It was ironic. It was so ironic.
Natalia couldn't help feeling this way as she laid down at the camp the team had set up. All of her life, she had prided herself on being Princess of Kimlasca, and she had thrived, living every day to fulfill her duties as a royal. All that time, Guy had been nothing more than a servant to her. Yet here they were, Guy a Count of Malkuth, a member of the prestigious Gardios family, royalty of Hod; she, Natalia, born Meryl to servants in her father's household. It was truly ironic, that after all those years of being princess and servant, they were now Meryl and Count Gardios.
She tossed and turned, still unable to find any comfort in the hard, cold ground. Because you were raised a princess, she thought mercilessly. You don't know what it feels like to be just like any other person...what it's like, even, to be a servant.
A thought occurred to Natalia. If the real Natalia hadn't been stillborn, she would have grown up Meryl, a servant to the king. She would have known Guy as her peer. I would have been charmed by him, just like all the other maids, Natalia couldn't help thinking, and she blushed at the statement. It was true, of course; she would have fallen hard for someone like Guy. There never would have been a Luke or an Asch in her future.
Natalia rolled onto her back, staring up at the cloudy night sky, unable to make out any stars, even this far from any town or city. Why was she even thinking like this? Why, at this time, when so many lives depended on her, was she contemplating her relationship with Guy? Relationship with Guy? Relationship to Guy. Princess and servant. Meryl and Count Gardios. Alleged Princess of Kimlasca and true, by royal blood, Nobleman of Malkuth.
As a servant, Meryl wouldn't have had a chance with Guy even if he weren't gynophobic, Natalia realized. Because then he would be the noble, and she the servant of Kimlasca. Not that it made any difference, though, she realized; if - hypothetically, of course - Guy had been in love with her or any other maid, it wouldn't have made any difference to him at all if she were a servant or princess. He'd just love her.
Natalia tried to make herself think of Asch, but all she could think of was how he'd changed. How focused he was on his own goals, how dedicated he was to saving the people of Auldrant - which was all well and good, but...there was no longer any warmth in his eyes. Natalia closed her eyes, trying to picture Asch's smile, but found she couldn't even remember what it looked like, it had been so long since she'd seen it.
Natalia tried to make herself think of Luke, of his naive nature, his innocence, his general ignorance of the world. It was infuriating, yes, but also endearing, childlike. She could only think of him as her friend, like a little brother she'd never had.
Natalia found her mind continually drifting back to Guy, and she couldn't explain why. Maybe it was because they shared a similar truth in their past, that they weren't who they seemed to be. Maybe it was because Guy had shown compassion to her in her shock while no one else quite knew what to say. Maybe it was because if a monster ever came near her in battle, Guy, no matter where he was, seemed to sense it and came to her defense. Somehow, the princess couldn't get Guy out of her mind. She had changed. He had changed. They had changed. Together.
The restless princess sat up, unable to take it anymore. She looked over to where Jade was standing, his back to the camp, keeping watch. Quietly, she stood and tiptoed over, past Tear's, Anise's, and Luke's sleeping bags, and knelt down beside Guy. Beside Gailardia Galan Gardios, count of Malkuth. As gently as she could, Natalia leaned down and softly pressed her lips to his. Guy sighed softly in his sleep, and the princess jumped back up to her feet, daintily, scampering back to her own sleeping bag. Rolling over, feeling somewhat relieved, the princess drifted off to sleep.
Jade turned back to face the forest, looking away from the camp, smiling placidly as he always did. Wouldn't Guy be surprised to find out he'd had his first kiss, with a girl no less, and missed it because he was sleeping.