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👑 N I K O L A I 👑
Due to it being the last day of the week, the capital was quiet as the royal carriages rolled down the main road. Not many people were ushering around, most of them were at home, but the few who strolled through the city stopped with caution as they saw the four carriages and dozens of guards make their way towards the plaza which acted as the central point of the old town. On Sundays, there was a market with fresh fruit and delicious candy that tasted like heaven on earth.
The women paired up to explore the town and Nikolai couldn't even manage to blink before he was dragged away from everybody else by Brigitta who wanted to go into a very expensive jewellery shop nearby. The owners had quietly been informed about the bachelorettes visit to town so all of them were open to sell them their best goods. With an inner sigh, the prince had no chance but to comply.
Kheru pointed over to the church in the far, but Aneela gave her a doubting look and pulled her towards the Queen's statue in the middle of the plaza instead. Nikolai kept a smile to himself. Not a religious person, another plus. Tolya followed the two women with respectful distance but seemed awfully pleased with his new task as he stayed close to Aneela – and Kheru at her side – while the groups looked around the capital.
Josefine and Brigitta kept talking the poor shop owner's ear off as they kept buying and buying jewellery, asking Nikolai's opinion on each of them. He said basically the same thing every time, hoping they would spend their budget quickly and he would get out of there faster, being able to find Aneela.
His wish didn't come true in the way he wanted to; The money was gone fast but as soon as he stepped outside the shop, the fjerdans pulled him away from the kerchs. It appeared like Jana and Vilde had waited the entire time outside. As he was dragged over the plaza towards a fabric store, he caught himself looking where Tolya, Kheru and Aneela had wandered off to.
He had to remind himself often that she wasn't the only around and then mentally tried to return back to the conversation with the two women about fabrics while his mind was with her. Spending time with them only made him ache for him to be around her even more.
Looking at the potential brides that Zoya and Genya had decided to invite for the courting season, she was clearly the best choice. No, she was the match. In a way, he should be grateful for the Grisha that they had invited Aneela again, otherwise he might have never met her. And knowing that was already torture enough, she-
"... like this fabric, Your Highness?"
Quickly, Nikolai snapped his head around to Jana and put his Prince-smile on. "Yes, it is very pretty." Never seen an uglier colour in my life.
"It makes you look dead," Vilde commented sharp. "You should choose a colour like this."
"Hm, it's obvious how little taste you have," Jana gave back bitterly when she saw the fabric that Vilde showed her. "I thought you get dressed by your mother, but it's clear now that you make the poor dress choices yourself."
