Can you really learn to love someone? [Tag Philip]

With a nervous smile, Cinderella stood in the dooropening and took a deep breath before she walked into the room. She bowed to the King who waited for the couple- and Philip was still not here.
"It's a honor, your Highness" She said with a polite smile before she turned around to look at the door, and could almost feel her whole body shaking. Soon the man that will be her husband would come out, and the first impression means alot..

Philip had to force himself to go to the ballroom and meet "his future bride." How badly he wanted to sneak through the kitchen and out to the stables and ride off to somewhere else, anywhere else. His face was emotionless and his body was completely straight as he walked into the ballroom. When he entered he saw a young, blond woman already in the room, mostly likely his fiance. He had to admit she was very beautiful, but so was another woman that was causing an ache in his chest. He approached the young woman and gave her a small bow, meeting her eyes. "Princess," he addressed her questioningly.

"it's a pleasure to meet you, Prince Philip" Cindy said while she bowed, and smiled up at him. He was handsome, and looked really kind - but he didn't seemed so happy. Of course she wasn't either, but you can atleast pretend..
"Philip, this is Princess Cinderella - your fiancee" King Stefan smiled widely at his son before he took a step back.
"I will leave you two alone so that you can get to know each other more.." He said before he left the room.

Philip tried to smile up at the princess, to assure her that it wasn't her he was upset with. He watched as his father exited the room and began feeling a rush of anxiety like he had never felt before swell up in him. Why was the idea of interacting with this girl so much worse then interacting with any other girl? Was it because she was royalty, and she knew he was royalty? Was it because of Jasmine? He looked around the room with his eyes, avoiding Cinderella's, tapping the sides of his legs with his fists. "So how are you liking Nirethia?" he asked, looking back at Cinderella, his mind blank on what else he could say.

"I've only seen a little of it when we were on our way to the castle, but it's really beautiful.." She answered with a smile, but glanced down and rubbed her hands a little nervously. She never thought it would be this hard to meet this Prince..
"And the people seems really nice.. Are you often in town and talk to them?" Cinderella asked and looked up. If it was something she liked, it was when a royal was around his people.

"I've spent some time in town," he said with a shy smile, rubbing the back of his neck. "Although it is hard, given the current state of things between the royals and the people here," he continued, feeling even more awkward. He wasn't sure if Cinderella was completely familiar with the current state of things. "But those whom I have met have seemed very nice," he agreed with a soft smile. "I mostly ride around the woods really," he informed her.

"Oh, I see.. I've heard some things about it.." Cinderella nodded with a sad smile. She also knew that some people hoped that everything would be better once she was here, and that made her a little nervous.
"You ride?" She asked with a wider smile and looked up at him.
"I love to ride.. Maybe you can show me the woods some day?!"

A surprised half smile started to grow on his lips upon learning of her enthusiasm for riding. He actually had something in common with the princess. He was not expecting that. "Maybe I could," he casually agreed, his eyes locked on her face for a few seconds. Perhaps he could end up liking Cinderella. "So what else do you like to do?" he asked curiously, crossing his arms and holding his chin with his hand, looking like he was concentrating on Cinderella and what she had to say intently, which he was.

"Uhm-- Well.." Cinderella smiled widely and glanced down when she thought about it. She should say something more that they maybe had in common, but she didn't know what he liked really..
"I like everything really.. Since I don't have any brothers, my father sometimes took me with him when they went out hunting or traveling. My mother didn't liked that of course, but that made it even more fun" Cindy shrugged slightly with a little laugh when she thought about the memories she shared with her family.
"How about you? Are you close to your family? They seems really sweet.."

Philip's small half smile grew a bit, listening to the pleasant sound of her laugh, and how sweet she seemed to be. "Well, I suppose I'm close to most of my family, in perhaps different ways," he shrugged lightly. "My little sister, she's just a riot," he laughed, thinking about all the mischief she's gotten into. "Always getting into trouble." He shook his head, looking at the ground, as he continued to laugh a bit. "My other sister, well we're twins, so that makes us closer. But we do get along pretty well. We have each other's backs." He smiled up shyly at Cinderella. "My mother is amazing. Kind and giving, understanding, smart, and so full of love." Philip dropped his arms as he spoke and held them at the wrist behind his back, smiling softly at the ground as he thought about his wonderful mother. "And my father...He just expects a lot of me," he smiled sheepishly, looking up a bit at Cinderella. "Let's just say we don't always get along."

"Youre family sounds amasing" Cinderella smiled softly and loved to hear him talk about them. She wanted to say that it will be a honor to be a part of it- but since it seemed like he didn't liked the whole "marrige" thing, she decided to not bring it up.
"Well, I have my sister Charlotte- but you know how she is like.." She said and wrinkled her nose slightly.
"I tries to talk to her and see the good sides of her, but it's hard.. And your mother is a lovely woman - I wished mine was like that" She shrugged and glanced down by the thought of her. Her mother was often pretty cold, and she knew that Charlotte started to be like her..
"So, what is it about your father and you? He seems like he really care about you"

Philip smirked, amused, chuckling silently as he looked down at the ground. "I guess they kind of are," he whispered in agreement to Cinderella's statement, resting his hands on his hips, his eyes glistening proudly as he thought about his family. He turned his gaze back up to the woman across from him as she started to speak about her family, his eyes softly intent, and his mouth in a straight line. He nodded his head just a bit as he listened to what she said about her sister and mother.

"I can't say that I do know what Miss Charlotte is like." He shrugged slightly, looking briefly at the ground before looking back up at Cinderella, a sheepish smile growing on his lips. "I haven't really met with any of your family," he admitted shyly. "I am sorry about your mother though," he said softly, his face growing gentler. "I suppose some people show their love in different ways. Like my father," he added with another shrug.

"He just-Has always really pushed me. To do things like he wanted. I never got a break. To have a life of my own. And I hated it. And perhaps resented him a bit for it. And I'm sure he's a bit disappointed in me as well." As he spoke, Philip's eyes turned down to look at the ground, and then at his hands as he removed them from his hips and started to nervously fiddle with them in front of him, and he chewed on the inside of his cheek. He only briefly peaked up at Cinderella before looking back at his hands and biting his bottom lip.

"Then you are lucky. Charlotte isn't really a girl you want to be around.." Cindy giggled slightly. Even though it was hard for her to know that her sister hated everything- Cindy could always joke about it. To do the best of the situation is something she's good at. She looked at him when he spoke, but didn't know really how to read him - if he was just nervous, or that he desperately wanted to get away from here.
"Oh, no. I absolutely don't think he's disappointed at you." Cinderella shook her head with a little frown, before she started to smile a little. "But you're the prince too.. You don't really have a life of your own. It'll aways be someone who tells you what to do or are with you- even when you are King" Cindy smiled widely and hoped that he will take it like a small joke. She knew how he felt- and she did it too. Sometimes you just want to be free, and she also hoped that they'll give each other that feeling when they are married. Even if they don't start to love each other, they can still be friends and make the best of everything.

Philip smiled a bit as he let out a quiet chuckle when Cinderella spoke of her sister, crossing his arms across his chest and looking at the ground. He looked up when Cinderella spoke of his father, his eyes holding a child-like hopefulness as he looked at her face. He dropped his gaze and looked sadly at the ground when she started talking about his life as the prince, and then a small, fond half smile started to spread across his lips. "You sound like my mother," he said with a hint of a laugh in his voice, raising his eyes a little to meet Cinderella's.

"I hope that is a good thing.." She said softly and smiled when he looked up at her.
"And if you don't want to do a thing the King asks you to do, just tell him that I've plans for you or us instead. Then you can go away to your friends and such - and I will back you up if he asks for you..." Cinderella shrugged slightly and glanced down.
"Even though we are forced to be around each other, I still hope that we at least can be friends..."

"Oh I'd say it is," Philip said with laugh in his voice as he rubbed his jaw and the back of his neck as he looked at the ground. "My mother is an amazing woman, and mother," he said matter-of-factly to the ground. He then looked back up at Cinderella through his lashes, a soft smile on his lips. "And queen," he finished, re-crossing his arms. His eyes then widened a bit and his mouth fell open slightly as he looked at Cinderella, surprised. He couldn't believe she would make an offer like that. And the way she acted offering it, Philip had a feeling it was actually sincere.

A small, amused half smile spread across Philip's lips as he looked at the princess kindly, his smile faltering at the last thing she said, but coming back kinder and softer as he took a couple steps closer and reached out to take Cinderella's hands in his. "You are good woman," he said softly. "You really are like my mother." His smile grew a bit at the last part of his compliment, not because he thought it was funny, but because it could see it was true.

Cinderella looked down with a little blush as he spoke, and glanced up when he came closer. She didn't think he would ever do something like taking her hand, but now he did- and she started to hope again that maybe everything wouldn't be so bad after all.
"Thank you, Prince Philip.." She said softly with a little smile before it faded slightly
"I hope that I'll not disappoint you one day.. I will be the best-- wife and Queen I can be.."

Philip forced himself to keep a smile on his lips, despite the ache in his chest he felt as Cinderella brought up their impending nuptials, and he nervously chewed on the inside of his bottom lip. Slowly, and gently, he released the princess's hands, giving them a light squeeze so as not to make her think anything had upset him. "I'm sure you will be an amazing wife, and queen," he assured her softly. 'Although perhaps not necessarily mine,' he thought to himself, then looked at the ground, chewing his bottom lip more fervently. He made himself pick his head back up and smile brightly at Cinderella, bringing his hands around his back and wringing them nervously, since she couldn't see them.

"You think? Thank you.." Cinderella said softly with a little smile before she looked down as well. She didn't want to bring up that subject, but it was maybe something they needed to talk about..
"I know that we both don't like the idea of being married to each other, but I guess we just have to make the best of it. At least now so that our parents gets happy for a while..." Cindy said quietly without looking up at him. Even though she didn't liked the idea of being with someone she didn't love, she was sure that Philip absolutely hated it..

Philip just stood there as Cinderella spoke, fiddling with his fingers and chewing on the inside of his cheek, his jaw locking and unlocking itself. He peaked up the princess tentatively through his lashes, biting his bottom lip nervously. He didn't know what to say. She wasn't wrong really, but still, he didn't want her to think it was something about her. If anything, she was seeming to be a very nice person, and an easier person for him to talk to. "I-" he stopped to clear his throat. "I am sorry we have to be in this situation." He kept his eyes locked on the ground, speaking quietly. "I know it's not ideal in any way."