♔ EDWARD HENSTRIDGE♔
Edward had only ever courted one other woman in his life; perhaps out of sheer luck, it lasted nearly a decade. Introductory flirting and carefully orcastrated getting to know each other statements were foreign to even this charming prince. Therefore, there was something about the idea of Diana made him nervous. He cleared his throat awkwardly, his mind racing to form elegant sentences to feign charisma. She had yet to become a true person in his eyes, as she had very insistantly been made a wife, a future, by his father; he wanted to know the girl behind the name from the list. “Yes, well, I’m quite unfamiliar with serious fathers,” he teased, letting the personal quip fall easily from his tongue. “I wonder what it must be like?”
If he must become an awkward, nervous young man again, it comforted him to know that only Diana was there to witness his blubbering. Dominic would surely rake him over the coals to every strange statement stuttered, for every uninvited blush that crept to his cheeks. But with the two of them, there was an aspect of comfort he was tempted to explore and her simple joke only pulled him along further.
“Oh? Dom, dare I say it, but I believe you may have some competition for your job.” Edward leaned in closer to the young girl beside him, just a breath away from her ear, as if he was telling a secret. “He never offers to taste my coffee, so you’re far ahead of him already,” he revealed, although it was loud enough for his bodyguard to hear. Edward straightened out, a cheeky smile on his face masking its faint flush. “It helps that you’re much prettier than him, as well. I’ve seen him in a dress and he’s nowhere near as stunning as you.” He tried to fit the statement in casually, as if it belonged in the conversation although it was carefully picked out for just that moment. With a final nod, he dismissed the smirking Dominic.
Arm in arm, Edward began to guide her from within the safety of the palace. He was unworried at the prospect of being recognized. His public presence was nowhere near as large as that of his eldest and youngest sisters; it allowed both he and Sophia to blend in easier when need be. A baseball cap and a pair of dark sunglasses transformed him into an Edward not in line for the English Throne, one who was simply taking a girl out on some errands. “Oh? Well, you’ve come to the right place. I don’t want to sound too arrogant, but I’m kind of the master of picking out gifts,” he said, although an slightly proud smirk contradicted his statement. “Tell me, what is he like? Any hobbies or activities he’s involved with?”
Quickly, she realized that she’d made a lapse in judgment. There were many people, in fact, most all people in her life, even her friends, who took her simple hand-outs and moved forward. She’d always put Edward into that same category, someone who enjoyed her company passably but wasn’t truly interested. It seemed as though at some point, however, he’d changed, and now that he was looking she couldn’t hide behind anyone else. Her habits of deflection and relying on being thought of as cold or private didn’t work when she was meant to want him to get to know her, and in return, he seemed to want the same.
She managed to laugh anyway, charmed by his sense of irony. “Yes, I suppose we share a commonality there.” It was strange to speak with an audience -- while she was used to Nathan, Diana wasn’t really used to Nathan being there while she attempted to flirt. She was relieved that Edward sent him away, even though the prospect of being alone with him was as frightening as it was exhilarating. As Edward leaned closer to her, his mouth practically brushing her skin, she thought she might faint. When had she ever gotten so close to what she truly wanted?
“I’m a competitive girl,” she replied, not even sure if it was true. This Diana felt competitive, maybe a little impulsive, which was so at odds with the girl she knew herself to be. It was like he brought out a new side to her, one that had grown in the absence of parental suppression at home. Edwards compliments surprised her into a blush more genuinely than her futile attempts at enticing blushing would have done later on. “Do you have photos? For private study, of course, or possibly to pull out like a mother showing off her son’s baby albums.” She hoped Dominic didn’t mind too much all this fun they had at his expense -- but Edward had started it, and he knew his own guard better than she could.
She raised an eyebrow when he fully completed his disguise, but beneath it was a curiosity at whether he actually could pull it off without being recognized. It helped that they hadn’t been seen out in public before -- people looked for her and Adeline to spread news stories, not her and the Prince. She was immensely relieved at Edwards agreement for assistance, though his queries threw her, as she wasn’t positive she even knew what he liked. “Are you? I’ve only ever seen what you give Adeline, but since you’re siblings I always thought you merely knew her best.” She tapped a fingertip against her lower lip, drawing subtle attention and genuinely thinking at the same time. “Ever since my 21st, I’ve gotten him a nice wine -- he’s a collector to rival my parents, of course, but I try to get him ones they don’t have. This year, though... it felt a bit boring.” The truth was that she had a bottle, but true to form, her brother had texted her already to say that was his present. It wasn’t his fault she’d picked the easiest option, but now she was floundering, her easy barely-emotional routine thrown for a loop. “I’d like to surprise him. Don’t you ever just love getting someone something they didn’t know they wanted? Only we don’t quite talk enough for that. Sorry I’ve picked a terrible subject to shop for. I guess you could say our relationship isn’t quite as close as the ones you have with your siblings.”
