The rest of the meeting was mostly things that didn't involve you - deciding just what battalions and troops to send, and how much supplies and what not. You answered questions when they were asked of you, of course, but for the most part you just reveled in the fact that you would not have to leave Eret behind - in fact, he would be coming with you.

You did feel a little bit bad for Simon though - Maven would be staying behind to watch over the kingdom in Eret's absence while he returned home with you and Eret's battalion.

Still, the rest of the meeting passed rather quickly, with Eret delegating just how many soldiers would come, how many would serve in each of the parts of the troupe, and what supplies they would need for the journey. It was obvious that he had already given this a lot of thought, though you supposed that was his job.

The session adjourned around noon, the court members slowly filing out of the room in small groups to go get their lunch. You were sure that they would be talking about Eret's final decision (some with good things to say, some with bad) but you were more interested in talking to the man himself - to thank him on behalf of the king of course, but also to thank him yourself.

You loitered in your seat, just watching members file out of the throne room, when Simon tapped you on the shoulder, lips pursed. You inclined your head with a gentle hum, silently asking what he needed.

"Would you mind if I went and ate with Maven?" He asked. "I know we usually take our lunch together but-"

"I don't mind Simon, please do." You said, smiling softly. "I was going to wait for Eret anyway."

"Ah." Simon said knowingly as he rose from his seat. "I suppose I'll see you later this evening then?"

"Of course." You said, watching as he headed over to where Maven was near the doors. They slipped out of the throne room together, disappearing down one of the halls. You watched them until the doors swung shut again, and then your eyes skipped to Eret - now the only one in the room besides you.

He rose from his throne, adjusting the lapels of his cape on his shoulder. "Would it be presumptuous to say that you were waiting here for me?" He asked.

You rose from your seat as well, making your way over to him. "No, it wouldn't." You said. "I wanted to thank you on behalf of King Etienne for choosing to lend your support - I'm sure it will be greatly appreciated once we arrive."

Eret smiled thinly. "It was a difficult decision to make, and I'm sure there'll be hell to pay for it at some point but... if my father believed your kingdom worth the alliance, I have to do justice to that."

"I wanted to thank you as myself as well." You said. "I can't say that I'm pleased you're going to war, but... I am happy that you and I will get to spend more time together - if that's alright with you, of course."

"That's more than alright with me." Eret said, that wide smile that you liked so much coming over his face. "And being completely honest, I can't say that I wasn't thinking of that when I made the decision I did."

The admission made your face heat up slightly and you laughed. "Flatterer." You accused (not for the first time). "Keep this up and they'll start calling you the heartstealer."

Eret's eyebrows rose above the frames of his glasses and he leaned forward slightly, his face more level with yours now. "Heartstealer, huh?" He teased. "Does that mean I've stolen your heart, hmm?"

If it was even possible, your face heated up more - both at his words and how close he was to you now. "Sometimes I think you have," You said softly. "And then you do something like tell me you frequently forget to brush your teeth and I remember how much of a goof you are."

Eret hummed low in his throat. "You like that about me though." He said with an air of confidence and certainty in his voice.

"You sound so sure." You said.

Eret's mouth stretched into an easy smile. "Having mirrored lenses in the glasses in really nice." He said conversationally. "It hides my eyes from people so they don't freak out, and no one knows where I'm looking. You'd be surprised how many people I catch staring at me and they don't even know."

The implication made your nerves thrum in your veins - he had seen you looking at him then. But he hadn't said anything until now; perhaps he didn't mind too much then, or maybe he was just used to it. Either way, whatever expression you had made must have been funny because Eret laughed, standing back up and breaking the moment.

"Thank you for your support, Y/N." He said, looking down at you. "Unfortunately, I do have other matters to attend to at the moment - I'll see you later?"

"Of course." You said. "Um, thank you again for deciding to lend your troops."

Eret just hummed, breezing by you as he made for the throne room doors, a satisfied smile on his face. You turned to watch him go, marking his confident stride until the throne room doors swung closed and you were alone in the throne room.

You just stood there, letting the heat from your face dissipate as you watched the shadow of the clouds from the skylight move across the floor. The admission that Eret had been thinking of you as a perk in his decision and the implication that he had caught you staring at him danced around in your head - and you knew they would be for a while.

You let out a long exhale, a smile forming on your lips. How dare he. How dare this man be so charming. How were you supposed to not fall in love with him?