Afternoon shopping

[Leyna de Somerville]

"Just down the street from the fountain," I told him.

[Nicanor de las Aragonia]

"Then let's go put these things down if you want and find some trouble to get into," I said with a grin.

[Leyna de Somerville]

"I do like the way you think," I said as I led him down to the carriage. "Any thoughts on the trouble?"

[Nicanor de las Aragonia]

Looking upward I cocked my head slightly sideways. "Well, what trouble have you ever been in?"

[Leyna de Somerville]

"Me? None, ever. I am the picture of innocence," I said, eyes wide and smiling. "You?"

[Nicanor de las Aragonia]

Chuckling slightly, I said, "Lately just carousing, but I did quite a bit of snooping and sneaking when I was younger."

[Leyna de Somerville]

"Have you been carousing with anyone but me?" I asked curiously, smiling still.

[Nicanor de las Aragonia]

"Not while I've been here," I replied with an answering smile. "Have you?"

[Leyna de Somerville]

"Not exactly carousing, no," I told him with a grin.

We were in sight of the carriage and one of my footmen came rushing forward and began divesting Nic of his packages.

[Nicanor de las Aragonia]

handing over the packages with a smile, I said to Leyna, "Well, would you like to do some real carousing? It may mean we don't make it to Desir tonight though."

[Leyna de Somerville]

I slipped my arm through his, shaking my head slightly. "I want to go to Désir, whatever else we do out I want to do that too," I told him.

[Nicanor de las Aragonia]

Nodding, I said, "Well then, all-night carousing and drinking is out, because once we leave Desir we'll be too stuffed to do anything else that requires inbibing." Thinking for a moment I grinned. "Have you ever had your palm read?"

[Leyna de Somerville]

"No, I haven't" I said, grinning. "Have you?"

[Nicanor de las Aragonia]

"Once," I said dismissively. "Would you like to?"

[Leyna de Somerville]

"Yes," I answered. "What did they tell you the time you had it read?"

[Nicanor de las Aragonia]

"I don't remember; it was when I was still a child, before I even turned sixteen," I said with a laugh. "Well, where would you go in this City to find such a thing? Any ideas?"

[Leyna de Somerville]

I did not believe that he didn't remember, but I wouldn't press.

"There's a group of Tsingano in Night's Doorstep that do such things, we can go there," I said.

[Nicanor de las Aragonia]

"Then let's go," I said with a grin. "What are you going to ask?"

[Leyna de Somerville]

We had time and I felt like walking, so I told the driver where to meet us and started us down the right street.

"I don't know," I said, thinking. "Perhaps I shall ask if your mother will ever like me. what will you ask?"

[Nicanor de las Aragonia]

"I don't know if I'll ask anything, just see what the fortune-teller has to say," I said with a grin. What do you think I should ask?"

[Leyna de Somerville]

"I think that's up to you," I said with a grin. "I think I will ask when we should get married."

[Nicanor de las Aragonia]

"That could be a piece of useful information. Any idea for what sort of gown you'd like to have?"

[Leyna de Somerville]

"Something with a long train," I said excitedly. "and a veil, and lace, lots of lace." I stopped, blushing as I realized I sounded like a little girl.

[Nicanor de las Aragonia]

Leaning over quickly I kissed her cheek, happy at her enthusiasm. "You'll look lovely. Any other ideas?"

[Leyna de Somerville]

"I want the wedding at the temple at my family's home, where I grew up," I said, looking at him and hoping this would be alright.

[Nicanor de las Aragonia]

Nodding in agreement I said, "Alright- that sounds lovely." I'd said before that I believed a man's place in wedding preparations was to be supportive of the bride-to-be's decisions and show up on time in the right clothing. "What else?"

[Leyna de Somerville]

"Do you think your family will come?" I asked him.

[Nicanor de las Aragonia]

"As many of them as can possibly get away," I said with a smile. "My mother for sure, my brother or my father possibly, maybe Catalina, depending on how stubborn she is about it."

[Leyna de Somerville]

"Maybe I can tempt her with tales of all the handsome boys her age here," I said with a grin.

[Nicanor de las Aragonia]

"Then she'd be willing to come but my mother would lock her in the family wing of the Palace," I said with a laugh. "Things are a lot different in that respect in Aragonia. There isn't really any teasing or flirting in quite the way it's done here."