head. Her family is too good to her, and she doesn't deserve them, and honestly she just... god, she needs to get her shit together. That's all.

"Okay," she says softly.

"Hey, that reminds me," Madison murmurs, half to herself. "If you end up moving to Ruritania—"

"When" Paige corrects her softly. "I can't turn this down. You know that."

A pained look crosses Maddy's face for a fleeting moment. "Alright," she sighs. "When you end up moving to Ruritania. You need to make sure to bring along extra doses of your meds because we both know you're going to want a while to acclimate before you go seek out a therapist to keep prescribing them when you're out there. Right?"

"Right," Paige says a little bit uncomfortable, feeling a little strangled. The thought of being all alone in Ruritania makes her nervous, even now when she's still at home—she imagines it as cold and colourless and draining like she'll spend the rest of her entire life buffeted by frozen winds and surrounded by people and yet being oh so very lonely.

It's probably her anxiety and depressive issues that are telling her this, but she's pretty sure she's way less likely to make friends if she's open about having problems and needing support when she's already going to be fighting an uphill battle to get anyone to like her. It'll probably be for the best if she just pretends to be fine when she's in Ruritania. Nothing will happen, right?

"Come on," Madison says, clapping her on the shoulder again. "Let's go to dinner."

***

*Sam's P.O.V.*

The welcome banquet, for its part, is a quiet affair, with just Sam and the Mains family. Not even Princess Mains' friend, Lady Talbot, is present, despite all the rumours saying she and Mains are inseparable, which is a fact Sam rather appreciates. It reinforces the vibe of a family dinner, just the Mains and the man who might marry their youngest daughter.

Sam honestly hopes this alliance works out. The benefits to both Ruritania and Pandora would be ideal, and he can see himself getting along well enough with Miss Mains that the marriage wouldn't be a problem. Princess Mains is quiet and thoughtful, though she is still a little flustered every time she makes eye contact with Sam, who of course tries to make eye contact with her more often. At least his prospective wife-to-be is cute! And blushes very easily.

As if to prove his point, Sam catches Princess Mains' eye and winks. Princess Mains reddens and looks down into her bowl quickly.

Sam hides a grin behind his hand. It's almost too easy to make the poor woman blush.

(Almost.)

"So, Prince Winchester," says King Nevin Mains, and Sam looks away from his daughter to meet his gaze evenly. King Nevin seems like a kind man. He smiles, and Sam smiles back. "We deeply appreciate that you could take the time to visit our daughter as we asked. If there is anything we can do during your stay here, just let us know."

Ah yes, more pleasantries. Sam is used to this kind of talk.

"Thank you for your gracious invitation," he replies, smooth and charming as always. "I, for my part, am thrilled at the opportunity to get to know Princess Paige better!"

Using Princess Mains' given name is a bit of a gamble, is more familiar than most people are with royalty on their first meeting. But Sam figures that being a little bit forward and direct is a good idea, in this case; it will demonstrate that he's interested in the alliance and in Princess Mains.

He sneaks a look at Princess Mains, wondering if she's blushing again. It would be a little awkward, he supposes, being talked about as if she isn't right here. But she's a second princess, not an heir, so she probably is used to that already. She knows she's generally just a pawn, most likely. A well-loved pawn, to be sure, but a pawn. Even those in the direct line of succession are pawns, sometimes.

"Yes," Princess Mains says, and she is a little pink in the face, but she holds eye contact without flinching, "I'm looking forward to being able to get to know you as well, Prince Sam."

There it is. The easy mirroring of anything Sam throws at her, instead of mere shyness and flustered blushing. Not to say that the shyness and blushing aren't present because they very much are, but there's more, under Mains' easily-flustered, soft exterior. Sam thinks he could get to enjoy talking to Mains, at the very least because she seems open and honest and doesn't try to simper.

Now that everyone is seated and all the food is on the table, Queen Deanna Mains gives the go-ahead for them to start eating by picking up her utensils.

The second he takes a bite of the... whatever-it-is in the bowl in front of him, Sam feels his face light up. Queen Deanna smiles at him knowingly.

"Do you like it?" she asks.

Sam nods enthusiastically but doesn't answer because there's still food in his mouth.

The queen laughs softly. "I'm glad!" she exclaims. "It's a dish we used to make a lot, years ago. It's Paige's favourite. We thought it might be fitting to have that be your first meal with us. This is an old family recipe, actually."

"She made it herself," King Nevin adds, smiling, and Sam blinks, surprised. The queen herself making dinner? Admittedly, only for five people, but still!

"Really?" he asks after sipping some water politely. "That's absolutely incredible! I'm honoured that you would take your own time to make dinner for us!"

Queen Deanna waves a hand as if to dispel the praise. "No, no, it's no trouble. I enjoy cooking, and while this match is political, we would still like to welcome you as family."

"That's very kind of you," Sam says. "I appreciate it very much! What did you say this was called again...?"

"Filet Mignon," Princess Paige says. There's an odd look in her eyes that Sam can't quite place—she looks wistful and almost haunted, suddenly, but why?—as she stares into her bowl. "It's called Filet Mignon."

"Mignon," Sam repeats. "Say, Princess Paige, do you know how to make it too? I'm ashamed to admit it, but I'm not a very good cook. But I wouldn't want you to never have your favourite dish again just because you're not in Pandora!"

Princess Paige blinks. The sad look on her face fades a little, and Crown Princess Madison gives Sam a look of approval. Huh, maybe Princess Paige was sad because she was thinking about the things from Pandora that she would miss if she moves to Ruritania?

"I do know how" she says softly. She's kind of soft-spoken in general, Sam has come to realize in the short time since he's been here. "I don't think I've ever made it as well as my mother does, but I can make it."

"Fabulous!" Sam says. "You could teach me, then."

"You'd want to learn?" Why does Princess Paige have to sound so surprised about that? Does she think Sam is a stuffy nobody who has no hobbies or personality? Sam considers asking that, considers teasing like he does with Deanie, but quickly decides against that. He doesn't know Princess Paige well enough for that. Yet. "I mean—I'd be happy to if you'd like!"

Ah, there's the worry about causing offence. It's so boring, talking to people in an endless cycle of fretting and fussing and dancing around real discussions.

"I think I'd like that," Sam hums. "Say, Princess Paige. After dinner, would you take me for a walk? I saw some of the gardens while looking for Georgia earlier, and they were very nice. I'd love to see more of them, and properly at that."

Also, he'd like to be able to talk to Paige himself some, without her parents hanging over their heads. Plus, Paige seemed rather comfortable out in the gardens, earlier.

She looked absolutely divine, not that Sam will tell her that right now. But the image of Princess Paige, in simple clothes with purple embroidery and sunlight catching a golden halo around her head, with flowers in her hair and Georgia in her lap, stays with him. Paige is, well, attractive. Sam wonders if she was the one who made the flower crowns for herself and Lady Talbot.

It's too bad, in a way. Sam has a feeling that if they do marry, he's going to have a wife who pines after someone else. Lady Talbot and Princess Paige have always been very close, according to both of their rather sparse Wikipedia pages.

(Yes, he read their Wikipedia pages. Let it never be said that Sam Winchester doesn't do his homework. Except by Robert Singer, his tutor, who is probably the only person with the right to say Sam Winchester doesn't do his damn homework... unless it's fun)

"Ah, yes, I could do that," Paige says, just a little bit hesitant as she draws Sam back to the present. "They do look lovely at night. I like the moonlight on the water. It's peaceful."

"Peaceful," Sam echoes. "That sounds nice."

*-*-*

[20:38] Bela ♥:

hey how's it going, u ok?

[20:41] Paige:

i'm ok. we're about to go take a walk in the gardens, then i think we'll be done for today

[20:42] Bela ♥:

ok. want me to wait up for u?

[20:42] Paige:

yes, please

[20:43] Bela ♥:

you got it <3

***

*Sam's P.O.V.*

After dinner, Sam waits as Princess Paige answers some message or other, standing in the doorway that leads out into the gardens again. Paige is silhouetted by the warm golden light streaming from inside, and Sam takes the opportunity to study her some more.

She doesn't seem as sad or wistful as earlier. Still guarded, but that's probably to be expected, given that there is a complete stranger in her home. She sighs, pushing her phone into her pocket, and steps out into the night, standing next to Sam.

"Sorry about that," she says. "Which part of the gardens do you want to see?"

"Take me to your favourite," Sam suggests. The gardens of Panitan Castle are famed for their extensive variety and their beauty, and while he's here he'd love to see everything he can, but he has no idea where to start. So it's good that he has Princess Paige, a Panitan native, with him!

"It's a bit of a walk to my favourite place in the gardens," Princess Paige warns. "I don't mind showing you, but..."

"I'm quite alright with a walk," Sam assures her. "I'm not that tired yet, anyway. It still feels like mid-afternoon to me."

"Ah, right," Princess Paige says, ducking her head. "Well, um. This way."

She leads Sam to one of the many paths from the stone steps into the castle, walking along the stepping stones easily. Sam follows a little more slowly, having to glance down every so often to make sure he's putting his feet on the stones and not falling off into the foliage.

"When we were little," Princess Paige starts, pulling aside a curtain of vines and gesturing Sam through, "Madison and I would come here all the time to play. There was one tutor I had who absolutely terrified me, though when I look back I don't think she meant to, and sometimes I would hide from Mrs Freeman in the gardens."

Sam chuckles. "We didn't have huge gardens for me to do that trick in, so I would hide in the secret passages. The palace in Lawrence has lots of those. I don't know if anyone knows the full extent of all of them, to be honest."

"Really?" Princess Paige asks, genuine curiosity in her voice. "I guess whoever built it was very serious about security, then."

Sam laughs softly. "Yes," he says. "Whichever of my ancestors that was, I'm sure he was very paranoid."

Princess Paige nods. "This way," she says, following a path that runs next to a long, low pool that's surrounded by pillars covered in climbing roses. "We're almost there. Kind of."

Well, that's a cryptic statement. "I thought you said it was a bit of a long walk," Sam says. "We've hardly been out for five minutes?"

"The long walk is after we get there," Princess Paige explains as if that explanation makes much sense at all.

"Talking to you doesn't help clear anything up," Sam complains, and Princess Paige just shakes her head and smiles to herself. So unhelpful.

It makes more sense when they round the corner, past a stand of trees and a tall bush, and Sam realizes that Princess Paige is leading him into a hedge maze. The walls tower over the two of them, black and tall as they rise up against the night sky. There are a few stars visible overhead, twinkling here and there.

"...Oh."

Princess Paige laughs. It surprises Sam into looking at her, because that sounded like a real laugh, not a forced polite one, and his breath catches in his throat because oh, wow. It's like the flower crown in the afternoon sunlight earlier, in a way. Now, Paige is in more formal dress, with a thin silver circlet settled on her brow and her hair is a lot neater, and styled in an elegant rose-like pattern, but the moonlight just accentuates her features and she's striking. Especially when she laughs.

It occurs to Sam Winchester, Crown Prince and Heir to the Throne of Ruritania, that he might be a little bit taken with her.

(And by "a little bit" he means "a lottle bit", and by "a lottle bit" he means—well, the point is clear.)

"Don't lose me in here," he says lightly. "I'm not sure I could find my way out again."

"Don't worry," Princess Paige answers, smiling over her shoulder at Sam, and Sam can't help but think she already seems so much more comfortable than she did earlier. Maybe having the ability to control their location and not having to worry about saying things in front of her family is putting her at ease. "I wouldn't leave you. The maze can get confusing, especially in the dark."

Despite those words, Princess Paige leads the way with quiet confidence. Sam tries to keep up with the turns she takes—right, left, right, right, straight, left—but gives up after a while as he realizes that this maze must be enormous. No wonder the Mains siblings used to come here to hide. In this thing, if one doesn't want to be found, Sam is pretty sure it'd be impossible to locate anyone.

"There isn't really one end to the maze," Princess Paige explains as they turn another corner, breaking the silence they've been walking in for the past few minutes. "There are several entrances—eight, to be precise—and many little rooms inside. They're all very nice, and I guess we could go to any of them, but I know I have a favourite."

"Are we almost there?" Sam asks curiously. He's still not very tired, but he is starting to wonder how deep into the maze Princess Paige is leading him.

"Almost," says Princess Paige. "It's just up ahead. Do you see that break in the hedge, where the light comes through?"

"Yes."

"That's a room, not another corridor." Princess Paige glances up at him, just for a moment, as if to gauge his reaction, before she picks up her pace just a little. Sam steps after her, and soon they turn the corner into the little room.

It's lovely, is his first thought. Illuminated by moonlight is a tall cherry tree, covered in pink blossoms that look a soft indigo under the night sky. It stands above a small pool, not sculpted like the ones they passed on the way to the maze but more natural in shape, and a stream runs from the pool to the corner of the room, where it disappears under a hedge. Sam recalls crossing a few little bridges on their way here and wonders if that stream is the same one they passed.

Princess Paige walks to the low, mostly-flat rocks lining the side of the pool and sits down on one, slipping her shoes off and pulling up her dress before dipping her feet into the water.

"It's warm," she says, looking at the petals drifting on the surface. "It's actually redirected from the hot springs under the castle. One of my great-great-great-grandfathers was adept at earth elemental manipulation, and he made a lot of tunnels to get the hot water all over the grounds."

Sam sits down on one of the rocks, too, and after a moment's hesitation follows suit. The water is warm, lapping around his ankles, and the smell of the cherry blossoms in the air is sweet.

Such a romantic setting you've picked for us, he almost says but stops himself at the last minute. Princess Paige is cute when she's flustered, but she tends to clam up and stop talking when that happens, and these have been the most words she's really said to Sam all day.

"Your great-great-great grandfather had some nice ideas," he says instead. "This is a very pretty place."

"Yeah," Princess Paige agrees, smiling sadly. "I'm going to miss it."

Sam's eyebrows shoot up. "Going to? You've already made up your mind?"

Princess Paige sighs, weary and kind of defeated, and trails her fingers listlessly through the water. "May I be completely blunt with you, Prince Sam?"

"Yes."

"I made up my mind the first day I heard of your proposal," she says. "I don't mean to sound impersonal, but—this alliance is important, that's what I mean. I know my country would benefit greatly, and I suppose you know the same for yours, or you wouldn't have agreed to be offered up like this, so..."

"So, at the risk of sounding impersonal myself, what was the point of inviting me here?" Sam asks.

Princess Paige's smile gets even sadder if that's possible. "My family doesn't want to let go of me," she says. "They know they have to, and I know they will, but they wanted to at least have the reassurance that I would be in good hands. I think my mother would have seriously tried to renegotiate the terms of the alliance if she thought you would make me unhappy."

She's very close with her family, then. There's a heartbeat of silence, marked only by the soft rippling of the water before Sam manages to ask, "...And do you think I will?"

"I mean, even if I did think that I would still tell my parents otherwise, so if you're worried I would call off the arrangement simply because I feel upset about something, that's not true," Princess Paige says quickly. Sam has to say, he's kind of impressed by the girl's sense of duty to her family and to her country, but... way to avoid the question.

"That isn't what I asked," he prods. "We're being blunt and honest right now, remember? I promise if you say yes, I won't be offended. I've been told worse things before."

Princess Paige is quiet for a moment. "No," she says, and though her voice is soft (even softer than usual), she doesn't sound uncertain. "No, I don't think you will."

Sam lets out a sigh of relief he wasn't quite aware of holding. "I'm glad," he says, honestly. "It would never be my intention."

"What are your intentions, Prince Sam?"

"Just Sam is fine," Sam tells her suddenly. "If you're committed to saying yes, even though that commitment is unofficial right now, we might as well be engaged at this point. So, please. Just my given name is fine. We can dispense with the formalities, at least to some degree."

"Alright," says Princess Paige. "Then... you should call me Paige."

"Paige," Sam says, and smiles. "It's a nice name." the princess flushes at that, looking deeper into the water at their feet.

"What do you want my intentions to be?" Sam laughs, "Of course I too have the duty to my country much as you do, but for our personal relationship. Should I be your confidant? Should I stay distant? I can be a friend, a mentor, a lover—"

"No!" yelps Paige, and Sam is startled into silence. "None of that!"

"None of that?" he repeats slowly. What did he say that was wrong? People always want something of each other. "Then... what do you want from me?"

"I just want you to be yourself," Paige says, twisting the hem of her skirt between her hands fretfully. "Is that too hard to ask?"

Be yourself.

That's... something that Sam hasn't heard in a long time. A genuine smile spreads slowly across his face, and he reaches over to briefly lay his hand atop Paige's. It's forward, perhaps, but Sam is a forward person, and Paige wants him to be himself.

"No," he says. "Not at all. I think I can do that, Paige."