Eden sat atop her horse a moment, watching him go, a perfectly content little smile on her face. Oh yes he had her love struck alright. She was a downright love sick little puppy. Once he was almost out of sight, she final nudged her own horse along, back to the castle.
They never set a time for him to come to give her his answer, but she did not need to wait for long. He arrived the very next day, and they had a nice afternoon and lunch, but right before he left, he told her that he still didn't know if he was could. Then with a smile, she invited him to think another day on it and come back tomorrow for a little badminton game. He accepted and returned the next day. Once again they had a lovely time of laughed and fun with one another, and once AGAIN he told her he was undecided... this cycle went on for four days, until it was the day before the gala when he finally told her that he would be there for certain. And by that time, Eden was even deeper in love with the charming Zane. But how did he feel about her after all that time?
The night of the gala arrived and indeed it was not some small affair. It was perhaps only a step down from the girls birthday party not to long before. Eden took extra pride in her appearance that night, knowing she had a real reason to look good now. She has someone to look good for. What a difference it made to have someone.
There was a short bit of social time at the start of the party, followed by a sit down dining in the grand dining hall. Eden had not been able to stray far from her mother, father, and sister during the social hour. Being the hosts, they needed to be there for people to come and greet them all. Even sitting at the table, they were all at the head of the table with their closest allies around them. Eden looked down the table to try and spot where Zane had ended up.
Zane might have landed far, but there was one person a bit closer, and his eyes remained set on the princess Alicia, a certain intent in his eyes, while he sipped his soup.