The First Date-continued- [Tag: Cinderella]

Philip led Samson through the beginning of the woods and over to walk along the river, letting his body relax and move with Samson as the horse walked. Occasionally he would glance back slightly to see how Cinderella was doing, smiling kindly if she saw him, and smiling sheepishly if she didn't. As he came up to a small clearing, he brought Samson to a stop and slid himself down off the horse, and then he went to help Cinderella. "This is one of the most peaceful places in Nirethia," he told her as he helped her dismount her horse. He then led the horses to a tree and tied them up before he sat down on the grass, and then laid down, bringing his hands behind his head and crossing his legs at the ankles, a blissful smile spreading across his face.

Cindy always had a smile on her lips as they rode through the forst and along the river. She admired the colors on the trees, and the small sound from the birds in them. She didn't spoke so much to Philip, but she enjoyed the silence..
Once Philip stopped his horse, Cindy did the same and smiled as a thank you when he helped her down. She took a glance around and nodded slightly as she agreed with him, it was peaceful..
"Do you come here often?" She asked as she slowly sat down beside him.
"Maybe -- when you want to escape the royal life?"

Philip opened one of his eyes to peer up at Cinderella as he heard her move to sit beside him, his smile becoming smaller, and his expression becoming somewhat timid. "As often as I can," he answered her as he moved to sit up, holding himself up with his arms behind his back, and looking out at the river. "It's a nice break. From the responsibilities and such of being royalty. Helps clear your mind," he said, turning to look at Cinderella over his shoulder with a shy half smile. "No one out here to make some big fuss over you. Or hate you because of who you are. Without even knowing you. You can just be yourself," he said softly, looking out at the water once more.

"I guess.." She said softly and with a little shrugg as she looked at him before she glanced out over the water. She understood that it helped with clear your minds, but she was always herself- even back in the castle. She wondered now what kind of guy he was- if he wasn't the person she knew from the start..
"Does people-- hate you?" Cindy asked with a little sad frown. She hoped that it was just an example, but still...

Philip let out a soft sigh as he looked down at his lap, before bringing his legs up and wrapping his arms around them. "Sadly, I'm sure some do," he answered, sadness in his voice, looking back up and out at the water. "Let's just say, for a while, I wasn't always the best prince," he explained, rubbing his arm nervously. "But I've changed. Matured. And things are going to change in Nirethia too," he assured Cinderella confidently, looking over shyly from the side at her then back down at the ground.

"Do-- you want to tell me what you have done?" Cindy asked softly and moved a little closer to him. She was curious about what kind of man he had been - and how he had changed...
"I'm a good listener.. Really!" She said and let out a little laugh.

Philip looked up at Cinderella with a light curiosity, his eyes uncertain and vulnerable, a hopeful and blissful half smile spreading on his lips as the princess laughed lightly. He couldn't deny her lightness was infectious. "I mostly, just didn't shine a very nice light on the royal family," he answered with a small chuckle, looking down at the ground. "I did some not very princely things," he started to explain sheepishly with a small shrug. "I was kind of a bit of a flirt," he said shyly, looking up at Cinderella as he leaned in slightly towards her, keeping a few inches between them. "And people made those things out to be even worse than they really were," he added with another chuckle and shrug, sitting back up and looking away from her again. As he spoke to Cinderella, while part of him felt comfortable with talking about these things with her, another part of him wondered if he was trusting the princess too much.

"Oh, okaay.. I see.." She said with a little nod as she listened when he spoke.
"Have something really bad happened then? Something -- I should know about?" Cinderella asked carefully and tilted her head a little to the side. She didn't want to bring up any examples - but she had some..

Philip looked over to the princess questioningly, unsure if she meant did his flirting cause something bad to happen, or perhaps if she just meant had something bad happened in the kingdom. "Like what may I ask?" he asked, feeling stupid that he even had to ask, keeping his eyes on Cinderella's face, his brows furrowed. His stomach started to tighten nervous as he tried to think of what she might of meant, and what she might say, and if she would feel uncomfortable explaining.

"Oh, Uhm.. Well.." Cindy started as she tried to come up with some not-so-bad examples and glanced at him carefully.
"I don't know.. Flirting with someone dangerous? Falling in love? Unwanted children?.." Cindy said quietly - especially the last part. Even though she didn't want to know, that was something really important that she needed to know about..

Philip froze at the mention of falling in love, but forced himself to move past it, shaking his head towards the ground as he chuckled softly. "No. No children," he assured Cinderella, his mind still going back to her other question. "That would be pretty impossible," he added, looking up at the princess shyly for a brief moment, and then back at the ground. "And I've never gotten into any dangerous situations because of any of the girls I flirted with," he shrugged lightly, smirking fondly as remembered his first meeting with Jasmine, and the wolf, and the cave. He looked back at Cinderella cautiously and then shook his head, banishing the thoughts of Jasmine, as he cleared his throat. "And I am not even sure I know what it means to be in love," he lied slightly with a nervous laugh and smile. "Do you?" he prompted the princess, leaning in slightly towards her and looking at her curiously. If she said she was in love, then maybe he could come clean about Jasmine, and perhaps they could figure out a way to call off the wedding, without starting a war. He was suddenly starting to feel a new sense of joy and excitement at the prospect, getting way ahead of himself.

Cindy let out a little sigh in relief when there wasn't something that had happened, but the fact that Philip had been that kind of guy bothered her a little.
"I have always known that my parents would arrange a marrige, so I tried to avoid that kind of relationships with men.. But I can imagine how it would be like to be in love.. And I hope that maybe-- we two could-- someday feel that for each other.." She said shyly and glanced down with a little blush.

Just as Cinderella looked down with embarrassment, Philip did the same, a light blush coloring his cheeks as he nervously chewed on his bottom lip. What could he possibly say to that? No, I will never love because I have already given my heart to someone else? It really wasn't that heartless, although it certainly felt like he was right now. All this time worrying about some stuck up, horrible fiance and he gets a kind, hopeful, and just lovely young woman. He suddenly found himself between a rock and a hard place. Should he tell Cinderella the truth, and risk her getting really upset, and his father getting really upset, and her parents getting really upset? Or should he act like falling in love with her was totally possible, even though right now he really wasn't sure it was. The more he sat there and thought, his face slowly changed from shyly embarrassed to deeply contemplative, his brows furrowing deeply, and he chewed on his lip even harder. He gripped his hands tightly as they hung off his legs and just stared out blankly at the edge of the water as he thought.

After that Philip didn't answered her, Cindy rubbed her arm nervously when she didn't know what to do. But they can't go on and think that nothing has to happen between them..
"I'm -- sorry.." She said quietly and glanced at him through her lashes.
"I just think they we maybe needs to talk about that.. Don't you think that you will ever-- feel something for me? Someday?"

Philip turned his head slowly, hesitantly to look up at Cinderella, his eyes sad, and his heart tightening in his chest as she spoke, and he bit his lip even harder. He let out a deep sigh as he turned his head back down, rubbing his head and running his hand through his hair. "I-I have to be honest with you," he admitted, defeated, looking out at the river with a sad, nervous eyes, his mouth in a tight, serious line. "When you asked before, if I had ever fallen in love. I lied," he admitted, looking down at the ground, ashamed. "Or at least I sort of did," he amended quickly, looking sideways over at Cinderella as he chewed on his lip. "I did meet someone. Someone that I had been starting to think I might love," he said quietly to the ground. "But I still don't know!" he assured the princess, finally looking at her fully again, his body turned towards her. "I just-I don't know," he sighed softly, turning back away and looking out at the river, his eyes stinging and a lump now in his throat, and he tightened a fist that rest on his knee, banging it lightly against in his head in frustration with himself.