DANDELION || Nikolai Lantsov

24. MOVING FORWARD

"You know I have zero patience," the shu huffed. "Can't you just tell me now? Does it really matter if I know now or in a few days?"

"I am sorry, my dearest friend, but it's better this way."

The one that came to her rescue was the one who she was complying with. Aneela corrected her posture and tried to calm her racing heart as Nikolai approached them.

"Good morning, you two." Both women bowed their head at him in greeting as he sat down at an empty chair between them. "How are you on this fine day?"

"Aneela is keeping secrets from me." Kheru crossed her arms. "Can you believe that?"

Nikolai grinned, amused. "Actually no, I cannot. I think it is common knowledge that Aneela can't keep any secrets."

While the zemini rolled her eyes with laughter, Kheru's grew big as she stared at him. "Aneela? Since when do you call her by her given name? I thought only you offered it to her and not the other way around as well!"

"Ah, so you didn't tell her everything?" Nikolai acted surprised as he gazed over to Aneela. "So, she has literally no idea about what happened?"

"I can keep things hidden!" Aneela protested with a sarcastic huff. "And no, I said nothing, just like we discussed."

"Discussed what?" Kheru interrupted them.

Nikolai winked at her. "That you are best friends with the future Princess of Ravka."

Oh my, that sounds strange. But in a good way.

Kheru grabbed Aneela's arm to stable herself as she stared at the prince. "What? You have decided?"

"It wasn't much of a deliberation or a big decision – you know how wonderful Aneela is. The only thing going wrong now is if she tells me 'no' after I ask her to marry me."

The shu hit his arm with the gloves that she had laid next to her on the table to have a better grip on the cards.

"Ouch." Nikolai said even though it didn't seem it hurt him, but startled him instead.

"You haven't proposed, yet?"

"No, I can't yet, the- Ouch, that hurt for real this time!" He rubbed over his now aching arm and gave her a stern look.

"How dare you show your face around here without asking her first!"

"I can't do it yet, I have to wait, otherwise I'll upset the other countries – it's been only ten days and if they learn about it, the suspicion might occur that I have been playing favourites throughout the whole courting season."

Kheru squinted her eyes at him in disapproval. "Yes, surely, you haven't clearly played favourites this season – you would have asked Aneela to marry you on the third day if you could have!"

"No, I have given everybody a fair chance and made sure, I always"

"Kheru, stop it!" Aneela said and pulled the gloves away from her friend before she could hit him a third time, even harder. "He is right, you met the ladies and their entourages. And they can't know that we are courting."

The princess pointed warningly her finger at him. "If you don't propose to her next week, the two of us are going have a problem!"

"And if you don't go over to Tolya now and tell him how much you love your cat, we might have another problem." Nikolai gave back salty.

Kheru's gaze went over to the heartrender that was standing underneath a tent close by, carefully observing the attendees of the little gathering for any alarming behaviour towards Aneela. Her face grew soft immediately, all anger towards Nikolai was forgotten because her mind was now only filled with Tolya. He had noticed her looking over and as they just looked at each other, a little smile tucked on the bodyguard's lips.