Lia and Phineas

Phineas let out a breath he didn't know he was holding when she strode forward. He couldn't help but chuckle though, and took seat on his own place, taking his glass and raising it towards her as well " Cheers, princess " he said, voice smug.

They began eating and made a little small-talk about how good Hemni's cooking was again. Ugo smiled.

After a while Lia looked out of the window and at her pocket watch. "Cornelius is surely taking his time. I hope everything went well and that he's okay." Just after she said that her large Crane landed on the windowsill and poked on the glass with his beak. Ugo let him in and took a letter off his feat. The crane immediately took off again.

Ugo then went over to Phineas and cleared his throat. "It seems like this is for you, your highness."

Phineas brows creased as he read the letter. It wasn't long but made a but if panic well up inside him. Cornelius write that he got held up at home, some issues with the palace staff and other things that needed his attention, he wrote that he'd hurry up as fast as he could, but probably wouldn't be there before tomorrow evening. Phineas felt as if someone emptied a bucket of ice water over his head. He knew what this meant. Shit! He couldn't manage to sleep alone. What was he going to do?

Just then he felt the eyes of everyone around him on himself. He coughed a bit "well, seems as if he got held up, he probably won't make it here tonight " he grimaced a bit and then shrugged as if to show that it totally didn't bother him at all, but in reality he could feel the panic scratch at the back of his chest, fuck. He needed to get himself together. He cleared his throat once again and thanked ugo, then tried to concentrate back on his food, even if he didn't know if he could swallow anything anymore.

Lia recognized that Phineas behaved a bit off after reading the letter. She coughed a bit. "Looks like Cornelius is a very important part of your kingdom. It's good to have such a loyal man on your side." She took another bite. "I hope you don't mind spending the evening with Ugo, Albert and me alone. I apologize that I currently don't have more personnel around but I bet Ugo can help you with your dressing tonight." Ugo silently nodded as he stood besides the fireplace.

Phineas gave a slight nod towards ugo "thank you very much, I'd be grateful for that " he smiled slightly "and yes," he continued "he is a very important part of our kingdom and a good friend of mine, i wouldnt know what to do with out him" his smile spreads a bit wider but then he was picking at his food again and in the end laid his cutlery down entirely.

Lia finished her meal too. "I just have to ask... Is something wrong at home? Since you red that letter you seem... uneasy. I mean if I can do anything to help..." She placed her hands in her lap. Could it be that the war already started?

Phineas bit his lip and looked to the side his ears dropiping slightly. Then he stood and looked at the Queen. He had made his decision. "There is actually something. May I talk to you in private about it ?" He took her arm and went into a farther corner of the room. For a short while he seemed nervous and fiddled with the buttons of his shirt. He then cleared his throat and straightened himself. "It's actually quite embarrassing for me to talk about.." he started, rubbing the back of his neck " I have a ... condition" at that he made quotation marks in the air "which makes it unable for me to...." he needed a minute, it was hard to show this side ofor the Queen so soon, this flaw " to sleep alone. I can't sleep alone ! That's why Cornelius is often with me, without someone to share a bed with it end up staying awake no matter what " He finally brought out. Faltering a bit and looking to the side, he felt pretty awful for himself .

"E...Excuse me?" The queen was totally confused. "Is that true?" After a little nod of Phineas she exhaled aloud. "Oh I am glad. That's definitely something I can help with. Don't worry. Well..."

She turned around a bit so that she could overlook the entire room. "I could 'lend' you Albert for the night. Usually he sleeps in the hallway before my door to guard it but I bet he will gladly-" Her eyes met Albert's. The giant polar bear who was again laying in front of the fireplace lifted his head and stared at the queen with a fierce look in his eyes. "-Okay what have I thought? That's a bad idea." She made a hand motion as she wanted to wipe that thought away.

"I guess you can share a bed with Hemni and Ugo. When I was a child I slept in their bed many times. It was like a little vacation at grandma's." Lia smiled in a 'heads-up-we-got-this'-kind of way at Phineas.

Phineas faltered a bit at first blushing, his ears drooping again. Well it couldn't be much different than when he slept with his mom in a bed when he was young, right ? He should take what he could get and so he gave a nod while awkwardly rubbing his neck again. "Thanks... " he mumbled "I appreciate your help "

Lia almost gave Phineas a little slap on the back to cheer him up but then she remembered that she was a queen and not a pirate anymore so she offered Phineas to finish their meal instead.

After that they still sat there, drank a bit more wine (not as much as the evening before though) and talked. Then the time came that they should head to bed if they wanted to take the long journey to the fire kingdom. Lia had a short talk with Hemni in the kitchen after Ugo told her that he was okay with Phineas sleeping in their room and after she agreed as well Lia wished Phineas a good night and she and Albert went up to the queen's room.

"Your highness we're really sorry that you have to make do with our humble little chamber but I think that we wouldn't have fit in the guest's bed." Hemni had difficulties tucking her hair into her sleeping cap while apologizing over and over to Phineas and Ugo helped her silently.

Phineas shook his head slightly and took a bow, flustering the elderly couple even more "I need to apologise that I am intruding into your quarters, I am in your debt for helping me !" He spoke out. The both of them assured him that it was all okay and that it really wasn't anything to worry about and at some point they all just got into the bed, phineas decided to at least keep his pants on instead of sleeping in his underwaer. It took them a while to settle down but finally everyone was in their place with phineas right in between the two of them. Well that was okay, he guessed ? The two of him wished him a good night and he replied meekly, blushing all the while. Hernia even gave his head a pat. Well it was a nice gesture... right ? He tried to close his eyes and to ease his mind to calm down and eventually drifted slightly off.

Until he jolted awake to a sound that was similar to a bears roar or loud thunder, he needed a minute to get some orientation and realised that the sound came from hemni it was almost eardrums shattering, how could ugo find any sleep at that volume?? Speaking of the devil, ugo was spread out over his side of the bed, sheets ruffled up and limbs entangled in them and spread out over phineas, one arm ocertainly his face half hugging hemnis body in her sleep and one leg spread out over phineas'. It was endearing really, almost adorable, save for the fact that he was stuck in between the two and the heat they radiated off, even for a feuerlander like him this was just too suffocating, there's no way he could stand this!!
But how would he get out? He shuffled a bit, and hemni let out a small snort that made him stop in his tracks, he waited some time for her to start "breathing " even again, he then started shuffling out of the two again towards the edge of the bed, in an almost limbo dancing like manner under ugos limbs. He was almost tempted to make a "TADAA!" kind of pose when he had finally made it out. But he instead picked up his clothes and gently sneaked out of their room. Closing the door behind him he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

What now though? He sighed, he probably just had to endure a night of not sleeping, he could manage that ! He made his way through the halls in no particular direction down the halls, his clothes clutched like a fleeing lover that almost got caught by the husband.

After Lia went to her room she knew that she couldn't sleep right away so she sat down on her table to do something she hadn't done in a long time - she opened her diary.

When Lia was still a child she made herself the promise that she would only write in her diary when something good had happened that day and even though they had lost Cornelius in the woods the day went really well. She had the feeling that this marriage could actually work out if both of them, lile Phineas said earlier that day, would work together and do their best. Lia also had the feeling that the oh so tough acting prince opened up more to her.

She wrote her thoughts down and smiled to herself. But something was felt off.

The Queen put her feather back into the inkwell and closed the diary again. She concentrated a bit more to the strange feeling she got and stood up. While wrapping her overcoat more around her body she walked over to the door and opened it.

On the hallway right before her door stood Albert and growled at a figure in the dark. His fur was standing up into all directions and he was ready to fight the person standing there. "What is going on here?"

Phineas halted in his tracks, first because of the growling and then jolted as he heard the all to familiar voice. He broke out in a sweat that was the last thing he wanted. But then again he wasn't too sure if the fat bear wasn't about to jump his face any minute the way he sounded so phineas raised his hands as if to surrender, dropping his clothes, and called out "its , uh... me, princess" he said. he couldnt help but blush about the situation of all the halls, he had to take the one to her chambers ! He cursed inwardly and then turned towards where her voice was again" I guess.. I got a bit lost on my nightly walk..?" He chuckled awkwardly at that, shrugging slightly.

When Lia recognized that it was the prince she grabbed a candle from her desk and pushed against her guard. "Albert, behave!" The giant bear was shocked and trotted out of the way, grumbling.

Lia tidied her overcoat and looked down the hall. "What's wrong? Why aren't you in bed?" She narrowed her eyes to a slit to see where the prince could stand.

Phineas was back to rubbing his neck "well while I really appreciated the warm gesture I think their bed may not have been laid out to be made for one more person and it got a bit stuffy and ..." he gestured vaguely with his other hand "...such " he drawled out "so I tried to make my way back to my own chambers and would have just stayed awake but i guess i got lost " he chuckles lightly

The queen lowered the candle. "Oh. Well. No... No, no. What kind of host would I be?" She quickly looked over to Albert who had curled into a ball at the end of the hallway. "Come in, my room is yours." She then turned around and walked into the room again, leaving the door open.

While she waited for Phineas to follow her she quickly hid her diary on it's usual spot again and placed the candle on one of her nightstands. She sat down on the right side of the bed and folded her hands in her lap. "Please make yourself at home. And please don't think bad of me. Of course I wouldn't think about breaking the abstinence before our marriage." She looked down at her hands. Lia was pretty nervous.

As phineas entered the queens room her bear locked gazes with him and shot him a glare, Phineas rolled his eyes. As if he would try anything before the wedding, it stood on fragile legs as it was already, breaking the celibacy would not make things better. Not that he wasn't tempted. Even with that nightrobe on she looked beautiful. He gulped slightly. He could do this, he told himself.

At the queens words he shook his head " don't worry. I would never do anything that you wouldn't want or that would make you feel uncomfortable, especially not since you were so generous as to lend me your bed " he bowed before her and then hesitated not entirely sure what to do, he placed his clothes on the floor next to the left aide of the bed after all and then climbed into the left side opting to stay near the edge of it though, as to make it easier for the queen.

Lia chuckled quiet. "What a gentleman." She looked up to him and as she saw that he was showing her his back she stood up and extended her overcoat to hang it on her wardrobe. She was now only wearing silky white panties and an almost completely blue and white nightgown with lacey edgings.

As she turned around again her head flushed in an even deeper red than it already got - the prince was just looking at her. Quickly she tried to cover her breasts that were clearly visible through that sheer fabric.

Phineas quickly turned his head back to Face forward. HOLY SHIT THIS WAS GONNA BE HARD!.. He stopped his thoughts for a minute, No pun intended, he actually wanted to make a witty remark to her about getting into the bed but that one got stuck into his throat as soon as he laid eyes on her outfit. He cleared his throat and got under the covers while keeping his gaze stuck to the blankets and then covered his eyes with his hands "well if I had known that you were dressed like this I would have come sooner " he joked to relieve some tension, even though the way he sat there was probably more of a thing to laugh about.

First Lia couldn't move an inch. She was just too shocked that the prince had seen her like this so soon. This wasn't even her nicest nightgown!

"well if I had known that you were dressed like this I would have come sooner ", he mumbled between his hands.
Lia smirked. He was way more embarassed than she was. She walked towards the bed and got under the sheets as well, making sure that her hip touched his at least a bit. "I am deeply sorry, if I had known that you wanted me to update you on my outfits I would have given you a list." She laughed.

Phineas jolted a bit at the contact and then cursed inwardly, he shouldn't let this affect him so much, sleeping with his girls like this never bothered him in the slightest ! He let out a slight sigh though and took the hands away from his face brushing one through his hair while placing the other one behind himself to prop him up, he then chuckled at her remark, still gazing anywhere but near her though. " Well I don't know about that, I am sure that my imagination isn't good enough to handle just a normal list , you modelling them for me might work better " he grinned

Lia turned to her side. She rested her head on her hand and with the other one she pulled the blanked over her chest. She didn't want to make it harder for him - for now.

The queen smiled as she saw how he avoided looking at her. "No problem. I could also attach drawings. When I was a child I got drawing lessons of famous artists of my kingdom. That should do even if you got the poorest imagination."

Phineas who caught the motion out of the corner of his eyes turned towards her too copying her stance he cocked up one of his eyebrows "oh? I didn't know you were this talented princess " he mocked her

She leaned more towards him 'accidently' letting the blanket slip just a bit. "Oh that isn't the only thing I am talented in." , she cooed. "Say... Do you have any talents I should know of?"

Phineas narrowed his eyes slightly, not turning away his gaze from her face and even though he could feel his heart hammering against his chest he couldn't help but grin at the queens attempts of teasing him.
He reached out a hand and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "Well some people Say that i am pretty skilled with my hands " which meant his sister who told him that he was good at braiding their hair but the queen didn't need to know that.