Haruna Lingquis
āMaybe Iām just overthinking it allā¦ā Haruna mumbled to herself, shutting her eyes and stretching her back and her right arm into the sky. She was a little bit stiff from maintaining her posture the whole night, so it was nice to take this opportunity in private to recuperate without having to entirely worry about looking dignified and regal. Still, it was just a short break. Sheād have to head back to the ballroom and-
"Not enjoying the party? Don't blame 'ya..I don't have fancy tastes either." The somewhat playful and mocking feminine voice was entirely too close for Harunaās comfort, and the feline couldnāt help but utter a faint set of squeaks in alarm before she composed herself, swiftly pivoting and taking a step back as she covered her mouth to stop any further embarrassing noise escaping her lips. By now, her face was already flushed a little red from being caught in what she considered to be such a compromising way, and Haruna sheepishly looked to the side as her new company got themselves comfortable. Glancing back upwards, immediately there was a flash of recognition as Harunaās eyes widened. Sheād been educated thoroughly about the other Royal Families, and this was none other than Nina Peirce, Royal Princess to the Kindom of Irilene!
She was a gorgeous young lady, slender as far as Haruna could see, and seemingly far more comfortable and confident in her dress than the Cahleethe as she seamlessly turned and propped herself on the railing. With a simple toss of her hand, sheād undone a portion of her corset like it was nothing, rolling her arms as she casually looked back into the hall. And for a moment, Haruna was stunned by her beauty. Was this the presence a real princess held? Eyes studying the woman before her, Haruna tried to absorb everything Nina held that she lacked, but for the moment, it all seemed intangible. The way she held herself with such confidence was effortless. How did one even learn to conduct themselves like that? It had only been seconds since the Princess of Irilene had sat next to her, and yet sheād easily taken command of her attention without so much as a thought. Contrary to the words sheād used to introduce herself, Haruna found her very much fancy, though she was a little too awe-struck and embarrassed to say.
As if sensing the Althuumian Princessās unease, Nina spoke once more. "You can relax, I won't tell anyone..." Haruna felt her heart beat more rapidly in the exact opposite reaction to relaxing. The fact she even mentioned that she wouldnāt tell anyone implied that she shouldnāt be relaxing. A-and yet, as one princess to another, should she be refusing such an invitation? Would it be considered rude to maintain a formal position? Or was Nina attempting to goad her into a foolish action in order to further ridicule her inelegance? With her hands still at her face to hide both her mouth and her rose-tinted cheeks, the pause while she collected her thoughts was long enough for Nina to add in a final nudge for Haruna to reply.
"Promise." That one word alone was hard to read. Was it genuine or sardonic? Immediately, Haruna felt a stab of guilt for doubting her company. Perhaps Nina had reason to lie, but this was a princess. And in Harunaās mind, a princess was honest. A promise was something to be upheld and cherished. And yet at the same time, there was something about that word that made Haruna feel a faint pang of melancholy. Pushing past her mixed emotions, Haruna steeled her nerves as she slowly lowered her hands in front of her, though they still seemed to hover a little awkwardly, like she didnāt know where to place them. Realising this, Haruna made a point of separating them and balling them into fists, placing them at her side. At the same time, she finally saw fit to address the woman before her. Breathe. Stand straight, be polite. Lead with your name, thank her. Allow her to command the conversation, but donāt be too passive.
āI thank you for accepting me so informally. I will return that favour with my name: Haruna Lingquis, of the Althuum Royal Family.ā Bowing slightly, albeit a bit stiffly, it was very clear that Haruna was not very relaxed at all. Realising this, she swiftly ended her bow, bringing her hands back together out of nervous habit as she tapped her fingers together. āM-my apologies, I would like to accept your gracious um, offer of uhā¦ā Hesitating again as she struggled to formulate the sentence sheād planned oh so well in her head, Haruna brought her hand up slightly as she found the words she was looking for. ā-Your invitation to drop the pretenses of formality. However, I would be remiss if I were to unintentionally offend you through an overly familiar interaction that extended beyond the bounds of our relationship.ā Did she say that right? She was using the vocabulary sheād been taught, but part of her was afraid that the sentences she strung together were nonsensical. It was hard to read how Young Lady Peirce was taking it, and rather hurriedly, Harunaās thoughts turned to anxiety. Had she already offended her? Perhaps her stuttering had unveiled how entirely unworthy and inadequate Haruna was to be in this position? She had to try and salvage the situation! A princess from a neighbouring kingdom would be an invaluable contact for the kingdom, and any hostilities could provoke any number of issues between them. Not to mentionā¦ Immediately, Haruna launched into another spiel before Nina could get in her own reply.
āB-but do not misunderstand my intentions! I am delighted by your company and quite flattered that you would be willing to speak to me as an equal! Please, if it would be to your liking, I would most certainly like to take this moment to try and establish something akin to a bond. W-what I mean to say by that, is if you would accept my offer of friendship, I would be honoured to have your guidance and counsel in the future!ā The more Haruna began to talk and ramble off words, the faster her faƧade of professionalism was falling apart. Her ears began to twitch and point downward, her face was obviously red, and by this point her āgentleā and proper posture had been lost as her hands became a bit more active as she talked and gestured in an attempt to diffuse the situation. If her tail wasnāt hidden by her dress, it would have been obvious how unsettled she was by the way it swished about. With the hole she was in getting dug deeper, Haruna managed to stop herself and hung her head slightly as she bit her lip gently. This was a disaster. Sheād not only bumbled, but in front of one of the princesses no less! This was exactly why she should have followed the instructions and let Nina lead the conversation. If sheād done that, things would have gone perfectly, but sheād been overzealous, particularly at the prospect of getting to know someone who she could speak to about such things. Now, she might have ruined her only chance of earning such a thing. The only solace to the situation was that Nina was the only person to see her foolishness. If the grooms or her mother or the other princess had been around, she might have died then and there.