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Rose let her face be brought up by Matti's hand, but her eyes stayed fixated on his nose. She couldn't bare to look him in the eye after having come to the realization of her feelings. Jeez, how long had she felt this way and not known it? That was dense, even for her.
After hearing his words, however, Rosalie's deep brown eyes grazed up to stare at his endlessly blue gaze. Placing her own hand on his that rested on her cheek. she didn't say anything for a couple of beats. She simply searched his eyes and pressed her forehead to his, trying to understand his words. Could him asking her not to marry Stellan mean that he might have feelings for her as well? No, it couldn't. He was just trying to help, to tell her that if it made her so unhappy, that she shouldn't marry him. But Matti's words were so pleading. He said he didn't care what he'd have to do and Rose was so close to accepting his offer. The words were on the tip of her tongue. All she had to do was say 'take me away from here' and she had no doubt he'd try, but Rose couldn't leave Leon. If she left, everything would fall onto his shoulders. The crown, the stupid responsibilities, everything. She couldn't leave her baby brother. She couldn't leave him alone, and she would never in a million years let Matti put a burden on his family either. She would never let his family suffer with the troubles that would inevitably arise if Matti were ever in danger because of something Rose had done. She cared too much about him-- about both their families to do that. She'd do anything to make sure Matti wasn't in pain, she loved him so much. His heavy gaze was tearing her heart to shreds.
Before Rose could even register for a second what she was doing, damn that impulsive nature, she closed what little space was left between their faces and gently pressed her lips to his in a soft kiss. She couldn't even process why she did it so suddenly. Yet, as suddenly as she had done it, she quickly pulled her face away from him and dropped her hand off of his. Her hooded eyes never felt so large in shock. "Shoot, I- I, uhm-" Rosalie stuttered, shooting up from her sitting position like a rocket and stepping over the log behind it to gain some space away from him. "I'm sorry... I just, I wasn't thinking..." Her words came out more like a breath, her voice not strong enough to speak in a pitch louder than the wind's breeze ruffling the leaves on the trees.
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Stellan let out a deep, throaty chuckle, saying, "You'd think you wouldn't get mad at a cat for not eating your cookies. More for yourself." Downing the rest of the drink that was left, Stellan didn't reach towards the bottle for another. At least not yet. His nerves had settled unusually fast. It might have been Leon's company, but he also didn't quite know how strong the drink he was partaking in was. He'd probably find out what was true soon enough though.
Sitting back up, Stellan continued his inventory on the literary collection the Sang Palace held. Picking up a novel yet again, he brushed his fingers gently over the cover of the first edition of Jacob's Room by Virgina Woolf. He let out a low whistle of appreciation, before dragging his gaze off the cover that barley seemed touched with age over to rest on Leo's eyes once more. Leaning gently on the wall he found himself by, he shrugged. "Don't apologize on other people's behalf. I can assure you, you're fathers not apologetic in the least. My own isn't either. You've done nothing wrong yourself." It was true. Leon really shouldn't have been apologizing, especially for someone who didn't think he was doing anything wrong.
Flipping a couple pages in the book gingerly, he scanned the faded words, adding, "I, one the other hand, should be apologizing. I can tell my presence amongst you two siblings isn't exactly pleasant. I know the situation is less than ideal." He needn't add that he was certain, just from the few moments that he had spent with the two, that something was up between Rosalie and her friend which made it even more less than ideal. Yeah, he wasn't super happy with the arrangement, but it's not like he was leaving a significant other behind. He had had partners in the past, but most where fleeting things. Nothing of consequence."I'm sure however that If I disagree with the arrangement now you're sister would only find herself in another soon enough, as would I. It's all bullshit in this world, isn't it?"