It was probably overdoing it to not first go home. It’s not like he needed sleep anymore, but that didn’t mean he didn’t mentally exhaust himself or couldn’t feel the ache to just be stagnant for a while. It just didn’t feel right to head home without saying anything, if their situations were reversed he’d appreciate her stopping by. And so he made the usual trek, the hard way even, through the garden, up the wall, over the balcony. It felt so natural at this point, he didn’t really even have to think about it. From there he took a moment to collect himself, ran a hand through his hair, and took a breath he didn’t actually need to take, before stepping past the billowing curtains just far enough to lean against the doorframe.
“Evenin’ your highness.” His tone was casual and Jamie made a point to not be actively looking into the room, practically feigned disinterest. No, he didn’t need to see her, he could smell her, hear the steady beat of her heart. Lavender stood out, some other flower that if he saw it he’d recognize it, and that sweet lingering scent of B+. Most of the time it was almost distracting, almost. She was far more than just a smell, a heartbeat, a title. Thea was interesting outside of all that and after living over two centuries, he needed all the interesting people he could get. She was different though, than most humans he would find just simply amusing. Like Aila, he actually cared about her wellbeing, her thoughts, her feelings. And yet unlike his progeny, his piqued interest wasn’t entirely innocent, which put the princess in a dangerous territory.
The truth of the matter was that he missed her and he’d adamantly tell himself that he was there because surely she missed him.
@hermajestyvengeance