"Kevin?" Emily, the young girl he was presently escorting in town, tugged lightly on his sleeve. She looked up at him and smiled, her hair golden in the afternoon's sunlight. This was not to first time they had been out together. In fact, outings like this tended to be common. However, on his particular day, he was more than a little worried about what might happen if he left the rest of the Sinclairs unguarded for a few hours. It was becoming more and more dangerous for noble families to be out, but one look at her grinning face told him it was worth the risk. Shewas worth it.

He returned her smile. "Yes?"

"You're pretty."

"Is that so…?" Kevin chuckled, having no desire to tell her that it wasn't exactly a compliment for her to say such things. She meant well, so that's all that mattered. "Not nearly as pretty as you though."

This made her stop and look up at him, hands defiantly on her hips as she pouted. "Don't laugh, it's true. You've got pretty long hair and pretty eyes and you're tall and just pretty. You look like a princess."

"A princess? I think you have it mixed up a little."

"I do not!" But her resolved faded away as she edged herself closer to him, her fingers back to tugging on his sleeve. "I want to be as pretty as you are when I'm all grown up."

"Nonsense, you'll be much prettier."

Emily ignored him. "Then I can get married to a pretty knight just like you."

Children were silly. They spouted off nonsense and impossibilities as if they could actually come true. She would, of course, be married off politically, an arranged marriage, most likely. She wouldn't get much choice in who the man was, and there was no guarantee he would be 'pretty.' He wasn't going to be a knight, and it was more than possible the two would never love each other at all. Never mind that, he himself looked nothing like a princess at all. And yet here she was spouted off such ridiculous ideas with that vibrant smile of hers. It was completely irrational.

Perhaps that's why he didn't understand them, why he couldn't relate and didn't know how to handle children properly. They were so engulfed in these fantasies of theirs, he was worried that they would learn what life was really like and it would break them. Would Emily cry if he told her the truth of the situation? Would it break her heart to know that everything she so innocently wished for would never occur? Most certainly, and this is why he decided to keep his mouth shut. He had no ability to play along with her, and no desire to disillusion her either.

Children were a nuisance.

"Kevin?" She repeated, slipping her hand into his. Also a ridiculous thing to do.

"Hm?"

"Will you be married?"

What a strange thing to ask. Kevin looked down at her a second before replying, but she just kept looking ahead, her expression was more unreadable than anything. "Someday."

"To a princess?"

"Perhaps." To tell her that his marriage too would be arranged seemed overly cold as well. He hadn't really thought about it, cared little about the subject in general, and why should he? Eventually something would be arranged for him to benefit everyone politically, and he was expected to have a son to carry on his family name, but none of that warranted any sort of discussion or concern. However, Emily would never understand that. Best to keep silent about such things.

"Like that one girl you love?"

How did she know about that? Looking away uncomfortably, he frowned. " Possibly." Not that he stood any sort of chance with her whatsoever, but if he was to be honest, he wouldn't really mind getting married if it was to her. But that was childish thinking and there was now use dwelling on the notion. "Why?"

"I don't want you to get married." The tension in her voice was evident.

"How come?"

"Because then you'll have another princess to take into town with you. One that's prettier than me."

So that's what this was about? Goodness, her fears were impossibly irrational, and he had no idea how to respond to her words at all. "That's not true."

Now Emily was beginning to get really worked up, and she clenched his hand tighter. She couldn't be- no, she wasn't going to cry, was she? That was the last thing he wanted, then he really wouldn't know what to do. "You'll love her more than me and leave me by myself."

"But I'm not going to leave."

"Yes you are. My sister's going to leave when she gets married."

Geez, he didn't know what to do about things like this. Not only was this dealing with a child and her irrationality, but emotions and things he knew nothing about. What should he do? Telling her that it was his job to stay with their family for the rest of his life seemed cold and too complicated for her to understand, lying would be improper, but how else was there to go about it?

Still unsure, Kevin crouched down beside Emily, taking both of her hands in his. "Then how about I just marry you? When you grow up, of course. That solves the problem, right?" A stupid thing to say, completely impossible, but if it made her feel better and stopped her from crying, then it was fine, right?

Any doubt that was still evident in her eyes vanished, and she went back to smiling that charming little grin of hers. "Okay." Was all she said before tugging his arm and pulling him towards one of the shops. "Kevin will be the prettiest bride there!"

"Eh, no, that's not exactly-"

"Of course it is, silly~! She spun back around to face him. "I know I can't really marry you for real, you're far too old, and you already love that other princess. But promise you won't leave me?"

Oh? Perhaps she was more grown up than he realized. Maybe he didn't have to be concerned at all. With a smile, he leaned over to give her forehead a kiss. She giggled as she returned it. "No, I won't leave you."

"Forever and always?"

"Forever and always." He repeated, tugging her back towards the shops. "I promise."