Kill The Prince, Steal The Crown // Private rp

Rhydar made his way up to the underside of her jaw with his lips while his other arm snuck over to Lily's free arm. He lightly grabbed her arm and slowly ran his hand up and down, feeling her silky skin with his fingers while his lips tasted her sensitive neck.

With Lily pressed against his chest and practically melting in his arms, asking him to kiss her, this morning was by far the best morning he's ever had. He would give anything to live this moment every morning, but that wish was entirely up to Lily. He wouldn't ask that of her without her first voicing a similar wish. He cared about her too much to put her into that situation.

Rhydar hummed as he trailed his butterfly kisses down to the base of her neck, very lightly nipping at the skin before simply pressing his face in the crook of her neck. His fingers continued to glide up and down her arm in a methodical manner as he breathed in Lily's scent for a few moments.

She was incredible, and he was still wondering how he had gotten so lucky as to catch her eye and keep the attention. Sure, he was the crown prince, but it was clear that she didn't see him that way. She saw him for who he was beyond the fancy crown.

He resumed his kisses, though they somehow had more tenderness and love behind them as he covered her neck with his assault.

"You're so adorable…" Rhydar mumbled once he was pretty sure he had peppered her poor neck with kisses twice over. His eyes were closed, and his head was tilted towards her touch from the hand still framing the side of his face. "An' cozy…" Yes, despite her issues with touch, she was incredibly cozy. If he could, Rhydar would love to just cuddle up with Lily all day, possibly take a nap, and simply enjoy her comforting presence.

"Yes, cozy," Rhydar said matter-of-factly, despite his sleepy voice getting progressively sleepier. "Like a teddy bear." That was the best way he could describe how easy it was to cuddle with Lily—when she could handle it, that is. That isn't to say she wasn't like a prickly cactus when she couldn't handle it, as she wasn't. "Huggable," he finally concluded, "Soft. Warm. Comforting."

"I'm an odd person," he said with a breathy laugh, turning his head just enough to kiss her jaw before settling his chin on her shoulder. "Mmm, I could get used to his," he hummed with a small smile, his thumb running circles over her wrist, then the inside of her arm, then along her shoulder, then back down to do it all over again.

He jokingly wrapped his arm just a tad bit tighter around her and pulled her as close to him as possible, then let go before she could freak out as he dramatically whispered, "Never~" in her ear. "And your hair is gorgeous at all times, briar-like or not." He hummed to himself as a thought came to him. He could offer to do her hair again, as she seemed to like it the last time, but he also considered the possibility of him sounding unable to leave her side. Not exactly untrue…

"Mirrors lie," he said, still speaking right next to her ear with absolutely no idea how much she was affected by it, "Traitorous bastards that make lovely ladies like you think less of yourselves." He curled his nose in distaste to enhance his dislike for mirrors even more, though he was being dramatic as always. Her stutter was adorable, even if he didn't know what he had done to create it.

He nosed the back of her ear. "Not necessarily mirrors themselves. More like the standards people set that make people look in them and hate themselves for not meeting said standards. I, of course, look amazing in any and all mirrors, and no one is going to tell me otherwise. Same goes for you, and anyone and everyone. But a lot of people don't think of them that way, and that's what upsets me."

After a short pause, he quietly murmured, "But there are some cursed mirrors that I have a distaste for for specific reasons I care not to get into."

"Not cursed in the sense that some supernatural being possessed it a thousand years ago and yadda yadda yadda," he clarified, "More cursed in the sense that I had bad experiences with certain mirrors in my lifetime—mostly embarrassing experiences, but experiences nevertheless." He lifted his head and rose a brow as she kept stuttering. She didn't usually stutter that much, which made it weird, though still endearing.

He hummed and pressed a kiss to the side of her head, speaking against her hair as he said, "I'm thinking. . . It wouldn't be a proper date if I forced my lady to remain in the clothes she wore the day before. I'm also due for a wardrobe update." He didn't outright say it, but he figured the implication was clear enough. Shopping with Lily would also give him an idea of what she liked, both for clothes and just anything in general. Maybe she had an eye for neat knickknacks; perhaps she adored individual flowers.

"Not to worry. As your noble date, it's on me. You can make it up to me some other time, not necessarily with money." He looked down at her, almost worriedly despite the easy-going tone he had set when making his statement. He didn't want to make it seem like she was in need of handouts, but he also wanted to do something for her on this sorta-date.

Rhydar immediately let go and backed up, sensing he had said something wrong. It took only a split second later to realize how his last statement could've been interpreted. "That's not what I meant, Lily," he said softly, his chest twisting with guilt. That reaction… A muscle in his cheek feathered as he clenched his jaw. He could connect most of the dots he had been given to come up with a ballpark guess.

His eyes softened with sadness at seeing her like this. He wanted to reach out and hold her close as he whispered, "I know baby. I know." Whoever did this to you is going to pay. I promise you that. Someone had scarred Lily to the point where it was a fight to simply embrace someone and make her think he wanted to use her to his own gain. He would never, but that doesn't mean someone else would gladly take the chance to do such a blasphemous thing to such a sweet and amazing woman.

He wished he could erase all the hurt in her past. However much the progress she's made so far, it would never be the same for her. She'd always have the memories—the lingering ghost of her trauma. No amount of patience and time would erase all that.

Well, there was one option, but he doubted Lily would want to do it.

He tilted his head towards the bathroom and stepped away another foot, hands sliding into his pockets. "Take as much time as you need." Normally, he would joke about her leaving his rings and piercings alone, but now wasn't the time for jokes. So he just stayed silent and let her work things through—the only thing he knew to do at the moment. He was still figuring her out—figuring the dos and don'ts out.

Rhydar watched her go with a whispered, "I don't," then groaned and ran his hand over his face, fingers digging into his hair as he turned back and forth, not quite pacing but not sitting still either. Today had been fine up until he had opened his big mouth and triggered something in Lily. He didn't blame her for one second—what had happened to her in the past wasn't up to her—he blamed himself for not being careful. He hadn't been thinking and just spoke.