''Flying''

Why So Nervous?

For whatever reason, Henry is nervous. It's been a while since he last felt like this and is starting to make him wonder if he had made the right decision by asking Bella and Alexis for lunch.

His valet clears his throat and when Henry looks at him, he nods in the direction of the path. Henry looks over and sees Bella and Alexis coming down the path, smiles on their faces.

He lets out a breath of relief and smiles back, greeting both women and hearing them greet him back. Once they are close enough, Alexis thanks him for the invite and he can't stop himself when he thanks her for accepting.

Pulling the chair for her to sit, Henry can't stop the thought of how grateful he is for having them both there. Once Alexis sat down, Henry moves to Bella's chair and does the same for her, smiling at her.

Henry signals the servants to start serving lunch and soon there's food in front of them. They eat in silence for a few minutes until Alexis breaks the silence.

-"Is it true, Your Majesty, that your Kingdom has the most variety of flowers out of any other Kingdom?"

-"It is. Most of them are located at the Castle actually." - He is surprised but hides it, smiling at her.

-"How did they get there?"

-"Well, for the most part they were brought in by foreign dignitaries and merchants. It had been my mother's idea to have a flower from all Kingdoms in the Castle's garden. Do you like flowers?"

-"I do, very much so."

-"Then you have to see the Green House. That is where we keep the more special ones."

-"What makes them so special?"

-"They are flowers that are either going extinct in their homelands, or we no longer have formal relations with the Kingdoms they are from."

-"I guess it makes sense keeping them in a place where they can be protected so they don't disappear altogether."

-"That was my mother's idea. But we still send the seeds to the Kingdoms where the flowers have become extinct."

-"It's very nice of you to do that." - Alexis smiles.

-"If I have the opportunity to help restore a flower to its natural habitat, then I will do it. Not only is it good for that Kingdom, but for the habitat in general."

Alexis smiles and nods, clearly agreeing with Henry.

Bella is watching their interaction and can't help but smile at how casual and relaxed they are with each other. She could tell Henry had been nervous when they first arrived, his shoulders tense as they approached and how he kept drumming his fingers on his leg while lunch was being served.

She also knows that Alexis was nervous as well, the entire walk there she had been fidgeting with the hem of her sleeves. So it came as a surprise when Alexis was the first to talk and ask him something about his Kingdom.

However, even though she had been surprised, she was happy that her daughter was making an effort to get to know Henry and his Kingdom a little better directly from him instead of from a book.

All in all, Bella thought, this lunch is going better than she had expected. And they were only halfway through it.